Evolving on Purpose

Evolving Lives
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

Evolving on Purpose is a podcast for leaders and high performers who've achieved success — but feel stuck, because what got them here isn't getting them to the next level. Every episode brings you the real stories, inner work, and tools to work through whatever is holding you back from who you're meant to be. Because the impact the world needs starts with you evolving on purpose.

Episodes

  1. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose Podcast | Coaching Conversation - Ryan Abriel- E6

    Ryan Abriel is back for a coaching episode that goes deep. Author of Still Here: 365 Reasons to Keep Going, Ryan has spent 13 years navigating anxiety, depression, and panic attacks — and has seen seven different therapists along the way. In this conversation, Matt coaches Ryan through why the "standard" therapy toolkit (breathing exercises, coping worksheets, talk therapy) hasn't been enough, and what's actually going on underneath. Disclaimer: this is a coaching conversation, not therapy, and is not meant to diagnose or treat any medical or mental health condition. Matt and Ryan explore: Why anxiety and panic aren't disorders — they're the nervous system doing exactly what it's designed to doWhat happens when we fight our own symptoms instead of understanding themRyan's physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns, symptom by symptomWhy panic can resurface around major life events, like becoming a parentThe difference between managing symptoms and actually resolving what's underneath themWhy talk therapy alone often plateaus — and what comes next when it doesThis is a real, unscripted look at what it's like to sit down and actually work through the patterns that have run your life for over a decade. If this resonated, make sure you're subscribed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and share it with someone carrying more than they let on. Connect with Ryan Instagram: @abriel Instagram: @stillhere365reasons — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week💬 Let us know what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #Anxiety #PanicAttacks #Coaching #MentalHealth #NervousSystem

    59 min

  2. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose Podcast | Still Here - Ryan Abriel - E5

    This week, Matt sits down with Ryan Abriel — brand and content marketing leader in the global sportswear industry, high school basketball coach, photographer, husband, father of two, and author of Still Here: 365 Reasons to Keep Going. For 13 years, Ryan has navigated anxiety, depression, and panic attacks while leading, creating, and showing up for the people around him — mostly in secret. Ryan opens up about the panic attack that changed everything at a restaurant in Salt Lake City, the shame he carried for over a decade, and how the athletic world's culture of "toughness" made it even harder to name what he was going through. Matt and Ryan dig into: What it's like to hide a mental health battle in the hyper-masculine world of sportsHow Ryan's book started as a private journal before becoming something he shares publiclyWhy staying "busy" can be both a coping mechanism and a trapThe difference between distraction and genuine presenceWhy disclosing your struggles to the people around you can be an act of connection, not weaknessHow noticing when someone isn't okay — and saying something — can change the course of their lifeIf you've ever worn a mask to get through the day, or you love someone who might be, this conversation is for you. If this resonated, make sure you're subscribed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and share it with someone who needs to hear they're not alone. Connect with Ryan Instagram: @abriel Instagram: @stillhere365reasons — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week💬 Let us know what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #MentalHealth #Anxiety #PanicAttacks #Vulnerability #PersonalGrowth

    47 min

  3. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose Podcast | The People Pleasing Leader - E4

    Matt breaks down the pattern that quietly runs so many high performers' lives: people pleasing. This isn't about the timid pushover. It's the reliable employee, the "does-it-all" mom, the boss who supports everyone but can't get their own work done — the high achiever who can't stop saying yes until they burn out or collapse. Matt traces how this pattern usually starts in childhood, why the world applauds it, and why that applause makes it so hard to see as a problem. In this episode, Matt covers: How people pleasing starts as a survival strategy — "I'm valuable when I'm needed"The over-functioning cycle: pleasing → over-commitment → resentment → collapseWhy disappointing someone can actually be an act of respectThe difference between kindness and complianceWhy the goal isn't saying no perfectly — it's tolerating the discomfort of saying itA reflection question to help you spot where you're being agreeable but dishonestThis is part of Matt's Six F's framework (the fight, flight, freeze, fun, fix, and flex responses) from his Anxiety ALIVE and Six Foundations of Flow work — with more patterns to come in future episodes. If you recognize this pattern in yourself or someone you lead, love, or work with, share this episode with them. This work isn't meant to be done alone. — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts💬 Let us know what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #PeoplePleasing #Boundaries #Leadership #Burnout #PersonalGrowth

    22 min

  4. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose Podcast | Coaching Conversation - Mandy Decino - E3

    Mandy Diseno returns for a real, live coaching session — a rare look inside what therapy and coaching can actually look like when it works. Mandy opens up about the therapist who asked her one question that changed everything: "Do you love yourself?" From there, Matt coaches Mandy through the deeper layers of her story — how people-pleasing became her survival pattern in childhood, how it shaped her marriage, and how healing that pattern is now the foundation of her work helping other women. In this session, Matt and Mandy explore: The three stress responses: control, people-pleasing, and avoidanceHow losing yourself happens in small sacrifices, not one big momentThe difference between healing (releasing the old) and growth (building the new)Why boundaries aren't all-or-nothing — and how to find the right kind for youWhat it looks like to move from "I need to heal" to "I have energy to give"Why it's okay if your first therapist or coach isn't the right fit — and why you shouldn't give upIf you've ever wondered what coaching actually looks like from the inside, or you've had a bad experience and are hesitant to try again, this episode is for you. If this resonated, make sure you're subscribed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and share it with someone who needs to hear they don't have to figure this out alone. Connect with Mandy Instagram: @thewomaninbloom — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week💬 Let us know what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #Coaching #Therapy #Boundaries #SelfLove #PersonalGrowth

    41 min

  5. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose Podcast | Woman In Bloom - Mandy Decino - E2

    This week, Matt sits down with Mandy Diceno — entrepreneur, business development leader, and creator of Woman in Bloom, a three-month guided self-love journey for women navigating life's crossroads. Mandy opens up about the collapse of her 20-year marriage, the identity loss that followed, and the years spent numbing pain with alcohol while holding it together on the outside. She shares how tiny, almost accidental habits — a ten-minute walk, three deep breaths, a moment of gratitude — became the starting point for rebuilding her sense of self from the ground up. Matt and Mandy dig into: Why "holding it together" is often a childhood pattern in disguiseHow micro habits stack into a new identity, one small win at a timeThe difference between self-care (pedicures) and true self-love (presence)Why women often have greater natural access to intuition — and how to reclaim itThe Three Refuges: leaders, community, and process — and why healing rarely happens aloneMandy's hope for her work: making it normal for women to talk openly about the hard, unglamorous parts of becoming someone new. If this conversation resonated with you, make sure you're subscribed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts — and share it with someone who's in the middle of their own rebuild. This work isn't meant to be done alone. Connect with Mandy Instagram: @thewomaninbloom — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every week💬 Let us know what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #SelfLove #MicroHabits #Divorce #PersonalGrowth #Healing

    45 min

  6. 5d ago

    Evolving On Purpose |The Leader's Journey - E1

    Matt Swartz kicks off Evolving On Purpose by sharing his own story in three acts: childhood ADHD and his parents' divorce, a post-grad crisis that triggered debilitating panic attacks, and the fatherhood breakdown that led him to EMDR therapy and reshaped how he helps clients today. This podcast is about unfiltered leadership and the inner work it takes to change your life, your family, your business — and the world. Future episodes feature leader interviews, coaching sessions, and deep dives into frameworks like Anxiety ALIVE and the Six Foundations of Flow. — LINKS & RESOURCES — 🧭 Take Our Free Flow Quiz 📄 Download the Free "Your Turning Point" PDF 🔥 Join "The Campfire" — our Free Weekly Group, Tuesdays at 1 PM Eastern 🎙️ Apply to be a Guest on the Evolving on Purpose Podcast 🔔 Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts💬 Tell us what you want us to explore next #EvolvingOnPurpose #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #EMDR #Healing

    23 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Evolving on Purpose is a podcast for leaders and high performers who've achieved success — but feel stuck, because what got them here isn't getting them to the next level. Every episode brings you the real stories, inner work, and tools to work through whatever is holding you back from who you're meant to be. Because the impact the world needs starts with you evolving on purpose.

Information

  • Creator
    Evolving Lives
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Evolving Lives
  • Show Website
    Evolving on Purpose