EP 175 | The Olympic Dream Died… Here’s What Replaced It (And Why It Matters)

There's a moment right before you step into something big where everything tightens. Your body knows the stakes. Your mind starts running scenarios. And you have a choice: let the nerves take over, or reframe them into fuel. In this short, powerful prayer episode, mental performance coach Mariel Anderson walks you through the exact affirmation she'd give an athlete standing at the edge of their biggest moment. It's not about pretending you're not scared. It's about recognizing that the feeling in your chest isn't fear, it's readiness. This is the mindset shift that separates those who freeze from those who fly. Bookmark this one. You'll want to come back to it every time you're about to do something that matters. --- Memorable Quotes [00:01:15] "Courage means that this is something that might be a little big and scary, but I am excited to do it anyways." – Mariel Anderson [00:01:28] "That angsty feeling that I have inside is not being nervous; it is being excited, and I have prepared for this." – Mariel Anderson [00:01:48] "Whatever the outcome, I am strong, I am powerful, I am important, and I am ready to be here. Let's go." – Mariel Anderson About Mariel Anderson Mariel Anderson is a mental performance coach, speaker, and founder of Forged Youth | Legacy Within, a movement built on the belief that adversity isn't just something to survive, it's the forge that shapes greatness. She blends sport psychology, storytelling, and lived experience to help youth athletes and high performers grow stronger from the challenges they face. With a background in counselling and competitive sport, Mariel now equips teams, parents, and coaches across the world with tools to train confidence, resilience, and legacy. Her goal? To build humans who thrive not despite pressure, but because of it. Connect with Mariel: Website: www.forgedyouth.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariel.nichole/ Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mariel Anderson was headed to the Olympics. Then trauma derailed everything. Her body held the score, chronic pain took over, and the identity she'd built her entire life around collapsed. But in the darkest moment, she discovered something most high performers miss: the mental skills that made her elite in sport were the same ones that could pull her out of the darkness. Now she works with youth athletes, teaching them to become antifragile. Not resilient. Antifragile. There's a difference, and it changes everything. This conversation goes deep into identity shifts, the controllables that matter when everything feels out of control, and the visualization technique that rewires your brain for the struggles you haven't faced yet. If you've been under pressure and wondering if it's breaking you or building you, this episode will reframe everything. Key Timestamps [00:03:45] From elite volleyball player to Olympic recruitment   [00:09:30] The identity crisis after losing the athlete label   [00:17:50] The miracle moment that changed everything   [00:23:15] The concept of being antifragile   [00:35:20] The three S's of visualization [00:40:15] The controllables list before high-pressure environments   Memorable Quotes [00:01:12] "Antifragile means that the struggles, the pressure, is an opportunity for us to become stronger because of it, not in spite of it." – Mariel Anderson [00:01:28] "When I'm under extreme pressure, I go, 'Okay, I'm about to level up.'" – Mariel Anderson [00:41:05] "There are five things that you can control. There's your effort, your attitude, your self-talk, your preparation, and your focus. Everything else outside of that, we just don't have control over." – Mariel Anderson About Mariel Anderson Mariel Anderson is a mental performance coach, speaker, and founder of Forged Youth | Legacy Within, a movement built on the belief that adversity isn't just something to survive, it's the forge that shapes greatness. She blends sport psychology, storytelling, and lived experience to help youth athletes and high performers grow stronger from the challenges they face. With a background in counselling and competitive sport, Mariel now equips teams, parents, and coaches across the world with tools to train confidence, resilience, and legacy. Her goal? To build humans who thrive not despite pressure, but because of it. Connect with Mariel: Website: www.forgedyouth.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariel.nichole/ Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Not every season is meant to produce fruit. And not every season is meant for rest. But somewhere in the tension between pushing forward and pulling back, there's a rhythm that isn't yours to create. It's yours to align with. This prayer episode asks for one thing: clarity about the season you're actually in. Because when you know whether it's time to fight forward or get quiet, the work stops feeling like guesswork. And when you're walking in step with God's timing, the unfolding doesn't just feel possible. It feels like partnership. Key Timestamps [00:00:32] Understanding the rhythm of seasons: fruit-bearing and rest   [00:01:15] Knowing when to push and when to be still   Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can work harder, post more, and share your story everywhere, but if your message isn't landing, none of it matters. Rae reveals the counterintuitive move that led to her first $100K month: she stopped. She slowed down, traveled, and gave herself permission to think. What came next wasn't just revenue. It was clarity, alignment, and a mastermind that filled in days. This isn't about doing more. It's about trimming the sails so the wind can actually move you forward. If your audience feels confused, they won't buy, even if they want to. Rae walks through the exact shift that turned scattered effort into streamlined success, and why the most powerful thing you can do for your business might be to step away from it. Key Timestamps [00:01:15] The one thing that led to Rae's first $100K month   [00:04:45] The month of travel that changed everything   [00:07:20] Trimming the sails for momentum   [00:09:10] The cost of unclear messaging   [00:11:00] How thinking time creates million-dollar businesses   Memorable Quotes [00:01:15] "The first 100K month that I hit came specifically from doing this one thing, and this one thing I was pretty scared of doing because I felt like if I actually do it, I'm gonna be taking my eyes off my business." – Rae Irelan [00:02:30] "You can be working, working, working and sharing so much and putting so much out there and sharing your story, sharing your testimony, growing your business, and yet not seeing the results that you desire, and that's because your message isn't landing." – Rae Irelan [00:07:20] "When you trim the sails, that's when you can have steadier winds, right? And that's the same thing. When you really dial in your message, you can streamline success." – Rae Irelan [00:14:30] "If you're messy and unclear, they're not gonna be able to find you, and that's one of the worst parts that we wanna just really avoid, is I want you to be able to go out and serve the people that you are meant to serve." – Rae Irelan Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes the most powerful episodes are the simplest. This is a prayer spoken over Rae, her family, her mission, and everyone listening. It's a moment of pause in a world that rarely stops moving. There's a request here for open doors, for deeper relationship, for hearts to change where they need to. And there's protection asked over the voices still coming, the testimonies not yet shared, the people not yet reached. If you've been searching for something you can't quite name, this might be the invitation you didn't know you needed. Key Timestamps [00:00:30] Prayer for listeners seeking a deeper connection with God   About Amy Barrie Amy Barrie is a faith-driven entrepreneur, sales leader, and athlete who believes integrity matters more than the outcome. She has spent eight years in high-stakes legal sales, learning firsthand that real success is built through humility, consistency, and doing the right thing when no one is watching. Her work blends discipline, health, and purpose, grounded in lived experience rather than theory. At the core of everything she builds is a simple aim: to grow, serve, and lead with conviction. Website: https://broughtonpartners.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsabarrie/  Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Barrie built a $100 million legal advertising company from an air mattress in Fort Lauderdale. She sold everything in her closet to afford the flight that changed her life. But before the deals, the growth, and the influence came three years as a wrecking ball: addicted, estranged from her family, and running on survival mode. This episode isn't about how she scaled a business. It's about the moment in Rwanda that broke her open. The bones in the church. The strangers who asked about her mother. The grace she didn't think she deserved. Amy talks about losing her father at 16, the years she spent proving she didn't need anyone, and the humbling work of loving her mom through the parts that still sting. If you're chasing success but feel the weight of unfinished business with the people who raised you, this one will land. Amy's story is a reminder that the hardest work we do isn't always in the boardroom. Key Timestamps [00:03:45] How Amy got into the legal advertising and mass tort industry   [00:10:21] Growing the company from five people to over $100 million   [00:17:56] The wrecking ball years: fitness, addiction, and survival mode   [00:26:47] The moment strangers confronted her about not speaking to her mother   Memorable Quotes [00:29:03] "Parenting or life doesn't come with a rule book, except the Bible. We have to have grace for our parents on the choices that they've made and the mistakes that they've made." – Amy Barrie [00:32:18] "You can't change people. You can only love people." – Amy Barrie About Amy Barrie Amy Barrie is a faith-driven entrepreneur, sales leader, and athlete who believes integrity matters more than the outcome. She has spent eight years in high-stakes legal sales, learning firsthand that real success is built through humility, consistency, and doing the right thing when no one is watching. Her work blends discipline, health, and purpose, grounded in lived experience rather than theory. At the core of everything she builds is a simple aim: to grow, serve, and lead with conviction. Website: https://broughtonpartners.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsabarrie/  Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a difference between having a story and believing it matters. This prayer episode cuts straight to the permission you might be waiting for: your story doesn't need to be extraordinary to be worthy of being told. Rae speaks directly to the woman who questions whether her testimony is enough, whether her path is special enough, whether anyone will care. The answer isn't about doing more or being more. It's about recognizing the divine orchestration already present in your unique life path and stepping into the courage to share it. Key Timestamps [00:00:32] The power of sharing your story in God's glory   [00:00:48] Your story is worthy to be told and multiplied   [00:01:38] A surge of creative wisdom and courage to share boldly Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You've looked around and seen everyone else telling their story. Coaches, authors, speakers. And you've wondered if there's room for yours. If it even matters when someone else has already said it better, louder, with more polish. Rae breaks down the moment she almost let that doubt win. And then she shares what happened when she showed up exhausted, unrehearsed, and barely present at an event, only to receive messages afterward from people whose lives shifted because of it. Not because she performed. Because she was real. This episode is for anyone who's ever held back because they thought their story wasn't special enough. Rae reminds you that your unique expression, your specific perspective, is the only version someone out there is waiting to hear. Key Timestamps [00:02:15] The witness effect: Why everyone sees the same story differently [00:06:18] Is this self-doubt, or should you just show up as you? [00:08:45] Finding the one-liners that land after sharing your story over and over Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This prayer isn't ceremonial. It's an entry point for the curious, the searching, and those already walking the path but hungry to go deeper. In less than three minutes, the posture is set: hearts open, minds ready, ears tuned. Whether you're stepping into citizenship for the first time or anchoring yourself more firmly in the country you already belong to, this is where the episode begins. About Malcolm Hawkins Since the age of ten, Malcolm Hawkins has been chasing truth through story—shaped by triumph and trial, joy and loss, yet always anchored by a singular desire: that the glory of God would be seen and known. From music to authorship, his work carries quiet reverence and deep attentiveness to God's unfolding kingdom. Alongside his wife, Tiarah, he has served in ministry for over five years and now leads a discipleship-centered work in the Greater Orlando area. An author, speaker, filmmaker, and minister of the gospel, Malcolm offers storytelling as an act of worship, inviting families into a journey that stirs the soul, awakens hope, and leads straight to the heart of God. Website: https://hawkinshousecfd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawkinshousecfd Join the Christian Parents Academy on Facebook to connect with a community of parents passionate about gospel-centered discipleship at home. Powered by Hawkins House Christian Family Development, this cohort will walk you through practical pathways to establish a vibrant culture of faith in your family. Facebook Group: Christian Parents Academy https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DACzSGxdf/ New Releases:  - God's Country: The City Light – A guide to the six tenants of the Kingdom of God  - The Advocate – A mystery/thriller allegory of the passion of Christ (released January 15th) Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Malcolm Hawkins was ten years old when he prayed Solomon's prayer for wisdom. What followed wasn't a straight path to ministry but years of wrestling, wandering, and eventually homelessness. The hunger was there. The questions were real. But discipleship? That was missing. Now a father, author, and minister leading a discipleship-centered work in Orlando, Malcolm is building what he couldn't find: a comprehensive pathway for parents to disciple their children at home. Not through programs. Not through outsourcing faith to the church. Through presence, story, and the person of the Holy Spirit. His work with Hawkins House Christian Family Development is helping families understand that heaven isn't a faraway escape plan. It's a country with citizenship, culture, language, and law—and your kids should know what that means. This conversation goes beyond parenting tips. It's about identity, sonship, and what happens when you stop waiting for someone else to steward the next generation. Key Timestamps [00:03:12] Malcolm Hawkins and the question of discipleship at home   [00:08:23] The gap between church life and home life   [00:14:56] The Voice of the Wind: introducing children to the Holy Spirit   [00:26:45] Understanding heaven as a real country with real citizenship   About Malcolm Hawkins Since the age of ten, Malcolm Hawkins has been chasing truth through story—shaped by triumph and trial, joy and loss, yet always anchored by a singular desire: that the glory of God would be seen and known. From music to authorship, his work carries quiet reverence and deep attentiveness to God's unfolding kingdom. Alongside his wife, Tiarah, he has served in ministry for over five years and now leads a discipleship-centered work in the Greater Orlando area. An author, speaker, filmmaker, and minister of the gospel, Malcolm offers storytelling as an act of worship, inviting families into a journey that stirs the soul, awakens hope, and leads straight to the heart of God. Website: https://hawkinshousecfd.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hawkinshousecfd Join the Christian Parents Academy on Facebook to connect with a community of parents passionate about gospel-centered discipleship at home. Powered by Hawkins House Christian Family Development, this cohort will walk you through practical pathways to establish a vibrant culture of faith in your family. Facebook Group: Christian Parents Academy https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DACzSGxdf/ New Releases:  - God's Country: The City Light – A guide to the six tenants of the Kingdom of God  - The Advocate – A mystery/thriller allegory of the passion of Christ (released January 15th) Connect With the Host Website: https://raeirelan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raeirelan/ Join the Evolved Influence Academy Community today! https://www.skool.com/evolved-influence-academy/about?ref=28c7243ce169469eb9979bbc4226a76a Produced by Evolved Podcasting: www.evolvedpodcasting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices