What does skydiving have to do with leadership?

In this powerful episode of Spirits and Stories, Donald Dunn sits down with leadership coach and engineering executive Joe to explore how stepping outside your comfort zone transforms the way you lead, think, and grow.

With over 650 skydives and years of experience building high-performance teams in mission-critical environments, Joe shares practical leadership lessons on:

1. How to overcome fear and take calculated risks
2. Why growth mindset beats achievement mindset
3. How to reduce risk without becoming paralyzed
4. The importance of defining your “why” in leadership
5. How young leaders today are reshaping the future
6. Why awareness and perspective matter more than ever

Whether you're a business owner, executive, veteran transitioning to civilian life, or someone feeling stuck in your professional growth, this episode offers actionable insights you can apply immediately.

Leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about courage, clarity, and consistency.

If you’re ready to level up your leadership skills, navigate uncertainty with confidence, and push beyond self-imposed limits, this conversation is for you.

If you like podcasts that help improve peoples lives and filled with story telling, Check out https://barracksmedia.com/network

Links referenced in this episode:

1. wyserwithjoe.com
2. linkedin.com/in/wyserwithjoe
3. instagram.com/wyserwithjoe
4. https://barracksmedia.com
5. https://barracksmedia.com/network

What does it take to drive nearly eight thousand miles the length of Africa — without GPS, cell phones, or modern safety nets?

In this powerful episode of Spirits and Stories, Donald Dunn sits down with adventurer, journalist, and memoirist Barry Maughan, who recounts his extraordinary journey from Alexandria, Egypt to Cape Agulhas, South Africa — alongside his wife and their one-year-old son.

Long before digital maps and electronic “tethers,” Barry navigated jungle washouts, desert crossings, political coups, malaria, mechanical breakdowns, and life-changing encounters across fifteen African countries. His journey wasn’t about bravado — it was about preparation, humility, and meeting people with respect.

In this episode, we explore:

1. What Africa was like before modern travel technology
2. How serendipity shaped a life-changing expedition
3. Lessons in courage, resilience, and human connection
4. Covering political upheaval and drought as a foreign correspondent
5. The “oneness of love” moment that defined the entire journey
6. Why travel reduces fear and builds understanding

Barry shares how this experience shaped his children’s worldview, his journalism career with Voice of America, and ultimately his memoir Beneath the African Sun.

This conversation is not just about travel.

It’s about perspective.

It’s about humanity.

It’s about what happens when you step beyond fear.

If you’ve ever wondered:

1. Is Africa safe to travel?
2. What was overland travel like before GPS?
3. How does extreme travel change a family?
4. What life lessons come from long-distance adventure?

This episode answers those questions — and more.

Listen in, feel the journey, and discover why Barry says Africa gave him more than he ever expected.

Links referenced in this episode:

1. barrymaughan.com

Find top podcasts at https://barracksmedia.com/network

Mentioned in this episode:

Listen on Apple

In this episode of Spirits and Stories, Donald Dunn sits down with author and photographer Charlie Siegel for a deep conversation on meditation, spiritual awareness, creativity, and healing. Raised in a deeply spiritual environment and now helping lead the Wisdom of the Ages Center, Charlie shares how mindfulness, intuition, and inner stillness shape both his writing and photography.

The discussion explores how meditation influences creativity, how people process grief and life transitions, the idea of spiritual guidance, and why connecting with nature can profoundly affect mental and emotional well-being. Charlie also reflects on self-publishing, storytelling as a tool for healing, and the unseen patterns that often guide personal growth.

This episode is for anyone interested in meditation, spiritual development, consciousness, creative expression, personal transformation, and finding meaning through life’s challenges.

Topics include:

• Meditation and mental clarity

• Spiritual guides and intuition

• Healing through writing and photography

• Creativity and mindfulness

• Grief, growth, and perspective

• Nature, awareness, and inner peace

Barracks Media Inc