I Dare You Podcast

You’ve thought about everything that could go wrong. Have you given the other possibility the same attention?

Maybe you want to ask for a bigger opportunity, go back to school, reconnect with someone, or finally start something that matters to you. But before you’ve tried, you’ve already decided how it will turn out.

What if you’re treating a prediction like a decision?

In this solo episode of I Dare You, I’m challenging you to look at what you expect—and how that expectation might be affecting what you do next.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

How expecting rejection can change the way you ask—or keep you from asking at all.

The difference between picturing success and preparing for it.

How to reverse engineer something you want into a step you can take today.

Why thinking about who your dream could help can give you another reason to begin.

What to do when the answer is no, your schedule gets crowded, or you miss the appointment you made with yourself.

You don’t have to wait until you feel fearless. Give yourself a chance to find out.

If someone came to mind while you were reading this, send them the episode. And follow I Dare You wherever you listen.

As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.

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

Connect with Darrin:

Instagram: @idareyoupod

www.idareyoupod.com

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

TikTok: @idareyoupod

You have BIG IDEAS worth saying. Let’s make sure people hear it.

I am SO excited to share this conversation with you—because if you’ve ever frozen when someone asks for your opinion, rambled through a presentation, or thought, “I’m just not a good communicator,” this episode is for you.

My guest, Salvatore Manzi, is a leadership communications coach and the author of Clear and Compelling, a proven guide that gives analytical, technical, and introverted professionals the practical communication tools they were never taught. He’s spent more than twenty years helping brilliant, analytical people communicate with confidence.

So if you think confidence is something other people are born with, I want you to hear this conversation.

Salvatore gives us practical tools you can try TODAY—in your next meeting, your next presentation, or your next conversation at home.

In this episode, you’ll learn:



“You then me”: The simple shift that helps people connect with your message.

“Metaphors move minds”: How to stop overwhelming people with information and start making your ideas memorable.

The coffee-mug test: How to get clear on what you actually want to say.

Presence without performance: Why you don’t need a big personality to make a meaningful impact.

The power of the pause: How saying less can help people listen more.



A special gift for you: Send Salvatore Manzi a direct message on LinkedIn with “DARE” and he’ll send you his HIP framework for impromptu speaking

I can’t wait for you to hear this one. Your voice matters. I dare you to use it.

Connect with Salvatore

www.SalvatoreManzi.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/salvatorejmanzi

salvatore@salvatoremanzi.com

Andrea Chalupa is a Brooklyn-based journalist, author, and filmmaker who believes deeply in the power of unreasonable women.

She is the author of A Reasonable Guide for Unreasonable Women: 20 Steps to Find Your Purpose and Power in a World on Fire.(Out November 10, 2026 - preorder!)

As the host and producer of the acclaimed podcast Gaslit Nation - a Webby Award Honoree - Andrea is a powerful advocate for civic action, confronting authoritarianism, corruption, and injustice head-on.

Andrea also wrote and produced the award-winning journalistic thriller Mr. Jones, directed by Agnieszka Holland and starring James Norton, Peter Sarsgaard, and Vanessa Kirby. The film tells the story of the courageous journalist who exposed Stalin’s genocidal famine in Ukraine.

She is a frequent speaker on resisting extremism and safeguarding democracy, and her books, films, podcasts, and insights have been featured on MSNBC, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and elsewhere.

Connect with Andrea:

Podcast: Gaslit Nation

Website: AndreaChalupa.com

Instagram: @gaslitnation

You’re not stuck because you don’t know what to do. You’re stuck because you’re terrified of getting it wrong. You keep waiting for certainty. A sign. A crystal-clear answer from God. But what if clarity comes after you move?

Today, my special guest is Doug Wekenman, author of What Does God Have Planned for Me Next?: Experience All of It. Miss None of It.

Doug is the Teaching Pastor at Red Rocks Church and leads the Austin location alongside his wife and best friends. Passionate about making faith come alive for people, Doug writes and teaches about trusting God and taking the next step in life with confidence, including What Does God Have Planned for Me Next?

After 15 years of helping people navigate career changes, relationships, spiritual uncertainty, and major life decisions, Doug knows what keeps us frozen—and what helps us finally move forward.

This conversation will challenge how you think about God’s plan, the pressure to make the “perfect” choice, and the fear that one wrong move could ruin your future.

If you’re overthinking a decision or waiting for permission to act, you need this episode.

As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.

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

Connect with Doug:

Website: dougwekenman.com; redrocksaustin.com

Instagram: instagram.com/dougwekenman

Facebook: facebook.com/wekenman

YouTube: Youtube.com/@RedRocksAustin

Podcast: The Afterthoughts Podcast

Happy New Year! Yes — right now. January is so overrated.

In this solo episode of I Dare You, I’m challenging you to stop waiting for January 1 to start building the life you say you want.

Because January doesn’t create your results. January reveals them.

In this episode, I share why fall is better than the new year to reset, refocus, and get moving. While everyone else is waiting for a clean calendar, a fresh planner, or a burst of New Year motivation, you can use the final stretch of the year as your head start.

This is delayed gratification in action: doing the work now so the results show up later.

I’ll walk you through my simple 100-Day Head Start Framework so you can enter January with momentum, confidence, and proof.

You’ll learn how to:



Use the fresh start effect without waiting for the new year

Pick your proof so you know exactly what you’re building

Plan your reps so your goal becomes a system, not a wish

Prove it to yourself through small promises kept over time

Stay consistent when life interrupts — because it will



This episode isn’t about making another resolution.

It’s about becoming the kind of person who keeps promises to yourself when no one is watching.

So here’s the dare: start now, stack the reps, and walk into January with proof.

Happy New Year. Hit play, and let’s go.

As a special gift for I Dare You listeners, gain access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit to help you put the principles in the episode into practice.

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