Equal Parts Irrational Confidence and Humility: Quitting Corporate to Build Something Real

The Three Ingredients to Making a Bold Move with Kristen Rocco

The Ingredients to Making a Bold Move with Kristen Rocco What's between you and your next bold move? For over 15 years, Kristen Rocco worked as a Brand Leader for global companies, mastering the art of turning corporate strategy into human connection. Today, she uses that same storytelling lens to bridge the gap between where people are and where they want to go. In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Kristen and dives into Kristen's experience of climbing a path that looked "right" until the quiet pull toward something more became impossible to ignore. She did not have all the answers when she made her move. She had a desire, a sense of who she wanted to become, and the courage to act anyway. Together, Jen and Kristen unpack her three-part Bold Moves framework: desire, who, and do. They go deep on what it really means to listen to yourself when everything around you says stay, how to stop waiting for certainty before you take the leap, and why your recurring desires are not random, they are data. What You Will Take Away: * Desire is direction: If a want keeps coming back, it is not noise. It is a signal worth following. * The bold move framework: Three questions that cut through overthinking and get you moving. * You do not need certainty: Most bold moves are made without a full plan. Action comes before clarity. * Community is the strategy: Who you surround yourself with shapes what you believe is possible. * Authenticity is a practice: Living true is not a moment. It is a daily decision. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and intro 03:15 Kristen's career that looked right on paper 12:40 The internal shift before anything changed externally 22:10 The bold moves framework: desire, who, and do 33:45 What fulfillment actually feels like 42:20 Fear, community, and doing it anyway 52:00 Legacy, authenticity, and what is alive right now Where to Find Kristen Rocco: Instagram: @kristenrocco LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristenrocco [http://linkedin.com/in/kristenrocco] Substack: kristenrocco.substack.com [http://kristenrocco.substack.com] Podcast: Bold Moves: How Did You Know? on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0GoOwSiG8iQo3F5Ch7OyLt [http://open.spotify.com/show/0GoOwSiG8iQo3F5Ch7OyLt] Where to Find Jen DeGroff and TrueIcon: Instagram: instagram.com/beatrueicon [http://instagram.com/beatrueicon] Website: beatrueicon.com [http://beatrueicon.com] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff [http://linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff] About Kristen Rocco: Kristen Rocco is a writer, speaker, and podcast host on a mission to help people stop waiting for permission and start making bold moves. Through her podcast Bold Moves: How Did You Know? and her writing on Substack, she explores the real, messy, honest stories behind major life pivots. Her work is grounded in the belief that desire is not a distraction. It is a map. About the TrueIcon Podcast: Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. We celebrate uniqueness, normalize imperfection, talk values, and lift people up. Whether you are navigating a large change, building a business, or trying to find your voice, this is your space to feel empowered to step into your greatness. #beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #boldmoves #careerpivot

Equal Parts Irrational Confidence and Humility: Quitting Corporate to Build Something Real

He did everything right. Climbed from the mailroom to senior software engineer at a Fortune 500 company. Checked every box. And then one day he quit. Not because he failed, but because he finally got honest about what success actually meant to him. In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Brad Colacino, founder and creative director of Bright Cycle Design Co., community builder, storyteller, musician, and mentor. Brad spent over two decades navigating the corporate ladder before making the leap to build something that actually felt like him. His story is not about burning it all down. It is about getting quiet enough to hear what you actually want. Brad and Jen talk about what it costs to stay somewhere that no longer fits, how sobriety reshaped his relationship with himself and his work, and what it looks like to build a creative life from scratch after decades in corporate. He also gets into community, mentorship, and why redefining success is not a one-time decision but a daily practice. If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps us bring more honest, real stories to listeners like you. In this episode: * Climbing every rung of the corporate ladder and still feeling empty * The decision to quit and what finally made it feel possible * How his personal journey changed everything, including how he creates * Building Bright Cycle Design Co. from the ground up * Community, mentorship, and showing up for other people * What redefining success actually looks like in daily life Chapters: 00:00 Intro + Meet Brad 08:37 How Brad defines success now vs. then 16:24 The tipping point that made quitting feel possible 23:23 Divorce, financial pressure, and choosing not to go back 32:32 No wrong roads: lessons from The Phantom Tollbooth 41:58 The stepdad story that stopped the room 51:49 The sobriety journey 01:06:28 Building community and the question that changes everything 01:22:24 Equal parts irrational confidence and humility Connect with Brad: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-colacino/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-colacino/] Website: brightcycledesign.com [http://brightcycledesign.com] Connect with Jen and TrueIcon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beatrueicon [https://www.instagram.com/beatrueicon] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/] Website: https://www.beatrueicon.com [https://www.beatrueicon.com] About Brad Colacino: Brad Colacino is the founder and creative director of Bright Cycle Design Co. After more than two decades in corporate, including a senior software engineering role at a Fortune 500 company, he made the leap to build a creative life on his own terms. He is a community builder, storyteller, musician, and mentor who has been rewriting what success actually means. About the TrueIcon Podcast: Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an interview show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. We celebrate uniqueness, normalize imperfection, and lift people up. Whether you are navigating a career change, building a business, or trying to find your voice, this is your space to feel empowered to step into your greatness. #beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #creativelife #redefinesuccess

Art, Peace, and the Hundred Steps: Eugene O'Neill on Finding Your True Self

This episode contains a candid conversation about personal wellness practices, including some that may not be right for everyone. Nothing shared here is medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about your own health and wellness journey. He went to a wellness retreat at one of the darkest points of his life. He walked a hundred steps. And by the time he reached the top, he had the only answer he needed. This one will stay with you. In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Eugene O'Neill, muralist, art educator, and founder of Made In Truth. Eugene has spent his career transforming communities and classrooms through art and wellness. But in this conversation, he opens up about his own journey: the grief that broke him open, the retreat that changed everything, and what peace, love, and joy actually look like when you stop performing and start living them. Eugene and Jen go deep on what it means to heal the healers, how art became his path to personal wellness, and why reconnecting with your inner child is not soft, it is essential. He shares the story of the Hundred Steps of Life, a meditation that helped him stop over-planning and trust the frequency he wanted to live in. If you have ever felt like you were showing up for everyone else while quietly falling apart, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are. If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps us bring more honest, real stories to listeners like you. In this episode: * Who heals the healers: Eugene spent years supporting others through grief and loss. This episode is about what happened when he finally turned that care toward himself. * The Hundred Steps: a meditation that helped him stop over-planning and trust that peace, love, and joy are enough of a compass. * Your shadow side is not the enemy: forming a relationship with the parts of yourself you have been hiding, not fixing them, but understanding them. * The inner child is expansive: the inner parent refines and reduces. The inner child expands. You need both to grow. * Forgiveness is where it starts: you cannot move out of the past without forgiving the version of yourself that did not yet have the tools you have now. Episode chapters: 00:00 Welcome and intro 05:56 Art, community, and where it all started 18:01 Breaking free from external expectations and the retreat that changed everything 30:31 The Hundred Steps of Life 39:21 The journey to finding your true self 49:08 Living with peace, love, and joy 01:06:21 Forgiveness, the inner child, and lasting impact Connect with Eugene: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn: @madeintruthinc Website: www.madeintruthinc.com [http://www.madeintruthinc.com] Connect with TrueIcon: Instagram: @beatrueicon About Eugene O'Neill: Eugene O'Neill is a muralist, art educator, and founder of Made In Truth. He has spent his career using art and wellness to transform communities and classrooms. His work sits at the intersection of creativity, healing, and human connection. About the TrueIcon Podcast: Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an interview show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. We celebrate uniqueness, normalize imperfection, and lift people up. Whether you are navigating a career change, building a business, or trying to find your voice, this is your space to feel empowered to step into your greatness. #beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #mentalhealth #personalgrowth

What Intentional Health Actually Looks Like: Emily Horstman on Wellness, Values, and Lasting Change

What does it actually mean to be intentional about your health? Not the version that looks good on a wellness app. The real version, the one that accounts for your history, your hormones, your stress, and the life you are actually living. Emily Horstman has spent over 15 years helping people figure that out. In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Emily Horstman, registered dietitian, founder and CEO of HealthierSpan, and someone who pairs her values with intentional health and living. Emily brings a diverse background and a deeply human approach to wellness, one that goes far beyond food. This conversation is about what it really takes to build health habits that stick, and why most people are not failing because of willpower. Emily and Jen dig into what intentionality actually looks like in practice, why so many people are doing all the right things and still not feeling well, and how to stop chasing a version of health that was never designed for your body or your life. Emily also opens up about her own journey, the role of self-reflection and journaling in her practice, and why she believes true wellness starts from the inside out. In this episode: * What intentionality in health actually means and why it matters * Why doing all the right things still leaves some people stuck * The role of a dietitian in complex, whole-person health cases * Self-care as a non-negotiable, not a luxury * How journaling and self-reflection create clarity and momentum * The connection between values, identity, and sustainable wellness Episode chapters: 00:00 Welcome and intro 00:33 Who Emily is and what she is about right now 07:11 Why so many people struggle to reach their health goals 23:15 Using intentionality to create real momentum 52:27 The transformative power of journaling and self-reflection Connect with Emily: Instagram: @agingbetterrd Website: healthierspan.com [http://healthierspan.com] Connect with Jen and TrueIcon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beatrueicon [https://www.instagram.com/beatrueicon] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/] Website: https://beatrueicon.com/?utm_source=TI_Podcast [https://beatrueicon.com/?utm_source=TI_Podcast] If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. It helps us bring more honest, real stories to listeners like you. About Emily Horstman: Emily Horstman is a registered dietitian with over 15 years of experience in health and wellness. She is the founder and CEO of HealthierSpan, where she pairs her values with intentional health and living. Her approach goes beyond nutrition to address the whole person, helping clients build sustainable habits rooted in self-awareness and clarity. About the TrueIcon Podcast: Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an interview show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. We celebrate uniqueness, normalize imperfection, and lift people up. Whether you are navigating a career change, building a business, or trying to find your voice, this is your space to feel empowered to step into your greatness. #beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #wellness #intentionalliving

From Higher Ed to Her Own Path: Allison Beyer on Fear, Joy, and Finally Listening to Herself

She spent years helping students untangle their resumes and find the work that actually lit them up. The whole time, she was quietly ignoring her own advice. This one is for anyone who has ever helped everyone else find their path while staying stuck on the wrong one. In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Allison Beyer, CEO of Beyer Creative, a video production company that helps brands tell their story with clarity and confidence. Allison spent years building a career in higher education that looked impressive on paper and felt hollow on the inside. She helped students find their paths while quietly drowning on her own. Then she listened. Today she runs a thriving creative business, has built a community she never thought she would have, and is just getting started. Allison and Jen talk about the difference between the fear of going and the fear of staying, and why sometimes the scarier choice is not leaving. Allison opens up about the social anxiety that kept her isolated for years, the networking event that changed everything, and what it felt like to try video editing for the first time and feel completely on top of the world. She also talks about skills, why nothing from your past is wasted, and what it looks like to build a business and a life that actually fits who you are. In this episode: * The fear of staying vs. the fear of going and why both are real * How social anxiety kept Allison isolated for years and what finally shifted * The networking event she almost skipped that changed her entire life * Trying video editing for the first time and feeling on top of the world * Why nothing from your past career is ever wasted * Building Beyer Creative and finally choosing a path that fits * Legacy, community, and bringing more women into video production Episode chapters: 00:00 Welcome and intro 01:13 What is taking up the most space right now 03:43 The fear of staying vs. the fear of going 05:54 Social anxiety, isolation, and the nagging feeling something was missing 14:25 The career that looked right on paper and felt wrong inside 22:36 The moment she finally listened 28:30 Trying video editing for the first time 34:33 Transferable skills and why nothing is wasted 39:16 Building Beyer Creative and staying true to the vision 51:40 Legacy, community, and bringing more women into video production If this episode inspired you, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Connect with Allison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonbeyer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonbeyer/] Instagram: @allison.beyer | @beyercreative Website: www.beyer-creative.com [http://www.beyer-creative.com] Connect with Jen and TrueIcon: Instagram: @beatrueicon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdegroff/] Website: https://www.beatrueicon.com [https://www.beatrueicon.com] About Allison Beyer: Allison Beyer is the CEO of Beyer Creative, a video production company that helps brands tell their story with clarity and confidence. She is passionate about community, creativity, and bringing more women into the world of video production. About the TrueIcon Podcast: Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an interview show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. #beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #videoproduction #entrepreneurship