Life-Changing Challengers

In this gripping episode of Life-Changing Challengers, host Brad Minus interviews Georgia-born entrepreneur and endurance athlete Jeff Luther, creator of the “All Can, No Can’t” podcast . Jeff recounts a carefree rural childhood, a teenage obsession with long-distance cycling, and a career that leapt from cutting lawns to running one of Atlanta’s largest home-inspection firms .Everything changed on 12 June 2021: midway through a partner CrossFit workout with his 16-year-old son, Jeff collapsed in ventricular fibrillation, flat-lined, and was revived after multiple AED shocks . Doctors later diagnosed arrhythmogenic right-ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) and implanted a subcutaneous ICD . Struggling with fear and depression, Jeff rebuilt his life through gratitude journaling and a carefully engineered return to strength training—30-second heavy-load intervals under a watchful coach—which gave him “permission to live” again . Today he speaks, lifts competitively, and mentors others to turn limits into launchpads.Timeline Highlights[00:45] Rural Fairplay, GA childhood, “purple-collar” family values [04:20] Discovers endurance cycling at 13 and learns to “love the suffer” [18:00] Leaves college, builds a thriving home-inspection company in Atlanta[29:10] Wins 2nd place in an overnight 50 K ultra one week before disaster [31:30] Cardiac arrest during CrossFit; son watches AED resuscitation [42:00] Hospital diagnosis: ARVC and sub-cutaneous ICD implantation [54:15] Thirty-day comeback workout—heavy lifts, low adrenaline—restores hope Links & ResourcesJeff Luther Speaking Site: JeffLuther.comAll Can, No Can’t Podcast (Apple / Spotify)Jeff Luther on LinkedIn, Facebook, and InstagramARVC Information: American Heart AssociationKey TakeawaysRapid AED access saves lives—Jeff’s heart hit 386 bpm before flat-lining ARVC is exercise-induced: tearing heart muscle replaces tissue with fat & scar, disrupting electrical signals Small-dose gratitude rewires mindset Heavy-load, short-burst training let Jeff return to fitness without triggering dangerous catecholamines Quitting felt like rock bottom—30 seconds of effort sparked a full comeback, proving progress begins with micro-wins If Jeff’s story lit a fire under you, rate, follow, and shaHave an idea or feedback? Click here to share. Contact Brad @ Life Changing ChallengersInstagram: @bradaminusFacebook: @bradaminusX(Twitter): @bradaminusYouTube: @lifechangingchallengersLifeChangingChallengers.comWant to be a guest on Life-Changing Challengers? Send Brad Minus a message on PodMatch, here.

In this illuminating conversation, Life-Changing Challengers host Brad Minus unpacks the rise-and-reset story of Sydney–based burnout coach Jo Stone. After fast-tracking from entry-level marketer to Asia-Pacific Chief Marketing Officer by age 32—while juggling two young kids and half-marathon training—Jo’s drive finally slammed her into the wall of chronic stress and scary neurological symptoms. A hospital scare, a spreadsheet-come-true “manifestation” moment, and the radical decision to sell her dream home launched a soul-searching pivot. Today, Jo runs The Balance Institute, hosts the popular Balanced & Beyond podcast, and helps high-achieving women reclaim health, sanity, and self-worth without losing their ambition. Listeners will hear candid truths about corporate hustle culture, the “good-girl” conditioning that fuels overwork, and how downsizing a mortgage can super-size freedom. Jo breaks down her evidence-based toolkit—nervous-system regulation, values-first goal setting, and realistic work-life design—for turning burnout into balanced success. Timeline Highlights[03:30] Only-child childhood: jet-setting with a Fortune-500 dad and learning to talk to CEOs.[10:40] Backpack years: cycling between six-month London jobs and six-month global adventures.[18:15] Corporate rocket-ship: climbing from marketing assistant to CMO with regional teams in five countries.[30:20] The breaking point—neurological “lesions,” pins-and-needles and a two-day hospital stay.[42:00] Selling the “forever home,” downsizing the mortgage, and quitting the C-suite.[54:10] Launching The Balance Institute & the Balanced & Beyond podcast to coach other high-flier women.Links & ResourcesThe Balance Institute: https://balanceinstitute.com – coaching programs & resourcesPodcast: Balanced & Beyond (Apple / Spotify)Book a Call: https://www.balanceinstitute.com/bookConnect on LinkedIn: Jo StoneInstagram: @betterbalanceinstituteFacebook: @stonejoanneKey TakeawaysBurnout is a nervous system issue, not a time management flaw.Freedom often starts with smaller mortgages, not bigger salaries.Manifestation works best when paired with bold, uncomfortable action.High performance is sustainable only when recovery is non-negotiable.Sharing your story unlocks a business others actually need.If Jo’s story sparked a rethink, please rate, follow, and sharHave an idea or feedback? Click here to share. Contact Brad @ Life Changing ChallengersInstagram: @bradaminusFacebook: @bradaminusX(Twitter): @bradaminusYouTube: @lifechangingchallengersLifeChangingChallengers.comWant to be a guest on Life-Changing Challengers? Send Brad Minus a message on PodMatch, here.

In this candid edition of Life-Changing Challengers, host Brad Minus sits down with endurance-sport author Margie Allman. From a chaotic adolescence of runaway nights, hard drugs and two abusive years at the infamous Straight Inc. “troubled-teen” program, Margie spiraled into seizures, toxic shock and a brief life on the streets. Her turning point? Channeling that same need for extremes into triathlon—ultimately completing brutal Wildflower courses, multiple Ironman attempts and a career-long devotion to Pilates and movement therapy. Now 60, she splits her time between Georgia and Belize, scuba dives for joy and is finishing her memoir Sufferfest: How Sex, Drugs & Triathlon Saved My Life. Listeners will hear an unflinching look at addiction, cult-like rehab, athletic grit and the slow craft of self-acceptance. Timeline Highlights[00:40] Brad introduces Margie and her forthcoming memoir Sufferfest. [03:15] Carefree bayou childhood turns to anxiety, insecurity and drugs at 14.[10:45] Sent to Straight Inc.; two years of attack therapy, isolation and forced labor.[24:30] Seizures, homelessness and toxic shock nearly end her life—fitness becomes therapy.[38:50] First triathlon “suffer-fest,” Wildflower races and three grueling Ironman Louisville starts.[53:10] Losing her partner days before a race and redefining endurance on her own terms.[1:05:00] Pilates, scuba diving and writing the book that finally gives her story purpose.Links & ResourcesUpcoming book: Sufferfest: How Sex, Drugs & Triathlon Saved My LifeInstagram: @margieallman (personal updates & memoir release)Facebook:  @margie.allman Straight Inc. Survivor Network – research on the troubled-teen industryWildflower Triathlon – iconic California race Margie tackled multiple timesPilates Method Alliance – movement therapy Margie now teachesKey TakeawaysMovement is medicine. Running, swimming and Pilates rewired Margie’s brain after trauma.Endurance sports can transmute pain—the “suffer” becomes self-mastery on the race course.Abusive programs leave deep scars; healing requires both therapy and self-forgiveness.Addiction often swaps forms. Margie learned to balance athletic passion with true recovery.It’s never too late to rewrite your story—her debut book arrives at age 60.Closing RemarkInspired by Margie’s comeback? Rate, follow and share Life-Changing Challengers so more listeners can turn adversity into advantage.Have an idea or feedback? Click here to share. Contact Brad @ Life Changing ChallengersInstagram: @bradaminusFacebook: @bradaminusX(Twitter): @bradaminusYouTube: @lifechangingchallengersLifeChangingChallengers.comWant to be a guest on Life-Changing Challengers? Send Brad Minus a message on PodMatch, here.

On this episode of Life-Changing Challengers, host Brad Minus sits down with former NFL wide-receiver–turned–mortgage-tech entrepreneur John Diggs to unpack the technique that rescued his life when everything collapsed: mind mapping. Diggs traces his journey from a Pacoima childhood and pro-football glory to building one of Southern California’s largest mortgage brokerages—then losing it all in the 2008 meltdown, along with his home, marriage and savings. At rock bottom and sleeping at his mother’s house, Diggs discovered a dusty copy of The Mind Map Book by the late Tony Buzan. Three months of feverish “map-engineering” helped him clarify who he was, what he wanted and how to rebuild. That clarity landed a six-figure software-implementation role, 10 published books, a TEDx talk and a new mission: teaching athletes, students and executives to “love life outside the box” through mind mapping. Timeline Highlights[00:40] Brad introduces John Diggs—speaker, author and former NFL Raider/Oiler. [03:15] Growing up in Pacoima and falling in love with street football.[10:30] NFL career ends; Diggs pivots early into real-estate and mortgages.[17:45] Building (and enjoying) an eight-figure mortgage empire.[24:10] Mortgage crisis wipes out the business—and his family life.[32:05] “Big-ass box” moment on the apartment floor; decision to reinvent.[38:50] Mind mapping every classic self-help book sparks the I AM map.[46:20] Re-emergence as a top Encompass mortgage-tech consultant and map-engineering mentor.Key TakeawaysMap-engineering turns chaos into clarity. Visual thinking surfaces options traditional lists miss. Identity first, strategy second. Diggs’ “I AM” map aligned decisions with authentic values.Big wins start on paper. Athletes and CEOs alike benefit from pre-visualising “the perfect play.”Crisis can be a reset. Losing everything forced Diggs to design the life he actually wanted.Love life outside the box. Mind mapping trains the brain to see possibility, not limitation.If John’s comeback story lit a spark, rate, follow and share Life-Changing Challengers so others can map their own breakthroughs.Links & ResourcesJohnDiggs.com – courses, speaking, coachingTEDx Talk: “What’s in Your Big-Ass Box?”Books by John DiggsI AM: The Power of Knowing Who You AreBig-Play Power (for student-athletes)Map-Engineering Your College YearsLove Life & Blessed and GratefulThe Mind Map Book by THave an idea or feedback? Click here to share. Contact Brad @ Life Changing ChallengersInstagram: @bradaminusFacebook: @bradaminusX(Twitter): @bradaminusYouTube: @lifechangingchallengersLifeChangingChallengers.comWant to be a guest on Life-Changing Challengers? Send Brad Minus a message on PodMatch, here.

In this riveting installment of Life-Changing Challengers, host Brad Minus interviews growth-minded leader, coach, and soon-to-be author Sig Muller. A lifelong swimmer and former business-builder at companies like Accenture, Mayo Clinic, and AED pioneer Survival Link, Sig recounts the August 2024 backyard barbecue where he flat-lined for eight minutes—surviving thanks to friends who delivered CPR and a fast-acting defibrillator.Listeners learn how that near-death experience sparked Sig’s “1,000 weeks” outlook, his 5 Percent Rule for spending time on what matters, and his mission to help others become “the world’s best” versions of themselves through gratitude, mindset, and purposeful action.Timeline Highlights[00:45] Brad introduces guest Sig Muller—speaker, coach and former Division I swimmer.[03:15] Growing up in Rochester, MN: early-morning bike rides to double swim practices.[10:50] Consulting with Arthur Andersen, living abroad and joining General Mills.[18:30] Helping launch Survival Link and the first public-access AEDs.[24:15] Sudden cardiac arrest at a friends’ barbecue—and the 1 % odds he beat.[32:00] The “You Are the World’s Best” mantra, post-ICU amnesia and rediscovering purpose.[40:40] The 1,000-week mindset, 5 Percent Rule and launch of BeTheWorldsBest.com.Key TakeawaysCPR + AED access saves lives—Sig’s odds of survival were <1 %.Mindset matters: adopting a “world’s best” attitude lifts both performance and morale.The 1,000-Week Lens: treating every year as 5 % of life sharpens priorities.Gratitude fuels growth—daily appreciation shifts brain chemistry toward resilience.Inflammation control is critical: diet, sleep, and stress management reduce cardiac risk.Links & ResourcesBeTheWorldsBest.com – coaching, worksheets, & speaking inquiriesLinkedIn: Sig MullerUpcoming book: Dying to Be the World’s Best (working title)Book mentioned: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver BurkemanIf this episode inspired you, don’t forget to rate, follow, and share Life-Changing Challengers so more listeners can turn adversity into advantage.Have an idea or feedback? Click here to share. Contact Brad @ Life Changing ChallengersInstagram: @bradaminusFacebook: @bradaminusX(Twitter): @bradaminusYouTube: @lifechangingchallengersLifeChangingChallengers.comWant to be a guest on Life-Changing Challengers? Send Brad Minus a message on PodMatch, here.