79. The Machete Mentality with Robyn Tanner

Description

What if your greatest brush with death became the fuel to help others step into their future selves?

In this raw and powerful episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Robyn Tanner, a certified future self coach, host of the Daily Fight podcast, and bestselling author of The Machete Mentality. Robyn pulls back the curtain on her harrowing medical journey, from being misdiagnosed by nine doctors while suffering from a rare spinal infection, to undergoing emergency surgery that left her with a partially dead leg and missing part of her spine. She shares how she fought her way back to running marathons, coaching clients, and stepping onto the bikini stage, all while redefining her identity beyond the warrior persona.

Robyn reveals the crucial difference between being stuck and settling, how to tap into the roar of your future self, and why true resilience is not about pushing through pain, it is about learning when to soften. This is a masterclass in turning trauma into transformation, offering life coaches and high-performers a blueprint for leading with sober, tested wisdom.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. What it truly means to be a future self coach and how Robyn bridges the gap between who you are and who you are meant to be.

2. The story of Robyn's rare spinal infection, the nine doctors who missed it, and how she advocated for her life in the nick of time.

3. How she defied medical limitations to run a marathon, compete in bodybuilding, and reopen her gym, all with a partially dead leg.

4. The emotional and mental toll of losing a core identity as a fighter and learning to process trauma years later.

5. The difference between being stuck (having hope left) and settling (having given up), and how to move from one to the other.

6. Why soft personal development is not enough, and how to tap into the urgent, roaring beast inside you.

7. How Robyn's sober leadership philosophy ensures she only coaches what she has lived and mastered for years.

8. Practical strategies to stop running everyone else's life and start running your own.

Key Takeaways:

1.Stuck is Not Settling: Being stuck means you still have fight left; settling means you have thrown in the towel. You can choose to change at any moment.

2. Your Future Self is Roaring: That relentless, God-given obsession inside you is not a whisper, it is a roar. Answer it before life forces you to.

3. Stop Performing, Start Feeling: True healing requires creating space to process trauma, not just pushing through it for others.

4. Advocate Like Your Life Depends on It: In medical crises and personal battles, you must be your own unwavering champion.

5. Do What You Love, It is That Simple: Overcomplication is the enemy. If you love to write, write. If you love to coach, coach. Start there.

6. Resilience is a Blend of Hard and Soft: Learn when to fight and when to stretch. Not everything has to be a battle.

7. Your Past Does Not Disqualify You, It Equips You: Every version of you is on your team. Integrate your stories; do not abandon them.

8. Sober Leadership is Trustworthy Leadership: Coach only what you have lived and mastered. Credibility comes from time-tested experience, not theory.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to the Positive Persistence Podcast

01:04 – Welcoming Future Self Coach Robyn Tanner

01:35 – What is a Future Self Coach?

03:23 – Robyn's Medical Nightmare: Misdiagnosis and Advocacy

06:27 – Emergency Surgery and Facing Mortality

08:07 – Defying Medical Limitations: Marathons, Coaching, and Stage

11:52 – The Emotional Toll of Identity Loss

16:18 – Processing Trauma Years Later

19:26 – Stuck vs. Settling: The Critical Difference

22:45 – Tapping into Your Inner Roar

27:30 – The Role of Faith and Self-Belief