In this raw and deeply emotional episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Matt Dillon for a powerful conversation about adversity, identity, addiction, resilience, and what it truly means to build yourself back up when life breaks you down.

Matt opens up about leaving Australia for New York, starting over from nothing, navigating addiction, loneliness, and career pressure, and learning how to survive by showing up every single day, even when everything felt impossible. From swimming through rock bottom to rebuilding discipline, trust, and self-worth, this episode explores the realities most people never talk about.

The conversation also dives into Matt’s life-changing bond with a chimpanzee that gave him purpose during one of the darkest chapters of his life, reshaping how he views love, responsibility, and connection.

Key Takeaways

-Why rock bottom can become the foundation for real personal growth

-The difference between fake confidence and earned self-belief

-How eliminating toxic people and habits creates momentum

-Why discipline, presence, and self-trust change everything

-How purpose can come from unexpected relationships and responsibility

-Redefining success, greatness, and ambition on your own terms

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Matthew Dillon

https://www.instagram.com/mattdillon1983/

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In this episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans entrepreneurship, immigration, resilience, artificial intelligence, and humanity’s next energy frontier: space.

Baiju opens up about growing up as the child of Indian immigrants, learning English by watching TV, and how that outsider perspective shaped his worldview, work ethic, and belief in opportunity. He reflects on building Robinhood in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the skepticism they faced, and how democratizing access to the markets reshaped an entire generation’s relationship with money.

The conversation then moves beyond finance into the future of energy and AI. Baiju introduces his newest venture, Aetherflux, and the bold vision behind what he calls the “Galactic Brain” a solar-powered AI data centers and energy grids built in space.

From space-based power transmission using lasers to solving the massive energy demands of artificial intelligence, this episode explores ideas that sound like science fiction but are rapidly becoming reality.

Key Takeaways

-Baiju Bhatt’s immigrant upbringing and how it shaped his mindset

-The real story behind building Robinhood after the 2008 financial collapse

-Why access to investing became a cultural and generational shift

-The philosophy of failure, stubborn belief, and customer-driven validation

-What the “Galactic Brain” means for AI, power, and the future of humanity

-How space solar power and laser energy transmission actually work

-Health, discipline, confidence, and how self-respect changes outcomes

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Baiju Bhatt

https://www.instagram.com/realbaijubhatt/

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In this deeply moving episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with Liz Caplan, world-renowned vocal coach, founder of Liz Caplan Voice Studios, and trusted voice teacher to some of the biggest names in film, television, and Broadway, including Hugh Jackman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Andrew Garfield, Ben Platt, Stephen Colbert, and more.

From growing up with asthma to discovering that singing and breathwork could literally change how her body functioned, Liz explains how music became her first medicine, long before success, recognition, or a thriving business.

She shares how deep, intentional breathing can calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, and create a natural “high” with no crash, no hangover, and no harm.

Liz also pulls back the curtain on her journey from teaching a few students to becoming one of the most trusted vocal coaches in the industry, explaining how small steps, word of mouth, and genuine care built a world-class career rooted in service, not ego.

Key Takeaways

-Your voice and breath are powerful healing tools, not just performance skills.

-Deep, intentional breathing can regulate the nervous system and reduce anxiety naturally.

-True success is built slowly through service, trust, and word-of-mouth consistency.

-Burnout often comes from absorbing others’ energy; learning to release it is essential.

-Creativity, music, and movement can be medicine when used with intention.

-Determination means continuing your mission with empathy, care, and integrity.

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Liz Caplan

https://www.instagram.com/lizcaplan/

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In this episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with Olivia Mock, founder and CEO of The Check-In Club, a rapidly growing fitness accountability app helping thousands of people build discipline, community, and confidence, without the toxicity, filters, and comparison traps of modern social media.

What begins as a conversation about fitness quickly turns into a deep discussion on mental health, self-talk, consistency, childhood insecurities, and the emotional battles people face long before they ever touch a weight. Shawn and Olivia open up about their own struggles with anxiety, body image, shame, yo-yo dieting, and the internal narratives that keep people stuck.

Olivia shares the story behind The Check-In Club, why she built a judgment-free platform, and how accountability communities help moms, beginners, athletes, and everyday people stay consistent.

Key Takeaways

-You cannot build a lasting fitness journey from shame—only from self-love.

-Small wins compound. Consistency beats intensity every time.

-Nutrition and movement dramatically improve mental health, anxiety, and confidence.

-Walking counts. Any movement is better than none.

-Community accelerates progress—accountability builds discipline.

-Showing up for yourself first allows you to show up better for your family, work, and relationships.

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Olivia Mock

https://www.instagram.com/oliviamockk/

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In this episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with entrepreneur and wellness advocate Jerome, whose life story is a raw testament to trauma, resilience, and the determination to build something better for the next generation.

What begins as a conversation about childhood adversity becomes a shocking revelation:

Jerome discovered that he was likely a surviving twin, the result of selective abortion practices in 1970s France. That discovery unraveled decades of unexplained psychological pain, complex PTSD, and emotional disconnection. For the first time publicly, he opens up about prenatal trauma, childhood neglect, and the generational patterns he is determined to break as a father of three young girls.

Key Takeaways:

-Trauma isn’t just emotional, prenatal and childhood trauma shape the brain, identity, and adulthood.

-Breaking generational cycles requires intentionality, vulnerability, and emotional honesty.

-Children don’t need perfect parents, they need present, loving, apologetic, humble ones.

-Determination is built in moments where your instinct is to react, but you choose to respond with love.

-Mental health struggles are not weakness; silence is. Talking about it is the first step to freedom

-Affordable healthcare is possible, removing middlemen makes life-saving medication accessible for families in need.

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Jerome Knyszewski

https://www.instagram.com/jeromeknyszewski/

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In this episode of The Determined Society, Shawn French sits down with Kwame Christian, a bestselling author, attorney, corporate negotiation consultant, TEDx speaker, and host of Negotiate Anything, the #1 negotiation podcast in the world.

Kwame breaks down the real meaning of determination: making an agreement with yourself and keeping the promise, even when fear, conflict, or discomfort stand in the way.

But this conversation goes far beyond traditional negotiation. It dives into the psychology of people-pleasing, childhood conditioning, internal self-talk, emotional regulation, boundaries, and what keeps so many of us from speaking up for ourselves.

Kwame shares the origin of his compassionate curiosity framework, a simple but transformative method for navigating conflict without anger, defensiveness, or emotional shutdown.

Key Takeaways

-Determination is keeping the promises you make to yourself, even when it’s hard.

-Most people fear tough conversations because of childhood conditioning or people-pleasing habits.

-Conflict becomes easier when you use Compassionate Curiosity: regulate emotions, ask better questions, and approach the problem together.

-You can win an argument and lose the relationship. Focus on connection, not domination.

-Discipline grows when you celebrate the pride of honoring your commitments.

-Mastery comes from deliberate practice. Focus on the process, not the outcome.

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Kwame Christian

https://www.instagram.com/kwamenegotiates/

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In this inspiring episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with Greg Rosenbaum, SVP of Programming at South by Southwest and a 15-year veteran behind one of the most influential festivals in the world.

From dyslexia to leadership, Greg shares the personal and professional journey that shaped him, and how SXSW has become a global model for community, creativity, and connection across music, film, TV, technology, comedy, and education.

Greg reveals how adversity forced SXSW to reinvent itself after losing its long-standing convention center home, and why focusing on community over convenience transformed everything.

He also opens up about mentorship, parenting, discipline, creativity, and the mindset required to build a festival that helps thousands of artists, innovators, and storytellers share their work with the world.

Key Takeaways

-Reinvention happens when adversity demands creativity, community must guide every major decision.

-Dyslexia shaped Greg’s determination, discipline, and belief in incremental progress.

-SXSW thrives because it bridges industries, music, film, innovation, comedy, and education under one roof.

-The festival’s 40th year challenged the team to reimagine everything, leading to a more immersive, city-wide experience.

-Networking is the real “cheat code”, authentic connection accelerates growth faster than any strategy.

-Discipline in fitness and routine fuels creativity, clarity, and leadership.

-Presence is the foundation of great parenting, partnership, and professional impact.

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Greg Rosenbaum

https://www.instagram.com/sxsw/

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In this episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with Guerdy Abraira, world-renowned event designer, Real Housewives of Miami star, cancer survivor, and now author of her powerful memoir 'From Trauma to Trophies'.

Joined by her husband Russell, the two open up about identity, childhood trauma, cultural reinvention, marriage, betrayal, fame, survival, and the inner work required to reclaim your voice.

Guerdy shares intimate details about immigrating from Haiti to Paris to the United States, being separated from her family at just nine years old, building self-worth through service, navigating reality TV conflict, creating the Let Me Theory, and fighting, and beating, breast cancer with ferocity and grace.

Together, she and Russell reveal the truth behind healing, partnership, intention, forgiveness, and what it really means to win at life.

Key Takeaways

-Reinvention is a lifelong journey — from Haiti to Paris to Miami, every chapter shaped Guerdy’s confidence.

-Childhood trauma creates patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, and over-performing, until you decide to break them.

-Cancer forces surrender: losing control, facing mortality, and rebuilding identity from the inside out.

-The Let Me Theory empowers you to reclaim autonomy, set boundaries, and choose peace on your own terms.

-A strong marriage is built on intention, patience, presence, and seeing every version of each other with love.

-Being “too much” is a superpower, your energy, joy, and authenticity are your gifts, not liabilities.

-Self-worth is not material, it’s who you become, not what you own. Guerdy's trophies are her growth, her family, and her freedom.

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Guerdy and Russell Abraira

https://www.instagram.com/guerdydesign/

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