Leadership isn’t about titles, charisma, or being the loudest voice in the room. According to Dr. Matt Kutz — professor, Fulbright scholar, organizational coach, and author of Becoming Epic — leadership begins with learning to lead yourself.

In this raw, energizing conversation, Matt challenges the watered-down pop-culture version of “everyone’s a leader” and explains why true leadership demands excellence, contextual intelligence, and self-compassion. He shares how chaos can actually be the doorway to your potential, why perfection kills growth, and why iteration—not talent—is what makes someone excellent.

Matt tells the personal story of how a shocking prostate cancer diagnosis forced him to stop, rethink, and write the book he’s always wanted to write. From navigating chaos to cultivating excellence through small courageous actions, this episode offers a practical roadmap for becoming someone who leads with purpose — whether that’s at work, at home, or within yourself.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, mediocre, or waiting for the “perfect time,” this one will wake you up.

00:00 – The Enemy of Excellence Matt explains why perfection is the enemy and why excellence requires iteration: “You have to try, fail, try, fail, redo, redo, redo.”

01:30 – Everyone Thinks They're a Leader Why society’s “everyone is a leader” message creates a leadership vacuum.

05:00 – Leadership as a Disappearing Act Cultural bias against standing out — the “tallest poppy gets cut down.”

06:30 – Contextual Intelligence The leadership skill most people ignore: shifting styles based on the environment.

09:45 – Chaos as a Package for Potential Matt: “Chaos is often the package that your potential arrives in.”

13:30 – Excellence, Perception, Inspiration, Compassion (EPIC) The 4-part framework of Matt’s new book.

21:00 – Mediocrity as a Social Pandemic Why we embrace “the middle” rather than risk failure.

36:30 – Cancer, Chaos & Writing the Book Matt shares the prostate cancer diagnosis that forced stillness and sparked creativity.

55:00 – The 3D Thinking Model How hindsight + insight + foresight = powerful decision-making.

• Book (pre-order): Becoming Epic — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and major retailers

• Website: Home - matthewkutz

Award-winning journalist and novelist John DeDakis joins A Joyful Rebellion to talk about the craft—and catharsis—of writing. From getting tear-gassed in the middle of an anti-war riot during his college days to serving two decades as a White House correspondent and CNN senior editor, John’s 45-year journalism career shaped both his worldview and his fiction. Now, as the author of six political thrillers and a writing coach, he channels those experiences into stories that explore grief, truth, and the resilience of the human spirit.

In this conversation, host James Walters and John dive into the evolution of media bias, the emotional cost of news work, and how personal loss informed John’s writing. They discuss his process of creating authentic female protagonists, navigating rejection, and using storytelling as a path toward healing. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a lifelong reader, this episode reminds us that sometimes the best way to understand the world—or ourselves—is to write it down.

• [00:00–02:00] Introduction — Tear gas and the birth of a journalist

• [02:00–07:00] Early reporting days and first paying gig

• [07:00–11:00] White House years, Alfred Hitchcock, and lessons from Reagan’s press room

• [11:00–13:00] Fiction that mirrors reality — when thrillers predict politics

• [13:00–16:00] Journalism, bias, and truth in the age of disinformation

• [16:00–20:00] The turning point — grief, burnout, and leaving CNN

• [20:00–25:00] Writing as healing: turning loss into narrative

• [25:00–29:00] Empathy, emotion, and writing from a female perspective

• [29:00–34:00] The creative partnership with his wife Cindy and how “Enemy’s Domestic” was born

• [34:00–42:00] Writing across differences — empathy, voice, and representation

• [42:00–49:00] Rejection, perseverance, and the evolving publishing world

• [49:00–52:00] Why writer’s conferences matter and finding your people

• [52:00–53:00] John’s advice to anyone with a story to tell: Just write.

• John DeDakis Official Website: johndedakis.com

• Book: Enemies Domestic (Grand Prize, Santa Clue Award)

• Newsletter/Essays: Letters from the Road by historian Heather Cox Richardson

• Organization: American Forces Radio and Television Network

When his marriage ended and his life unraveled, Melbourne-based entrepreneur Wes Towers found himself sleeping under his desk—emotionally exhausted and completely untethered. What followed wasn’t an overnight transformation but a two-year process of unlearning, rebuilding, and rediscovering what joy actually feels like.

In this raw and human conversation, Wes and James unpack what it means to remove the masks we wear, confront our own chaos, and start over from the inside out. From therapy and breathwork to cold plunges, plant medicine, and real friendships, Wes shares how simple, consistent practices reshaped not just his mental health but his entire business and identity.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in a version of yourself that no longer fits, this episode will remind you that it’s never too late to rebuild—and that peace often starts with something as simple as taking a deep breath.

[00:00] – Introduction: When storytelling and self-awareness overlap [00:02] – Wes’s crisis: losing his marriage and identity [00:04] – Compartmentalizing emotions and “performing through pain” [00:06] – The friend who told the hard truth [00:07] – Therapy, breathwork, and micro-habits that changed everything [00:10] – What breathwork really does—and why driven people resist it [00:12] – Cold plunges, breath cycles, and body reset [00:14] – Letting go of who you were “supposed to be” [00:16] – Deconstructing belief systems and early conditioning [00:18] – Building new habits, structure, and emotional tools [00:21] – Growth without changing careers—how inner work transformed his business [00:24] – Exploring plant medicine as emotional rewiring [00:27] – The vision that helped him forgive and heal [00:28] – Friendship, brotherhood, and rebuilding community [00:32] – Business success through balance and humanity [00:38] – AI, storytelling, and staying human [00:40] – Final reflections and where to connect with Wes

• Wes Towers’ website: uplift360.com.au

• Connect with Wes on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/westowers

• Wim Hof Method (breathwork reference)

• Box Breathing technique (as discussed)

Creativity isn’t a lightning strike—it’s a practice. In this candid conversation, songwriter–novelist–systems thinker Mark Firehammer unpacks why creativity is a habit you can train, and how treating it like a system beats waiting for the muse. We get the backstory of his new novel The Echo and the Voice (published under a pen name that honors his mother’s Swedish family), and the companion album he produced with AI to mirror the protagonist’s awakening—two mediums pointing back to each other to help readers reclaim a silenced voice.

Mark shares industry war stories (serving lunches in Sony’s boardroom, seeing artists reduced to “commodities”), the craft lessons he got from Songwriters Guild president George David Weiss, and why the best art reflects what’s the same in us—what makes us laugh, cry, and lean in. Then we pivot into feeln️ess, his body-first alternative to traditional fitness: nine everyday movements that restored his mobility and joy in his 60s without chasing aesthetics or gym culture. We close with a simple assignment: make a seven-day list of what you loved as a kid, and do one item every day for 30 days. If your voice has gone quiet—or your body feels stuck—this episode is a roadmap back.

• [00:00] Cold open: “Creativity isn’t magic—it’s a habit you can train.”

• [03:00] Creativity as muscle + habit; why systems beat chaos.

• [07:00] The pen name that honors his mother’s Swedish lineage—and why “Firehammer” felt too aggressive for the work.

• [09:00] Reading the book’s premise: Jonas Wilder, culture’s “flattening,” and the cost of trading truth for belonging.

• [11:00] AI as bandmate: iterative production to match the song “exactly” as heard in his head; book↔album loop.

• [20:00] Jonas’s father as metaphor for culture; learning to question everything while finding “the window.”

• [25:00] New York in the ’90s: Sony boardroom, the commodity conversation, and choosing art over industry.

• [30:00] Craft lessons from George David Weiss; structure serves story (chorus first, bridges only if there’s something to cross).

• [33:00] Favorite story-songs: Harry Chapin’s “Mr. Tanner,” Eagles classics, Dan Fogelberg deep cuts—why place + people endure.

• [45:00] Feeln️ess origin: from “oof” at 58 to pain-free at 62; natural systems > artificial ideals.

• [48:00] The nine daily tasks (bed/floor, chair, reach, bend, rotate, etc.) and 20 minutes/day to restore function.

• [55:00] Blue Zones inspiration; designing a low-to-the-floor home that keeps you moving.

• [57:00] Homework: list what you loved as a kid; do one item daily for 30 days—awareness → action → joy.

• Novel: The Echo and the Voice (published under a pen name honoring his mother’s family).

• Companion Album: AI-assisted soundtrack sequenced to “wake you up.”

• Feeln️ess: Nine natural movements for lifelong mobility (Mark’s framework).

We’re taught to chase the feeling of love, then panic when the feeling fades. In this wide-open conversation, Christian de la Huerta—spiritual teacher, TEDx speaker, and author of Conscious Love—draws a clean line between worldly (ego) power and soulful (inner) power, and why confusing the two makes us abandon ourselves in relationships. We unpack how early conditioning around power and emotions trains us to say “yes” when our body is screaming “no,” why men are taught to suppress feelings (and pay for it in mental and physical health), and the hard truth that love is an act, not a feeling—especially when the honeymoon ends.

Christian shares the personal journey from adolescent depression and religious conflict to an unshakeable sense of self, plus practical ways to stop playing small: name what you want, set clear boundaries, and learn to feel and communicate emotions responsibly. If you’ve ever floated through life on autopilot or handed your power to circumstance, this episode is your nudge to become the author of your own story—on purpose.

• [00:00] Cold open: “Love is the act, not the feeling”—and why the real work starts after the honeymoon.

• [02:00] From depression and self-loathing to an unshakeable sense of self.

• [03:30] Power isn’t the problem—our confusion is (worldly vs. soulful power).

• [06:00] How we give our power away: saying yes when it’s a no; settling for crumbs.

• [09:00] Faith, identity, and the existential questions that won’t be outrun.

• [12:00] Everyday examples of power leaks in work and love—and how patterns form.

• [15:00] Fear of being hurt → sabotaging relationships before they start.

• [20:00] Boundaries without bravado: expressing truth calmly and clearly.

• [30:00] Women’s empowerment, men’s crisis, and redefining “provider.”

• [35:00] Emotions aren’t weakness: feel → express responsibly → return to center.

• [38:00] Ten relationship challenges and why “completion” thinking breaks love.

• [42:30] The Scott Peck reframe: love as action; spiritual growth over comfort.

• Book: Conscious Love: Transforming Our Relationship to Relationships — Christian de la Huerta.

• Website: Soul Healing & Self Discovery | Soulful Power (programs, books, contact).

Most people try to fix money with tactics—budgets, scripts, spreadsheets. Morgana Rae argues the real block isn’t financial; it’s emotional. In this conversation, Morgana shares how a 2003 rock-bottom moment led her to personify money as a “monster”—then destroy it and build a new, loving relationship with “Money Honey.” That shift turned a lifetime of doing “all the right things” with no results into a repeatable framework she calls Financial Alchemy. We walk through her six steps: uncovering root wounds (unlovable, unsafe, unworthy), giving them form, annihilating the monster, meeting a love-based Money Honey, dialoguing for guidance, and taking a concrete, measurable action—today. Along the way: why change happens at the speed of safety, how the subconscious answers after you journal (often in the shower or car), and client stories that range from first five-figure days to seven-figure turnarounds.

Morgana also tells the “29 weddings in 29 countries (to the same husband)” story, the cathedral moment in Puerto Vallarta, and why she believes victim experiences are sacred fuel for evolution—not shame. If spreadsheets never changed your life, this reframe just might.

• [00:00] “The monster isn’t about money”—what money represents (love, value, safety, power).

• [03:00] 29 weddings / 29 countries (to the same partner) + the Puerto Vallarta cathedral story.

• [11:00] Grief is love; money reflects our experience of being loved/safe/valued.

• [12:30] Rock bottom: doing all the things, still broke; the sales-objection class fail.

• [16:00] The turning point: “If money were a person, who would it be?” → the biker “Money Monster.”

• [20:00] Why the monster must hold everything you don’t want (unlovable/unsafe/unworthy).

• [25:00] Slaying the monster → meeting “Money Honey” (love-based, values-aligned).

• [30:00] First dialogue: “What do you need from me to allow you to be with me?” (love ≠ worship).

• [33:00] Immediate results: charging cleanly, clients enroll at double prior rates.

• [36:00] Why breakthroughs can be fast: pressure behind the wall; safety unlocks flow.

• [40:00] Universal patterns: inheritance chaos, guilt/shame, “too much/too little” money.

• [41:00] Six Steps overview: root cause → monster → annihilate → Money Honey → dialogue → action.

• [54:00] Step 6 in practice: the action is often not “businessy” (Paris with the kid; ice-skating).

• [57:00] When stuck, ask: “What do I need to learn here to let go of this struggle?”

• [66:00] Closing: your “victim” experiences are sacred—use them to build a monster worth destroying.

• Book: Financial Alchemy: 12 Months of Magic & Manifestation — by Morgana Rae.

• Website: Make money fall in love with you for Abundance and Prosperity (programs, stories, downloads).

Baker by day, medium by night, Kate Branagh treats the spirit world like a conversation—not a performance. From a first dorm-room visitation in New York to a Massachusetts guesthouse where an enslaved woman kept shouting “Get out,” Kate shares how she learned to listen, set boundaries, and deliver what people need—not always what they want. Her prep is practical and protective: Epsom-salt baths, a spoken filter (“messages of love and light only”), calling in guides, and jotting names, faces, and symbols before a FaceTime reading. She can’t conjure on demand, and she won’t promise lottery numbers; instead, her readings lean therapeutic—apologies, clarity, encouragement to trust your own instincts.

Highlights include a family validation that shook a skeptic, the “hell house” on her walking route with footsteps on the stairs, and a live moment where a Boy Scout–connected spirit briefly steps forward for James. Kate’s core metaphor—everyone is a radio; some pick up more stations than others—invites curiosity without dogma. If you’re cautious but curious, this episode offers discernment, ethics, and a grounded look at what “spooky” can look like in ordinary life.

• [00:00] Set-up at Fuquay Mineral Springs Inn; how Kate and Liz Purdue connected; the “spookiest month.”

• [03:30] Stick Boy bakery → “Are you spooky?” friendship; why Kate doesn’t lead with “I’m a medium.”

• [06:00] The Alzheimer’s validation: “Daisy” turns out to have Alzheimer’s—weeks later.

• [08:00] How messages arrive: mind’s eye, mind’s ear, images/words vs. physical phenomena.

• [10:30] First big encounter at 21: dorm-room man; grandmother’s visit; handwritten notes that stunned an uncle.

• [15:00] Empath overload and uninvited scenes; learning to ground and protect energy.

• [16:00] Massachusetts guesthouse: enslaved woman, “Get out,” recurring dream match from a resident.

• [21:00] What readings are/aren’t: no conjuring, no guarantees; why messages skew therapeutic.

• [23:30] Autonomy matters: you won’t always get answers—you’ll get what moves your life forward.

• [24:30] Ritual: Epsom-salt bath, “love & light only,” call in guides, pre-notes, then FaceTime.

• [25:30] The puzzle method: conversational validation to assemble the message; imposter-syndrome moments.

• [28:30] On over-reliance: “They already told you.” Why spirit gets quiet if you ring the bell too often.

• [33:00] The Margaret story: persistent spirit → genealogy check → exact match (singer/dancer; lung cancer).

• [36:00] Dark stuff? Boundaries, force-field imagery, and keeping it across the street.

• [37:00] The “hell house”: shotgun on the stairs, periwinkle dress, footsteps at night corroborated by locals.

• [40:00] “Everyone’s a radio”: why some pick up more stations; James as open-minded/logic-leaning.

• [48:00] What people get wrong: fear, judgment, and Kate’s view of “hell” as self-imposed stuckness.

• [47:30 & 50:00] How to book; purpose of the work: connection, curiosity, and living more honestly.

• Kate on Instagram: @spookytimekate (DM to inquire/book readings).
• Fuquay Mineral Springs Inn / Pauline’s garden (setting; mentioned during recording).
• Liz Purdue’s haunted tour/book

Former Fortune 100 exec turned award-winning thriller author Guy Morris writes high-octane fiction that doubles as a field guide to the near future. After leaving home at 13, working his way from janitor to software architect, and spending decades at the edge of enterprise tech, Guy now uses story to connect dots most people never see—across AI, geopolitics, and faith. His “Snow Chronicle” series grew from a real AP report about a program that “escaped” a U.S. lab—an obsession that led to a hit web series and a surprise visit from the FBI. That night? “Best ever,” he laughs.

In this conversation, Guy explains why AI is neither evil nor benign—it amplifies who we are—and why the future we get depends less on code than on character. We dig into conscious AI timelines (quantum + neuromorphic computing), lethal autonomous weapons, and the three reasons this tech inflection is unlike anything before. We also talk personal reinvention, complex PTSD, and why he writes courageous, witty, flawed characters who refuse to be victims. If you want a smarter kind of rebellion—one that sharpens your mind and expands your moral imagination—this one’s for you.

• [00:00] Cold open: “AI is neither evil nor benign; it reflects who we are.”

• [03:00] How he writes: fun, compelling, non-dystopic—and thought-provoking for weeks after.

• [05:00] Backstory: runaway at 13 → father at 20 → four degrees → models that beat the Fed.

• [11:30] From Microsoft burnout to a “third-act” career as an author.

• [17:00] The AP article about a program that “escaped” — and the FBI at his door.

• [22:00] The Snow Chronicle: Sylvia, mini black holes, 5th-dimension physics, and The Image.

• [26:00] Core thesis: don’t fear the image; fear the beast it reflects.

• [29:00] Conscious AI by ~2027–2030? Quantum + neuromorphic + multimodality.

• [32:00] Utopia vs. dystopia isn’t tech—it’s people, policy, and power.

• [49:00] Three unprecedented risks: smarter-than-us, self-replicating, and lethal autonomy.

• [53:00] Where to buy (and why): author-signed copies at Guy Morris Books -Intelligent Action-Thrillers

• Guy’s site/store: http://guymorrisbooks.com (author-signed copies)