Free & Open Mind

What do you do when the people who taught you hard work, hustle, and DIY grit… also become the biggest drain on your mental health?

In this raw, honest conversation, financial advisor Andrew Quebbemann sits down with Hardy Brooklyn to trace his journey from a Wisconsin family candy store to San Diego skies — and the day he chose to become estranged from his own parents to protect his authen...

She overcame societal expectations by becoming pregnant before marriage, challenged a surgeon who claimed women could not be both doctors and mothers, and established the first inclusive program for deaf students in a New York public school—all before publishing her first book. This week, hosts Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson interview educator and author Rosemary Olender, whose new book, Coffee and Wisdom, distills five decad...

In this episode of Free & Open Mind, Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson sit down with C.J. Scarlett – “The Badass Grandma”: survivor, advocate, Marine Corps vet, and creator of the Heroic Kids Safety Game.

She shares how she:

• Turned childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, and autoimmune illness into a mission to protect kids
• Built a statewide victim notification system that became a national model
• Uses acts of kindness, bo...

Ever taught everyone else to be “free and open” while secretly running your own life like a locked-down server room?
In this solo(ish) origin episode, Hardy Brooklyn (aka Leonard Shostak) and co-host Stan Nelson pull back the curtain on how a geeky love of free and open-source software evolved into a life philosophy — and ultimately, the Free & Open Mind podcast.

Hardy shares how he once lived as two separa...

What would you actually risk to be true to yourself?

Drop out of school to be a rapper?

Walk away from a comfy corporate job?

Tell a TV director, “Dude, I don’t even know how to light this cigarette”?

In this episode of Free & Open Mind, Hardy and Stan sit down with Yaron (Ron) Urbas —rapper, finance guy, software engineer, actor, and founder of Yummy Media Agency—aka a one-man witness protection progr...

What if the “safe” life you were told to want is exactly what’s draining your soul?

In this episode of Free & Open Mind, Hardy Brooklyn sits down with Alexis Crisp—personal trainer, life coach, and self-described “helper to mankind”—who walked out of a traditional law firm job as a single mom and rebuilt her world around radical authenticity, mental health, and movement.

Alexis shares how...

Are you actually calm… or just numb?

In this episode of The Free & Open Mind, Hardy Brooklyn and co-host Stan Nelson sit down with psychologist and stress expert Gudrun to unpack “borrowed calm” — those moments when you feel okay only because you’ve leaned on alcohol, cannabis, caffeine, sugar, or routine to get you through.

We explore how these everyday habits subtly train your nervous system to de...

What if your “quiet” isn’t a mask at all—but a survival tool your brain built on purpose?

In this follow‑up to our episode on masks and masking, Hardy and Stan revisit the three-mask framework (performer, peacekeeper, minimizer) after a powerful message from an autistic/ADHD listener who didn’t see themselves in any of those boxes. Their feedback flips the script: quiet can be a strategic way to regula...

When was the last time you walked into a room — a meeting, a family dinner, a tough conversation — and were completely, unapologetically yourself?

In this episode of The Free & Open Mind, Hardy Brooklyn breaks down why so many smart, capable people stay silent even when they see exactly what’s going wrong… and what it’s costing them in their bodies, minds, and relationships.

You’ll hear a...

What does a hot air balloon in 1783 France have to do with your life and business today?

In this episode of The Free & Open Mind, Leonard (Hardy Brooklyn) and Stan revisit the story of the Montgolfier brothers and the first hot air balloon flight to explore what it really means to live authentically, take real risks, and follow your curiosity even when people are watching.

You’ll hear us dive into:

• Authenticity vs. perfo...

**What if the only thing standing between you and your true potential is the fear of being your true self?**In this episode of **Free & Open Mind**, we sit down with **Michael S.**, who grew up with a learning disability, speech challenges, and constant bullying — and still chose to build a life based on **authenticity, courage, and compassion**.Michael spent his early years in special ed classes, working with speech ther...

**What happens when your body forces you to stop pretending?**In this episode of the Free & Open Mind Podcast, Hardy and co-host Stan sit down with marketing strategist and proudly queer business owner Tom Basgil for a raw, practical conversation about authenticity when life hits hard.After being diagnosed with Addison’s disease, Tom went from barely making it to the subway — stopping at every bench — to betti...

**Feeling weird about celebrating yourself?**Like you “haven’t earned it yet” or you’re just going through the motions with cake, photos, and pressure?In this episode of **Free & Open Mind**, Hardy Brooklyn flies solo to unpack what **celebration** really is — and how to make it feel honest, grounded, and aligned with who you are.We’ll explore:**Why milestones matter** (and why tiny wins ofte...

**When money gets weird, our nervous system does too.** In this episode of *Free & Open Mind*, Hardy and Stan dive into what so many people are quietly wrestling with right now: **rising prices, shrinking options, and the shame spiral that follows.**We’re **not** financial advisors. We’re **life coaches** who work with real people trying to stay grounded when:• Groceries cost 30% more than last year • Gas and travel...

What does it *really* mean to live authentically when the world keeps asking you to compromise?In this episode of the **Free and Open Mind Podcast**, hosts **Hardy Brooklyn** and **Stan Nelson** sit down with **David Robles** — New Yorker, entrepreneur, Coast Guard officer, and fearless truth-teller — whose life journey runs from Brooklyn to North Africa and Haiti, from Burning Man to the music industry, and from exposi...

**Are you living your life… or just *performing* in it for everyone else?**In this episode of Free & Open Mind, Brooklyn life & business coach Hardy Brooklyn tears into quick fixes, fake “authenticity,” and why fear sneakily hijacks your career, your business, and your happiness.You’ll hear:• How to tell if an opportunity is a genuine “hell yes” or just a fear-based shortcut • The client...

In this powerful episode of Free & Open Mind, host Hardy Brooklyn (Leonard Shostak) sits down with health and resilience coach *Jeremy Sullivan* for an honest conversation about healing, authenticity, and putting your well-being first.Jeremy opens up about his seven-year battle with severe skin inflammation, asthma, and eczema—a journey that included multiple hospitalizations, powerful medications like prednisone, and the...

Welcome to the Free and Open Mind Podcast, where massive life changes start with small things, like 15 minutes of exercise, a treadmill, and a stranger ...In this episode, Hardy Brooklyn and Stan Nelson dive into the messy, funny, and very human reality of embracing change – not with dramatic movie-montage transformations, but with tiny, awkward, powerful baby steps.*You’ll hear about:*🏋️ The client who hated his job s...

In this episode of the Free & Open Mind Podcast, hosts Hardy Brooklyn and Stan sit down with CC Kaminovich, a former attorney and NFL sports agent turned transformational mentor for women navigating big life transitions.Together, they explore what it really means to live authentically beyond titles and roles—especially around motherhood, career, identity, and societal expectations—and how women can reclaim their inn...