Bold Moves Only with Dr. Apollo Emeka

“So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission.” In this episode, Dr. Apollo Emeka joins the conversation from Panama City, Panama, where he and his family relocated after wildfires forced them from their home in California. What began as an evacuation turned into a bold life decision—one that exemplifies the very work Apollo now does with leaders and entrepreneurs: helping them make decisions so bold that the path forward becomes obvious. This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode Apollo shares his framework for understanding choices, distinguishing between inherited, default, and big decisions. From leaving school in fourth grade to joining the U.S. military at seventeen, his life has been shaped by pivotal moments where courage, clarity, and conviction mattered more than circumstance. His story winds through service as a Green Beret, intelligence analyst in the FBI, entrepreneur, and now decision strategist and coach. He reflects on how his parents’ defiant love—marrying across racial lines when it was still illegal in many states—set the stage for his own willingness to challenge norms. Losing his mother as a teenager forced him into independence, while deployments in Iraq revealed the cost of poor decisions and deepened his commitment to developing better frameworks for making them. The conversation explores how bold decisions create clarity, why “waiting to see how it plays out” is rarely the answer, and how courage transforms fear into thoughtful action. Alongside stories of family life in Panama, skateparks with his kids, and date nights with his wife, Apollo underscores the importance of deciding with heart, not just with feasibility. Whether moving across continents, leaving stable careers, or reframing personal values, Apollo shows that life-changing clarity comes not from more information, but from the courage to choose. Quoteable Quotes “When you decide with heart, it lights you up even if you fail.” — Apollo Emeka “So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission.” — Apollo Emeka “Sometimes you just have to let shit go and make space for what’s next.” — Michael Dargie “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking.” — Apollo Emeka Episode Highlights Born into Boldness | Apollo’s parents’ interracial marriage set the tone for defying convention. Fourth Grade Dropout | How being allowed to choose school sparked his decision-making journey. Military Intelligence | Training taught him to structure decisions in high-stakes contexts. Big Life Shifts | From physiotherapist to soldier, Green Beret, FBI analyst, and entrepreneur. Fires and Panama | Wildfires in California led his family to relocate across continents in 30 days. Decide With Heart | Why “can, could, should” aren’t strong enough drivers. Raising Rebels | Skateparks, BMX, and resourcing kids in Panama’s expat community. Courage Over Fear | How fear can be a catalyst for action. Lessons from the FBI | Understanding biases and critical thinking as tools for better choices. Rebel Advice | Define success in your own terms and crave it like air. LINKS FROM EPISODE Website (https://www.apollostrategy.com/about-us) Apollo on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/apolloemeka) Apollo on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apolloemeka) Get Your Copy of Michael's Book: "BrandJitsu™: Move Your Brand From 'Meh' To Memorable" Indigo | Barnes & Noble | MichaelDargie.com