Leadership isn’t about titles, charisma, or being the loudest voice in the room. According to Dr. Matt Kutz — professor, Fulbright scholar, organizational coach, and author of Becoming Epic — leadership begins with learning to lead yourself.

In this raw, energizing conversation, Matt challenges the watered-down pop-culture version of “everyone’s a leader” and explains why true leadership demands excellence, contextual intelligence, and self-compassion. He shares how chaos can actually be the doorway to your potential, why perfection kills growth, and why iteration—not talent—is what makes someone excellent.

Matt tells the personal story of how a shocking prostate cancer diagnosis forced him to stop, rethink, and write the book he’s always wanted to write. From navigating chaos to cultivating excellence through small courageous actions, this episode offers a practical roadmap for becoming someone who leads with purpose — whether that’s at work, at home, or within yourself.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, mediocre, or waiting for the “perfect time,” this one will wake you up.

00:00 – The Enemy of Excellence Matt explains why perfection is the enemy and why excellence requires iteration: “You have to try, fail, try, fail, redo, redo, redo.”

01:30 – Everyone Thinks They're a Leader Why society’s “everyone is a leader” message creates a leadership vacuum.

05:00 – Leadership as a Disappearing Act Cultural bias against standing out — the “tallest poppy gets cut down.”

06:30 – Contextual Intelligence The leadership skill most people ignore: shifting styles based on the environment.

09:45 – Chaos as a Package for Potential Matt: “Chaos is often the package that your potential arrives in.”

13:30 – Excellence, Perception, Inspiration, Compassion (EPIC) The 4-part framework of Matt’s new book.

21:00 – Mediocrity as a Social Pandemic Why we embrace “the middle” rather than risk failure.

36:30 – Cancer, Chaos & Writing the Book Matt shares the prostate cancer diagnosis that forced stillness and sparked creativity.

55:00 – The 3D Thinking Model How hindsight + insight + foresight = powerful decision-making.

• Book (pre-order): Becoming Epic — available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and major retailers

• Website: Home - matthewkutz

Award-winning journalist and novelist John DeDakis joins A Joyful Rebellion to talk about the craft—and catharsis—of writing. From getting tear-gassed in the middle of an anti-war riot during his college days to serving two decades as a White House correspondent and CNN senior editor, John’s 45-year journalism career shaped both his worldview and his fiction. Now, as the author of six political thrillers and a writing coach, he channels those experiences into stories that explore grief, truth, and the resilience of the human spirit.

In this conversation, host James Walters and John dive into the evolution of media bias, the emotional cost of news work, and how personal loss informed John’s writing. They discuss his process of creating authentic female protagonists, navigating rejection, and using storytelling as a path toward healing. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a lifelong reader, this episode reminds us that sometimes the best way to understand the world—or ourselves—is to write it down.

• [00:00–02:00] Introduction — Tear gas and the birth of a journalist

• [02:00–07:00] Early reporting days and first paying gig

• [07:00–11:00] White House years, Alfred Hitchcock, and lessons from Reagan’s press room

• [11:00–13:00] Fiction that mirrors reality — when thrillers predict politics

• [13:00–16:00] Journalism, bias, and truth in the age of disinformation

• [16:00–20:00] The turning point — grief, burnout, and leaving CNN

• [20:00–25:00] Writing as healing: turning loss into narrative

• [25:00–29:00] Empathy, emotion, and writing from a female perspective

• [29:00–34:00] The creative partnership with his wife Cindy and how “Enemy’s Domestic” was born

• [34:00–42:00] Writing across differences — empathy, voice, and representation

• [42:00–49:00] Rejection, perseverance, and the evolving publishing world

• [49:00–52:00] Why writer’s conferences matter and finding your people

• [52:00–53:00] John’s advice to anyone with a story to tell: Just write.

• John DeDakis Official Website: johndedakis.com

• Book: Enemies Domestic (Grand Prize, Santa Clue Award)

• Newsletter/Essays: Letters from the Road by historian Heather Cox Richardson

• Organization: American Forces Radio and Television Network

When his marriage ended and his life unraveled, Melbourne-based entrepreneur Wes Towers found himself sleeping under his desk—emotionally exhausted and completely untethered. What followed wasn’t an overnight transformation but a two-year process of unlearning, rebuilding, and rediscovering what joy actually feels like.

In this raw and human conversation, Wes and James unpack what it means to remove the masks we wear, confront our own chaos, and start over from the inside out. From therapy and breathwork to cold plunges, plant medicine, and real friendships, Wes shares how simple, consistent practices reshaped not just his mental health but his entire business and identity.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in a version of yourself that no longer fits, this episode will remind you that it’s never too late to rebuild—and that peace often starts with something as simple as taking a deep breath.

[00:00] – Introduction: When storytelling and self-awareness overlap [00:02] – Wes’s crisis: losing his marriage and identity [00:04] – Compartmentalizing emotions and “performing through pain” [00:06] – The friend who told the hard truth [00:07] – Therapy, breathwork, and micro-habits that changed everything [00:10] – What breathwork really does—and why driven people resist it [00:12] – Cold plunges, breath cycles, and body reset [00:14] – Letting go of who you were “supposed to be” [00:16] – Deconstructing belief systems and early conditioning [00:18] – Building new habits, structure, and emotional tools [00:21] – Growth without changing careers—how inner work transformed his business [00:24] – Exploring plant medicine as emotional rewiring [00:27] – The vision that helped him forgive and heal [00:28] – Friendship, brotherhood, and rebuilding community [00:32] – Business success through balance and humanity [00:38] – AI, storytelling, and staying human [00:40] – Final reflections and where to connect with Wes

• Wes Towers’ website: uplift360.com.au

• Connect with Wes on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/westowers

• Wim Hof Method (breathwork reference)

• Box Breathing technique (as discussed)