132 - A Toolkit for Courage: How to Break Fear’s Grip and Build Real Confidence with Mick Hunt
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
Release Date: 12/29/2025
Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell
What happens when trust in leaders and institutions breaks down? In this episode, I’m joined by journalist and speaker Mariana Atencio, who grew up in Venezuela and witnessed firsthand what happens when trust slowly erodes across government, media, and social systems. That lived experience reshaped her understanding of courage, purpose, and self-trust. Her story isn’t just about politics. It’s about what we can all learn when certainty disappears and fear starts shaping decisions. We explore why self-trust is foundational to great leadership, how personal adversity can clarify purpose,...
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Leadership today is more complex, faster-paced, and more uncertain than ever before, and I see how that’s leaving many capable leaders stuck between playing to win and playing not to lose. In this episode of the Live Brave Podcast, I’m joined by Alan Guarino, who I worked alongside for many years, and together we reflect on what modern leadership truly demands when clarity is elusive and the stakes feel higher. Drawing on decades of advising senior leaders and insights from his new book Greatness Code, Alan shares a practical framework for sustained success built on social capital and five...
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So often we tell ourselves that growth will come once we feel more confident, more prepared, or more certain. But what I’ve learned, through my own life and through conversations like this one, is that growth usually begins much earlier than that. I sit down with Lisa Nichols to explore what happens when we stop waiting and start saying yes. Yes to what’s already within us. Yes to the next step, even when it feels unfamiliar. And yes, to using our gifts, rather than focusing on what we think we lack. Lisa shares the deeply personal story behind her book Something Extra, inspired by her...
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Your personal brand is shaped by the stories you tell and the truths you hide. And when those stories come from fear, self-protection, or old narratives, they quietly limit your confidence, visibility, and leadership presence. In this conversation with personal branding expert Goldie Chan, I explore what happens when you stop shrinking your story and begin showing up with more honesty, courage, and authenticity. We talk about how personal branding really works, how to protect your energy in a digital world, and how evolving your narrative helps you step forward as the leader you are becoming....
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How often do you put off the very thing you most need to do because it will feel awkward? You hold back from asking, saying, or doing what matters, not because it’s wrong, but because it feels uncomfortable. In this episode, I explore why awkwardness is not a sign you’re failing. It is often evidence that you’re choosing your values over comfort. Confidence does not come before action. It follows it. Courage is not about eliminating discomfort or waiting until you feel ready. It is about acting in alignment with who you want to be, even when your nervous system would prefer you play it...
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Fear shapes our lives in ways we often don’t recognize. It colors our decisions, narrows our vision, and quietly convinces us to play smaller than we’re meant to. Yet fear can also become the catalyst that strengthens our character and deepens our courage — if we’re willing to meet it with honesty and self-leadership. In this conversation, bestselling author and CEO Mick Hunt shares how early adversity shaped the leader he became, and how emotional intelligence, integrity, and self-leadership helped him transform fear into purpose. He opens up about the promise he made at ten years...
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Small daily actions shape our lives far more than big resolutions. Every courageous change I’ve ever made began with one simple choice — a choice to show up a little braver than I felt like being at the moment. In a world that constantly pushes us to “Go Big,” I’ve learned that our greatest growth doesn’t come from big, lofty actions but from the small, intentional acts we repeat every day. In this episode, I talk about how identity drives behavior, why momentum matters more than motivation, and how small daily wins slowly rewire our brains and expand our capacity to do...
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Fear often shapes our choices long before we notice it, nudging us toward safety instead of growth. In this new Courage Works series on the Live Brave Podcast, I unpack how hidden threat biases and self-protective scripts quietly limit our confidence, decision-making, and potential. I explore how fear becomes ambient in an uncertain world, and why it so often trades our potential for false security. Drawing on my work with leaders at Google, Amazon, and NASA, I share why courage is a learnable daily practice and the meta skill we all need to lead and live with greater clarity and impact. ...
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What if the real cost of playing it safe isn't what you miss today—it's who you never become tomorrow? Your brain treats your future self like a stranger—and that's why you keep choosing comfort over courage. In this episode, I explore the neuroscience behind this disconnect and why it leads us to make decisions our future selves will regret. You'll discover why prioritizing what feels safer today is actually the riskiest choice you can make. I share Richard Branson’s advice that inspired my climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro (with my four kids!) and why you need to risk more “worthy...
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We’ve all had those moments of hesitation—“Do I speak up or stay quiet? Do I make the change or stick with the familiar?” Too often, fear of feeling awkward, exposed, or foolish keeps us playing it safe. Yet the awkward moments we try hardest to avoid aren’t obstacles—they’re the very gateways to the growth, opportunities, connection and confidence we desire the most. In this episode, I share why my response to the “Pool Guest” (Ep 127) turned out to be wiser than I first thought—and why it matters. Because the more we practice braving the awkward in everyday moments,...
info_outlineFear shapes our lives in ways we often don’t recognize. It colors our decisions, narrows our vision, and quietly convinces us to play smaller than we’re meant to. Yet fear can also become the catalyst that strengthens our character and deepens our courage — if we’re willing to meet it with honesty and self-leadership.
In this conversation, bestselling author and CEO Mick Hunt shares how early adversity shaped the leader he became, and how emotional intelligence, integrity, and self-leadership helped him transform fear into purpose. He opens up about the promise he made at ten years old, the hard decisions that tested his character, and the mindset that anchors him in moments of uncertainty.
We explore what it truly means to lead yourself first — from regulating your emotions and making values-aligned decisions to navigating tough conversations and staying grounded in a world that feels increasingly polarized. If you’re working through self-doubt, stepping into bigger responsibilities, or wanting to strengthen your confidence from the inside out, this episode offers a steady, practical toolkit for building courage that lasts.
Books mentioned
• The Courage Gap — Available on Amazon + independent bookstores
• Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
•LinkedIn Learning Course: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/activating-courage-transform-discomfort-into-bold-confident-action
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Learn more about Mick Hunt
He is a multiple-time Forbes Business and Coaches Council Member, a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs, and the host of the Mick Unplugged Podcast a global platform where he sits down with influential leaders to unpack the principles behind success, resilience
Follow Mick: https://www.instagram.com/mickunplugged/
Listen to Mick Unplugged Podcast https://mickhuntofficial.com/podcast/