Do you ever feel like life tries to put you in a box? One career, title, or identity?

In this episode of The Navigating Leaders Podcast, host Gabriel Griess sits down with longtime friend, Air Force Colonel, entrepreneur, and public servant Erik “EZ” Brine to explore what it means to live a life that refuses to be defined by a single role.

Erik’s story is a powerful example of how a person can lead in multiple arenas at once. From military service and local government to launching an aviation-inspired whiskey brand and helping veterans find their voice through music with Operation Encore, Erik has embraced a life built around curiosity, service, and purpose.

But the conversation goes deeper than career accomplishments. Erik shares a pivotal moment in his life when he was forced to step away from flying, something that had become central to his identity. That transition forced him to ask a difficult question: If I’m not this role anymore, who am I?

Through that experience, Erik discovered a powerful truth: our jobs are not our identity, they’re simply one part of who we are.

In this episode, Gabriel and Erik explore:

• Why your career should never define your identity
• How embracing multiple passions can create a richer life
• The importance of being a “utility player” in life and leadership
• Why relationships and trust are the foundation of leadership
• How hardship builds resilience and empathy
• The role of mentorship, and why everyone should both seek it and give it
• Why inspiration is the missing ingredient in many leadership models

EZ also shares a leadership framework he’s developed through years of service: leaders must organize, train, equip, and inspire the people they lead.

Leadership isn’t about titles or authority. It’s about building trust, inspiring others, and showing up consistently in the relationships that matter most.

RESOURCES

• Website: navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• Erik “EZ” Brine: linkedin.com/in/erikbrine
  • Operation Encore: operationencore.org
  • Winglore Spirits: winglorespirits.com
  • Brackish Experts: brackishexperts.com

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

What does real leadership actually look like?

In this episode of The Navigating Leaders Podcast, Gabriel Griess explores a powerful truth: Leadership doesn’t begin with influence, authority, or position; it begins inside of you.

Drawing inspiration from historical and spiritual leaders such as Gandhi, Christ, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa, Gabriel examines what made their leadership so impactful. Their secret wasn’t power or visibility. It was alignment. Their thoughts, words, and actions were congruent, and that alignment built deep trust and influence that continue to shape the world today.

Gabriel challenges listeners to reflect on the difference between modern “headline leadership” and the kind of leadership that flows from integrity, authenticity, and purpose. He explains why trust is foundational to leadership and why it’s impossible to lead people well if our inner life is chaotic or disconnected from our actions.

In this episode, Gabriel explores:

• Why leadership begins with mastering the inner world
• How thoughts shape behavior and influence
• The incredible power and responsibility of our words
• Why actions ultimately reveal who we really are
• The importance of living with alignment and authenticity
• How awareness allows us to break free from past patterns
• Why every moment offers the opportunity to choose differently

Gabriel also reminds us that leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress and awareness. When our thoughts, words, and actions come into alignment with our values and vision, we naturally become people others can trust and follow.

Because the most powerful leadership in the world doesn’t start on a stage.

It starts within.

Leadership is an inside job.

RESOURCES

• Website: navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• Napoleon Hill: Think and Grow Rich: https://a.co/d/0hQmc4pg
• Viktor Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning: https://a.co/d/03veF2cJ

SCRIPTURES & QUOTES

• Proverbs 25:28: “A person without self-control is like a city with broken walls.”
• Matthew 12:34: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
• Napoleon Hill: “If you fail to control your mind, you may be sure you will control nothing else.”

Gabriel also references several historical figures as examples of leaders whose thoughts, words, and actions were aligned:

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Jesus Christ
• Nelson Mandela
• Mother Teresa
• Viktor Frankl

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

Where does purpose actually come from?

In this powerful episode of The Navigating Leaders Podcast, Gabriel Griess sits down with faith-driven entrepreneur, pastor, and leadership mentor Mark Moreno to explore a surprising truth: Purpose is often born through pain.

Mark shares his personal story of building a thriving church and ministry only to see everything he had built taken away in a painful season that challenged his identity, faith, and leadership. What followed was a deep process of refinement that reshaped how he views purpose, leadership, and the role of faith in both ministry and business.

Together, Gabriel and Mark unpack how hardship can uncover hidden insecurities, refine character, and ultimately prepare leaders for the next chapter of their calling.

This conversation dives into:

• Why pain is often the starting point of purpose
• The leadership lessons learned through loss and failure
• How identity can become dangerously tied to achievement
• What Mark calls the “pace of grace” in leadership and life
• Why entrepreneurs and leaders often struggle with performance-driven faith
• The difference between asking God to remove pain and asking Him to refine us through it
• How reflection, gratitude, and humility shape healthy leadership

Mark also shares a powerful reminder for leaders and entrepreneurs: God will never multiply what we mismanage, making personal stewardship, character, and self-reflection essential to both spiritual and professional growth.

This episode is a deep and honest conversation about pain, calling, leadership, and faith and how the hardest seasons of life often become the very chapters that shape our greatest impact.

Because sometimes the most painful shifts in life are actually God’s setup for greatness.

RESOURCES

• Website: navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• Mark Moreno | Executive Director, Faith Driven Business
• Connect with Mark on Instagram at @mark_a_moreno and Facebook at facebook.com/mark.moreno.351

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

What would your life look like if fear no longer controlled your decisions?

In this powerful solo episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel Greiss explores the true nature of fear: what it is, where it comes from, and how it quietly limits the life you were designed to live.

From childhood conditioning to adult patterns of safety and control, Gabriel reveals how fear often shows up as stories we tell ourselves: I’m not enough. I don’t have what it takes. I might fail.

But here’s the truth: fear is often nothing more than False Evidence Appearing Real.

Through personal stories, leadership insight, and practical reflection, Gabriel explains how fear is learned, how it becomes embedded in identity, and how awareness gives you the power to choose differently. He reminds listeners that babies and young children live boldly, relentlessly pursuing growth without fear of failure and challenges us to reconnect with that same courageous spirit.

This episode also explores:

• Why fear is often learned, not inherent
• How fear keeps you playing small and living safely instead of fully
• The difference between reacting automatically and responding intentionally
• How comparison and self-doubt reinforce fear
• Why vision is the most powerful antidote to fear
• How living from purpose shrinks fear’s influence

Gabriel invites you to examine your fears honestly and reconnect with a vision so meaningful that it outweighs the stories holding you back.

Because when your vision is clear and compelling, fear loses its power.

You don’t eliminate fear by waiting.

You overcome fear by choosing to live boldly, one intentional step at a time.

RESOURCES

• Website:.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

What happens when you gain everything the world says should make you happy—fame, success, money, influence—and still feel empty inside?

In this powerful episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel sits down with former British Royal Marine Commando, entrepreneur, and spiritual seeker Geoff Barker, whose life journey took him from elite military service to celebrity circles, addiction, and ultimately a radical search for truth that spanned seven years and 33 countries.

Geoff shares how he built Australia’s first personal training company, trained celebrities, and lived in the world of fame, excess, and influence only to discover that success couldn’t fill the void he carried inside. Desperate for meaning, Geoff and his family gave away everything they owned, lived out of a van, and traveled the world seeking answers from spiritual teachers, monks, gurus, and religious traditions.

But even after exploring every path, Geoff found himself at a breaking point until a moment of profound personal transformation during a 40-day fast changed everything.

This episode explores:

• Why success, fame, and validation cannot heal internal emptiness
• The hidden pain and insecurity that often drive achievement
• How pride, skepticism, and intellectual certainty can block transformation
• The courage it takes to surrender control and seek truth honestly
• The difference between intellectual knowledge and spiritual transformation
• How surrender, humility, and openness can lead to healing and purpose

Geoff’s story is a powerful reminder that no matter how far you’ve gone or how lost you feel, transformation is possible, and sometimes the breakthrough comes when you finally stop striving and allow yourself to receive.

Because the journey to truth isn’t about having all the answers.

It’s about having the courage to let go of what you thought you knew.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available April 7): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree
• More about Geoff's Story: https://vimeo.com/1104798058
• Geoff Barker: https://www.geoffbarker.com/
• Geoff Barker: Ambassador, Hope Is Alive: https://www.hopeisalive.net

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

What comes to mind when you hear the word risk?

In this deeply personal episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel demonstrates that the greatest risks we face aren’t always physical, they’re emotional. They’re relational. They’re the moments when we choose whether to protect ourselves or to live honestly and boldly.

Through a powerful story involving his wife and a simple evening at home, Gabriel uncovers a pattern of passive-aggressive communication that had quietly shaped their relationship. What seemed like a harmless comment became a moment of profound self-awareness; revealing how fear, vulnerability, and the desire for control can influence how we communicate with the people we love most.

This episode explores the hidden risks of avoiding direct communication and the courage required to express your true wants, needs, and desires openly.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why emotional risk is often harder than physical risk
• How passive-aggressive communication creates “energy leaks” in relationships
• The connection between fear, vulnerability, and control
• How taking 100% responsibility empowers you to change your patterns
• Why honest communication strengthens connection, trust, and peace
• How choosing vulnerability can transform your relationships and your life

Gabriel invites you to reflect on where fear may be shaping your communication and challenges you to step into bold, authentic expression, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Because living boldly doesn’t just mean taking risks in the world. It means taking risks in your relationships, your honesty, and your willingness to be seen.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available March 3): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

What drives the decisions you make every day?

In this episode of Navigating Leaders, Gabriel challenges you to take an honest look at your priorities and whether those priorities are being intentionally chosen or unintentionally shaped by the pressures of daily life.

Gabriel introduces a powerful priority framework that reshaped his own life:
God → Self → Spouse → Kids → Mission → Currency

While this order may feel counterintuitive at first, the deeper message is not about equal time allocation; it’s about alignment. Priorities become the decision-making filter for how you invest your time, energy, attention, and resources, especially when life presents competing demands.

Through personal stories, leadership insight, and spiritual reflection, Gabriel explores how living out of alignment with your priorities can create tension, guilt, and burnout and how realigning your life can restore clarity, peace, and purpose.

This episode also dives into:

• Why priorities, not time, determine the direction of your life
• How shame and unworthiness can keep people disconnected from purpose
• The danger of letting the world set your priorities for you
• Why self-care is essential (you can’t pour from an empty cup)
• How mission and purpose become clearer when foundational priorities are aligned
• The role of surrender when life disrupts even the best plans

Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to stop living reactively and start living intentionally and building a life aligned with your values, your purpose, and the legacy you want to leave behind.

Because whether you realize it or not, something is already setting your priorities.

The question is: Will it be you?

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available March 3): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders

In this special episode of Navigating Leaders, the tables are turned.

Host Gabriel Greiss is interviewed by guest host Daniel Hopkins in a conversation that pulls back the curtain on Gabriel’s story, his leadership journey, and the personal “why” behind the mission of Navigating Leaders.

Gabriel shares candid reflections on his military background, his daily practices, his faith, and the seasons of life that shaped him, especially the moment he realized he didn’t truly love himself and how that awakening changed everything.

He also opens up about what it means to live in obedience, how to stay grounded through stressful circumstances, and why your current situation can never derail God’s plan for your life.

This episode is part story, part leadership coaching, and part encouragement for anyone who needs a reminder that growth is possible, and that you can begin right where you are.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Gabriel’s daily practices (spiritual, mental, and physical)
• How faith and prayer shape his leadership decisions
• The Results Tree mindset: results as a mirror and feedback tool
• Self-sabotage, identity, and the turning point of self-love
• The story of how Gabriel met his wife Kristie
• Lessons learned from running for California State Senate
• Why you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be

🎧 If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who needs it, and don’t forget to follow the show for future episodes.

Come as you are. Stay curious. And let the adventure begin.

RESOURCES

• Website: www.navigatingleaders.com
• The Results Tree (Available March 3): https://shop.harpandswordmedia.com/products/the-results-tree

CONNECT WITH GABRIEL

• Instagram @navigatingleaders
• Facebook @navigatingleaders
• YouTube @navigatingleaders
• LinkedIn @navigatingleaders
• TikTok @navigatingleaders