Embrace Your Awesome

Mindfulness for Kids: Helping Children Understand Their Thoughts, Emotions & Reactions

What if one of the greatest gifts we could give our children… was the ability to understand what’s happening inside of them before reacting to the world around them? In this episode of the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast, John Geyston breaks down mindfulness for kids in a simple, practical, and empowering way for parents, coaches, and educators. This isn’t about perfection or sitting silently for hours. It’s about helping children: * Recognize their emotions * Understand their thoughts * Pause before reacting * Build confidence and emotional resilience John shares practical tools parents can begin using immediately, including: ✅ The “Thought Bubble” exercise ✅ Feelings check-ins ✅ Breath and body awareness ✅ Emotion journaling ✅ Helping children separate thoughts from identity Because when kids learn how to slow down, process emotions, and respond with awareness… they become calmer, stronger, and more confident from the inside out. 🎧 Listen now and discover how mindfulness can help your child build emotional strength, focus, resilience, and self-awareness for life. 👉 Subscribe to the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast for more conversations on parenting, leadership, mindset, confidence, and personal growth. 🔥 Episode Description

From Rock Bottom to a Multi-Million Dollar Exit: Aaron Hensley on Leadership, Systems & Building a Lasting Legacy

What separates people who stay stuck… from those who build something extraordinary? In this powerful episode of the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast, host John Geyston sits down with entrepreneur, operator, and leadership strategist Aaron Hensley for a deep conversation on discipline, systems, leadership, and what it truly takes to scale impact. Aaron’s journey is anything but ordinary. He began martial arts training at just 3 years old and earned his Black Belt under legendary martial artist Chuck Norris at only 12 years old. But life would later test him in ways no martial arts class could prepare him for. After experiencing financial collapse in his early 30s, Aaron rebuilt from the ground up—starting with nothing more than a $50 rented mat and a vision. That vision eventually became a 24-location martial arts organization spanning 6 states and generating over $7 million annually before a multimillion-dollar exit. Now, through RISE Nation, Aaron helps business owners and operators remove themselves as the bottleneck, build scalable systems, develop leaders, and create organizations that last beyond them. In this episode, we dive into: * The mindset required to rebuild after failure * Why hustle alone eventually breaks down * The difference between income and scalable systems * Leadership development and building culture * Retention, operations, and team accountability * How to scale without losing your mission * Creating legacy through disciplined execution * Why great leaders build other leaders This episode is packed with practical wisdom for entrepreneurs, coaches, martial arts school owners, leaders, and anyone serious about building something meaningful that lasts. Because at the end of the day… Motivation may get you started— but systems, leadership, and discipline are what create legacy.

Adam Kifer Faith Under Pressure: Rebuilding through Adversity

What happens when everything you built… your business, your reputation, your leadership, and even your family… comes under attack? In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast, John Geyston sits down with Adam Kifer to discuss overcoming one of the darkest and most painful seasons of his life. After building a highly successful martial arts empire that transformed the lives of school owners and students nationwide, Adam suddenly found himself facing false accusations, attacks on his character, devastating business loss, and even death threats toward his family and children. This conversation goes far beyond business. Today, we are talking about: * Leadership under extreme pressure * Faith during life’s darkest moments * Reputation attacks and emotional resilience * Surrendering control to God * Rebuilding after devastation * Finding strength when logically everything feels hopeless * And becoming relentless through adversity This is a raw, real, and inspiring conversation about perseverance, faith, family, purpose, and refusing to give up when life hits the hardest.  If you’ve ever faced betrayal, pressure, loss, fear, or moments where you questioned how things could ever get better… this episode is for you.  Subscribe to the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast for more conversations on leadership, mindset, performance, faith, resilience, and personal growth.

The Truth About Self-Care Nobody Talks About

On this episode of the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast, John Geyston dives into one of the most misunderstood topics in personal growth: self-care. But this isn’t about temporary comfort, escape, or doing what feels good in the moment. This conversation explores what real self-care actually looks like — the daily habits, disciplines, and decisions that strengthen your body, sharpen your mind, protect your peace, and help you become the best version of yourself. John breaks down why so many people feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and disconnected… and how the solution often starts by rebuilding the foundation. In this episode, you’ll discover: * Why self-care is a responsibility, not selfishness * The difference between comfort and true growth * How sleep, nutrition, movement, and mindset impact confidence and performance * Why discipline is one of the greatest forms of self-respect * How taking care of yourself allows you to better serve others * Practical ways to create more energy, clarity, and peace in your life If you’ve been feeling tired, stuck, overwhelmed, or emotionally drained… this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the breakthrough begins by taking care of the person you’ve been neglecting most: yourself. Because real self-care doesn’t weaken you… It builds you.

How the New York Yankees Identify Greatness Before the World Sees It

How do you recognize greatness before anyone else sees it? In this powerful episode of the Embrace Your Awesome Podcast, host John Geyston sits down with Damon Oppenheimer — Vice President and Director of Scouting for the New York Yankees — to explore what truly separates elite performers from everyone else. For more than two decades, Damon has helped evaluate and develop some of baseball’s biggest names, including Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Ian Kennedy, and Brett Gardner before they became stars. But this conversation goes far beyond baseball. You’ll discover: * What high performers consistently do differently * Why mindset and character matter more than raw talent * The traits scouts look for under pressure * How parents, coaches, and leaders can better identify potential * What separates those who succeed… from those who never maximize their gifts This episode is packed with insights on leadership, discipline, resilience, and the mindset required to perform at the highest level—in sports, business, parenting, and life. 🎧 If you want to understand how greatness is truly built… this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Podcast Description