Rodney Adams did everything right. Rural West Texas upbringing, every sports team, church every Sunday. And by his mid-twenties he was managing a liquor store outside Lubbock, looking at the men twenty years ahead of him on that same path, and thinking: I'm going to die here.

What followed was a Marine Corps career where he "never had a bad day," a Goldman Sachs seat that left him asking "what have I done?", and a quiet stretch reading Scripture in a parking garage at dawn while his peers rode the elevator up without him.

In this conversation with Todd Pinkston and Steven Neuner, Rodney — now an executive pastor in Tulsa and a WayForward board member — unpacks how he got unstuck, and why it wasn't a single burning-bush moment. It was a thousand small yeses. He gets honest about the confession that "unlocked an entirely new section of Eden," what his wife actually needed from him during the lean years, and the one-page tool he uses so no one on his team is surprised by a hard conversation.

If success has started to feel hollow, this one's for you.

"I'm Going to Die Here": False Summits, Confession, and Getting Unstuck | Rodney Adams

Michael Manthei walked into the podcast and dropped one of the most unusual real estate stories we've ever heard.

Out of twenty deals, three went south. The investors were sophisticated. They knew the risks. Nobody asked him to do anything. So he sent each of them a letter telling them he and his wife had decided to work toward making them whole, and quoted John 15:13 in the letter. His CPA and lawyer said they'd never seen anyone do it. He didn't expect every investor to accept the offer. Every one did. He's making quarterly payments.

The letter was one moment in a conversation that kept turning where I didn't expect. Michael talked about giving up his mission-field dreams because God told him the most noble life isn't trying to be the Apostle Paul. He talked about hitting financial independence in his early 30s, taking a week off, and realizing God hadn't built him for an easy chair. He talked about why he doesn't say "amen" at the end of his prayers, and why his kids don't either.

Stop Trying to Be the Apostle Paul: Faith and the Business World | Michael Manthei

Chad Johnson is a father of 11, a business coach, and an absolute trailblazer who leaves a massive ripple effect wherever he goes. To anyone looking at him in his early thirties, he had it all together. But underneath the growing bank account, Chad was stuck in a brutal cycle of self-talk, porn addiction, and believing the enemy’s lies.

In this episode, Chad shares the raw story of the phone call that saved his life on a bridge, and the truth that completely rewired his brain: he has zero power, but he serves the strongest God that exists. Chad breaks down why he hates the word "balance," how his "Giant Five" grid changes how he treats his wife and kids, and why maturity is simply the ability to return to joy quickly after getting punched in the face by life.

Zero Power, Perfect Power, and Playing Offense | Chad Johnson

John David Blagg is a duck hunter, husband, dad, incredible friend, and a man who lives life deeply connected to the people around him.

John David’s story isn’t marked by a single moment of rock-bottom, but by something just as powerful: a life shaped by relationships, joy, and a growing awareness of God’s presence in the everyday. From his upbringing in Arkansas to a turning point that made his faith real, you’ll hear how connection to family, friends, and ultimately Christ, has guided every step.

Whether it’s building a business, investing in his marriage, or hosting people at FowlCo Outfitters, everything flows from a genuine love for people. His story is a reminder that sometimes getting unstuck isn’t about climbing out of hardship, it’s about leaning into purpose, paying attention to what brings life, and following it with everything you’ve got.



Follow what John David and Falco Outfitters is up to in the links below!

fowlcooutfitters.com

@fowlco_outfitters

From Relationships to Purpose: A Life Built on Connection | John David Blagg

Kary Oberbrunner knows that before God uses a person greatly, He often allows them to be wounded deeply. As the CEO of companies dedicated to publishing and protecting intellectual property, Kary helps influencers set free world-changing ideas. However, he’s discovered that the most powerful weapon on earth isn’t an idea—it’s a human soul on fire.

Kary pulls back the curtain on the **unglamorous** side of leadership: the ruthless commitment to an *Opus*, the courage to tell people "no" to protect your calling, and the resilience required when 70% of your company walks out the door. We discuss the "Civil War" that rages when our ideal self clashes with our shadow self, and why the ultimate form of pride is a fixation on one's own worthlessness. If you feel attacked, silenced, or stuck in a season of chronic pain, Kary’s journey from a stuttering child in a learning disability class to a global visionary will recalibrate your perspective on failure and the refining nature of the "mountain" moments in life.

Find more information mentioned in the episode in the links below

ignitingsouls.com/apply [https://ignitingsouls.com/apply/]

instantip.app [https://instantip.app/]

Cedarville University [https://www.cedarville.edu/]

Wounded Deeply, Used Greatly: The Path to an Ignited Soul | Kary Oberbrunner

Charlie Lima is a gym owner, Ironman athlete, and founder of the BCS Classic. Charlie shares the story behind his passion for fitness, the growth of one of the largest CrossFit competitions in Texas, and how a life-altering medical crisis with his newborn son reshaped his faith and priorities.

At the center of Charlie’s life are three pillars: family, faith, and fitness. In this conversation, he explains how those anchors shape everything he does, from the way he leads his gym and builds community, to how he approaches fatherhood, marriage, and personal growth. Charlie also opens up about the pressures of entrepreneurship, the seasons where he’s felt stretched to his limits, and the freedom he’s discovering as he learns to surrender control and trust God more deeply. From Ironman races to raising four kids, this episode explores what it looks like to pursue excellence without losing sight of the things that matter most.

Built on Three Pillars: Faith, Family, and Fitness | Charlie Lima

On the outside, Dustin Campbell had everything going for him - success in business, a growing family, and a reputation as a driven leader. But beneath the surface, he was fighting a quiet war with anxiety, fear, and hidden struggles that were slowly shaping his identity.

Dustin shares his story of growing up, chasing success in the business world, and building companies at a rapid pace, all while carrying deep internal pressure and secrets he had never spoken aloud. 

Through his experience with WayForward and a community of men willing to go deeper, Dustin discovered the freedom that comes when the things we hide finally come into the light. His story is a powerful reminder that being “unstuck” often begins with vulnerability, confession, and surrounding ourselves with people who refuse to let us stay hidden.



Success, Anxiety, and the Freedom of Being Known | Dustin Campbell

Patrick Lonergan is a tax strategist and founder of Vital Strategies who knows the difference between a "check-the-box" faith and the violent pursuit of the Kingdom. Patrick opens up about the "firefighter" mindset—the willingness to run into the heat of uncomfortable truths, even when it means telling a friend that culture is lying to them about their marriage.

The conversation pivots to the refining fire of 2008, where Patrick watched a multi-million dollar net worth vanish and found himself paying $15k a month on assets he no longer owned. He shares the counterintuitive "test of the tithe" during his darkest financial hour and the five-point decision model he uses to discern God’s voice over the noise of his own ego.

If you are a high-capacity leader struggling to shorten the timeframe between "grinding it out" and total surrender, Patrick’s perspective on the "REACH" framework and the ruthless elimination of hurry will recalibrate your definition of an optimized life.

Uncomfortable Truths, Constant Surrender | Patrick Lonergan

Mark Appel was once baseball’s brightest star—the phenom everyone was watching, the future of the game. In college, he had it all: talent, leadership, team respect, and opportunity. But things didn’t go as planned. On-field disappointment, surgeries, and an early exit from the sport could have defined him.

In this episode, Mark opens up about the highs and lows of his career, the deep grief of unmet expectations, and how his faith in God was his anchor. Through pain and uncertainty, he discovered that true security isn’t performance—it’s daily dependence on Jesus. Mark reflects on what real success looks like: relationships, integrity, and loving people well. He shares how his journey has reshaped his understanding of success and failure, and how his faith sustains him through life’s unknowns. This conversation is an inspiring reminder that even in loss and struggle, God’s presence and purpose remain.

From Disappointment to Destiny: The Journey of a Lifetime | Mark Appel

Jeff Spadafora, writer and leader shaped by the Halftime journey and the author of The Joy Model, explores what it looks like to move from success to significance.

Raised in the Catholic tradition, Jeff walked away from church as a teenager and spent two decades chasing the American Dream: education, career, marriage, family. On paper, it worked. Internally, it didn’t. By his mid-30s, he found himself in an existential crisis, realizing that everything he believed would bring joy… wasn’t. Jeff shares how a deep sense of purposelessness became his greatest pain. From self-studying world religions, to reluctantly returning to church for his kids, to encountering the Gospel in a way that finally clicked, Jeff’s story is an honest look at hunger for meaning and hunger for God. Now, Jeff helps others discover their calling through The Way because he knows firsthand what it feels like to wake up without one.

The Way [https://www.theway2life.org/]

Success to Significance: Discovering The Way | Jeff Spadafora

Fear gives way to faith.
Isolation melts into belonging.
The stuck places break open... and life begins to flow again.
On this show, we sit around the fire — so to speak — and listen to the real stories of everyday heroes: men and women who have found freedom and stepped into the unforced purpose they were made for.
If you’re tired of striving... if you’re longing to breathe deep, break free, and come alive — you’re in the right place.

Todd Pinkston

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