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Friday Oct 17, 2025
Friday Oct 17, 2025
Interview with Utah Safety Council Executive Director, and former small business owner, John Wojciechowski. We talk about leaning into your unique ability and using it to live your best life.
Ascent Life Podcast:
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Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
I am currently reading 10X is Easier than 2X by Dan Sullivan. It’s a great book
First of all 10X isn’t quantitative, it’s qualitative… very important. 10x isn’t a math equation. It isn’t… if I do 10X of the same thing, I’ll get 10X results. NO. It’s focusing on the 20% that will propel you 10x in life!There is a section in Chapter 3: 10x Embraces abundance and Rejects Scarcity — Get Exactly what you want, Experience Radical Freedom, and Realize Your Unique Ability… Long title, but it’s the “unique ability” part I would like to focus on.So, this episode’s WISDOM FROM THE PAGES:
No one is you… find and focus on your Unique Ability… quotes from 10x
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Our guest today is the Executive Director of the Utah Safety Council, a friend, a client, and a former small business owner, John Wojciechowski
Welcome to Ascent Life, Woj
Interview:
Are you into personal growth/self improvement?
What do you love about being able to impact so many lives in the state of Utah in your current position as Executive Director for the Utah Safety Council?
What did you learn as a small business owner that you were able to apply to the non-profit space
What is your Definite Major Purpose (Napoleon Hill) / Meaningful Mission (Lewis Howes) / Life’s Task (Robert Greene) / Unique Ability (Dan Sullivan)
How would you define success or living your best life?
What drives you?
What is your biggest fear?
How do you want to be remembered?
Fave band
Dream concert lineup alive or dead
Outro:
Thank you for tuning into this episode of the Ascent Life podcast
If you made it this far in the program, please subscribe on YouTube @ ascentlifenow. For your daily dose of visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram.
And, please subscribe to my weekly Ascent Life Newsletter where I share what I learn each week on how to live your best life. Link to subscribe is in the Show Notes.
Thank you for joining me on this journey as we all push towards self actualization through resilience, and adaptability, creating a positive impact on the world —using our “unique ability” to fulfill our purpose, our life’s task, and become the best version of ourselves.
We’ll continue our paths together on the next Ascent Life!
Cheers, and Godspeed
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Thursday Jul 31, 2025
Ep. 19 - Artist & Sculptor, Austin Casson
Website: https://austincasson.com/
Welcome to Ascent Life LIVE, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves.
That is living an Ascent Life.
For daily visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
Our guest today is artist, sculptor, friend, Austin Casson - In the past 32 years, Austin's career has successfully crossed a wide range of mediums. His works in bronze, steel, stone and ceramics have been recognized throughout the country including an early bronze that went to President George H.W. Bush.
Austin has works on permanent display at the World Golf Hall of Fame and the California Thoroughbred Hall of Fame. The Fallen Heroes Memorial in Temecula, California is also among his works.
Welcome to the Ascent Life podcast...
Interview:
* Farm raised, Austin's parents were an accomplished craftsman and a gifted artist. "I got my dads hands and my mothers eye.”
* How did you get started in the arts? Did you go to school for the arts?
* What is your most meaningful piece to you that you have created so far?
* This is your retirement?
* Your touring now, so if people would like to see your work, where can they find you in person
* What is your Definite Major Purpose (Napoleon Hill) / Meaningful Mission (Lewis Howes) / Life’s Task (Robert Greene) - Mine: Help 1 Million People a Day Become the Best Version of Themselves by Living an Ascent Life
* How would you define living your best life?
* How do you want to be remembered?
WISDOM FROM THE PAGES: “Be satisfied if you can live the rest of your life, however short, as your nature demands. Focus on that, and don’t let anything distract you.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
Dr. Jannell MacAulay has studied and managed human mindset performance under high-stress for over two decades as a military leader, combat pilot, and now consultant.
She has devised a mindset training program developed in part with NFL head coach, Pete Carrol, along with Dr. Michael Gervais, a high-performance sports psychologist.
Jannell gave us a peak into her mindset program using mental pushups, and how having a focused mind increases our performance with everything we do.
Guest Dr. Jannell MacAulay: https://jannellmacaulay.com/
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Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
Thursday Mar 06, 2025
Thursday Mar 06, 2025
To be successful, you must lead with love. Love of what you are building, why you are building it, and who you are building it for.
Nebu Clothing’s Nate Davenport joins us to discuss running an apparel business as a solopreneur, the importance of having purpose, and what legacy he would like to leave.Nebu Summit: https://nebuclothing.com/
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
YT || https://www.youtube.com/@r.brandonlong
Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
INTRO:
I wrapped up Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy and I wanted to share some final quotes from the last chapters of the book: “Success takes care of itself, when you take care of yourself.”
“If you want to be great, you need to visualize greatness and then work every day to develop your beliefs about what’s possible, your ability to focus and be fully present, and your freedom to play like a kid.”
I can see now why Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver, AJ Brown brought Inner Excellence to the sidelines during games. There’s so many gems in this book. Most importantly, leading with your heart.
Lead with your heart is the biggest takeaway from Inner Excellence. It subdues the ego, gives strength and courage to overcome fears, and builds a better relationship with the present moment. I saw a great post on 𝕏 the other day, that said something to the effect of our good ol’ days are happening now. I love that.
Lead with your heart, live in the present, and enjoy the moment.
Welcome to Ascent Life…
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
The humanities—fields like literature, philosophy, history, art, and music—play a vital role in shaping both individual lives and broader notions of success. They’re not just academic pursuits; they’re lenses through which we understand ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us.
Join us LIVE Monday’s - Thursday’s 4pm MST:
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
YT || https://www.youtube.com/@r.brandonlong
Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
SHOW NOTES:
Ascent Life Ep. 16
Grok: Explain the importance of the humanities on life and success:
The humanities—fields like literature, philosophy, history, art, and music—play a vital role in shaping both individual lives and broader notions of success. They’re not just academic pursuits; they’re lenses through which we understand ourselves, our relationships, and the world around us.
At their core, the humanities teach us how to think critically and empathetically. Reading a novel or studying a painting isn’t just about the story or the brushstrokes—it’s about stepping into someone else’s perspective, wrestling with complex emotions, and questioning assumptions. This builds a kind of mental flexibility that’s invaluable in life. Success isn’t just about technical skills or wealth; it’s about navigating messy, human situations—whether that’s leading a team, resolving conflict, or finding meaning in tough times.
History, for instance, offers lessons from the past that ground us. It’s not just dates and events; it’s a map of human triumphs and failures that can guide decisions in business, politics, or personal growth. Philosophy sharpens our ability to reason and define what “success” even means—Is it happiness? Power? Legacy?—forcing us to align our actions with our values. Art and music, meanwhile, tap into creativity and emotion, offering ways to process life’s highs and lows that raw data or equations can’t touch.
Practically speaking, these disciplines also hone skills that translate anywhere. Writing a compelling essay or analyzing a poem builds communication and persuasion—key in any career. Employers and innovators consistently value people who can think beyond spreadsheets, who bring insight and imagination to the table. Studies even back this up: liberal arts grads often adapt better long-term in shifting job markets because they’ve learned how to learn, not just how to do.
But it’s not all utilitarian. The humanities enrich life itself. They give us stories and ideas that make sense of chaos, connect us to others across time and culture, and remind us there’s more to existence than the grind. A life without them risks being narrower, less examined—less human. Success without that depth might feel hollow.
So, while STEM might build the tools of the future, the humanities shape the people wielding them. They’re not a luxury; they’re a foundation.
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Ascent Life Ep. 15 Unlocking Success: How Humanities Shape Our World with Utah Humanities Director Jodi Graham
Join us LIVE Monday’s - Thursday’s 4pm MST:
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
YT || https://www.youtube.com/@r.brandonlong
Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
SHOW NOTES:
Welcome to Ascent Life LIVE, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
Quick update with the show, after this week, I’m moving to a 4pm (ish) recording / LIVE version. Booking the 2pm slot proved difficult, along with the fact that it was literally in the middle of my work day, it made it hard to stay on task with edits, booking, and all the things.
Thank you for sticking with the show. We are now up on Spotify, along with a handful of other podcast networks, as the Ascent Life Podcast. Not yet on Apple Podcasts. I’ll update you once we are live there. In the interim, find us on YouTube of course, and on X with the streaming version of the show.
Please subscribe to the show on YouTube be at my page: R. Brandon Long
For daily visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram
If you are watching LIVE, play along with us, and drop your questions / comments in the chat! We’ll get to some of those at the end of the show should time permit…
Our guest today is: Jodi Graham, Executive Director of Utah Humanities since 2018. Jodi is a Certified Change Leader, and has served on the board of Utah Cultural Alliance, the U of U College of Humanities Partnership Board, the U of U Bennion Center’s Student Directed Programs Committee, and the UVU Appomattox Project Advisory Board. She is on the leadership team of The Village Square Utah
Bio: https://utahhumanities.org/about/staff/jodi-graham
Today’s Instagram Account of the day: @atx_record_players // @Ascentlife
Interview:
Have you been with Utah Humanities since 1996?
What has working in the Humanities taught you most about people?
What is your Definite Major Purpose?
How would you define living your best life?
What is our purpose as humans?
How do you want to be remembered?
WISDOM FROM THE PAGES: Diving into Chapter 10 of Inner Excellence: The Hero & The Goat - the difference between “Dreams” and “Goals"
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Ascent Life Ep. 14 - Embrace Discomfort
Welcome to Ascent Life LIVE, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
Join us LIVE Monday’s - Thursday’s 4pm MST:
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
YT || https://www.youtube.com/@r.brandonlong
Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
Ep. 15: Fly Eagles Fly with INNER EXCELLENCE
The Philadelphia Eagles dominated play in last night’s Super Bowl, and the book Inner Excellence even made the camera’s. They showed Philly wide receiver, AJ Brown with the book. Later when asked about it, Brown said, he didn’t need the book last night, his teammates were just giving him crap.
But, the book made an appearance, and the Eagles won the Super Bowl. First, weekly updates on my Fitness & Finance goals:
WISDOM FROM THE PAGES: Diving into Chapter 5 of Inner Excellence: Code of the Samurai My takeaways: Embrace discomfort
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Ascent Life Ep. 13 - Three Pillars of Extraordinary Performance
Welcome to Ascent Life LIVE, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long, here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
Today, I want to talk more about the book Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy. I read Chapter 4 today, and there’s some really good nuggets about focusing on your purpose, the process, and what Murphy calls the Fearless Four.
Again, as I’m reading books, and learning how to become the best version of myself, I’m here to pass along the information and highlight what is helping me and hopefully it will help you as well.
Chapter 4 of Inner Excellence: The Daring and The Twilight - Three Pillars of Extraordinary Performance- The 3 most powerful resources in the world: love, wisdom, and courage…
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Live a FULFILLED Life Using the Greek Term “ZOE”
Ascent Life Ep. 12 - Love, Wisdom & Courage with Photographer, Austin Luckett
Join us LIVE Monday’s - Thursday’s 2pm MST:
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
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Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
Zoe, Z.O.E. not Zooey Deschanel, the actress & musician, but zoe, the Greek word associated with being your true self as you serve others and live with fullness of life. Zoe.
Jim Murphy, author of Inner Excellence describes Zoe as “the state of being possessed of vitality, with absolute fullness of life, real and genuine, active and vigorous. It’s the full potential of your inner life, the generator of intense beauty and passion.
Zoe is the full expression of love, wisdom, and courage.
Murphy continues… “Most people don’t actually know what they want most, besides material success.”
To live your best life, Murphy suggests living Zoe:
Love is fearless.
Wisdom creates the best long-term decisions.
Courage does it all with boldness & grace under pressure.
Murphy says, “To be whole-hearted is to seek to learn and grow in love, wisdom and courage above all else.”
And finally, “If you want to live an extraordinary life, you cannot let other people’s words or actions take you out of your rhythm or flow.”
Welcome to the show, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long and this is Ascent Life LIVE! We’re here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
Reminder, we are LIVE 4 days a week. Episodes are then uploaded as a podcast to all your favorite podcast outlets including Spotify & Apple Podcasts as The Ascent Life podcast.
If you are watching LIVE, play along with us, and drop your questions / comments in the chat! We’ll get to some of those before we close the show.Our guest today is… Photographer, Artist, Austin Luckett
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Ascent Life LIVE Ep. 11 - Becoming the Author of Your Life with Kase Johnstun
Join us LIVE Monday’s - Thursday’s 4pm MST:
𝕏 || https://x.com/r_brandonlong
YT || https://www.youtube.com/@r.brandonlong
Inspiration & Motivation:
IG || https://www.instagram.com/ascentlife/
TT || https://www.tiktok.com/@r.brandonlong
Become the author of your life. We all have agency. According to Psychology Today, Agency is the Highest Level of Personal Competence
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/getting-proactive/202203/agency-is-the-highest-level-personal-competence
In the psychological sense, agency entails a category of beliefs, a mindset. More profoundly, genuine agency includes the strategies and actions that accomplish what we want and bring us what we need.
Feeling that you have agency is nice. But feeling agentic falls far short of exercising agency—thinking and behaving competently and making real progress toward your desired goals.
To exercise agency is to acquire significant control over your outcomes in life’s various arenas, including school, work, sports, physical health, and psychological well-being.
The Four Pillars of Personal Agency
Full-fledged agency requires believing you can achieve your goal and engaging in the following activities:
1. Forethought: deciding to take on a challenge, thinking ahead, setting goals, and making plans.
2. Implementation: taking first steps, enacting plans, and persisting toward success.
3. Self-management: taking care of yourself, dealing with emotions and stress, and maintaining good health to sustain your efforts.
4. Learning and adapting: monitoring progress, rethinking strategies and tactics, and making effective adjustments.
Thoughtfully executing all four pillars of agency contributes to your personal and professional growth while helping you perform over time. Agency is thus a vital source of power, a capability, a competence that can contribute to your overall well-being.
Welcome to the show, I’m your host, R. Brandon Long and this is Ascent Life LIVE! We’re here with the mission to inspire 1 million people a day to live their best lives, and be the best version of themselves. That is living an Ascent Life
Please subscribe to the show on YouTube be at my page: R. Brandon Long
Follow me on X & TikTok under R. Brandon Long
For daily visual inspiration, follow Ascent Life on Instagram
Reminder, we are LIVE 4 days a week. Episodes are then uploaded as a podcast to all your favorite podcast outlets including Spotify & Apple Podcasts as The Ascent Life podcast.
If you are watching LIVE, play along with us, and drop your questions / comments in the chat! We’ll get to some of those before we close the show.
Our guest today is… Author, and Manager for the Utah Center for the Book & Utah’s Representative to the Library of Congress, Kase Johnstun
Bio: http://kasejohnstun.com/about