The Flourishing Leader Podcast with Vaughn Kohler

Vaughn Kohler
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  • Updated Weekly

The Flourishing Leader Podcast is about becoming a better leader and building a better life. Coach and writer Vaughn Kohler shares simple ideas about leadership, faith, family, work, and personal growth. Each episode will help you understand who you are, what matters most, and how to move forward with courage and purpose. Because when the leader grows, everything else can flourish. Subscribe to Vaughn's Substack: https://vaughnkohler.substack.com/ Follow Vaughn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler Visit Vaughn's website to book a conversation: https://www.vaughnkohler.com/

  1. 2025-09-23

    How to Make Calm, Confident Decisions

    When people push back on my choices, I can feel the tug to second-guess myself or cave to pressure. Maybe you know that feeling too. In this episode, I share why the who has to come before the what—why clarity about identity is the foundation for every calm, confident decision. I'll draw from everyday life, a little Star Wars storytelling, and my own work with clients to show how knowing who you are gives you strength, peace, and staying power when critics come. I'll also walk you through three practical questions that help uncover your identity, so you can face criticism, stay aligned with your values, and move forward without regret. Find me online: www.vaughnkohler.com Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler Grab a copy of my new book on Overcoming Overwhelm: https://a.co/d/0AcWrxG

  2. 2025-09-16

    The Paradox That Brings Peace: How To Do Everything By Admitting You Can Do Nothing

    You're smart, driven, and successful...but exhausted. Between running a business, raising kids, supporting a spouse, and keeping up with everything else, the pressure never stops. You've tried calendars, systems, diets, self-help books, even vacations. Still, the anxiety lingers. This episode unpacks a counterintuitive truth: the harder you try to control everything, the less peace you'll find. Real calm comes when you release control, admit you can't do it all, and trust the One who can. Strangely enough, that surrender doesn't make you weaker. It frees you to act boldly, lead with clarity, and live with joy. If you're tired of white-knuckling your way through life, this paradox may be the breakthrough you've been waiting for. Find me online: www.vaughnkohler.com Connect with my on Instagram: www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler

  3. 2025-09-11

    What Psychotic Smurfette Taught Me About Persuasion And The Irresistible Power of Love

    What really persuades people? We think it's about being louder, sharper, or more forceful—but that only creates division, resentment, and anger. In this episode, I share a moment with my daughter Mariah when my usual approach backfired, and something unexpected broke through her resistance. What happened with her revealed a truth I believe applies everywhere: family life, business, culture, and even politics. The strongest persuasion isn't about winning arguments—it's about winning hearts. But how do you actually do that in practice? That's what we'll explore together. Find me online: www.vaughnkohler.com Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler

  4. 2025-09-09

    The Hidden Faithfulness That Changes Everything

    A couple weeks ago, I may have experienced one of the greatest days of my life. I drove to Seneca, Kansas, planning to catch up with a former student from my seminary teaching days. What I found was a story of tragedy, faith, and unexpected power. A small town still grieving the murder of their longtime priest showed me what hidden legacy really looks like. And in the middle of it all, I went to confession with my old student, now a priest himself—and walked away with a heart strangely warmed. Find my online: www.vaughnkohler.com Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler

  5. 2025-09-04

    Lebanon, Loneliness, and Why One Genuine Encounter Is Greater Than One Million Followers

    Ever feel alone in a crowd? Whether you're a successful entrepreneur or single parent, I get it.  It's not fun. But changing your situation is within your power. In this episode, I take you back to the year 2000, when I traveled through the Middle East as a seminary student. I was surrounded by breathtaking history—walking the Street Called Straight in Damascus where Paul once stayed, exploring Petra's rose-red cliffs, and sitting in Beirut's famous St. George Hotel with the scent of cardamom coffee in the air. By all appearances, I should have been energized. Instead, I felt isolated and alone. The turning point came in the most ordinary place: a restroom. Another American noticed my Wheaton College t-shirt and struck up a conversation. That simple exchange completely changed the tone of my day and taught me two lessons I've carried ever since: take your focus off yourself and be present, and don't wait for connection—engage. In this episode, I'll share how one genuine encounter lifted my loneliness, why meaningful conversations matter more than a million followers, and how you can create connection anywhere—even in the most unexpected places. Find me online at www.vaughnkohler.com Follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler

  6. 2025-09-02

    Feeling Like Life's Unraveling? Trace the Thread!

    In this episode, I share one idea that's kept me steady: when life feels like it's coming apart, look for the thread. I tell two survival stories—Ronald Reagan and John Paul II—and how their unlikely recoveries set off a chain that eventually touched my own life, right down to a quiet moment in a chapel when I first met my wife. I'm not giving you a system. I'm offering a lens: treat each encounter like an appointment and decide what to do with the time you've been given. Find me online: www.vaughnkohler.com Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler

  7. 2025-08-18

    Live Fully On The Patch Of Earth God Gave You - VKP 56

    In this episode, I talk about something that's been on my mind a lot lately: place. Maybe we've all lost a sense of identity because we've lost our commitment to geography — to the actual streets, neighborhoods, and communities we live in. I share a story about walking Poyntz Avenue here in Manhattan, Kansas with my daughters, and how that simple walk opened my eyes to history, beauty, and belonging I had missed for years. From Franciscan spirituality to Wendell Berry, from subsidiarity to Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz — I unpack why the local matters more than ever. At the end of the day, flourishing isn't about being everywhere. It's about belonging somewhere. And for me, that somewhere is Kansas. So here's my encouragement to you: bloom where you're planted, guard the patch of earth God gave you, and rediscover the sweetness of living your life local. I invite you to follow a me on Facebook, Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter on vaughnkohler.com.

  8. 2025-05-13

    Do You Want To Be Comfortable...Or Come Alive?

    Hey, it's Vaughn. In this episode, I want to talk to you about something most of us don't admit out loud—how comfort can quietly become a cage. How we stay in lives that look stable on the outside but feel hollow on the inside… because the idea of stepping into the unknown feels too risky, too disruptive, too selfish. I share the story of a character from a film I love—Daniel Christie in Far and Away—a man who had every material thing you're supposed to want, but none of the vitality his soul was starving for. And how, when everything fell apart, something sacred woke up inside him. I've lived that story too. I walked away from a respected role, a community that once defined me, and a version of life that was "safe"—to step into one that was completely unknown. Not because I was brave, but because something deeper in me refused to settle. This episode is an invitation. If you're in a season where you feel the old ways no longer fit… if you've achieved everything they told you to aim for and still wonder, is this all there is?... if you're scared of losing the life you've built but can't shake the pull toward something more honest, more alive, more you— This conversation is for you. Let's talk about what it means to come home to the woman or man you were always meant to become. As always, I invite you to visit vaughnkohler.com to book a conversation or connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.

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About

The Flourishing Leader Podcast is about becoming a better leader and building a better life. Coach and writer Vaughn Kohler shares simple ideas about leadership, faith, family, work, and personal growth. Each episode will help you understand who you are, what matters most, and how to move forward with courage and purpose. Because when the leader grows, everything else can flourish. Subscribe to Vaughn's Substack: https://vaughnkohler.substack.com/ Follow Vaughn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaughnkohler Visit Vaughn's website to book a conversation: https://www.vaughnkohler.com/

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