Shows
The Cluttered Path#34 Todd Cowles | High School Dropout to Data & AI ArchitectSend a textSome stories punch through the noise because they’re honest, messy, and hopeful. Todd Cowles grew up with absentee parents, learned hustle the hard way, and nearly derailed himself with bad friends and worse choices. Then a rival reached out, a mentor stepped in, and a new path opened. Service, leadership, and the painstaking work of building his own self worth. A single pivot sent Todd to college, into the Air Force, and eventually into the tech industry where he became a Data and AI Architect, and he now helps major corporate brands generate re...
2026-02-111h 25
The Cluttered Path#33 Cheryl Drury | How Old Books Reshape Modern MindsSend us a textIn this episode, Todd talks with Cheryl Drury, host of Crack the Book Podcast, about how old words can sharpen modern minds. We dig into why reading classics isn’t simply nostalgia, it’s mental training! Cheryl explains how reading Plato, Homer, and Shakespeare can push your limits, deepen focus, and crack open real mental growth in midlife. No fluff. Just ancient ideas proving their power in real life. You’ll learn: Why your brain actually craves complex writing How reading slowly builds clarity and confidence What’s wron...
2026-01-2950 min
The Cluttered Path#32 Paul Stryer: How to Cut Costs, Drama, and Stress | Minimalist MindsetSend us a textWhat if the problem isn’t that you need more… but that you’re carrying too much? In this episode of The Cluttered Path, Todd sits down with Paul Stryer, author of Living the Zero Life, to explore a radically different approach to minimalism, not about owning fewer things, but about releasing the emotional, financial, and psychological weight that quietly drains your life. Paul shares his real journey through divorce, overwhelming debt, corporate burnout, and the pressure of performing a life that looked successful but felt heavy. Out of that collapse came a...
2026-01-1450 min
The Cluttered Path#29 Jack Stoltzfus - The Secret to Raising Independent Kids!Send us a textLetting kids grow up isn’t easy. It’s beautiful, bittersweet, and takes a lot of courage. In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Jack Stoltzfus shares how parents can let go with love while staying deeply connected. Parenting is full of moments that stretch the heart. None more so than watching your kids transition into adulthood. In this conversation with Dr. Jack Stoltzfus, we explore the common pitfalls and struggles that all parents face while raising children. Laying a solid foundation while they’re young is key to developing maturity and emotional resilie...
2025-11-1244 min
The Cluttered Path#27 John Brink - From WAR-TORN Childhood to IMMIGRANT CEO in Canada?Send us a textDuring WWII in war-torn Holland, a five-year-old watches Canadian soldiers hand out bread, butter, and cheese in a schoolyard. He decides that someday he will live in the land of his heroes. Decades later that child, John Brink, arrives in Canada with a suitcase, $25.47 in his pocket, and a desire to build his own company. What unfolds is a story of grit, passion, and the billion-dollar skill that changed everything: Communication. We sit down with John to explore his childhood in Nazi-Occupied Holland, PTSD, and years of academic struggles that evolved i...
2025-10-1549 min
The Cluttered Path#26 Jeff Callahan - Develop COMMUNICATION Skills to Supercharge Your Life and Career!Send us a textWhat if confidence doesn’t come from hype, but from training yourself? We sit down with communication coach Jeff Callahan to carve out a practical path from social anxiety to authentic connection that's built on reps, helpful self-talk, and simple frameworks anyone can use. As a child, Jeff’s story began with a severe stuttering problem but today he has a thriving coaching practice featured by Inc., Time, and Business Insider. The main lesson is to become competent at communicating, because competence breeds confidence. We dig into why so many adults feel...
2025-10-0859 min
The Cluttered Path#24 Andrew Profaci - Lessons From a Cult SurvivorSend us a textIn this episode, we delve into Andrew Profaci's incredible escape from the notorious Love Has Won cult, revealing the darkest corners of psychological manipulation and leading to the illuminating light of truth. As Amy Carlson's closest companion, Andrew witnessed firsthand how cult leaders exploit vulnerabilities through powerful psychological control, transforming ordinary individuals into devoted followers. What makes Andrew's story compelling goes beyond sensational headlines featured on Dateline, HBO, and Vice; it encapsulates a universal human struggle with vulnerability and belief systems. His tumultuous childhood experiences left him susceptible to the cult's s...
2025-09-111h 09
The Cluttered Path#23 Steve McCready - The Myths Keeping you STUCK in Mid-Life! A Psychotherapist Sets the Record StraightSend us a textWhat happens when a former therapy skeptic sits down with a licensed psychotherapist? Prepare for an eye-opening conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about mental health support. Steve McCready, a licensed psychotherapist with a refreshingly practical approach, joins us to unpack why so many of us—particularly men—resist seeking help when we're struggling. From military boot camp experiences where vulnerability was publicly mocked to workplace cultures that reward self-sacrifice, we explore how our society has created dangerous misconceptions about mental health. At the heart of our discus...
2025-08-281h 06
The Cluttered Path#22 Chris Wilkens - How to Start Building Wealth No Matter Your AgeSend us a textAre your financial dreams feeling out of reach? What if I told you the secret isn't working harder or sacrificing more, but simply starting now and letting time do the heavy lifting? In this eye-opening conversation with Chris Wilkens, Vice President and Financial Advisor at RBC Wealth Management, we uncover practical strategies that can transform your financial future regardless of when you’re starting. Chris brings unique perspective as both a Marine Corps veteran who commanded troops in the Battle of Fallujah and as a wealth management professional ded...
2025-08-1551 min
The Cluttered Path#21 Brandon Held - From Childhood Trauma, Poverty, and Divorce to a Life of FulfillmentSend us a textWhat happens when childhood trauma becomes your greatest teacher? Brandon Held's life story reads like a manual on resilience -- growing up in poverty, living with an abusive, alcoholic stepfather, losing his infant daughter, multiple failed marriages, surviving a suicide attempt, and emerging not just intact but mentally resilient and determined to help others. Brandon's candid conversation reveals how he broke generational cycles of addiction and abuse. His military service was a good starting point in life while also exposing him to leadership - both exemplary and toxic - that shaped h...
2025-07-311h 04
The Tolkien Road0215 - Unfinished Tales - The Disaster of the Gladden Fields - Pt 2The disaster of the Gladden Fields stands as a most notorious event in the history of Middle-earth: a conspiracy of bad fortune and lingering Sauronic malice. Yet what if, despite the doom of Isildur and his men, it can be rightly seen as the first great victory in the War of the Ring itself? Join us, as we explore The Disaster of the Gladden Fields. Please patronize the Tolkien Road: https://patreon.com/tolkienroad For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @TolkienRoad. This episo...
2020-11-021h 09The Tolkien Road0209 - LOTR - History of the Third Age - Pt 7: 2942 - 3017With Smaug vanquished, Erebor & Dale restored, and Dol Guldur abandoned, a new era of peace for Middle-earth seems to have arrived. However, loose ends abound, as Gollum begins his desperate search for the precious, and Sauron begins to execute his master plan to utterly destroy Gondor and unleash his cruel tyranny upon all of Middle-earth. Join us, as we continue our journey through the history of Middle-earth’s Third Age. Please patronize us: https://patreon.com/tolkienroad For more on this episode and The Tolkien Road podcast, please visit TolkienRoad.com or Facebook.com/TolkienRoad. Also, follow us on Twitter via @T...
2020-09-2157 min