Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pease, a former Navy SEAL whose extraordinary story—both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring —threads through The Courage Gap. Alex’s journey reveals the truest measure of courage: the willingness to embrace vulnerability and give ourselves grace.

We dive into the universal need to belong, the power of authentic leadership, and why forgiving our failures is essential—not just for healing the past, but for unlocking our future.

If you’ve ever resisted lowering your guard, struggled to make peace with your past, or wished for the courage you admire in others, this conversation is for you. Alex’s insights will challenge, inspire, and remind you that true strength—and the most meaningful connections—come from facing our fears and the parts of ourselves we might otherwise want to hide.

Compelling listening for anyone ready to step into a braver, more authentic life, this is one of my most inspiring conversations.

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I unpack a key principle from The Courage Gap—one I learned early in life: “Growth and comfort can’t ride the same horse.” Because while staying in our comfort zones might feel safe, over time, it can slowly cause us to shrink on the vine of our own lives.

I share a few personal stories of my own dance with discomfort, including the time I risked looking like a borderline stalker as I refused to let my fear of feeling awkward keep me from taking the very actions that would open new doors and enable me to travel far… literally! 

We’ll explore why the “tyranny of a comfortable life” can keep us stuck, what Maslow observed about our deep need for growth, and how neuroscience shows that even the smallest brave actions can rewire our brains and strengthen our ‘courage muscles’ over time.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off or playing small around, I hope this episode gives you the nudge (or loving kick) you need to step into your ‘courage gap’ and make peace with discomfort! 

• Order The Courage Gap

"Unsafe cultures endanger everyone," says Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor at Harvard Business School.

Amy and I unpack why courage and psychological safety are two sides of the same coin, and why fostering psychologically safe workplaces requires people to trust that the pay off for courage is worth the pitfalls.

Regardless of your position, making people feel safe to be honest and vulnerable with you – including sharing things you may not enjoy hearing - is vital for any meaningful relationship to flourish, personally or professionally. 

Check out Amy’s book, The Fearless Organization

Bill Treasurer has learnt a lot about overcoming fear and living bravely since his younger days as a professional high diver. As an author (his latest book is The Leadership Killer) and CEO of Giant Leap Consulting, Bill is passionate about encouraging others to take a ‘giant leap’ over their fears so they can lead braver lives and make a bigger mark. In our conversation, we discuss the three stages of transformation, how to pick yourself back up after a fall and how to stop letting self-doubt call the shots. More about Bill at www.billtreasurer.com

There’s a lot of talk about love around Valentine's Day. Finding perfect love. Keeping love alive. Yet at the heart of what is required to enjoy deeply loving relationships is the ability to be loving toward ourselves. So this Valentine's, consider how you could be more loving of yourself. In particular, how you can extend inward a little more mercy when you mess up and fall short of being the ever-together person you most aspire to be.

If you’re often doubting whether you’ve got what it takes, this episode is for you! Listen to my insights on how to reframe your self-doubt and take the brave actions that will help you realize how little reason you truly have to doubt yourself. As I share, in recounting my own wrestling match with self-doubt, “Our doubts are part and parcel of what it is to be human. It’s our job to ensure they don’t steer our lives.” So if there’s something you know you want to do, but you’ve doubted if you can prepare for action!

It’s easy to look at people like bestselling author and positive psychology expert Michelle McQuaid and assume they've had it easy; that they have it all together, all the time. Yet Michelle, like so many other accomplished people, has overcome immense challenges including sexual abuse as a girl. Raised in a highly dysfunctional and violent family, she left home at 16 to make her way in the world. In this episode, she shares her journey of healing to inspire you to reframe your past, reconnect with your strengths and reimagine your future.

Learn more about Michelle’s books and groundbreaking work at www.michellemcquaid.com

What would you love to accomplish in 2019? As you begin a new year, I invite you to “begin with the end in mind” and imagine what your ultimate vision of success looks like over the next 12 months.

Only when you dare to connect with the boldest and most inspiring vision for your life (however scary!) will you find the courage, grit and resilience you need to become the person you’re capable of being.

For more, read Margie's Brave New Year blog at margiewarrell.com/blog

We all know that gratitude is important, but let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard not to get pulled into negative comparisons; to dwell on what’s wrong, or missing or who’s to blame. In this heartfelt podcast, Margie shares how we can practice living from gratitude, regardless of what is going on in our lives and how by doing so, it magnifies our blessings and helps us deal with our hardships with greater courage, grace and humor.