One Fear Per Year

Janice Angela Burt

Every single human being deals with fear. Fear has the power to imprison us and keep us stuck. It can silence our voice. This podcast was created because Janice experienced the incredible benefits of walking through one fear every year. After her TEDx talk, One Fear Per Year: A Personal Growth Hack that Changes Everything, she wanted to offer more encouragement to those who are struggling with debilitating fear. In this podcast, she offers bite size conversations with guests who have dealt with fear, but have also experienced the benefits of facing their fears head on. Join us!

  1. Jan 6

    Saying YES to the Impossible, Doing Batshit Crazy Things, and Also Knowing When Enough is Enough

    I didn’t expect this episode to go where it did. On paper, Sam Penny looks fearless. TEDx speaker. Business exits. Ice miles. But halfway through our conversation, he said something that made me think. Cold water. Dark morning. No one had ever done this before. Swimming the English Channel IN WINTER! A few hours in he decided he needed to stop and go back to shore. Not because he was weak. But because he listened to his team and his body(hypothermia). He talked about the weight of that decision. Going back to his room. And feeling that decision. The crazy cool thing is that support poured in. From strangers. From people who had never met him. From people who understood that trying matters more than finishing and that failure doesn't exist when you learn a lesson from it. This isn’t a story about conquering fear. It is about naming it. Living with it. And realizing that failure doesn’t isolate or demote you the way your mind tells you it will. Sam shared what it’s really like to: • Feel imposter syndrome before a TEDx talk • Train for things that genuinely risk your life • Step away before the finish line and still stand proud • Learn that people don’t judge effort. They actually rally around it At the end of the episode, I asked him the question I ask every guest. What’s the opposite of fear? His answer came without hesitation. Start. If you’ve been holding back because you’re afraid of failing, being judged, or not finishing strong…This episode might shift something for you.

    23 min
  2. 12/26/2025

    One Phrase that Can Help You When Fear Floods Your Body: BE BRAVE. BE BRAVE. BE BRAVE.

    You don’t usually hear this part of leadership.  The part where fear shows up in your body…before your brain ever catches up.  The part where success doesn’t make it go away. Where titles don’t quiet the inner critic. Where confidence on the outside can still mean paddling fastunderneath.  On this episode, I sat down with the remarkable Julie Menden. She is an executive coach, keynote speaker, Forbes Coaches Council member, and founder of a boutique leadership development firm working with executives and high-performing leaders across industries.  Pretty incredible person to be speaking with on the topic ofFEAR!   What we talked about wasn’t a surface-level leadershipconversation.  Julie shared what it looks like to • navigate fear at every stage of success • understand how the inner critic is formed (and why it sticks) • build presence from the inside out, not through performance • take the next step even when fear is loud • and show up on stage shortly after cancer treatment wheneverything in her wanted to cancel  There’s a moment where she talks about getting stitches removed from her face, getting on a plane anyway, and speaking to a room full of healthcare executives while repeating one quiet phrase to herself:   “Be brave.”   This episode is for leaders who are doing the work and still feel fear. For people who want real tools, not generic. For anyone building courage one step at a time.   If fear has been whispering lately this conversation might be exactly what you need.

    22 min
  3. 12/10/2025

    Elastigirl: Doing Everything for Everyone All the Time / Tapping into the Divine Feminine

    This week on the One Fear Per Year podcast, I sat down with someone who understands the weight of “doing it all”… because she lived it.  Carol Williams isn’t just a productivity coach. She’s a certified coach, speaker, and thelongtime Dream Director at the Beacon of Light Center --> thewoman executives and business owners call when their life feels scattered and they’re burning out quietly behind the scenes.     She has spent 16 years helping entrepreneurslevel up without losing themselves, speaking at statewide HRorganizations, summits, and podcasts, and building her signature “Success Cake”method that brings the fun back into productivity.     But what I didn’t expect was how deeply she would speak to the fears we never say out loud. The ones that push us to overwork. The ones that whisper “you won’t be enough unless you keep going.” The ones that make us ignore our own non-negotiables until we crack.   She shared the moment everything changed for her, leaving a toxic marriage, sitting with the terror of “How will I make it alone?” and asking for help for the first time in her life. (Not because she wasn’t strong… but because staying the same was finally more painful than stepping into the unknown.)   We talked burnout. We talked feminine and masculine energy. We talked about why so many of us are afraid to slow down… even when it’s the only way to heal.   And at the end, I asked her the opposite of fear. One word. Her answer?   Love.   Because we’re either living from fear, or living from love. And every day, we choose.   What’s one fear that’s been pushing you to go faster… when what youreally need is to pause?   Full episode in the comments below!  #onefearperyear

    22 min
  4. 12/04/2025

    Those Who Judge You Are Usually Sitting on the Sidelines // Stay in the Arena - Never Give Up!

    I met Vlad a few years ago at an event in Detroit. I had no idea who he was. He had no idea who I was. But he watched me walk on stage, freeze, fall to my knees,and then speaking straight from my heart - no script, just me.   Instead of judging me, he saw something else. Something human. Something real.   Vlad is the Founder and CEO of Company Folders and has spent more than 20 years building one of the most respected print companies in the country. His team has created press kits for Sony Pictures, served brands likeNestle, Hallmark, Bed Bath and Beyond, and delivered some of the most unique die-cuts and presentation designs in the industry. He truly loves what he does and his passion shines through!   But what I was most impressed with wasn’t his success. It was his honesty about fear.   In this episode, Vlad shares:   • What it was like growing up in the former Soviet Union where fear was part of daily life.   • How buying an entire commercial building for his companyterrified him even after every expert told him it was the right move. • Why starting a business kept him awake at night, cycling through every what-if imaginable. • How his next big leap is hosting an executive program inSingapore… and why he’s scared and certain at the same time.   • The simple shift in language that can turn anxiety intoexcitement.   I love when he pointed out:   “The only people who will judge you are the ones who haven’t done anything themselves.”   This conversation is about choosing courage when fear shows up. It’s about telling the truth to yourself in words that lift youinstead of limit you. It’s about remembering that love and fear cannot exist in the same breath. If you’ve ever stood at the edge of something new… If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re ready… If you’ve ever felt fear and moved anyway… This episode is for you.   What’s the thing you’re scared to walk toward right now? And what might happen if you choose love instead? #OneFearPerYear

    22 min
  5. 11/24/2025

    Neuroscientist Explains the Pattern of Fear // A Trained Brain becomes a Brave Brain!

    I just sat down with an amazing woman who explained scientifically what happens when we feel fear and how to navigate that pattern of behavior. Her name is Dr. Mohita Shrivastava. Neuroscientist. Neuropsychologist. Founder of The Cognitome Program.PhD from AIIMS New Delhi. Research trained at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Published author. International editorial board member.15+ years studying the brain, cognition, and how our thoughts shape our reality. Yeah, she is incredible!!! And what she shared on the my podcast was truly eye opening. When she talks about fear, she doesn’t talk about it like an emotion. She talks about it like a circuit. A pattern. A process that can be rewired. I LOVE when she said: “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.” (And a trained brain becomes a brave brain.) We dug into everything: How people mix up the brain and the mind and stay stuck because of it. Why the amygdala hijacks your logic. The moment your prefrontal cortex goes offline. How to use neuroplasticity to retrain your thoughts at any age. Why naming the fear gives you control. How breathing resets your nervous system. And the fear ladder… the tiny steps that slowly teach your brain safety instead of danger. Whew, this episode is jam packed full of goodness! It made me realize something huge: Fear is not the enemy. Being unaware of its mechanics is. And the way she explains it… it just clicks. (Even the science feels simple when she breaks it down.) So if you’ve ever felt hijacked by fear or trapped in your thoughts or anxious about things that haven’t even happened yet… this episode is for you. It’s insightful. It’s grounding. And it gives you tools you can use today. What’s one fear you’re ready to face with a different kind of brain this time? #OneFearPerYear

    25 min
  6. 11/18/2025

    Rewiring Our Fear at the Subconscious Level Using Hypnosis, Psychology, and Visualization

    This week I sat down with someone who has spent over 20 years helping people break fear at the deepest level: Dr. Albert Bramante. Talent Agent. Psychology Professor. Hypnosis & NLP Expert. Author of Rise Above the Script. And a coach who has helped actors land roles on major networks, mentored thousands of students, and taught people how to rewire fear at the subconscious level. (Yes, he’s the real deal.) What blew me away wasn’t just his resume…It was how simply he explained something most of us wrestle with every day: Why fear gets programmed into us. Why it sticks. And how to finally undo it .In this episode, we dive into so much: • How one moment of fear can shape your entire life • What hypnosis actually is (and why it isn’t mind control) • How to neutralize emotional triggers without reliving trauma • Why visualization works for Olympians, actors, and yes… you • The difference between fear and excitement (this reframe is everything) • How AI can help you access clarity, confidence, and courage • What stops people from stepping into the spotlight • And Albert’s own fear | becoming a first-time author and showing his face on camera There’s this moment — and you’ll hear it — where he says: “Fear and excitement feel the same in the body. The only difference is the meaning you give it.” If you’ve been carrying old stories…If your fear feels automatic…If you want to understand what’s happening inside your mind so you can finally move forward…This conversation is your turning point.

    23 min

About

Every single human being deals with fear. Fear has the power to imprison us and keep us stuck. It can silence our voice. This podcast was created because Janice experienced the incredible benefits of walking through one fear every year. After her TEDx talk, One Fear Per Year: A Personal Growth Hack that Changes Everything, she wanted to offer more encouragement to those who are struggling with debilitating fear. In this podcast, she offers bite size conversations with guests who have dealt with fear, but have also experienced the benefits of facing their fears head on. Join us!