The Courageous Podcast with Ryan Berman

Journeying to a new country. Navigating a foreign language. Experiencing an epic adventure. Sometimes the hardest part of an incredible adventure is coming home and realizing it meant more than you expected. Fresh off a two-week family trip to Japan, Ryan reflects on the experiences that made the trip unforgettable, from learning to make sushi and ramen to watching his daughter overcome her fear of riding an e-bike through the streets of Kyoto. But it wasn't until he returned home to a strangely quiet house that something hit him, leaving him with an unexpected sense of sadness and a powerful realization. 

C.J. Casciotta thinks culture is overstuffed with stories that entertain us, but starved for ones that actually change us. As the founder of brand and IP studio Reculture, he's spent over 15 years helping organizations like Lululemon, Delta Air Lines, and Sesame Street leverage what makes them worth choosing in a world obsessed with convenience and conformity. He's also the author of Get Weird and The Forgotten Art of Being Ordinary, two books about knowing what to change and what to hold onto when everyone else is chasing the next trend. In this episode, C.J. and Ryan dive deep into the mechanics of building a brand that endures, drawing lessons from unstoppable IP like The Muppets and Calvin & Hobbes, and exploring why cultivating human intellect wins in an age of artificial intelligence.

Evan Hayes has spent his career bringing ambitious stories to life, even when the odds of getting them made seemed impossibly long. An Academy Award, BAFTA, and Emmy Award-winning producer and director, Evan has worked on everything from Love Actually and Les Misérables to Everest and the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. Now, as Head of Film & Television and Executive Director at Unreasonable Studios, he's exploring new ways to bring Hollywood, brands, and audiences together. In this conversation with Ryan, Evan takes us behind the scenes of Free Solo, including the difficult ethical questions surrounding Alex Honnold's historic climb and the terrifying responsibility of preparing for what could go wrong. He also opens up about why hearing “no” never gets easier, what 25 years in an ever-changing entertainment industry have taught him about persistence, and why he believes the future of storytelling lies in unexpected collaborations between creators, studios, and brands

Mark C. Crowley spent more than 20 years in the cutthroat world of financial services, where he discovered something that went against nearly everything he’d been taught about leadership: the more he genuinely cared about his people, the better they performed. That unconventional approach helped him become an award-winning executive and eventually inspired his mission to fundamentally change how organizations lead. Now, as the author of Lead From the Heart and The Power of Employee Well-Being, Mark is making the case that caring for employees isn't soft management; it's one of the smartest business decisions a leader can make. In this conversation with Ryan, Mark explains why traditional leadership practices are so deeply ingrained, how employee well-being directly affects performance, and why fear can produce short-term results but ultimately undermines the people you're trying to motivate. He also shares the remarkable story of nearly abandoning his first book after being warned its message would never sell, and the simple shift from being self-centered to “other-centered” that could change the way we lead.

Tony Sarsam has spent his career walking into companies that need to change and proving that transformation doesn’t have to come at the expense of the people doing the work. After building his career at companies including PepsiCo, Dreyer’s, and Nestlé, Tony most recently led the transformation of SpartanNash as CEO, where his “people first” philosophy helped drive performance while reducing employee turnover by 40%. In this conversation with Ryan, Tony explains why every company should be transforming long before it reaches a crisis, why employees can immediately tell the difference between a leader who genuinely values people and one who simply talks about it, and what decades of trial and error have taught him about getting change right. Plus, Tony shares what he’s looking for in his own next chapter and why.

Eric Toda has helped shape some of the most influential brands of the last two decades. At Facebook, Nike, Snapchat, Airbnb, Gap, Stitch Fix, and Meta, he’s built marketing organizations from scratch, launched category-defining work, advised some of the world’s most prominent executives, and made a career out of pushing ideas further than most companies are comfortable going. But after two decades of building at some of the biggest brands in the world, Eric stepped away from his career entirely to coach his kids, reconnect with life outside of work, and figure out who he was without a company attached to his name. In this conversation with Ryan, Eric talks about rediscovering his creative fire, why being willing to be wrong is more valuable than always trying to be right, and the three non-negotiables that convinced him it was time to get back in the game. They also dig into what coaching kids has taught him about leading adults, why he looks for “fire” in every person he hires, and the wildly ambitious marketing stunt that reminded him he could still light up the internet when given the freedom to create.

Blake Mycoskie built TOMS into a global phenomenon, gave away more than 100 million pairs of shoes, and helped redefine what it meant for business to be a force for good. But beneath all that success was a belief he couldn’t outrun: that he was never enough. After selling TOMS, Blake fell into a profound depression that forced him to confront just how far his life had drifted from who he really was. In this deeply personal conversation with Ryan, Blake opens up about the shame that kept him isolated, the moment he finally admitted he needed help, and why radical honesty became the beginning of finding his way back to himself. He also shares why a group of longtime friends became his greatest “insurance policy,” how he’s approaching entrepreneurship differently at 50, and the thinking behind his new ENOUGH movement and No Magic Pill podcast. Plus, Blake explains why some of the most courageous work we can do is examine where our lives have fallen out of alignment with our values—and actually do something about it.

What happens when you reach the top of the mountain and realize there’s still more of yourself to discover? Ahmet Bozer spent 25 years at The Coca-Cola Company, eventually becoming President of Coca-Cola International, overseeing operations across more than 200 countries and roughly $80 billion in retail revenue. But his next chapter turned inward. In this conversation with Ryan, Ahmet shares what leading across vastly different cultures taught him about the things people have in common, how he learned to reset after difficult moments rather than carry them into the next meeting, and why the most important person any leader will ever learn to lead is themselves. They also dig into the idea behind his new book, Soulgery, and why Ahmet believes our thoughts, emotions, and everyday patterns can either trap our potential or help unlock it. 

Suffer from achievement addiction? It’s a real thing. When accomplishment becomes the drug and slowing down feels threatening because it forces you to sit with yourself you might be in it. Mandy Balak knows the feeling. She was succeeding on the outside while quietly running on empty. As a three-time founder, she led a growing team, and collected plenty of accolades all while navigating the loss of her father, and a pattern of pushing through everything alone. Now, as President of The Gathering and author of new book Chasing Enough, Mandy is challenging high achievers to rethink what sustainable success looks like. In this conversation with Ryan, she opens up about how childhood patterns can quietly follow us into our careers, and the wake-up call that finally forced her to stop and look inward. Mandy also breaks down the difference between a “chasing leader” and a “choosing leader,” and the simple question that can reveal what’s really driving you.

This week, Ryan Berman is turning the Courageous Podcast toward a different kind of challenge: raising courageous kids. Fresh off a back-to-school appearance on KTLA, Ryan shares the full segment and expands on why curiosity can be one of the best ways to help kids navigate fear, anxiety, and unfamiliar situations. He talks about resisting the urge to rescue kids from discomfort, building confidence through small acts of courage, and the simple formula he tries to follow as a dad: attention + belief. Plus, Ryan shares why courage is a muscle kids can strengthen over time and a simple question for every parent to consider: when you walk into the room, are your kids gaining energy from you?