George Felix knows how to make legacy brands feel unapologetically modern. As Chief Marketing Officer at Chili’s, and former marketing leader at Pizza Hut and KFC, he’s built a career on bold ideas that spark conversation—without losing sight of what makes a brand iconic. In this conversation with Ryan and Billy Collins, George shares how Chili’s i…

As one of Peloton’s founding instructors, Hannah Corbin has helped millions move their bodies. But her new mission is just as bold: helping people slow down. Her new book Did You Stretch Tho makes a powerful case for rest, recovery, and treating yourself like someone worth caring for. In this episode, Hannah joins Ryan to talk about what it takes t…

Smart, heart and courage. That has been the way-he-leads elevator pitch for Greg Creed who proves you don’t have to be a hard-charging tyrant to win — you can build billion-dollar brands by being human. In this episode, Greg tells Ryan how leading Taco Bell and later Yum! Brands was never about perfect plans or rigid control — it was about creating…

Sona Khosla thinks purpose belongs on the P&L. As Chief Impact Officer at Benevity, nicknamed the company’s “conscience”, she helps global brands turn doing good into real business momentum. After a personal loss, she pivoted from marketing and built Benevity Impact Labs, using $3.8B in annual giving data to separate noise from signal. We talk abou…

On the other side of the world lives Franziska Iseli. “Frankie”, as her friends call her, has built a life around chasing fear and turning it into freedom. The Swiss-born Australian entrepreneur has much in common with Ryan. She is a co-founder (Basic Bananas and Ocean Lovers), an author to a book about courage (The Courage Map) and an eternal opti…

Bryant Brennan builds brands by shipping work that matters. Before taking the reins at Autodesk, he shaped culture at Peloton, launched products at Barnes & Noble, and explored startup grit at Fi. In this conversation with Ryan, Bryant talks about the shift from building consumer icons to leading a legacy brand that powers architects, animators, an…

Steven Bernstein has spent a career proving that risk and creativity go hand in hand. The award-winning director and cinematographer behind Decoding Annie Parker, Monster, and Like Water for Chocolate has shot nearly 50 films and written projects that have drawn actors like Rhys Ifans, John Malkovich, and Samantha Morton. In this conversation with …

Our Courage Brands Spotlight is back, and this time Ryan, Billy, and Nicole put three very different brands under the lens. Billy kicks things off with Gymshark—the billion-dollar fitness brand built on TikTok and influencers instead of ads. Billy shares how a teenager’s side hustle turned into a global movement that connects physical and mental he…

Ranjay Gulati believes courage isn’t about being fearless — it’s about taking action when fear shows up. As the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor at Harvard Business School and author of Deep Purpose and How to Be Bold, he studies how leaders and organizations confront uncertainty and turn it into fuel for growth. In this conversation wi…

At Uber, Danielle Trivisonno Hawley turns bold ideas into work the world can’t ignore. As Global Executive Creative Director, she’s behind campaigns like “Tonight I’ll Be Eating,” Uber Don’t Eats, and #KeepUkraineMoving, while leading launches for products like Uber Reserve, Uber Teens, and Uber Trains. In this conversation with Ryan, Danielle shar…

The things we say to ourselves we’d rarely say to another person. Our self-talk, when we let it run rampant, can spiral us, slow us down and shrink our self-confidence. On this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Ryan teams up with his co-authors Rhett Power and Suzy Burke, PhD to preview their new book Headamentals (out Oct 28), a book born from si…

David van der Sanden turns Patagonia’s purpose into something employees can live, not just understand. As Head of Internal Communications & Engagement, he focuses on translating the company’s mission to save our home planet into stories, actions, and experiences that connect people to the work and to one another. In this conversation with Ryan, Dav…

Bob Philion spent 20 years wearing the cat on his chest—first as employee #1 launching Puma Golf, then as the architect behind Cobra Puma Golf, and ultimately as the leader of Puma North America. In this conversation with Ryan, Bob retraces three distinct “chapters”: moving from Europe back to Boston to start a category from scratch, building Cobra…

Courage Brands Win. This week, we hit pause on the usual interview format for a fast, fun “Courage Brands Spotlight” discussion featuring Ryan and his partners Nicole Miller and Billy Collins. Nicole kicks things off with The Female Quotient—an unapologetic, action-oriented force that meets leaders where they already gather (CES, Cannes) with Equal…

Knight Campbell turns mountains into meeting rooms. A former Navy helicopter pilot and Naval Academy leadership instructor, he now takes executive teams off-grid—rock climbing, rafting, and trekking—to work on the real “crux” of how they lead. Phones go away. Titles fade. Trust and honest talk show up. In his conversation with Ryan, Knight recalls …

Bree Groff thinks it’s an emergency that half of us feel dread at work every week, and that we’re trading five‑sevenths of our lives just to reach Friday. In this conversation with Ryan, the former NOBL CEO and current SYPartners advisor traces how losing her mom to cancer and caring for a dad with Alzheimer’s jolted her from helping leaders execut…

Bart Berkey believes in doing what most people don’t—remembering names, anticipating needs, and showing up with contagious positivity. A former global exec in luxury hospitality (Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt), Bart took three decades of service experience and turned it into a movement. In this episode, Ryan and Bart talk about the power of “active rememberi…

Todd Kaplan believes legacy brands should feel as fresh as a track that just dropped. In his first ten months as CMO of Kraft Heinz North America, the former Pepsi disruptor has already launched DJ Mustard’s limited-edition condiment, staged the Oscar Mayer “Wienie 500,” and watched each sell out or go viral in minutes. In this episode of The Coura…

Alexi Lalas. Naomi Girma. Tim Howard. Landon Donovan. Richard Motzkin has been there representing each of them throughout their careers as their Sports Agent. In this conversation with Ryan, Rich recalls his journey of quitting big-firm law to become U.S. Soccer’s first in-house counsel, and how that leap led to his own agency which began before Ma…

Dr. Jonah Essers fights insurance red tape with the same rigor he once brought to genetic research at Columbia and Harvard. In this conversation with Ryan, he explains how his blunt LinkedIn posts—naming pharmacy-benefit managers and citing peer-reviewed data—have forced billion-dollar payers to reverse drug denials within hours, delivering treatme…

Dr. Christopher Bader has spent a decade mapping the nation’s anxieties through the Chapman Survey of American Fears, and the picture he paints is as revealing as it is sobering. In this episode of the Courageous Podcast, Dr. Bader explains why “corrupt government officials” has topped the list since 2014, how media algorithms amplify our sense of …

Kass and Mike Lazerow run companies the way great doubles teams win tennis matches: Kass owns the baseline of operations while Mike roams the net hunting openings -- neither drifts into the other’s court. In their conversation with Ryan, they unpack their new baby of a book; Shoveling $h!t, what they describe as an entrepreneurial love story and de…

Jason Schulweis isn’t content cheering equality from the sidelines. One year into his post as Chief Commercial Officer at The Female Quotient, he’s using a revenue playbook rooted in allyship, empathy, and measurable results. In his chat with Ryan, he shares how the role allows him to model hands-on advocacy for his four-year-old daughter and two-y…

Eric Gibson believes that the future of golf starts where a player's fingers meet the club. As CCO of Golf Pride, he is redefining the grip as 'equipment for the hands.' It's a widely-accepted shift by Tour professionals, as Golf Pride grips were used by approximately 90% of competitors at the 2025 Masters. He tells Ryan why he hires non-golfers to…

MJ DePalma sees marketing as an act of human connection, not a numbers game. As Head of Marketing with Purpose at Microsoft, she helped turn the phrase “inclusion is personalization” into a company-wide growth playbook, and a case study in countless business schools. In her conversation with Ryan, MJ revisits the day Satya Nadella’s growth-mindset …

Emily Bond turns life-quakes into page-turners, turning chemo rooms into writing rooms and everyday crises into bestselling fiction. In her conversation with Ryan, Emily shares how a surprise Stage 2 breast-cancer diagnosis collided with a two-year-old at her feet, and how she finished her “magical realism rom-com” Sort of Seeing Someone between in…

Picture a weary parent stepping through a hospital door and finding a warm kitchen, a quiet bed, and a team that already knows their child’s name. Katie Fitzgerald, Global President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities, joins Ryan to explain how she is scaling that welcome across sixty-two countries, and sketches a clear plan for doubling the…

Some people survive disruption; Patrick Leddin reverse‑engineers it for sport. Now he’s teamed with the world’s best‑selling author, James Patterson, to turn chaos into a step‑by‑step field manual. In this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Patrick explains to Ryan how a college dropout became a Ranger, a CEO, and a Vanderbilt professor. He explain…

Jason Feifer has turned pattern-spotting into a super-power: on the page, on stage, and on LinkedIn’s daily feed. In his conversation with Ryan, Jason, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur magazine, author of Build for Tomorrow, host of the million-download podcast Help Wanted, and writer of the 65-thousand-subscriber newsletter One Thing Better, breaks…

After a 30 hour flight to Kathmandu, Len Forkas, joins The Courageous Podcast before his daunting task of climbing Mount Everest to help raise awareness and funds for kids battling cancer. Len is the Founder of Milestone Towers, a Seven‑Summits contender, and Chairman of the foundation, Hopecam. In his conversation with Ryan, Len traces the moment …

Aaron Starkman’s award shelves are overflowing, but it’s the process behind the honors that truly fascinates him. Currently leading Rethink as Global Chief Creative Officer, Aaron guided the fiercely independent agency to become the most awarded in the world, clinching Independent Network & Agency of the Year at Cannes, The One Show, the Andys, and…

As former Global Head of Marketing at TikTok, Nick Tran transformed the company from an upstart app into a global cultural phenomenon, earning it Ad Age’s Marketer of the Year in 2021. A marketing executive with a knack for steering high visibility brands, he also drove revivals at Hulu, Samsung, and Taco Bell, always aiming to keep companies cultu…

Why settle for corporate ‘mission statements’ when you can spark a movement? Thomas Kolster has made it his life’s work to help Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, and governments discover exactly who they can help their audiences become. As the founder of the Goodvertising Agency, a recognized global thinker at the intersection of marketing, busines…

What happens when a star chemical engineering student from India becomes one of the world’s most lauded marketers? In this episode of The Courageous Podcast, Raja Rajamannar reveals how a serendipitous moment shifted him from scientific problem-solver to “accidental marketer,” igniting a diverse career that has spanned financial services, consumer-…

Agnelo Fernandes didn’t set out to become a CEO in the hospitality industry, but his background in finance and marketing gave him the perfect foundation to lead courageously with strategy, and heart. Now, as CEO of COTE Hospitality, Agnelo is focused on inspiring his team, elevating guest experiences, and fostering a people-first culture. In this c…

When a high-flying tech sales career left him drained and unfulfilled, Tim Perreira realized it was time for a drastic change. Throughout his rise to President’s Club accolades, top-tier leadership roles, and hefty stock options, he buried stress and anxiety until it pushed him to an alarming low point. Now, Tim is certain that genuine toughness be…

Co-founding one of the world’s most successful ad agencies, Anomaly, would be a dream moment for most—but for Jason Deland, it has simply been part of his journey. In this conversation with Ryan, Jason shares how his father’s no-nonsense mantra, “What’s really going on here?”, has fueled his relentless approach to business and beyond. He breaks dow…

Fear. It can flat out paralyze us. It can halt us in our tracks and make us feel small unless we stand up and face it head on. That is exactly what Michelle Poler decided to do as the creator of the “100 Days Without Fear” challenge. Michelle has tackled everything from cliff-diving to diving with sharks to conquering deeper fears of rejection and …

Picture an era when advertising didn’t just sell products—it shaped culture. That’s the legacy Ron Berger helped build, from co-founding the 700-person agency MVBMS with Tom Messner, Barry Vetere, Louise McNamee, and Bob Schmetter to penning era-defining taglines like “Time to Make the Donuts” and “Subway Eat Fresh.” In this episode, Ryan reconnect…

From assembling elite teams at Ford Motor Company and Sun Microsystems to navigating the high standards of Bridgewater Associates, Steve Fitzgerald has honed the craft of leadership—yet every other day, you’ll find him carving through fresh powder in the Rocky Mountains. As a seasoned HR leader, startup advisor, and board member, Steve has spent th…

Marian Salzman is a celebrated global thought leader, trendspotter, and author credited with popularizing “metrosexuality” and helping launch the worldwide #GivingTuesday movement. Over three decades, she’s guided top brands through cultural transformations and now serves as Senior Vice President at Philip Morris International, championing a smoke-…

The Courageous Podcast celebrates its 200th episode! For our 100th, we had our oldest guest ever, 100-year-old George Krumme. Now, for this milestone, we’re flipping the script by featuring our youngest guests yet: Ryan’s own kids, 12-year-old Micah and 9-year-old Mackenzie. In this milestone episode, the siblings share fresh insights on bravery—fr…

One of the worst parts of the job for many? Figuring out pricing. If you’ve ever had to price anything, this is a must listen episode. Blair Enns is the visionary behind Win Without Pitching, the organization that’s rewritten the rules on how expert advisors and creatives close deals. As the author of The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing …

Reggie Butler is a transformative leader whose work spans over 36 years, empowering individuals, teams, and organizations to reach their highest potential. As the CEO of Performance Paradigm, he has influenced thousands across industries, from finance to tech, with his expertise in leadership development, equity, and inclusion. In this episode with…

Dilan Gomih has always been driven to perform at the highest level, but it wasn't until her time on Wall Street that she realized the critical link between well-being and peak performance. After working intense 90-hour weeks in finance, she discovered fitness as a tool to thrive, not just survive. This realization led her to found Dilagence, where …

If Thelma and Louis were reincarnated, it’s quite possible they’ve come back in the bodies of Kirsten Ludwig and Chris Danton. As partners and co-founders of IN GOOD CO, Kirsten and Chris have crafted badass strategies for companies like Pinterest, Zappos, and Mars, helping them stand out in crowded industries. In this conversation, we dive into th…

We’re thrilled to bring you the third annual Year End Special of the Courageous Podcast! This year, Ryan is once again joined by his partners at Courageous representing the three pillars of Courage: Knowledge (Billy Collins), Faith (Ryan), and Action (Nicole Miller). But the fun doesn’t stop there—this episode features three mystery guests — a ment…

Jeff Ragovin is a visionary entrepreneur who’s turned industry shake-ups into his playground. From co-founding Buddy Media, which led to a $745M acquisition by Salesforce, to steering Semasio through a high-stakes rebrand and acquisition by Samba TV, Jeff has mastered the art of navigating complex transformations with grit and a strategic eye. In t…

Jennifer George isn’t just running marathons—she’s running entire brands into the future. As the SVP of Communications at The Aspen Group, Jennifer has a front-row seat to the C-suite, serving as the voice of leadership for a $4 billion portfolio of brands, including Aspen Dental and WellNow Urgent Care. Over the years, she’s transformed global com…

Avery Johnson is a former NBA player and championship coach, best known for leading the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA Championship in 1999. Now the CEO of Avery Capital, a financial advisory firm, he uses his extensive experience in sports and business to help clients achieve financial success. In this episode, Avery shares with Ryan insights on lead…