Ron and Marty Cooper join Rick Burris for a deeply meaningful conversation about enduring marriage, military sacrifice, and building a culture that helps people thrive. Ron opens up about his path to becoming an Air Force fighter pilot, flying 300+ combat missions in Vietnam, and the lessons leadership taught him under pressure.

Marty shares the equally powerful side of that story: holding family together, navigating long separations, and growing through every season of service.

From their farm roots to their 57-year marriage to the creation of The Cooper Culture, this episode is a story of courage, commitment, teamwork, and transformational leadership.

Connect with The Cooper Culture:https://thecooperculture.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaldecooper/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marty-cooper-6a3b1653/https://

www.facebook.com/ron.cooper.3954

In this episode of The Refinery Podcast, Rick Burris sits down with Josh Kelley, owner of EcoBlast, to talk about a journey marked by adversity, grit, and purpose.

After a devastating crash and a long recovery that left doctors telling him life would never look the same, Josh chose a different path. He shares how changing his health, rebuilding his mindset, and refusing to accept limits helped him create a business rooted in professionalism, communication, and eco-friendly exterior cleaning.

This conversation is about more than pressure washing. It is about resilience, leadership, treating people well, and building something meaningful one step at a time.

Contact Josh:https://ecoblastsc.com/contact-us/https://www.facebook.com/joshua.kelley.4337

Robert Wall joins The Refinery Podcast to share his remarkable journey from the U.S. Air Force to entrepreneurship, engineering, banking, real estate, and personal brand strategy. In this conversation, Robert and Rick Burris dive into faith, alignment, leadership, relationships, burnout, and why true branding starts with how you show up—not just what you sell.

This episode is a thoughtful look at purpose-driven business, building a life you do not need to escape from, and staying true to your calling while creating impact in the marketplace.

Connect with Robert:

https://www.facebook.com/robert.wall.961

https://robertmaxwall.com/

In this episode of The Refinery Podcast, Rick Burris sits down with Reagan Wagner, CEO of NFA, for a practical and thought-provoking conversation on financial literacy, leadership, and long-term planning. Reagan shares his journey from the corporate world into wealth management, how he helped build NFA into a multi-billion-dollar firm, and why servant leadership, communication, and consistency are still the foundations of lasting success.

Together, they explore the financial blind spots many entrepreneurs face, the importance of aligning business and personal goals, and why real planning goes far beyond investments alone. Reagan also unpacks succession planning, continuity, retirement purpose, and the mindset shifts people need to make wise financial decisions in a fast-changing world. This episode is a grounded look at building wealth with integrity—and building a life that actually supports what matters most.

Website: https://tnfa.net/

Guest Social Media Links: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nationalfinancialalliance

https://www.facebook.com/TheNationalFinancialAlliance/

https://www.youtube.com/@NationalFinancialAlliance

Guest Bio:

As CEO of NFA, Reagan Wagner is responsible for casting the firm’s vision and mission, ensuring that advisors and clients receive the highest level of service. He leads the Family & Business Enterprise and Private Client Divisions, focusing on helping individuals and business owners pursue long-term financial success. With over 24 years of experience, Reagan holds Series 6, 7, 24, 63, and 65 licenses, along with a Group 1 Life Insurance license.

Reagan’s career began at HEB, where he developed expertise in leadership, operational efficiencies, and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs). His passion for financial services led him to co-found NFA Wealth Management, merging wealth management with insurance and mutual fund expertise. He also played a pivotal role in acquiring Strategic Financial Concepts, establishing NFA’s own Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), and developing the firm’s Wealth Management and Succession & Continuity Programs.Under Reagan’s leadership, NFA has experienced consistent double-digit growth, expanding its services and impact. His guiding principle is to serve advisors, clients, and his team with integrity and a commitment to excellence. By fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation, he ensures that NFA continues to grow and evolve in an ever-changing financial landscape.

Looking ahead, Reagan is focused on integrating new technology, expanding financial solutions, and increasing assets under management to $10 billion. He believes that leveraging the unique strengths of his team will drive continued success, allowing NFA to provide exceptional service for generations to come.

Beyond his professional role, Reagan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and serving in his church. He finds joy in working outdoors, mowing, and shredding, embracing the satisfaction of hands-on work. His leadership philosophy is rooted in faith, family, finances, fitness, and fun, guiding both his personal and professional life.

Reagan’s favorite verse, Galatians 5:13-14, reflects his dedication to service:

“Do not use your freedom to indulge in the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” By staying true to this principle, he continues to lead NFA with vision, integrity, and a passion for helping others achieve financial success.

Key Thought / Message Guest Wants to Share: Financial Literacy

What does it look like to stop living for relief—and start living on purpose?

In this episode of The Refinery Podcast, Rick Burris sits down with open-water ultra swimmer, author, and mentor Steve “Moby” Leitch to talk about the real story behind the swims: a faith-anchored journey from addiction to sobriety, from striving to surrender, and from personal healing to mission-driven service.

Moby shares the voices and moments that shaped him—from his maverick, gospel-preaching father to mentors who taught him integrity, humility, and how to serve people who can’t “pay you back.” He explains how a spontaneous 30-mile swim in Lake Michigan became a turning point that launched him toward the Ocean Seven (five of seven completed), and why the water has become both a proving ground and a place of worship.

You’ll also hear how Moby and his wife Kelly protect the “four pillars” (spiritual, physical, relational, financial), why isolation is dangerous in recovery, and how Rising Tides Mentorship Ministry is creating a home-based model for long-term discipleship and transformation.

Links from this episode:

• Watch Beyond the Shoreline (movie): https://tinyurl.com/beyond-the-shoreline-movie

• Get Against the Current (book): https://tinyurl.com/against-the-current-book

• Beyond the Shoreline: https://beyondtheshoreline.org

• Rising Tides Mentorship Ministry: https://risingtidesministry.com

In this episode of The Refinery Podcast, Rick Burrissits down with David Rivas, RPh, MSc, CCN—pharmacist, clinical nutritionist, brain health coach, and author of Resilient Brain—for a powerful conversation about hope, science, faith, and the relentless pursuit of healing.

David shares the deeply personal story that sparked hiswork: after years of trying to have children, he and his wife welcomed twins—one of whom was later diagnosed with severe autism around age two.Facing aggression, self-injury, and grim expectations, David explains why he and his wife resisted the “symptom-only” path of psychiatric medications and instead went searching for the root causes driving behavior.

What they discovered changed everything: the gut-brainconnection, inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and how certain imbalances (including problematic gut bacteria) can dramatically affect focus, mood, and behavior. David walks through how targeted interventions—paired with therapy—helped their son make remarkable progress over time, including thriving in a regular school environment and beginning to envision a future for himself.

Along the way, David also opens up about the financialcost and sacrifice their family endured—and how that pain became a calling to help families around the world.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or skeptical thatreal change is possible, this episode is a reminder: biology drives behavior—and progress is built with patience, consistency, and the right strategy.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why David believes “biology precedes behavior”

How the gut can influence the brain (and what that means for focus and aggression)

The role of inflammation and nutrient deficiencies in brain health

Why progress takes time—and why “quick fixes” often fail

Practical brain-supporting habits (like protein-forward breakfasts and reducing processed foods)

Want more from David? Check out his book ResilientBrain and follow his work for ongoing brain-health education and resources.

https://tinyurl.com/resilient-brain

Nuterel: Wellness Through Guided Nutrition

Clinical Nutrition Education

drivas@nuterel.com

https://nuterel.com/

https://stopmeltdownsrx.com/

In this powerful conversation, Rick Burris sits down with Jai Cornell, founder of Permission to Flourish, to talk about the true journey behind her mission: helping people stop hiding, stop people-pleasing, and start telling the stories that can change lives.

Jai shares how painful experiences from her childhood—and a pivotal moment at 16 that could have ended her story—became the fuel for breaking generational cycles and building a purpose-driven business rooted in faith, trust, and service. Together, Rick and Jai explore why we often chase validation, what it looks like to find your voice, and how storytelling (especially through writing and publishing) can become a pathway to healing, legacy, and leadership.

You’ll also hear how Permission to Flourish was born out of seeing authors get taken advantage of—leading Jai to create an integrity-first publishing ecosystem with a mission, a team, a magazine, a podcast, and global events designed to equip entrepreneurs and amplify voices worldwide.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of trauma, violence/assault, addiction, death, and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion advised.

What do you do when you finally take the leap intoentrepreneurship… and two weeks later the world shuts down?

In this episode, Rick Burris sits down with David Johansen,founder of Green Shield Restoration and Cleaning, to unpack the pivotal moments that shaped David’s journey—from launching a carpet and upholstery cleaning business at the start of COVID, to evolving into a full-service operation serving families through water, fire, and mold mitigation + restoration.

David shares the mindset shifts that helped him move throughfear and imposter syndrome, why clarity has become his greatest business advantage, and what he’s learned the hard way about partnerships, boundaries, and leadership growth.

If you’re building something and feeling the chaos of the climb, this conversation will help you reframe the challenge—and keep moving forward.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

The internal “fear stories” entrepreneurs battle—and how torewrite them Why entrepreneurship exposes your patterns (and strengthens resilience) Lessons from partnerships: clarity, pacing, and watching how someone handles disagreement

Trusting your gut, setting boundaries, and making the hard decision sooner David’s vision for expanding Green Shield while building a growth-focused team culture

Guest:

David Johansen

David is the founder of Green Shield Restoration andCleaning, providing carpet/rug/upholstery cleaning alongside restoration services for water, fire, and mold—helping customers replace panic with calm and a clear plan.

Connect with David

Website: https://www.greenshieldrestoration.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenshieldrestoration?igsh=cXp1MnI4cm1ta3By

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559857786108

Email: david@carolinaschoicecarpet.com

keywords

Entrepreneurship, Resilience, Business Growth, Partnerships,Mindset, COVID-19, Leadership, Personal Development key topics Resilience during COVID-19

The importance of clarity and mindset Lessons onpartnerships and collaboration Trusting intuition in business decisions

takeaways

The pivotal role of resilience during challenging times

Clarity and honest self-assessment are key to growth

Effective partnerships require clear communication andshared values Trust your gut even when it feels risky, it often leads to better outcomes

Don’t forget: Subscribe to The Refinery Podcast and sharethis episode with a builder who needs a boost of clarity and confidence today.