Endurance Diaries

Ashley Ljesevic
  • 5.0 (26)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Endurance Diaries brings together athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, CEOs, thought-leaders, and everyday changemakers to share stories of resilience, pivotal moments, and lessons learned along the journey. Authentic and inspiring, these conversations remind us that while our paths look different, the endurance to keep going lives within all of us. Whether through lived experience or topic-focused reflection, each episode invites curiosity, connection, and personal growth while highlighting the strength we carry to persevere.

  1. JAN 26

    EP 101: Lessons in Leadership and Loving Yourself | Alexian Wines on the Power of Words and Sharing Your Story

    In this episode you’ll learn how believing beyond what you can see can expand your confidence and lead you down paths you never imagined. Alexian Wines is a global leader, international speaker, and co-author of Letters to Lilly: Lessons in Leadership and Loving Yourself. Her career spans government, international business, and strategic consulting, including working under two U.S. presidential administrations at the White House and the National Security Council. Today, she serves as Chief Operating Officer at BowerGroupAsia. In this conversation, Ali shares her personal journey of growing up with a small-town lens, the teachers and moments that helped her find her voice, and how lived experience taught her the true power of words. We talk about endurance, self-belief, storytelling, and why Letters to Lilly, a collection of letters written to a younger self, has resonated with people around the world. This episode is a reminder that you are not alone, and your story is powerful.

    48 min

  2. 12/22/2025

    EP 100: Special Guests, Moments to Reflect, and the Endurance to Keep Going

    It’s the Endurance Diaries 100th Episode Celebration!If you can, this one is best experienced in the video version, with surprise drop-ins and moments you won’t want to miss. You’ll hear from special guests offering encouragement, wisdom, and perspective for wherever you are on your journey. There’s laughter, honest dialogue, and space to pause and reflect with a lot of gratitude. Featured Guests: Jeff Mallory, Kevin Rutherford, Carlos Hernandez, Nancy Gale, Van Lai-DuMone, Jenn Huffman Watch on Spotify/YouTube.

    1h 19m

  3. 12/15/2025

    EP 99: Curiosity as a Way Back to Yourself | Kelvin Wang on Healing, Identity, and Connection

    In this episode you’ll learn how curiosity can become a compass through pain, healing, and reinvention. Kelvin Wang is a first generation Chinese American and walking quadriplegic, whose life shifted after a near death car accident in December 2017. He reflects on the people who showed up, how small moments of humanity and connection carried him through the unknown, and how these experiences continue to shape the way he move sthrough the world today. Together we discuss living life in chapters, the ongoing nature of healing, and what it means to be mask off in a world that rewards performance. Kelvin also shares how creativity and the performing arts helped him restore a part of himself he thought he lost.

    49 min

  4. 12/08/2025

    EP 98: How Adding Variation Helps You Perform Better | Dr. Andy Bass, Pittsburgh Pirates Mental Performance Coach

    In this episode you'll learn why adding variation to your life and routines might be one of the most powerful tools you have for performance and self-development. Dr. Andy Bass, mental performance coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates, shares how his own experience with the YIPS reshaped the way he thinks about identity, resilience, and what athletes need beyond their sport. He reflects on why so many high performers feel trapped inside narrow definitions of success, and how small shifts in our habits and environments can open the door to creativity and freedom. Together we explore the science of motor learning, why our minds crave variation, and how small moments of trying something new can expand our capacity. We also discuss burnout, the role of therapy, and the importance of having people who help us notice what we can’t always see in ourselves.

    43 min

  5. 12/01/2025

    EP 97: How to Walk Through Hard Seasons and Build Endurance for the Process with Former MLB Catcher Michael “The Fort” McKenry

    In this episode, I'm joined by former MLB catcher and Pittsburgh Pirates fan favorite Michael “The Fort” McKenry for a raw conversation on faith, identity, and endurance. Michael shares his journey through baseball and the challenges that came with injuries, surgeries, and transition. He opens up about his evolving relationship with God, what it means to be planted where you are, and why he believes the process shapes us far more than the outcome. Together we explore the mental side of performance, why questions are essential for growth, and how young athletes can build resilience now, not just when adversity hits.

    44 min

  6. 11/24/2025

    EP 96: Dr. Yosi Amram on Spiritual Intelligence and Leading from Abundance

    In this episode, you’ll learn the meaning of spiritual intelligence (SI), how it complements emotional intelligence (EI), and why leading from abundance creates more clarity, connection, and fulfillment. Dr. Yosi Amram’s story spans war-torn Israel, the heights of tech entrepreneurship, and the depths of personal transformation. After leading two companies to successful IPOs, a spiritual awakening shifted his path from ambition and burnout to meaning and alignment. In this conversation, we discuss how clarity emerges from self-awareness, the power of connection in leadership, and how surrender can open us to new possibilities. Yosi is a licensed clinical psychologist, CEO leadership coach, and award-winning author of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired. Featured in Psychology Today, USA Today, and Forbes, he brings a rare blend of science, leadership, and soul to his work. Today, he helps leaders awaken deeper self-awareness and lead from wholeness, authenticity, and love. Learn more at https://yosiamram.net/

    39 min

  7. 11/17/2025

    EP 95: Going from Bitter to Better and the Neuroscience of Not Giving Up | Emily Kile, MHS

    In this episode you’ll learn what it looks like to move through bitterness, uncertainty, and change with compassion and endurance to keep going. Emily Kile is a human behavior expert, founder of Workzbe and author of Bitter to Better. Emily’s work blends faith, neuroscience, and lived experience to help people understand what’s happening inside their own minds when life gets hard. Together we explore the emotional tension that arises in seasons of transition, how bitterness can sneak up on us, and why awareness is foundational to growth. Emily also shares the stories that shaped her book, including navigating divorce, raising her children with intention, and redefining success after burnout.

    1h 2m

  8. 11/10/2025

    EP 94: Listening to the Nudge and Leaning Into Your Unique Genius | Casey Berman

    Former attorney Casey Berman, founder of Leave Law Behind, and creator of the Unique Genius Framework, joins the podcast to explore how discernment, curiosity, and courage guide us through times of change. Casey shares his own story of leaving law and finding clarity on the other side of uncertainty, offering perspective and tools that anyone can apply in their career and life. Together we unpack how to recognize when it's time to pivot and take small, confident steps toward what’s next.

    44 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Endurance Diaries brings together athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, CEOs, thought-leaders, and everyday changemakers to share stories of resilience, pivotal moments, and lessons learned along the journey. Authentic and inspiring, these conversations remind us that while our paths look different, the endurance to keep going lives within all of us. Whether through lived experience or topic-focused reflection, each episode invites curiosity, connection, and personal growth while highlighting the strength we carry to persevere.

Information

  • Creator
    Ashley Ljesevic
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Ashley Ljesevic
  • Show Website
    Endurance Diaries