The Amanda Dake Podcast

This 83-Year-Old Badass Found His Purpose — Now He's Going Viral

At 83, most people slow down. John Graham just hit 120,000 followers. But the real story isn't the numbers — it's what it took to get there. A teenage freighter worker. A war correspondent in Algeria. A US Foreign Service officer in Libya and Vietnam. A shipwreck survivor in the North Pacific. And one moment, freezing in a lifeboat during a typhoon, where a voice forced him to answer the only question that actually matters.John Graham has spent a lifetime chasing danger. Then he found something worth fighting for. In this conversation, John shares the raw, unfiltered journey from adrenaline junkie to one of the most unlikely voices of purpose on the internet — and why the lessons he learned in war zones, on frozen mountain faces, and in a sinking ship are exactly what leaders need to hear right now. What we cover: ⭐️ The freighter summer that shattered his small-town life at 17 ⭐️ Hitchhiking into a war zone in Algeria — with an American flag on his chest ⭐️ The first direct ascent of the north wall of Mount McKinley — and why he said "it's a miracle we didn't get killed" ⭐️ The Vietnam realization: a life of achievement with a plywood board nailed over your heart ⭐️ The 1980 Prinsendam shipwreck — and the voice he heard while freezing in the North Pacific ⭐️ The promise he made to survive — and how he's kept it for 40+ years ⭐️ The Giraffe Heroes Project: finding people willing to stick their necks out for good ⭐️ Why he launched Badass Granddad at 82 — and how it hit 2.5 million views ⭐️ What young people in their 20s are really asking an 83-year-old adventurer 🦒 John Graham & the Giraffe Heroes Project: https://www.giraffe.org ➡️ Badass Granddadd (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube): Search @BadassGranddadd 📖 Denali Diary (free download): https://www.johngraham.org/books/denali-diary 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations about how it started and how it's going!

No Experience. Now He's an AI Coach. | Rob Cressy on Human-First AI

What does it actually take to become an AI coach — with zero AI background? Rob Cressy walked away from corporate America 16 years ago to chase a sports broadcasting dream. Three career pivots later, a pandemic wiped out his entire industry overnight. Then in December 2022, a single text message introduced him to ChatGPT — and everything changed. In this episode, Rob breaks down his Human AI Sandwich framework, a simple approach to using AI for business without losing your voice, your judgment, or your edge. If you're an entrepreneur or leader trying to figure out how to use AI without becoming a robot, this conversation is for you. We cover: ➡️ how to use AI as a creative collaborator (not a replacement) ➡️ why most AI content fails ➡️ the two audit questions that expose exactly where your AI habits are breaking down ➡️ and why the people winning with AI aren't the tech experts — they're the ones leading from a human-first perspective. Whether you're just starting with AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude, or you've been using them for years and still feel behind, Rob's framework gives you a practical way to lead with intention in the AI era. In this episode: • The Human AI Sandwich — how to start and end every AI workflow as the human in charge • Why 53% of LinkedIn content is now AI-generated — and why that's your opportunity • The two audit questions: How many hours are you using AI vs. actually learning it? • Three levels of being left behind with AI — and which one high performers live in • Why AI adoption is a leadership conversation, not a technology conversation ⏱ Timestamps 00:00 — How do you become an AI coach with no experience? 00:50 — Leaving corporate America: the leap from ad sales to entrepreneurship 02:15 — The ChatGPT moment that changed his business overnight 03:50 — Running a sports marketing agency for a decade — what entrepreneurship teaches you 06:50 — How COVID wiped out the sports industry and forced a pivot to AI coaching 08:00 — The Human AI Sandwich framework: how to use AI without losing your voice 11:00 — Why soul is the one competitive advantage AI will never have 14:00 — Why so much AI-generated content fails — and what to do instead 19:50 — Who Rob works with: entrepreneurs and leaders using AI for business growth 25:00 — Two AI audit questions every entrepreneur needs to answer right now 25:50 — Three levels of being left behind with AI — which one are you? 29:50 — AI for leaders: why this is a leadership conversation, not a tech conversation 31:50 — What's next: keynotes, impact, and the future of AI coaching 37:00 — Why human connection is your biggest edge in the AI era 45:00 — How to connect with Rob and get his free AI acceleration guide 🔗 Resources Rob on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rob_cressy/ Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cressy/ Rob's free AI acceleration guide: https://www.robcressy.com Take The Business Blind Spot quiz → https://blindspot.amandadake.com

Living at a 6: Why James Friel Walked Away from a Dream Corporate Career

What does it look like when someone successful finally admits they're living at a 6? James Friel had the career — the titles, the bonuses, the offer to run global marketing from London. And he said no. James Friel is the founder of J Street Financial and a serial entrepreneur who has built everything from digital consultancies to ghost kitchens to financial advisory firms. But before all of that, he was a high-performing corporate executive who looked like he had it all — and felt the quiet pull to do something more. In this conversation, James unpacks the entrepreneurial mindset behind some of the biggest career pivots of his life: why he turned down a CMO track, what his grandfather's question — "What if your ladder's leaning against the wrong wall?" — actually cost him to answer, and how he learned to make decisions with confidence rather than regret. This is a how it started, how it's going conversation — and James gets specific about both. In this episode: ➡️ The first sale James ever made (he was 8 years old) ➡️ Why high-achievers stay stuck at a 6 — comfortable, but not fulfilled ➡️ Turning down London, a promotion, and a CMO runway ➡️ What personal development really looks like for serious founders ➡️ The difference between a bookkeeper and a true financial co-pilot ➡️ Warren Buffett, Annie Duke, and the cost of second-guessing your decisions ➡️ How J Street Financial helps entrepreneurs move from rearview-mirror thinking to windshield clarity Connect with James Friel: 🌐 Free Financial Health Check: https://www.jstreetfinancial.com ☑️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespfriel 📧 james@jstreetfinancial.com Timestamps: 00:00 — Introduction: James Friel, Serial Entrepreneur & Founder of J Street Financial 03:00 — His Grandfather's Question: "What If Your Ladder's Leaning Against the Wrong Wall?" 07:27 — The Defining Moment: Turning Down London & the CMO Track 11:15 — What Happens When You Bet on Yourself (and Everyone Thinks You're Crazy) 16:19 — Living on the Edge: Why Comfort Is the Enemy of Growth 23:50 — Connecting the Dots: Lessons from Roses, Ghost Kitchens & Every Venture In Between 29:00 — J Street Financial: From Rearview Mirror to Windshield Want to know your number? Take the 2-minute assessment at https://amanda-pyaik3fu.scoreapp.com

Why Everyone Needs to Learn This Skill — Forbes Riley, The Pitch Queen

Forbes Riley generated $2.5 billion in sales — and she'll tell you it had nothing to do with "selling." In this conversation, Forbes Riley, known as The Queen of Pitch, breaks down the communication skill that most professionals never learn — and why it changes everything from the boardroom to the dinner table. Forbes shares the childhood struggle that became her superpower, the accidental audition that launched a billion-dollar career, and why pitching isn't what you think it is. Key Moments: 00:00 — Introducing Forbes Riley, The Queen of Pitch 00:16 — How $2.5 Billion Started "By Accident" 01:17 — The Childhood Struggle That Became Her Superpower 03:53 — Early Acting Career, Rejection & an Eating Disorder 05:18 — The Pen Audition That Launched Her Pitching Career 07:19 — Selling $1 Billion in Juicers with Jack LaLanne 08:22 — From Kim Kardashian to 100,000 Students 08:50 — Pitch Secrets A to Z: The Upcoming Book & Tour 11:38 — Two Degrees in Three Years (and Why She Regrets Nothing) 15:27 — The Moment She Realized Communication Was Her Core 16:29 — Her Favorite F-Word 21:19 — Why Pitching Is the Ultimate Parenting Tool 📘 Forbes' new book: Pitch Secrets, A to Z — https://pitchsecretsbook.com/ 🔗 Connect with Forbes Riley: https://forbesriley.com/ Connect with Amanda: https://amandadake.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/ Grab Amanda's Book: https://book.amandadake.com Subscribe for real conversations about clarity, growth, and the changes that happen along the way.

Trapped by Success: Escaping the Golden Handcuffs

After 25 years in a high-paying pharmaceutical sales career, Kathleen Chabus had everything that looks like success on paper: income, status, stability. But inside, it felt like being on the wrong bus and never getting off. Safety became a cage. In this conversation, Kathleen shares how "golden handcuffs" kept her in a role that didn't fit, why the "condition trap" ("once X happens, then I'll finally…") almost cost her the life she actually wanted, and what shifted as she approached 50 and realized: You cannot course correct without starting the course. We talk about: ➡️ Walking away from a 25-year career without burning everything down ➡️ The hidden cost of staying in the wrong role "just a little longer" ➡️ Why high achievers get stuck in the condition trap ➡️ Reclaiming creativity after years of "fitting in" ➡️ Building a life and business that feels like you—without the mask If you've ever looked around at your "successful" life and thought, "How did I end up here?" this episode will hit home. Key Moments 00:00 – When success doesn't feel like success 04:12 – The moment she realized she was on the wrong bus 11:30 – The "condition trap" that keeps high achievers stuck 17:45 – When safety turns into a cage 25:20 – Nearing 50 and refusing to wait any longer 32:40 – Small steps to start a course correction 41:10 – Advice for leaders who feel trapped by their own success For more conversations on clarity, leadership, and the messy middle of growth, hit subscribe and turn on notifications. 👇 If this episode resonates, tell us in the comments: What "safety" are you holding onto that might actually be a cage? Connect with Kathleen: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathleenchabus/ [https://www.instagram.com/kathleenchabus/] Connect with Amanda: Book: https://book.amandadake.com [https://book.amandadake.com] Website: https://amandadake.com [https://amandadake.com] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dake/]