Passion Struck with John R. Miles

What if real transformation does not begin with what we add, but with what we finally allow to end?

In this deeply reflective Christmas Day solo episode of Passion Struck, Episode 707, John R. Miles invites listeners into the quiet, liminal space between the year that is closing and the life that is still taking shape. Rather than rushing toward resolutions, this episode explores the power of gentle endings and the release of old stories, habits, and self-protections that have outlived their purpose.

Drawing on psychology, lived experience, and the themes of The Season of Becoming...

What if creativity were just the spark, and the real power lay in turning ideas into unbreakable solutions?

In Episode 706 of Passion Struck, innovation expert Nir Bashan returns (his first appearance was Episode 36) to unveil the repeatable framework behind his new book The Solution Mindset. He reveals why brilliant ideas alone leave most people stuck, and how activating 10 innate problem-solving superpowers can transform frustration into impact.

Through gripping stories: a teenager who rebuilt the world’s largest coral reefs by refusing expert advice, a bicycle company that cut shipping damage 90% with one deceptively simple packaging tr...

What if the most profound regret we carry isn’t about what we did, but about the quiet ways we slowly drifted from the people we love most?

In this heartfelt solo episode of Passion Struck, Episode 705, John R. Miles explores why the greatest gift we can give those who matter most isn’t more time, more gifts, or even more love, but simple, undivided presence.

Drawing from personal holiday memories and the psychology of “relational mattering,” John reveals how relationships rarely break from conflict; they thin from absence disguised as normal life. He unpacks the quie...

What if the most significant leadership challenge of our time isn’t strategy, speed, or scale but our shrinking capacity to care for one another?

In an era of deepening polarization and quiet loneliness, this special episode of Passion Struck confronts the root of division: our brain's ancient "us vs. them" wiring that once ensured tribal survival but now fragments society.

Host John R. Miles joins Harvard cognitive scientist Joshua Greene (author of Moral Tribes) and psychologist Rick Hanson (New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Global Compassion Coalition) to explore how evolutionary mo...

What if the leadership answers you’ve been searching for can’t be found in another keynote, framework, or performance review but only by stepping completely out of the world you know?

In Episode 703 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles is joined by Oli Raison and Boris Maguire, founders of Safarini Leadership, for a conversation that challenges everything we think we know about growth, leadership, and belonging.

At a time when we are more globally connected than ever—and yet more polarized, distracted, and disconnected—leaders are facing pressures no playbook prepared them for: AI accelera...

What if the only thing standing between you and the person you’re meant to become isn’t talent, time, or even confidence, but one small, uncomfortable decision you haven’t made yet?

In this powerful solo episode, Episode 702 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles closes the Season of Becoming by distilling the single most consistent lesson from hundreds of world-class performers, Navy SEALs, near-death survivors, and everyday courage-builders:

Courage is not a trait you’re born with. It’s a vote you cast every single day.

Drawing directly from four transformative conversations this seaso...

What if the very thing you’ve been trying to hide, your awkwardness, was actually the key to deeper connection, stronger leadership, and unbreakable confidence?

In Episode 701 of Passion Struck, workplace performance expert and bestselling author Henna Pryor joins John R. Miles to unpack her groundbreaking book Good Awkward and expose the hidden crisis she calls Social Muscle Atrophy, the slow erosion of our ability to handle normal human interaction in a world gone hybrid and hyper-polished.

Henna drops the stat that stops everyone cold: 30 % of employees would rather clean a toilet than ask a co...

What if becoming who you are meant to be depends less on adding more and more… and more on eliminating the things holding you back?

In this special EPISODE 700 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with fellow veteran and former Navy SEAL combat operator Brent Gleeson, bestselling author of Embrace the Suck and All In.

This milestone conversation goes deep into identity transformation under real pressure: military service, combat, losing a father, and rebuilding integrity from the inside out. Brent shares how the quietest decision of his life, choosing sobriety, unlocked discipline, connection, an...

There is a moment when you look at your life and realize something important. You have been waiting. You have been giving your energy away. You have been putting everyone else first. And somewhere along the line, you started disappearing from your own story.

This solo episode is about that moment.

The moment you choose yourself again.

John R. Miles explores why so many of us learn to shrink to fit other people’s expectations, and what happens when you finally decide that your voice, your needs, and your well-being matter too.

...

What if becoming who you want to be has less to do with control and more to do with letting go?

In this insightful episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Anne Libera, longtime Second City director, educator, and author of Funnier: A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy. Together, they explore how improvisation offers a powerful model for personal growth, creativity, and identity transformation.

Anne’s work blends comedy, psychology, and human behavior. Drawing from decades at The Second City working with performers such as Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, Tim Me...

What if intuition isn’t mystical, but a form of deep perception we’ve forgotten how to trust?

In this transformative episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with internationally respected intuitive and spiritual teacher Susan Grau, host of Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom, to explore one of the most profound capacities of the human mind: our ability to sense truth, meaning, and connection far beneath the surface of ordinary awareness.

Susan’s work blends lived experience, grief healing, and what she calls “soul-level perception” to help people rediscover inner guidance in a world overwhelme...

What if revenge is not a moral failure, but a biological addiction?

In this gripping episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Yale psychiatrist James Kimmel Jr., author of The Science of Revenge, to unravel one of the most dangerous and misunderstood forces shaping our lives, our politics, our relationships, and our inner worlds.

This episode continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables, which explores the human qualities no machine can replicate. Yesterday’s episode with Don Martin explored loneliness, the crisis between us. Today, we explore revenge, the crisis within us. James ex...

What if loneliness isn’t a personal failure, but a biological signal that you’re built for connection?

In this powerful Thanksgiving Day episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with author, researcher, and longtime podcaster Don Martin, whose upcoming book, Where Did Everybody Go? unpacks one of the most misunderstood challenges of modern life: the loneliness crisis.

This conversation continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables, exploring the human qualities no machine can ever replicate. Today, Don illuminates why true healing also requires returning to each other.

Airing this episode on Than...

What if the moment your life collapses is not the end of your story, but the beginning of your becoming?

In this intimate, live-recorded episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Jane Marie Chen, global humanitarian, cofounder of Embrace (the infant warmer that has saved more than 1 million premature babies), and author of the stunning new memoir Like a Wave We Break.

Filmed in front of an audience at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa, this conversation dives beneath Jane’s public achievements to reveal the deeply human story she has never to...

What if the future belonged not to the fastest, the smartest, or the most optimized, but to the most human?

In this milestone 200th solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles reveals why your humanity — your creativity, your emotional depth, your intentionality — is the sharpest competitive edge you have in an AI-accelerated world.

Drawing from insights across our Irreplaceables series and weaving in lessons from guests like Scott D. Anthony, Elias Weiss Friedman (The Dogist), Amina AlTai, and Lynn Smith, John explores the core truth of the decade:

Everything that can be auto...

What if the biggest barrier to your potential is not a lack of skill or opportunity but the quiet voice inside whispering, “You are not enough”?

In this powerful episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with former national news anchor Lynn Smith, who spent 15 years at NBC, TODAY Online, and CNN Headline News before making the courageous decision to walk away from a life the world told her was perfect.

What she discovered after stepping off the national stage became the foundation of her work today and the inspiration behind her new...

What if the future isn’t something that happens to us… but something we shape?

In this future-defining episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with innovation thinker and bestselling author Scott D. Anthony to explore the 11 epic disruptions that reshaped civilization and the hidden patterns that will shape the next era of human possibility.

Drawing on Scott’s new book Epic Disruptions and his decades of work alongside Clayton Christensen, John unpacks why breakthroughs like gunpowder, the printing press, the iPhone, and AI follow a predictable rhythm, why leaders routinely miss the fu...

What if the cure for modern loneliness… was sitting right beside you?

In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores the ancient, biological, and emotional forces behind the human–dog bond and why it may be one of the most potent antidotes to isolation in our accelerated, camera-off, hyper-distracted world.

Drawing on insights from Elias Weiss Friedman (The Dogist) and Amina AlTai, John unpacks how dogs became our first empathy teachers, how belonging shapes every aspect of human flourishing, and why connection is the real currency of a meaningful life.

Amina AlTai, executive coach and author of The Ambition Trap, joins John R. Miles to expose why top achievers burn out despite “having it all.”

They dismantle hustle culture’s grip, swap wound-driven ambition for gift-aligned purpose, and unpack Amina’s 3 E’s (Excellence, Enjoyment, Ease) plus the Resentment Line to end self-abandonment.

From her near-death wake-up to systemic ambition penalties, they prove rest is resistance and wholeness at work heals teams and organizations.

Listen + Watch + Go Deeper

Full shownotes here: https://passionstruck.com/amina-altai-the-ambition-trap/

All episode resources—including guest links...

In this heartwarming and insightful conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Elias Weiss Friedman, the creator behind The Dogist, the beloved photo-documentary project with over 11 million followers, and author of This Dog Will Change Your Life.

Together, they explore how dogs have become not only our best friends but also our greatest teachers: modeling presence, emotional regulation, and unconditional love. From rescuing animals in Puerto Rico to photographing 50,000 dogs around the world, Elias reveals how each encounter is a story of joy, resilience, and connection.

John and Elias also discuss why dogs are “factories of...

What if the most advanced intelligence on Earth isn’t artificial, but emotional?

In this opening episode of the new Passion Struck series, The Irreplaceables: Rediscovering Human Worth in an Age of Acceleration, host John R. Miles explores the rarest skill of all in the age of AI: how to feel.

We’re racing to make machines seem human while forgetting how to be.

Through powerful storytelling and science-backed insights, John reveals how we’ve optimized ourselves into emotional flatlines—mistaking numbness for strength and speed for progress.

Drawing from leading experts...

What if happiness isn’t something you chase—but something you build through resilience, purpose, and self-compassion?

In this episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Zelana Montminy, a behavioral scientist, positive psychologist, and author of Finding Focus: Own Your Attention in an Age of Distraction to unpack the deeper science of happiness—and why our culture has misunderstood it for so long.

Dr. Montminy, one of the foremost voices in positive psychology, reveals that true well-being doesn’t come from constant positivity, but from learning how to transform discomfort into gro...

In this raw and timely conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Zac Seidler, global director of men’s health research at Movember and one of the world’s leading voices redefining masculinity. Together, they explore how modern men are facing a silent crisis—one rooted not in strength or stoicism, but in disconnection, loneliness, and loss of mattering.

From the heartbreaking story of losing his father to suicide to leading Movember’s groundbreaking new report The Real Face of Men’s Health, Zac shares what he’s learned about the “friendship recession,” why so many men struggle to...

What if the story you’re living… isn’t yours?

In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores how culture, work, and media quietly script our lives — shaping what we value, chase, and believe we deserve — often without us realizing it.

Drawing on insights from Claude Silver (VaynerX Chief Heart Officer) and Nick Thompson (CEO of The Atlantic), John unpacks how the stories we inherit, absorb, and create define who we become — and how to reclaim authorship in a world that profits from your distraction.

You’ll learn why belonging...

In this powerful conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and author of The Running Ground: A Father, a Son, and the Simplest Sport. Together, they explore how running became a thread through Nick’s life—a tool for resilience, self-discipline, and understanding his father’s complex legacy.

From the early memories of running beside his dad during the American running boom to surviving thyroid cancer and breaking the three-hour marathon barrier, Nick shares how the sport has shaped his mind as much as his body. The discussion expands far beyond the tr...

What if the greatest transformation in your career doesn’t come from working harder—but from leading with more heart?

In this week’s episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia, to explore what it really means to be yourself at work—and why authenticity, empathy, and belonging are the most underrated forces in leadership today.

Claude has spent the past decade alongside Gary Vaynerchuk, pioneering a new model of leadership grounded not in authority, but in humanity. Her philosophy is simple yet radical: when peo...

What if the words you speak don’t just describe the world—but design it?

In this week’s episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores The Words That Lead Us: how language quietly builds the architecture of leadership—creating trust, guiding ethics, and shaping identity.

Drawing on insights from Dr. Sunita Sah, Charles Duhigg, and Dr. Alex Imas, John reveals how the words we choose influence every decision we make—whether we lead a team, raise a family, or simply try to understand ourselves.

This solo episode continues our series The Forces...

What if the distance between you and the people who matter most isn’t measured in miles—but in missed conversations?

In this week’s episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg to explore how extraordinary conversations rebuild connection and trust.

Duhigg’s book, Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, decodes why some discussions deepen relationships while others quietly drive people apart. Together, we explore the neuroscience of belonging, how to reconnect when you’ve drifted apart, and why the key to s...

In this episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Sunita Sah—physician, behavioral scientist, and author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes—to explore one of the most overlooked yet essential human forces: defiance.

Part of our ongoing series The Forces That Shape Us, this conversation dives into why we struggle to say no, even when our inner voice knows we should. Dr. Sah reveals how subtle social pressures—from authority, hierarchy, and culture—can override our values and decisions without us realizing it. She explains the neur...

What if luck isn’t a matter of chance—but a hidden design you can learn to navigate?

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores how some people seem to “always be in the right place at the right time” — not because they’re blessed by fate, but because they’ve learned to read the invisible rulebook of luck.

Drawing on the groundbreaking work of bestselling author Amy Leigh Mercree and economist Judd Kessler, co-author of Lucky by Design, John unpacks how hidden systems, intuitive sensing, and strategic choices shape opportunities long before they ap...

John brings on Wharton economist Judd B. Kessler to unpack why outcomes that look like luck are usually the product of hidden market designs. Kessler explains the three E’s—equity, efficiency, and ease—and why designers must make those tradeoffs explicit. He shows how to win in choose-me markets (jobs, dating, college admissions) by signaling clearly and sometimes prioritizing early commitment (e.g., early decision). In high-scarcity races (restaurant reservations, tickets), he argues for “settling for silver”—acting on a strong second choice first—to beat the crowd.

The conversation gets tactical: how to stand out when AI drafts...

In this live episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with bestselling author and medical intuitive Amy Leigh Mercree to explore the profound connection between energy, awareness, and intentional living. They discuss how tuning into your personal energy field can enhance emotional regulation, deepen intuition, and improve how you show up in the world. Amy shares practical techniques for sensing and aligning energy, blending spiritual insight with grounded, actionable tools. Amy a bestselling author of more than fifteen books, including Aura Alchemy, A Little Bit of Chakras, and A Little Bit of Mindfulness

Amy discusses...

What if doubt isn’t a weakness to overcome, but a gravitational force that pulls us toward meaning?

In this powerful solo episode, John R. Miles kicks off the new Forces That Pull Us series by exploring doubt—an invisible psychological and cultural force that shapes our choices, our growth, and our sense of self. Drawing on insights from performance psychologist Michael Gervais, physician-researcher Brennan Spiegel, and business ethicist Bobby Parmar, John examines doubt from three angles:

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Bidhan “Bobby” Parmar, Shannon G. Smith Bicentennial Professor of Business Administration at UVA’s Darden School and author of Radical Doubt: Turning Uncertainty into Surefire Success. Together, they unpack why doubt isn’t a weakness to overcome but a force to harness.

Bobby explains how our brains rely on three systems—pursue, protect, and pause—and why learning to strengthen the “pause” system can transform how we make decisions in moments of uncertainty. They explore why information alone doesn’t change behavior, the dangers of being a “right...

Gravity is everywhere—yet we rarely think about its impact on our health. In this episode, Dr. Brennan Spiegel, UCLA Professor and author of the groundbreaking new book Pull: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health, joins John R. Miles to reframe gravity not just as a force of physics, but as a hidden variable in human health and resilience.

They explore how posture, balance, grip strength, and heart rate variability reveal your “gravity relationship,” why serotonin is really a “gravity management substance,” and how gut health, mood, and even mental states like anxie...

What is the story you’re telling yourself right now?

It may not feel like it, but every single one of us is living inside a story. Psychologists call it a self-narrative — the ongoing script that explains who we are, how we got here, and where we’re headed next. These stories shape what we notice, what we ignore, and what we believe is possible.

If your inner story says, “I’m not enough,” then every critique, silence, or setback feels like proof of inadequacy. But if your story says, “I am resilient, I am growing,” thos...

Life has a way of testing us in ways we never imagined. For some, those tests are inconveniences or temporary setbacks. For others, like Sandy Yozipovic, there are battles that most of us could not even fathom. Imagine one day waking up paralyzed from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system. And then, years later, you are told you have Stage 4 cancer, and the prognosis is grim.

Most people would crumble under the weight of such a diagnosis. Sandy faced both. Yet, instead of surrendering, she chose to stack the odds in her f...

What does it really take to start over — to walk away from something you’ve built and chase something entirely new? In this inspiring conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Joel Beasley, technologist, entrepreneur, and host of Modern CTO, one of the most respected podcasts for technology leaders worldwide.

But this episode isn’t about scaling tech companies, it’s about scaling yourself. Joel opens up about the mindset shifts that took him from self-taught coder to globally respected podcast host, and now, into a completely new arc: pursuing his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian.

Tog...

Most of us spend much of our lives trying to fit in, smoothing our edges, editing our quirks, and becoming who the world wants us to be. But fitting in isn’t the same as belonging.

Belonging is about coming home to yourself and then building spaces where others can do the same. It’s about creating deep connection and living a life that feels both meaningful and aligned.

In episode 669 of Passion Struck, John tackles the question of how to build belonging using a simple, yet powerful framework he developed called BELONG — six choices that hel...

In this episode of Passion Struck, I sit down with Robert Glazer — serial entrepreneur, five-time best-selling author, and founder of Acceleration Partners — to explore his powerful new book The Compass Within. Robert shares why success can still feel empty if your life is out of alignment, and how identifying your actionable core values becomes the starting point for lasting fulfillment.

Whether you’re at a crossroads in your career, questioning the culture you’re part of, or simply longing for greater purpose, this conversation will give you a practical blueprint for finding your “compass within” and living by it with c...