Beyond the Crucible

Hosted by Crucible Leadership

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Episodes

332

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-US

About the show

You are more than your failures and setbacks. We share stories of leaders who have moved beyond life’s most difficult moments to lead lives of significance, and insights on how you can do the same. Hosted by Warwick Fairfax.

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60 recent

October 20, 20261 hr 4 min

The Grief She Couldn't Drink Away: Finding Purpose After Loss

The Grief She Couldn't Drink Away: Finding Purpose After Loss Maureen Benkovich had built a life around health, fitness and discipline. But beneath her successful career as a personal trainer and fitness competitor was a grief she couldn't outrun: the heartbreak of never becoming the mother she had dreamed of being. After infertility, miscarriage and a failed adoption, Maureen turned to alcohol to numb her pain, hiding her depression behind the persona of a carefree party girl. Eventually, the drinking that once helped her escape her sadness only deepened it. In this episode, Maureen shares how a desperate prayer led her to surrender her struggle with alcohol, confront the grief she had buried for years and discover a purpose she never imagined. Today, through Sober Fit Chick Coaching, she helps others find freedom from alcohol and build healthier, more fulfilling lives. Her story is a powerful reminder that the life we didn't get doesn't have to keep us from finding significance in the life we still have. To learn more about Maureen Benkovich and Sober Fit Chick, visit soberfitchick.com To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure to subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

October 13, 202641 min

The Power of Self-Sacrifice

The Power of Self-Sacrifice Self-sacrifice, we discuss in this week's episode of the series within the show MORE STORIES FROM THE BOOK CRUCIBLE LEADERSHIP, means — as the Oxford English Dictionary defines it — being willing to give up your own interests in order to help others or advance a cause. Our focus for our conversation? The Bible's Queen Esther and how she exemplifies the truth that there are few higher forms of leadership than a willingness to sacrifice everything for the greater good. To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com . Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

October 6, 20261 hr 4 min

Your Diagnosis Isn't Your Identity

Your Diagnosis Isn't Your Identity What if you could train your response to fear before the crisis comes? Jenna Schutt learned the importance of that question while fighting for her life. A former cardiac nurse, Jenna endured a rare and incurable bone-marrow disease, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. In hospital rooms where fear and "what if" thoughts threatened to overwhelm her, she began deliberately redirecting her mind toward Scripture and what she believed to be true. Over time, repetition became spiritual muscle memory—and eventually became The Joy Reflex, the faith-based framework Jenna now uses to help women "train peace before panic." To learn more about Jenna Schutt and to get the free resource she discusses, visit www.jennaschutt.com To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com . Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

September 22, 202659 min

Rewrite Your Story, Change Your Future

Rewrite Your Story, Change Your Future In this week's episode based on Warwick's latest blog, we discuss the steps we can take to write our own unique stories. Even rewrite them. We can take the good parts we admire and want to emulate and meld them with new stories we aspire to. The result? We get to chart a new course for ourselves. To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com . Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

September 15, 20261 hr 7 min

Obey First, Understand Second: The Creed of World Cup Dad

Obey First, Understand Second: The Creed of World Cup Dad Our guest this week, Zach Duke, has lived a life with a winding path. From an eighth-generation Indiana farm kid to a college football player and missionary, Duke thought he knew his calling—until years of chronic illness left him believing his best days were behind him. Then his audacious act of faith pursuing soccer, a game he had never even played, gave him his purpose back. His pursuit of playing in the World Cup is a remarkable story of faith, discipline and discovering his crucible didn't happen to him, but for him. To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com . Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

September 8, 202644 min

The Adviser Every Leader Needs

The Adviser Every Leader Needs Queen Elizabeth I once said of one of her closest advisers. Lord Burghley, that “you will not be corrupted with any manner of gifts, and ... you will be faithful to the state.” Those are pretty strong words of endorsement, especially coming from a monarch. This week, in the latest episode of our series within the show, More Stories from the Book Crucible Leadership, Warwick unpacks why Elizabeth thought so highly of and relied so much on Burghley — and how he handled his role with complete dedication to the queen's mission, not to his own aspirations. Theirs in a textbook example of what it takes to be a good adviser, and what it takes for a leader to trust a good adviser. To explore Beyond the Crucible resources, including our free Trials-to-Triumphs Self-Assessment, visit beyondthecrucible.com . Enjoy the show? Leave a review on your favorite podcast app and leave a comment at our YouTube channel. And be sure subscribe and tell your friends and family about us. Have a question or comment? Drop us a line at info@beyondthecrucible.com

September 1, 20261 hr 15 min

Five Lessons for Getting Back to a Better Future

Five Lessons for Getting Back to a Better Future Moving forward after a crucible with conviction, even when you're uncertain you'll be successful, is just one of five key truths for overcoming setback and failure we discuss today in our big-picture look at the lessons we learned from our recently completed summer series, BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA. We suggest you grab a pen and some paper so you can jot down each of the points we unpack, because when taken together they form a succinct roadmap for the critical steps necessary to move from your worst day to your greatest opportunity. To watch any of the eight episode that made up the series, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTWXKugaL3c&list=PLQGGLSPE_kFs

August 25, 20261 hr 7 min

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VIII The Martian

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VIII The Martian The Red Planet may not wind up fearing astronaut Mark Watney's botanical expertise, but his science skills — and his creative ways of applying them to overcoming being stranded on Mars — impress NASA and a watching world when a mission crucible leaves him stuck there with little chance of getting back to earth ... or even surviving. This week, in the eighth and final episode of our special summer series BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA, we look at the ingenuity, determination and sense of humor that propel Watney through and past not just his worst days — but his worst months and years, too. How can understanding how he overcomes these challenges help you overcome your own? Stay tuned. Want to explore our three prior summer series about the lessons we can learn about overcoming crucibles from film. Check out these playlists featuring every episode of each one: LIGHTS, CAMERA, CRUCIBLES (2022) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAA5z9VYnQtD1s7n53hcfalM CLASSIC FILMS, CLASSIC CRUCIBLE LESSONS (2024) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAC1MMKWtkBhPB_Nel0Oa4zG BIG SCREEN, BIG CRUCIBLES (2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN0hHmBgmHI&list=PLLohc3aLoBACuXpBZkiZosViEVq066edI

August 18, 20261 hr 19 min

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VII Star Trek: First Contact

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VII Star Trek: First Contact Heroes versus villains. The latter looking to rule the galaxy, the former looking to save it. This week, in the seventh episode of our special summer series BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA, we look at STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, in which Jean-Luc Picard, the captain of the Starship Enterprise, must fight through the trauma of having been assimilated by the Borg as he leads his team to a life of significance for the whole galaxy — ensuring the birth of warp drive. How can understanding how Picard and his crew turn their trials with the Borg into triumph for all on the side of the Federation help us through our own crucibles? Stay tuned. Want to explore our three prior summer series about the lessons we can learn about overcoming crucibles from film. Check out these playlists featuring every episode of each one: LIGHTS, CAMERA, CRUCIBLES (2022) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAA5z9VYnQtD1s7n53hcfalM CLASSIC FILMS, CLASSIC CRUCIBLE LESSONS (2024) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAC1MMKWtkBhPB_Nel0Oa4zG BIG SCREEN, BIG CRUCIBLES (2025)

August 11, 20261 hr 11 min

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VI Stars Wars Episode 4: A New Hope

BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA VI Stars Wars Episode 4: A New Hope The names C3PO and Luke are familiar to anyone who's watched the Star Wars films but maybe not from the vantage point we discuss them here. This week, in the sixth episode of our special summer series BACK TO A BETTER FUTURE: THE CRUCIBLES OF SCI-FI CINEMA, we unpack the crucibles not only these two characters face in the film that kicked off the saga, STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE, we also look at the trials Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia and Han Solo must move beyond and the tragedies Darth Vader dishes out. How can understanding the lessons of the crucibles they overcame or caused help you turn your setbacks into significance? Stay tuned. LIGHTS, CAMERA, CRUCIBLES (2022) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAA5z9VYnQtD1s7n53hcfalM CLASSIC FILMS, CLASSIC CRUCIBLE LESSONS (2024) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLohc3aLoBAC1MMKWtkBhPB_Nel0Oa4zG BIG SCREEN, BIG CRUCIBLES (2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN0hHmBgmHI&list=PLLohc3aLoBACuXpBZkiZosViEVq066edI