Listen Then Speak

Chapters:

01:10 -The 5 stress responses: where fight fits after fawn and flight
02:30 -James 1:19: swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath
03:00 -What the fight response looks like in high performers
05:15 -How the fight response shows up in men

06:45 - How the fight response shows up in women
08:00 -The root causes: "Who told you that you had to fight?"
10:00 - Solution 1: Catch the surge before you swing
11:15 - Solution 2: Ask what the anger is guarding
12:15 -Solution 3: Practice strength under control
13:30 - Join Unprogrammed on Skool and work with Jahmaal

Key takeaways:

• The fight response is your nervous system deciding a threat can be beaten. In leaders, it often gets rewarded and mistaken for being "direct."
• In men, fight often shows up as open anger, dominance, and needing to win, because anger was the one emotion they were allowed to show.
• In women, fight often goes underground: control, cold competence, sharp criticism, and anger turned inward.
• The core belief: "If I'm not in control, I'm not safe."
• Three roots: a home where you had to defend yourself, respect that had to be earned in combat, and unprocessed hurt underneath the anger.
• Three solutions: catch the surge before you swing, ask what the anger is guarding, and practice strength under control through letting go and repair.

Looking for a way to reduce the "fight or flight" response and be a more stress-free, productive human being? See if a coaching session with Jahmaal is right or you: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

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Being busy can look like ambition, but sometimes it’s a way to avoid what we don’t want to feel.

In this week’s episode of Listen Then Speak, Jahmaal explores the flight response in high performers. It can show up as overwork, perfectionism, constant planning, or always moving on to the next goal. Jahmaal looks at how these patterns can take shape, how they may show up differently for men and women, and why staying busy doesn’t always bring the rest we’re looking for.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Intro
0:59 - The flight response and high performers
2:46 - When busyness looks like drive
4:13 - How flight can show up in men and women
6:29 - Where the pattern begins
8:21 - The connection between burnout and unprocessed pain
8:52 - Three ways to start changing the pattern
9:38 - Practicing stillness in small doses
11:24 - Facing what you’ve been avoiding
12:14 - Episode wrap-up
13:07 - Jahmaal’s new community for high performers
14:04 - A preview of the next episode: the fight response

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod
 

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ListenThenSpeakPod

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Sometimes what looks like being dependable is really a stress response in disguise.

In this solo episode, Jahmaal unpacks the fawn response and why high performers can spend years being rewarded for patterns that are actually rooted in people-pleasing, fear, and the need to keep everyone else comfortable.

He gets into how those patterns take hold, why they can be so hard to recognize, and what it looks like to start interrupting them in real life.

It’s a conversation about learning to stop treating other people’s approval like a requirement for your own peace.

Episode Highlights:
 

0:00 - Intro
0:25 - When your body says no but you still say yes
1:05 - Introducing the five stress responses
4:20 - Fight, flight, freeze, flop, and fawn
5:37 - What the fawn response actually is
6:01 - Why fawning can look like excellence
7:03 - Signs of fawning in high performers
8:50 - How fawning can show up differently in women
10:47 - How fawning can show up differently in men
13:18 - The belief underneath people-pleasing
14:21 - Where the fawn response can begin
16:09 - Becoming “the responsible one” too early
17:06 - When faith, culture, or family encourage self-erasure
18:42 - Three ways to start breaking the pattern
18:52 - Create a gap before saying yes
19:52 - Trace the belief back to its source
20:56 - Practice small, safe disappointments
23:14 - What healthy boundaries actually mean

Do you find yourself saying, “I need to get out of my own way”? Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ListenThenSpeakPod 

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Pastor Aaron Graham joins me to talk about his new book, Unshakeable Faith, and why writing it required him to confront his own fear of conflict.

Aaron is the founder and lead pastor of The District Church, a multicultural congregation in Washington, DC, representing more than 80 nations. He has spent over 15 years pastoring in the nation’s capital and holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Our conversation centers on what happens when grief, fear, and disappointment go unprocessed. We talk about the doubts that can emerge after a painful loss, the church’s response to racial injustice, and the pressure to choose a political side rather than remain grounded in your convictions.

Aaron also shares why justice requires more than spare change, how online outrage affects our interior lives, and what it looks like to hold onto both conviction and compassion in a deeply divided world.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Meet Pastor Aaron Graham

4:02 - Why Aaron wrote Unshakeable Faith

8:12 - The deeper emotion underneath fear

10:40 - Faith, doubt, and life-changing loss

12:34 - How unprocessed grief can become anxiety

19:22 - Deconstruction, racial justice, and the church

27:19 - Why justice requires more than spare change

30:21 - Connecting personal grief with meaningful action

38:21 - Cancel culture and divisive online voices

40:41 - Maintaining relationships across differences

47:36 - The courage to be fully known and loved 

Do you find yourself saying, “I need to get out of my own way”? Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/
Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/
 

Interested in learning more about Aaron Graham?
 

Book: Unshakable Faith: How to Stand Firm in a Culture of Lies.
Personal Website: aarongrahamdc.com
Church Website: districtchurch.org

instagram.com/DistrictChurch
https://www.aarongrahamdc.com/difficultconversations 

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Here's the contrarian part, and it's the part most people skip.

Every piece of advice online tells you the same thing: identify the toxic person, go no-contact, block, delete, done. And sometimes distance is exactly right. But cutting someone off doesn't answer the harder question, the one underneath the wound:

Who told you that you had to keep the snake fed?

If you keep ending up with the same viper in a different body: new job, same manipulator; new relationship, same betrayal; the problem isn't your bad luck. It's a belief you've been carrying that says your worth is measured by how much you'll tolerate. You call it being loyal. You call it being the bigger person. You call it keeping the peace. But high-functioning codependency wears respectable clothes, and it will keep you seated at the table of someone who's already decided you're the meal.

You can remove every snake in your yard. If you never ask why the door keeps getting left open, another one is already on the way.

How to spot a snake before it strikes

Discernment isn't paranoia. It's paying attention to patterns instead of performances. In the episode, Jahmaal walks through the tells:
 

• They're fluent in your weaknesses and forgetful of your worth. A snake studies where you're soft, and files it for later.
• They move differently in public than in private. Psalm 140:3 talks about tongues sharp as a serpent's. Watch what the tongue does when the audience leaves.
• Confusion is the residue. You leave conversations doubting your own memory. That fog isn't an accident, it's the venom.
• They reward your silence and punish your honesty. In a healthy relationship, the truth brings you closer. Around a snake, the truth gets you bitten.

If you've been calling this "just a difficult person," this section will cost you your comfortable label. Good. Clarity is the first mercy.

Personally, the snake counts on your history. "But we go way back." "But that's my family." "But they were there for me once." Loyalty is a virtue, until it becomes the very thing that keeps you kneeling.

Professionally, the snake counts on your ambition. You don't confront it because you need the reference, the promotion, the peace of not "making it a thing." So you swallow it. And swallowed venom doesn't disappear; it becomes burnout, resentment, and a body that starts sending you the bill.

The wisdom Jahmaal offers isn't a script for a comeback. It's a shift in posture: stop managing the snake and start leading yourself. You don't need them to change for you to stop bleeding.

This is the heart of the episode: three moves, in order. Skip one and the whole thing collapses.

You can't confront what you refuse to count. Get honest about who's actually in your circle and what they cost you. Not who you hoped they'd be; who they've shown you they are, on repeat. Write the names. Notice how your body feels before you see them, not just after. Inventory isn't cruelty; it's stewardship. You can't protect a garden you've never walked.

Here's where it gets holy and uncomfortable. The snake is responsible for the bite. But you are responsible for the access. Ownership means asking the "Who told you?" questions: Who told you that keeping the peace was your job? Who told you love means unlimited access? Who told you that saying no makes you the villain? You didn't choose the first snake. But somewhere along the way you learned to leave the gate open, and what you learned, you can unlearn.

Wisdom without a plan is just a nice feeling that fades by Monday. Decide (before the next encounter) what you will and won't allow. What the boundary is. What you'll say. What access gets revoked, what stays, and what the consequence is when it's crossed. A boundary you haven't rehearsed is a boundary you'll abandon under pressure. Put it in writing. Say it out loud. Build the fence before you need it.

Take inventory. Take ownership. Make a plan. That's how you stop being surprised, and start being sovereign over your own peace.

• Being wise as a serpent isn't about becoming one - it's about refusing to be its next meal.
• Cutting people off treats the symptom. Healing the belief that left the gate open treats the cause.
• Discernment reads patterns, not performances. Trust the residue, not the résumé.
• The snake owns the bite. You own the access.
• A boundary you haven't planned is a boundary you'll break.

How do you deal with a toxic person you can't avoid, like a coworker or family member? When you can't create distance, you create structure. Take inventory of exactly how they operate, take ownership of the access you've been granting, and make a specific plan for what you will and won't engage with. You manage the terms of contact instead of managing their moods.

Is it un-Christian/or unkind to set boundaries with difficult people? No. Jesus set boundaries constantly; He withdrew, He confronted, He named hypocrisy directly. Being innocent as a dove speaks to your motives; being wise as a serpent speaks to your discernment. Boundaries aren't a lack of love. They're love with a spine.

How do I know if I'm the problem, not them? Ownership cuts both ways. If the same conflict follows you into every room, that's worth examining honestly. The difference is pattern and posture: a snake studies your weakness and profits from your pain. A healthy person, corrected, adjusts. Take inventory of the fruit over time, not a single bad day.

What if setting a boundary costs me the job or the relationship? Then it was already costing you more than you realized (just quietly). This episode isn't about blowing up your life; it's about deciding, on purpose, what your peace is worth before someone else decides for you.
 

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

If this episode named something you've been carrying, share it with the one person who needs to hear it, and leave a review so it reaches the next leader who's tired of getting bitten.

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Sometimes the door didn't close on you. It closed for you.

If you're a high-achiever who's been taught that every "no" is just a "not yet" you can grind your way past, this episode is your permission slip to do something your ambition has never allowed: stay excluded.

Because the burnout you're carrying? It's rarely the workload. It's the chasing, the emotional overtime you're logging trying to earn your way back into a room God already walked you out of.

• Why burnout is almost never about doing too much — and what's actually draining you
• The difference between being rejected and being removed (and why it matters)
• 4 real-life examples of rejection being protection in disguise
• What Scripture says about closed doors, betrayal, and repositioning
• The one question that turns exclusion into freedom instead of exhaustion

Here's the pattern most high-performers miss: rejection is often protection wearing a mask you don't recognize yet.

You keep knocking. You keep over-explaining. You keep proving yourself to people who already decided. And you call it perseverance, but your body is calling it burnout.

The truth is, when you keep trying to re-enter rooms you were excluded from, you don't just waste energy. You override the very protection that exclusion was built to give you.

"You weren't rejected. You were removed. And there's a difference, because man looks at the door, but God looks at what's on the other side of it."

If this episode named something you've been living, the exhaustion of trying to break back into a room God locked for your good, don't sit with that revelation alone.

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

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The exhaustion that sleep doesn't touch and a vacation only reschedules isn't about your calendar. It's about a betrayal you've been staying busy enough to avoid feeling.

Somebody crossed you; a partner, a mentor, a company you bled for, a parent. Instead of grieving it, you got useful. You made yourself indispensable so you'd never be discardable again. That isn't ambition. It's a survival strategy in business casual.

Key insight: Burnout in leaders is rarely about doing too much. It's about doing too much for people who wouldn't do the same for you, while some part of you knew it the whole time.

Genesis 50:20 gives the whole framework. Joseph tells the brothers who sold him: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good." He doesn't deny the harm. He names the intent, and refuses to let their intent write the final sentence.

Betrayal doesn't build the crack. It reveals the crack that was already there - in the relationship, the agreement, or the story you were told about your own worth.

Underneath the Scripture is the neuroscience: your nervous system logged the betrayal as a threat and went into protection - over-function, over-give, say yes when you mean no. That pattern is high-functioning codependency, and it's the number one accelerant of burnout in high-achievers.

• Why executive burnout is usually a betrayal problem, not a workload problem
• The difference between betrayal as destruction and betrayal as revelation
• How high-functioning codependency and over-giving accelerate burnout in high-achievers
• The origin belief driving your disordered boundaries - and how to find it
• The six-step L.I.S.T.E.N. Method for moving through betrayal
• Concrete personal and professional steps to reclaim your energy and worth

• Burnout that rest won't fix is often unprocessed betrayal.
• Betrayal reveals a pre-existing crack; it doesn't create it.
• Over-functioning is a survival response, not a personality trait.
• Healing is internal — it never requires the other person's apology.
• The L.I.S.T.E.N. Method works the root belief, not just the symptom

Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

Listen deeply. Speak boldly. Do the work.

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Someone praises your work and your hands are up before they finish the sentence. "It was a team thing." "It was nothing." You think you're being humble. In this solo episode, executive coach and certified counselor Jahmaal Marshall takes you underneath the reflex — to the subconscious origin belief that's been writing your brain chemistry, driving your over-functioning, and manufacturing a burnout no vacation ever seems to fix.

This is root-cause work, not surface-level advice. If you've ever felt successful on the outside and quietly depleted on the inside, this one's the mirror.

• Why a compliment can feel like a threat - the nervous-system reason your body braces, squirms, and deflects when you're praised
• The core belief hiding underneath the deflection: "I'm only worthy when I'm useful" - and where it got installed
• How high-functioning codependency and people-pleasing keep you running a reward system that can spend but can't receive
• The chemistry of burnout: why nothing you accomplish is ever allowed to count
• Emotional neglect of self, masked as empathy - the survival radar you were taught to call a gift
• Why you can't behavior-modify your way out of a belief-level pattern, and what actually moves it at the root

The way you frame yourself isn't private, it's a broadcast. Deflect your value and you train the room to value you exactly as little as you value yourself. Fix the belief, and your framing changes on its own; and so does how you're perceived, paid, and promoted. That's not confidence you fake. That's alignment.

If you find yourself saying, “I need to get out of my own way”? Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

→ Visit: listenthenspeak.com 

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In this solo episode of Listen Then Speak, Jahmaal Marshall takes the national heartbreak surrounding the death of 18-year-old Nolan Well,  a young man from Ocean Springs, Mississippi who went missing on the Fourth of July and whose cause of death remains officially undetermined, and uses it to name something most of us are carrying and can't explain: frozen grief.

Frozen grief is what happens when a loss arrives with no ending attached. No answers. No closure. No all-clear. And when the mind can't file a loss as finished, the nervous system stays braced, producing the chronic stress and quiet burnout that so many high-achievers have been mislabeling as a personality flaw.

This is a conversation about grief and the nervous system, the weight of grieving under a media spotlight, and for the parents (and influencers) listening  a direct word about what actually keeps our children safe. Not the ethnicity of the people around them. Their character. And it's a word for every family, of every ethnicity.

• What frozen grief (ambiguous loss) is, and why unanswered loss won't process
• How grief affects the nervous system,  and why "the unknown" is what burns you out
• Why grief and burnout are the same nervous-system story, not two different problems
• How too much media coverage can re-traumatize you, and how to stay informed without being consumed
• Why character, not ethnicity, is what parents (and influencers) should be teaching their kids to read, referencing both Nolan Wells and Shanquella Robinson
• How to begin melting a frozen grief without waiting on a closure that may never come

Jahmaal opens by naming Nolan Wells with dignity and setting the frame for the whole episode: grief was designed to move through you, but grief without answers doesn't move,  it freezes. This isn't a true-crime breakdown. It's a look at what happens inside a body, a family, and a community when a loss shows up with no ending attached.

A plain-language teaching on ambiguous loss (grief without closure) and why the brain literally cannot mark an unresolved loss as "over." When the questions outnumber the answers, you don't get to mourn. You brace. Grief and vigilance run in the same body at the same time.

The nervous-system mechanics: how the body's two protective modes (rev up and shut down) run simultaneously in frozen grief, why a system built to survive a threat was never built to stay activated for weeks, and why burnout is what happens when the body never gets an all-clear. Includes a word on how chronic, race-related stress adds an older grief underneath a fresh one.

Holding two truths at once: public attention can force answers a grieving family deserves - and endless replay of painful details reads to your nervous system as a fresh threat every time. The difference between being informed and being consumed, plus a disciplined way to hold the racial history in the room without letting speculation take over.

Jahmaal brings in the death of Shanquella Robinson to disarm the wrong lesson. Nolan died among people who didn't look like him; Shanquella died among people who did. Same skin didn't save her; different skin didn't doom him. The takeaway for every parent, of every ethnicity: teach your children to read character, not skin. Anchored in Scripture - "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

Frozen grief doesn't check a box. This closing movement widens the frame to every family inside this story and every listener carrying a loss that never got its ending, landing on a simple truth: weep with those who weep.

Still waiting on a closure that is never coming?

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Listen deeply. Speak boldly. Do the work.

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Your betrayal didn't catch God by surprise,  it came to reveal, not to destroy. In this solo episode of Listen Then Speak, executive coach and certified counselor Jahmaal Marshall breaks down what betrayal actually is: not the end of your story, but the moment the mask slips.

If you're still waiting on closure that's never coming, still replaying the conversation, still mishandled and calling it love; this episode is the root work you've been avoiding.

Jahmaal unpacks why when people believe they can afford to lose you, they will mishandle you, how to tell the difference between relationships meant to last and relationships that were only ever lessons, and why character is the great revelation of someone's heart. Then he draws the line most people never connect: how disordered boundaries lead directly to burnout, and the wise, faith-rooted way to guard your heart without walling off the people God is trying to send.

Grounded in the Joseph narrative, Proverbs 4:23, and the subconscious-belief work at the core of the Listen Then Speak method, this is an episode about betrayal, boundaries, burnout, and finally closing the account on the closure you'll never receive.

This episode is for you if:

• You're recovering from betrayal, a broken friendship, or the loss of a relationship you thought was permanent
• You over-give to people who under-value you and can't figure out why you're exhausted
• You're stuck waiting for an apology, explanation, or closure that isn't coming
• You keep repeating the same relational patterns and want to do the root work to stop
• You lead at a high level but feel emotionally depleted behind the scenes

Press play. Do the work.

CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 — Cold open: the betrayal that broke your heart didn't break God's plan
• 02:10 — Intro: why the loudest thing in your life is the story you tell yourself
• 03:25 — It didn't catch God by surprise: Joseph, Judas & sovereignty over betrayal
• 06:40 — Betrayal is revelation, not destruction (the X-ray principle)
• 09:30 — When people think they can afford to lose you, they mishandle you
• 12:45 — Some relationships last, some are lessons — and how to tell the difference
• 15:10 — Disordered boundaries & the direct road to burnout
• 18:20 — Wise ways to guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23 & the gate vs. the wall)
• 21:30 — Closing the account on closure that never comes
• 23:15 — Strong CTA + share the episode

1. Betrayal is information, not destruction. It doesn't create the fracture, it reveals the one that was already in the bone.
2. People handle you according to the value they assign you. When someone believes your loss is affordable, they mishandle you.
3. Not every relationship was assigned to be permanent. Some are meant to last; some are meant to teach. Stop forcing lessons into life sentences.
4. Character is the reveal: pattern over potential. How someone behaves when honoring you costs them something tells you everything.
5. Disordered boundaries fuel burnout. Over-functioning for people who under-value you is a slow leak that eventually empties you.
6. Closure is a decision, not a gift. You can close the account yourself instead of waiting on a signature that never comes.
7. Guard your heart with a gate, not a wall. Discernment grants access on evidence, not on hope.

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

• LinkedIn: Connect and Follow HERE
• Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Listen deeply. Speak boldly. Do the work.

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Brandee Brown has built her life and work around one clear mission: helping people see, own, and magnify the greatness already inside them.

In this episode of Listen Then Speak, Jahmaal sits down with Brandee Brown, founder of Magnify Success, for a conversation about resilience, leadership, loss, purpose, and the power of showing up for others.

With over 30 years of experience in leadership, corporate strategy, and personal development, Brandee brings a deep understanding of what it takes to navigate change, overcome professional obstacles, and lead with integrity. She shares how her two decades at Comcast shaped her approach to professionalism, strategy, follow-through, and people-first leadership.

She also opens up about the harder parts of her story, including childhood pain, personal loss, and the experiences that once made her feel muted.

But this conversation is not just about what Brandee has been through. It is about what she has built from it.

From being labeled a “happen maker” early in her career to creating Magnify Success, Brandee explains how her pain became part of her purpose, why connection is one of her greatest gifts, and how she helps leaders, brands, and communities step into rooms they may not have known were possible.

This is a conversation about resilience, visibility, faith, community, and the kind of leadership that does more than talk.

It makes things happen.

Episode Highlights:
0:00 - Intro
2:15 - Brandee’s favorite genre of music
4:02 - The care behind Brandee’s work
5:52 - What her Comcast career taught her
9:02 - Why follow-through matters
10:16 - Becoming a “happen maker”
12:20 - The leader who saw something in Brandee before she saw it herself
13:11 - Brandee opens up about her early life
17:10 - How pain became purpose
21:29 - Navigating loss, transition, and leadership as a whole person
26:38 - What Magnify Success is really about
31:46 - Where to connect with Brandee
32:47 - Closing thoughts

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Interested in learning more about Brandee?

https://magnify-success.com/why-magnify-success/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandee-brown/

https://www.instagram.com/magnify.success/profilecard/?igsh=MXc2a25uN3BrdHpnaw%3D%3D

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What if the thing that makes your brand work is the part you keep trying to polish out?

I sat down with Brynne Krispin, founder and CEO of Cause Fokus, for a conversation about personal branding, perfectionism, self-trust, burnout, boundaries, and what it really takes to become visible without losing yourself in the process.

Brynne shares how her own life cracking open forced her to rebuild from a place of alignment instead of scarcity, and how that season shaped the way she thinks about visibility, trust, and building a brand that can actually last.

We talked about why people connect with what is real, why your “better way moment” matters, and why sustainable authority is not built by copying templates or chasing vanity metrics.

If you are building a business, stepping into thought leadership, trying to grow a side project, or learning how to show up with more clarity and less fear, this conversation is for you.

Episode Highlights:
0:00 - Intro
2:09 - Brynne’s favorite music and what it reveals about her work
4:21 - Why perfectionism keeps people from building trust
6:13 - Self-trust, mistakes, and learning as you go
12:51 - Brynne’s story of rebuilding from survival mode
18:11 - Breaking out of scarcity and choosing alignment
21:45 - Finding your “better way moment”
26:51 - Why a strong brand should repel the wrong people
28:23 - How alignment shapes who you attract
31:20 - Why brand work often goes deeper than content
34:12 - Boundaries, health, and building something sustainable
39:23 - How Cause Fokus helps leaders build authority online
41:43 - Episode wrap-up and final thoughts

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Interested in learning more about Brynne?

Website: https://causefokus.com/

Join Brynne’s 4-week live cohort for introverts, behind-the-scenes experts, and deep thinkers who want to build real influence on LinkedIn thoughtfully. 

https://cohort.causefokus.com/

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Betrayal doesn't just hurt, it destabilizes. It disrupts your sleep, spikes your cortisol, and quietly convinces you that you can't move forward until the person who wronged you finally acknowledges what they did.

But what if the closure you're waiting on was never going to come, and what if that's actually okay?

What sounds like a Sunday school story is actually a masterclass in what happens when betrayal becomes a corridor instead of a dead end.

In this episode:

1. Why betrayal produces a genuine physiological stress response, and why that matters for high-achievers dealing with burnout
2. Four things betrayal does in people who refuse to let it be the final word (including one that can't be earned any other way)
3. The internal narrative that keeps most people stagnant long after the betrayal itself is over
4. What Joseph's response to his brothers in Genesis 50 reveals about processed pain, and why it's the frame for everything

The intention of the betrayer does not determine the outcome of the betrayed.

Referenced Scriptures

Genesis 37, 39, 41, 50

Ready to stop circling the wound?

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

If this episode hit someone in your life, send it to them. Someone you know is sitting in a pit right now waiting on closure that isn't coming. Be the one who sends them this.

Listen deeply. Speak boldly. Do the work.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Have you ever had something go right, and felt more anxious, not less? The cold open sets the tone for an episode built on radical self-honesty.

The Chaos Blueprint - How Your Nervous System Got Wired

Your childhood home wasn’t just where you grew up, it was your first classroom in what ‘normal’ feels like. Jahmaal breaks down how environments of unpredictability, emotional unavailability, and constant crisis train the nervous system to seek tension as a form of regulation. When your baseline is chaos, calm doesn’t feel peaceful, it feels suspicious.

Key insight: The brain doesn’t chase what’s good for you. It chases what’s familiar. And familiar can be quietly destroying you.

The Four Sabotage Patterns

Jahmaal names the four most common ways unprocessed wounds show up as self-sabotage in adult life:

1.  The Hyper-Guarded Heart

Building walls so high that genuinely safe people can’t get in, and then using their eventual exit as proof that no one can be trusted.

2.  Creating Drama in the Calm

Stirring conflict when things are running smoothly, not out of malice, but because the nervous system doesn’t know how to trust stillness.

3.  Escapism and Numbing

Drifting into overwork, overindulgence, over-scrolling, or any behavior that keeps you slightly off-balance, because sitting in genuine peace means sitting with the feelings you’ve spent years outrunning.

4.  Settling for Less

Walking away from great opportunities and returning to the comfortable mediocre, not because something is wrong with the opportunity, but because a subconscious identity built in lack doesn’t believe it gets to have great things.

The Leadership Layer - Why This Is a Professional Conversation Too

This isn’t just personal development. For anyone in a position of leadership: executives, entrepreneurs, managers, coaches, pastors, parents; unprocessed wounds don’t stay behind closed doors. They show up in:

• How you manage (or micromanage) your team
• Which opportunities you accept or quietly talk yourself out of
• Whether your culture is built on trust and vision, or fear and control
• How you respond when talented people begin to outpace your comfort zone

The most expensive thing in any organization isn’t a bad strategy. It’s an unhealed leader.

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• What to Walk Away With
• Chaos isn’t just an external circumstance, for many people, it’s an internal identity built in childhood.
• Your nervous system will always move toward what’s familiar, not what’s healthy, until you consciously rewire it.
• Self-sabotage is not a character flaw. It is a protection strategy that outlived its usefulness.
• Leaders carry their wounds into their organizations. Healing isn’t soft, it is a competitive advantage.
• Peace is a skill that can be developed. Tolerating good is the practice.
• The gap between where you are and where you know you’re supposed to be is often not about strategy, it’s about subconscious belief.

This One’s Especially for You If…

• You’ve ever felt more comfortable in struggle than in success
• You recognize patterns of pulling away just when things start going well
• You’re a leader who wonders why your culture feels tense even when nothing is ‘wrong’
• You’ve settled for a relationship, a job, or a version of yourself that you know doesn’t match your full potential
• You’re doing all the right things externally but still feel an unexplainable resistance to receiving good
• You know the word ‘hypervigilant’ applies to you but haven’t known what to do with it

Ready to Do the Work?

If this episode opened something in you, if you’re done cycling between chaos and confusion, done leaving great things on the table, done leading from a wound instead of a vision, then watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Cold Open — Starting in the middle, because that's where most of you are

[03:30] Why toxicity doesn't find you by accident - it finds a frequency

[08:00] The curiosity problem: why we're endlessly curious about others and remarkably uncurious about ourselves

[13:15] Why "know your worth" has become a slogan - and what actually discovering your worth looks like

[18:00] The 4-Stage Clarity Process:

         Stage 1 - Discomfort: What comes up when you start asking real questions

         Stage 2 - The Shedding: Why things fall away and why that's not failure

         Stage 3 - The Emerging: How clarity shifts who enters your orbit

         Stage 4 - Maintenance: Why clarity is a practice, not a milestone

[26:00] The "waiting" pattern, and why it's not patience, it's outsourcing

[31:00] Closing reframe: chaos in your life is information about you, not something happening to you

[33:30] Call to Action + Premium Strategy Hour

KEY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:

"Toxicity doesn't target the strong. It targets the unclear."

"The version of you that knows their worth doesn't just say it — they live at a frequency where certain things simply cannot survive."

"Clarity is a filter you never have to consciously operate. It just works."

"You don't need permission to begin the process of becoming who you already are."

"That waiting isn't patience. That's outsourcing."

"The situation will not resolve first. You resolve first."

"These aren't failures. These are maps."

RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS

Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A strong brand presence does not start with better gear. It starts with knowing how you want to show up.

I sat down with Junaid Ahmed to talk about what it really takes to build a strong presence on and off camera without burning yourself out in the process. We got into the connection between emotional intelligence, storytelling, and studio setup, and why the best content starts with clarity long before you buy more gear.

Junaid is the founder of Home Studio Mastery and the host of Hacks & Hobbies, where he helps entrepreneurs, creators, and business owners create studio setups that match the quality of their message. In this conversation, he shares how his own journey in video production, podcasting, and problem-solving led him to help others show up with more confidence, better systems, and a more intentional brand presence.

We also talk through practical ways to improve your content right now, including framing, lighting, audio, and the importance of staying teachable as you grow. This one is full of insight for anyone who wants to communicate with more impact and show up more powerfully in their work.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:03 - Meet Junaid

1:36 - Junaid’s favorite genre of music (and how it influences him)

4:44 - How Junaid developed his sense of calm

11:23 - ‘Energetic types’

19:37 - What moved Junaid to help people build their brands

26:44 - Recommendations to improve your content right now

34:49 - Episode wrap-up

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

Interested in learning more about Junaid?

Website: https://homestudiomastery.com/

Book: https://homestudiobook.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The way you communicate can open doors, or quietly close them.

On this week’s episode, I sat down with Steve Woodruff to talk about what it really means to communicate with clarity, own your strengths, and become unforgettable in the way you show up. 

Steve is known as the “King of Clarity” – and his Clarity Formula is designed to help businesses and business owners unlock more revenue.

He shares how simplifying your message, understanding your unique value, and creating what he calls “memory darts” can help you stand out, earn more referrals, and move with greater confidence in your work and calling. It’s a powerful conversation on identity, alignment, and saying what matters in a way people actually remember.

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:15 - Meet Steve Woodruff

3:06 - Steve’s favorite genre of music

6:53 - Steve’s shift away from corporate

11:11 - Finding your true purpose and identifying mismatch

14:16 - “Redeeming the time”, finding your path

19:21 - “Memory darts”

25:23 - How you can get in touch with Steve

27:26 - Final thoughts

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit.
https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

Interested in learning more about Steve?

Website: https://www.stevewoodruff.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swoodruff/

Book - Clarity Wins: 

https://www.amazon.com/Clarity-Wins-Get-Heard-Referred/dp/1732857105/ref=sr_1_1?crid=249NH5OG9SPL&keywords=Clarity%20Wins%20by%20Steve%20Woodruff&qid=1695139262&sprefix=clarity%20win%20by%20steve%20woodruff%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jahmaal unpacks the difference between chemistry and character, and why so many people confuse emotional intensity with genuine alignment. 

In this solo episode, he breaks down how powerful connection can cloud judgment in relationships, friendships, business, and even hiring decisions.

He challenges listeners to stop using feelings as proof, start paying attention to patterns, and recognize that closure does not always come from the other person. 

This conversation is a thoughtful reminder that character reveals itself over time, and real peace begins when people stop outsourcing their healing and start choosing clarity for themselves.

If you keep saying, “I need to get out of my own way”? Watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt and overworking: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

2:41 - Chemistry

7:47 - Character

13:36 - The trap of ‘waiting for closure’

18:09 - Three practical shifts

20:54 - Final thoughts

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL:

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, I sit down with Terry Rice, speaker, entrepreneur, and leadership trainer, for a real conversation about addiction, identity, fatherhood, discipline, and what it means to live in alignment. 

Terry brings the perspective of someone who has rebuilt more than once, opening up about getting fired from Facebook, losing his son TJ, and how those experiences shaped the way he leads, lives, and serves others today. We talk about overcoming alcoholism, building a life with intention, and using your scars, not to hide, but to help others grow. Honest, challenging, and full of perspective, this one is for anyone trying to lead with more clarity, purpose, and truth.

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:37 - Favorite genre of music and how it informs Terry’s life

4:15 - How Terry utilizes the gym

6:05 - Building resilience

8:35 - Terry’s why and his addiction to alcohol

13:57 - Exploring ‘functional addiction’

18:01 - How Terry hit his brick wall

24:38 - Your sense of purpose and conquering your addictions

27:52 - “What drives you today?”

32:55 - Work/life rhythms and getting alignment

39:37 - Being a dad and working, or having a business

42:23 - Episode wrap-up

Connect with Jahmaal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Interested in learning more about Terry?

https://performancesystems.co/keynote

https://buildwiththem.com/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-rice/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/itsterryrice/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WHAT YOU’LL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE:

01 - The Myth of External Closure

We’ve been conditioned to believe closure is something someone else delivers. Jahmaal unpacks why that belief is both biologically understandable and deeply damaging and introduces the Zeigarnik Effect, the psychological reason our minds grip unfinished situations so tightly.

“Closure is not a conversation. It’s a decision you make inside yourself about what that chapter meant and what you’re going to do next.”

02 - The Self-Sabotage Nobody Talks About

When unresolved pain goes unprocessed, we carry it forward, transferring it onto new managers, new partners, new collaborators who had nothing to do with the original wound. Jahmaal names this pattern “transferring pain forward” and explains why it masquerades as wisdom, discernment, and self-protection.

Key distinction from this segment:

Boundaries built from wisdom: identifying patterns, doing the work, watching for early signs

Walls built from unhealed wounds: treating everyone who resembles your past as a present-day threat

“You are punishing people for crimes they didn’t commit — and losing the very opportunities that could heal you.

03 - Your Internal Triggers Are Running the Show

A trigger isn’t just an emotional reaction — it’s your nervous system signaling that something unprocessed has been activated. The problem is that your nervous system cannot distinguish between what is actually dangerous and what merely resembles something that was dangerous before.

The result: you make survival decisions in contexts where survival isn’t actually at stake. You are fighting yesterday’s battle in today’s arena.

“When your unhealed triggers are driving, your future is being written by your past.”

Jahmaal also addresses why insight alone doesn’t equal healing and what it actually takes to update the internal narrative written at your most vulnerable moment.

04 - The Psychological Safety You’re Creating for Yourself

Here’s the reframe: your self-sabotage isn’t random. It isn’t weakness. It is strategy, a set of protective behaviors your psyche built to keep you safe. But there’s a critical difference between manufactured safety and real psychological safety.

Manufactured safety: controlled demolition of your own potential before someone else can cause the damage

Real psychological safety: the inner confidence that you can handle whatever comes, you will not be destroyed

If you find yourself saying, “I need to get out of my own way," then watch Jahmaal’s Unprogrammed webinar replay and explore the beliefs behind people-pleasing, false guilt, and overworking: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-webinar-episode

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Interested in Launching your own Podcast?

Podcast Principles can help! Book a call below to learn more.

https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

Burnout does not start with your calendar. It starts with what you keep tolerating.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Gwendolyn Oglesby-Odom, a healthcare executive and transformational servant leader, for a powerful conversation on boundaries, psychological safety, self-care, and what it really takes to lead without losing yourself. From non-negotiables and team culture to vulnerability and sustainable leadership, this episode is packed with wisdom for anyone trying to build healthier people and stronger teams.

Episode Highlights:

0:24 - Introduction

1:40 - Favorite genre of music and how it shapes her life

3:29 - The wellness gap for leaders on the front lines

4:05 - Why self-care has to be scheduled

5:31 - Night routines, boundaries, and protecting rest

7:36 - Non-negotiables and the cost of renegotiating them

10:17 - Delegation, team structure, and leadership vision

12:51 - Psychological safety and leading with vulnerability

20:15 - What to do when your work environment is draining you

23:00 - Vacation, refueling, and the leadership case for rest

25:51 - Leading with love and building a healthy team culture

35:11 - Dr. Gwen’s billion-dollar healthcare investment in Chicago

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment with Jahmaal

BUY ME A Coffee - with this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/listenthenspeak?new=1

Interested in learning more about Gwendolyn?

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gwendolyn-oglesby-odom-ed-d-msn-bsn-rn-bc-nea-bc-0037482/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Peace isn’t the absence of pressure. It’s the presence of structure.

In this solo episode, Jahmaal breaks down boundaries without bitterness and why most people don’t struggle with saying no, they struggle with guilt, fear, and the need to be liked. He shares how resentment builds when you wait too long, why overexplaining kills a boundary’s authority, and the simple framework that helps you set limits with clarity, consistency, and calm.

If you’re tired of protecting your peace with attitude, this one gives you the roadmap to protect it with discipline.

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:25 - Episode open

2:23 - The ‘B’ word (boundaries)

3:39 - Bitterness and what no boundaries gets you

11:07 - The affect on your business

14:07 - Why do we avoid boundaries?

16:03 - Being kind doesn’t always mean being available

17:31 - Clarity, consistency and calm

19:04 - The challenge for this week + closing thoughts

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Listen Then Speak, I sit down with my friend (and repeat guest) Mita Mallick to talk about her new book, The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses. We get into the real workplace dynamics so many people quietly deal with: chaos, burnout, and “lethal loyalty”, and what it actually looks like to set boundaries without blowing up your career.

Mita shares how her upbringing as the daughter of Indian immigrant parents shaped the way she approached work, why “keep your head down and work hard” can backfire in modern corporate culture, and how bad bosses don’t just create stress, they create ripple effects that drain entire teams. We also unpack one of the book’s most memorable archetypes, “The White Rabbit” manager, and walk through practical ways to manage up, prioritize what’s urgent vs. important, and build a communication framework that protects your time and sanity.

If you’ve ever felt pressured to be available 24/7, struggled to advocate for yourself, or wondered how to lead well in a broken culture, this conversation is for you.

Planning a leadership event? Bring Jahmaal Marshall to your audience for practical conversations about executive burnout, boundaries, and sustainable high performance: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-speaking-episodes

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:53 - Meet Mita!

2:25 - Favorite genre of music

3:07 - Management, flexibility and being a role model

5:30 - The start of Mita’s career and how her parent’s culture informed it

12:06 - The ‘F’ word (family)

17:09 - The “white rabbit”

21:16 - “Managing up” with a ‘white rabbit’

27:07 - Getting over the fear of ‘managing up’

30:13 - Urgency exhaustion and guarding your true priorities

33:59 - Advice to service-based, or faith-based professionals

38:12 - Where you can get Mita’s book

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Interested in learning more about Mita Mallick?

Website https://www.mitamallick.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mita-mallick-2b165822/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Emails-Midnight-Leaders-Bosses/dp/1394316488

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Burned out, stuck in your head, and still trying to lead like everything’s fine?

In this episode of Listen then Speak, I sit down with entrepreneur and biohacker Chaz Horn to talk about what it actually looks like to stress less without lowering the bar. We get into the mindset shifts that move you from fear and survival mode into clarity, gratitude, and real self-awareness, plus a few simple habits that help you reset your energy and get your creativity back.

We also zoom out to leadership and culture, including the difference between expectations and standards, and why collaboration might be the most overlooked growth strategy for high-performing leaders.

Successful on the outside but exhausted in private? Explore working with Jahmaal. Complete the short qualification process to see whether his coaching is a fit: https://act-3-agency.link/lts-coach-pod

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:55 - Favorite genre of music and how it influences Chaz

5:52 - ‘Bio-hacking’ and awareness around your emotions

11:12 - One simple mindset shift (that has a big impact)

14:21 - Gratitude

23:08 - ‘Good’ dopamine and ‘bad’ dopamine

26:08 - Chaz’s mediation story

29:06 - What the “body in motion” does to increase creativity

33:05 - What brought Chaz to what he does today

37:03 - Where you can find Chaz

39:09 - Episode wrap-up

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Interested in learning more about Chaz Horn?

Website: https://chazhorn.com/the-b2b-blueprint-to-predictable-sales

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaz-horn/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this week’s Listen Then Speak, Jahmaal sits down with business coach Justin Janowski for a conversation that goes past surface-level advice and into what actually makes sales, pricing, and strategy feel clean and effective.

Justin is the founder of Faith2Influence, and began his entrepreneurial journey just like many others, with uncertainty and fear, but also with a strong desire to build a faith-driven, impactful, and financially successful business.

He joins Jahmaal to talk about why “sales” doesn’t have to feel pushy (or fake), and how the best sales conversations are really leadership with a clear invitation at the end. Justin also breaks down his simple framework for ending every call with a yes, a no, or the next call booked, so you stop living in follow-up limbo and start closing the open loops that quietly drain your time and energy.

You’ll also hear the mindset side: identity, emotional state, and the stories we tell ourselves about money and rejection, and the quick pre-call rituals Justin uses to show up grounded, confident, and aligned.

If you’re building a business, thinking about a side gig, or you just want to get better at communicating value without feeling “salesy,” this episode is for you.

Interested in Launching your own Podcast?

Podcast Principles can help! Book a call below to learn more.

https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:26 - Meet Justin Janowski

2:05 - Favorite genre of music that informs Justin’s life

4:45 - What started Justin’s passion for sales

8:18 - The problem that Justin was created to solve

12:36 - Sales that “feel good” and leading prospects to yes (or no)

19:31 - Win/win or no deal

21:30 - Diving into the sales conversation itself

25:45 - Rejection and why people quit too soon

28:11 - Your emotional state going into a sales call

32:31 - “I’m not in sales, how does this apply to me?”

34:27 - Some of Justin’s own rituals

37:59 - Where you can find Justin

39:07 - Episode wrap-up

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

BUY ME A Coffee - with this link: https://buymeacoffee.com/listenthenspeak?new=1

If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment with Jahmaal

Interested in learning more about Justin Janowski

Website: https://www.faith2influence.com/start

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinjanowski/

https://www.f2itribe.com/10sv3hp (Free ten - step Sales Process)

Text "Plan" to 33777 (Free Coaching Call)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

- How Listen Then Speak began with Jahmaal walking through the woods—long before a microphone or audience

- How the podcast evolved into a globally trusted brand serving leaders, businesses, and entrepreneurs

- Reflections on some of Jahmaal’s most meaningful and impactful episodes

- A heartfelt thank-you to listeners, guests, partners, and supporters around the world

- A preview of what’s coming next as the podcast moves through the rest of 2026

This episode is a reminder that sustainable impact doesn’t come from rushing—it comes from listening, alignment, and intentional growth. It’s an invitation to slow down, reflect, and recommit to the work that truly matters.

If Listen Then Speak has supported your growth, here are a few ways you can help keep the momentum going:

Subscribe to the podcast

Leave a rating and review (this helps the show reach more people globally)

Share this episode with someone who needs it

Buy Me a Coffee to support the ongoing creation of the show

Every bit of support helps amplify conversations that change lives.

Follow Jahmaal Marshall for updates, reflections, and behind-the-scenes content

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment with Jahmaal

Subscribe so you never miss an episode

Join us as we continue building conversations that create personal, professional, and organizational transformation

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For some people, helping others reach financial stability and freedom – is just a job.

For Bill Walters, it’s personal.

Before becoming a financial guru, Bill spent six years caring for his mother during her battle with dementia. He also raised a daughter with emotional, medical, and psychological needs. These experiences taught him firsthand how unpredictable life can be and how important it is to plan ahead with wisdom and care.

Today, he works with people who are navigating life on their own terms. Whether managing a household or growing a business, to planning for retirement, or a loved one’s long-term care – Bill’s mission is to help you achieve lasting financial stability and solvency through solutions that truly fit your journey.

He joins Jahmaal to share more about his journey and this crucial intersection between his experiences, and what he does to help others now. They also touch on the importance of mindset and control. The magic of simple, responsible decision making and more!


Interested in Launching a Podcast?

https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

0:22 - Episode open, introduction to Bill Walters

1:20 - Bill’s favorite genre of music (and how it informs his life)

3:44 - What’s developed Bill into who he is today

5:22 - Bill’s draw to “see things perfected”

10:12 - Bill’s advice for your own loved ones

14:53 - Mindset, burnout and control

23:05 - Roadmapping financial (and mental) success

26:32 - How you can find your “why”

29:22 - Re-building a nest egg

33:15 - Closing thoughts

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment with Jahmaal

Interested in learning more about Bill Walters?


+1 (267) 278-5062 | +1 (609) 994-0222

[email protected]

www.perfectlyimperfectfamilies.com

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Our personal lives and professional lives. Two areas typically kept completely separate, never to see one another.

In reality, who we are, what we’ve been through and what we “do” for a living are all inextricably linked.

Failure informs what we do in the future. Adversity helps build us stronger. Mistakes are what make us.. well, human.

These aren’t things to be ignored, but experiences to be embraced for the true growth potential they provide.

Today’s guest and episode focuses on this very fact.

Michael Stephenson is a community leader and marketing expert with over 20 years of experience driving significant change. His company, Brim and Brand is a full-service marketing and advertising agency.

His focus on fostering meaningful progress and his leadership is second to none but most importantly, is informed by the challenges and obstacles he faced in his own life as a young man – which we examine in this episode.

Additionally Michael shares his blueprint for others, what inspires him to “give back” and enrich his community, his 3 big takeaways from someone starting over and more great nuggets of wisdom!

Interested in Launching a Podcast?

https://calendly.com/podcastprinciples/discover


Interested in learning more about Michael?

Website: https://brimxbrand.com/

Discount Code: LTS2026

Episode Highlights:

0:00 - Introduction

1:47 - Meet Michael Stevenson

3:18 - Favorite genre and how it informs Michael

6:24 - Michael’s early days

16:01 - Moving to now: Starting the company and how Michael runs it

29:16 - Letting go of bitterness and resentment

31:00 - Michael’s 3 Takeaways

33:22 - Where you can find Michael

CONNECT WITH JAHMAAL

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmaalmarshall/

Website: https://listenthenspeak.com/

If you're ready to get measured results for both personally and professionally, schedule an appointment

with Jahmaal

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we close out 2025, Jahmaal Marshall reflects on a powerful year of growth, leadership, and transformation within the Listen Then Speak community.

In this episode, Jahmaal explores the often-overlooked reality of high-functioning burnout, especially among senior leaders, high performers, and business owners who appear successful on the outside but are silently carrying exhaustion, emotional overload, and unspoken resentment.

You’ll hear insights drawn from client experiences (shared with full confidentiality) that reveal the financial, emotional, and relational cost of high-functioning codependency - and why managing symptoms is no longer enough.

This episode also sets the stage for what’s coming in 2026, including deeper conversations, expanded impact, and new ways for leaders to do the root work that leads to sustainable success.

Before you go, Jahmaal invites you to subscribe, leave a rating and review, and continue building this global movement of leaders who are learning to listen first - so they can lead with clarity, alignment, and purpose.

Why burnout in high performers often goes unnoticed

The hidden link between high achievement and high-functioning codependency

How subconscious beliefs quietly drain time, energy, and revenue

The true cost of over-responsibility and people-pleasing in leadership

What changes when leaders do the root work instead of managing symptoms

A preview of what’s coming next for the Listen Then Speak Podcast in 2026

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Leave a rating and review to support the show (it’s free and makes a huge impact)

Share this episode with a leader who needs permission to slow down and listen

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