Your Message Received!

WELCOME! The purpose & intention of each episode is to have authentic conversations with business leaders who have personal success stories to share. Guests are selected from a number of business categories-Broadcast Media Sales, Real Estate, Entrepreneurs, Voiceover, Tech, etc. The key driving point, with each conversation, is finding the key elements (circumstances, techniques, etc.) which caused them to speak more authentically. In business, and in life, the more authentically that you speak-the more you'll engage your audience. The more authentically you engage- the more you'll succeed.

Your Message Received! is a business podcast hosted by John Duffin, with 190 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

John Duffin hosts Your Message Received!, a business show with 190 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #193

  Embracing All Sides: Embrace the Complete Story- Jay Doran Returns

  Aug 7, 202657 minS1

  Jay Duran on Letting Go, Sharing More, and Reclaiming Your Full Voice Host John Duffin welcomes returning guest and friend of the podcast, Jay Duran of Culture Matters. As a host, it’s important to me to honor each guest with a unique conversation, rather than a rehash of greatest hits. Jay has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time, and I've been thrilled to have Jay as a guest on my podcast numerous times. Today marks a shift in the conversation. Jay’s shift toward more personal, behind-the-curtain writing and sharing, including recent social media posts and blogs discussing personal matters, brings the culture to a whole new level. Jay explains that after a decade of building his company and writing extensively for clients, he realized he never stopped writing—he stopped writing for himself—and now wants his private and public life, writing, and advisory work to align. We discuss how suffering, limited options, rejection, and risk shape entrepreneurs, and how success can create blind spots that require unlearning. Jay uses The Odyssey as a metaphor for letting go of outcomes and returning “home”. The business model grows as Culture Matters focuses beyond results, money, and case studies-while also describing renewed creative projects, upcoming speaking engagements, and the realization of recognizing that his story can inform the work without replacing the work. Definitely worth a watch (or several)! We also referenced very powerful previous podcasts that influenced my line of questioning. Here are the links. Dropping Bombs (Ep 78) - Are meetings important for company culture https://youtu.be/PfFKg4jQH3I?si=h3S8uacebiXQSjDT Control Or Be Controlled: Are You In Control Of Your Life? https://youtu.be/sshpDUQGYdQ?si=MUy1IQrL6NZWzhyZ 00:00 Letting Go Odyssey 00:54 Podcast Welcome 01:31 Jay Returns Again 04:23 Integration Season 06:30 Shame Post Shift 07:58 Writing For Self 10:42 Pride And Layers 14:38 Pain Fuels Risk 20:01 Why Share Shame 21:26 Authenticity Online 24:09 Ferrari Back On 24:57 Going Home Metaphor 27:10 Completeness And Learning 28:36 Unlearning And Writing 31:07 Sharing Thoughts Publicly 32:18 Books Leadership, and Culture 33:30 Love Of Speaking 36:50 Story Versus Brand 40:06 Owning Your Leadership 43:00 Marriage And Not Alone 44:04 Transparency With Purpose 45:35 Who Your Content Attracts 50:40 Brad Lea Episode Reflection 55:02 Learning Unlearning Together 56:09 Closing and Sign-Off

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  Episode #192

  Climb Out of The Box:Find Your True Calling- Paul Espinosa

  Jul 28, 202657 minS1

  Paul Espinosa on Escaping the Box: From Gang Life to Family, Work, and Giving Back On the Your Message Received podcast, host John Duffin continues his conversation with California-based educator and lecturer Paul Espinosa, who is writing a book called Survival of the Psyche. Paul describes growing up as a shy “observer” with big dreams, feeling trapped in a cultural “box,” and seeking belonging. The dual vision also included money and the powerful lure of gang life. Listen to Paul explain the meaning of “homie love” in gang life while knowing it carried high costs. He explains the exhaustion of living two roles—gang member and family man—and how a gun confrontation, trade school, and a client’s offer to work construction helped him experience life outside the box. Paul credits his wife’s ultimatum and relocation with pushing real change. He now speaks in schools and works in jail programs, designing curriculum on topics like anger management and substance awareness, emphasizing authenticity, brain development, and his critical message that people can choose their actions but not the consequences. Paul's message is so powerful, and Paul Espinosa's storytelling is spellbinding. You'll get to walk the tightrope with us, as Paul vividly describes this dual, conflicting former life- the high cost of living that life- and the beautiful road of redemption and service. I am so grateful to have Paul Espinosa as my friend. Watching his uplifting story unfold is a sheer joy. I am confident that you'll be mesmerized by this episode. To learn more about Paul and to follow the journey, check out the links below. Prior Podcast Episode with John Duffin and Paul Espinosa https://www.instagram.com/paul_damascus_72/ https://www.facebook.com/paul.espinosa.980 00:00 Awkward First Step 00:32 Podcast Welcome 01:45 Paul Espinosa Returns 03:55 Observer Mindset 08:18 Gang Life Belonging 13:20 Two Divided Paths Clash 17:16 Gunpoint Wakeup 23:45 Taking Legit Work 27:08 Humbling Shift 28:22 First Real Job Shock 29:17 Double Life Contrast 30:54 Wife Draws the Line 34:48 Leaving the Hood Behind 37:49 Tricked Into Speaking 44:27 Teaching Inside the Halls 48:05 Choices and Consequences 55:08 Closing Thanks and Links

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  Episode #191

  Flipping Dirt: Unlock Real Estate's Dirty Little Secret: Mike Deaton

  Jul 19, 202649 minS1

  From Big Tech Burnout to Land Flipping Freedom: Mike Deaton’s “DIRT” Framework Host John Duffin interviews Mike Deaton, who spent over 20 years in big tech supply chain roles before being laid off in 2016 on the same day as his wife, Ligia. Imagine the feeling when both partners endure a serious career change on the same day!! Instead of returning to corporate work, they mapped their values and “perfect day,” hired a coach, and used a land-flipping toolkit Mike had previously purchased to build a business focused on buying vacant land at deep discounts and reselling without renovations. Mike explains the simplicity of land compared to other real estate models, early challenges around mindset and sales, and the importance of combining systems with soft skills. He outlines his coaching approach and DIRT framework—Define strategy, Identify markets, Reach out to owners, and perform Transactions—anchored in each person’s “why,” celebrating small wins and leveraging different forms of capital, such as relationships, time, and know-how. The impact of pivoting and change, especially when forced, is difficult. But what I got from Mike was the clarity that when a new situation presents itself, and it feels true to you, you have to seize that moment. To learn more about Mike Deaton and purchase his book, click the links below. https://flippingdirt.us/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbdeaton/ 00:00 Love of Transformation 00:36 Podcast Intro and Guest 03:06 From Big Tech to Layoffs 05:33 Choosing Freedom Over Following the Herd 5:57 Discovering Land Flipping 09:03 Career Highs and Burnout 15:14 Resisting the Safe Default 17:27 Building a Life Together 19:44 Coaching and Mindset Shift 21:18 Land Flipping Explained 22:09 Messy Middle and First Win 22:50 First Deal Momentum 23:14 Coaching Done Differently 24:43 Soft Skills Origins 29:14 Transformation Through Wins 31:34 Land Business Basics 34:17 Capital Time Matrix 39:01 Network As Capital 41:56 Values Then Action 46:55 Outro And Resources

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  Episode #190

  Tale of Two Fathers: Discipline and Devotion with Dr. Jack Groppel

  Jul 8, 202651 minS1

  On this episode of the Your Message Received podcast, host John Duffin interviews Dr. Jack Groppel, author of Mountains Within and a sports science and human performance expert who co-founded the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute. Groppel recounts a childhood shaped by curiosity, solitude, sports, and a difficult, fear-based relationship with his father that drove him to overachieve. This pivotal early relationship included a severe beating that drove Jack to seek approval and constantly question if he was good enough. Through achievements like becoming an Eagle Scout early and walking on to play tennis at the University of Illinois despite not being recruited, Jack Groppel answered some of these questions- at least in his own mind. Jack describes pioneering high-speed film analysis in tennis and an early baseball study with the Chicago White Sox that unexpectedly captured pitchers’ pickoff moves, leading to published research on head-first vs. feet-first slides. Groppel also shares adopting his son Shen from China, committing to a nonviolent parenting approach, climbing Kilimanjaro together, and his message that people can transform at any stage by repeatedly asking, “What matters most right now?” To learn more about Dr. Jack Groppel, check out the links below. https://jackgroppel.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackgroppel/ 00:00 Hidden Film Discovery 00:47 Podcast Intro and Guest Setup 03:19 Curious Childhood Outdoors 04:20 Solo Sports and Cardinals Loyalty 07:20 Dad the Hero and Villain 10:24 Eagle Scout and Illinois Walk On 12:39 Shoulder Injury and Recovery 16:40 Alaska Trip Turning Point 19:06 Tennis Science Meets Legends 23:01 White Sox Film Breakthrough 26:56 Adopting Shen from China 28:49 Discipline Without Hitting 30:09 Saying I Love You 31:04 Marriage And Intimacy Lessons 31:47 Faith Therapy And Mentors 34:03 Adopting Shen In China 36:17 Kilimanjaro Dream With Shen 41:46 Summit Night And Big Dog 44:33 Transform Your Life Message 46:51 What Matters Most Daily 48:03 Honoring Dad And Priorities 49:47 Links Thanks And Signoff

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  Episode #189

  History Doesn't Just Rewrite Itself, or Does It? Scott Randolph

  Jun 22, 20261h 3mS1

  From Radio Promotions to Award-Winning Documentaries: Scott Randolph’s Resilience, Networking & Storytelling Host John Duffin interviews Scott Randolph, founder of Arrival Video Productions LLC, about his 15-year radio career in Philadelphia and how it led to television, cable production, documentary filmmaking, public speaking, and storytelling. Scott recounts landing his first promotions job at Eagle 106, earning trust through reliability and integrity, and surviving multiple station overhauls by maintaining a positive attitude and resilience. He explains how lessons from less successful sales roles, combined with extensive networking, helped him transition into Comcast’s Newsmakers crew and grow from teleprompter and graphics to assistant director and director. Scott discusses his creative approach of matching music to imagery, founding Arrival Video in 2006, and producing The Battle of Crooked Billet, a Revolutionary War documentary with reenactors and dialogue that evolved into a docudrama feel, now being negotiated with several streaming networks. He also shares his love of history, public speaking for 55+ communities, and how to book him via ghoststoursofnewhope.com. 00:00 Radio Roots and Big Leap 00:53 Podcast Welcome and Guest Intro 03:04 Hatboro Connection and Memories 04:30 Landing Eagle 106 Fast 08:30 Hershey Trip Integrity Moment 13:16 Resilience Through Station Shakeups 16:55 Skills Across Media and Sales Lessons 21:17 Networking Into Newsmakers Crew 23:45 Assistant Director Responsibilities 26:30 Finding Creative Voice in Editing 29:35 Crooked Billet Documentary Origins 31:50 Docudrama Shift and Streaming Talks 34:15 Spy Scene Surprise35:46 Editing Room Magic 36:08 Recut After A Decade 37:49 Crooked Billet Connections 41:36 History Bug Origins 42:55 Revolution Over Civil War 44:55 Performing 1776 As A Kid 47:24 Speaking At 55 Plus 49:58 Emotional Connection Live 53:22 Theater Roots And Role Models 53:58 Mom The Creative Force 59:28 Never Let Age Define You 01:01:38 Where To Find Scott 01:02:40 Final Thanks And Wrap

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