Beyond Self-Made

Michael Greenwalt
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Entrepreneurship

Conversations on leadership, reinvention, and the truth behind success. Hosted by Michael Greenwalt. Welcome to Beyond Self-Made. I'm Michael Greenwalt - speaker, author, and someone who's lived more than one life. From poverty to the military, to the cage, to the fireground, to the boardroom and entrepreneurship, I've learned that success isn't about doing it alone - it's about who shows up, who opens doors, and who walks with you when things get hard. This podcast is about leadership under pressure, career reinvention, personal growth, and the power of authentic human connection. These interviews are stories, conversations, and lessons for people building their next chapter - together.

  1. 10h ago ·  Video

    Teaching Humans in an AI World: Anika Jackson on education, entrepreneurship, and the future of work

    AI is changing everything, but what if our greatest competitive advantage isn't technology at all? In this episode of Beyond Self Made, Michael sits down with branding strategist, educator, and podcast host Anika Jackson, founder of Your Brand Amplified, to explore what it really takes to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. From building one of the world's top marketing podcasts to teaching graduate students at USC and helping entrepreneurs amplify their voices, Anika shares the winding journey that led her to a career centered on helping others succeed. Together they discuss: • Why authenticity has become more valuable—not less—in the age of AI • The entrepreneurial leap and learning to bet on yourself • How podcasting creates influence through genuine human connection • What AI is changing in education, branding, and the future of work • Why curiosity, joy, and adaptability may become the most important skills of the next decade • How entrepreneurs can build businesses that reflect their values instead of simply chasing attention This isn't just a conversation about branding. It's about identity, purpose, and why the future still belongs to people who are willing to learn, connect, and continue evolving. If you've ever wondered how to stay relevant without losing yourself, this episode is for you. https://yourbrandamplified.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/anikajackson/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-brand-amplified/id1543221243 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-pedagogy-the-art-of-teaching-for/id6784879140

  2. 10h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: Morning Brew Daily

    Introducing Major American Cities Are Losing Kids & Ford Wants You to Customize Your Car from Morning Brew Daily. Follow the show: Morning Brew Daily #898: American big cities have fewer and fewer children living in them. A Chinese chip maker makes a big splash in its market debut, shaking up the semiconductor industry. Ford is hoping the aftermarket industry for their cars becomes a growth opportunity. Toby examines the trend of microinfluencers. Finally, Cracker Barrel is axing its CEO.  Got difficult questions? Head to https://www.claude.ai/mbd to answer them.  Get tickets for our trivia tournament! https://caveat.nyc/events/the-morning-brew-trivia-tournament-2026-07-30  Grab tickets to our Performance Revue show! https://www.morningbrew.com/events/brew-performance-revue-2026?utm_campaign=performance_revue_2026&utm_source=mbd Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: Morning Brew Daily

  3. Jul 1 ·  Video

    Functioning Is Not the Same as Flourishing: My Ketamine Journey

    For years, I thought healing meant learning to carry more. What if it actually means learning to carry less? In this deeply personal episode of Beyond Self-Made, I share my complete journey after finishing six medically supervised ketamine treatments. This isn't an endorsement or medical advice. It's simply an honest reflection on why I chose to explore this path, what I experienced during each session, and how it has already begun changing the way I lead, parent, handle stress, and experience life. We talk about: • Why I decided to pursue ketamine therapy after 23 years in the fire service • Trauma, first responders, and the invisible weight we normalize • Beauty, love, anger, limitless potential, and unexpected spiritual insights • The realities that aren't often discussed, including headaches, vivid nightmares, and the importance of integration therapy • The measurable changes I've noticed in stress, presence, creativity, relationships, and even physical health metrics • Why this experience wasn't about escaping life, but learning to engage with it differently Whether your path involves therapy, faith, exercise, meditation, journaling, or another approach entirely, I hope this conversation encourages you to ask one important question: What are you intentionally doing to care for the person carrying everything you've been through? If this conversation resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts or experiences. Reach out through my website, michaelgreenwalt.net, or connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram (themichaelgreenwalt). If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need to hear it.       #BeyondSelfMade #KetamineTherapy #MentalHealth #FirstResponders #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #HealingJourney #TraumaRecovery #Neuroplasticity #Resilience #Mindset #Veterans #EmotionalHealth #SpiritualGrowth #SelfLeadership #HumanPerformance #MensMentalHealth #Purpose #GrowthMindset #MichaelGreenwalt

  4. Jun 15 ·  Video

    Limitless: Reflections After My 2nd Ketamine Treatment - Chasing Anger, Finding Peace

    In this deeply personal episode of Beyond Self Made, I share my reflections after my second ketamine treatment session. Unlike my first experience, which was filled primarily with beauty, love, and peace, this session took an unexpected turn. At one point, I found myself chasing what felt like a manifestation of anger through a vibrant landscape of color and energy. The harder I chased it, the further it moved away. Then something shifted. Instead of pursuing it, I realized I didn't have to. What followed was one of the most powerful moments I've experienced: a reminder that we often give power to the very things that hold us back. We also discuss: • The difference between intentional pauses and what I call a "peaceful pause" • Changes I've noticed in everyday interactions since beginning treatment • Being more present with family • Letting go of unnecessary conflict and frustration • Anxiety, deadlines, and emotional reactions • The connection between ketamine therapy and self-awareness • What it means to confront fear instead of running from it Whether you're curious about ketamine therapy, personal growth, emotional healing, or simply becoming more of who you're capable of being, I hope this conversation offers something meaningful. If there's one message I took away from this experience, it's this: Face what you're avoiding. You may be far more capable, resilient, and limitless than you realize.

  5. Jun 11 ·  Video

    I Saw Beauty Everywhere: My First Ketamine Experience

    I expected darkness.  I found love.   What happens when you stop trying to control the experience and simply allow yourself to receive what comes? In this follow-up episode of Beyond Self Made, I sit down immediately after my first ketamine treatment to share what I experienced while it's still fresh. Going into the session, I expected to confront trauma, memories, fears, or difficult emotions. Instead, I found something completely different. What I experienced is difficult to describe with words. It felt like a journey through space and time, from the cellular level to the vastness of the universe. There were moments of beauty, connection, love, peace, and a profound sense that everything is somehow connected. This isn't a conversation about medical advice or treatment recommendations. It's simply an honest account of a personal experience and the reflections that followed. In this episode we discuss: My first ketamine treatment experience Why words often fail to describe transformational moments The feeling of connection and unity Love, self-acceptance, and personal healing Faith, purpose, and perspective The role of beauty in personal growth What surprised me most about the experience Why healing isn't always what we expect Whether you're curious about ketamine therapy, interested in personal development, or simply exploring different perspectives on healing and growth, I hope this conversation provides insight and encouragement. Sometimes the answers we're looking for don't arrive as solutions. Sometimes they arrive as perspective.

  6. Jun 10 ·  Video

    Ketamine, Healing, and the Search for More: My Journey Begins

    For years I've worked through trauma, stress, leadership challenges, and the pressure that comes with life and career transitions. I've invested in therapy, personal growth, health, and self-improvement, but recently I found myself asking a simple question: What if there's another level of healing available? In this episode of Beyond Self Made, I sit down with my brother, Dave Greenwalt, just minutes before my first ketamine treatment session. We talk openly about the stigma surrounding ketamine therapy, mental health, trauma, faith, anxiety, depression, personal growth, and the hopes and fears that come with stepping into an unfamiliar healing process. This conversation isn't about promoting a treatment or pretending to have answers. It's about transparency, curiosity, and documenting a real journey as it unfolds. Along the way we discuss: Why I decided to pursue ketamine therapy The stigma and misconceptions surrounding treatment Trauma, stress, and emotional patterns that can become deeply ingrained Neuroplasticity and the possibility of creating new pathways forward Faith, healing, and trusting the process The importance of intention, self-awareness, and personal growth This is the first episode in a series where I'll share my experience, lessons learned, challenges, and reflections throughout the process. Whether you're considering ketamine therapy yourself, supporting someone who is, or simply interested in personal growth and mental wellness, I hope this conversation provides value and perspective. What follows is an honest conversation between two brothers about healing, hope, and the willingness to explore new paths forward.

  7. Jun 1 ·  Video

    Built for More Than a Resume | Lily Finegan on College, Leadership, and Human Connection

    In this episode of Beyond Self Made, Michael sits down with recent college graduate Lily Finegan for an honest conversation about growing up, identity, leadership, relationships, career pressure, and what it means to enter adulthood in the age of AI. Lily shares her journey from growing up in the Bay Area through family struggles, divorce, addiction, sports, and learning resilience at a young age — all while navigating college life, sorority leadership, internships, and preparing for an uncertain job market after graduation. Together, they dive into: Growing up around addiction and learning resilience Sports, leadership, and confidence College life and personal transformation Sorority culture and building community Career anxiety after graduation The changing workforce in the age of AI Why personality, follow-through, and relationships matter more than ever The importance of standing out in a competitive world Balancing ambition with purpose and fulfillment This episode is both practical and deeply relatable for students, young professionals, parents, and anyone navigating transition, uncertainty, or reinvention in today's rapidly changing world.

  8. May 25 ·  Video

    She Refused to Become Her Past | Mariah Garcia on Trauma, Healing, and Breaking Cycles

    In this deeply emotional and powerful episode of Beyond Self Made, Michael sits down with Mariah Garcia to discuss a childhood shaped by trauma, abuse, addiction, instability, and survival — and the intentional choices that helped her build a completely different life. Mariah opens up about witnessing the murder of her father as a child, enduring years of abuse, homelessness, addiction surrounding her family environment, and the emotional toll of constantly being uprooted. But this conversation is not about victimhood. It's about resilience, personal responsibility, faith, healing, and the daily decision to become something greater than your past. Now a registered nurse, business owner, wife, mother, and competitor, Mariah shares how mentorship, therapy, intentional choices, and purpose helped her break generational cycles and build a life centered around love, service, and family. This episode dives into: Childhood trauma and survival instincts Abuse, addiction, and instability The psychology of resilience Breaking generational cycles Parenting after trauma Choosing growth over victim mentality Faith, healing, and purpose Building a meaningful life through intentional choices This is one of the most honest and impactful conversations ever shared on the podcast.

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About

Conversations on leadership, reinvention, and the truth behind success. Hosted by Michael Greenwalt. Welcome to Beyond Self-Made. I'm Michael Greenwalt - speaker, author, and someone who's lived more than one life. From poverty to the military, to the cage, to the fireground, to the boardroom and entrepreneurship, I've learned that success isn't about doing it alone - it's about who shows up, who opens doors, and who walks with you when things get hard. This podcast is about leadership under pressure, career reinvention, personal growth, and the power of authentic human connection. These interviews are stories, conversations, and lessons for people building their next chapter - together.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Greenwalt
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Beyond Self-Made