Real with Rocky

Rocky Garza
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Real with Rocky, a podcast about being honest, being real, and just being human. Hosted by Rocky Garza, a trusted speaker, coach, and consultant with over a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, this show explores conversations we’re often afraid to have about identity, confidence, purpose, growth, and vulnerability. Through honest stories and practical insights, Rocky helps you reconnect with who you are so you can lead, work, and live with clarity and and conviction. Learn more at www.rockygarza.com

  1. Aug 5

    111: Lead with Vision with Guest Olivia Constance

    In this episode, Rocky sits down with restaurateur Olivia Constance to unpack the emotional architecture of hospitality, the boundaries of effective leadership, and the vulnerabilities of managing growth. Olivia discusses decoupling personal identity from business outcomes, reminding leaders that while the work matters deeply, they aren't curing cancer,  money and businesses come and go. They dig into the mechanics of scaling a business, reframing management through a "field guide" that outlines decision-making frameworks so teams can work confidently and independently. This episode explores the need for a laser-strong vision, the value of emotional release when delegating, and the clarity required to reject convenient trends, like QR codes, in favor of authentic human connection. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 01:15 – Storytelling Through Food: Olivia's background as a literature major shapes how she uses authentic stories to build deep connections with customers. 01:54 – The Holiness of Service: She views serving guests as a "holy" act of intention centered on making people feel cared for. 04:04 – Authentic Voices in Dallas: The discussion highlights the need for stronger, more authentic voices in Dallas business rather than copying playbooks from other cities. 05:47 – Identity Beyond Work: Drawing on her Midwest roots, Olivia stresses not letting identity be defined solely by job or professional circumstances. 08:31 – Meta-Management and Empowerment: She describes herself as a "meta-manager," using a field guide to teach her team the thinking behind decisions so they can act independently. 09:58 – Supporting People, Not Positions: Leadership means supporting the humans behind the roles, recognizing everyone has different "seasons" of capacity and need. 10:56 – The Necessity of Clear Vision: Being "laser strong" with vision gives the team clear boundaries to be creative within. 13:50 – Avoiding the Spiral of Feedback: Maintaining clarity requires quiet and solitude and too much outside feedback breeds second-guessing and confusion. 15:20 – Big Boxes and Small Boxes: Rocky shares an analogy where leaders set the "big box" parameters while team members own the "small boxes" of execution. 17:42 – Intentionality Over Trends: Olivia explains why she refuses QR code menus– they remove a vital opportunity for human connection, the core of her hospitality philosophy. About Our Guest Olivia Constance is a restaurateur and creative based in Texas, where she owns and operates Fount Board & Table, Little Blue Bistro, and Seegars. Her work is rooted in hospitality as devotion to beauty not separate from daily life but built into the small things inside of it.  Dedicated to nourishment, gathering, and to the quiet rituals that make people feel alive. Olivia creates spaces that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Her restaurants are shaped by memory, seasonality, premium vibes, conversation, and the kind of love that is a soup simmering somewhere.  Much of her life is spent moving between kitchens, farms, dining rooms, and home with her two boys, building a life centered around meaning, creativity, and the ministry of presence. Follow Olivia on Instagram Fount Board and Table Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fountboardandtable/  Little Blue Bistro Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebluedallas/  Seegars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seegarsdeli/  Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviaconstance/  Website https://www.fountboardandtable.com/ https://littlebluebistro.com/  https://seegarsdeli.com/  Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  2. Jul 22

    110: Say the Unspoken with Guest Lucia Simek

    In this episode, Rocky and Lucia dive deep into the complexities of leadership, personal growth, and the often invisible gender dynamics at play in professional settings. Lucia Simek joins Rocky for a vulnerable and candid discussion about the motivations behind life choices, drawing on personal anecdotes from therapy to explore whether you act to heal old wounds or to express our true selves. They tackle the "soft skills" of leadership, reframing them as essential tools that are frequently undervalued, and provide a critical look at the subtle ways power is reclaimed through body language in mixed-gender environments. This episode is a call-to-action for a return to basic decorum and grace, emphasizing that the most toxic things lose their power once we find the courage to say them out loud. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 00:00:12 – The Drive of Personal History: Reflecting on how a desire to avoid the mistakes of past generations can subconsciously fuel current decisions.  00:02:10 – Filling Gaps vs. Authentic Action: Navigating the tension between acting to heal a personal deficiency and acting out of a true fulfillment of self. 00:04:21 – The Satisfaction of Being: Understanding why doing something to "be something" is more fulfilling than doing it just to "prove something." 00:06:15 – Leading with Righteous Anger: Using "fire" or "righteous anger" as a tool for staff advocacy, and how this internal heat is often missed by others. 00:10:32 – The Double Standard of Anger: A look at the misogyny women face when they deploy anger as a legitimate professional tool. 00:14:00 – Subtle Power Reclamations: How distracted body language—like shuffling papers or avoiding eye contact—is used to reclaim power in conversations. 00:16:04 – Radical Advocacy through Listening: How men can be better advocates simply by maintaining eye contact and giving "air" to women's voices. 00:17:31 – The Fallacy of "Soft Skills": Challenging the dismissal of empathy and listening as secondary skills when traditional "hard" leadership is failing. 00:21:26 – Decorum and Grace: Why effective communication requires a return to essential respect and basic manners for everyone involved. 00:24:25 – Say the Unspoken: Removing the "secret power" of toxic or hidden things by bringing them into the light through honest speech. Get to Know Our Guest Lucia Simek is an artist, writer, curator, and museum professional with an MFA in sculpture from Texas Christian University. She spent eight years at the Nasher Sculpture Center leading communications and international programs. In 2022, she joined Dallas Contemporary as Director of External Affairs and was later promoted to Deputy Director, overseeing public programs, publications, and education. She launched initiatives like DC Empty and the NTX Graduate Student Program to support regional artists. After serving as interim director, she was named Executive Director in February 2025. She stepped down in December 2025 to focus on her independent art, curatorial work, and writing, including her upcoming book Occiput through Deep Vellum Publishing. Learn more about Lucia Lucia as a museum curator: Best in Class: Dallas Contemporary exhibit Heni News: Lucia Simek Glasstire: Lucia Simek to step down Patron Magazine: Doomscrolling by Cheryl Donegan Lucia as an artist: Glasstire: Occiput at The Reading Room Dallas Observer: From her eyes to yours Dallas News: Artists tackle issues of identity in Cleaver Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  3. Jul 8

    109: You Don't Have to Earn Joy with Guest Rambo Elliott

    In this episode, the host sits down with creative and "planner friend" Rambo Elliott for a deep exploration into the necessity of rest, the complexities of breaking generational cycles, and the fundamental right to joy. Elliott shares her perspective on navigating the world while being on the autism spectrum, emphasizing the importance of direct communication over assumed intuition. Together, they discuss the "forest" metaphor for human capacity, accepting that some days we are growing saplings while others we are mighty oaks and the revolutionary act of resting in a society that demands it be "earned." From the healing power of "repair" in parenting to reclaiming childhood through mundane activities like coloring, this conversation is an invitation to stop hyper-intellectualizing our problems and start letting ourselves exist. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 00:03 – Redefining True Rest: Rambo explains that activities like scrolling social media or watching reality TV are often distractions rather than actual rest, which requires acknowledging human capacity limits. 01:20 – The Forest Metaphor for Capacity: To move away from rigid numerical scales of success, the guest uses a forest metaphor where "growing tree" days and "mighty oak" days are both valuable parts of an individual's overall identity. 03:53 – Challenging the "Earned" Rest Narrative: The conversation highlights a societal pressure in America to only rest once it is "earned," whereas rest is actually a fundamental neurological need. 06:04 – Rest vs. Capitalist Systems: Rambo notes that capitalist structures often defer personal time to retirement or specific hours, leading people to unfairly label rest as "laziness." 10:33 – The Importance of "Repair" in Parenting: Good parenting is defined not by perfection, but by the ability to apologize and perform "repair" after stressful or scary moments with a child. 11:27 – Defining a Safe Home: A child is truly safe when they know they can bring any problem to their parents and are accustomed to a consistent standard of love. 17:44 – The Tension of the "Planner Friend": Being the person who initiates community gatherings is viewed as both a unique gift to be utilized and an obligation to communicate when that person needs support. 18:52 – Navigating Autism and Communication: Guest Rambo Elliott shares how being on the autism spectrum leads them to use very direct communication, as they do not always intuit subtext or social hints. 22:01 – The Relationship Between Sorrow and Joy: Referencing Khalil Gibran, the guest explains that the depth of one's sorrow carves out the space necessary to contain a greater amount of joy later in life. 27:44 – Reclaiming Childhood Through Parenting: They discuss the healing power of participating in "mundane" activities like coloring with their children to reclaim parts of a childhood they felt were missing. About Our Guest Rambo Elliott is a creative director and photographer with a decade of work documenting music, art, fashion, and celebrity. Her background as a neuromuscular massage therapist shapes everything. Her work puts a deep emphasis on connection and vulnerability, and it shows. She's been featured in GQ, Vogue, Rolling Stone, the NY Times, Billboard, Vanity Fair, Essence, and more. She's created album covers and videos for Leon Bridges, done documentary work with Jon Batiste and Takashi Murakami, and shot campaigns for Stetson, Dickies, Lucchese, and Tecovas. Follow Rambo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rambo/ On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ramboelliott Website: https://rambophotography.com/ Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  4. Jun 24

    108: Yes and Grow with Guest Hance Taplin

    In this episode, Rocky sits down with creative director Hance Taplin for a candid look at the ambition and personal values that fuel his brand, By Way of Dallas. Taplin shares the vulnerable reality of walking away from a high-powered career in New York City to bet on himself with only $3.79 in his bank account. Together, they explore the concept of "accumulated problem solving" from bypassing local dress codes to redefining Dallas merchandise through a personal, diverse lens. From childhood dreams of the major leagues to the daily motivation of fatherhood, this conversation is an exploration of the "Yes and Grow" philosophy: finding deep satisfaction in who you are today while never losing the drive to build something meaningful for tomorrow. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 03:41 – Trading Wealth for Time: Leaving a high-paying job to get his life back. 04:45 – Betting on Self: Starting with $3.79 and building something of his own. 06:23 – Filling the Dallas Void: Creating a brand Dallas was missing. 10:14 – Engineering Diverse Intersections: Using products to bring different people together. 13:35 – Design as Problem-Solving: Building a life around solving problems creatively. 21:03 – Making the "Major Leagues": Realizing he reached his dream in an unexpected way. 23:25 – The Danger of Contentment: Why comfort can become a trap. 25:02 – Redefining Success Through Fatherhood: Measuring success through his son's eyes. 27:22 – The "Yes and Grow" Philosophy: Being content while continuing to evolve. 31:06 – Overcoming Creative Ruts: How a Lego piece helped break a creative block. About Our Guest Hance Taplin is a Dallas-based designer, photographer, and creative director originally from Denver, Colorado. He is the founder of By Way of Dallas, a creative platform focused on connecting communities and reshaping the city through design and culture. His work has led to collaborations with brands like Nike, Neiman Marcus, The Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, D Magazine, Dallas Market Center, 7-Eleven and The Dallas Mavericks, making him a distinctive voice in the Dallas creative scene. Instagram Handle Follow By Way of Dallas @bywayofdallas Follow Hance @hancetaplin Links https://bywayofdallas.com Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  5. Jun 10

    107: The Gift of Feeling with Guest Olivia Constance

    In this episode, Rocky sits down with restaurateur and creative Olivia Constance for a deeply honest conversation about what it looks like to keep going: through divorce, through a pandemic, through building three restaurants and raising two boys all at the same time. Olivia opens up about the six weeks between opening Fount Board & Table and COVID shutting the world down, and what it taught her about working beside fear instead of waiting for it to leave. Together they dig into why healing isn't a finish line, why bravery isn't something you acquire but something you access, and what it really means to move through every room as one integrated person. This episode is an invitation to stop chasing the version of wholeness that means no more wounds, and to find belonging in the mess of being fully, honestly human. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 00:03 – The Gift of Feelings: Why blocking emotions prevents us from receiving the gift they're trying to give 00:37 – Modeling for Children: How parents who avoid processing ruptures teach their kids avoidance by default 01:50 – Integrating Motherhood and Work: Why Olivia's roles as mother and business owner can't be compartmentalized — and why she stopped trying 07:45 – Opening Fount Board & Table: Six weeks before COVID, one-year-old at home, and the decision to plan for 18 months when everyone else planned for two weeks 10:51 – Finding Connection in Crisis: Handwriting notes of love between strangers during the pandemic and what it revealed about the human tether 13:12 – Healing as a Process: The shift from viewing healing as an endpoint to understanding it as something woven into the ongoing story 16:12 – Accessing Bravery: What Olivia told her son about inner strength — it's not something you acquire, it's something you access 20:17 – Moving as One Person: Finding a low center of gravity and showing up as Olivia everywhere — not nine versions of her, just one 28:28 – Working with Fear: The lesson COVID handed her — you either don't do the thing, or you do it scared. That's it. 41:45 – Wholeness and the Human Experience: Being whole isn't being without gaps. It's knowing the gaps exist, and choosing to show up anyway. About Our Guest Olivia Constance is a restaurateur and creative based in Texas, where she owns and operates Fount Board & Table, Little Blue Bistro, and Seegars. Her work is rooted in hospitality as devotion to beauty not separate from daily life but built into the small things inside of it.  Dedicated to nourishment, gathering, and to the quiet rituals that make people feel alive. Olivia creates spaces that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Her restaurants are shaped by memory, seasonality, premium vibes, conversation, and the kind of love that is a soup simmering somewhere.  Much of her life is spent moving between kitchens, farms, dining rooms, and home with her two boys, building a life centered around meaning, creativity, and the ministry of presence. Follow Olivia on Instagram Fount Board and Table Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fountboardandtable/  Little Blue Bistro Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebluedallas/  Seegars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seegarsdeli/  Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviaconstance/  Website https://www.fountboardandtable.com/ https://littlebluebistro.com/  https://seegarsdeli.com/  Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  6. Jun 3

    The In-Between: Coming Home

    There is a quiet voice inside of you that represents your intuition and consciousness, and you have spent so long ignoring it that you have forgotten what it sounds like. You often decline its invitation to return to peace and presence by staying busy on purpose, scrolling past our feelings, and performing a version of "okay-ness" because being honest is much harder than being busy. "Coming Home" is a call to stop using motion to avoid meaning. It is the difficult realization that peace is not geographic; it is not waiting for you on the other side of a new city, a new job, or a new country. You cannot engineer the right circumstances to quiet the noise if you are unwilling to change your internal posture. In this The In-Between episode, Rocky sits with a challenging question: What if peace isn't the absence of pressure, but a return to reality and the courage to finally acknowledge the life you actually have? What you'll hear: The Ignored Internal Voice: Why you choose a hundred shallow distractions over one real conversation with your own intuition.The Illusion of Geographic Peace: Why changing your scenery is often confused with changing your posture, and why peace is never geographic.The Difficulty of Honesty: How stopping the "run" forces you to face your weariness, fears, and the people who have been quietly waiting for you to come home.Returning to Reality: How peace is found in the small daily decisions that move you toward the life you want by paying attention to the one you are currently living. "Peace is not the absence of pressure. Peace is a return to reality." Once a month, Rocky hosts Somewhere in the Middle, a gathering for people who are done performing and ready to be real. Come be human with us. Get To Know Rocky Rocky Garza is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and host of Real with Rocky. He helps leaders trade performance for presence and to lead like themselves, not someone else. Connect with Rocky Come be human with us at Somewhere in the Middle: https://www.rockygarza.com/confidence Follow Rocky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockygarza/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockygarza/ Visit the website: https://www.rockygarza.com/

  7. May 27

    106: You are Good with Guest Lucia Simek

    In this episode, Rocky sits down with artist and museum professional Lucia Simek for a reflective conversation about creativity, identity, and the courage to choose oneself. Together they unpack the tension of leaving a high-profile career to reclaim an "origin story," the difficulty of being a "hyphenate" person in a culture that demands linear identities, and the transformative power of vulnerability. Lucia shares how her history of caretaking shaped her leadership, why she is walking away from the "nonprofit machine" to prioritize her essential self, and her vision for creating a hybrid space that truly represents her multifaceted creative heart. This episode challenges listeners to rethink success, embrace uncertainty as an instructor, and recognize the value of staying true to one's core morality. Episode Highlights with Timestamps: 00:00:43 — Why choosing a "crazy but healthy" exit from a major museum role was necessary for self-preservation. 00:01:10 — The challenge of being a "hyphenate" person with multiple identities in a culture that prefers clear career paths. 00:01:52 — Reclaiming an "origin story" as an artist and prioritizing essential happiness over financial security. 00:02:39 — Defining "non-negotiables" and shifting focus from fundraising to building genuine community. 00:07:38 — Embracing a "revolutionary heart" and the desire to create spaces that benefit the next person. 00:10:38 — The vision for a hybrid physical space for art and film that reflects a multifaceted identity. 00:13:34 — How deep moral care for a community can be both a leadership strength and an art world barrier. 00:20:45 — Reflections on a life of caretaking, from raising seven siblings to bringing those instincts into the workplace. 00:30:42 — The speaker challenges Lucia on the fear of asking for help when you are used to being the problem solver. 00:45:20 — Why pain and trauma are the "best teachers" and instructors for future choices and personal growth. Get to Know Our Guest Lucia Simek is an artist, writer, curator, and museum professional with an MFA in sculpture from Texas Christian University. She spent eight years at the Nasher Sculpture Center leading communications and international programs. In 2022, she joined Dallas Contemporary as Director of External Affairs and was later promoted to Deputy Director, overseeing public programs, publications, and education. She launched initiatives like DC Empty and the NTX Graduate Student Program to support regional artists. After serving as interim director, she was named Executive Director in February 2025. She stepped down in December 2025 to focus on her independent art, curatorial work, and writing, including her upcoming book Occiput through Deep Vellum Publishing. Learn more about Lucia's work Lucia as a museum curator: Best in Class: Dallas Contemporary exhibit Heni News: Lucia Simek Glasstire: Lucia Simek to step down Patron Magazine: Doomscrolling by Cheryl Donegan Lucia as an artist: Glasstire: Occiput at The Reading Room Dallas Observer: From her eyes to yours Dallas News: Artists tackle issues of identity in Cleaver Join Rocky, LIVE on Zoom, in conversation about leadership, humanity, and everything in between: http://rockygarza.com/confidence

  8. May 20

    The In-Between: The Beautiful Boundary

    Most of us don't need more advice; we need clarity. We build inner walls to survive, believing that being the strong one who never needs help is what success looks like. We outwork and outlast everything until we stand at the top alone, in a silence we rarely talk about. "The Beautiful Boundary" is a pushback against the isolation of the castle. It is not about keeping the world out, but about the quiet, intentional decision of what belongs inside the gate. It is the honest truth that you cannot protect everything, and trying to do so only creates another wall. You are worth protecting, not just your image or your capacity to perform, but your integrity and your ability to be present. In this In-Between, the speaker sits with a challenging question: What if the highest form of love isn't self-sacrifice that leaves you hollow, but the courage to finally put yourself on the list of things worth protecting? What you'll hear: The difference between walls and boundaries: Why walls isolate out of fear, while boundaries invite in with clarity.Being needed vs. being loved: Why confusing the two leads to being useful to a relationship rather than actually being in it.Availability vs. Accessibility: How to move from a defensive posture of being always open to an intentional posture of deciding what moves through your channels.The reminder: Protecting what you love requires the courage to include yourself in that protection so you can better love those who matter most. "A life you want is not built by carrying more. It's built by protecting what you love." Once a month, Rocky hosts Somewhere in the Middle, a gathering for people who are done performing and ready to be real. Link in show notes. Come be human with us. Get To Know Rocky Rocky Garza is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and host of Real with Rocky. He helps leaders trade performance for presence and to lead like themselves, not someone else. Connect with Rocky Come be human with us at Somewhere in the Middle: https://www.rockygarza.com/confidence Follow Rocky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockygarza/ Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockygarza/ Visit the website: https://www.rockygarza.com/

    The In-Between: The Beautiful Boundary
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About

Welcome to Real with Rocky, a podcast about being honest, being real, and just being human. Hosted by Rocky Garza, a trusted speaker, coach, and consultant with over a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, this show explores conversations we’re often afraid to have about identity, confidence, purpose, growth, and vulnerability. Through honest stories and practical insights, Rocky helps you reconnect with who you are so you can lead, work, and live with clarity and and conviction. Learn more at www.rockygarza.com

Information

  • Creator
    Rocky Garza
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rocky Garza
  • Show Website
    Real with Rocky