A Joyful Rebellion

OMG, That’s Me! - Why Dave Mowry’s Jokes About the Darkest Stuff Help a Million People Feel Less Alone

In 1994, Dave Mowry was driving down the freeway when he heard something like a twig snapping in his mind. His face went slack, his voice went monotone, and a deep sense of dread moved in that wouldn’t leave for 14 years

Every Hardship You’ve Survived Is Already a Story Someone Needs to Hear — with TJ Baird of Warrior Dad Stories

TJ Baird joined the U.S. Army at 17, turned 18 three days before graduating basic training, and spent the next 32 years in uniform — nine deployments, multiple combat tours. He came home each time carrying more than he s

300,000 Pairs of Pink Socks Later- How One Kilt-Wearing Hippie Is Rebuilding Human Connection One Gift at a Time

Nicholas Adkins spent his career as a healthcare executive — COO, 37 states, custom suits, cufflinks. Then his father was diagnosed with cancer, and in 2010, while sitting in a boardroom deciding the company’s future, Ni

You Can’t Be Wallpaper in a Place With No Walls — Sarah Marshall on Burning Man and Radical Belonging

Golden Handcuffs Are Still Handcuffs — Drewbie Wilson on Freedom, Sales, and Starting Over

Drewbie Wilson did everything right. He climbed from $40,000 a year in insurance to half a million, landed private jet trips, built a commercial gym in the garage, and bought the second fridge — the garage fridge, which

It's Gonna Get Messy- Becca Eve Young on Intuition, Grief, and the Courage to Stop Performing

Most of us are really good at looking like we've got it together. Becca Eve Young decided to stop pretending. She's a coach, author, and former corporate climber who did all the things — MBA, corner office, company going

Your Focus Determines Your Reality- with Author Aaron Ryan

Aaron Ryan didn't wait for someday. He left a steady career, burned the bridges behind him, and started building something entirely his own. Nearly 50 books later, he's watching the two creative industries he's devoted h

Seeing the World from Four Foot Two- Identity, Access, and Advocacy with Jenna Udenberg

Most people move through the world without thinking about how they move through the world. The door opens. The bathroom fits. The seat is reachable. For Jenna Udenberg, none of that has ever been a given. And after nearl

Why Being Important Is the Wrong Goal — and What to Aim for Instead with Chip Scholz

Most of us spend our careers trying to become important. We perform, we climb, we accumulate — and somewhere along the way we confuse being needed with actually being useful. Chip Scholz has spent decades coaching leader

Kidnapping Billionaires to Save the Planet — The Novel That Goes There with Diana Colleen

What if the only way to save the planet was to kidnap the world's billionaires and dose them with psychedelics? That's not a joke — that's Diana Colleen's debut novel. But here's what makes it more than just a wild premi

When Your Dream Life Stops Feeling Like Your Life- with Kate Kayaian

After spending decades performing at the highest levels of classical music, Kate Kayaian did something almost unthinkable in her industry: she walked away. In this episode of A Joyful Rebellion, Kate shares the deeply pe

Dreaming of Things That Never Were — with Kenneth Kunken

At 20 years old, Kenneth Kunken broke his neck during a college football game at Cornell University and was told he likely wouldn’t survive the week. Doctors warned his family that even if he lived, he’d spend the rest o

Monetize What You Already Know- Turning Skills Into Income with Bart Merrell

Most people think they need a new idea to make more money—but what if they’re just overlooking what’s already there? Bart Merrell helps people create financial security by monetizing what they already know, already do, a

Redefining Success, Identity, and Growth with Kristan Swan

Why do so many people say they want change—but keep repeating the same patterns? In this episode of A Joyful Rebellion, James sits down with Kristan Swan to unpack the uncomfortable truth behind personal growth, identity

It’s Never Too Late for Something Epic- Rand Timmerman on Faith, Recovery, and the Trail

What kind of conviction does it take to begin a nearly 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail hike at 72 years old? For Rand Timmerman, the answer is layered in grief, sobriety, brotherhood, faith, and unfinished business. A Vietn

Burnout Isn’t What You Think: Garrett Wood on Stress, Success, and Nervous System Truth

Burnout doesn’t show up when it’s convenient. It shows up when you can least afford to slow down. In this episode, Garrett Wood breaks down what burnout actually looks like—not the Instagram version, but the real, physio

Know What You Want- Cinda Gault on Living Boldly and Writing Fearless Women

A joyful rebellion isn’t reckless—it’s intentional. In this conversation, novelist Cinda Gault breaks down a truth most people avoid: the hardest part of living on your own terms isn’t courage—it’s clarity. Because if yo

When the Legal System Becomes the Battle- Lisa Johnson on Surviving Legal Abuse

Episode Summary What happens when the system meant to protect you becomes the thing that wears you down? In this powerful episode of A Joyful Rebellion, James sits down with Lisa Johnson — educator, author, and co-founde

Play From Your Heart: Scott Martin on Loss and Resilience

Episode Summary In the early 1990s, college soccer coach Scott Martin walked into an emergency room with flu-like symptoms. A month later, he woke from a coma to learn he had contracted necrotizing fasciitis — and that h

A Quiet Rebellion- Carrie Birde on Shame, Voice, and Uncommon Grace

Episode Summary Some people rebel by getting louder. Carrie Birde rebelled by getting gentler. After years of writing in secret—carrying shame, creative fear, and a persistent who am I to do this?—Carrie finished A Small