What if the thing holding you back isn’t lack of knowledge—but fear of taking action?

In this episode, Josh sits down with Everett Smulders (Coach Smulders) for a conversation that hits on more than running. Everett shares the moment that shaped his mindset forever: collapsing just meters before a state championship finish line, then crawling across in second place—and how that failure became fuel.

From there, they unpack what it looks like to build discipline when motivation fades, why most men get stuck in analysis paralysis, and how clarity is found through action, not perfect planning. Everett also breaks down the real process behind building a personal brand (including the unsexy reps and messy takes nobody sees), plus how he thinks about creating a tribe of competitive, purpose-driven adults who want to train hard and live well.

If you’ve been half-committing, waiting to feel “ready,” or playing it safe—this episode will challenge you to take the next step.

Check out Everett on instagram @coachsmulders

In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh challenges one of the most common assumptions in modern success culture: that money is the path to freedom.

So many men are grinding today with the hope that someday—once they hit the number, land the role, or close the deal—they’ll finally get their time back. But what if that mindset is costing us the very life we’re trying to build?

Drawing from Scripture, personal reflection, and hard-earned experience, Josh reframes wealth not as what’s in your bank account, but what’s on your calendar. He explores the subtle trap of sacrificing family, faith, relationships, and presence on the altar of “someday,” and why so much of the life we dream about is already available—if we’re willing to be intentional.

This episode is a wake-up call for growth-minded men who want to honor God, lead well, and live fully now, not just later. You’ll walk away with practical questions to help you reclaim your time and align your daily life with what you truly value.

What happens when purpose keeps calling—and you keep putting it off? In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski sit down with entrepreneur, husband, and father Chase Frost for a raw, honest conversation about calling, courage, and the cost of waiting.

Chase shares hard-earned wisdom from fatherhood, business failures, and seasons of deep loss, unpacking why clarity doesn’t come from perfect plans—but from imperfect action. From navigating risk before responsibility multiplies, to learning how to show up with intention at home instead of treating family like an afterthought, this episode hits where many men feel stuck but rarely talk about.

You’ll hear why “once you’re called, you’re cursed,” how to break out of numb routines, and why effort and intention matter more than outcomes—in business, marriage, faith, and life. If you’re tired of the hamster wheel, afraid to start, or wrestling with the tension between ambition and presence, this conversation will challenge you to stop waiting and take the next step.

Every mile begins with a step—and this one might be yours.

In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston unpacks the powerful tension between purposeful suffering and meaningless comfort. Why do the hardest seasons often shape us the most, while the easiest paths leave us feeling empty? Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, and lessons learned through athletics and early career missteps, Josh challenges growth-minded men to rethink their relationship with comfort.

From grueling college baseball practices to unfulfilling corporate success, this conversation exposes a hard truth: ease has never built a strong man. God uses struggle to refine us, stretch us, and prepare us for the calling on our lives. Comfort may feel good in the moment, but purpose is what produces meaning, strength, and lasting impact.

If you’ve been coasting, feeling restless, or sensing God calling you to more, this episode will confront you—in the best way. You’ll walk away with clarity, conviction, and practical questions to help you take your next purposeful step.

What does it look like to build a solid foundation as a young man when you’re juggling performance, purpose, and faith?

In this episode, Josh is joined again by John Szarszewski—along with special guests John Wilson and Garrett Miller with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)—for a real, wide-ranging conversation rooted in the world of college athletics and discipleship.

They unpack what young men and student-athletes are facing daily: identity struggles, ego, pressure to perform, and the tension between chasing “success” and staying rooted in Christ. You’ll hear why “cool guys who love Jesus” matter more than we think, how the church can bridge the gap between ambition and obedience, and why rest (Sabbath) is actually an act of trust—not laziness.

They also hit on powerful themes like:

• Why athletes often view God like a coach instead of a Father
• The difference between wealth as a byproduct vs. wealth as the focus
• The role of vulnerability and brotherhood in real growth
• Why discipleship is multiplication (Engage, Equip, Empower)
• How passivity quietly destroys purpose—and how to fight it

If you’re a young man trying to live with intention, reject complacency, and take the next faithful step—this one’s for you.

Every mile begins with a step.

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, we revisit The Weekly Mile titled “Know Who You Represent.” It’s a real conversation about why so many people reject faith… and how often it has less to do with Jesus and more to do with the way His followers live.

The truth is uncomfortable but necessary: when our lives don’t match our words, people notice. Every habit, every decision, every reaction is communicating something about the God we claim to follow.

The question is — what message are we sending?

This episode isn’t about perfection. It’s about direction. About rejecting cultural Christianity and choosing a life that’s actually transformed. A life that makes people lean in, not tune out.

If you’ve ever felt the tension between faith and action…
If you’ve ever realized you were wearing the label without living the lifestyle…

If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing apart…

This one’s for you.

🎙️ Listen now and ask yourself: Does my life make people curious about Jesus… or skeptical of Him?

Every mile begins with a step.

In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh sits down with John Szarszewski for a raw, faith-centered conversation about purpose, pressure, and learning to love the process instead of chasing the destination.

They unpack why success often still feels empty—even when you’re doing “all the right things”—and why so many men are carrying weight they were never meant to bear alone. From anxiety, leadership, fitness, and goal-setting to faith, stewardship, and dying to self, this episode challenges the cultural definition of success and replaces it with something deeper and more fulfilling.

You’ll hear why the path forward is often simple but never easy, how embracing the process changes the man you’re becoming, and what it actually means to take up your cross daily in a modern world obsessed with status and outcomes.

If you’re heading into a new year feeling driven but restless, disciplined but unfulfilled, or motivated yet anxious—this conversation will reframe how you approach your goals, your faith, and your daily actions.

Because fulfillment isn’t found at the finish line—it’s built in the process.

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh breaks down one of the most popular—and most misleading—pieces of advice our generation has been given: “Just follow your passions.”

Drawing from this week’s Weekly Mile edition, Josh explains why passion, while important, was never meant to be the foundation of your life. Passion fades. Feelings change. And when life gets hard (because it always does), excitement alone won’t keep you committed.

Instead, Josh challenges you to anchor your life in purpose—the deeper “why” behind who you are and how God uniquely designed you. You’ll learn the key difference between passion and purpose, how purpose fuels perseverance, and why chasing what feels good often keeps men stuck, drifting, or quitting when things get uncomfortable.

If you’ve been hopping from job to job, goal to goal, or habit to habit—this conversation will reframe how you make decisions, define success, and pursue a life that actually lasts.

Stop chasing feelings.
Start becoming who you were created to be.