I Dare You Podcast

What if the secret to being unforgettable isn’t being more impressive — but making other people feel more seen?

In this episode of I Dare You, I’m sharing a simple, practical framework I call The Connection Code — five habits that will help you build stronger connection in every conversation: at home, at work, with your team, with your friends, and even with people you just met.

Because connection is not charisma. It’s a skill. And you can practice it in the very next conversation you have.

In this episode, I’ll show you how to ask better questions, listen with full attention, follow up in a way that builds trust, and use small moments to make people feel seen, valued, and remembered.

You’ll learn:

Why every conversation is an opportunity to build trust

How to stop trying to be interesting and start becoming more interested

The simple “second question” that opens the door to deeper connection

Why full attention is one of the clearest ways to communicate value

How better questions move conversations from facts to feelings to meaning

The 10-second habit I use to help people feel remembered

Why using someone’s name is one of the simplest ways to make them feel seen

A 7-day challenge to practice connection in real life

If you’ve been craving deeper connection — at home, at work, with your team, or with the people you love — hit play.

I’m going to show you how small shifts in the way you listen, ask, remember, and respond can change the way people experience you.

And as a special gift for I Dare You listeners, get access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit, beautifully designed by Dani Saveker, 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

In this solo episode of I Dare You, I’m breaking down one of the most powerful paradoxes for building the life you say you want: The disciplined life is an easier life. And the right sacrifices create more freedom. This episode is not about suffering for the sake of suffering. It’s about choosing what matters most over what feels good right now. If you feel like you’re working hard but not moving forward — or you keep telling yourself, “I’ll start when life slows down” — this episode is for you. Because life isn’t slowing down. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the three powerful forces that pull you off track: comfort, ego, and cravings. You’ll learn how to stop negotiating with yourself, do the hard thing early, protect your time and attention, and build momentum through small disciplined actions that compound over time. This is a practical, energizing episode designed to help you stop waiting, stop delaying, and start living with more discipline, confidence, joy, and purpose. And as a special gift for I Dare You listeners, get access to the FREE Atomic Habits Toolkit, beautifully designed by Dani Saveker, 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

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