Living Undeterred

In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with attorney and mental health advocate Mark Astor for a powerful conversation on the intersection of law, addiction, and the realities of today’s mental health system.

Mark shares his journey from a high-volume courtroom prosecutor to building a law firm dedicated to helping families navigate behavioral health crises. Through personal setbacks, professional reinve...

In this episode of Living Undeterred, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Wes Bruns for one of the most powerful and emotional conversations yet—an unforgettable story of survival, loss, and what it truly means to keep going when everything changes.

Wes shares the unimaginable tragedy that altered his life forever—a carbon monoxide poisoning incident that took multiple members of his family and left him fighting for his ow...

In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Alexandra Miles, founder and CEO of Project Blackbird, for a powerful conversation about turning personal struggle into purpose. Alexandra shares how her own experience with mental health challenges led her to create a movement focused on helping individuals feel seen, heard, and supported—especially in spaces where it once felt unsafe to speak up.

Through stor...

In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Tony Glace for a conversation that is as raw as it is inspiring. What starts as a discussion around addiction and personal struggle quickly turns into something much deeper—a journey of transformation, healing, and discovering purpose through pain.

Tony opens up about the moment everything changed for him, sharing how his battle with alcohol led him down an une...

In this episode of Living Undeterred, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Ryan Hampton, a nationally recognized recovery advocate, author, and founder of Mobilize Recovery, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation on addiction, mental health, and systemic change.

Ryan shares his personal journey of long-term recovery and how lived experience has fueled his work confronting the opioid crisis head-on—from organizing families af...

In this Living Undeterred roundtable powered by Brightn, Jeff Johnston is joined by members of the Brightn team for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about mental health, attention, and what it actually means to live well in a constantly connected world.

Rather than chasing diagnoses or quick fixes, the group explores how modern life—social media, comparison, burnout, and endless distractions—has reshaped the way we e...

In this powerful episode of Brightn, we sit down with Hillary Phelps and Greg for a deeply honest conversation about recovery, mental health, conscious leadership, and the generational impact of the choices we make.

Through raw storytelling and lived experience, this episode explores what it truly means to break cycles—of addiction, silence, shame, and inherited trauma—and how healing becomes possible through vulnerabili...

In this deeply personal episode of Brightn, Jeff Johnston sits down with his son Ian for an open, unscripted conversation about grief, resilience, and what it truly means to live undeterred after unimaginable loss.

Together, they reflect on the moments that shaped their family forever—the loss of a brother, the weight of generational grief, and the crossroads that follow trauma. This episode isn’t about pretending pain d...

In this powerful episode of the Brightn Podcast, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Ahmed Darwish, PsyD for a deeply vulnerable and thought-provoking conversation on healing, authenticity, and the future of mental wellness. Drawing from his own journey growing up amid significant trauma, Ahmed Darwish, PsyD shares how empathy and emotional awareness became survival mechanisms—and later, tools for growth and service.

Together, t...

In this powerful episode of the Brightn Podcast, James Oliver Jr. — entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and founder of the Kabila Founder Mental Health Fund — gets real about the cost of the grind and the courage it takes to heal. From launching his first startup while his twins were born three months prematurely, to navigating divorce, burnout, and investor rejection, James shares how resilience became both his survival ...

In this episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Ben Trotter—a Gen Z voice with a passion for mental health and personal development—for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about what it means to pursue mental wellness in a digital age.

Ben shares his journey from studying finance at the University of Iowa to becoming a key voice on the Brightn Thriver Council, advocating for practical mental health soluti...

In this thought-provoking episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston is joined by Dr. Richard Lopez—an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and director of the Social Neuroscience of Affective Processes (SNAP) Lab—for a conversation that bridges the gap between research and real-world mental health care.

With expertise in the science of emotion, digital media use, a...

In this deeply moving episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston welcomes Mike Farr—founder of Project SAFE and a courageous advocate for suicide prevention—for a vulnerable, purpose-driven conversation about loss, hope, and action.

After losing his son Garrett to suicide in 2017, Mike transformed unimaginable grief into a mission to save lives. From launching community conversations and building local mental health res...

In this episode of the Brightn Podcast, host Jeff Johnston sits down with standout Iowa tight end and future NFL player Luke Lachey for a candid conversation about resilience, identity, and mental wellness both on and off the field. From carrying the legacy of an NFL father to overcoming a season-ending injury, Luke shares how adversity has shaped his perspective and how positive self-talk has become one of his greatest tools.

Toget...

In this heartfelt episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston is joined by Kenyon Murray—former Iowa Hawkeye, mental health advocate, and founder of the Murray Foundation—for a vulnerable and empowering conversation about turning pain into purpose.

From losing his son Patrick to suicide, to mentoring the next generation of student-athletes, Kenyon opens up about how faith, family, and community fuel his mission to make a...

In the powerful conclusion to his three-part solo series, Living Undeterred host Jeff Johnston dives headfirst into one of life’s most debated themes: faith. But this isn't a sermon—it’s a soul-searching exploration of doubt, belief, and what it means to be a good person in a complex, polarized world.

Through raw reflections on grief, philosophy, and the search for meaning, Jeff challenges listeners to rethink what...

In this eye-opening episode of Living Undeterred, Jeff Johnston sits down with Dr. Nate Harold, Chief Pharmacy Officer at MedOne, for a vulnerable and visionary conversation about family, faith, and the broken state of pharmaceutical care. What starts as a discussion about PBMs and prescription access quickly unfolds into a story of personal trauma, moral courage, and system-wide reform.

Together, Jeff and Dr. Harold explore how the...

In this deeply personal solo episode, host Jeff Johnston unpacks the foundational pillars that shape both the Brightn app and his personal philosophy on mental wellness: health, wealth, and purpose. Following the emotional groundwork of “The Road to Resilience,” this second segment explores how lived experience, loss, and legacy led to a reimagined approach to flourishing—rooted not in treatment, but in empowermen...

In this powerful episode of The Living Undeterred Podcast, host Jeff Johnston sits down with Dr. Cynthia Knight, founder of Iowa Choice Charter School, for a deeply personal and eye-opening conversation about education, equity, and second chances. After years in special education and with a daughter who struggled in traditional schools, Dr. Knight saw firsthand how many students fall through the cracks of the public school system. ...