Dave Gieselman never thought he’d live past 25. Years of chaos in restaurant kitchens, fueled by alcohol and cocaine, convinced him burnout was inevitable. But free donuts pulled him into sobriety, and breathwork showed him how to calm his nervous system instead of destroying it.

This conversation isn’t about chasing profit or building fast. It’s about the painful, necessary growth that comes from aligning what you build with who you are.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why building without purpose drains you—and why purpose makes the hard parts fuel you.

How chaos disguised as “normal” can quietly kill you.

Why failure in business and marriage doesn’t have to mean you’ve failed.

The nervous system hack that works when nothing else does.

Why discomfort is not the enemy—it’s the curriculum.

Life doesn’t always follow the plan — sometimes it unravels right in front of you. But what if the chaos you’re trying to escape is actually the thing shaping you into a better leader?

In this episode of More Than 10 Words, Cindy Flynn shares how family struggles, unexpected detours, and a firm-wide walkout turned into lessons that built a stronger business than she could have ever planned. Her story proves that when you stop resisting chaos and start learning from it, it becomes your greatest business partner.

Some people grow up with answers.
Others grow up with silence.

In this episode, Rod Hatley shares what it’s like to grow up without explanations — without contact, without closure, without the chance to ask why. He reflects on how absence shapes trust, how early experiences linger, and how those unanswered questions quietly influence the way we show up for others.

What emerges isn’t regret — it’s intention.

A commitment to protect what matters.
To help families avoid confusion and delay.
To turn what was missing into care, presence, and partnership.

This isn’t about fixing the past.
It’s about choosing what to safeguard now.