037 Optimizing Leadership: Why People Matter More Than Tasks | Ft Bart Paden
Bart Paden went from designing websites in a bedroom in Webb City to a $24 million valuation — without a master plan. What he did have was a posture: treat every person like they matter, stay curious about everything, and work yourself out of a job.
036 Optimizing Food
A chiropractor told Ashley she'd be crippled at 50. She was in her early twenties. That was the beginning of a food journey nearly two decades in the making — built one small swap at a time, on a real budget, in a real kitchen.
035 Remaining Human by Bart Paden
The data was right. The decision was still wrong. A friend lost his job because a leader trusted a number over a conversation. Bart Paden's book Remaining Human is a warning about what happens when AI becomes the yes-man in the room — and nobody notices.
034 Optimizing Travel
The best moment of our wildest Italy trip was doing absolutely nothing. Two days in Bologna with nowhere to be — and somehow that's what I remember most. Ashley and I get asked about our travel more than almost anything, so we're pulling back the curtain on how we actually plan, budget, and make it work.
033 Optimizing with AI
I asked ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude what I use them for most — live, without reading the answers first. What came back was ten use cases that were embarrassingly accurate. Most people are using AI like a vending machine. This is how to use it like a thought partner.
032 Start Your Side Hustle
I bought a Corvette in El Paso and drove it home as the world shut down. That was my first business. It shouldn't have worked. It did. Josh and Ashley break down the three things that stop most people before they start — and why the imperfect launch beats the perfect plan that never ships.
031 Optimize Your Words | Ft Gregg Hull
"I like people more than I like myself." My friend Gregg Hull said that like it was the most natural thing in the world. It took him nearly forty years to understand why — and what to do about it. This one is personal for both of us.
030 17 Years of Marriage
Seventeen years in, and we've watched marriages around us quietly come apart. This episode is a look back at the habits that held, the hard seasons that forged us, and what we'd tell any couple trying to swim upstream against the drift.
022 Optimize Movement
Are you willing to die for your family, or are you willing to live for them? Josh and Ashley Negron tackle the five major barriers to fitness and why "choosing your hard" today is the ultimate investment in your future longevity. Learn how to break the perfectionist "all-or-nothing" cycle and find movement that sticks.
021 The 4G’s
Stuck in a cycle of "spending" energy without seeing results? Discover the "Four G’s"—a simple but powerful daily practice of Gratitude, Goals, Growth, and Grace. Learn how five years of these daily "reps" can rewire your brain, eliminate decision fatigue, and build unstoppable momentum.
020 Build Stronger Relationships
Most of us have thousands of digital "friends" but zero people to call when life gets messy. In this episode, Josh and Ashley Negron break down how to audit your inner circle, move past surface-level connections, and build high-level friendships through shared mission and "suffering bonding."
019 Power of Morning Routines
Are you spending your time or investing it? 🕒 In this episode, Glenn Lundy joins me to break down "The Morning 5" and the 67-day biological rule for building habits. We’re talking about how to go from "autopilot" to an elite operator by mastering the first 17 minutes of your day. Let's goooo!! 🚀
018 Navigating the Valley
Loss doesn't just take; it reveals. 🕊️ This week, Ashley and I get raw about the recent loss of a dear friend and share the "anchor habits" that keep us grounded when the waves of grief hit. From the dichotomy of laughter and tears to the necessity of "saying the words," we’re exploring how to navigate life's heaviest valleys.
017 The Hidden Cost of Waiting
Have you ever looked back at an idea you had years ago and thought, "Man, if I would have just started then?" 🛑 In this episode, I share why I waited five years to start this podcast and the "crummy integrity" that nearly cost me my momentum. It's time to stop waiting for the "perfect moment" and start putting in the reps. 💪
016 Optimizing Personalities: Using Tests to Grow in Work & Marriage
Personality tests can be a bridge or a barrier. In Episode 16, Josh and Ashley Negron unpack tools like Color Code, Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, and Love Languages—and how to use them with humility to communicate better at home and at work, without turning personality into a crutch or a weapon.
015 Optimizing When Life Isn’t Optimal - How Leaders Stay Steady in the Red
It’s easy to optimize when life is smooth. But what about when you’re running on fumes? Pastor Eric Dwyer shares a grounded approach to leading (and living) with margin, boundaries, and community when things aren’t optimal.
014 The One You Feed
The battle inside you doesn’t get decided in the big moments—it gets decided in the small, daily “meals” of what you focus on and what you consume. Episode 14 breaks down the Two Wolves concept, why negativity is often the default, and how to rewire your mindset with patience, better inputs, and intentional reps.
