The Self-Leadership Lab

The Self-Leadership Lab is where purpose, discipline, and personal mastery get broken down, tested, and rebuilt. Hosted by author and coach Bobby Shelton, this podcast explores the real work of leading yourself before you lead anyone else. Each episode dives into the practices, psychology, and “inner lab work” behind self-awareness, self-discipline, and meaningful growth.If you’re ready to trade performative busyness for intentional living and choose the kind of work that truly shapes you, this is your place. Welcome to The Self-Leadership Lab.

The Self-Leadership Lab is a education podcast hosted by Bobby Shelton, with 107 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Bobby Shelton hosts The Self-Leadership Lab, a education show with 107 episodes published.

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  Episode #108

  Jorge Avalos: From Paralysis to Purpose, Service, and Freedom

  Sep 29, 202649 min

  Jorge Avalos was told he would never walk again. After 22 years in the Army, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, multiple combat injuries, a devastating skydiving accident, paralysis, numerous surgeries, and later being struck by a pickup truck while cycling, Jorge has had plenty of reasons to quit. He didn't but this conversation isn't about refusing to quit. It's about what Jorge chose to do with the life he fought so hard to reclaim. After his injuries, Jorge returned to cycling and rediscovered a sense of freedom he thought he had lost. Today, through Adaptive Velo Warriors, he helps disabled veterans and first responders get back on bikes through adaptive equipment while rebuilding something many veterans lose when they leave the military: community and camaraderie. Jorge and I also talk about his evolution from a self-described cocky young soldier into a servant leader, why grit can become a weakness when taken too far, the importance of rest and reflection, imposter syndrome, faith, and why leadership doesn't need to be as complicated as we often make it. I especially appreciated Jorge's honesty about perseverance. The same drive that carried him through extraordinary circumstances has sometimes caused him to push himself too far and neglect his own needs while serving others. Jorge Avalos That's self-leadership too: learning not only when to push, but when to recover. At the end of our conversation, Jorge boils much of his philosophy down to three simple ideas: Faith in God. Faith in yourself. And don't be a jerk. Sometimes leadership really can be that simple. About Jorge: A 23-year Army Veteran, Ranger, and combat Veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jorge has built a life defined by service, resilience, and reinvention. While serving in the Army, he became a professional skydiver. A life-changing skydiving accident ultimately led to his medical retirement from the Army and forced him to confront a completely different future. Rather than allowing the injury to define him, he rebuilt his life through determination, purpose, and service. After retiring from the military, he became a professional cyclist and multiple-time cycling champion, master bicycle technician, custom bicycle frame builder, volunteer firefighter, and CNC machinist. He has also worked with nonprofits serving Veterans and is the founder and executive director of Adaptive Velo Warriors, an organization helping veterans and individuals with disabilities discover strength, independence, and connection through adaptive cycling. A husband and father of four boys, Jorge brings real-world experience, honesty, and perspective to every conversation. This podcast explores military service, combat, family, recovery, adaptive sports, resilience, entrepreneurship, self-leadership and the people who find a way forward when life changes direction. Watch Jorge's story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rct1i0TbpIM

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  Episode #107

  Garrett Mintz: The Power of Second Chances, Mentorship, and Persistence

  Sep 22, 202643 min

  At 19 years old, Garrett Mintz was facing a future that looked very different from the one he's living today. After dealing drugs from ages 15 to 19, Garrett received five felony distribution charges, was expelled from Indiana University, and faced the possibility of prison. Then something happened that would change the trajectory of his life. People believed in him. Garrett describes having people who saw something in him that he couldn't yet see in himself. One of those people gave him an internship despite knowing the risk involved. Others opened doors, made introductions, and helped him discover another way to channel something he'd been searching for all along: the desire to be needed. Garrett eventually found that outlet through mentorship. Today, Garrett is the founder and CEO of Ambition in Motion, where his work centers on helping leaders become better versions of themselves and creating workplaces where people can thrive. This conversation goes far beyond Garrett's remarkable story. We talk about persistence, entrepreneurship, mentorship, taking risks, finding meaningful work, recognizing opportunity, learning through experimentation, knowing when to quit, and what happens when someone gives another person a chance. Garrett also shares something I think every entrepreneur needs to hear: the early years weren't glamorous. For five years, he didn't take a salary from his company. He bartended, served tables, and drove Uber while continuing to build the business. Eventually, those small actions and years of persistence compounded. Maybe that's one of the biggest lessons from Garrett's story. Someone may open the door for you. But you still have to be willing to walk through it. About Garrett: Garrett Mintz is the founder and CEO of Ambition In Motion where he connects executives with each other to help them work through their most pressing challenges in a peer group format. His vision is a world where the vast majority of people are excited to go to work; when they are there, their expectations meet reality; and when they come home, they feel fulfilled. He believes leaders are at the heart of this mission, as leaders create the experiences employees have at work. Connect with Garrett: https://ambition-in-motion.com/

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  Episode #106

  Eric Robinson: From Pastor to FBI Agent and What He Learned About People

  Sep 15, 202642 min

  What could 12 years as a pastor possibly have in common with 24 years as an FBI agent? More than you might think. My guest this week is Eric Robinson, a recently retired FBI Special Agent whose career took an unusual path. Before joining the Bureau, Eric spent 12 years in ministry and eventually became a senior pastor. But ministry was taking a toll. Eric found himself carrying the problems of the people he served without having a community where he could be equally vulnerable. He felt pressure to appear happy and put together while privately carrying enormous stress. For two years, that stress manifested as daily headaches. Then Eric decided he needed to make a change. He applied to the FBI. What Eric discovered over the next 24 years is that his two careers weren't as different as they appeared. Both required him to understand people. His years in ministry had taught him how to listen, connect, remain curious, and create enough safety for someone to talk. Those skills followed him directly into law enforcement. Eric says: “I don't get confessions by talking.” Instead, he learned to ask questions, tolerate uncomfortable silence, and give people room to reveal themselves. We also explore leadership. Eric makes an important distinction between authority and influence. In the FBI, he had authority to enforce the law. But having authority didn't automatically make someone a good leader. Some of the best leaders he encountered understood that their job was to equip capable people and remove obstacles from their path. One supervisor routinely ended conversations by asking: “What else do you need?” We also talk about something deeper. Identity. After more than two decades as an FBI agent, Eric found himself approaching retirement and wondering what life would look like when he was no longer “the FBI guy.” He describes it as something of an existential crisis. Eventually, he began learning to say: I did that. That was great. I'm not that anymore. That part of our conversation will resonate with anyone who has ever allowed a career, title, uniform, position, or accomplishment to become intertwined with who they believe they are. And in the end, Eric brings us back to something remarkably simple: Be curious. Before giving the answer, listen. Before assuming you understand someone, ask another question. Before allowing what you already believe to close your mind, leave enough room to learn something new. Eric learned that as a pastor. He practiced it as an FBI agent. And I think it's a lesson worth carrying into the way all of us lead ourselves and others. Follow Eric at his Preacher To Breacher website (https://preachertobreacher.com/)to stay up to date with his latest content, or check out Instagram @_eric_robinson.

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  Episode #105

  Kathy Rogers: Looking for Good When Life Gives You Every Reason Not To

  Sep 8, 202649 min

  What does it mean to look for good when your circumstances don't feel good at all? That's not a hypothetical question for Kathy Rogers. Kathy is the author of Look for Good: Discovering God in Grief, Celebration, and the Everyday. Her message has been tested through cancer, the death of her mother, and the unimaginable loss of her 29-year-old daughter, Elena. And yet Kathy still chooses to look for good. Not because she denies what's happened. Not because grief doesn't hurt. And certainly not because she believes Christians are supposed to put on a smile and pretend everything is okay. Kathy describes looking for good as something active. It's a practice she developed through suffering, faith, gratitude, and learning to relinquish her desire to control outcomes. We talk openly about what grief actually looks like. Kathy shares about trying to be strong for everyone else after Elena died, numbing some of what she was feeling, and eventually realizing that she couldn't avoid the grief. She had to walk through it. There's also a beautiful moment when Kathy describes eventually catching a glimpse of herself again: “I'm still in here.” She wasn't suddenly finished grieving. She still missed her daughter terribly. But there was a glimmer that Kathy was still there and that, somehow, she was going to be okay. That may be one of my favorite lessons from this conversation. Grief can become part of your story without becoming your entire identity. We also talk about what to say when someone you love is hurting, why sometimes acknowledging someone's pain matters more than finding the perfect words, and how gratitude can slowly retrain us to notice goodness again. Kathy's practical challenge is simple: Find three things you're grateful for every day. Write them down. Because the more intentionally we look for good, the more likely we are to see it. This is a conversation about grief. But even more than that, it's a conversation about faith, hope, gratitude, community, and trusting God when we don't understand what He's doing. Kathy has earned the right to talk about all of them. About Kathy: Kathy Rogers is a speaker, business owner, podcaster, and author whose life was forever changed by two breast cancer diagnoses—first her own, then her daughter’s. Despite a fierce battle, Kathy’s daughter passed away at 29 years old. This unimaginable loss transformed Kathy’s lens on life, allowing her to find faith, joy, and peace in all circumstances. Her voice is a guiding light for those seeking clarity, courage, and connection during cultural noise and complexity. Website: https://www.thekathyrogers.com/

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  Episode #104

  Brian Miller: Stop Trying to Be More and Start Being Yourself

  Sep 4, 202648 min

  What if personal growth isn't always about becoming more? What if sometimes it's about becoming more fully who you already are? Brian Miller is the president of Coach Approach Ministries and founder of P3 Leadership, where his work focuses on presence, partnership, purpose, and helping people grow through what he calls “drawing out rather than pouring in.” That simple idea took our conversation somewhere much deeper. We live in a world constantly telling us we're not enough. Be more productive. Get in better shape. Make more money. Grow your audience. Improve your performance. Become 1% better. Brian made an observation that stopped me: sometimes that message can reinforce the very belief we're trying to overcome. You're not enough yet. So we explored another possibility. What if growth isn't always about pouring more information, advice, habits, and expectations into ourselves? What if we need someone to help draw out what's already there? At one point, Brian turned that question toward me and asked what characteristics are essentially “Bobby Shelton.” That led to a realization I've been wrestling with recently. I'm 6'5", but I've spent much of my life trying to make myself smaller. I've heard some version of “don't be so loud, don't talk so much, don't be so big.” Maybe I've internalized the belief that taking up less space makes more room for everyone else. Brian challenged that assumption. Perhaps showing up fully doesn't take space away from others. Maybe being bigger gives other people permission to be bigger too. We also talk about advice, coaching, podcasting, comparison, intrinsic motivation, false beliefs, confidence, authenticity, and why knowing what to do rarely creates lasting change. Brian's challenge at the end is beautifully simple: Figure out who you are. Challenge the false beliefs telling you that person isn't enough. And become comfortable being the best version of you Connect with Brian: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-miller-coach-approach/ Website: https://coachapproachministries.org/

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