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Welcome to the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast.
If you like honest, vulnerable, and real stories about what it takes to not only become great, but more self-confident and bold enough to be yourself, then this show is for you.
Join me each episode for inspiring, encouraging, and meaningful conversations with diverse people from all walks of life and industry.
Each of my guests started as ordinary people like you and me but have accomplished extraordinary things in their lives to be considered great, masters, or experts at what they have been called to do.
Leaders and brave individuals who offer unique insights into the fields of Arts, Entertainment, Business, Finance, Technology, Healthcare, Sports, Psychology, Recovery, Self-Improvement, Personal Growth, and so much more.
Whether you are in the same fields as my guests or not, I guarantee you will walk away from each episode feeling better about yourself and inspired to take the next bold step toward your own goals and aspirations.
Your life will improve if you,
Dare to Be Great and Dare to Be You!
Episodes
22 minutes ago
22 minutes ago
15 min
Courage is a Decision to Act and Start Moving
We become brave as soon as we stop overthinking and overplanning, tying to get everything perfect before we start.
Success doesn't work like that.
The true test of couarge kicks in as soon as we decide to step into our fears, especially the vast unknown, and take our first bold step forward.
That is where real personal power happens.
And the good news is that you have 100% control over what you chose to do or not do.
More from Today's the Day, personally narrated by me.
Today we cover three short chapters that are all about Courage, Clarity, and Conviction.
1 - Courage to Change
2 - Success is Whatever You Decide it to Be
3 - The Power of Belief
The more time I spend with this book, reading it aloud for you and the world, the more I realize what a tremendous blessing and gift my pain and suffering have been. Had I not been brave enough to ask for help to stop drinking nearly forty years ago, I likely never would be doing what I am now.
It has now become a personal responsibility to share what I know for the primary purpose of making it OK for others to lean in and say, even if privately, yeah me too!
These chapters and the entire book are specifically designed to help you rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Those who are already doing deeper work in recovery, whether in AA, Al-Anon, ACA, CoDA, or scores of other counseling, coaching, and psychotherapy resources, should find some of the reflections in these chapters, and the whole book, not only helpful but approachable without adding to our already stressed, crazy, neurotic lives.
This book was literally a 45-day download from my own Higher Power after I had written Ten Seconds of Boldness. I wrote Today’s The Day not only for others, but as an easy pocket guide to return to for myself whenever I feel spun or stuck.
I am sharing every single chapter here because this was a gift to me, and the greatest gifts are those that are shared.
I hope you find what you're looking for here, or wherever you are led to look.
A disclaimer and a word of advice:
I am not a therapist or doctor and strictly share my experience, strength, and hope as I have known and lived it from nearly four decades of recovery in 12-step programs.
I do not offer this or any of my books as a solution for those with challenges, mental, physical, or otherwise, that I am not qualified to diagnose or solve.
What I do offer is what has worked for me, and I encourage any and all to continue the hard work of being honest with yourselves and becoming bold and brave enough to believe in yourself, which may require seeking other advice. I am available as a Gap Mindset Coach and marketing mentor for those who need those services. I do not offer CBT or any other forms of therapy.
Please call others who may be qualified to assist.
Lastly, my word of encouragement for this book, and all I teach and do and live:
Be bold.
Be brave.
Dare to be great, dare to be you.
And for the love of all, DON'T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLES HAPPEN.
And check out my new kick-ass website that just went live last week!
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it: Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Love, Shawn
2 days ago
2 days ago
40 min
Midlife can be messy. But, beyond the madness, we can find clarity.
Join me and Korie as we share insights on helping people navigate the messy middle of our third acts of life.
One thing is abundantly clear, going through job changes or deciding what we want to do with the rest of our lives is much easier when we decide to work with a coach or trusted guide. The benefits of encouargement and accountablity are well worth the investment.
If you want help to stop overthinking everything and find the courage to take a chance on yourself, you'll love this episode.
About Korie:
Korie Pelka holds a B.F.A. and M.A. in theater directing and began her career as founder and artistic director of By Popular Demand Theater Ensemble. After starting a family, she transitioned into executive communications, spending 25 years supporting C-suite leaders at prominent Silicon Valley technology companies. In 2015, she made another bold career shift, volunteering to be laid off and embracing what she calls her “third act.” Today, Korie is a certified career coach who has helped hundreds of clients navigate meaningful career transitions. She is also an avid traveler in search of the perfect gelato and the author of the recently released career planning book, Get Unstuck. Get Clear. Get Going: A Guide to Discovering and Planning the Next Stage in Your Career Journey.
Find Korie Here:
If you’d like to take a free career assessment quiz with actionable next steps, contact Korie via her website,
www.koriepelka.com
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it: Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Love, Shawn
5 days ago
5 days ago
35 min
Mining Midlife for Powerful Writing
Join me for this inspiring conversation for writers at every level to tap into the storoes within and become brave enough to tell them. Jordan is one of my favroite wrting teachers because she truly strives to help other improve the skills of their craft.
Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the forthcoming writing guide: Writing Through the Pause: Mining Midlife for Powerful Writing, the novels Fallout, Women in Red and Forged in Grace and seven other books on the craft of writing, including The Sound of Story: Developing Voice and Tone in Writing and the bestselling Make a Scene, to name a few. Her freelance essays and articles have been published in hundreds of publications, including: The Atlantic, The New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Scientific American, The Rumpus, Writer’s Digest Magazine, and many more. Learn more about her freelance writing, developmental editing and writing coaching at: Jordanrosenfeld.net
Also, follow her here:
@Jrose30 instagram
https://www.facebook.com/jordansmuse
Jordanwritelife.substack.com “Writing in the Pause”
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it: Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Love, Shawn
Sep 6, 2026
Sep 6, 2026
11 min
Resistance isn't Always Bad. Neither is Slowing Down to Be Fully Present.
More from Today's the Day, personally narrated by me.
Today we cover three short chapters that are all about choice.
1 - Upstream
2 - Go With The Flow
3 - Be Here Now
The more time I spend with this book, reading it aloud for you and the world, the more I realize what a tremendous blessing and gift my pain and suffering have been. Had I not been brave enough to ask for help to stop drinking nearly forty years ago, I likely never would be doing what I am now.
It has now become a personal responsibility to share what I know for the primary purpose of making it OK for others to lean in and say, even if privately, yeah me too!
These chapters and the entire book are specifically designed to help you rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Those who are already doing deeper work in recovery, whether in AA, Al-Anon, ACA, CoDA, or scores of other counseling, coaching, and psychotherapy resources, should find some of the reflections in these chapters, and the whole book, not only helpful but approachable without adding to our already stressed, crazy, neurotic lives.
This book was literally a 45-day download from my own Higher Power after I had written Ten Seconds of Boldness. I wrote Today’s The Day not only for others, but as an easy pocket guide to return to for myself whenever I feel spun or stuck.
I am sharing every single chapter here because this was a gift to me, and the greatest gifts are those that are shared.
I hope you find what you're looking for here, or wherever you are led to look.
A disclaimer and a word of advice:
I am not a therapist or doctor and strictly share my experience, strength, and hope as I have known and lived it from nearly four decades of recovery in 12-step programs.
I do not offer this or any of my books as a solution for those with challenges, mental, physical, or otherwise, that I am not qualified to diagnose or solve.
What I do offer is what has worked for me, and I encourage any and all to continue the hard work of being honest with yourselves and becoming bold and brave enough to believe in yourself, which may require seeking other advice. I am available as a Gap Mindset Coach and marketing mentor for those who need those services. I do not offer CBT or any other forms of therapy.
Please call others who may be qualified to assist.
Lastly, my word of encouragement for this book, and all I teach and do and live:
Be bold.
Be brave.
Dare to be great, dare to be you.
And for the love of all, DON'T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLES HAPPEN.
And check out my new kick-ass website that just went live last week!
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it: Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Love, Shawn
Aug 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
14 min
Three Questions:
What Do You Want?
Why Do You Want it?
What's it going to take to inspire you to start moving torward it?
Today we discuss simple tools and practices to help us clarify and define our motives and priorities.
1 - Finding Our Why
2 - Big Rocks First
3 - A River of Ambitions
Folks, if you've been following this series, you'll see how we start to dive deeper into the heart of what it takes for personal growth and transformation to start sticking.
Two words: Willingness and Work.
Nothing will ever change until we become willing to change and become brave enough to take a few scary steps forward despite not knowing how things will turn out.
The more time I spend with this book reading it aloud for you and the world, the more I realize what a tremendous blessing and gift my pain and suffering have been. Had I not been forced to change, I likely never would be doing what I am now.
It has now become a personal responsibility to share what I know for the primary purpose of making it OK for others to lean in and say, even if privately, yeah me too!
These chapters and the entire book, are specifically designed to help you rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Those who are already doing deeper work in recovery, whether in AA, Al-Anon, ACA, CoDA, or scores of other counseling, coaching, and psychotherapy resources, should find some of the reflections in these chapters, and the whole book, not only helpful but approachable without adding to our already stressed, crazy, neurotic lives.
This book was literally a 45-day download from my own Higher Power after I had written Ten Seconds of Boldness. I wrote Today's The Day not only for others, but as an easy pocket guide to return to for myself whenever I feel spun or stuck.
I am sharing every single chapter here because this was a gift to me, and the greatest gifts are those that are shared.
I hope you find what you're looking for here, or wherever you are led to look.
A disclaimer and a word of advice:
I am not a therapist or doctor and strictly share my experience, strength, and hope as I have known and lived it from nearly four decades of recovery in 12-step programs.
I do not offer this or any of my books as a solution for those with challenges, mental, physical, or otherwise, that I am not qualified to diagnose or solve.
What I do offer is what has worked for me, and I encourage any and all to continue the hard work of being honest with yourselves and becoming bold and brave enough to believe in yourself, which may require seeking other advice. I am available as a Gap Mindset Coach and marketing mentor for those who need those services. I do not offer CBT or any other forms of therapy.
Please call others who may be qualified to assist.
Lastly, my word of encouragement for this book, and all I teach and do and live:
Be bold.
Be brave.
Dare to be great, dare to be you.
And for the love of all, DON'T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLES HAPPEN.
And checkout my new kick-ass website that just went live last week!
https://shawnlangwell.com/
Love ya,
Shawn
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it: Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Aug 20, 2026
Aug 20, 2026
40 min
What's Your Company's Story?
Stacy Thal is lifelong friend and a brave, bold, smart woman who knows how to ask the tough questions to Brand Brands Better.
Join us as we dive into the wonderful world of branding and storytelling and how integral it is to shaping a company's success.
Tenaciously caring is a phrase I'd use to apty describe how she approaches life and important work.
BIO:
Stacy Thal is the founder of Brand Brands Better. A senior Brand and Creative Strategist with 20+ years of experience, Stacy helps investors, founders, and marketing leaders sharpen positioning, clarify messaging, and build brands that drive growth. Her background spans agency, consulting, and in-house leadership at Google, Walmart, and Yahoo, along with fractional work for dozens of startups and growth-stage companies. Now known for combining AI-enabled insights with human nuance, she helps teams move faster with greater clarity, confidence, and focus — all while bringing warmth and levity to building better brands and better workplaces.
Find and follow Stacy here:
Website: brandbrandsbetter.com
Social Media links: linkedin.com/in/stacythal
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Visit my new website to download a free helpful guide for defining what you want and why you want it.
Free Guide: From Here to There.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Love, Shawn
Aug 15, 2026
Aug 15, 2026
47 min
Beyond Ted Lasso....
What cognitive science teaches us about leadership
Join me and Alex in this insightful filled espisode about uderstanding what it takes to upgrade our minds so we can be more effective leaders.
Alex Alexander is a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School, a decorated veteran (US Army Captain), and a survivor of a multi-dimensional career including, corporate banking, management consulting (Stanford Research Institute), academia (teaching leadership and business strategy at two respected colleges), and three decades of business coaching. He is the author of several books, numerous articles on business and leadership, and is a features columnist for a local newspaper. He currently lives in Santa Rosa, California with his amazing wife, Ali.
https://www.alexalexander.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-alexander-091355313/
Click on cover directly to purchase:
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Inspirational Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
Aug 13, 2026
Aug 13, 2026
11 min
The continuation Reading from Today's the Day Starting with
Embrace Fear, Change, and the Unknown, and Do it Anyway
Today we cover three short chapters that have plagued me most of my adult life, and perhaps you too:
1 - Embrace Fear, Change, and the Unknown, and Do it Anyway
2 - Finding Our Why: Ourt Woth the Old to Make Room for the New
3 - Change is Not as Scary as You May Think
These chapters and the entire book, are specifically designed to help you rebuild your self-esteem and self-confidence.
Those who are already doing deeper work in recovery, whether in AA, Al-Anon, ACA, CoDA, or scores of other counseling, coaching, and psychotherapy resources, should find some of the reflections in these chapters, and the whole book, not only helpful but approachable without adding to our already stressed, crazy, neurotic lives.
This book was literally a 45-day download from my own Higher Power after I had written Ten Seconds of Boldness. I wrote Today’s The Day not only for others, but as an easy pocket guide to return to for myself whenever I feel spun or stuck.
I am sharing every single chapter here because this was a gift to me, and the greatest gifts are those that are shared.
I hope you find what you're looking for here, or wherever you are led to look.
A disclaimer and a word of advice:
I am not a therapist or doctor and strictly share my experience, strength, and hope as I have known and lived it from nearly four decades of recovery in 12-step programs.
I do not offer this or any of my books as a solution for those with challenges, mental, physical, or otherwise, that I am not qualified to diagnose or solve.
What I do offer is what has worked for me, and I encourage any and all to continue the hard work of being honest with yourselves and becoming bold and brave enough to believe in yourself, which may require seeking other advice. I am available as a Gap Mindset Coach and marketing mentor for those who need those services. I do not offer CBT or any other forms of therapy.
Please call others who may be qualified to assist.
Lastly, my word of encouragement for this book, and all I teach and do and live:
Be bold.
Be brave.
Dare to be great, dare to be you.
And for the love of all, DON'T QUIT BEFORE THE MIRACLES HAPPEN.
And checkout my new kick-ass website that just went live last week!
Love ya,
Shawn
ABOUT THE HOST:
Shawn Langwell is an Author, Speaker, Teacher and Gap Mindset Coach & Consultant. He has written several transformational books including, Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness and its companion workbook, Today’s The Day, Morning Motivation, and Chill. He’s also the Past President of The California Writers Club (CWC), Redwood Writers, Past President of Toastmasters of Petaluma. Find him at www.shawnlangwell.com.
If you like the show, please follow and share, because sharing is caring and the world needs a lot more of it!
Until next time... Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You
Shawn Langwell
My personal mission is to add value to people and businesses everywhere. More specifically: To encourage, inspire, and help people like you become brave and confident enough to believe you can accomplish your dreams and goals. This podcast is one of the ways I do that. I’m also an inspirational author, speaker, coach, and business consultant who is passionate about helping others dare to take a chance on themselves.
I’ve also authored four books —Beyond Recovery a memoir, Ten Seconds of Boldness and a companion workbook to overcome challenges and build self-confidence, and Today’s the Day, a pocket muse to inspire and encourage you to find joy and gratitude in all you do.
You can find me at www.shawnlangwell.com