Writing Through The Darkness with Corey Croft
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Let the ego shrivel up and die on the vine.” In this episode, Michael Dargie sits down with Vancouver-based independent author and publisher Corey Croft for a candid conversation about writing, depression, ego, and the strange compulsion to finish terrible books. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Corey shares how his path to becoming a novelist began not with ambition, but with anxiety. During a difficult stretch marked by depression, he realized he always had “time” to write — he just wasn’t using it. A...
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Mr. Incredible's Business Case for Boldness with Robert Schmidt
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Awesome hides on the other side of fear.” In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Robert Schmidt—brand strategist, educator, and senior skydiving instructor based in Calgary, Alberta. Robert runs a national brand strategy firm called Box, where he helps organizations figure out who they are, what they stand for, and how to connect with the people that matter most. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Robert’s superpower? Helping brands be something for someone—not everything to everyone. He shares the...
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The Biker's Voice Goes Global with India Hayes
The RebelRebel Podcast
In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with India Hayes, founder of Bikers Hangout—a grassroots global movement for motorcycle riders. Broadcasting from Warrington, England, India shares how her idea to connect riders around the world began in a hospital while recovering from pneumonia. Frustrated by the lack of an international biker network, she started a Facebook group. That seed grew into Bikers Hangout, a multimedia platform complete with its own radio station, live shows, club directory, and growing global partnerships. India opens up about riding through personal health struggles,...
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From Academia to Identity with David Mendes
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Sometimes just doing more is not the solution.” In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with David Mendes, a bilingual podcaster, medical writer, and creator of Papa PhD. Originally from Portugal, raised in Belgium, and now based in Montreal, David shares his journey through academia, translation, and eventually podcasting as a form of rebellion and reinvention. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. After completing his PhD in biology, David faced the all-too-familiar crossroads many graduate students encounter: a lack of...
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Prompt Like a Pro with Tris Hussey
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Curiosity is what keeps me moving forward.” What happens when a former scientist becomes Canada’s first pro blogger, publishes four books, and now builds custom AI marketing tools for fun? In this episode, I talk with Tris Hussey about curiosity, content, and building a life around technology that empowers people. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Tris Hussey, a lifelong technologist, educator, author, and self-described curiosity-driven geek. Based in...
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Neurodivergent by Design with Rebecca Prejean
The RebelRebel Podcast
In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Rebecca Prejean, an artist, instructional designer, and fierce advocate for neurodivergent people in corporate learning. Based just outside Austin, Texas, Rebecca brings her lived experience as a mother of an autistic child into her work—designing training that’s inclusive, accessible, and actually usable by everyone, especially folks with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. She shares the deeply personal story of her son’s diagnosis, how doctors told her he would never walk or talk, and how that experience shaped everything that came after. From early...
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Life Lessons from the Arctic with Heather Thorkelson
The RebelRebel Podcast
“You don’t need to know how—just know that it lights you up.” What happens when a creative rebel says yes to a fluke invite to Antarctica? In this episode, I talk with Heather Thorkelson about wild pivots, polar travel, and building a business with impact. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In this episode, Michael Dargie speaks with Heather Thorkelson—entrepreneur, polar expedition guide, and founder of PolarTracks Expeditions. From growing up as a third-culture kid to building a pair of polar travel...
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Keep the Cocktail, Fix The Brand With Shawn Soole
The RebelRebel Podcast
“I help people stop working in their business and start working on their business.” In this episode, Michael Dargie chats with hospitality veteran and industry provocateur Shawn Soole. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Shawn has seen—and done—it all. From washing dishes at 13 in Australia to building bar programs, authoring books, consulting internationally, and running a podcast, his journey is nothing short of relentless. And that’s exactly how he likes it. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. Their...
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Life as an Independent Vet with Dr. Beth
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Create the things you wish existed.” What happens when a little girl obsessed with animals grows up, faces down fear, and builds a vet clinic on a dream? In this episode, Beth Barrett shares her story of grit, independence, and what it really means to live in alignment with your values. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with veterinarian and entrepreneur Beth Barrett about her decades-long career, her passion for animals, and the power of doing hard things. From...
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Gen X Women Who Kick Ass with Oonagh Duncan
The RebelRebel Podcast
“Weight loss isn’t controversial in science, only on social media.” What happens when a former smoker and self-described non-athlete turns into one of Canada’s most refreshing voices in fitness and habit formation? In this episode, I talk with Oonagh Duncan about Gen X women, body neutrality, the power of pleasure, and her dream of fronting an 80s hair band at brunch. This episode is sponsored by my new book , helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world. In This Episode In this episode, Michael Dargie talks with Oonagh Duncan—fitness coach, author of Healthy as...
info_outline“So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission.”
In this episode, Dr. Apollo Emeka joins the conversation from Panama City, Panama, where he and his family relocated after wildfires forced them from their home in California. What began as an evacuation turned into a bold life decision—one that exemplifies the very work Apollo now does with leaders and entrepreneurs: helping them make decisions so bold that the path forward becomes obvious.
This episode is sponsored by my new book BRANDJITSU, helping you find, shape, and share your story with the world.
In This Episode
Apollo shares his framework for understanding choices, distinguishing between inherited, default, and big decisions. From leaving school in fourth grade to joining the U.S. military at seventeen, his life has been shaped by pivotal moments where courage, clarity, and conviction mattered more than circumstance. His story winds through service as a Green Beret, intelligence analyst in the FBI, entrepreneur, and now decision strategist and coach.
He reflects on how his parents’ defiant love—marrying across racial lines when it was still illegal in many states—set the stage for his own willingness to challenge norms. Losing his mother as a teenager forced him into independence, while deployments in Iraq revealed the cost of poor decisions and deepened his commitment to developing better frameworks for making them.
The conversation explores how bold decisions create clarity, why “waiting to see how it plays out” is rarely the answer, and how courage transforms fear into thoughtful action. Alongside stories of family life in Panama, skateparks with his kids, and date nights with his wife, Apollo underscores the importance of deciding with heart, not just with feasibility.
Whether moving across continents, leaving stable careers, or reframing personal values, Apollo shows that life-changing clarity comes not from more information, but from the courage to choose.
Quoteable Quotes
“When you decide with heart, it lights you up even if you fail.” — Apollo Emeka
“So many people are waiting for permission. A decision is the permission.” — Apollo Emeka
“Sometimes you just have to let shit go and make space for what’s next.” — Michael Dargie
“Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking.” — Apollo Emeka
Episode Highlights
Born into Boldness | Apollo’s parents’ interracial marriage set the tone for defying convention.
Fourth Grade Dropout | How being allowed to choose school sparked his decision-making journey.
Military Intelligence | Training taught him to structure decisions in high-stakes contexts.
Big Life Shifts | From physiotherapist to soldier, Green Beret, FBI analyst, and entrepreneur.
Fires and Panama | Wildfires in California led his family to relocate across continents in 30 days.
Decide With Heart | Why “can, could, should” aren’t strong enough drivers.
Raising Rebels | Skateparks, BMX, and resourcing kids in Panama’s expat community.
Courage Over Fear | How fear can be a catalyst for action.
Lessons from the FBI | Understanding biases and critical thinking as tools for better choices.
Rebel Advice | Define success in your own terms and crave it like air.
LINKS FROM EPISODE
Website (https://www.apollostrategy.com/about-us)
Apollo on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/apolloemeka)
Apollo on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apolloemeka)
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