Wholehearted with Shawn Zajas

Hosted by Shawn Zajas

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Jul 2026

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About the show

Somewhere along the way, a lot of good men lost heart. Not their nerve — their heart. The part that used to hope, create, and believe it could still be good. It got buried under shame, under failure, under the quiet verdict that it's too late for them now. Wholehearted is for those men. This is a show about the who, not the what. I've spent years sitting across from people in the middle of their story — not the polished "after," the messy middle — and I've never gotten tired of the same thing: the beauty that comes out of brokenness when a person is finally seen and finally honest. So that's what we do here. Real conversations with people who've walked through moral failure, loss, addiction, doubt, or the slow death of a dream — and found their way back to life. No advice. No fixing. No five-step formulas. Just presence, honesty, faith, and the stubborn belief that restoration is real and no one is past it. If you're a man who's quietly given up on part of yourself — or you love someone who has — pull up a chair. You're not as far gone as the shame keeps telling you that you are. It all starts at the root: becoming whole. From there comes authentic brilliance, and a life that creates something remarkable. Hosted by Shawn Zajas.

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July 24, 20262 hr 25 min

94 : Is Jesus the Only Way? A Christian & a Seeker Go Deep on God, Evil & What's Real | Adrian Lefler

Two friends. One three-hour conversation about the biggest question there is. Shawn Zajas believes Jesus is the way. Adrian Lefler had an experience at 29 that convinced him the divine is bigger than any single religion. Neither is trying to win — both are trying to get to what's real. This isn't a debate built to score points. It's an honest, exploratory, and genuinely warm conversation between two people who respect each other and refuse to flinch away from the hard parts. If you've ever wrestled with whether Christianity is "the only way," why a good God allows so much suffering, or whether you can actually KNOW the truth or only experience it — this is a conversation worth sitting with. Adrian grew up devoutly Mormon, served a mission in New York City, and then had a mystical experience that cracked the foundation of everything he'd been taught. Over the next decade he tore his belief system down to the studs and rebuilt it from his own encounters with the divine — landing somewhere closer to non-dual mysticism, panpsychism, and "we are all one consciousness experiencing itself." Shawn comes at it from the other side: a follower of Jesus who cares less about denominations and doctrine and more about knowing the living God, spiritual warfare, and loving weak and broken people the way he believes God does. WHAT WE GET INTO: • Is Jesus the only way to God — or one map among many? • The problem of evil: if God is all-good, why does He allow suffering? Is God BEYOND good and evil? • Leaving Mormonism — what actually happens when your whole community is your faith • A "born again" experience at 29 that felt more real than reality itself • Consciousness, panpsychism, and the idea that the brain is a "tuning fork" for God • Do miracles require God to "break" physics — or are we already at the center of it? • Angels, the unseen realm, and spiritual warfare • How do you decide what's true — personal experience, or the Bible? • Why Shawn had to be broken of "the Shawn show" before he could actually see God • Grace vs. works, performance vs. being loved, and the danger of Christian culture without God • Following a living God who won't sit still for your theology Whether you're a Christian, deconstructing, spiritual-but-not-religious, agnostic, ex-Mormon, or just fascinated by the biggest questions of meaning, God, and truth — pull up a chair. It goes to some uncomfortable places and stays kind the whole way through. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Cold open 0:41 Two men, two starting points 7:45 Leaving Mormonism — a crack in the foundation 10:36 The experience at 29: "born again," but bigger 22:57 The problem of evil: is God beyond good & evil? 31:05 Can God be love without a choice? Law vs. intelligence 46:21 Miracles, consciousness & panpsychism 51:10 Angels and the unseen realm 57:23 "We are literally gods" 1:05:08 How do you know what's true — experience or the Bible? 1:14:14 When it stopped being the "Shawn show" 1:26:06 The greatest love story ever told 1:34:47 "You are the ocean" 1:39:47 Holding his son: "nothing greater than that" 1:56:05 Loving weak & broken people over performance 2:14:29 Follow the living God, not the snapshot 2:21:33 "Shawn, I'm your rope" — true abundance is light GUEST: Adrian Lefler 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@Byte-Sized-Podcast HOST: Shawn Zajas — Wholehearted. Conversations for anyone who's ever felt too far gone. [Wholehearted links — website / socials: TODO] If this stirred something in you: you're not too far gone. No matter what's died in you — come back to life. #Wholehearted #ShawnZajas #AdrianLefler #ByteSized #Faith #God #Jesus #Christianity #ProblemOfEvil #Mysticism #Panpsychism #Spirituality #Deconstruction #ExMormon #Consciousness #Theology #Podcast

July 23, 20262 hr 45 min

93 : Where Was God? | Pastor Pete Ngai on Suffering, Healing & Knowing the Father

Where was God when everything fell apart? It's the question almost everyone asks eventually — usually in the dark, usually alone. In this conversation, Pastor Pete Ngai (Hand of Mercy) — Shawn Zajas's own pastor — refuses to give the easy, sanitized answer. Instead, he sits with the hard questions: suffering, grief, doubt, spiritual warfare, and what it actually means to be known and loved by God. This isn't a polished sermon. It's an honest, unhurried, deeply human conversation between a pastor and the man he's walked with — about the parts of faith that don't fit on a bumper sticker. We get into why a good God allows real pain, the difference between free will and fatalism, and how to hold onto faith when life doesn't make sense. Pete talks about spiritual warfare in a way that's grounded rather than sensational — including the thoughts running through your head that were never actually yours. We dig into the difference between knowing ABOUT God and actually KNOWING Him, and why so many people are exhausted from performing for a Father who never asked them to. Along the way, Pete shares the stories and images that shaped his faith: holding his newborn son and learning what a father's love really costs, the spirit of rejection that fed him lies for years, the hardest cases that test everyone's faith, and the quiet despair of standing in an empty church wondering whether anyone would come back next week. These aren't theological abstractions — they're scars, and they're where his theology actually comes from. If you've ever wondered whether faith can survive real grief — or whether God is good when life clearly isn't — this conversation is for you. — What we talk about — • Where is God in suffering, grief, and loss? • Why a good God allows pain — free will vs. fatalism • Spiritual warfare and the battle for your mind • The thoughts in your head that aren't actually yours • Knowing God vs. merely knowing about God • Identity, performance, and the exhausting need to earn love • The Father's love and what it means to be fully known • Healing, deliverance, and walking with God day to day • Honest doubt, dark nights, and faith that holds anyway — Questions this conversation answers — • Why does God allow suffering if He's good and all-powerful? • How do you keep your faith after losing someone you love? • What is spiritual warfare, and how do you fight it in everyday life? • How can you tell the difference between your own thoughts and lies you've believed? • What does it actually mean to "know God" personally? • Why do so many Christians feel like they have to perform to be loved? • How do you find healing from rejection, shame, and a performance mindset? • Is it okay to doubt God — and can faith survive the dark seasons? — Moments that stayed with us — Pete on the love a father pours out: "Son, this is how I love you." The hardest cases that make people question everything — and a God who never looks away. The spirit of rejection that whispers lies until you finally name it. And the line that reframes the whole thing: eternal life isn't knowing about Him, it's knowing Him. — Who this is for — Anyone wrestling with hard questions about God and suffering. Anyone tired of performing for their faith. Anyone walking through grief, anxiety, or a season where God feels far away — and anyone who wants a faith that's honest enough to survive real life. — About Pastor Pete Ngai — Pete Ngai leads Hand of Mercy and has spent decades pastoring people through the hardest seasons of their lives — sickness, addiction, grief, and spiritual oppression. He's known for refusing to flinch from hard questions and for a kind of faith that's been tested rather than inherited. He is also Shawn's pastor, which is part of why this conversation goes where most interviews don't. 🙏 Connect with Pastor Pete Ngai 👉 @petengai6830 https://www.youtube.com/@petengai6830 — About The Shawn Zajas Show — Shawn Zajas sits down with people worth listening to for honest, long-form conversations about faith, identity, calling, and the life of God with us. No hype, no formula — just real conversations that go deeper than the highlight reel. 🎙️ Host: Shawn Zajas Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@wholeheartedwithShawnZajas New conversations posted regularly — hit the bell so you don't miss one. If this conversation meant something to you, the most helpful thing you can do is share it with one person who needs it, leave a comment with what stood out, and subscribe so more of these can happen. — Chapters — Chapters will be added once the final cut is locked. #faith #God #Christianity #PastorPete #PeteNgai #HandOfMercy #spiritualwarfare #healing #deliverance #testimony #grief #suffering #identity #fatherslove #ShawnZajasShow #ChristianPodcast #faithoverfear #knowingGod #jesus #christianliving

April 24, 20261 hr 57 min

92 : Dino Watt: Why He Walks Different (And Why That Became His Superpower)

Dino Watt grew up in a broken home. His parents divorced when he was eight. He lived in a five-by-ten trailer with no running water as a teenager. He has dyslexia. He never went to college. He is also one of the most respected relationship coaches in the dental industry, a keynote speaker, an author, and a man who has been married to his wife Shannon for 33 years. In this conversation, Dino shares the frameworks, stories, and hard-won truths behind a life that looks nothing like a straight line. You will hear the moment his wife came out of the bathroom after a year-long road trip and told him she could not do another year of financial uncertainty. The stranger at a dental event who looked at him and said "you walk different" and changed everything. The talk where he apologized for not having a college degree and his wife met him backstage with four words that stopped him cold. This is a conversation about marriage, money, meaning, and why in a world of curated perfection, the messy is what makes you relatable. ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Dino Watt stands out 01:00 Growing up in a broken home 02:30 Dyslexia and learning from television 05:00 The day his dad drove away 09:00 The braces story and becoming his mother's protector 11:30 Living in a trailer with no running water 16:00 The early calling to teach marriage 22:00 The Attribution Model: Being, Output, Outcome 27:00 The night Shannon said she couldn't do another year 30:00 Building a culture before a marriage 33:00 The adult children years nobody warns you about 37:00 Security and validation: the two drivers for women 44:00 Money, shame, and praying over the toilet 50:00 Experience over things 55:00 The gift of range and a multi-skilled career 01:00:00 "You walk different" 01:08:00 His son's suicidality 01:11:00 The character we choose to play 01:13:00 Tom Brady as a case study in meaning 01:16:00 Why we diminish our own success 01:20:00 The Dental Town talk and Shannon's rebuke 01:28:00 Dino's real gift: helping people feel seen 01:35:00 The hair transplant that gave doctors permission 01:44:00 Authenticity in the age of AI 01:48:00 The sailboat that never leaves the harbor 01:52:00 The 12-year-old eulogy 01:54:00 The only eyes that matter 🔗 CONNECT WITH DINO WATT Website: dinowatt.com Instagram: @dinowatt Email: dino@dinowatt.com 🎧 CONNECT WITH SHAWN ZAJAS Website: shawnzajas.com Subscribe to weekly insights for 5,000+ leaders at shawnzajas.com Book Shawn to speak: shawnzajas.com 📺 ABOUT THE SHAWN ZAJAS SHOW The Shawn Zajas Show illuminates the human journey behind dental innovation and entrepreneurship. Through authentic conversations with pioneers, innovators, and transformation experts, Shawn explores how breaking free from conventional wisdom creates unprecedented results and empowers listeners to trust their unique vision and make their greatest impact. New episodes every week. Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation. 🔔 If this episode moved something in you, hit subscribe and leave a comment with the quote that landed hardest. I read every one.

January 16, 20261 hr 4 min

91 : The Swagger Strategy: Why Playing Small Guarantees Failure with Jeffrey Hayzlett

Jeffrey Hayzlett moved out at 16, worked multiple jobs through college, and made his first million by age 26. Today he stands as a four-time business hall of fame inductee, former CMO of Kodak, and founder of the C-Suite Network. But none of that defines him. In this conversation, Jeffrey shares the foundational belief that shaped his trajectory: the things that define you must be decided by you, not by others. Growing up in a trailer park with a military father and bookkeeper mother, he never knew the unwritten rules about who you can and cannot contact in business. So he picked up the phone and called Trump directly. He walked into Bloomberg and offered to write a check on the spot to buy airtime for his show. Jeffrey challenges the popular "fail fast" philosophy. His counter: win fast. Failure sucks. The goal is to get through the failures quickly so you can reach the wins. For dental professionals and entrepreneurs listening, Jeffrey delivers a direct message: you need to become a content company. Stop relying on rented land like Google ads. Trust is the new currency. The way to build it is through authentic content that shows people who you are, what you stand for, and why they can count on you. The conversation reveals a man who has dined at the Oscars and keynoted Fortune 100 events, yet would rather be on a tractor in South Dakota listening to country music. A man who drives a 20-year-old truck with bullet holes because he has nothing to prove. His advice to his 15-year-old self: do it faster, do it bigger, do it bolder. www.shawnzajas.com https://studio.bynd.media/

August 29, 20252 hr 32 min

90 : Breaking the Silence: The Prostate Cancer Truth Every Man Needs to Know with Joe Dooley

Men Over 40: This Extensive 150-Minute Interview Could Save Your Life - A Patient's Complete Journey Through Prostate Cancer CRITICAL VIEWING: One in Eight Men Will Get This Disease - Learn What Doctors Won't Tell You Black Men & Men With Family History: Your Risk Is Even Higher - Watch This Now In this powerful, comprehensive interview, prostate cancer patient Joe Dooley shares his entire journey from diagnosis through metastatic disease, revealing critical information that could save your life or the life of someone you love. Drawing from his personal experience with advanced prostate cancer treated at Mayo Clinic, Joe breaks his silence about the disease that kills 35,000 men annually while most stay quiet. As a patient advocate on a mission to save lives through early detection awareness, Joe provides the education and insights that men desperately need but rarely receive from their doctors. This isn't just another medical interview - it's a life-saving conversation between a survivor and men who need to hear the truth about prostate cancer before it's too late. From the moment his PSA jumped from 2.75 to 4.2, through surgery, radiation, and the brutal reality of hormone therapy, Joe shares every detail with unprecedented honesty and clarity. What This Interview Covers: Critical Information You'll Learn: ✅ Why your "normal" PSA result could actually mean you have cancer (Joe's 4.43 PSA showed "NORMAL" while he had confirmed cancer) ✅ The complete timeline from first PSA test to metastatic disease diagnosis ✅ How active surveillance became Joe's biggest regret and nearly cost him his life ✅ The brutal truth about hormone therapy (ADT) that doctors don't prepare you for ✅ Why "you'll die WITH it, not FROM it" is a deadly lie (35,000 men die FROM prostate cancer annually) ✅ The PSMA scan breakthrough that found Joe's tumor at Mayo Clinic ✅ Real conversations about erectile dysfunction and incontinence that men need to hear ✅ How Joe diagnosed a friend's cancer at dinner - and saved his life ✅ The shocking connection between breast cancer in female relatives and prostate cancer risk ✅ Why younger men face MORE aggressive cancer, not less Key Topics & Timestamps: Understanding PSA tests and why "normal" means nothing without knowing your number The asymptomatic nature of prostate cancer - why you'll feel nothing until it's too late Family history's critical role (2.5x higher risk with paternal prostate cancer) Black men's devastating 1 in 4 diagnosis rate and higher mortality The active surveillance trap for younger men Complete breakdown of treatment options: surgery vs. radiation The 18-month hormone therapy nightmare: 50-pound weight gain, hot flashes, zero testosterone Breaking the silence: why men don't talk about prostate cancer Early detection strategies that actually work Who MUST Watch This Interview: Every man over 40, especially those who feel healthy Black men who face quadruple the average risk Men with ANY family history of cancer Partners and wives trying to understand what their loved one faces Recently diagnosed men making treatment decisions Men on active surveillance questioning their choice Healthcare providers wanting to understand the patient perspective Anyone who thinks prostate cancer is an "old man's disease" Men whose doctors say their PSA is "normal" Joe's Journey By The Numbers: Age 58: PSA jumps from 2.75 to 4.2 (both considered "normal") October 2019: Diagnosed with Gleason 6 prostate cancer August 2020: Upgraded to Gleason 7 during active surveillance November 2020: Prostatectomy reveals metastatic disease 18 months: Hormone therapy causing 50-pound weight gain, metabolic disorder 0.25 PSA: When Mayo Clinic's PSMA scan found his tiny tumor 35,000: Men who die FROM prostate cancer every year 1 in 8: Lifetime risk for all men 1 in 4: Risk for Black men The Turning Points That Changed Everything: When "Low Risk" Became Life-Threatening: Joe's initial diagnosis was "low risk" Gleason 6 cancer. His doctor recommended active surveillance - watching and waiting. This decision, which Joe now deeply regrets, allowed his cancer to escape the prostate and become metastatic. The friend Joe later saved by insisting on immediate surgery? His tumor was hours from breaking through the prostate wall. The Hormone Therapy Nobody Prepares You For: Eighteen months of chemical castration - that's what hormone therapy really is. Joe gained 50 pounds despite working out constantly. Five to fifteen hot flashes daily. Testosterone at zero - lower than a woman's level. Insulin resistance requiring five times normal insulin doses. This wasn't a side effect - it was torture that Joe describes as worse than the cancer itself. Finding the Tumor Others Missed: When local doctors wanted to blindly radiate Joe's pelvic floor without knowing where the tumor was, he found Dr. Eugene Kwon at Mayo Clinic. Using groundbreaking PSMA scan technology, they found a tumor the size of a pinky fingernail at just 0.25 PSA - earlier than anyone thought possible. Critical Warnings From Joe's Experience: About PSA Testing: "Your doctor says it's normal because it shows up on a range. Mine said normal when I already had cancer. Know your number. If your doctor won't tell you, make them look it up while you're sitting there." About Active Surveillance: "If you're in your 40s or 50s and they're offering active surveillance, the answer is no. I knew I'd eventually have surgery but procrastinated. That procrastination likely caused my metastatic disease." About Family History: "My friend's father died from prostate cancer, yet he'd never been tested. I diagnosed him at dinner. His PSA was 5.6. He had cancer. The surgeon later said he got it out just in time - the tumor was hours from breaking through." About Being "Healthy": "You can be six feet tall, 185 pounds, doing triathlons, thinking you're the healthiest man in the world. Inside your prostate, cancer could be growing. You won't feel a thing." The Message Every Man Needs to Hear: This disease is completely curable when caught early but incurable once it metastasizes. The difference between cure and lifetime treatment often comes down to a simple PSA test and the knowledge to understand what those numbers really mean. Joe's mission is simple: ensure no man suffers from ignorance about a disease that's completely preventable with early detection. Resources Mentioned: Dr. Patrick Walsh's "Surviving Prostate Cancer" (4th Edition) Dr. Eugene Kwon's annual patient lectures at Mayo Clinic Take Action Now: Get your PSA tested - especially if you're over 40, Black, or have family history Know your actual number - never accept "normal" as an answer Track changes over time - PSA velocity matters more than absolute numbers Share this video - Joe gave up his privacy to save lives, help him reach more men Break the silence - talk about prostate cancer like women talk about breast cancer This interview could be the most important 150 minutes you spend this year. Don't wait until you have symptoms - by then it's too late. Watch now and share with every man over 40 in your life. Subscribe for more life-saving content about prostate cancer awareness and early detection from a patient who's lived through it all. #ProstateCancer #PSATest #MensHealth #CancerAwareness #EarlyDetection #MetastaticCancer #ProstateCancerAwareness #PatientStory #MayoClinic #CancerJourney #BlackMensHealth #CancerSurvivor #PatientAdvocate #HormoneTherapy #ActiveSurveillance #PSMAScans #CancerTreatment #MensHealthOver40 #FamilyHistory #BreakTheSilence About Joe Dooley: Joe Dooley is a prostate cancer patient and advocate who broke his silence about living with metastatic disease to save other men from the same fate. After keeping his diagnosis private until his cancer metastasized, Joe now shares his complete journey to promote early detection and awareness. His mission is simple: ensure men get tested early when prostate cancer is still curable, not after it becomes a lifelong battle with metastatic disease. Medical Disclaimer: This interview shares one patient's personal experience with prostate cancer. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. Every cancer case is unique, and what worked for one patient may not be appropriate for

July 25, 202553 min

89 ::: Ground Marketing: How Michael Arias Pioneered a New Approach to Dental Marketing

Michael Arias shares his journey from being a nutritionist to becoming a pioneering figure in dental marketing. He coined the term "ground marketing" and developed it into a sophisticated approach for dental practices to connect with their communities. The conversation explores his evolution as a podcaster, his philosophy on learning and growth, and how he overcame initial fears in business development. Michael provides deep insights into effective community engagement strategies and the importance of taking action despite uncertainty.

May 28, 202541 min

88 ::: From Dental Assistant to Leadership Coach: How Angela Davis Sullivan Pioneered Authentic Change in Dentistry

Angela Davis Sullivan's transformative journey from dental assistant to sought-after leadership coach reveals the power of authentic brilliance emerging through gradual courage. Over two decades in dentistry, Angela discovered that her introverted nature wasn't a limitation—it was her secret weapon for connecting with quiet team members whose voices often went unheard. Her story illuminates a profound truth: you don't need a title to lead. Through vulnerable conversations about overcoming limiting beliefs, Angela demonstrates how authentic leadership creates sustainable practice transformation. She emphasizes that every practice already has a culture—the question is whether it's the culture you want. Angela's methodical approach to career transition offers hope to dental professionals feeling called to something more. By maintaining her "safety job" while gradually building her coaching skills, she proves that transformation doesn't require reckless leaps—just consistent courage to step outside your comfort zone. Her work focuses on helping dental practices recognize that profitability flows from people, not just systems. When leaders invest in their teams' growth and create cultures of trust and accountability, remarkable transformations occur that extend far beyond the practice walls.

May 26, 202552 min

87 ::: The Power of Connection: How Dawn Scott is Transforming Dental Patient Care

Dawn Scott's journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a master of patient connection reveals how authentic brilliance emerges from embracing our most difficult experiences. Raised in an environment where she learned to "read between the lines" due to her mother's anxiety and depression, Dawn discovered her superpower: the intuitive ability to understand people's unspoken needs. Despite initially pursuing international business, dentistry kept finding her—from working at a front desk at 18 to creating Business Intelligence departments, to ultimately becoming a revolutionary voice in patient communication. Her story illuminates how personal struggles can become professional strengths, transforming not just individual practices but entire approaches to healthcare connection. Through raising a daughter with anxiety and writing her children's book "Go Away Ick," Dawn demonstrates that true innovation in dentistry isn't just about technology—it's about creating spaces where patients feel seen, understood, and genuinely cared for. Her EMOTION framework offers dental professionals a systematic approach to building authentic connections that drive both patient satisfaction and practice success.

May 23, 202550 min

86 ::: Ai in Dentistry: Dr. Shah's Vision to Return Power to Practitioners

Dr. Kianor Shah illuminates the human journey behind his remarkable transformation from immigrant to global healthcare pioneer. Born amidst revolution in Iran and witnessing historic moments across three countries, his authentic brilliance emerged from these unique experiences, fueling his mission to return healthcare control to doctors. Despite fierce resistance when launching World's Top Doctors in 2020, his wholehearted commitment never wavered. As founder of the Dental Artificial Intelligence Association, Dr. Shah envisions AI not as a threat but as a powerful tool to eliminate corporate middlemen and restore the doctor-patient relationship. With organizations spanning six continents, his journey reveals that when you bet on yourself and embrace risk, your authentic brilliance becomes your evolutionary advantage in transforming an entire profession.

May 21, 20251 hr 2 min

85 ::: Permission to Dream: How Cassie Tallon's Fractional Leadership Model Is Transforming Dental Practices

In this compelling conversation, Cassie Tallon shares her journey from hospitality marketing to becoming a fractional CMO/COO in the dental industry. She discusses her unique approach to leadership, combining operational excellence with deep empathy for team members' individual strengths and aspirations. Cassie emphasizes the importance of giving people permission to dream and breaking down limiting beliefs. The conversation explores themes of purpose, authenticity, and the power of servant leadership in transforming dental practices.