The Self-Leadership Lab

Bobby Shelton
  • 5.0 (22)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Semiweekly

The Self-Leadership Lab is where purpose, discipline, and personal mastery get broken down, tested, and rebuilt. Hosted by author and coach Bobby Shelton, this podcast explores the real work of leading yourself before you lead anyone else. Each episode dives into the practices, psychology, and “inner lab work” behind self-awareness, self-discipline, and meaningful growth. If you’re ready to trade performative busyness for intentional living and choose the kind of work that truly shapes you, this is your place. Welcome to The Self-Leadership Lab.

  1. 8h ago

    Erwan Le Corre: Training Your Body, Mastering Your Mind

    What if being physically fit and being mentally resilient require the same fundamental skill: learning how to train yourself? Erwan Le Corre has spent decades exploring that question. As the founder of MovNat, Erwan teaches people to rediscover the natural movements we once performed instinctively as children. Running, jumping, climbing, crawling, balancing, lifting, and carrying aren't simply exercises. They're practical capabilities that help us navigate the physical world. His approach challenges something many of us have accepted about fitness. We spend countless hours working on how our bodies look, but how often do we consider what our bodies are actually capable of doing? Erwan and I explore that question, including some of my own limitations despite years of traditional strength training. But our conversation eventually moves from the physical world to the internal one. Erwan shares how his interest in spearfishing led him to explore breath-holding and, ultimately, develop BreathHoldWork®, a method he uses to teach mental composure and relaxation. We discuss why traditional meditation can be frustrating for some people, how our internal dialogue influences our emotional experiences, and why developing mental resilience requires intentional practice. This part of the conversation became especially personal for me. Having experienced depression and periods of destructive negative self-talk, I understand how difficult it can be when your own thoughts seem to work against you. Erwan offered a perspective I found particularly valuable. Rather than expecting unpleasant thoughts and emotions to disappear completely, consider measuring your progress in three ways: Frequency: How often do they occur? Intensity: How strongly do they affect you? Duration: How long do they last? It's a practical way to think about progress in our internal lives. We also discuss how emotions and thoughts influence each other, why developing composure takes practice, and what it means to take greater responsibility for our physical and mental well-being. Ultimately, this conversation reinforced something I believe deeply. Self-leadership begins with learning to govern yourself. That includes your body, your thoughts, your responses, and the choices you make each day. About Erwan: Erwan Le Corre is the founder of MovNat®, the original natural movement education company, which he launched in 2008, and the founder of BreathHoldWork®, a method of nervous system training built on breath-hold work. He is the author of The Practice of Natural Movement (Victory Belt, 2019) and broke the U.S. national records in static apnea three times, with a personal best of 8 minutes 3 seconds. His work has appeared in Men's Health, Outside, and Christopher McDougall's Natural Born Heroes. MovNat trains the body for the real world. BreathHoldWork® trains the mind and nervous system to meet it. Connect with Erwan Le Corre Learn about MovNat and its approach to natural movement. Explore BreathHoldWork and Erwan's work on breath-hold training and mental composure. About The Self-Leadership Lab Self-leadership is the practice of governing your inner world so your outer life reflects your convictions. Note: Breath-holding practices can be dangerous, especially in water. This conversation is educational and does not replace qualified instruction or professional mental health care.

    Erwan Le Corre: Training Your Body, Mastering Your Mind

  2. Oct 27

    Jay Abbasi: The Pursuit of Success Without Losing Yourself

    What if you could pursue ambitious goals without sacrificing your happiness along the way? Jay Abbasi spent years building a successful career in demanding corporate environments, including Tesla. But when his father died unexpectedly at just 55, Jay began questioning what success really meant and whether he was living the life he actually wanted. Today, Jay is a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and host of the Unstuck podcast, helping people navigate change, pressure, and uncertainty while protecting their well-being. In this conversation, Jay and I explore the relationship between achievement and happiness, and why so many high-performing professionals find themselves exhausted, disconnected, and wondering what they're working so hard for. We talk about the importance of rest, the surprising value of boredom, and how stepping away from a problem can sometimes be more productive than continuing to push through it. We also explore Jay's approach to protecting our energy through three essential areas: our bodies, our relationships, and our minds. One of my favorite moments came when I shared a story about a friend who reached out to tell me he missed talking to me. At the time, I was so busy building a community for veterans that I had begun neglecting the relationships already in my life. It was a reminder that sometimes the very things we're trying to accomplish can distract us from what matters most. Jay also introduces his concept of the joy equilibrium, the balance between what we contribute to the world and what we allow ourselves to receive. We close with an important reminder: Our goals can give us direction, but they shouldn't determine whether we're allowed to be happy today. Connect with Jay Listen to Unstuck with Jay Abbasi and find him on LinkedIn. The Self-Leadership Lab explores the practice of governing our inner world so our outer lives reflect our convictions.

    Jay Abbasi: The Pursuit of Success Without Losing Yourself

  3. Oct 20

    Heather O'Brien: Faith, Anxiety, and the Courage to Look Within

    Heather O'Brien knows what it's like to love God and still struggle with depression, anxiety, fear, and feelings of unworthiness. Today, she's a Christian healing coach, Bible teacher, and host of the Heal with God podcast. But her work grew out of her own journey toward faith, forgiveness, and learning to see herself differently. In this conversation, Heather and I explore what it means to have a relationship with God rather than simply believe in Him. We talk about hearing God's voice, asking better questions, the relationship between our emotions and our identity, and why changing our circumstances doesn't necessarily change what's happening inside us. We also get into some challenging territory. Can our attachment to comfort or discomfort become an idol? How should Christians understand anxiety and spiritual warfare? What happens when shame, perfectionism, and the need to control everything begin shaping our identity? Heather shares her spiritual perspective on these questions, and I share some of my own experiences with depression, weight loss, and learning to let go of the person I once believed I had to be. One idea especially stayed with me: Sometimes we need to stop asking God to change our circumstances and start asking Him to show us what we need to understand. We close with a conversation about forgiveness, grace, prayer, and the importance of Christian community. This is a candid conversation about faith, emotional struggles, and the ongoing practice of self-leadership. Connect with Heather Listen to the Heal with God podcast. Free workshop: https://healwithgodworkshop.com This conversation reflects personal experiences and spiritual beliefs and is not a substitute for professional mental health care.

    Heather O'Brien: Faith, Anxiety, and the Courage to Look Within

  4. Oct 13

    Kade Jungkurth: What Are You Getting Fit For?

    What are you getting fit for? For Kade Jungkurth, fitness used to be largely about changing his body. Today, it means something much bigger. Kade is the founder of Fitness Jungkie, author of The Fit 4 Life Performance Planner, and a coach who has helped more than 1,000 people improve their health and fitness. In this conversation, Kade shares how the death of a close friend and client helped reconnect him with his Christian faith and ultimately changed the purpose behind his work. We explore fitness not as an end in itself, but as a way to build the capacity to live, lead, love, and serve well. Kade and I talk about the connection between physical, mental, and spiritual health; why Christians should think about stewardship of the body; the difference between fitness and vanity; why sustainable health doesn't require living in the gym; and how the discipline we develop physically can carry into our faith, families, relationships, and leadership. Kade also walks through the four pillars behind his Fit 4 Life framework and explains why the goal isn't simply to become fit today. It's to build a lifestyle you can sustain for the rest of your life. We finish with a deceptively simple challenge: Keep one promise to yourself today. Kade argues that repeatedly breaking promises to ourselves erodes self-trust. Keeping one small promise begins rebuilding it. Kade Jungkurth - Video This conversation isn't about six-pack abs. It's about asking a much more important question: What do I need to become capable of doing with the life I've been given? About Kade: Kade Jungkurth is the founder of Fitness Jungkie Training and creator of the Fit 4 Life coaching system. With over 11 years of experience, he has helped more than 1,000 clients build stronger bodies, healthier habits, and lasting results. Kade holds a degree in Sports Conditioning from Texas A&M University and has competed at a high level in both bodybuilding and powerlifting. He combines his education, competitive experience, and years of coaching with practical, sustainable systems designed to help busy, high-performing leaders improve their health, energy, confidence, and performance; without sacrificing their careers or lifestyle. https://www.fitnessjungkie.com/

    Kade Jungkurth: What Are You Getting Fit For?

  5. Oct 6

    Connie Kwan: Why Changing Your Habits Starts with Changing Your Story

    Why do we struggle to make habits stick, even when we genuinely want to change? Connie Kwan believes we may be starting in the wrong place. Connie is a former Silicon Valley product executive who worked on technology designed to help people quit smoking. What she discovered was that the people who successfully changed weren't necessarily the ones with the most willpower. They had developed a compelling story about why the change mattered to them. In this conversation, Connie and I explore the connection between habits, identity, confidence, motivation, values, and self-leadership. We talk about why small goals can build confidence, what to do when the people around you resist your change, why your environment matters but isn't enough, and Connie's powerful metaphor of connecting the “balloon” of a new habit to the “anchor” of something you already deeply value. We also challenge the idea that bigger goals are always better and discuss why sustainable change often begins with something almost laughably achievable. Connie is currently writing Story Habits, which explores this approach to lasting behavior change. If there's something in your life you've been trying to change, this conversation may help you ask a different question. Instead of simply asking “How do I change?” Maybe start with: “Why does this change matter to me?” Connect with Connie: https://conniekwan.com/

    Connie Kwan: Why Changing Your Habits Starts with Changing Your Story

  6. Sep 29

    Jorge Avalos: From Paralysis to Purpose, Service, and Freedom

    Jorge Avalos was told he would never walk again. After 22 years in the Army, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, multiple combat injuries, a devastating skydiving accident, paralysis, numerous surgeries, and later being struck by a pickup truck while cycling, Jorge has had plenty of reasons to quit. He didn't but this conversation isn't about refusing to quit. It's about what Jorge chose to do with the life he fought so hard to reclaim. After his injuries, Jorge returned to cycling and rediscovered a sense of freedom he thought he had lost. Today, through Adaptive Velo Warriors, he helps disabled veterans and first responders get back on bikes through adaptive equipment while rebuilding something many veterans lose when they leave the military: community and camaraderie. Jorge and I also talk about his evolution from a self-described cocky young soldier into a servant leader, why grit can become a weakness when taken too far, the importance of rest and reflection, imposter syndrome, faith, and why leadership doesn't need to be as complicated as we often make it. I especially appreciated Jorge's honesty about perseverance. The same drive that carried him through extraordinary circumstances has sometimes caused him to push himself too far and neglect his own needs while serving others. Jorge Avalos That's self-leadership too: learning not only when to push, but when to recover. At the end of our conversation, Jorge boils much of his philosophy down to three simple ideas: Faith in God. Faith in yourself. And don't be a jerk. Sometimes leadership really can be that simple. About Jorge: A 23-year Army Veteran, Ranger, and combat Veteran with multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jorge has built a life defined by service, resilience, and reinvention. While serving in the Army, he became a professional skydiver. A life-changing skydiving accident ultimately led to his medical retirement from the Army and forced him to confront a completely different future. Rather than allowing the injury to define him, he rebuilt his life through determination, purpose, and service. After retiring from the military, he became a professional cyclist and multiple-time cycling champion, master bicycle technician, custom bicycle frame builder, volunteer firefighter, and CNC machinist. He has also worked with nonprofits serving Veterans and is the founder and executive director of Adaptive Velo Warriors, an organization helping veterans and individuals with disabilities discover strength, independence, and connection through adaptive cycling. A husband and father of four boys, Jorge brings real-world experience, honesty, and perspective to every conversation. This podcast explores military service, combat, family, recovery, adaptive sports, resilience, entrepreneurship, self-leadership and the people who find a way forward when life changes direction. Watch Jorge's story on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rct1i0TbpIM

    Jorge Avalos: From Paralysis to Purpose, Service, and Freedom

  7. Sep 22

    Garrett Mintz: The Power of Second Chances, Mentorship, and Persistence

    At 19 years old, Garrett Mintz was facing a future that looked very different from the one he's living today. After dealing drugs from ages 15 to 19, Garrett received five felony distribution charges, was expelled from Indiana University, and faced the possibility of prison. Then something happened that would change the trajectory of his life. People believed in him. Garrett describes having people who saw something in him that he couldn't yet see in himself. One of those people gave him an internship despite knowing the risk involved. Others opened doors, made introductions, and helped him discover another way to channel something he'd been searching for all along: the desire to be needed. Garrett eventually found that outlet through mentorship. Today, Garrett is the founder and CEO of Ambition in Motion, where his work centers on helping leaders become better versions of themselves and creating workplaces where people can thrive. This conversation goes far beyond Garrett's remarkable story. We talk about persistence, entrepreneurship, mentorship, taking risks, finding meaningful work, recognizing opportunity, learning through experimentation, knowing when to quit, and what happens when someone gives another person a chance. Garrett also shares something I think every entrepreneur needs to hear: the early years weren't glamorous. For five years, he didn't take a salary from his company. He bartended, served tables, and drove Uber while continuing to build the business. Eventually, those small actions and years of persistence compounded. Maybe that's one of the biggest lessons from Garrett's story. Someone may open the door for you. But you still have to be willing to walk through it. About Garrett: Garrett Mintz is the founder and CEO of Ambition In Motion where he connects executives with each other to help them work through their most pressing challenges in a peer group format. His vision is a world where the vast majority of people are excited to go to work; when they are there, their expectations meet reality; and when they come home, they feel fulfilled. He believes leaders are at the heart of this mission, as leaders create the experiences employees have at work. Connect with Garrett: https://ambition-in-motion.com/

    Garrett Mintz: The Power of Second Chances, Mentorship, and Persistence

  8. Sep 15

    Eric Robinson: From Pastor to FBI Agent and What He Learned About People

    What could 12 years as a pastor possibly have in common with 24 years as an FBI agent? More than you might think. My guest this week is Eric Robinson, a recently retired FBI Special Agent whose career took an unusual path. Before joining the Bureau, Eric spent 12 years in ministry and eventually became a senior pastor. But ministry was taking a toll. Eric found himself carrying the problems of the people he served without having a community where he could be equally vulnerable. He felt pressure to appear happy and put together while privately carrying enormous stress. For two years, that stress manifested as daily headaches. Then Eric decided he needed to make a change. He applied to the FBI. What Eric discovered over the next 24 years is that his two careers weren't as different as they appeared. Both required him to understand people. His years in ministry had taught him how to listen, connect, remain curious, and create enough safety for someone to talk. Those skills followed him directly into law enforcement. Eric says: “I don't get confessions by talking.” Instead, he learned to ask questions, tolerate uncomfortable silence, and give people room to reveal themselves. We also explore leadership. Eric makes an important distinction between authority and influence. In the FBI, he had authority to enforce the law. But having authority didn't automatically make someone a good leader. Some of the best leaders he encountered understood that their job was to equip capable people and remove obstacles from their path. One supervisor routinely ended conversations by asking: “What else do you need?” We also talk about something deeper. Identity. After more than two decades as an FBI agent, Eric found himself approaching retirement and wondering what life would look like when he was no longer “the FBI guy.” He describes it as something of an existential crisis. Eventually, he began learning to say: I did that. That was great. I'm not that anymore. That part of our conversation will resonate with anyone who has ever allowed a career, title, uniform, position, or accomplishment to become intertwined with who they believe they are. And in the end, Eric brings us back to something remarkably simple: Be curious. Before giving the answer, listen. Before assuming you understand someone, ask another question. Before allowing what you already believe to close your mind, leave enough room to learn something new. Eric learned that as a pastor. He practiced it as an FBI agent. And I think it's a lesson worth carrying into the way all of us lead ourselves and others. Follow Eric at his Preacher To Breacher website (https://preachertobreacher.com/)to stay up to date with his latest content, or check out Instagram @_eric_robinson.

    Eric Robinson: From Pastor to FBI Agent and What He Learned About People
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5
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About

The Self-Leadership Lab is where purpose, discipline, and personal mastery get broken down, tested, and rebuilt. Hosted by author and coach Bobby Shelton, this podcast explores the real work of leading yourself before you lead anyone else. Each episode dives into the practices, psychology, and “inner lab work” behind self-awareness, self-discipline, and meaningful growth. If you’re ready to trade performative busyness for intentional living and choose the kind of work that truly shapes you, this is your place. Welcome to The Self-Leadership Lab.

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