The Positive Persistence Podcast with Ian Bowen

Welcome to "Positive Persistence, with Ian Bowen," the podcast that will ignite your spirit and fuel your journey to greatness! I'm Ian Bowen, and I'm here to tell you stories of ordinary people who've conquered extraordinary challenges. If you're ready to unleash your potential and leave an indelible mark on the world, you're in the right place. Each week, we'll dive deep into tales of triumph that will inspire you to overcome your obstacles and reach new heights. But this isn't just a podcast – it's a movement. By joining our "Positive Persistence" family, you're taking the first step towards activating your highest potential and living the life you truly deserve. After each episode, don't keep this inspiration to yourself! Share the show with friends who need that extra push. Hit that subscribe button so you never miss a moment of motivation. Want more? Head over to thepositivepersistence.com and sign up for my weekly newsletter. You'll get access to my free RINSE playbook – your guide to crushing obstacles in life, business, and relationships. The conversation doesn't stop here. Follow me on Instagram @ianrbowen for more content and daily doses of motivation. Remember, your journey to greatness starts with a single step. Let "Positive Persistence" be that step. Together, we'll help you step into the next best version of yourself. Now, let's dive into today's incredible story of resilience over adversity!

The Positive Persistence Podcast with Ian Bowen is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 113 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Positive Persistence Podcast with Ian Bowen, a education show with 113 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #113

  Cancer, Homelessness, and Joy with Alexi Bracey

  Aug 19, 202633 min

  What if joy isn't something you find after life's hardest moments... but something you can choose to create along the way? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Alexi, a cancer survivor, motivational speaker, and advocate for resilience through joy and mindset. After overcoming cancer and later facing financial hardship and homelessness, Alexi continued to find ways to bring laughter, kindness, and positivity into the lives of others. Alexi shares how her experience with cancer shaped her approach to resilience, why she believes daily action matters alongside mindset, and how laughter became an important part of her purpose. She also explains how small acts of kindness can create a ripple effect, even when you never know how far that impact travels. The conversation explores practical ways to build emotional resilience, including gratitude, positive self-talk, self-love, and intentionally looking for what's good even when life feels overwhelming. Alexi also shares why treating yourself like your best friend and leading with love can change the way you navigate setbacks and relationships. Throughout the episode, you'll hear a powerful reminder that difficult circumstances don't have to define your outlook. Sometimes, finding the positive doesn't mean ignoring what's wrong. It means choosing to look for the lesson, the opportunity, or the small moment of joy that can help you keep moving forward. In this episode, you’ll discover: 1. How Alexi's cancer diagnosis became a turning point in her life. 2. Why resilience requires both a positive mindset and daily action. 3. How laughter and kindness can create a ripple effect of joy. 4. Simple ways to practice gratitude when life feels overwhelming. 5. Why positive self-talk and self-love can support persistence through setbacks. 6. How small acts of kindness can make someone feel seen and valued. 7. Why focusing on the positive doesn't mean ignoring life's negative moments. 8. How to protect your mindset from negativity and keep moving forward. Key Takeaways: 1. Resilience Is Built Through Action: A positive mindset becomes more powerful when paired with consistent daily steps. 2. Joy Can Be a Purpose: Bringing happiness to others can give difficult seasons greater meaning. 3. Small Acts Matter: A smile, compliment, joke, or kind word can create an impact you may never see. 4. Gratitude Changes Your Outlook: Looking for what went right can shift your focus away from everything that went wrong. 5. Talk to Yourself Like a Friend: Positive self-talk and self-compassion can help you keep going when you're down. 6. Look for the Positive: Even in difficult circumstances, there may be a lesson, opportunity, or silver lining worth finding. 7. Lead With Love: Supporting people with encouragement rather than criticism can change how they experience setbacks. 8. Negativity Is a Habit: Becoming intentional about what you focus on can help you build a more positive pattern. Timestamps: 00:00 – Meet Alexi and her journey of resilience and joy 01:05 – Alexi's cancer diagnosis and choosing to persevere 03:41 – The mindset and actions behind her recovery 05:20 – Building a positive mindset through adversity 07:48 – Discovering the power of laughter and joy 09:22 – Facing financial hardship and homelessness with joy 10:24 – Finding gratitude in everyday life 11:29 – How small acts can create a ripple effect 13:11 – Practical habits for building emotional resilience 15:13 – Gratitude, self-hugs, and ending the day positively 18:22 – Finding the positive in life's challenges 20:21 – Turning negativity into something positive 22:08 – Leading with love and emotional intelligence 25:48 – Self-love and positive self-talk 28:07 – Protecting yourself from negativity Connect with Alexi Bracey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexibracey/ CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://watchmemindset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #112

  The Art of Living in Alignment with Desi Bolin

  Aug 12, 202643 min

  What if feeling stuck isn't a sign that you need to work harder... but a signal that something is out of alignment? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Desi Bolin, serial entrepreneur, business strategist, and catalyst for personal growth. Through her work with Virtually Sourced, Catalyst Collective, and Catalyst Conversations, Desi helps people navigate change, build businesses that support their lives, and take bold action rooted in who they truly are. Desi shares the story of leaving corporate leadership after realizing she didn't want to spend more than half of her children's childhood away from them, and how that decision led her into entrepreneurship. She and Ian explore the mindset shifts that helped her build self-trust, embrace authenticity, and create a life around purpose rather than societal expectations. Throughout the conversation, Desi explains why people often don't need another strategy, they need a different way of thinking. From replacing "but" with "and," shifting from "have to" to "get to," and operating with intention while detaching from the outcome, Desi offers practical ways to reframe adversity and move forward with greater clarity. The conversation also dives into the importance of staying present, embracing incremental growth, giving yourself permission to fail, practicing self-compassion, and recognizing when an old identity, relationship, or habit no longer serves you. In this episode, you’ll discover: 1. Why feeling stuck may be a sign of misalignment rather than a lack of effort. 2. How self-trust and self-love influence the way you show up in every area of life. 3. Why operating with intention while detaching from the outcome can create greater freedom. 4. How small language shifts like "and" instead of "but" can change the way you think. 5. Why authenticity builds trust and helps attract the right people into your life. 6. How inner work can help rewrite old stories and expand your sense of what's possible. 7. Why consistency, presence, and discipline are essential for long-term growth. 8. How to recognize when an old identity, relationship, or habit no longer serves you. 9. Why failure can become one of the fastest ways to learn and grow. 10. How giving yourself grace can help you continue moving forward through adversity. Key Takeaways: 1. Alignment Creates Momentum: Progress becomes more sustainable when your actions are rooted in your values, strengths, purpose, and the person you want to become. 2. Self-Trust Changes Everything: Building trust in yourself allows you to take courageous steps even before you feel completely confident. 3. Your Internal World Gets Amplified: What you carry internally can influence how you show up in your business, relationships, and life. 4. Choose "Get To" Over "Have To": Reframing obligations as choices can shift your perspective and restore a sense of agency. 5. Authenticity Builds Trust: Showing up as your true self creates deeper connections and attracts people who genuinely align with you. 6. Growth Requires Discomfort: Stepping outside your familiar patterns and homeostasis is often where meaningful growth begins. 7. Consistency Requires Presence: Repeating the right actions matters, but staying present allows you to recognize bottlenecks and make adjustments along the way. 8. Failure Is Part of the Process: Mistakes can reveal what doesn't work and provide lessons that move you forward. 8. Give Yourself Grace: Progress doesn't have to happen overnight. Self-compassion makes it easier to keep going through setbacks and difficult seasons. 10. Make It Simple: When facing adversity, stop overthinking and focus on the simple, aligned action you can take right now. Timestamps: 00:00 – Meet Desi Bolin and her journey into entrepreneurship 03:23 – Leaving corporate leadership to build a life around family 05:20 – Self-trust, self-love, and the impact of your internal world 07:18 – Shifting from “have to” to “get to” 09:23 – How to recognize when you're out of alignment 11:44 – The inner work behind changing your life 16:03 – Building a life around authenticity and purpose 20:10 – The long-term work of personal growth 23:37 – Reclaiming your potential and owning your power 27:10 – Why consistency and patience create lasting growth 34:24 – Consistency vs. insanity: knowing when to change course 40:37 – Desi’s mindset shift: make everything simple and live with intention Connect with Desi Bolin: Website: https://talkwithdesi.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desibolin/ CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://watchmemindset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #111

  The Power of Choice with Doug Babcock

  Aug 6, 202645 min

  What if resilience wasn't about avoiding hardship... but about choosing who you become because of it? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Doug Babcock, ICF Associate Certified Coach, leadership consultant, and former EMT, police officer, and detective. After decades serving in high-pressure environments across public safety, higher education, and nonprofit leadership, Doug now helps leaders strengthen their integrity, resilience, and decision-making through values-based coaching. Drawing from both professional experience and a difficult childhood marked by abuse, addiction, and instability, Doug shares how one simple belief—"there's always a lesson"—became the foundation of his life. Together, Ian and Doug explore why personal agency matters, how our choices shape our future, and why resilience begins the moment we stop letting our circumstances define us. Throughout the conversation, Doug offers practical wisdom on accountability, overcoming shame, finding hope, and building a life driven by intentional choices rather than past experiences. In this episode, you’ll discover: 1. Why resilience begins with accepting personal responsibility. 2. How choosing your response creates lasting personal freedom. 3. Why there's always a lesson even in life's hardest moments. 4. How mentors can help shape your identity and future. 5. What it means to give away, or reclaim, your personal agency. 6. Why shame keeps people stuck while accountability creates growth. 7. How today's choices determine tomorrow's opportunities. 8. Practical ways to build resilience through intentional daily decisions. Key Takeaways: 1.Your Choices Shape Your Future: While you can't control every circumstance, you can always choose how you respond. 2. Agency Is Your Greatest Strength: No one can take your agency away—but you can choose to give it up. 3. Every Experience Contains a Lesson: Growth happens when we learn from adversity instead of allowing it to define us. 4. Accountability Creates Freedom: Owning your decisions empowers lasting personal transformation. 5. Hope Must Be Accessed: When people lose access to hope, fear often begins making their decisions. 6. Mentors Matter: Positive influences can help rewrite the stories we believe about ourselves. 7. Failure Doesn't Define You: Mistakes become valuable when they're treated as lessons instead of lifelong labels. 8. Resilience Is Built One Choice at a Time: Consistently choosing growth, integrity, and purpose creates lasting strength. Timestamps: 00:00 – Meet Doug Babcock and his leadership journey 00:55 – What it means to be an ICF-certified coach 02:12 – Lessons from public safety and the foundations of resilience 03:00 – Growing up in adversity and choosing a different path 05:09 – Why no one else gets to define your identity 06:00 – The power of personal agency and paying it forward 08:05 – Giving away agency and the consequences of our choices 12:14 – Refusing to live by other people's expectations 13:37 – The mentors and influences that shaped Doug's life 15:51 – Why hope is the antidote to fear 16:06 – No one can rewrite yesterday, but everyone can shape tomorrow 18:18 – Learning from failure instead of being defined by it 20:23 – Choosing your response no matter your circumstances 21:08 – The consequences of every choice and every decision not to choose 44:31 – Final thoughts on positive persistence and mindset Connect with Doug Babcock: Website: https://www.counterpartscoaching.com/ Website: https://insighttoimpactleaders.com/ (coming soon) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556574782210 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbabcock802/ CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://watchmemindset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #110

  Mind Over Magick with Tracy Nicholas

  Jul 29, 202652 min

  What if the magick you've been waiting for was never wishful thinking... but a daily practice you could learn one small step at a time? In this episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Tracy Nicholas, folklorist, game designer, and author of Mind Over Magick: Making Magick in Everyday Life. Tracy hosts the Folkloring podcast and works at the intersection of folklore, mindful living, and creativity. Rather than card tricks or stage illusions, Tracy defines magick as changing the environment within and around you with no mechanical intervention—a practice grounded in psychology, belief, and the deliberate use of your own energy. She went back and forth with her publisher over keeping the “k” in magick, and kept it on purpose: this is about the mind, not sleight of hand. Tracy explains why a magickal practice has to be built before a crisis hits, how managing your energy is the first real tool you have, and why the stories we tell about ourselves quietly harden into the beliefs that run our lives. Together, Ian and Tracy explore practical ways to read your own energy, shift your focus, and turn intention into action—whether you're facing adversity, rebuilding your confidence, or simply trying to become a better version of yourself. In this episode, you'll discover: 1. What magick actually means as a daily practice, and how it differs from wishful thinking or stage illusion. 2. Why a magickal practice has to be built before a crisis, not during one. 3. How to read and manage your own energy before trying to change anything around you. 4. Why your environment—electronics, Wi-Fi, nature, open ground—moves your frequency, and how to choose it on purpose. 5. How grounding, centering, and time in nature lower anxiety and clear your thinking. 6. How to spot the cautionary tales and inherited stories that quietly shape your beliefs. 7. Why attention is a tool—when you look for symbols, meaning, and openings, you start to find them. 8. How focus and belief turn intention into real, effective action. Key Takeaways: 1. Magick Is a Practice, Not a Rescue: It's very hard to build a practice in the middle of a crisis, which is exactly why it has to be a daily habit you develop before you need it. 2. Start With Your Own Energy: Notice where you carry tension and how your energy shifts around other people versus when you're alone—that awareness is the first step to managing yourself under pressure. 3. Your Environment Moves Your Frequency: Electronics and Wi-Fi pull your range toward anxiety and insomnia, while nature and open ground bring it back down—so choose your surroundings on purpose. 4. Stories Become Beliefs: Just because someone tells a story about you doesn't make it true—even when you're the one telling it. Never let someone else's perception of your capabilities become your reality. 5. Attention Is a Tool: If you're looking for symbols, meaning, and openings, you'll find them—focus and belief are what turn intention into action. 6. The Mundane Is Magical: Energy work isn't separate from ordinary life—a spell is really a strategy, and your intention should be the concrete thing you need to do next. 7. Belief Is Integral to Your Practice: Your beliefs are what let you tap into your energy, and every person's magick is completely individual to them. 8. Clear Focus Shrinks the Obstacles: When your focus is clear, the things in your way start to matter far less. Timestamps: 00:00 – What magick really means (and what it is not) 01:30 – Meet Tracy Nicholas: Mind Over Magick and the Folkloring podcast 04:02 – Facing adversity: why the first step is managing your energy 08:06 – Symbolism, ritual, and the real power of belief 12:01 – What animals and the natural world reveal about energy 17:01 – Folklore and stories: keep the lesson, lose the fear 22:03 – Tracy's origin story: from theater to a life of practice 32:00 – Facing the fear of judgment and building work you believe in 41:04 – Pay attention and you'll find it: focus, symbols, and meaning 46:03 – Ian's reflection: how a clear focus makes the obstacles irrelevant 50:01 – Where to find Tracy, her book, and her community Connect with Tracy Nicholas: Website: https://folkloringlife.com/ Book: Mind Over Magick: Making Magick in Everyday Life Podcast: Folkloring Life Community: Folkloring Life Community CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://thepositivepersistence.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IanBowenPositivePersistence Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising. CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://watchmemindset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #109

  The Long-Term Ingredient That Separates Winners

  Jul 23, 20268 min

  What is the one ingredient that separates the people who make it from the ones who almost did? In this solo episode, Ian Bowen breaks down grit: not the gritty, dirty, sandy kind, but the psychological kind. The kind made of courage, perseverance, and a stubborn passion for a long-term goal even when life hasn't asked your permission before knocking you flat. Ian traces grit back to its smallest expression, showing up to the gym when you didn't want to, and connects it to one of the most underrated truths in personal development: good things don't come to those who wait. They come to those who do the unsexy, unglamorous, unlikes-able work behind the scenes, over and over again. If you're stuck right now and still have the dream, this one is for you. In this episode, you’ll discover: 1. Why grit is not just toughness, but a specific psychological combination of courage, perseverance, and passion for a long-term goal. 2. How dopamine culture conditions us to expect results fast, and why that expectation quietly kills most big dreams. 3. The real truth behind the saying good things come to those who wait, and the missing half that changes everything. 4. Why doing the work in the dark so you can shine in the light is the unglamorous reality behind every overnight success. 5. How even the smallest act of doing what you didn't want to do is an exercise in building the grit muscle. 6. Why you already have grit, and how to call on the evidence of that when life decides to test you again. Key Takeaways: 1. Grit Is a Long Game: Courage and passion matter, but they have to be pointed at a long-term goal, not a quick win. Short-term thinking is grit's biggest enemy. 2. Good Things Come to Those Who Work: Waiting is only half the equation. Long obedience in the same direction, applied consistently, is what actually delivers results. 3. Do the Unsexy Work: The actions that don't get likes, follows, or recognition are usually the ones that move the needle most. Integrity means doing them anyway. 4. Work in the Dark: As mentor Anthony Trucks says, do the work in the dark so you can shine in the light. Grit lives in the unseen effort. 5. The Small Wins Count: Getting out of bed when you didn't want to is grit. Every small act of resistance builds the capacity for the bigger ones. 6. You Have Done This Before: Whatever season you're in, you have pushed through a hard one before. Invoke that evidence. Grit picks up where memory leaves off. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction: a solo episode on a gym word of the week 00:38 – What grit actually means in human behavior 01:33 – Grit defined: courage, perseverance, passion for a long-term goal 02:28 – The real version of good things come to those who wait 03:13 – Reverse engineering your goals and doing the unsexy stuff 03:57 – Anthony Trucks: do the work in the dark to shine in the light 04:29 – When life tests you without asking, you have two options 05:48 – Even getting out of bed is grit 06:26 – Why don't we find out what happens if I do 07:07 – You have been in this season before. Invoke your grit. CONNECT WITH IAN BOWEN: Website: https://watchmemindset.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianrbowen/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ianrbowen YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PositivePersistence-ch8fk Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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