BeTempered

Strength isn't pretending everything's fine—it’s having the courage to be real about what’s hard.
On Episode 64 of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr open up about how this podcast has become a journey of transformation through vulnerability—for themselves and for the community it’s building.

From a young age, especially as men, we’re taught to suppress emotion, to “man up,” and to keep going no matter what. ...

How do you find strength when your world is crumbling from the inside out?

In this powerful episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Susan Preble, whose story of perseverance through hidden trauma, heartbreak, and healing will leave you breathless and forever changed.

Susan’s journey began with tragedy—when she was just 18 months old, her family car was T-boned, leaving her mother in a coma and shifting th...

Some friendships are built on shared victories, bruises, and sweat—on long bus rides and harder losses. But the deepest friendships aren’t just remembered; they return when we need them most.

In this deeply moving episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr reconnect with Jeff Swanson, a former University of Dayton teammate and roommate whose story is both heart-wrenching and hope-filled. What begins as a conversation bet...

What does it take to break through the walls of selfishness we’ve built around ourselves? For Dan Schmidt, it was a brutal 24-hour journey through the mountains of Georgia that stripped away every comfort and convenience of modern life.

In this powerful episode, host Ben Spahr leads a raw conversation with host Dan Schmidt about his experience in The Rite of Passage, an endurance challenge led by former Navy SEAL Chad Wright. This w...

What does true freedom really look like in our daily lives? In this thought-provoking Independence Day episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr welcome guest Brian Ballenger for an intimate, wide-ranging exploration of how personal discipline—and the courage to confront our own weaknesses—shapes genuine independence.

Freedom, as the trio discovers, isn’t simply about doing whatever we want or escaping life’s responsibi...

In Episode 59 Part 2 of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Jeff Travis for a raw, unflinching conversation about faith forged in the fires of real life. Jeff opens up about his remarkable journey—from a struggling student to a reluctant pastor and, eventually, a missionary in Thailand. What begins as a familiar story of answering God’s call soon unfolds into something far deeper—a father’s desperate fight to ...

What happens when following your faith costs everything? In this powerful episode of the BeTempered podcast, Pastor Jeff Travis joins hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr for a deeply personal and inspiring conversation that traces his extraordinary journey—from childhood struggles in suburban Detroit to anti-trafficking work along the Thailand-Myanmar border.

As a young boy, Jeff battled severe reading difficulties and depression, feeli...

What does it take to walk away from a successful 23-year career to serve those society often overlooks? In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, guest Tim Pierson joins hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr to share the story of how an unexpected calling turned his life upside down—and ultimately right side up. Tim’s journey from insurance executive to full-time advocate for the homeless and addicted is a reminder that purpose oft...

What does it mean to run toward the fire instead of away from it?

For Carl Rhinehart III, that question became more than a metaphor—it became a mission. On this powerful episode of the BeTempered Podcast, Carl joins hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr to share his journey from insecurity and adversity to purpose and impact.

Growing up in Muncie, Indiana, Carl’s childhood was shaped by contradictions. He was the youngest of six in a home ...

What happens when your carefully built life suddenly crumbles? On this deeply honest and inspiring episode of the BeTempered Podcast, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Joan Parsons, a woman whose life story is marked by unexpected heartbreak, enduring faith, and the quiet strength that comes from trusting God through life’s hardest seasons.

Joan grew up surrounded by the steady beauty of rural Ohio farmland, a childhood ...

Have you ever thought about that small line between the birth and death dates on a tombstone? That dash represents everything—your entire life, the people you loved, the choices you made, the legacy you left behind.

In this powerful episode of the BeTempered podcast, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr invite you to reflect on what it means to live a life worthy of your dash. They share the extraordinary story of Michael "Pappy&quo...

What does real leadership look like in today’s world? At National Trail High School in New Paris, Ohio, the answer isn’t found in titles or authority—it’s found in actions. In this powerful episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with the students behind the school’s Renaissance Program, a dynamic, student-led initiative that’s changing the very heartbeat of their school culture.

The Renaissance Program at Na...

What does true resilience look like?

In this powerful episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Misty Hollis, Director of the Richmond Family YMCA and a two-time cancer survivor, as she shares the extraordinary strength that unfolds when faith collides with life’s hardest trials. Proudly sponsored by Catron’s Glass, this conversation reminds us that true strength is forged in the fire.

Born into a fourth-ge...

What happens when 5 men drop their guards and speak honestly about faith, failure, and finding their way? In this special live roundtable celebrating one year of the Be Tempered podcast, hosts Dan Schmidt & Ben Spahr reunites with previous guests Brian Ballenger, Matt Roberts, and Shawn Ruebush for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the journey to authentic manhood.

The wisdom flows as these men reflect on pivotal mo...

BeTempered Episode 51: Tables Turned – Dan and Ben in the Hot Seat

In this milestone 51st episode of BeTempered, things get flipped—literally. Instead of leading the conversation, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr find themselves on the other side of the mic, interviewed by their good friend Matty Ledgerwood. The result? A refreshingly raw and deeply personal look at what it really means to live with intention, lean into discomfort, a...

Meet Nathan Hogg, a 20-year-old from Richmond, Indiana, already stepping into leadership with a voice wise beyond his years. In this powerful episode of BeTempered, co-hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Nathan for a raw, inspiring conversation about resilience, identity, and the impact one young person can make.

Nathan opens up about his entrepreneurial journey, which started at just six years old with a lemonade stand an...

When retired Army Colonel George Glaze rolls up his sleeves to help troubled youth through horse therapy or counsel police officers as a chaplain, he's drawing from a lifetime of hard-earned wisdom. In a powerful conversation with hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, Colonel Glaze opens up about his journey—from leading troops through the streets of Baghdad to guiding his congregation at Beach Grove Church of the Brethren.

With raw...

In this powerful episode, we welcomed a very special guest, Sam Fledderjohann, whose incredible journey from protector to life-giver is a testament to resilience, faith, and divine timing. With co-host Kim Schmidt—Host Dan's wife—stepping in as Ben sits this one out, the conversation took on an even more heartfelt tone.

Born to a very young mother and raised in a home full of instability, Sam stepped into a caregiving role for ...

What happens when honor matters more than financial security?

In this powerful episode of the BeTempered Podcast, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Brian Ballenger of Whisenhunt Construction and Brighter Path Inc. to unpack a story that challenges conventional definitions of success—rooted not in wealth or accolades, but in integrity, faith, and doing the right thing when it’s hardest.

Brian’s journey begins on a 27-acre ...