Brandon Held - Life is Crazy

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Brandon shares his professional journey from military service to project management and consulting, revealing how early experiences shaped his leadership abilities and career trajectory.

• Joining the Air Force at 17 taught crucial foundations of discipline, resilience, structure, and accountability
• Military experience provided early leadership opportunities as a 19-year-old supervisor of older personnel
• Learned to command respect through consistent behavior rather than demanding it
• Discovered transferable skills from seemingly unrelated jobs like customer service and sales
• Corporate career progression from Raytheon to consulting roles required adapting to diverse personalities
• Ment...

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In this practical guide to SEO for small businesses, Brandon breaks down search engine optimization into simple, actionable steps anyone can implement without technical expertise or large budgets. He explains how SEO works as a digital visibility tool that levels the playing field for small businesses, allowing them to compete effectively without expensive advertising campaigns.

• The three pillars of SEO: on-page, off-page, and technical
• Why SEO is especially valuable for small businesses and startups
• How to implement zero-cost SEO strategies immediately
• Common SEO myths debunked including keyword stuffing and post...

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Brandon explores the transformative impact of fatherhood and shares the key lessons he's learned raising three distinctly different sons throughout their lives and after divorce.

• Finding balance between being present for your children and maintaining self-care
• Leading by example and creating a judgment-free environment for open communication
• Understanding the true meaning of unconditional love through parenting
• The challenge of co-parenting with different value systems after divorce
• Breaking cycles of addiction, abuse, and poverty to create a new family legacy
• Discovering that providing for your family brings greater sati...

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Self-awareness is the key to unlocking your potential and improving relationships, allowing you to see yourself clearly through reflection and understanding how you impact others. Both internal self-awareness (understanding your inner world) and external self-awareness (understanding how others perceive you) are crucial for personal growth and breaking free from autopilot living.

• Emotional self-awareness helps recognize your feelings and how they influence your actions
• Without emotional awareness, we're often hijacked by feelings, leading to reactive behavior
• Social awareness involves understanding how you come across to others and your impact on group...

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Powerful questions can fundamentally change the trajectory of our lives, helping us reconnect with what truly matters when we've lost sight of our purpose in the daily hustle. I share ten transformative questions that can help you break through barriers and create meaningful change.

• What do you truly desire to achieve in your life, beyond others' expectations or societal definitions of success
• Examining what would make you jump out of bed with excitement each morning as an indicator of purpose alignment
• Identifying your big audacious dream that both scares and ex...

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Brandon Held shares his personal journey of finding love internationally and marrying a woman from Brazil, discussing the realities that dating shows like 90 Day Fiancé don't fully capture. He explores the challenges and rewards of cross-cultural relationships with honesty and vulnerability based on his own experience.

• Dating internationally completely reverses American dating dynamics - men receive abundant messages instead of competing for attention
• Video calls are essential to weed out scammers who use attractive photos and eventually ask for money
• Language barriers create misunderstandings even when both people speak the sam...

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Brandon reflects on the lessons he's learned from his divorces, exploring how good communication and understanding are essential for lasting relationships.

• Communication is absolutely critical - especially about your feelings and mental state
• Nobody is perfect, so allowing grace for mistakes is essential for both partners
• Discussing finances openly before marriage can prevent major conflicts later
• People change over time, and relationships need constant nurturing to stay strong
• It's never too late to start over - people fall in love with you, not your statistics

If you hav...

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Brandon Held shares profound insights from his three divorces and how these experiences have shaped his approach to his current marriage. He explores the evolution of his self-awareness and the lessons that failure taught him about relationship success.

• First marriage at 19 while in the Air Force was driven by practicality and loneliness
• Second marriage resulted from giving in to an ultimatum despite knowing he didn't want to get married
• Third marriage lasted 12 years but failed partly due to the significant age gap and a lack of respect
• Learning to balan...

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Brandon Held shares his unique perspective on the differences between the Air Force and Army based on his personal experience serving in both branches. Drawing from his time as an Air Force security policeman at 17 and later joining the Army at 29, he offers candid insights into the contrasting cultures, benefits, and challenges each branch presents.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Air Force boot camp (6 weeks) focuses on mental discipline and meticulous attention to detail
• Army boot camp (10 weeks) emphasizes physical endurance with extensive runn...

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Owning who you are means embracing your unique qualities and imperfections without feeling pressure to conform to others' expectations. This liberating mindset allows you to set boundaries, live authentically, and find genuine happiness without constant people-pleasing.

I implore you to please start at Episode 1 if you're downloading this episode for the first time. It gives you a better understanding of who you're listening to, what I'm about, and how I've gotten from where I started to where I am today. You can find all episodes on BrandonHeld.com or wherever...

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I share the progress of my podcast journey and my attempts to rebuild a relationship with my oldest son Ethan during a challenging period of unemployment in Arizona.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Creating a website to build community around the podcast, primarily aimed at men based on my life experiences
• Bringing Ethan to Arizona to strengthen our relationship after years of distance
• House rules and boundaries at my girlfriend's home that led to conflict with Ethan
• Ethan's decision to sign a lease...

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Brandon Held wraps up his life story by sharing significant recent events including his grandmother's passing, estrangement from his son, and health challenges that derailed his fitness journey at age 50. Despite experiencing profound grief, relationship uncertainties, and medical issues, he continues moving forward with a new home, supporting his wife's law school aspirations, and recommitting to his health and fitness goals.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Visited his grandmother "Mamaw" before she passed and cherishes their final breakfast together at Bob Evans
• Currently expe...

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I share the emotional journey of being separated from my Brazilian wife for nine months after marriage and how we finally reunited when her visa was approved. The perfect timing of my new work-from-home consulting position allowed me to be present as she adjusted to life in America while also regaining shared custody of my children.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• The hardships of international marriage created a foundation for our relationship that made us stronger
• Sometimes not knowing how difficult something will be i...

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Brandon continues his journey of meeting, marrying, and working to reunite with his Brazilian wife Juliana, detailing the challenges and triumphs of maintaining a cross-continental relationship. From navigating Bahamian bureaucracy to passing crucial visa interviews, this episode captures the emotional rollercoaster of building a life together while physically apart.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Getting married in the Bahamas proved challenging due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and Brandon's previously unknown stress fractures in both ankles
• After marriage, they developed a rhythm of video calls and...

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Brandon continues his love story where he left off, dealing with the heartache of separation from Juliana and navigating the challenging process of bringing her from Brazil to America during COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Discovering that spousal visas process much faster than fiancé visas during the pandemic
• Making the practical decision to marry rather than pursue a lengthy fiancé visa process
• Changing travel plans from Mexico to the Bahamas after learning about potential entry restrictions
• Struggling to arrange we...

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I share the story of meeting and falling in love with Juliana from Brazil after months of online conversations, culminating in an eight-day trip that changed my life forever. What began as a skeptical first meeting transformed into the most magical experience of my life when I spontaneously proposed marriage.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Finding meaningful connection through international online dating
• How my work colleague Mindy helped me secure a remote job and became a lifelong friend
• Traveling 24 hours to Maragogi, Brazil...

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I'm navigating new beginnings while reflecting on past relationships and helping my adult children find their paths.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Website brandonheld.com now launched with podcasts being uploaded incrementally
• Memory challenges affecting creative process and retention of episode ideas
• Identification as an audio-visual learner who struggles with reading-based education
• Reflection on three past marriages and what each relationship taught me
• Introduction to international dating through watching 90 Day Fiancé
• Experience with dating sites connecting Americans with international partners
...

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Brandon reflects on his journey from nearly four years of unemployment to finding stability in his career and personal life despite significant challenges along the way.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Taking a temporary healthcare position over a permanent aerospace job based on intuition and long-term industry outlook
• Unexpected promotion after a colleague's unprofessional behavior and false discrimination claims led to her termination
• Receiving a $20,000 salary increase overnight while transitioning from temporary to permanent status
• Experiencing relationship deterioration as career improved, culminat...

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Brandon shares his journey through his third divorce, which became the lowest point of his life as he simultaneously lost his job, home, and faced financial ruin while fighting for custody of his children.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Third marriage ended after 12 years together, 10 years married with two sons
• Ex-wife initially discussed amicable divorce but then hired attorney and prevented him seeing his children for three months
• Lost job when Raytheon discontinued contract with his employer DSI
• Declined offer to work dir...

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Brandon reflects on his life journey, sharing how past mistakes and difficult experiences have shaped him into the person he is today while emphasizing his commitment to growth and learning from both his own errors and those of others.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Growing up surrounded by alcohol abuse, physical violence, and poor role models taught Brandon to learn from others' mistakes
• Every experience, good or bad, offers lessons that can help you become a better person
• The importance of surrounding yourse...

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Brandon continues his life story, detailing the aftermath of being let go from Raytheon and discovering it was partly because he was a white male with "no recourse" according to insider information from a Puerto Rican colleague in management.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Finding a new position through his father-in-law's connection that paid 10K more but required a three-hour daily commute
• Becoming a personal trainer for a coworker, helping him lose over 100 pounds and transform his life
• Watching him fail at dating...

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Brandon reflects on his transition from military life to a civilian career and the rollercoaster of personal and professional challenges that followed his Army service.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Built strength through intramural sports and weightlifting during military service
• Met and married 3rd, who initially wanted to become a Pediatric Physical Therapist and pulled a switcheroo
• Relationship dynamics changed dramatically after marriage when wife abandoned career plans to be a stay-at-home mom
• Faced challenging blended family situations with his son Ethan an...

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Brandon reflects on his challenging transition from Air Force, to civilian life and then to Army service, revealing how toxic leadership and workplace politics severely impacted his military experience and mental health.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Joining the Army as a food inspector to challenge himself and pursue an MBA
• Dealing with oppressive leadership from Sergeant First Class and Sergeant "leadership" who created unnecessary hardship in a non-combat role
• Experiencing improvement when toxic leaders left and Brandon became the NCOIC, allowing him to...

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Brandon shares his journey from struggling with post-college jobs and a toxic relationship to finding stability by rejoining the military, this time as an Army food inspector.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Attempted to become an Air Force officer, only to have his application abandoned when recruiter was reassigned
• Pivoted to the Army after a recruiter convinced him to enlist with promises of education benefits
• Made the heartbreaking decision to leave his 5-year-old son 
• Experienced his son's mother allegedly poisoning the child aga...

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After graduating college, I navigated a series of unexpected career turns that took me from a lucrative accountant sales representative role to multiple jobs with broken promises and ethical challenges. This journey highlights how early career paths often involve setbacks, difficult choices, and learning experiences that shape your professional future.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Landed a job selling accounting services with $500 weekly base plus 50% commission on first-year client payments
• Earned approximately $70,000 in six months before working myself out of the position by reac...

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Brandon shares a missing piece of his previous relationship story and reveals how his journey through college at Wright State transformed his confidence and self-image.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Recalls a moment when his girlfriend's attractiveness to other gym-goers affected how he perceived their relationship
• Contrasts his isolating experience at Minot State with the sense of belonging he found at Wright State
• Details his struggle with Spanish classes while pursuing a mass communications degree
• Shares his disappointment when learning the realisti...

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Brandon opens up about his conflicted feelings while recounting the story of his second significant relationship, expressing love and consideration for his current wife while sharing this challenging chapter of his past.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Meeting a beautiful redheaded woman at the gym who initially rejected him but later agreed to a date after learning more about him
• Discovering she was actually still married, not "going through a divorce" as she initially claimed
• Moving in together despite trust issues after she of...

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Brandon reflects on his journey through college after the Air Force, exploring the complex choices around dating, fatherhood, and personal transformation that shaped his character during a pivotal time in his life.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Remaining in a failing marriage while attending college partly for practical benefits
• Dating three women simultaneously and the moral boundary crossed when discovering one was married
• Making the difficult decision to transfer to Wright State University to be near his son Ethan
• Attempting to reconcil...

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I take you behind the scenes of my four years in the Air Force, sharing the wild personal stories and intense human drama that defined my military experience beyond the uniform and duties.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Strong military camaraderie formed with friends like John Copado, Dan Malone, and Dave Everson
• Lost friendship with Dave after my divorce when he became romantically interested in my ex-wife
• Shocking story of Dan's wife stealing my checks, which revealed her web of financial deception
•...

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Brandon Held recounts his Air Force career trajectory and the pivotal moment that led him to abandon his original plan of military retirement for a completely different path. A false report from a vindictive master sergeant and subsequent lack of support from leadership sparked a series of events that ultimately led Brandon to pursue broadcast journalism after watching Marv Albert interview Michael Jordan.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Worked hard to demonstrate value through polished uniforms and professional excellence
• Won Airman of the Quar...

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Brandon continues his life story, transitioning from a mental health crisis back to military service as a missile security cop and eventually into an unexpected journey to fatherhood that changes everything.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Returning to missile security duty after his mental health facility stay, surprisingly regaining his Personnel Reliability Program clearance
• Embracing an all-or-nothing approach to sports during off-duty time, often playing basketball for 12 consecutive hours
• Meeting and pragmatically marrying a woman for atypical reasons
• Experiencing the devastating loss of...

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Brandon shares how his life dramatically changed after joining the Air Force, from women suddenly showing interest in him to facing a mental health crisis following a relationship breakdown. His journey from Ohio to North Dakota reveals both the external transformations and internal struggles that shaped his early military experience.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• First experience returning home on military leave after six months in the Air Force
• Women who previously ignored him suddenly showing romantic interest
• Getting lost in a danger...

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Brandon Held recounts his transformative four years in the Air Force, a period that changed his life trajectory and helped him escape a troubled upbringing with minimal guidance and support.

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Graduating high school early with a 1.5 GPA to join the Air Force at age 17
• Struggling through the ASVAB test, failing the first attempt but passing on the second try
• Driven by determination to break family cycles of alcoholism, drug abuse, and underachievement
• Experiencing culture shock during h...

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Brandon Held shares his first memory—witnessing his father's brutal assault on his mother when he was just two years old—and how this traumatic experience shaped his identity as a protector for the next 50 years. This raw, unfiltered introduction to Brandon's life story begins his journey through childhood trauma, abandonment, and finding purpose through protecting others.

Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• 51-year-old Brandon holds degrees in Mass Communications and a Master's in Business Administration 
• Served eight years of military service split between Air Force and Army
• Cre...

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From poverty to purpose, Brandon shares how his brother's birth sparked a transformation in his outlook on life during a childhood marked by neglect, hunger, and searching for guidance amidst family dysfunction. 

Please start with Episode 1. Go to my site BrandonHeld.com

• Experiencing a new sense of responsibility and protectiveness after his brother's birth
• Growing up with an emotionally absent mother who spent much of her time in bed
• Surviving on limited food from food stamps and sometimes eating raw potatoes when nothing else was available
• Finding h...