Episodes

When Emma Victoria Johnson sat across from her surgeon in March 2025, the script had already been written for her: stage 4 breast cancer, no surgery, no chemo, no radiation — just two tablets and roughly 18 months. She tore that script up. In this deeply moving episode of Become Empowered, host Sabine Kvenberg sits down with Emma, joining "from the future" near Sydney, Australia, to talk about the moment a diagnosis became a decision. Emma shares why she refused to accept a palliative-only progn...

What if the problem isn't that you need more stages — but that your message isn't clear enough to earn them? In this episode of Become Empowered, Sabine sits down with speaker, author, and coach Marta Spirk — a fellow performer who traded the entertainment stage for a mission of guiding women to find their voice and own the spotlight. Marta shares her remarkable journey: growing up singing in her mother's church in Brazil, building a career in translation and interpreting, singing the national...

Imagine walking into a state government internship, handing them an evaluation that says you read and write at a first-grade level — and walking out having earned fifteen credits of A-minus. Now imagine a university committee looking at that same work and flunking you to fifteen credits of F. That's the moment Russell Van Brooklyn stopped waiting for permission and decided to solve dyslexia himself. On this episode, Sabine sits down with Russell Van Brooklyn — known worldwide as the Dyslexia Pr...

Some people find their turning point in a boardroom. Fenix Shepard found hers in a jail cell — where a total stranger looked at her with compassion and asked one question that cracked her life wide open: "Don't you think it's time to heal?" In this episode, Sabine sits down with Fenix Shepard — spiritual mentor, Navy veteran, trauma survivor, and author of Loved Unconditionally — for a conversation that goes straight to the heart. Fenix walks us back to her last rock bottom at 30, the correction...

Thirty-five years ago, Sabine met an 18-year-old dancer in West Africa — talented, a little naïve, and not yet sure she belonged anywhere but the stage. In this episode, that young woman returns as Sabine's guest: Dorina Malcheva, now Artistic Director of MJ – The Michael Jackson Musical in Hamburg, Germany, leading a team of 34. It's a conversation that moves like a memory: the smell of the airport air, the fires along a dark road, the first show they ever built together in an African club. Bu...

Jeremy Knauff spent nearly two decades building a successful marketing agency — until a severe health crisis nearly killed him and took the business down with it. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran and founder of Spartan Media shares what it was like to lose everything, the autoimmune condition that brought him to the edge, and the moment a fellow Marine's suicide became the turning point that changed how he showed up in the world. Jeremy walks us through exactl...

You don't find courage — you build it, one bold step at a time. In this episode, Sabine unpacks why courage is forged in the moments when everything in you screams "stop," and why the difference between a wish and a whisper might be the thing standing between you and your next chapter. Get Your Free Bold Move Kit: https://sabinekvenberg.com/get-your-bold-move-kit Connect on Social Media: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/SabineKvenberg IG: https://www.instagram.com/sabinekvenberg/ LinkedIn: h...

Jeff Luther collapsed mid-workout in front of his 16-year-old son — no pulse, no breath. Two AED shocks didn't bring him back. The third did. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Jeff walks us through what actually happens in the space between life and death, the paralyzing fear that followed a second cardiac arrest, and the exact moment — 30 seconds at a time — that he started rebuilding his life on his own terms. We talk about ego, gratitude, the stories we tell ourselves, and why the belief ...

At almost 85 years young, Nancy Jasin is proof that the ending is never written until you write it. A retired nurse who "never really retires," Nancy joins Sabine to share a life shaped by resilience — from a violent childhood spent hiding in a closet, to 42 years of sobriety, to building three businesses and becoming an author who now sends out two poems a week. Nancy opens the doors most people keep closed. She talks candidly about PTSD, addiction, and the night on her bathroom floor when she...

What if the wisdom you're searching for has been inside you since childhood? In this Saturday Live conversation, Sabine Kvenberg sits down with visionary strategist and three-time #1 international bestselling author Joanne Weiland to explore the moments that quietly build a courageous life. Sabine opens up about the day — at just nine years old, alone in a Hamburg park — when an inner voice told her to run, and how that single moment launched a lifelong spiritual journey and her search for inne...

What happens when staying authentic costs you everything… but opens the door to something even bigger? In this inspiring episode of Become Empowered, Sabine Kvenberg sits down with author, voice actor, musician, and storyteller Aaron Ryan to talk about resilience, reinvention, creativity, and the courage to stay true to yourself—even when it comes at a cost. Aaron shares his remarkable journey from accidentally becoming a voice actor to publishing 50+ books, creating music, and building a legac...

What if your money problems have nothing to do with money? In this episode of Become Empowered, Sabine sits down with Scott Maderer — host of the Inspired Stewardship podcast with over 1,800 episodes — to unpack a truth most people avoid: financial stress is a symptom, not the source. The real problem is alignment. Scott opens up about his raw personal story: $60,000 in debt on a $40,000 teacher's salary, suicidal thoughts he kept hidden from his wife, and the radical turning point that changed...

What if manifestation isn't something you do — but something you live? In this episode, I'm sharing something personal. For my birthday, I ended up on a race track — behind the wheel of a race car — and I never planned it. What unfolded that day became one of the clearest examples of manifestation I've ever experienced in my own life. Not because I followed a formula. Because I was aligned. I also take you inside my new book GUMPTION: Sacred Whispers, Bold Moves, and the Courage to Become, wher...

He grew up in East New York, surrounded by violence, and believed he wouldn't live to see 25. Today he's sailed every inhabited continent, coached leaders around the world, and built a media company helping others find their own way. This is Josh Valentine — and this episode will stay with you. Connect with Josh: https://javalentin.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@UCK-1WRXSdXRTnZKqUAzAP2g Connect with Sabine: https://sabinekvenberg.com/resources Follow her on: IG: https://www.inst...

In this powerful episode, Sabine Kvenberg sits down with Dr. Angela Mulrooney to explore the hidden realities behind success, burnout, and rediscovering purpose. Dr. Mulrooney shares her journey from building a thriving dental career to experiencing deep burnout—and how that pivotal moment became the catalyst for transformation. Together, they unpack the pressure of high performance, the identity traps many professionals fall into, and what it really takes to realign your life and business with...

Feeling stuck, uncertain, or afraid to make your next move? This episode is your permission slip to rise. Discover what gumption really means — and why it’s the missing link between where you are and where you want to be. Learn how to tell the difference between fear that protects you and fear that’s holding you back, why failing forward is a success strategy, and how to stay focused on your boldest goals. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek into Sabine’s upcoming memoir GUMPTION. It’s...

What if the very thing holding you back is the exact fuel you need to move forward? In this episode, I share my Fear Flip method — a simple but powerful shift that transforms paralysis into presence and fear into fire. https://go.sabinekvenberg.com/aichallenge connect with Sabine: TalktoSabine.com

What does it cost to perform a version of yourself for 45 years? Katherine Dudtscak knows that cost intimately. A former bank CEO who led teams of 25,000 across 19 countries in the Caribbean, Catherine lived at the pinnacle of the corporate world — and in the depths of a secret she couldn't name. When burnout arrived and her mother died in the same season, Catherine finally broke. And in breaking open, she found something extraordinary: herself. Today — her book's official pub date — Catherine...

AI is moving fast, but your voice, your story, and your human presence are still what make you unforgettable. AI is changing the world at lightning speed, and for many people that feels exciting, overwhelming, and uncertain all at once. In this episode, I share why I believe this moment is not a time to hide, but a time to prepare, adapt, and rise. I talk about the rapid evolution of AI, why entrepreneurs, coaches, authors, podcasters, and creators must start building their brand now, and why ...

What does it mean to truly live — not just exist — after 50? In this episode of Saturday Live, I'm joined by Terry Lohrbeer, host of the Kick-Ass Boomers podcast, who has spent five years interviewing boomers doing extraordinary things in their 70s, 80s, and beyond. Terry and I met at Podfest Expo in Orlando this January — one of those unexpected, instant connections that reminds you exactly why in-person events matter. She was also one of the first advanced readers of my memoir GUMPTION — and h...

What happens when a love story begins before FaceTime, before cheap international calls, and before staying connected was easy? In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with my husband Michael, who played an important role in my memoir, Gumption: Sacred Whispers, Bold Moves, and the Courage to Become. We reflect on our 35-year marriage, our long-distance love story between Germany and the United States, the lessons life’s highs and lows have taught us, and why human connection matters more tha...

What does it truly mean to leave a legacy — and how do you start building one right now? In this episode, Sabine takes you behind the scenes of her memoir-writing journey and asks the one question that changes everything: What are you here to contribute? Whether you're a parent, an entrepreneur, a coach, or a speaker waiting in the wings — your unique combination of experiences, skills, and stories cannot be duplicated. And that makes your voice more powerful than you may realize. Sabine share...

What do you do when life asks you to leave the familiar behind and trust a deeper calling? In this inspiring conversation, Sabine Kvenberg sits down with musician, author, podcaster, and coach Allen C. Paul to talk about faith, music, purpose, and the courage it takes to follow the path meant for you. Together, they explore how music can heal, how creativity becomes a form of service, and why some of life’s biggest turning points begin with an inner nudge you can no longer ignore. Allen shares h...

In this conversation, Sabine Kvenberg and Sheila Slick explore the journey of becoming an author without traditional writing, the importance of visibility in business, and how technology, particularly AI, can assist in transforming spoken content into published works. Sheila shares her experiences as a serial entrepreneur and software developer, emphasizing the value of gamifying education and the unique propositions that entrepreneurs can offer. The discussion also highlights the role of podcas...