The Kevin Miller Podcast

Renée Marino, Broadway star and communications coach known for Jersey Boys and West Side Story, turned her performance craft into a method for authentic connection. She talks about how stage training shaped real-world communication. Short takes cover courage and practice, the CONNECT method, listening vs. distracted tech, when to text or speak, and how small gestures rebuild meaningful relationships.

This episode is focused on connecting with your body and soul through walking. Yes. Walking. Something I have had zero focus on my entire life. I looked at walking as a waste of time. But now I'm devoting near ⅓ of my exercise time to it. I am about to go out for a 2.5 walk with 45lbs on my back, right now. My guest here is Michael Easter who I’ve known about since 2021 when he published his book, The Comfort Crisis. In my peer group of people pursuing wellness, this book immediately became a mainstay and I resonated with the message hugely because I continue to question that our modern day conveniences have helped us at all. I think they have hurt us, and this is what Michael showcased in The Comfort Crisis. In that book he really helped put rucking on the map. Rucking is simply walking while carrying weight. It’s well known in the military, but now has become commonplace amongst us civilians. Here we discuss the physiological and psychological benefits of not only walking with weights, but simply walking. I feel that through walking, differently than running or mountain biking or other activities, I am connecting with me, and possibly benefitting my body more than with all my more extreme athletic pursuits. Michael’s brand new book is called, Walk with Weight: The Definitive Guide to Rucking. Michael Easter has built a remarkable career traveling the world in search of practical ideas that help people live healthier, happier, and more remarkable lives. I tune into hisTwo Percent blog weekly as do hundreds of thousands of other people to hear the latest findings from his extensive research and personal experimenting. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Research and surveys showcase that what we most value in our lives are relationships. Yet for all the teaching and training we get as we grow up, how to have healthy relationships is seldom a topic. And we often fall to the examples we are exposed to. In this episode we are looking at identifying unhealthy relationships, healing, and growing. This was the second time I brought Nedra Glover Tawwab. I first had her on with her book, Set Boundaries, Find Peace. This time is for her book, Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships. We dig deep into the relational issues that we all tend to just settle for and expect we have to endure long-term. Nedra is a New York Times best-selling author, licensed therapist, and renowned relationship expert. She has practiced relationship therapy for nearly 20 years. Nedra’s expertise is in helping people create healthy relationships by teaching them how to implement boundaries. Her philosophy is that a lack of boundaries and assertiveness underlie most relationship issues, and her gift is helping people create healthy relationships with themselves and others. Nedra has grown to be one of the most well-known, modern day therapists, you can find her on Instagram @nedratawwab with over 1.8 million followers. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author David Foster Wallace is credited with a story in a commencement speech, where he shares, "There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says 'Morning, boys. How's the water?' And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and says 'What the hell is water?'" We live in a culture where the expectation is to have absolutely everything.  And more. Obviously there is a material cost to everything. Money. And it takes time to make money. So we cost ourselves a lot of work to afford all the stuff. But regardless. Even if you win the lottery and can easily afford anything. Having stuff takes up our mental space, and I don’t think we consider this. I sure didn’t. I was just like the fish. Stuff? What stuff? I don’t feel I bought things needlessly. Or for status. I had a big family. If we felt we needed something? Get it. Maybe get two. If someone might need it, let's have it on hand. This had its value. But my gosh. There is just stuff. Everywhere. I ultimately felt so tied down by it all. So, my guest is Joshua Becker, the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, a website dedicated to inspiring others to find more life by owning less. His websites welcome over 1M readers each month and have inspired millions around the world to consider the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions and given them the practical help to get started. He is an international speaker and the #1 Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of several books, the newest of which is, Uncluttered Faith: Own Less, Love More, and Make an Impact in Your World. I am on a constant quest to…pair down. Yesterday, as of this recording, I accompanied two of my daughters in talking through everything in their rooms. Rooms I think most would feel were sparse. The result of questioning each item? Two trash bags and two boxes full of clothes and…stuff. And an entire big bag of trash. Feels like a breath of fresh air. Space to…contemplate. Create. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Waldinger, Harvard psychiatry professor and director of the 87-year Grant Study and Zen teacher, appears to discuss what truly sustains us. He highlights how close relationships, emotional sharing, and long-term investment beat wealth or fame. Conversations include managing conflict, social fitness, generativity, and how attention and presence strengthen bonds.

Dr. Lee Warren, neurosurgeon and author who blends clinical neuroscience with practical mental tools. He talks about how repeated thoughts literally rewire brain structure. He explains attention filters, neuroplasticity, epigenetic effects across generations, and how reframing stories changes feelings. He invites listeners to take responsibility for intentional mental change.

Humble The Poet, Canadian-born spoken-word artist, rapper, former teacher and bestselling author, shares his take on love as something to be realized rather than chased. He reframes love as a constant breeze, talks about training yourself to give and receive it, and explores solitude, social media’s validation trap, and building habits that create lasting connection.

Steve Smith is a friend of mine. He runs Potter’s Inn, which provides soul care. Much of Steve’s time is spent with people running large organizations, from mega church pastors to Fortune 500 CEOs. People who as Steve says, live much of their lives in the white water of life. And living this way takes a toll on your soul. Years ago, I actually argued with Steve. I said I was living in a way to keep myself strong so I could endure the constant white water. And I did. Until I couldn’t. Until I burnt out and caused plenty of collateral damage in my life. Recently Steve sent me a book of poetry he had written. He’s published many books, but with poetry he feels he can say more with less. The book is called, Greening: Poems In The Unfolding Of Our Lives. And the focus is on unfolding through the seasons and reasons of our lives. Steve has walked intimately with so many people. Dramatically successful people as our culture tends to define success. But Steve walks with them as their lives unravel and their identities unfold. In recent years, Steve has had some losses and gone through his own unfolding. As my own life has unfolded, I brought Steve on to discuss some of the concepts of his poetry book, and his life experience. Greening is a term he relates to our flourishing, vitality, well-being, and emotional health. As a speaker, spiritual director, and author, Steve offers soul care and spiritual care through many avenues. Find him at pottersinn.com Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Peter Mutabazi, once a street child in Uganda who became a foster father and founder of the Now I Am Known Foundation, shares his life of survival and service. He talks about how being seen changed everything. Short, powerful stories explore trauma, forgiveness, the ripple of one kind act, and why belonging matters.

Jen Fisher, a wellbeing expert who served as Deloitte US's first chief wellbeing officer and founded The Wellbeing Team. She recounts shifting identity from relentless production to being present. They discuss presence over productivity, redefining achievement without self-sacrifice, how small acts signal presence, resisting nonstop busyness driven by hopelessness, and leadership practices that build trust and care.