I Dare You Podcast

What do you do when life doesn’t go according to plan?

In this deeply personal episode of I Dare You, I sit down with my daughter, Hannah Johnson — the first-ever third-time guest on the podcast — for an honest conversation about starting over after painful change.

Recorded outside on the shore of a Minnesota lake during a family vacation, this unscripted conversation explores divorce, grief, relocation, career change, comparison, financial independence, faith, and the courage it takes to rebuild a life on your terms.

Hannah’s previous episodes are among the most listened-to conversations we’ve released, but this one is different. It’s raw, real, and full of hard-earned wisdom for anyone navigating a reset they didn’t ask for.

If you’re walking through change — or know someone who is — this episode is a reminder that your story is not over, and starting over may be one of the bravest things you ever do.

Plus, I Dare You listeners get free access to the Atomic Habits-inspired Toolkit, created to help you reset, refocus, and build habits that move you toward the life you actually want.

Get your free Atomic Habits Toolkit at idareyoupod.com.

Connect with Hannah:

Instagram: @hannahrenaejohnson

Instagram: @bakingwithhannahrenae

If you’ve been running hard, holding everything together, and quietly wondering, Is this really the life I want? — this episode is for you.

Today, I sit down with DJ DiDonna, Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer, founder of The Sabbatical Project, and author of Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One.

DJ has spent more than a decade studying what happens when people step away from work — not to escape their lives, but to finally pay attention to them.

And what he has found will change the way you think about burnout, ambition, productivity, and your calendar.

This conversation is about the power of a real reset: why vacations often aren’t enough, why high achievers wait too long to pause, and how extended time away can help you reconnect with your identity, purpose, relationships, and direction.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why burnout is not a personal failure — it’s a signal

The difference between a vacation and a real sabbatical

How time away can reset your identity, purpose, and priorities

Why your biggest breakthroughs rarely happen when you’re grinding harder

How to make extended time off feel practical, not impossible

This episode is your permission slip to stop treating exhaustion like a badge of honor.

Hit play — and learn why stepping away may be the most strategic move you ever make.

Plus, I Dare You listeners get free access to the Atomic Habits-inspired Toolkit, created to help you reset, refocus, and build habits that move you toward the life you actually want.

Get your free Atomic Habits Toolkit at idareyoupod.com.

Follow DJ:

https://djdidonna.com/

www.thesabbaticalproject.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djdidonna/

What if the reason you’re not following through has nothing to do with being lazy? What if you’re not broken, unmotivated, or undisciplined?

What if you just need a better way to get yourself started?

In this must-listen episode of I Dare You, I sit down with Dr. Russell Ramsay, one of the world’s leading experts on adult ADHD. Dr. Ramsay is a psychologist specializing in the assessment and psychosocial treatment of adult ADHD, an internationally recognized speaker, a CHADD Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of six books — including his brand-new book, Once I Get Started: The Adult ADHD Program for Turning Your Intentions Into Actions.

And this conversation is not just for people with ADHD.

It’s for you if you’ve ever said, “I know what I need to do… so why am I not doing it?”

Dr. Ramsay breaks down why procrastination is not always a willpower problem, why ADHD is so misunderstood, and why the gap between your intentions and your actions can be changed with small, practical strategies.

This episode will help you understand your brain, stop beating yourself up, and take the next small step from stuck to started.

Plus — this is a big deal — I Dare You listeners get FREE access to the Atomic Habits-inspired Toolkit, created to help you reset, refocus, and build the habits that move you toward the life you actually want.

Get your FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit at idareyoupod.com.

Listen now. Take the smallest next step.

I dare you.

Follow Dr. Russell Ramsay:

www.cbt4adhd.com

Instagram: @cbt4adhd

If you’re a woman at midlife and your body suddenly feels different — even though you’re doing “all the right things” — this episode will help you understand why.

In this episode, Cynthia Thurlow, nurse practitioner, host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, international speaker, and bestselling author of the Menopause Gut: Balance Your Microbiome to Reclaim Your Health in Midlife and Beyond.

With more than 25 years of experience in health and wellness — and over 15 million views on her TEDx talk about intermittent fasting — Cynthia is one of the leading voices helping women understand the powerful connection between hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and the gut microbiome.

You’ll learn how your gut microbiome impacts your weight, inflammation, metabolism, mood, brain fog, sleep, immune system, and energy — and why so many midlife symptoms are biological signals, not personal failures.

Cynthia also shares simple, practical steps you can start using today to support your body during menopause and perimenopause instead of fighting against it.

This conversation will help you stop blaming yourself, better understand your body, and advocate for the care and support you deserve.

Because once you understand what’s happening, you can finally do something about it.

And as a special gift for I Dare You listeners, get access to your FREE Atomic Habits Mid-Year Resolution Toolkit to help you reflect, refocus, and build the habits that will help you reach your goals faster and to help you live with more joy and purpose.

Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.

Connect with Cynthia:

Instagram:@cynthia_thurlow_

X/Twitter: @_CynthiaThurlow

Youtube: @Cynthiathurlow

Podcast: Everyday Wellness

Website: www.cynthiathurlow.com

If you started the year with big goals but your habits have started to slip, this episode is your mid-year check-in.

You don’t need to wait for January to begin again. You don’t need to tear your life apart or make some massive dramatic change. You need a Mid-Year Resolution — a simple waypoint to pause, check your coordinates, and ask:

Am I still becoming the person I said I wanted to become?

In this solo episode, I use the principles of Atomic Habits by James Clear to help you reset your systems, rebuild momentum, and make the second half of the year even stronger than the first.

Because the truth is: you don’t rise to the level of your goals — you fall to the level of your systems.

And every small action you take is casting a vote for the leader, parent, spouse, friend, and person you are becoming.

In this episode, I will help you:

Celebrate the small wins you’ve already earned

Identify where your habits and systems have drifted

Stop “driving with the parking brake on”

Rebuild the fundamentals: sleep, nutrition, and movement

Create better cues, routines, and rhythms for the second half of the year

Build your “second scoreboard” so your identity is bigger than your work

This is about making your habits obvious, your systems stronger, and your next step simple.

And as a special gift for I Dare You listeners, Darrin is offering the FREE Atomic Habits Mid-Year Resolution Toolkit, beautifully designed by Dani Saveker, to help you reflect, refocus, and build the habits that will carry you through the second half of the year.

Go to idareyoupod.com to grab your FREE toolkit. No catch.

Connect with Darrin Johnson:

www.idareyoupod.com

Instagram: @idareyoupod

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IDareYouPod

TikTok: @idareyoupod