Narrative Podcast

Ep. 86 Shawn Whitson - Redefining Success: Beyond Money and Titles

In this episode Tim Croll and Shawn Whitson explore themes of personal growth, entrepreneurship, and the importance of values in defining success. Shawn shares his journey from viewing himself as a 'screw up' to recognizing the value of his experiences and the lessons learned from failures. They discuss the impact of childhood narratives on work ethic, the false narratives surrounding money and success, and the importance of community and connection. Shawn introduces Acts Social, a new social media platform focused on positivity and gratitude, emphasizing the need for a supportive online environment.
Check out more from Shawn at www.actssocial.com
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Ep. 85 "I am Insignificant and Incapable" Denise Clanin's False Narrative

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Ep. 84 "Success Means Following the Script" Mike Mattes' False Narrative

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Ep. 83 Stephen McGhee

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Ep. 82 "I Have to Fit in to be Valuable" Steve Leitch's False Narrative

Steve “Moby” Leitch was a swimmer before he was a Moby, a man before a ministry leader, and a wanderer long before he ever became rooted. Born into the world of evangelical Christianity—his father preaching alongside giants like Billy Graham—Steve grew up in the polished halls of faith, where sin was unspoken and perfection expected. But he found more belonging in the locker room than the pews. While swimmers laughed freely, churchgoers seemed like porcelain. And so he drifted.
Trying to fit in led Steve to addiction—first to connection, then to substances, and finally to isolation. By his mid-thirties, life had collapsed around him: divorced, bankrupt, estranged, spiritually lost. In 2010, broken and under a tree in Kentucky, he surrendered. No fireworks. Just a decision. One that began a 15-year transformation.
Piece by piece, Steve rebuilt—his faith, his body, his family, and his purpose. He gave up drugs, then alcohol, then corporate America. In their place came morning devotions, ultra-marathon swims for recovery causes, handwritten messages to family and friends, and a social media presence not for attention, but for legacy. Now a grandfather, “Moby” uses his swims, storytelling, and scars to remind others: God created you for a purpose. Don’t miss it.

Ep. 81 "I Don't Belong In Groups That Have A Collective Benefit For One Another" - Ryan Woodruff's False Narrative

Ryan Woodruff grew up a quiet and shy boy, shaped by constant moves and a fractured home. With no father figure and a mother working multiple jobs, Ryan built his identity on survival and self-isolation. A sense of direction came from the film Full Metal Jacket, which introduced him to the idea of brotherhood in the military. He joined the Marine Corps in 2005, seeking belonging and purpose. But war delivered trauma, not healing. Alcohol and avoidance became his coping mechanisms, stretching through deployments and into civilian life.
Years later, at rock bottom—newborn twins at home, a beloved service dog killed, and his father’s sudden death—Ryan faced a choice: destroy everything or rebuild. He chose to rebuild.
It started with one man’s invitation to a veterans' group. From that quiet seat in the back of the room, listening to others’ stories, Ryan began to share his own. Sobriety brought hollowness at first, but slowly, Ryan rebuilt—through faith, fitness, family, and community. Today, he helps others navigate that same darkness through his work at Clear Path for Veterans.

Ep. 80 Epsilons in Narratives w/ Jonathan Heaslet

Jonathan Heaslet has been many things over the years. An economics & mathematics major, military, minister, healthcare executive, and more. Jonathan never planned on taking the long way around, but life has a funny way of handing you detours. He spent years chasing certainty, believing that success was a straight line—only to find that some of his best moments came from the unexpected twists.
As a kid, he thought confidence was something you either had or didn’t. He learned the hard way that confidence is built, brick by brick, in the moments when you push forward despite the doubt. "The hardest thing isn’t knowing what you want," he says. "It’s believing you deserve it."
There were times he wanted to quit, times when the silence after trying felt unbearable. But he kept showing up, kept putting in the work, even when no one was watching. He realized that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s just another stop along the way.
Now, looking back, Jonathan doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But he knows this: the world doesn’t owe you an audience. You earn it by being real. By being honest. And most importantly, by showing up.

Dave Guyor - Narrative Men's Leadership Summit 2024

"How 'abby' normal is your normal?"
 
This powerful talk with Dave Guyor from our 2024 Narrative Summit dives deep into the loneliness epidemic, the impact of technology, and how we can reclaim the art of meaningful relationships.

Ep. 78 "I Must Constantly Prove My Worth To Earn Approval" - Kellan Fluckiger's False Narrative

In the glamorous world of high-powered executives, Kellan Fluckiger seemed to have it all – wealth, success, and influence. But beneath the Armani suits and corporate victories lay a man drowning in cocaine addiction, failed marriages, and a desperate need to prove his worth to a mother whose harsh discipline had left deep emotional scars. For decades, Kellan rode a destructive roller coaster of success and self-sabotage, making and losing fortunes, ruining three marriages, and struggling with thoughts of suicide. His teenage daughter once told him matter-of-factly that they expected to receive a call about his death any day. Then came the night in August 2007 when divine intervention arrived through an unlikely source – a reality TV show about addiction that mysteriously replayed itself on his television. What followed was an otherworldly experience where Kellan was forced to witness scenes of suffering from his life for 18 hours straight. He emerged with an unshakeable conviction to change, throwing away his drugs and embracing sobriety. Weeks later, at a Yo-Yo Ma concert, another divine nudge led him to propose to a woman he barely knew – a coworker named Joy who would become his guardian angel. Despite his messy past and addiction issues, Joy saw something in him others missed. Together they walked away from their careers and embarked on a challenging journey of healing and transformation. Now, seventeen years later, Kellan is a different man – an author of 20 books and a coach helping others discover their purpose. With Joy as his business partner and wife, he works to reach millions with a powerful message: no matter your past, you matter, and it's never too late to make the difference you yearn to make in the world.

Ep. 77 "Achievements Matter More Than Relationships" - Chris Bolinger's False Narrative

Chris Bolinger grew up in a high-achieving family with three accomplished older sisters and parents who modeled excellence in everything they did. As the youngest and only boy, he was somewhat spoiled but also inherited the family's drive for achievement and discipline. While this upbringing instilled many positive traits, it also led to two significant challenges: an excessive self-reliance that made him believe he was in control, and a tendency to value achievements over relationships. After a successful career in tech that culminated in selling his WiFi company for a substantial sum in his forties, Chris embarked on several ventures including investing in a Christian movie and starting a business to help small church leaders. Both ventures failed financially. During this period, his marriage of 26 years also ended, serving as a wake-up call that his approach to life needed to change. The turning point came when Chris joined a men's ministry program at his church that required a two-year commitment to meet weekly with a group of twelve men. Initially reluctant, this experience transformed his perspective on relationships, particularly with other men. He realized that instead of trying to "fix" relationships like problems to be solved, they needed to be invested in and nurtured. He also developed a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God beyond the transactional one he had maintained previously. Today, Chris lives between Florida and Ohio with his second wife, Libby, and focuses on intentionally building relationships through shared experiences like playing trivia, coaching high school tennis, and spending quality time with family. He's learned that while failure is inevitable, what matters most is not just getting back up, but understanding why you fell and using those experiences to help others facing similar challenges. His life now centers around the belief that relationships, not achievements, are what truly matter.