I Am Refocused Podcast

What happens when life’s challenges shape a powerful approach to leadership?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, host Shemaiah Reed welcomes Don Shade, entrepreneur, business coach, and co-leader of Partnership of Power. Born with cerebral palsy, Don built his businesses around vision, strategy, delegation, and systems. Today, he helps other entrepreneurs apply those same principles to grow with greater clarity and confidence.

From starting in real estate in 2005 to becoming a full-time business coach, Don’s journey brings together resilience and practical business lessons. We explore the mindset behind effective leadership, building sales confidence, using automation, and trusting the right people to help carry out your vision.

For business owners, creators, and leaders who feel overwhelmed trying to do everything themselves, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on building a business that supports your purpose.

Connect with Don: https://scalewithleadmachine.com/
Free GoHighLevel Setup Checklist: https://www.ecm16.com/ghl-checklist

https://partnershipofpower.com/

What if much of what we’ve been taught about leadership simply doesn’t work in the real world?

In this conversation, Larry Coval, founder of ARCANE Leadership Concepts and author of Misled: Why (Almost) Everything We’ve Learned About Leadership Is Wrong and How to Fix It, challenges the leadership industry and the familiar advice that often sounds great in a conference room but falls apart when real people, pressure, performance, and results are on the line.

Larry brings nearly four decades of leadership experience across organizations large and small. His philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: a leader’s job is to make their people successful. Leadership, he argues, isn’t about having the right personality, delivering inspirational speeches, or collecting management buzzwords. It’s a practical skill set that can be learned, sharpened, measured, and applied.

We discuss why employee engagement continues to struggle, where traditional leadership development has gone wrong, what accountability really looks like, why some managers fail even when they mean well, and the lessons Larry learned while leading hundreds of employees and major revenue organizations.

This is a conversation about stripping leadership back to what actually matters: people, execution, accountability, and results.

Topics include: leadership, management, employee engagement, accountability, workplace culture, executive leadership, team performance, business growth, Misled, and the future of leadership.

https://arcaneleadership.com/

What happens when you achieve the success you’ve been chasing, but something still feels missing?

In this powerful conversation, Randy Lyman, physicist-turned-entrepreneur, author, speaker, and creator of The Third Element, explores why emotions may be one of the most overlooked forces shaping leadership, relationships, performance, and personal fulfillment. After building and exiting multiple eight-figure businesses, Randy discovered that strategy and hard work alone weren’t enough. Emotional mastery became the missing piece.

Randy breaks down why burnout can begin emotionally before it becomes operational, how unresolved wounds can fuel overachievement, and why leaders who constantly suppress what they feel may unknowingly influence the culture around them.

We also discuss vulnerability, trust, intuition, abundance, and why even highly successful people can reach the top and still feel disconnected from themselves.

This conversation challenges the traditional idea that emotions get in the way of success. Randy makes the case that learning how to understand and work with them could be the very thing that unlocks the next level.

Topics include: emotional mastery, leadership, burnout, overachievement, vulnerability, entrepreneurship, personal growth, fulfillment, mindset, and The Third Element.

https://randylyman.com/

What happens when you stop measuring yourself by the world’s expectations and begin seeing yourself through the eyes of the One who created you?

On this inspiring episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Dacey Triplett, author of Nobody Can Be You Better Than You, for a powerful conversation about identity, confidence, faith, and learning to embrace what makes you different.

Born with dwarfism, Dacey grew up navigating questions about why God made her different and what it truly means to feel comfortable in your own skin. Over time, her faith transformed the way she viewed herself, helping her discover that lasting confidence isn’t built on appearance, popularity, or circumstances. It comes from knowing who you are and Whose you are.

Dacey shares her personal journey, the heart behind her book, and encouragement for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and wished they could be someone else.

This conversation is a reminder that your differences are not an accident, your identity has purpose, and nobody can be you better than you.

Get the book: 

https://a.co/d/0aBRPjep

https://www.instagram.com/dace.trip/?hl=en

What happens when working harder is no longer enough to grow your business?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with entrepreneur, business growth strategist, and author Jim Fitzgerald for a conversation about breaking through business plateaus, becoming a stronger leader, and building systems that allow a company to grow without everything depending on the owner.

Jim brings more than three decades of entrepreneurial experience to the conversation. He built Taradel from a one-man operation into a national direct-mail and digital-marketing company serving more than 25,000 small-business customers and generating $30 million in revenue before its sale. He later founded Fitzgerald Growth Partners, helping business owners identify the real constraints holding their companies back and create structures designed for intentional, sustainable growth.

Jim is also the author of The Million Dollar Hurdle, a USA TODAY bestselling book that distills more than 35 years of business-building experience into a practical framework for moving beyond effort, chaos, and chance.

In this conversation, Jim and Shemaiah explore why growth problems are often structure problems rather than motivation problems, why leadership can be learned, how clarity reduces friction inside a company, and what entrepreneurs must change when the habits that helped them start a business are no longer enough to scale it.

This episode is for entrepreneurs, founders, leaders, and anyone trying to build something meaningful without becoming the bottleneck inside their own vision.

https://fitzgeraldgrowthpartners.com/

What if better health begins with looking beyond the symptoms and understanding what the body is actually trying to tell us?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Dr. Joshua Levitt, naturopathic physician, educator, product formulator, and Co-Founder of UpWellness, for a practical conversation about integrative health, prevention, nutrition, and taking a more informed approach to personal wellness.

Dr. Josh has spent more than two decades working with patients and brings together principles from both conventional and naturopathic medicine. In this conversation, he shares his perspective on addressing underlying causes, helping people better understand their bodies, separating useful health guidance from the noise, and why education can play such an important role in long-term wellness.

We also explore the story behind UpWellness, the mission to make natural health education and physician-formulated wellness solutions more accessible, and what Dr. Josh has learned from years of working directly with patients.

In this conversation:
• Why symptoms may only tell part of the story
• The role of nutrition and lifestyle in overall wellness
• Natural medicine and conventional medicine working together
• Prevention versus waiting for problems to develop
• How to become a better-informed health consumer
• The philosophy behind UpWellness
• What more than two decades of patient care has taught Dr. Josh

Learn more about Dr. Josh Levitt and UpWellness:
https://upwellness.com/

Fashion can make a statement, but Matthew Smith III is using it to make an impact.

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, we sit down with Matthew Smith III, Founder and CEO of Fashion For Life San Antonio, to explore the vision behind a brand and nonprofit movement that brings together fashion, community, mentorship, and advocacy in support of survivors of domestic violence.

Matthew shares the story behind Fashion For Life, the purpose driving its growth, and what it takes to build something that reaches beyond the runway. We also highlight the leadership behind the mission, including Matthew’s wife, Rachelle Smith, Chief Financial Officer, and Genesis Williamson, Chief Operations Officer, and the role their team plays in turning vision into meaningful community impact.

We also look ahead to the 2026 Purple Reign: Evolution Fashion Show, happening Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM. The signature event will bring fashion, designers, community leaders, advocates, and supporters together for an evening centered on style, resilience, awareness, and the fight against domestic violence.

This conversation is about more than clothing. It’s about purpose, leadership, legacy, community, and using your platform to help people reclaim their story.

Learn more about Fashion For Life San Antonio and the upcoming Purple Reign event at FashionForLifeSA.com.

What does it take to transform an unexpected career path into the leadership of a nationally recognized motorcycle-focused organization?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Ari Levenbaum, co-owner and CEO of Law Tigers, the American Association of Motorcycle Injury Lawyers.

Ari’s journey didn’t begin in a corporate boardroom. He spent eight years in education, including teaching middle-school science, while initially working part-time with Law Tigers. That path eventually led him into marketing, leadership, ownership, and ultimately the CEO role, where he now helps oversee the organization’s operations, branding, marketing, public relations, and relationships throughout the motorcycle community.

We talk about leadership, entrepreneurship, building trust, growing a powerful brand, learning from career transitions, and understanding the community you serve from the inside out.

Ari is also an avid motorcycle rider, giving him a personal connection to the riders, dealerships, clubs, manufacturers, and organizations that Law Tigers works alongside.

This conversation goes beyond motorcycles and law. It’s about recognizing opportunity, evolving as a leader, building something people believe in, and staying connected to the people behind the brand.

Learn more about Ari Levenbaum and Law Tigers:
LawTigers.com

Vietnam War veteran and author

After returning home, Greg faced PTSD, homelessness, racism, addiction, and years of anger before beginning a path toward sobriety, forgiveness, activism, and peace. He eventually became a longtime peace advocate, working with Vietnam Veterans Against the War and traveling internationally to support reconciliation and nonviolence.

In this powerful conversation, Greg reflects on the human cost of war, racism within the military, addiction and recovery, the weight of unresolved anger, and what it truly means to forgive. His story is not simply about surviving Vietnam. It is about transforming pain into purpose and becoming what he calls a Peace Warrior.

A conversation about war, trauma, redemption, forgiveness, and the possibility of finding peace after years of carrying the battle home.

https://thepeacewarrior.com/

As artificial intelligence grows more powerful, are we losing the very qualities that make us human? Philosopher and consciousness researcher Dr. Shai Tubali joins I Am Refocused Radio to explore AI as humanity’s greatest mirror, the erosion of wisdom, presence, curiosity, moral discernment, and authentic connection, and how the Atlas of Human Capacities aims to help us reclaim what technology cannot replace.

Dr. Shai Tubali is a philosopher, consciousness researcher, author, and founder of The Essence of Humanity. He is a researcher at the UCL Institute of Education and a member of the UNESCO Chair in the Ethics of AI and Education.

The author of more than twenty books translated into thirteen languages, Dr. Tubali explores human consciousness, personal transformation, philosophy, and the qualities that define our humanity.

He is currently leading the development of the Atlas of Human Capacities, a cross-cultural research initiative focused on identifying the human abilities most at risk in the age of artificial intelligence, including wisdom, moral discernment, curiosity, presence, and authentic human connection.

Through his work, Dr. Tubali examines how AI is reshaping the way people think about intelligence, identity, and human value, while encouraging society to intentionally strengthen the capacities that technology cannot simply replace.

https://shaitubali.com/essence-of-humanity/

What happens when you’ve achieved success on the outside, but something inside still feels exhausted, stuck, or out of alignment?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Curtis McCullom, founder of Bespoke Human Potential Coaching, to explore the internal challenges that often follow high performance.

Curtis shares how subconscious blind spots, limiting beliefs, emotional patterns, and constant pressure can quietly drain our energy even when life appears successful. Drawing from decades of studying human potential and his own experiences with leadership, resilience, family, and profound personal loss, Curtis explains why lasting transformation often requires going deeper than motivation or surface-level strategies.

The conversation explores burnout, presence, identity, the power of the subconscious mind, emotional freedom, and what it truly means to reach your next level without sacrificing your peace along the way.

If you’ve ever wondered why working harder isn’t always the answer, this conversation may challenge you to examine what’s happening beneath the surface.

Learn more about Curtis McCullom and Bespoke Human Potential Coaching:
bespokehumanpotentialcoaching.com

What happens when unimaginable loss forces you to rethink life, love, and even death itself?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with author Steven Ferrara for a deeply personal conversation about grief, healing, gratitude, spirituality, and discovering peace after profound loss.

Steven’s journey was forever changed by the death of his 23-year-old son, Christopher, followed later by the passing of his wife of 38 years, Alie. Rather than allowing grief to become the final chapter, Steven began searching for a deeper understanding of life, consciousness, presence, and the enduring nature of love.

In his book, Grief to Gratitude: Finding the Inner Pathway to Healing and Peace, Steven shares personal journal entries, lessons, and insights from that journey, offering a perspective for people navigating loss and searching for meaning on the other side of pain.

Steven also brings decades of experience in personal development and spirituality. He previously spent 25 years as CEO of a financial services firm before selling the company in 2020 and dedicating himself more fully to his spiritual work.

This conversation explores how grief changes us, why gratitude can become part of healing, what loss can teach us about being present, and how love can continue even when someone's physical presence is gone.

https://www.stevenferrara.com/

What happens when life knocks you down, but something inside you refuses to stay there?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Ben Barbic, author, musician, speaker, entrepreneur, and creator of Rise & Climb: Finding Purpose Through Pain.

Ben opens up about navigating loss, anxiety, setbacks, and the difficult process of rebuilding from the ground up. We explore how discipline, fitness, music, creativity, faith in the journey, and a willingness to keep moving can transform painful seasons into a deeper sense of purpose.

Ben also shares how he has built a life across multiple worlds, from reggae and hip-hop to business, real estate, personal development, and the mountains, without believing he has to fit neatly into one lane.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever had to start again, rethink who they are, or find the strength to keep climbing when the destination still feels far away.

Every setback can become fuel for the climb.

Learn more about Ben Barbic and Rise & Climb at RisenClimb.com.

What if getting older didn’t automatically mean getting weaker?

On this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Dr. Mark Sherwood, known as The Real Longevity Doctor™ and Biohackologist™, for a direct conversation about longevity, strength, chronic disease, hormones, nutrition, sleep, and what it really takes to take ownership of your health.

A former SWAT team leader turned naturopathic doctor, Dr. Sherwood brings a unique combination of discipline, clinical experience, and straight-to-the-point thinking to the conversation. He challenges the idea that declining health should simply be accepted as part of aging and encourages people to look deeper at the habits, systems, and choices shaping their long-term health.

They discuss why so many people wait until something goes wrong before taking their health seriously, the growing conversation around biohacking, the importance of metabolic and hormonal health, and why longevity should be about more than simply adding years to your life.

Dr. Sherwood also shares his perspective on building physical, mental, and spiritual resilience, creating sustainable change, and developing a body capable of supporting the mission and life you want to live.

How much of the way we age is truly inevitable, and how much can we influence by the way we live today?

Learn more about Dr. Mark Sherwood at DrMarkSherwood.com

What happens when you know exactly what needs to change, but still feel unable to change it?

Karin Velicka joins I Am Refocused Radio for a powerful conversation about the hidden connection between stress, achievement, emotional resilience, and lasting transformation.

Karin is a NeuroSomatic Breathwork™ Facilitator, certified life coach, author of Dear Me Letters, former national squash champion, and former finance professional at the European Central Bank. Her journey has taken her from elite competition and high-performance environments to a deeper understanding of the nervous system and what it really takes to create sustainable change.

In this conversation, Karin explains why willpower and self-discipline are not always enough, how chronic stress can remain stored in the body, and why creating a sense of inner safety may be the missing piece for people who feel stuck despite being highly self-aware.

She also explores nervous system regulation, closing unfinished stress cycles, perfectionism, authenticity, self-trust, career transitions, breathwork, and the challenge of pursuing success without losing yourself in the process.

This conversation is for the high achiever who has accomplished a lot on the outside but is beginning to ask a deeper question:

Can I continue growing without constantly fighting myself to get there?

Learn more about Karin Velicka and her work in nervous system regulation, breathwork, emotional resilience, and personal transformation.

https://www.velickakarin.com/

David L. Gillespie, Lt Col, USAF (Ret), has spent more than 35 years leading in military intelligence, public policy, executive program development, and national service. His career included deployments and service connected to six major operational conflicts and campaigns, including Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Afghanistan.

Now, David is channeling a very different kind of mission into storytelling. He is the award-winning author of Floo Flocky Doo to the Rescue, a rhyming children’s picture book inspired by the imagination of his youngest daughter and built around adventure, color, kindness, and unforgettable characters.

In this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, David shares lessons from decades of leadership and service, the experiences that shaped his perspective, and why imagination remains powerful at every stage of life. We also explore his transition from military and executive leadership into children’s literature, the family inspiration behind Floo Flocky Doo, and what he hopes young readers and their families carry with them long after the final page.

It’s a conversation about service, leadership, family, creativity, reinvention, and discovering that a new chapter can begin when you least expect it.

https://www.flooflockydoo.com/

Internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist David Drebin joins I Am Refocused Radio for a powerful conversation about creativity, vision, persistence, and turning artistic talent into a recognizable global brand.

A graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York City, Drebin began his career in commercial photography before carving out his own lane in contemporary fine art. His unmistakably cinematic work has expanded far beyond photography into Lightboxes, Neon Light Installations, Diamond Dust works, and other limited-edition pieces, with exhibitions and gallery representation around the world.

In this conversation, David opens up about the journey behind the art, overcoming rejection, developing a signature creative identity, understanding the business side of being an artist, and why having talent is only the beginning.

We explore what it takes to see differently, trust your vision, build value around your work, and keep creating before the world fully understands what you’re building.

For artists, photographers, entrepreneurs, and anyone determined to turn creativity into a lasting career, this conversation is a reminder that recognition rarely comes first. The vision does.

Learn more about David Drebin:
https://daviddrebin.com/

In this powerful conversation on I Am Refocused Radio, Dr. Olaf Kroneman joins Shemaiah Reed to discuss his novel Detroit Heroic, a story rooted in the turbulent world of 1967 Detroit and shaped by questions of medicine, race, gender, dignity, and justice. Dr. Kroneman remains in private medical practice in the Detroit area, a city whose resilience and character sit at the heart of his writing.

The conversation explores how the novel confronts systemic inequities in healthcare, the treatment of women in medicine, the historical shadow of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and the experiences of patients whose symptoms and suffering may be dismissed or misunderstood. Dr. Kroneman also discusses Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, gender bias in healthcare, APOL1-associated kidney disease, and racial disparities in medicine, connecting history with questions the medical system is still wrestling with today.

At the center of Detroit Heroic is a larger question: What happens when medicine loses sight of the human being in front of it? Through fiction, medical experience, and advocacy, Dr. Kroneman challenges readers to examine where healthcare has been, where inequities remain, and what a more compassionate future could look like.

What if the health of a democracy depends not only on its laws and institutions, but also on the kinds of people its culture helps form?

In this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with Joe Elefante, writer, educator, musician, and author of An Endless Knot: How Democracies Form the Citizens They Need. Published in May 2026, the book examines democracy through the lens of human formation, asking how qualities such as attention, listening, compassion, reflection, cooperation, and mutual respect influence civic life.

Rather than centering the conversation on political parties or election battles, Elefante explores a deeper question: How are citizens formed in the first place?

Drawing from his experience in education and music, along with ideas from philosophy, religion, the arts, and contemplative traditions, Joe argues that democratic life is shaped by everyday habits and relationships as much as by formal institutions. His work considers how people learn to listen across differences, cooperate with others, examine their own assumptions, and participate responsibly in a shared society.

The conversation also explores the role of music and arts education, and why practicing attention, interpretation, collaboration, and empathy can have implications far beyond the classroom or rehearsal room. Elefante’s broader argument is that individuals shape systems while systems simultaneously shape individuals, creating the “endless knot” at the center of the book.

This is a thoughtful conversation about education, character, community, citizenship, music, reflection, and what it takes to live together despite our differences.

Topics include: democracy and citizenship, education, human formation, listening, compassion, critical thinking, music and the arts, philosophy, civic responsibility, community, reflection, and respectful disagreement.

https://jelefante.com/

#JoeElefante #AnEndlessKnot #Education #Democracy #Citizenship #MusicEducation #Philosophy #HumanFormation #CivicLife #IAmRefocusedRadio

What does Christianity actually look like in Türkiye, and how can authentic stories challenge generations of misunderstanding?

In this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with John Cerniglia, President of SAT-7 USA, to discuss faith, media, Christian identity in the Middle East and North Africa, and how SAT-7 is using television and digital platforms to reach people in places where traditional ministry can be difficult.

John brings 32 years of global missions leadership across 45 countries to his role at SAT-7 USA. His experience spans Christian missions, humanitarian aid, children’s welfare, philanthropy, and international ministry development.

A major part of the conversation explores Türkiye, where Christians represent a small minority and can face misunderstanding, isolation, and stereotypes. SAT-7 TÜRK’s program Believe if You Can takes a different approach by combining candid interviews, music, humor, personal testimony, and conversations about everyday life to present Christian faith in a relatable way.

Rather than presenting faith as something distant from everyday life, the program introduces viewers to Turkish Christians working as educators, musicians, scientists, journalists, pastors, technology professionals, and more. Its goal is to create understanding by allowing people to encounter Christians through their real experiences and stories.

John also shares the larger mission behind SAT-7, which uses satellite television and digital media to provide Christian programming across the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7 currently produces programming in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish and uses media to provide biblical teaching, encouragement, discipleship, and community to viewers throughout the region.

The impact is reaching beyond television. SAT-7 reports that episodes of the Turkish program have generated hundreds of thousands of online views, creating conversations among people curious about Christianity and the lives of Turkish believers.

This conversation is about faith beyond stereotypes, the power of authentic storytelling, Christians living as minorities, and how modern media can create connection where physical barriers remain.

Topics include: Christianity in Türkiye, SAT-7 USA, Christian media, global missions, religious stereotypes, Turkish Christians, digital ministry, satellite television, faith and culture, discipleship, storytelling, and the Middle East and North Africa.

https://www.sat7usa.org/

#JohnCerniglia #SAT7 #SAT7USA #TurkishChristians #Christianity #Türkiye #ChristianMedia #GlobalMissions #Faith #MiddleEast #IAmRefocusedRadio