Every leader has an Apollo Creed.

Not just in the ring…
But in their head.

The voice that doubts you.
Mocks you.
Questions your readiness.
Tells you you’re not built for this.

In this episode of The Shadows Podcast, we launch a new chapter of the show—expanding beyond emotional intelligence into leadership, identity, and mental warfare—through one of the most iconic films of all time: Rocky (1976).

This isn’t about boxing.

It’s about learning how to train for the fight in your mind…
so you’re ready for the fight in real life.

Because leadership isn’t just strategy and skill.
It’s psychological endurance.
It’s showing up while being doubted—by others and by yourself.

Using Rocky Balboa’s journey, we break down three powerful Leadership Cheat Codes you can apply whether your “ring” is a workcenter, a conference room, a command office, a classroom, a gym, or your kitchen table at the end of a long day.

🥇 Cheat Code #1 – Lead. Yourself. First. (5:12)
🧭 Cheat Code #2 – Define Success for Yourself (10:11)
🤝 Cheat Code #3 – Strength Grows Through Connection (15:33)

• Why leadership always starts before anyone is watching
• How to stop letting the world define your version of success
• Why “going the distance” builds real authority
• The difference between being respected and being trusted
• How to face the voice in your head that tells you to quit
• And why self-respect is the foundation of lasting leadership

Rocky didn’t become a leader because he won the fight.

He became a leader because he outlasted the doubt.

If you’ve ever felt underestimated…
If you’ve ever questioned your place in the room…
If you’ve ever battled your own inner critic…

This episode is for you.

Because the real opponent isn’t always across the table.

Sometimes…

…it’s the voice in your head.

And the real fight?

It happens in the shadows.

🎧 New episodes weekly.

What if leadership isn’t about arriving… but about continuing?

In this special return to The Shadows Podcast, Bodhi sits down once again with retired Chief Master Sergeant and author Joe Bogdan to explore his new book, Better Has No Finish Line: Waypoints on the Lifelong Pursuit of Self-Mastery and Leadership. Rather than offering quick fixes or leadership formulas, this conversation digs into the uncomfortable, often unseen work of growth—reflection, humility, ownership, and identity.

Together, they unpack why true leadership is forged through pressure, why progress matters more than perfection, and why some of the most meaningful growth happens at waypoints we never planned to stop at. Joe shares hard-earned lessons from his military and post-service journey, including the cost of unexamined success, the danger of chasing rank or position without purpose, and how empathy and emotional intelligence transformed the way he leads.

This episode isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions:

• What is your brand when you walk into a room?

• What is it really like to be on the other side of you?

• Are you growing… or just moving?

If you’re a leader, an emerging leader, or someone navigating a season of feeling stuck, this conversation will challenge you to rethink progress, redefine success, and embrace the idea that better has no finish line.

🎙️ Listen with intention. Reflect honestly. Keep going.

Website: www.waypointbetter.com
Facebook Live Pre-Launch Party - https://www.facebook.com/share/17hh39WnnV/

STRANGER THINGS & EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

What if Stranger Things isn’t just about monsters, portals, and the Upside Down — but about belonging, vulnerability, and the emotional cost of avoidance?

In this episode of The Shadows Podcast, we break down Stranger Things through the lens of Emotional Intelligence and pull out three Life Cheat Codes that apply just as much to real life as they do to Hawkins, Indiana. From friendships that save lives to emotions we try to outrun, this episode explores how our inner world shapes our survival.

🕒 6:26 — Cheat Code #1: Belonging Is a Survival Skill
The Party survives because they stay connected. Isolation makes people easier targets — emotionally and mentally. We unpack why belonging isn’t weakness, it’s protection.

🕒 9:37 — Cheat Code #2: You Can Be Strong and Vulnerable
Hopper, Eleven, Max — strength in Stranger Things isn’t about being fearless. It’s about feeling deeply and still showing up. Emotional strength isn’t the absence of emotion; it’s the ability to carry it.

🕒 13:59 — Cheat Code #3: Avoidance Feeds the Monster
Whether it’s Vecna or real-life emotions, what we refuse to face doesn’t disappear — it grows. Avoidance gives power to the very thing we’re trying to escape.

This episode blends storytelling, humor, pop culture, and practical EQ tools you can actually use — because emotional intelligence isn’t about perfection, it’s about awareness.

🎧 New episodes every week
🕹️ Free Life Cheat Codes — try one this week
🌑 Remember: you can’t have light without the shadows