Twelve days after his 87th birthday, my grandpa passed away.

After we said our goodbyes at the funeral and shared a meal together, my family gathered back at his house.

That’s when many of them found out something they hadn’t known:

Several years before his passing, I sat down with my grandpa for six hours of interviews — just asking him questions about his life.

So we pulled out my uncle's Bluetooth speaker, set it on the floor, and for the first time together… listened.

His unforgettable laugh. His voice. His story.

It was one of the most connective family experiences I’ve had.

Originally, I never intended on publishing the recordings.

But after he passed, the first thing I turned to were those audio files.

And after relistening to all 6 hours, one thing became clear:

My grandpa’s story deserves to be told.

Born in a war-torn region of China. Immigrated to the U.S. at age 8 without either of his parents. Couldn’t speak the language. Worked himself to the bone making $5 per week to provide for his family. Faced loan rejection after loan rejection chasing the dream of opening his own restaurant…

… And somehow, through grit and the help of those who believed in him, he built a restaurant that became a staple of the Milwaukee community for 39 years.

But this story isn’t just about my grandpa...

It’s about your family’s stories too.

Because as much as I want you to hear about my grandpa’s journey, my intention is that it inspires you to do something simple yet powerful:

Click record, and get curious with the people you love.

When I sat down to interview my grandpa, I uncovered stories that even my dad didn’t know.

It deepened my self-awareness, helped me understand the mindsets passed from him to my dad… and ultimately to me.

It was a healing journey — and one that gave me the clarity to choose which beliefs I want to carry forward, and which ones I’m ready to evolve.

And finally — this episode is my way of consciously rewriting my grandpa’s story.

In the end, he didn’t believe his life was a success.

But I do.

And I hope it inspires you to reflect on the stories in your lineage — and the power we all have to shape the narratives that carry forward.

00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today’s guest, Kenny Fong

Brandon Fong introduces a uniquely personal episode dedicated to his late grandfather, Kenny Fong, who passed away on May 31, 2025. Brandon reflects on the emotional journey of capturing six hours of interviews before his grandfather's passing and how these recordings became a family treasure.

01:43 - The Power of Recording Family Stories

Brandon shares how recording these interviews became a priceless gift, both for preserving family history and deepening self-awareness. He encourages listeners to do the same with their loved ones.

03:03 - Rewriting a Legacy: Honoring Grandpa Fong’s True Success

Brandon explains his purpose behind sharing this episode—to consciously rewrite his grandfather’s story, which he believed wasn’t a success, despite its incredible substance.

04:43 - Escaping War-Torn China as a Child

Kenny recounts his childhood in Taishan, China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, revealing a life shaped by fear, survival, and early trauma.

07:05 - A Terrifying Journey to America at Age 8

Kenny shares the harrowing details of immigrating to the U.S. as a child, including a terrifying plane ride and being separated from his brother during immigration processing.

09:12 - Reuniting with His Father and Life in a New World

Kenny's first reunion with his father was awkward and distant, not the joyful moment he had imagined. He slowly adapts to life in America and later...

What would you do if your company demanded you cut 17% of costs — and the only “approved” way to do it… was to fire your people?

That’s the position Patrick Cowden found himself in during the 2008 financial crisis.

But instead of blindly following orders, he tried something radical:

He brought his entire team together to co-create the solution.

They found a way to save 17% without laying off a single person.

Problem solved, right? Wrong.

When he presented the plan, the company said: “Great. Do both.”

That moment was a turning point — not just for Patrick’s leadership… but for his life.

Because it showed him the system was broken.

And it led him to create a 42-year plan to rehumanize the way we connect, lead, and collaborate.

In today’s episode, you will learn:

• How Patrick gathered 85 people from around the world — monks, therapists, scientists, even someone experiencing homelessness — to uncover the universal principles behind trust, connection, and human flourishing
• Why it took six more years to refine those discoveries into a repeatable workshop — and how that same transformation now happens in just three minutes using his technology
• The technology that lets you see truth emerge from thousands of human perspectives in real time — and how it unlocks a new level of co-creation and clarity in teams

00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today's guest, Patrick Cowden

Brandon introduces the episode with a story that encapsulates Patrick's unique leadership approach and sets the stage for a deep dive into his 42-year plan to elevate human consciousness through technology and connection.

00:38 - Patrick explains his concept of "we reality"

Patrick shares a powerful philosophy: that true reality is a collective of all human perspectives. He introduces technology built to ensure every voice is heard, highlighting the need for connected decision-making.

01:55 - Behind-the-scenes of recording in person with Patrick

Brandon recounts spending an entire day with Patrick, from coffee and lunch to walking by the Fox River, emphasizing the deep connection and special setting of their in-person recording.

02:23 - The turning point in 2008 that sparked Patrick’s mission

During the financial crisis, Patrick defied corporate orders to lay off employees, instead co-creating a cost-saving plan with his team that preserved jobs—igniting his 42-year mission to rehumanize leadership.

04:14 - Three key highlights to look out for in the episode

Brandon previews the episode: Patrick’s global gathering to define trust and connection, refining it into a three-minute transformation via tech, and enabling real-time truth emergence through collective human perspectives.

06:52 - Using Warm Space for the International Day of Peace

Patrick describes how his platform, Warm Space, turned a traditional broadcast into an immersive, participatory event—scaling global peace efforts with a simple QR code.

11:22 - Patrick’s multicultural and military-influenced leadership roots

Patrick reflects on his upbringing under a U.S. Army drill sergeant father and his diverse corporate experience across American, German, and Japanese companies that shaped his human-centric leadership model.

16:56 - Defying corporate orders to prioritize people over profit

Patrick recounts refusing to fire 17% of staff at Hitachi during a crisis, instead proposing an alternative that saved money and accelerated growth—highlighting people-first leadership.

22:19 - Creating Beyond Leadership through global collaboration

Patrick explains how 85 diverse contributors—from monks to

What if shifting your entire reality and perspective of life could be as simple as jamming to one of your favorite songs?

After four months of experimenting, I can say this with full conviction:

AI music has become one of the most powerful tools I’ve discovered for upgrading my identity and living deeper into my core values.

Many approaches to belief and identity change are effective—but they can also feel heavy, complex, or abstract.

This episode is different.

I’ll take you behind the scenes of how I’m using AI-generated music to reprogram my belief system in a way that’s not just effective—but also joyful, seamless, and fun.

Inside this episode:

• Listen to 3x different AI songs I’ve created to shift my identity
• Follow along as I walk you through my exact creative process—so you can start using it too
• Watch me create a brand new song in real time, generating 2 powerful tracks in under 4 minutes (yes… writing lyrics, and having a jam worthy song in under 4 minutes)

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with a new way to integrate powerful identity shifts—not just intellectually, but emotionally and viscerally.

There is a VIDEO version of this episode if you want to see the walkthrough! Check it out here.

00:00 - Introduction to Beyond Curious and today's guest, Brandon Fong (solo episode)

Brandon introduces a unique solo episode centered on a powerful new tool he’s using: AI-generated music. He shares that this episode is inspired by radical shifts in his own life and his desire to create more personal content. The focus today is on how AI music is being used to reprogram beliefs and identity.

00:01:18 - The three transformative uses of AI music

Brandon outlines three major ways AI music can impact lives: identity shifts, deepening relationships with loved ones, and simply for fun. In this episode, he zeroes in on using it for identity transformation.

00:02:01 - Introducing the AI-created "Beyond Curious" song

Brandon plays the AI-generated theme song “Beyond Curious,” created by inputting the show’s description and core values into ChatGPT. The song demonstrates the emotive power and authenticity achievable with AI music.

00:06:03 - The origin of Brandon’s AI music journey: Susan Drumm's influence

Brandon credits Susan Drumm’s book and podcast, The Leader’s Playlist, with introducing him to the concept of music-driven transformation. He recaps the key idea: shifting from an "old playlist" that reinforces limiting beliefs to a "new playlist" aligned with empowering identity.

00:08:20 - Clip from Brandon’s appearance on The Enlightened Executive podcast

Brandon shares a powerful clip where he discusses his old identity (driven by Ozzy Osbourne’s “I Don’t Wanna Stop”) and how he is transitioning into a more balanced version of himself through AI music.

00:11:13 - Debuting the transformational AI song “One Step at a Time”

Listeners are treated to a personal song representing Brandon’s new, grounded identity focused on presence, family, and intentional growth.

00:17:23 - The deeper meaning and purpose behind AI music in personal development

Brandon explains how having a song that resonates can reinforce a new belief system and serve as a daily anchor to live by.

00:18:03 - Explaining the Find Your Four framework

Brandon revisits his signature “Find Your Four” framework, tying it to the 80/20 rule and showing how understanding your most impactful 4% actions—and underlying 0.8% beliefs—can dramatically improve your...