Why Be Passive Podcast

Mike Donehey - musical recording artist, songwriter, author, podcast host, and founding member of the band Tenth Avenue North - joins the podcast to share how he finds God in the unexpected places. During his senior year in high school, on the way to a soccer game, Mike was in a life-threatening car accident. As a result of being laid up on his back for months, Mike learned how to play guitar - giving birth to a new career path, and eventually one of the most loved and successful bands in Christian music, Tenth Avenue North. Following the band's mutual separation in 2020, Mike launched the Chasing the Beauty Podcast and his solo music career. We discuss the process of surrendering control of his success, being a dad, and the birth of his new album, Flourish, out of a dark season. Lastly, Mike breaks down a unique revelation that was the driving force behind his first book: rather than ask "What is God's will for my life?", we should think and pray about how God's life can come affect our will. 

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Bill Baker, well-known and loved Architect, Principal, and Owner at MSA Design - a national architecture, interior, and graphic design firm in Cincinnati, Ohio - joins the podcast to expand on his most-frequented piece of wisdom: "Do good work". With over 25 years of professional experience in the field of architecture, Bill knows a thing or two about the design, as well as the business side of creating buildings with an enduring impact on their surrounding communities. Under the umbrella of MSA, Bill: leads the MSA Sport team - a division of MSA Design responsible for multiple indoor and outdoor athletic venues for colleges, cities, high schools, and professional sports teams throughout the nation, serves clients in the K-12, Higher Education, and Community markets, and is also the Executive Host of the Building Ideas Podcast. Being a native of the small central Ohio town of Sparta, he has never been one to do anything halfway. And his reflection on the lessons he has learned from his experiences, including a battle with cancer, is nothing short of powerful. With some good laughs and "saucy" language, Bill encourages us with the fact that "life is not meant to be easy... it's meant to make you better."

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Kim Nuxhall, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League, joins the podcast to tell the powerful story and mission behind his father's legacy projects. For those who don't know, Kim's dad - Joe Nuxhall - was the youngest player to ever pitch in the MLB, at the ripe age of 15. After his professional baseball career, Joe joined Marty Brennaman in the radio broadcast booth for the Cincinnati Reds, forming a dynamic 37-year duo that has gone unmatched to this day. Joe brought energy, honesty, and an unapologetic joy to the radio that the entire Cincinnati community embraced. After his passing in 2007, his son Kim led the charge in creating the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League in 2012 - which aims to revolutionize and set the standard for creating recreational and athletic opportunities for people with disabilities. With two rubber baseball fields, a unique putt putt course, and more, the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League aims to provide "every individual with every challenge every chance to play the game of baseball".

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Sarah McKinney, a third-generation realtor and your future "Home Girl" in Colorado Springs, joins the podcast to share stories of how God has operated in her life. Through a tragic injury that severely disabled her father, giving birth to a baby diagnosed with Down syndrome, and being marginalized in today's "woke" culture, Sarah reveals the lessons she has learned by allowing her faith to be refined by fire. As a mother of three, she has learned the virtues of honesty, patience, and passion - all shining through our conversation today as she breaks down what her kids, and God, have been teaching her. In the midst of tragedy and triumph, Sarah encourages us to boil our circumstances down to simply finding God.

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Katie Spotz, world class endurance athlete and charitable ambassador, joins the podcast to explain the difference between discipline and motivation. Well seasoned in incredible feats of athleticism, Katie has been given the informal nickname (by us) of "the female David Goggins" with one catch - she's happy! Through rowing across the entire Atlantic Ocean, running 30 miles every day for 11 days in a row across the state of Ohio, and cycling across the entirety of the United States, she has learned a thing or two about pain. In finding the depths of the pain cave and the heights of the runners high, Katie has calloused her mind to handle hard emotions as they come. But why does she do it? Fueled by her faith and relentless pursuit of the open frontier, Katie strives to bring awareness to a big problem in this world - over 1 billion people do not have access to clean water. Every adventure she embarks on represents a new fundraiser to provide true life to those who don't have it, through the gift of clean drinking water. Katie leaves us with the belief that when it comes to adventures or goals we want to pursue - we don't have to be fearless, we just have to try.

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Pete Nelson, CEO and Founder of his design and build firm, Nelson Treehouse & Supply, joins the podcast to take us "to the trees". Based in Fall City, Washington with his incredible family and crew, Nelson Treehouse has built more than 350 treehouses all around the world. On top of that, their work was featured on the hit TV show, "Treehouse Masters", for 11 seasons on Animal Planet. Pete and his team have had wonderful opportunities to create unique and exciting spaces for many well-known celebrities, but more importantly, they have created structures in the trees that naturally bring people together. Throughout his more than 30 years of experience in treehouse building, Pete informs us of the great joy, peace, and wonder that comes from spending more time outdoors. He also explains his journey of opening up Treehouse Point, a unique bed-and-breakfast, owned and operated by his family. And lastly, in the midst of whatever pursuit you are in, he leaves us with the encouragement us to "just do it" - embracing every hard moment and project that we can.

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Dr. Eric Simoncelli, PT, DPT, a trained physical therapist by day, and avid investor in people all the time, joins the podcast. Grounded in a strong faith, Dr. Eric believes that people are what matter most; and regardless of what he does for a living, he believes that investing in people is his supreme gift. Inspired by author Simon Sinek, along with his parents, we discuss the principle of finding your "why" instead of "what" you want to do in life. This unfolds into a conversation about priorities, boundaries, the “infinite game” concept, and the value of mentorship/community. We also went off the rails a bit into Eric's time working as a bullpen catcher for the AAA Buffalo Bisons for 5 seasons. Through this experience, we peel back the layers of what sports fandom really looks like from the other side and how we can approach athletes - and honestly, ALL people - with more empathy and grace.

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Dr. Billy Pohl, Christian Studies teacher and fellow assistant baseball coach at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, joins the podcast to discuss what rejecting passivity looks like. Rooted in an astounding memorization of Scripture, and fueled by faith, Billy's passion infects everybody he comes across. Whether he is teaching in his classroom, coaching on a baseball field, or at home with his wife and kids, Billy GETS AFTER IT and refuses to settle for passive rhythms. For those far along in their walk with God, and those who are still tinkering with it, this conversation strips the Gospel down to its bones - allowing all of us to look back at the life of Jesus, and think about how we might respond.

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Andrew Brock and Will Murphy, a.k.a. "The Rooftop Boys" from the 2021 DIII Ohio State Champion CHCA Eagles Baseball Team, join the podcast to invite us into the wild ride that was their 2021 season. After losing their entire 2020 spring season to COVID-19, it would be fair to assume that this team was hungry to get back on the diamond. With a talented roster, strong collection of offseason workouts, and a chip on their shoulder, the CHCA Eagles had only one goal - win the whole freaking thing. Joined by their senior captain, Alex Moffitt, these stallions discuss some themes and lessons learned while overcoming the adversity they faced along their journey to State - most notably the #NeverDone mentality that carried them throughout it all.

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Robert Jackson, former defensive back for Central Michigan University and the Cincinnati Bengals, joins the podcast to share stories from his days playing football. His work ethic, high energy, and bulldog mentality on the gridiron earned him Hall-of-Fame recognition from CMU in the induction class of 1990. This strong mindset impressed the Cincinnati Bengals enough to draft him with their 11th round selection in the 1980 NFL Draft, giving Robert the opportunity to be on the Bengals roster for Super Bowl XVI. Now retired, Robert spends most of his time on the golf course and more importantly, pouring into the younger generation as a part of "fitONE!" - a training program at Personal Trainers World in Blue Ash, Ohio that aims to assist young men and women with developmental disabilities to overcome their mental and physical obstacles. Through his time on a football field and now in the gym, Robert has learned and continues to teach us the priceless value of giving others a chance, and a place, within their communities. 

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Kyle Caskey, former multi-sport athlete at Texas A&M, and experienced college and NFL football coach, joins the podcast to discuss life on and off the football field. We begin by breaking down what it's like to coach professional athletes, along with how he has worked with a bevy of talented running backs. Next, we dive into how he pursues draft-worthy players - not solely based on their athleticism, but their character. And lastly, we unpack how Kyle has blended his home life into his work life, in an effort to always uphold his priorities. Whether it's coaching NFL football stars, or raising his boys in an intentional way - we can all take a page out of Kyle's playbook to simply look at where our feet are, and be there. Be RIGHT there.

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Sam Eldredge, Executive Editor of the And Sons Magazine, joins the podcast to discuss the major themes and goals of his team's ministry. Sam and his team offer a road map for those who want to understand the masculine soul, not necessarily from a teacher's point of view, but from a student's. Through open conversations about adventure, beauty, God, and deep engagement with the world, And Sons enlightens men in their 20s and 30s to the possibility of pressing into the moments that are difficult and finding their place within a much larger story. On the cusp of launching this original magazine, and summarizing the dialogue from tough questions in the midst of big decisions, Sam and his dad, John Eldredge, co-wrote the book Killing Lions: A Guide Through the Trials Young Men Face. Continuing to lean into challenges, whether we seek them out or not, Sam and the And Sons gang offer up stories of becoming men of great character and great quality.

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Jonathan Rios, licensed psychotherapist and mental coach, joins the podcast to WAKE US UP. We start by discussing the professional practice of psychotherapy, and how his company aims to create systemic internal change that will ultimately lead to external change in men. From there, we summarize the reasons why, as men, we have forgotten who we are in today's age of decadence and fatherlessness. Amidst mind-blowing statistics and a legendary breakdown of The Lion King's plot, this all leads to the unpacking of the first 3 chapters from his recent book, Primal Virtues for the Modern Man. By encouraging us to voluntarily take the hard path, and fight for what we love unapologetically, Jonathan stokes the fire beneath our feet - guiding us closer to the fact that we are happiest when we see ourselves growing.

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Tony Schulz, Associate Athletic Director and Head of the Baseball Program at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, joins the podcast to bring his perspective on all things baseball. From favorite movie quotes to personal experiences, we discuss what we love about the game - as a player and as a coach. Tony also unpacks his team philosophy of "buying in" and what he believes the goal of every coach should be. On and off the field, we can all benefit from "buying in" to the fact that life is about more than wins and losses, and of course, that hard things are worth doing.

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Russell Klimas, Founder of Light & Lense Photography and a leader in the light painting community, joins the podcast. We begin by diving into the technical aspects of light painting, along with how he has selflessly pursued it, but then we dive into a topic that makes us all pause - cancer. Russ is a cancer survivor, and he shows tremendous faith and courage in our discussion that peeled back the layers of how it affected him. From the obvious physical toll, to the emotional and spiritual challenges it presented, Russ entered and exited his cancer treatment with an indescribable sense of gratitude and positivity. Take a dose of whatever this man is having, because the life he brings to everyone around him is contagious.

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John Tibbs, professional singer/songwriter, joins the podcast to emphasize how we all need to fight for our mental health. Beginning with a conversation on the reality of depression, we dive into the topics of trauma, marriage, and surviving hardship. Forced to return home from an Uber ride to the airport, John's usual routine of 200 concerts per year was sidelined when the pandemic hit the United States last March. But even amidst wildly difficult circumstances, he has found hope and excitement in pursuing new ways to make music and engage with his supporters. Along with his southern roots rock sound and biblically-based lyrics, John shares how we can "control the controllables" and internally process our emotions in a healthy way.

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Erick Frost, Lead Photographer for Switchfoot and front man for his band, RORRE, joins the podcast to give light to the joy and gratitude that comes from pursuing your passion. We discuss his experience with Switchfoot, including his participation in Jon Foreman's wild "25 in 24" venture, along with the conception of his band, RORRE, and the purpose behind their music. Through a constant pursuit of his passion, Erick teaches us how we can flip our bad days and frustrating moments into chances to find, and further root ourselves in the most powerful force on the planet - love. 

Beth Guckenberger, Co-Executive Director of Back2Back Ministries, joins the podcast to share stories of her reckless faith in the midst of uncomfortable circumstances. Throughout the existence of Back2Back Ministries, Beth and her husband, Todd, have relentlessly pursued orphaned and vulnerable children, aiming to provide them with holistic care that will open up more opportunities for the rest of their lives. Beth also shares pieces of her personal testimony that lead us all to believe that surrendering the outcome of our circumstances to God, and trusting that He is sovereign, can fuel us to move forward.

Andrew Waugh, fellow member of the Roebling Runners and avid ultramarathoner, joins the podcast to chat about the camaraderie within the running community. We expand on the logistics and mentality of running over 100 miles, most specifically in Andrew's recent 137.5-mile effort in the 2020 Ohio Backyard Ultra. Mo Weincouff and Jeff Landrum, two close friends and crew members, add to the conversation to bring some insight into how it all went down. As a result of this challenging experience, we reflect on how we can all fight against the enemy that tells us we can't accomplish incredible feats. 

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Ryan Berg, CEO and co-founder of the Aruna Project, joins the podcast to discuss the strength within our freedom. Through employment and holistic care, Ryan and his team relentlessly pursue and exhaust all options to provide lifelong freedom to sexually enslaved women. We discuss the process of making that happen, and how we can all press into hard things by looking at the life of Jesus.

David Chapdelaine joins the podcast to discuss the many areas in his life where he faces spiritual warfare. We discuss his day job as a chaplain, his family's mission within the foster care + adoption ministry, and how to address the tension beyond what we can see.

Former MLB pitcher and current broadcast analyst for the Cincinnati Reds, Sam LeCure, joins the podcast to unpack the reasons why he refuses to be passive. We discuss the exciting days of winning baseball in Cincinnati, the mentality he carried with him throughout his playing career, and how to find goodness in all things. You can find Sam on most Reds Live shows before and after each Cincinnati Reds game.

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Davis Baxter, a former Division I collegiate athlete, joins the podcast to reflect on his pursuit of professional golf and how he has anchored his mentality in something that results can’t touch. We discuss how he has refused to allow his performance to determine his worth, and how God values the condition of our souls more than our work.

Matthew Badea, a talented designer, photographer, and filmmaker, joins the podcast to unpack the heart and mentality behind his creative work. We discuss the concepts of where we find our identity and how to approach success in a healthy way. Also, fresh off of his engagement, we dive into what we believe marriage is all about and how we, as men, can reject passivity in aligning our desires with God's design for marriage. 

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Jason Tyler and Tyler Waldie join the podcast to discuss how they approach running. Jason, a designer by trade, shares his "Happy Trails" initiative aiming to give runners an opportunity to share their personal running journey. And Tyler, a high school track and cross country coach, expands on where he gets his competitive edge and how he can pass that down to the next generation. From the camaraderie to self-improvement to serving your mental health, we discuss the many reasons why we run and what can be gained from moving towards the difficulty of it.

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Matthew Crooker joins the podcast to share his incredible weight loss story and how his relationship with his dad fueled it. We also discuss his experience of winning a Strava sponsorship to run his first marathon in New York City last fall, and the mentality he maintains today.

Seara Mayanja and Autumn Lana join the podcast to bring light to the very clear brokenness in our country. We discuss Seara's time working in Uganda, her experience of being a black woman in this world, and how we can all move forward with hope. 

Chris Long, Founder of Winsome Creative, joins the podcast to share the process of developing his freelance work into starting his own business. We also discuss how to implement healthy family rhythms, take thoughts captive, and maximize the formative college years. 

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Ryan Johnson joins the podcast to share his experience of being the oldest sibling in a broken home, and how he is setting his family on a different course. We discuss practices of mindfulness, spirituality, and living with intention throughout all phases of life.

Andrew Winebrenner, Founder of the Roebling Runners, joins the podcast to help give some more context to the phrase "Why Be Passive". We also discuss his leadership of a growing running group, how it feels to be a dad, and not letting our ideas sit on the shelf.