JoBen Barkey grew up in the Amazon rainforest and arrived in North America at eighteen with fifteen dollars and a borrowed pair of shoes. What followed is hard to believe: a six-location business, a kidney given to a dying stranger, and schools, wells, and an underground ambulance built in a West African war zone — all while surviving homelessness and a COVID collapse. This is part one: the cost, the calling, and the people who carried him.

Chapters

00:00 Cold Open

02:26 $15 and Borrowed Shoes — Leaving the Amazon

05:33 Growing Up in the Jungle

17:14 Brett's Box of Clothes

24:46 Rwanda — “You Just Loved Me”

27:29 Cameroon: Wells, Farming, Taxis

34:45 Innocent, the Freed Prisoner

42:45 The Physical Rock Bottom

54:32 Two Rock Bottoms — What to Take Away

01:01:13 How to Help / Close

About the Guest

JoBen Barkey is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who spent his first 18 years in the Amazon. Through his B7 nonprofit, funded by his businesses, he supports schools, wells, agriculture, a pharmacy, a taxi service, and a prison ministry across nine villages in Cameroon, and projects in Peru.

Connect with the Guest

• Give / learn more: b7family.com (100% of donations go overseas)
• YouTube: Better Together B7
• Instagram: @onekidneyadventures

Mkristo Bruce made it to the NFL — and still found himself broke on the side of the road, walking home to a son who was hungry. In this episode, he takes us into the night that became his compass, and the vow that built everything after it: a thriving business, a cockpit of his own, and a son now in flight school. Will, grit, desire, love — made real, scene by scene.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mkristo “MK” Bruce was an All-American defensive end at Washington State (29.5 career sacks, third in school history) who went on to the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars. After football he managed the #1 Cadillac-Buick-GMC store in Washington, then became Branch Manager at Guild Mortgage in Maple Valley — producing $24M and earning President’s Club in his first year. He’s also a private pilot with roughly 620 hours, a Beech Bonanza owner, and the father of a son now in flight school.

CHAPTERS

0:00 - "Daddy, I'm hungry": the night on the side of the road

3:14 - One NFL game, and the cost of the dream

10:37 - Jacksonville: "Always be ready"

14:51 - When is enough, enough?

22:23 - The coach who refused to give up

27:24 - The pivot: cars to mortgage, and his wife's trust

40:03 - Aviation, his son, and flying together

50:02 - Attitude, effort, and the legacy he's building

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST

• Guild Mortgage: branches.guildmortgage.com/wa/maplevalley/mkristo-bruce-654-tcmbr.html
• Team Bruce: teambrucemortgage.com
• Instagram: @mkristo.bruce

Trevor McGregor had it all on the line — his savings, his retirement, even the second mortgage his parents took out on their family home. Then the business imploded, and he lost everything. In this episode, Trevor takes Alan inside rock bottom, the friend who told him “the inside of the jar can’t read the outside of the label,” the coach whose single question rebuilt his life, and the road from the edge of foreclosure to more than 45,000 coaching sessions.

Chapters

00:00 The Comeback Begins 02:12 Trevor's Early Journey 04:10 Losing Everything 08:23 Rock Bottom 09:20 The Power of Mentorship 11:15 Real Estate Breakthrough 14:29 Paying Back Family 15:47 Hard Lessons Learned 16:43 The Butterfly Effect 17:39 Beating Imposter Syndrome 22:12 Coaching with Tony Robbins 23:08 From Self Doubt to Confidence 26:48 One Question That Changes Everything 33:17 Lisa Changed Everything 37:44 Winning Through Crisis 38:48 The Law of Polarity 40:15 Never Give Up 42:13 From Broke to Billions 46:04 Becoming Your Best Self 49:40 Start Your Hero's Journey

About the guest

Trevor McGregor, known as “Coach T.,” is the founder of Trevor McGregor International and one of the most-booked high-performance coaches in the world. A former Master Platinum Coach inside Tony Robbins’ organization, he has completed more than 45,000 one-to-one coaching sessions with clients across the globe, including investors whose portfolios total billions. He lives a life of travel and family with his wife Leesa and their three sons.

Connect with the guest

• Website: TrevorMcGregor.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/trevor-mcgregor-93375862
• Instagram: @iamcoachtrevor
• YouTube: @TrevorMcGregor

At twenty-three, Jason Cheperdak was driving a forklift overnight at Walmart, a year into marriage and a few months removed from life as a national-medalist athlete. He couldn’t see the way out. So he stopped waiting for a door to open and started finding the next handle. This is the story of ninety-nine slammed doors, a first million at thirty, and the two questions that rebuilt a life.

About the Guest

Jason Cheperdak is the founder of Shepherd Homes Group, the #1 real estate team in the DMV, with seven companies, a team of 80, and more than 1,100 properties under management. A former Canadian junior national bronze-medalist ice dancer, he arrived in the U.S. with $5,000, drove a forklift overnight at Walmart, became the youngest Target store manager in the country at 24, and built his first million by 30.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: From Walmart to Real Estate Success

02:19 Building Resilience Through Hard Work

04:46 The Power of Mentorship and Mindset

09:03 Leading a $120 Million Business

12:44 Taking the Leap into Real Estate

16:33 Becoming a Millionaire at 30

17:28 Quitting During COVID and Betting on Himself

18:18 The Value of Coaching and the Right Circle

20:33 Family's Role in Entrepreneurial Success

25:07 Leaving Corporate to Build Multiple Businesses

27:01 Financial Lessons from Growth and Tax Challenges

30:07 Leading with Abundance and Purpose

32:24 Creating a Scalable Business and Lasting Legacy

36:11 Personal Growth Through Relationships

38:58 Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck

40:17 Curiosity, Persistence, and Better Decisions

44:43 The Questions That Transform Your Life

46:38 How to Connect with Jason

In this conversation

• The overnight forklift shift and the breaking point that started everything
• Reverse-engineering 25 years of his life and walking away from the ladder
• Fifteen feet of fire, a coach, and the decision to go all in
• Fear, scarcity, and learning to bet on himself
• The two questions he runs every decision through

Connect with the Guest

• Instagram: @jasoncheperdak
• Website: shepherdhomesgroup.com

Kylee Leota spent years inside an abusive marriage telling herself it wasn't that bad. Then a police officer sat across from her and said one word. Enough. The first time in years she had been seen accurately. In this conversation: the cost of self-deception, the moment of being seen, and how to stop being the character in someone else's story long enough to pick up the pen yourself.

About the Guest

Kylee Leota is the founder of Elements 4 Success, creator of the INFINITE Leadership framework, author of INFINITE Leadership (2024), and TEDx speaker ("From Survivor to Thriver"). She built her leadership methodology from personal traumatic experience, not from theory. Single mother of three. Brisbane-based.

Chapters

0:00 Cold Open 0:27 Episode Open 1:39 We Always Have a Choice 7:44 Doing It for the Children 11:12 Author of Her Own Story 12:36 The Police Officer Said One Word 18:59 The Ghostwriter Section 28:43 Selfless Self-Promotion 40:41 Conversations with the Kids 49:14 A Message to the Woman Still Inside 58:49 Gratitude and Recommendations 1:05:04 Outro

Connect with Kylee

Website: elements4success.com.au

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kylee-leota-leadershipexpert

Connect with Alan

Website: thealanunderwood.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/the-alan-underwood

At twenty-nine, with four kids, a mortgage, and everything on the line, Alan sat on a boat at Lake Powell while his father asked him one question. It didn’t tell him what to do. It changed who he decided to become. In this solo episode, Alan reframes how you make decisions, from weighing options to deciding as your future self, and leaves you with a simple practice to start today.

In this episode

• The question Alan’s father asked him on a boat at Lake Powell
• Why deciding from your future self changes everything
• The difference between “what should I do” and “who do I want to be”
• A simple daily practice: the five “I Choose” statements

Chapters:

00:00 — Every life has a moment that changes everything

02:34 — On paper, I had made it — but something was missing

03:41 — "Comfortable had become his ceiling"

04:51 — The real stakes — betting everything on a dream

05:28 — The question that changed everything: "Who do you want to be?"

05:58 — Stop asking WHAT — start asking WHO

06:53 — The most selfless thing a father ever did

07:42 — "An invitation he'd never given himself"

08:40 — $1M/year growth for 13 years — proof of the decision

09:52 — Why your present self is sabotaging you

10:54 — How to escape the noise and make clear decisions

11:31 — Viktor Frankl's lesson from a concentration camp

15:42 — You don't have to face it alone

Reflective questions for the listener

• What decision are you circling right now?
• Are you deciding from your present self or your future self?
• Who do you want to be in twenty years?

Connect with Alan: thealanunderwood.com

Be Present. Be Powerful. Be There.

For twelve years, Mike Tenney carried other people's worst days as a law enforcement officer. Then his own arrived — first in a patrol car with a gun to his head, then three years later in a closet with a plan to end his life. In this conversation, Mike shares the voice that stopped him, the wife who took the wrong exit, and the long walk back to the man he was always meant to be.

About the Guest

Mike Tenney is a former law enforcement officer, medically retired with PTSD and major depression after twelve years on the job. He lives in Hawaii with his wife and family, where he is a soon-to-be grandfather and helps small businesses understand their financial potential. This is the first time Mike has publicly told this story.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction - A Moment That Changes Everything

2:21 The Train Accident - October 15, 2015

3:05 Arriving First on Scene

6:54 The Breaking Point - Gun to His Head

9:14 The Voice That Saved His Life

10:15 Medically Retired - Identity in Crisis

12:20 The Red Flags He Missed

13:05 Skipping the Debriefs - How It All Piled Up

15:40 Hidden Addictions as Coping Mechanisms

16:59 Anger, Shame, and the Weight of It All

18:18 Psychache - When Everything Collapses

19:38 December 8, 2018 - The Second Crisis

21:34 Locked Out of His Own Safe

24:59 God Told Me To - Wife Saves His Life on the Freeway

28:44 Hope Returns - A Dream and a New Beginning

31:09 What He Was Hiding from His Wife

33:45 Why We Hide Our Hearts - The Fear of Vulnerability

36:37 The Shocking Truth About First Responder Suicide

45:15 You Are Not Alone - Message to Those Still Struggling

49:10 Being a Cop Is Not Who I Was, It's What I Did

50:26 Choosing a Life Around What Matters

51:34 Be There - The Whole Point of the Podcast

52:22 Gratitude and Closing Thoughts

52:56 Mike Calls Alan an Earth Angel

53:32 Final Message - You Are Not Alone, You Are Loved

54:53 Exalt - A Brotherhood for High Performers

Resources Mentioned

• West Coast Post-trauma Retreat (WCPR) — frsn.org/west-coast-post-trauma-retreat.html
• Warrior Heart — warriorsheart.com
• Wild at Heart by John Eldredge — Mike's #1 book
• The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

If You or Someone You Love is Struggling

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 in the US, or visit 988lifeline.org.

Two people can face the same loss and walk away with completely different lives. The variable was never the circumstance. It's the innerstance. In this solo episode, Alan tells the story of the 17 minutes between learning his mentor Jim Hesseman had passed and sitting down to coach a couple who were counting on him — and the two reframes that turned him from a man owned by grief into one who could choose his way through it.

Reflective questions for the listener

1. What emotion have you been waiting on your circumstances to give you permission to feel?
2. Is there a grief, or a hard feeling, you've been bracing against instead of giving an appointment to?
3. Which of the three levers — what you see, what you say, what you do — is easiest for you to reach for first?

Chapters

00:00 The text at 3:43 00:29 Who Jim was 04:41 When grief used to own me 07:13 Schedule your grief 08:27 Choose your emotion 09:42 The 17 minutes 14:04 Innerstance over circumstance 15:32 You are what you feel 15:47 Feel it first (Dispenza) 17:41 The Triad (Robbins) 22:11 Tribute to Jim and how to help

Frameworks and sources credited

• Jim Hesseman — Air Care Alliance President, founder of White Feather Flight, 2023 National Aeronautic Association honoree.
• Vincent Van Gogh — letter to Theo (“the little emotions are the great captains of our lives”).
• Dr. Joe Dispenza — Becoming Supernatural.
• Tony Robbins — Awaken the Giant Within (The Triad).

Call to action

Honor Jim's legacy. Volunteer as a pilot or refer someone who needs a free flight to medical care at angelflightwest.org.