My Incredible Friends: Recent Episodes
Ben Coppenger
Real life stories of success, failure, and all the struggles in between that shape us to be the unique and incredible people that we all are today. The purpose of this podcast is to encourage, motivate, and connect with people from all walks of life and allow them to share their stories.
Brad Lewis shares his story of how, as a young boy, he endured a family split, entered into a life of drugs and drinking, and unexpectedly found himself serving in the United States Air Force in a job that was not at all what he wanted. However, through multiple mentors and circumstances along the way, he found himself living a life of true service, justice, and significance. Brad's story is one of pain, endurance, stubbornness, grace and forgiveness, the power of family and faith, and the process of restoration. Brad is now able to use his life experiences, charisma, humor, and leadership in ways that mentor and teach many people, including myself. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.
Jason Richards shares his story of growing up as a kid that fully committed to everything he did. Never letting fear of pain or failure derail him, he locked arms with his lifelong friends and attacked the challenge at hand, even though success wasn't guaranteed. These lessons of friendship, commitment, faith, and family has continued with Jason throughout the years, even amidst physical health setbacks, job loss, family issues, and even cancer scares with his own kids. Jason shares lessons of faith amidst pain and what true courage looks like.
Mary Jo is a Health and Wellness Coach and the owner of her own business, Wellness by Mary Jo. At an early age she struggled with self-doubt, a negative body image of herself, and harsh self critique. Over time and through many struggles and challenges, she has learned that to live a healthy life, you do not need to follow a stifling and restrictive diet that doesn't let you enjoy life's finer moments with friends and family around a dinner table. She has learned that you can take control of your food choices and manage them properly so that you can enjoy all the beautiful moments life has to offer. Now, she is helping other women completely change their lives and take ownership of their food and life choices. I hope this conversation about how to live a full and free life with food empowers you as much as it did for me! Cheers and Salut!
Wellness by Mary Jo IG > https://www.instagram.com/wellnessbymaryjo
Website > https://www.wellnessbymaryjo.com/
Lacey Jones is a 2023 recipient of the Great Gainesville Fierce Awards, as well as an Associate VP of Marketing and Communication for a software company in Florida. At an early age, she realized the influence she was able to have on others and quickly learned how to influence others for good. As a way to prove to her friends she was a true ballerina, she joined the Miss America organization to take advantage of the opportunity to perform. However, she quickly realized the influence that organization would allow her to have and quickly was leveraging that position to influence and impact many girls for good. She is a devoted Mom, Wife, Company Leader, and seeks to love others well through her empathy and care for others.
Wes Lewis shares his story of overcoming challenges of dyslexia after being diagnosed with it at the age of 12. Instead of letting his limitations hold him back, with the help of his parents, he learned how to persevere and grow into a man that leverages his dyslexia for good. At the age of 27, he's already crafted a strong entrepreneurial mind that combines his skills at making money with his true heart of service. Wes is one of those people that you know instantly in talking to him that he will do amazing things with his life and help so many people. This is a must listen!
If you are in the Central Florida area and in need of any roofing services, I can guarantee Wes will take great care of you, treat you fair, and go above and beyond to get you what you need. You can check out his company here > https://www.retexgnv.com/
Texas means a lot of things to many people. To Brian Anderson, it means a way of life, respect for others, pursuit of goals, hospitality, endurance, and so much more. Brian shares his story of a legendary Texan heritage, Tai Chi, music, guitar tutelage under a legendary musician, and what it means to ultimately be a Texan. You won't want to miss this deep dive into culture, values, and respect for others.
Josh Thurbur shares his story of growing up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and realizing in his later teen years after multiple run-ins with the law and going through rehab that he had to get his life turned around somehow. A boss at a sandwich shop he worked at turned out to be just what he needed. From that point forward, Josh was set on a trajectory of purpose, creativity, family, and adventure. In this episode, he shares that incredible and inspiring story.
Josh is the owner of the photography business in Pensacola, 'Love Is Wild' (https://loveiswildphoto.com/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveiswildphotography
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveiswildphotography/
I can personally vouch for their photography quality. If you are anywhere in the U.S. and need a great photography team, I highly recommend you contact them.
Randy Mortensen is an accomplished executive business consultant, global missions leader, and executive recovery leader who uses his successful business career and experience to help other business leaders learn to lead a more sustainable and healthy business and lifestyle. Randy shares his powerful and impactful story of experiencing the highest of highs in the business world to the lowest of lows in his family life, and how all of those experiences guided him to where he is today, helping others find success in all aspects of their lives. He shares his story of recovery in hopes of encouraging anyone who is struggling with any form of addiction to reach out and get the help you need. It is never too late to reach out for help, and reaching out to Randy is a great first step towards recovery success!
You can learn more about Randy's endeavors in the links below:
Executive Recovery > http://randymortensen.com
- Text 'Champion' to 66866
-Call his office at 321-757-HOPE for recovery support and resources
Business Growth Consulting > https://rpmglobaladvisors.com/
- Download Randy's free digital book 'Breakthrough Ideas Revealed'
Haiti Humanitarian Missions > https://worldwidevillage.org
Podcast > Search 'Courageous Recovery' on any podcast platform
-Releases new episode every Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST
Be on the lookout for Randy's new business & recovery book coming out soon!
Jared Moore exudes excitement and love for his hometown of Pensacola, FL. As someone who currently holds local political office, Jared uses his skills and experiences as a business owner, mentor, and father to represent his constituent's needs. Hard work, treating people right regardless of which side of the isle they sit on, and humility are key principles for Jared. In this episode, Jared shares how these principles came to exist in his life and what local service means to him.
Books Mentioned by Jared:
Building A Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America - Quint Studer
City of Grudges - Rick Outzen
Brad and Cindi share their vulnerable and honest stories of success, internal failure, encountering life-changing loss, and their endurance and clinging onto faith despite the circumstances. They are both strong people dedicated to teaching, mentorship, and investing in others, and use their challenges in life to build bridges with others.
Ben and Tori are lifelong bookworms with a long history of consuming fiction books. They have seen firsthand the power that a library card, an imagination, and a community of friends that share in their love of stories can have on someone's life trajectory. In this episode, they share about where their love of books came from, what makes a good story, the value of libraries, and the value and importance of the 'nerd' community.
Ricky shares his story of growing up in South Florida where at an early age, he learned the valuable life lesson of discipline. Throughout his life, Ricky has encountered great loss and challenges, but has consistently pushed through and overcome every obstacle. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps where his attitude towards his job was driven by duty, service, and responsibility. After his time of service, he entered the private sector where he has continued to grow and develop into a true business leader.
Nicole shares her story of her growing up in a driven and service-oriented family where she struggled with changes of faith, location, and health of family members. Throughout her life, she has learned valuable lessons of what it means to help others, put others first, and the importance of community. She is a complex and colorful person who has experience as a Cardiac ICU nurse, artist, wife, mom, creator, and entrepreneur.