How To Battle Podcast

Carlos Vasquez
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Weekly

This channel explores transformation, resilience, leadership, healing, purpose, relationships, faith, identity, and what it means to live a meaningful life. I sit down with remarkable people from all walks of life to talk honestly about what they’ve survived, what they’ve learned, and who they’ve become, while also sharing my own perspectives, experiences, lessons, and questions about life, leadership, healing, mindset, success, relationships, consciousness, and personal growth. Through Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father, alongside Dan Olschwang, I also explore the deeper questions many of us were never taught how to ask—about love, fear, pain, authenticity, purpose, family, identity, relationships, death, and what it means to be human. These are real, unscripted conversations rooted in adversity, redemption, resilience, lived experience, curiosity, and a willingness to go deeper—without pretending to have perfect answers. New episodes every Wednesday. Visit: www.carlosvasquezofficial.com

  1. Oct 28

    99. SUCCESS ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK | The Truth About a Successful Life | CIWIHWMF series

    For a long time, I thought success meant achieving more. More goals. More accomplishments. More recognition. More proof that I was doing something meaningful with my life. But the more I’ve grown, the more I’ve started to question that definition. In this conversation, Dan and I explore what success actually means, why achieving everything you thought you wanted can still leave you feeling empty, and how easy it is to spend your life chasing a version of success that was handed to you by somebody else. We get into happiness, fulfillment, marriage, relationships, ego, growth, flow, environment, human potential, and why real success may have less to do with what your life looks like and more to do with how your life actually feels. One question from this conversation really stayed with me: Who inside of you actually wants to be successful? Is it really you? Or is it the version of you shaped by your family, culture, social media, expectations, and everything you were taught you were supposed to become? Maybe success isn’t something we eventually arrive at. Maybe it’s learning how to build a life we actually enjoy living now. Let us know in the comments: What does a successful life mean to you? CARLOS: Instagram @carlosvasquezofficial https://www.instagram.com/carlosvasquezofficial @howtobattle https://www.instagram.com/howtobattle YouTube @howtobattle https://www.youtube.com/@howtobattle TikTok @howtobattlepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@howtobattlepodcast LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosvasquezofficial/ Substack https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial BOOKS The Leader’s PRICE https://a.co/d/092L8iXu The PRICE Method https://thepricemethodbook.com/ Warrior in the Garden: 7 Rules for Men https://a.co/d/fGwcbBT MORE Pathway to Purpose Project https://p2p-project.org/ @pathway2purposeproject https://www.instagram.com/pathway2purposeproject DAN: Dan Olschwang https://www.danolschwang.com/ Healing — Free Masterclass https://www.danolschwang.com/What_is_Healing_Free_Masterclass #Success #Fulfillment #PersonalGrowth #Happiness #SelfAwareness #Purpose #Relationships #Mindset #CIWIHWMF #HowToBattle

    99. SUCCESS ISN’T WHAT YOU THINK | The Truth About a Successful Life | CIWIHWMF series

  2. Oct 21

    98. Are You Actually Being Yourself? The Truth About Authenticity | CIWIHWMF series

    What does it actually mean to be authentic? Is authenticity simply saying what you think, dressing however you want, following every impulse, and refusing to conform? Or is it possible that some of what we call our authentic self is actually pain, fear, conditioning, ego, survival mechanisms, and old wounds we’ve carried for so long that they now feel like us? In this episode: What authenticity actually means Why being “different” does not automatically make someone authentic The difference between self-expression and the need for attention Why we only know ourselves to the depth we have explored ourselves How childhood wounds distort the way we experience the world Why pain can eventually feel like part of your personality The relationship between healing and authenticity Why growth has limits if we refuse to confront our pain How to tell whether something is authentic—or an emotional trigger Why repeated patterns can reveal unresolved wounds The importance of being radically honest with yourself How survival mechanisms created in childhood follow us into adulthood Why protection can eventually become a prison Dan’s turning point after achieving everything he thought would make him happy Why external success does not guarantee fulfillment Why your pain may have shaped you without needing to define you Carlos learning to speak from his heart instead of his pain The surprising conversation about Carlos’ prison-cell screensaver When gratitude may also contain hidden attachment Why healing and growth may actually be the same process How our past identities can become anchors Why titles like CEO, speaker, coach or formerly incarcerated can eventually become limiting Who we become when we stop needing our past to explain who we are One of the biggest ideas in this conversation is simple: Your pain may have shaped you, but your pain is not necessarily you. As we heal, we do not erase our history. We remove the parts of that history that keep us from experiencing life fully. And underneath those layers may be a version of ourselves we have never completely met. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every Wednesday. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial #CIWIHWMF #HowToBattle #HowToBattlePodcast #Authenticity #SelfAwareness #WhoAreYouReally

    98. Are You Actually Being Yourself? The Truth About Authenticity | CIWIHWMF series

  3. Oct 17

    97. Why Do We Evolve? The Human Drive for More | CIWIHWMF series

    What if evolution isn't only something that happens to a species over millions of years? What if it's happening inside you right now? In episode 97, Dan and Carlos explore one of the biggest questions we've taken on yet: Why do we evolve? Why is there something inside human beings that keeps reaching for more? More experience. More understanding. More growth. More expression. More life. And why is pain so often the thing that finally forces us to change? Dan introduces the idea of two very different forces that can move a human life forward: being pushed by fear, pain and circumstances—or being pulled by curiosity, passion and the desire to experience more of what life has to offer. That distinction opens the door to a much deeper conversation. We explore questions including: • What does evolution actually mean? • Why are human beings constantly driven toward “more”? • Does technology mean humanity is actually evolving? • Were human beings built for comfort—or challenge? • Why does pain accelerate transformation? • Are you being pushed by fear or pulled by purpose? • Can someone evolve without first reaching a crisis? • Why can material success still leave someone feeling empty? • How much of what we believe we want is actually programming? • Are most people living on autopilot? • What happens when we resist change? • Does evolution require pain? • Why is curiosity such a powerful driver of growth? • What can Darwin's theory tell us—and what questions does it leave unanswered? • Why do we evolve at all? • What is consciousness? • Is consciousness connected to what people call God or Source? • Why does the human experience exist? • Why are humans driven to create and express themselves? • Can evolution happen within a single lifetime? • Is death part of the evolutionary experience? • Why are human beings so afraid of death? • Can making peace with mortality make us more free? • What role could AI play in the next stage of human evolution? • If knowledge becomes universally available, does creativity become more valuable? • Can AI ever become conscious? • How do we choose the right teachers as we evolve? • What happens when we resist our own evolution? This is Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father — an unscripted series of the How To Battle Podcast with Carlos Vasquez and Dan Olschwang exploring the deeper questions about life, identity, relationships, pain, consciousness, purpose and the human experience that so many of us never had the opportunity to ask. If there is a conversation you wish you could have had with your father, leave the question in the comments. It may become a future episode. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every week. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com/ Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial #ConversationsIWishIHadWithMyFather #HowToBattle #CIWIHWMF #Evolution #PersonalGrowth #Consciousness #HumanPotential #SelfRealization #Spirituality #Purpose #InnerWork #Transformation #Curiosity #ArtificialIntelligence #HumanEvolution

    97. Why Do We Evolve? The Human Drive for More | CIWIHWMF series

  4. Oct 14

    96. Pregnant at 13, Foster Care, Toxic Love—Then She Rebuilt Her Life | Valaery Rose

    She became pregnant at 13. Had her daughter at 14. Entered foster care. Grew up surrounded by poverty, gangs, drugs and violence. And for years, Valaery Rose struggled with the belief that maybe this was simply the life she had been given. But eventually, she made a different decision: The cycle was going to end with her. In this episode of the How To Battle Podcast, Carlos sits down with Valaery Rose for a raw conversation about teen motherhood, foster care, gang culture, toxic relationships, self-worth, motherhood, healing, personal development and the power of choosing a different future. Timestamps: 00:00 Pregnant at 13 and entering foster care 01:08 Surviving darkness and becoming a light for others 03:18 Growing up around gangs, poverty and addiction 05:02 Feeling abandoned by her parents 07:15 The streets, fighting and becoming a teen mom 08:25 What it feels like to be pregnant at 13 10:32 The moment motherhood changed everything 11:29 “I became the mother I wish I had” 12:06 Leaving her daughter’s father and breaking the pattern 17:03 Nine years inside a toxic relationship 19:48 How she finally found the courage to leave 20:25 “No one is going to come save me” 24:41 Stepping into the unknown and rebuilding herself 27:15 The personal-development practices that changed her life 32:20 Why Carlos began living life like an adventure 36:00 Why young people are drawn to gangs 40:52 Be loyal to yourself—not the streets 42:34 The social worker who showed her another life 45:07 How Valaery became a life coach 49:39 Her definition of success 54:29 Becoming a motivational speaker 55:31 Why Carlos sometimes feels like it’s never enough 59:39 Do we need rock bottom to change? 1:00:20 Where Valaery sees herself in five years 1:04:03 The power of vulnerability 1:06:52 Build a life that you love Valaery's life is proof that your environment can influence you without having to define you. Your family can shape you without determining your future. Your mistakes can become lessons. And the life you're living today does not have to be the life you're living five years from now. Sometimes transformation begins with one very uncomfortable question: What am I allowing in my life that I already know needs to change? If this episode speaks to you, subscribe to the How To Battle Podcast and share it with someone who may need the reminder that they are allowed to want more for their life. Connect with Valaery Rose Instagram: @valaery.rose Linktree: https://linktr.ee/valaeryrose Connect with Carlos Instagram: https://instagram.com/carlosvasquezofficial Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/carlosvasquezofficial #BreakingTheCycle #TeenMom #SelfLeadership #Resilience #ValaeryRose #CarlosVasquez #HowToBattle #HowToBattlePodcast

    96. Pregnant at 13, Foster Care, Toxic Love—Then She Rebuilt Her Life | Valaery Rose

  5. Oct 8

    95. How Your Family Shapes Who You Become | CIWIHWMF series

    Our family is the first place we learn what love feels like. But it's also the first place we learn fear, expectations, beliefs, rules, identity and what we're told life is supposed to look like. So how much of who we become is actually us, and how much was handed to us by the family we were born into? In Episode 95, I sit down with Dan to explore one of the most complicated forces in the human experience: Family. The good, the bad and the ugly. We explore how our earliest experiences with parents and caregivers begin shaping the way we understand ourselves and the world long before we're old enough to question any of it. Dan describes the family as our first “mold” — the environment where we begin learning whether we're safe, whether we're okay, how relationships work, what is expected of us and what we believe is possible. But parents are human too. They carry their own fears, wounds, insecurities, beliefs and inherited patterns, and whether they intend to or not, some of those patterns inevitably become part of the next generation. That raises some uncomfortable questions. Are parents automatically right simply because they're parents? Should children follow the path their parents choose for them? Is rebellion sometimes a healthy part of becoming yourself? Why can family members trigger us more deeply than almost anyone else? How do you set boundaries without completely abandoning the people you love? And do we actually owe our family anything? Dan and I also explore generational trauma, parenting, unconditional love, family hierarchy, the influence of technology and social media on younger generations, blended families and what happens when one person decides to break a pattern that has existed for generations. I also share my own experience of reconnecting with my family after years in the streets and prison, and realizing that loving my family did not mean I couldn't establish boundaries with them. Sometimes those boundaries actually made the relationship stronger. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every Wednesday. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial We explore questions including: • How much does your family shape who you become? • Are parents automatically right because they're parents? • What does a healthy family actually look like? • What gets passed from one generation to the next? • What is generational trauma? • How do you break patterns that existed before you were born? • Can parents unintentionally pass their own fear onto their children? • Why are children sometimes our greatest teachers? • Should parents allow their children to rebel? • How much freedom should children have to discover their own path? • Why does your family know exactly how to push your buttons? • What is unconditional love between a parent and child? • Does a child's struggle mean the parent failed? • Do we owe our parents or family anything? • Can you love your family and still separate yourself from them? • How do blended and adoptive families fit into the definition of family? • Can healing one person change an entire family system? • Can breaking your own patterns change the generations that come after you? #ConversationsIWishIHadWithMyFather #HowToBattle #CIWIHWMF #Family #GenerationalTrauma #Parenting #FamilyHealing #Boundaries #ChildhoodTrauma #BreakingTheCycle #PersonalGrowth #InnerWork #Healing #SelfDiscovery #Transformation

    95. How Your Family Shapes Who You Become | CIWIHWMF series

  6. Sep 30

    94. What Is Love, Really? Soulmates, Relationships & Why We Choose Each Other | CIWIHWMF series

    We say we love our partners. Our children. Our parents. Our friends. But what is love — really? And how much of what we call love was actually taught to us by our childhood, our wounds, our culture and the relationships we experienced growing up? In the this episode of How To Battle, Dan Olschwang and I explore one of the deepest questions I wish I could have asked my father: What is love, and what is the purpose of relationships in our lives? This conversation goes far beyond romance. We talk about how people learn what love means, why two people can experience love completely differently, how childhood wounds affect our ability to give and receive love, why relationships can expose parts of ourselves we cannot see alone, and whether there really is such a thing as a soulmate. Dan shares his perspective that love is something experienced through connection — an exchange that becomes deeper as two people become more open, healed and aligned. That leads us into some uncomfortable questions. Is “self-love” actually love? Do soulmates really exist? How do you know when you have found yours? Should marriage matter, or is commitment what actually matters? Can open relationships reach the same depth as complete commitment to one person? What happens when one person in a relationship keeps growing and the other doesn't? And can the person we love become one of the greatest catalysts for our own healing? I also share parts of my relationship with Shirin, how we met while volunteering with foster children, why I initially resisted the relationship, the connection I couldn't explain, and how healing individually helped us eventually become stronger together. This is Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father — a series built around the questions about life, meaning, relationships, fear, purpose and the human experience that so many of us never had the opportunity to ask. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack for weekly reflections on transformation, leadership, purpose and the human experience: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial #ConversationsIWishIHadWithMyFather #HowToBattle #CIWIHWMF #WhatIsLove #Love #Relationships #Soulmates #HealthyRelationships #Marriage #EmotionalHealing #PersonalGrowth #InnerWork #SelfDiscovery #Healing #Transformation

    94. What Is Love, Really? Soulmates, Relationships & Why We Choose Each Other | CIWIHWMF series

  7. Sep 23

    93. Who Are You, Really? Identity, Fate & Finding Your True Self | CIWIHWMF Series

    Most of us spend our entire lives answering the question “Who am I?” with labels. Our name. Our job. Our past. Our accomplishments. Our failures. Our beliefs. The roles we play. But what if none of those things are actually who we are? In the second episode of Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father, I sit down with Dan Olschwang to explore one of the deepest questions I wish I could have asked my father: Who am I, really? But before we can answer who we are, Dan proposes an even deeper question: What am I? This conversation moves through identity, consciousness, the soul, conditioning, free choice, fear, fate, destiny, purpose, relationships, love and what it means to actually express who you are beneath everything life has taught you to become. We explore how our families, environments, experiences and pain begin shaping our identities before we are old enough to question them, and how many of us eventually enter adulthood believing those accumulated experiences are simply “who we are.” Dan introduces the difference between fate and destiny: a life being pushed forward by the fears and conditioning of the past versus a life being pulled forward by calling, passion and genuine self-expression. I also reflect on my own life, from the environment that pushed me toward drugs, violence and ultimately prison, to discovering a completely different way of living that now feels less like something pushing me and more like something calling me forward. We explore questions including: • Who are we beneath our labels, roles and experiences? • Are we our body and mind, or something deeper? • How much of our identity is created by our environment? • What is consciousness? • What is the soul? • Do we actually have free choice? • What is the difference between fate and destiny? • Are you being pushed through life by fear or pulled by something you love? • How do you know when you're living on the wrong path? • Can healing help us discover who we actually are? • Is there such a thing as reaching your “highest self”? • Why do some people seem to discover their gifts early in life? • What do you do when you have no idea what your purpose is? • Can the people we love influence our destiny? • Why do we sometimes attract relationships that recreate our pain? • Can love overcome fear? • What does it mean to fully express yourself? This is Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father, a series built around the questions about life, meaning, relationships, fear, purpose and the human experience that so many of us never had the opportunity to ask. If there is a conversation you wish you could have had with your father, leave the question in the comments. It may become a future episode. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every Wednesday. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack for weekly reflections on transformation, leadership, purpose and the human experience: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial #ConversationsIWishIHadWithMyFather #HowToBattle #CIWIHWMF #WhoAmI #Identity #SelfDiscovery #Consciousness #SelfRealization #Purpose #PersonalGrowth #InnerWork #FateVsDestiny #Healing #Love #Transformation

    93. Who Are You, Really? Identity, Fate & Finding Your True Self | CIWIHWMF Series

  8. Sep 16

    92. Why Pain Exists & What It’s Trying to Teach You | CIWIHWMF Series

    Pain can break us. Numb us. Control us. But what if pain is also one of the forces that changes us? In the first episode of our new series Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father, I sit down with Dan Olschwang to explore one of the deepest questions I wish I could have asked my father: Why do we experience pain? This conversation goes far beyond physical pain. We talk about emotional suffering, childhood experiences, addiction and numbing, fear, anxiety, the stories we attach to painful experiences, why people stay trapped in familiar forms of suffering, and whether pain can ultimately become a pathway toward growth, freedom and purpose. Dan also opens up about experiencing anxiety and emotional struggles even while appearing successful on the outside, and how confronting his own pain changed the way he lived, parented and ultimately helped others. We explore questions including: • Why does pain exist? • Is suffering an unavoidable part of being human? • Why can the same experience devastate one person and barely affect another? • What happens when we numb pain instead of facing it? • Can our relationship with pain actually change the experience? • How does unresolved pain influence fear, anger and our reactions? • Why do people stay inside pain that is familiar rather than face the unknown? • Can pain become part of our purpose? This is Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father — a series built around the questions about life, meaning, relationships, fear, purpose and the human experience that so many of us never had the opportunity to ask. If there is a conversation you wish you could have had with your father, leave the question in the comments. It may become a future episode. Subscribe and join us for a new conversation every Wednesday. Learn more about Dan Olschwang: https://www.danolschwang.com Join Carlos Vasquez on Substack for weekly reflections on transformation, leadership, purpose and the human experience: https://substack.com/@carlosvasquezofficial CHAPTERS 00:00 Pain is part of the human experience 01:20 The conversations I wish I had with my father 05:00 What is pain — and why do we experience it? 10:00 Pain as a change agent 15:00 Is suffering unavoidable? 20:00 Why our interpretation changes pain 25:00 Numbing pain: drugs, addiction and avoidance 35:00 Can we transcend pain? 40:00 Separating the signal from our reaction 45:00 Teaching children not to fear discomfort 50:00 Emotional pain, energy and the body 65:00 Dan's story: success, anxiety and healing 75:00 When your pain prepares you to help others 80:00 Pain can become strength — or a prison 85:00 Pain, reaction and free will 90:00 How pain becomes fear, anger and grief 95:00 What is the purpose of pain? 100:00 Why we stay inside familiar pain 105:00 Presence in a distracted world 110:00 Final reflections #Pain #Healing #PersonalGrowth #CIWIHWMF #ConversationsIWishIHadWithMyFather #HowToBattle

    92. Why Pain Exists & What It’s Trying to Teach You | CIWIHWMF Series
See All (99)

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

This channel explores transformation, resilience, leadership, healing, purpose, relationships, faith, identity, and what it means to live a meaningful life. I sit down with remarkable people from all walks of life to talk honestly about what they’ve survived, what they’ve learned, and who they’ve become, while also sharing my own perspectives, experiences, lessons, and questions about life, leadership, healing, mindset, success, relationships, consciousness, and personal growth. Through Conversations I Wish I Had With My Father, alongside Dan Olschwang, I also explore the deeper questions many of us were never taught how to ask—about love, fear, pain, authenticity, purpose, family, identity, relationships, death, and what it means to be human. These are real, unscripted conversations rooted in adversity, redemption, resilience, lived experience, curiosity, and a willingness to go deeper—without pretending to have perfect answers. New episodes every Wednesday. Visit: www.carlosvasquezofficial.com

Information

  • Creator
    Carlos Vasquez
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Carlos Vasquez
  • Show Website
    How To Battle Podcast