In this week’s episode of the Redefine What’s Possible Podcast, Shanon sits down with Russell Benaroya—an entrepreneur, leader, and endurance athlete—for a conversation about leadership, adventure, identity and what it means to truly redesign your life.

Russell is the author of One Life to Lead: Business Success Through Better Life Design, and he is someone who has learned firsthand that success on the outside does not always answer the deeper question of “who are you becoming on the inside?” Shanon unpacks and explores Russell’s journey during the Marathon des Sables—a grueling 6-day, 155 mile race in the Sahara desert—and not just what happened in the Sahara, but what came before it.

This episode is an inspiring story about becoming, the detours, the resets, and the choices that shape who we’re trying to be. If you have ever questioned what success is really costing you, or that there may be a more intentional way to live and lead, this episode is for you.

If you'd like to learn more about Russell's story, you can keep up with him via LinkedIn.

At 16 years old, Billy Moore made a decision that altered countless lives, including his own. What followed was 20 years in prison, the weight of accountability, and a long journey toward understanding identity, forgiveness, and purpose.

In this episode, Billy shares the “story before the story”, the loss of his father, the search for self and belonging, the influence of his environment, and the split-second confrontation that ended in tragedy. He speaks candidly about incarceration, the turning point sparked by his grandmother’s words, and the commitment he made to ensure his life would not be defined solely by his worst mistake.

Now a site manager with Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny), Billy works on the front lines of violence intervention, mentoring young men navigating the same pressures, trauma, and survival mindset that once shaped him. He discusses his approach to instilling hope in communities where systemic inequities, economic disinvestment, and fractured trust are predominant forces in the lives of the young men he serves.

This conversation is about accountability without erasure, forgiveness without denial, hope without overpromising, and the belief that redemption is not a single moment, but a daily decision to grow, to serve, and to get one step closer to purpose.

Learn More: Chicago CRED

Longevity isn’t something you chase with willpower—it’s something that can ensue when your community is designed for it.

In this episode, Shanon sits down with Danny Buettner Jr., Executive Vice President of Blue Zones, to talk less about perfect personal habits and more about the real lever that changes outcomes: environment and culture. The original Blue Zones offered the learning. Blue Zones America is the application—partnering with cities, school districts, employers, and health systems to make the healthy choice the easy (and often unavoidable) choice.

Danny breaks down what Blue Zones America looks like on the ground—how communities build momentum through people, places, and policy; why “readiness” matters; and how leaders can create measurable wellbeing shifts that don’t rely on Superman discipline. They also unpack the forces working against health in modern life, and why the next era of longevity will be won through community design, not individual guilt.

If you’re a leader, parent, clinician, or anyone tired of feeling like health is one more thing to “try harder” at, this conversation offers a hopeful blueprint for building a life—and a city—where wellbeing can actually unfold.

www.bluezones.com