Free & Open Mind

Hardy Brooklyn / Stan Nelson
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Feeling stuck? Craving something real? Free & Open Mind is your invitation to break out of old routines and live boldly. Every Friday, join hosts Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson as they dive into unfiltered, inspiring talks with people who’ve dared to reinvent themselves—artists, coaches, and everyday heroes. Get raw stories, honest advice, and that push you need to take the next step. Hit play, shake up your perspective, and start living on your own terms. No judgment! Just real journeys, practical tools, and authentic voices. New episodes drop every Friday! Subscribe so you never miss one.

  1. 2d ago

    Authenticity Without Apology — Alexi Bracey on Living True When Everything Falls Away - Free & Open Mind

    Most of us build an identity out of a job title. Alexi Bracey spent 30 years building hers over a stove — chef, feeder of people, the one who walked out of the kitchen at a remote fishing lodge to make the guests laugh because she had nothing to say about fishing. Then a car hit her head-on. She walked away from it. Two weeks later her balance failed, she fell, and she broke her femur — and with it, the career. No more hauling 30-pound sacks of flour off a shelf. No income. No plan. She couch-surfed for a stretch, never sure night to night where she'd be sleeping. What she says she never lost was the thing underneath the job: "I had the joy in my back pocket." In this conversation with Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson, Alexi traces the whole arc without flinching — the cancer diagnosis she says she beat in a year through raw food, meditation, forgiveness work and sheer refusal to doubt herself; the glamorous, shoe-and-jewelry marriage she left and the humbling that followed; the homelessness that permanently rewired how she sees the person holding a cardboard sign at the intersection. "It's not because they deserve it," she says. "Everybody has a story. Everybody's trying to do their best." Out of that wreckage she built the Leave People Better movement — the practice of ending every single interaction with the other person feeling more human than when it started. Not grand gestures. Reading a barista's name tag and using it. A physical phone call instead of a text asking to schedule a phone call. A paper card. A hand on a stranger's arm. Asking the man holding the door whether his mother is still alive, so you can tell him she did a good job. She tells one story in this episode — about a young Filipino man she met while walking her dogs, his brother's funeral, and a woman who stopped her on the street weeks later — that she says she'll take to her grave. It's worth the listen on its own. You'll also hear: Why she believes your taste buds, not your willpower, are what finally end the fight with food — and the "anchor meal" trick that gets you through a diet transitionThe acid-and-iron tip that quietly explains why every salad dressing on earth has vinegar in itWhy she hugs trees on dog walks, and the "nuggets" she says arrive when she doesThe Christopher Reeve reframe: how the best years can come after the worst thingHer one piece of advice for anyone in free fall right now — and it starts with don't be a solo playerThe 10-day challenge she leaves listeners with: one person, every day, made betterThis one isn't a polished comeback story. It's a woman who lost the thing that made her her, went looking for what was underneath, and found out it was never the job in the first place. Ask yourself Stan's question while you listen: who are you, when every role you've built your identity around is stripped away?

  2. Sep 5

    From Blueprints to Sourdough: Are You Feeding Your Body… or Your B.S.?

    From Blueprints to Sourdough: Are You Feeding Your Body… or Your B.S.? What makes someone walk away from a successful engineering career to spend three days on a single loaf of bread? In this episode, Hardy Brooklyn sits down with Sven “the Baker” Mostegl, an engineer-turned-master-baker who rebuilt his entire life—country, career, and identity—one honest choice at a time. This isn’t a foodie chat. It’s a wake-up call.We dig into: Why pain and “failure” might be your best teachersHow listening to your gut (literally and emotionally) can change your lifeWhat’s really hiding in most supermarket “bread”Why habits, not willpower, are sabotaging your healthHow the people around you can either make your bread rise—or deflate itYou’ll hear about: Bread as therapy, ritual, and rebellionHow your microbiome is talking to your brain (and running more of your life than you think)Why being “a little crazy” might actually mean you’re finally becoming authenticIf you’ve ever felt bloated after a meal, stuck in a life that doesn’t fit, or trapped by other people’s expectations, this episode will hit home. Listen to the end to hear: The one question Sven wants you to ask before you change your lifeA powerful reframe that turns “mistakes” into fuelA simple, first step to start taking your life—and your health—backHit play, break some bread with us, and start feeding the version of you that’s finally ready to rise.

  3. Aug 28

    Your Struggles Aren’t a Secret — They’re a Superpower (John R. Spender) - Free & Open Mind

    Meet John R. Spender — landscaper-turned-life coach, bestselling author, and director of the award-winning documentary The Gift in Adversity. In this episode of The Free and Open Mind, John reveals how childhood illiteracy, the collapse of a thriving business, and battles with addiction became the very tools that rebuilt his life. Hear the unfiltered stories behind jaw-dropping moments of serendipity — from an unexpected film shoot at Agape to a chance meeting in a Bali bar that changed everything — and how a single gut feeling led him to rescue an orphanage on the brink of starvation. Listen for: •⁠ ⁠The raw moment John chose to stop numbing and start rebuilding (you’ll feel the urgency). •⁠ ⁠How he turned shame into a career and authored 45 books — starting with one small coaching pivot. •⁠ ⁠Practical, tiny daily changes that compound into massive transformation (exact rituals you can try tomorrow). •⁠ ⁠The surprising charitable wins that deepened his purpose — and how your struggles can become your message. •⁠ ⁠A closing challenge from John: one first-time action to break the cycle and begin authentic living. If you’re wrestling with a setback or wondering how to turn pain into purpose, stay with us — this episode moves from hard honesty to tangible next steps and ends with the kind of hope that actually sticks. Find Hardy Brooklyn at  https://boxofrain.com and http://freeandopenmind.com Connect with Stan Nelson at https://coachingwithstan.com.auPodcast website: https://linktr.ee/freeandopenmindIf this episode hits home, follow Free & Open Mind on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share this with one friend who’s tired of pretending.

  4. Aug 22

    Wired for Connection

    Wired for Connection isn’t a networking hack—it’s a reality check on the circuits that actually power your life. In this solo episode, Hardy Brooklyn pulls back the curtain on his Toastmasters speech and goes deeper into the truth underneath the metaphors: why tech, coaching, art, and friendship all live or die on the same three pieces—source, load, return path. You’ll hear how he went from drawers full of dead business cards to a handful of live, monthly check-ins that actually matter, why “I’m just busy” is often code for “I’m disconnected,” and how the performer, peacekeeper, and minimizer masks quietly kill real intimacy. Hardy breaks down authenticity in plain English: not a brand, not a vibe, but a moment where nobody’s managing how they look, and the current finally runs both ways. This episode hands you one deceptively small assignment: send one honest sentence to one person you’ve kept in the drawer and see if the circuit still holds. If you’ve ever felt surrounded by people but still weirdly alone, hit play, complete the circuit—and if you smell smoke, check your grounding. Find Hardy Brooklyn at  https://boxofrain.com and http://freeandopenmind.com Connect with Stan Nelson at https://coachingwithstan.com.auPodcast website: https://linktr.ee/freeandopenmind If this episode hits home, follow Free & Open Mind on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share this with one friend who’s tired of pretending.

  5. Aug 14

    What if the person you've been trying to become... has been you the whole time?

    This Friday on Free & Open Mind, Hardy and Stan sit down with Mike Pierce, creator of The Four Energy Fields — a framework born from over a decade of watching people heal through hypnosis, Reiki, breathwork, meditation, and everything in between. Mike kept noticing the same thing no matter the method: every real breakthrough touched the same four parts of us — Body. Emotion. Mind. Spirit.For years, Mike tried to control his way to clarity — thinking harder, planning tighter, solving every problem before he let himself live it. Sound familiar? He'll tell us exactly what it took to let that go, and what showed up once he did.This is the conversation for anyone who's ever felt stuck even when they "know better" — and wondered why understanding themselves always seemed to be the missing piece.Your takeaway: you don't need fixing. You need to understand yourself. That shift changes everything.📅 Friday, 9 AM on Facebook — hit that reminder button now, grab your coffee, and come think out loud with us. Or catch it after on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

  6. Aug 7

    No Shame in a Dollar: Andrew Quebbemann’s Estranged Path to Authenticity - Free & Open Mind

    What do you do when the people who taught you hard work, hustle, and DIY grit… also become the biggest drain on your mental health? In this raw, honest conversation, financial advisor Andrew Quebbemann sits down with Hardy Brooklyn to trace his journey from a Wisconsin family candy store to San Diego skies — and the day he chose to become estranged from his own parents to protect his authenticity. We dig into: Growing up in the family gourmet confectionery business (and why he hated helping customers as a kid)Wanting to be a doctor, landing in pharma/biotech, and “tripping” into salesHow a biology major with Midwest guilt ended up as a financial advisorThe decision to go no-contact with his family after years of repeated, unresolved conflictMourning a relationship with parents who are still aliveHow meditation, rock climbing, and water skiing helped him find his centerWhy he believes there’s “no shame in a dollar”—and why time matters more than moneyPractical first steps to align your money with your values (even if you’re scared to open your bank app)If you’ve ever felt ashamed of what you earn, guilty about what you spend, or trapped in a “sports and weather” relationship that no longer fits who you really are, this episode is your permission to take a chance on yourself. 🎧 Hit play to hear how Andrew turned family fracture, money shame, and career pivots into a life built on authenticity, boundaries, and true financial freedom. Connect with Andrew: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-quebbemann/Find Hardy Brooklyn at  https://boxofrain.com and http://freeandopenmind.com Connect with Stan Nelson at https://coachingwithstan.com.auPodcast website: https://linktr.ee/freeandopenmind If this episode hits home, follow Free & Open Mind on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share this with one friend who’s tired of pretending.

  7. Jul 31

    Coffee, Courage, and the Gift That Costs Nothing - Free & Open Mind

    She overcame societal expectations by becoming pregnant before marriage, challenged a surgeon who claimed women could not be both doctors and mothers, and established the first inclusive program for deaf students in a New York public school—all before publishing her first book. This week, hosts Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson interview educator and author Rosemary Olender, whose new book, Coffee and Wisdom, distills five decades of parenting experience into one guiding ritual: being present each evening with a cup of coffee and a thoughtful question. Rosemary shares the story her father told her the night before he passed—a story that became the inspiration for her book—and explains her “three pillars of intentional parenting”: observe, listen actively, and model. No expensive programs. No additional hours. Just presence. Takeaways: Connection requires intention more than time—five minutes of genuine conversation before the school bus surpasses an hour of distracted togetherness.Children do not become who you instruct them to be; they become who they observe you to be.Call to Action: Watch or listen on Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and share a comment about your own “coffee table” moment—a question a parent asked you, or one you ask your children, that made a meaningful impact. We value every comment and appreciate hearing your stories. If this episode resonates with you, consider exploring our back catalog for more thoughtful conversations on authentic living, building resilience in children, and remaining true to yourself in a challenging world. Connect and learn more: Find Rosemary Olender:Calendar link: https://www.companyflix.com/economy/rosemary-olender𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-olender-227660356/Website: www.rosemaryolender.comEmail: roaolender@gmail.comFreebie: Family Reflection Insight Questionnaire Find Hardy Brooklyn at  https://boxofrain.com and http://freeandopenmind.com Connect with Stan Nelson at https://coachingwithstan.com.auPodcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/freeandopenmind If this episode hits home, follow Free & Open Mind on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, leave a review, and share this with one friend who’s tired of pretending.

  8. Jul 24

    The Badass Grandma ( GJ Scarlet) : Authenticity, Kindness, and Keeping Kids Safe - Free & Open Mind

    In this episode of Free & Open Mind, Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson sit down with C.J. Scarlett – “The Badass Grandma”: survivor, advocate, Marine Corps vet, and creator of the Heroic Kids Safety Game. She shares how she: Turned childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, and autoimmune illness into a mission to protect kidsBuilt a statewide victim notification system that became a national model Uses acts of kindness, boundaries, and authentic self-love to live on her own terms—and teach kids to do the samePerfect for parents, grandparents, educators, and anyone healing from trauma who wants real, authentic tools—not toxic positivity. 3 Key Takeaways you will walk away with:    Authentic boundaries beat people-pleasing: “Nice girl syndrome” keeps kids and adults unsafe; clear, authentic no’s are an act of kindness.    Kids can be taught to protect their authentic selves: With practice, they can trust their gut, speak up, and tell safe adults.    Authentic Healing is active: small, daily acts of kindness and genuine, authentic self-love can shift a victim mentality into purpose. Contact: C.J. / Heroic Kids & resources: ⁠thebadassgrandma.com⁠Find Hardy Brooklyn at  ⁠https://boxofrain.com⁠ and ⁠https://hardybrooklyn.com⁠ Connect with Stan Nelson at ⁠https://coachingwithstan.com.au⁠Podcast website: ⁠FreeAndOpenMind.com⁠ 🎧 Listen now, then do one act of kindness today. That's the whole assignment.

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About

Feeling stuck? Craving something real? Free & Open Mind is your invitation to break out of old routines and live boldly. Every Friday, join hosts Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson as they dive into unfiltered, inspiring talks with people who’ve dared to reinvent themselves—artists, coaches, and everyday heroes. Get raw stories, honest advice, and that push you need to take the next step. Hit play, shake up your perspective, and start living on your own terms. No judgment! Just real journeys, practical tools, and authentic voices. New episodes drop every Friday! Subscribe so you never miss one.

Information

  • Creator
    Hardy Brooklyn / Stan Nelson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    36
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hardy Brooklyn / Stan Nelson
  • Show Website
    Free & Open Mind