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The Chiseled podcast, hosted by Rob Commodari, is a biweekly show dedicated to fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Through candid conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds—including entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and...
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The Chiseled podcast, hosted by Rob Commodari, is a biweekly show dedicated to fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Through candid conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds—including entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and individuals who have overcome significant challenges—Rob explores how life's experiences shape us into the people we are meant to be. The podcast emphasizes that we are all works in progress, continually being "chiseled" by our experiences to live our fullest lives. Launched in 2021, Chiseled delves into themes such as resilience, transformation, faith, and the pursuit of purpose. Rob's approach is deeply personal and spiritually grounded, often reflecting on how divine guidance influences our journeys. Each episode offers listeners insights and inspiration to embrace their own paths of growth and self-discovery.
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Chiseled - We're all a work in progress - with Rob Commodari
Chiseled - We're all a work in progress - with Rob Commodari
Robert CommodariEpisodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
10 OCT 2026 · Chris Compton, Jr. blew up his life from alcoholism. The detonation was a long time in the making.
Like many young people, Chris started drinking a bit in high school and much more aggressively in college. Gregarious and outgoing, Chris career-tracked early to become a sports broadcaster, even working while a Towson University student with some of the big guns in the local sports market — play callers Keith Mills and Scott Garceau.
But something didn't click. Chris lost interest in the field and instead partied with his buddies. Undeterred by a DUI that sent him to probation and community service, he was working in a bar when he met someone in insurance benefits. His interest in an adult-like career led him to Aflac — "PD" as Chris says, which for those familiar with Aflac's advertising, stands for "pre-duck."
Yet even after marrying his high school sweetheart, launching a profitable career, and having a little girl, Chris continued to let alcohol control his life. His marriage eventually crumbled, but it wasn't until an accident on the 695 Beltway, which he miraculously survived without injuring anyone else, that he went in search of a new direction. The turnaround was possible, in part, thanks to an unexpected source — his ex-father-in-law, who guided Chris to the help he needed.
"He gave me a piece of paper, handwritten, that said, 'Any time, any reason, any place, just call me,'" Chris recalls. "I, in no way, shape, or form, deserved that, and God just thought otherwise."
As an adult, Chris found that the Catholicism he was raised on wasn't really his bag, but God was definitely talking to him. He started working Trinity Church's Celebrate Recovery program, and after years of introspection, personal reflection, and eventual mentoring of others, he started his own organization. Connect Journeys is a nonprofit that helps people end addiction and combat the mental health issues that often go hand-in-hand.
"We started Connect Journeys last year with the hope to end the stigma against mental health; emotionally, psychologically, and workforce concepts, to provide the financial benefits for that because health insurance really does not cover much when it comes to mental health," Chris says.
Chris has helped many people in recovery, a calling that he says is part of what he believes is all our purpose in life. "At the end of the day, we're put on earth to help the next person, and nobody is going to tell me differently. I will die on that hill," he says.
You won't believe it when you hear this week's episode of Chiseled, but this is Chris's first-ever podcast appearance. And even though he bizarrely thinks he is an entire generation younger than me, Chris's wisdom and sincerity are telltale signs that he was made for the moment. Enjoy.
26 SEP 2026 · What if the greatest challenge in our relationships isn't a lack of love, but a lack of understanding?In this episode of Chiseled, Rob Commodari sits down with John Gray, internationally bestselling author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, a relationship classic that has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide.What begins as a conversation about communication between men and women quickly evolves into a powerful discussion about self-awareness, forgiveness, gratitude, emotional healing, and faith.John shares deeply personal stories about heartbreak, the loss of his wife, and the childhood experiences that shaped his adult relationships. Rob opens up about a childhood memory he's never shared on the podcast and how it continues to influence his reactions today.Together, they explore what it means to become aware of our emotional triggers, give ourselves and others grace, and recognize that life's greatest challenges can become opportunities for transformation.Because we're all a work in progress.
In This Episode, You'll Discover
- Why listening without trying to fix someone's problems can transform relationships.
- How curiosity and understanding can help bridge the differences between partners.
- John's perspective on forgiveness, compassion, and letting go of resentment.
- How childhood experiences can continue to influence our adult relationships.
- Why acknowledging difficult emotions is an important part of personal growth.
- The role of gratitude, prayer, and faith in navigating life's disappointments.
- How John came up with the title Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.
- Why John believes every obstacle is another opportunity to be chiseled into the person you're meant to become.
About Our Guest: John Gray is the internationally bestselling author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. He has spent decades teaching about relationships, communication, and personal development.In this conversation, John also discusses his years as a monk, his journey through marriage and loss, and the experiences that inspired his writing.Learn more about John at https://www.marsvenus.com.
Connect With ChiseledJoin Rob Commodari as he explores the stories, struggles, and defining moments that shape who we become.Listen, subscribe, and share this episode with someone who might benefit from a little more understanding, forgiveness, or gratitude in their life.Remember, we're all a work in progress!
12 SEP 2026 · Better. Bit by Bit.When COVID shut down the conferences, seminars, and rooms where Jeff Wu felt most alive, he did not simply wait for the world to reopen.He created a room of his own.Jeff started a weekly Zoom call to bring people together, exchange ideas, and share the kind of energy he had been missing. Six years later, that call is still happening every week.It has also become what Jeff calls a “forcing factor”—challenging him to continually search for knowledge, stories, and ideas that can help others grow.That is the heart of Kaizen: small, continuous improvements.Most of us are looking for the home run, the grand slam, or the life-changing breakthrough. But transformation rarely happens all at once.It happens through one better decision.
One meaningful conversation.
One small step.Better. Bit by bit.On this week’s episode of Chiseled, Jeff and I discuss community, personal growth, self-worth, and the responsibility of creating rooms where people feel encouraged, valued, and inspired.🎙️ Listen to the full episode of Chiseled and discover the small points that can make a big difference in your life.
10 SEP 2026 · If you have never heard of Bob Beaudine, you're in for some high-energy inspiration! The president and CEO of Eastman & Beaudine, Bob got started in brand management for Carnation (Nestlé) before joining his father in the executive search industry. Executive recruiting may be familiar to you now, but it was a new industry when Bob got started and he took it to a whole other level. How? "(My dad) wanted to know where I was going, and I said, 'When I do a search for a president of a manufacturing company, at the end of the search I get a tour of the plant. If I did the head of marketing for the NBA, we'd get an All-Star weekend." Bob's first executive placement was Bud Selig as commissioner of Major League Baseball. Since then, his hunt to find the one special person to fire up an executive team has led him to interview generals, U.S. presidents, college presidents, and of course, professional athletes and athletic directors. Today, Bob is recognized as a pioneer in the professional sports industry, being the top recruiting firm in college sports, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sports Illustrated dubbed him "the most influential man in sports you've never heard of." He has held private speaking engagements for the likes of Nike, AIG, Madison Square Garden, NBC, and the L.A. Lakers. But Bob is more than just an executive recruiter. He is also an entrepreneur, an author, and a man of deep faith. He has published two amazing books: "The Power of Who," which describes how to harness your friends and family to help you succeed in life, and "Two Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything," which teaches readers how to have an out-loud conversation with God, who will give you the best advice you could ever want. In this episode of Chiseled, Bob describes how writing “Two Chairs” prepared him for the personal tragedy that laid ahead; he shares a conversation that business coach Tom Ziglar had sitting in one of those chairs; and he offers valuable lessons on finding the right job and relying on friends.
29 AUG 2026 · Richie Huffman learned how to be an entrepreneur from his mom. A CFO-turned-preschool-owner, she was always giving him tips on the next big idea. It taught Richie to be curious, entrepreneurial, and strategic.
"She's never steered me wrong, ever," Richie said.
By time Richie was 26, he was on his fourth business. First, baker, then landlord — Richie had 24 apartments by time he was 26 — then tanning salon owner. In 1994, Richie — once more encouraged by his mother — decided to become a preschool owner. It changed everything.
"It was wildly successful from day one," he said. "I said to myself, this is what I wanted to dedicate my life to. It was just so rewarding to me in so many different ways."
Thanks to his entrepreneurial gifts, the motivation and skills of a mentor/mom, and long days at work, Richie's Celebree schools eventually became the largest provider of preschool services in the state of Maryland. If you're from Maryland, you've no doubt seen one. But Celebree is not just in Maryland now. The early education program is growing nationally, thanks to a franchising business that Richie started in 2019. Celebree now has 75 schools in 19 states.
"If you can imagine, if I asked 10 people what they thought about franchising, the concept, all 10 said it was a horrible idea," he said. "I said, 'You know what? I don't know if that's true.'"
Richie loves working to make kids' lives better, but his commitment isn't just to the students; it's to helping rising entrepreneurs succeed in business.
The success of Celebree enabled the Huffman family to launch a network of holdings. That includes not just the franchisee business for new owners, but a real estate holdings company to help entrepreneurs invest in properties to house their schools. The nonprofit arm provides before- and after-school programs in elementary schools. Earnings from that go into The Huffman Family Foundation, which Richie says "gives those dollars away to help better the lives of children."
Thirty-two years in, Richie is still involved and dedicated with growing people big and small. Richie says the key to success is being disciplined, focused, and seeing opportunities when they present themselves. That's part of the message he shares with young people today — decide who you want to become and go all in.
You can hear more about Richie's philosophy, philanthropy, and influence on this week's episode of Chiseled. Let's go get there!
18 AUG 2026 · Noelle Banks knew when she was 12 years old the life she was going to lead. Attending a non-denominational church for the first time in her family's adopted town outside Atlanta, Ga., she found herself in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. She also found a community of people that would model her lifelong relationships. It certainly came in handy in 2017, when Noelle found herself facing a breast cancer diagnosis, which resulted in a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. "I've always been very intentional about who I surround myself with and I think it has made a huge difference in my life," she said. The people who stepped up for Noelle in her time of distress included not only fellow congregants and friends but also strangers among the membership of Buffini and Company, the coaching company for real estate agents that she had joined in 2004. "We are designed to be around people and it's really important who you choose to surround yourself with on a consistent basis, which is one of the reasons why I so very much value our White Hat community in Buffini and Company," she said. Brian Buffini's podcast also ended up having a big role to play in her recovery. In this episode of Chiseled, Noelle shares the story of her evolution toward Jesus, her surprise diagnosis, and the support she received from the Buffini community. Full episodes of Chiseled are released every other Saturday at 8:00 a.m. ET. Chiseled is the podcast to help you create awareness in your life to become the person you were created to be. Through the personal experiences of host Rob Commodari and his guests, listeners gain insights into how they are continually being chiseled away to live their fullest life. We are all a work in progress!
15 AUG 2026 · Ron Tite is funny. The standup comedian-turned-business-consultant-turned-bestselling-author is, as they say in show business, a natural. He will have you laughing throughout this week's episode of Chiseled.
Ron's disarming charm is due not only to his comedic instincts but also his endless interest with the unknown. Growing up poor, he was surrounded by people who told him he just had to find work. But Ron was too curious to get a blue-collar job. As a kid intrigued by the craft of comedy, he took risks early, starting with telling Bill Cosby-style stories at his high school in Oshawa, Ontario.
"I wanted to experience what it was like to deliver something in front of a crowd," he said.
Ron headed off to college without much more than a dime in his pocket, an interest in sports, and the desire to make people laugh. He had no idea the opportunities that lay in wait.
"Like everybody in this field, I did a phys ed degree," he joked of his early ambitions. "I didn't know there were careers. ... If somebody would have told me, 'I am a writer,' I would have been like, 'Get out of here, nobody's a writer.'"
Ron's insatiable appetite for discovery and his exposure to people outside his bubble opened his eyes to boundless possibilities. He went with them, first by getting a job in the business school at his university, then moving into program management before learning how to build websites at the dawn of the Internet. He was poached by the company he hired to design his business school's website, started consulting with them, and then got picked up by the advertising company that partnered with the website company. He eventually went out on his own, in many different directions, on- and off-stage.
"There was no plan, there was no path, there was no journey. Just being open to new experiences and being curious about it along the way is what landed me in this position," he said.
Ron has gone from a successful standup career to a creative director in advertising to the owner of a strategic consulting firm for global brands. His clients have included Walmart, Google, Kraft, Volvo, and Intel, to name a few. Whether using art, comedy, artificial intelligence, or something else, Ron says he is all-in on learning new ways of doing things.
"It's not enough to be curious about it. You need to explore it and embrace it," he said of emerging technology and processes.
Everything Ron does — even the tormented telling of a joke gone flat — is fascinating to him, he says. I think you'll find Ron's perspective and comedic flare fascinating too, so let's go get Chiseled.
1 AUG 2026 · Will Davis thought his future was already written. As the son of a pastor, he believed ministry was the only path God could truly bless. But after years of trying to force an identity that wasn't his, God led him somewhere unexpected—real estate. Today, Will is one of Denver's top real estate professionals and a financial educator helping people rethink conventional wisdom about money, wealth, and financial freedom. But this conversation goes far beyond finances. We talk about identity, ambition, ego, purpose, family, faith, and the difference between chasing success because you're wounded versus pursuing excellence from a place of peace. If you've ever wrestled with wondering who you are...what God is calling you to do...or whether your career can actually be your ministry...this conversation is for you.
18 JUL 2026 · OK, bias alert: This week's guest is my cousin, 31-year-old Chris Fusco, who owns Summit Fitness and Performance and is founder of the All-Mountain Athlete Project.
I admit I'm living vicariously through Chris. I've often thought of living off the land, so to speak, but that ship has sailed for me. For Chris, he's living on his own terms with no regrets.
See, Chris is a professional nomad. He splits his time between his home base in Salida, Colorado, and living six months a year out of his Subaru Outback. Granted, he's not foraging for berries or eating what he traps. The Subaru is decked out with a bed platform, a refrigerator, and a Starlink satellite mounted on the roof so he can work online wherever he is. A big battery powers it all.
"I can eat really well. I can do work. I can sleep well and I can just go. It's great; it's super fun," he said.
Chris is living his dream after being burned out and physically exhausted. The fade started happening even before COVID hit in 2020. At the time, Chris was doing in-person training at a Maryland gym where individuals come for physical therapy. He was crushing his own workouts but feeling drained. As a mountain biker and avid snowboarder, he was tired of being stuck indoors and doing the same routine day after day.
When everyone was ordered home, the gym business went south. Chris, on the other hand, went west, staying with a friend's family in Denver before venturing into the great unknown.
While meandering through Utah, he found that the unknown was filled with travelers just like him — people making their way through the country with everything they owned strapped to their cars.
"I met a whole bunch of van lifers," he said. "Some people who have just, like, seasonal jobs, some people who own businesses, who have companies. Whatever. All of the different things living in all different kinds of vehicles."
Joining a caravan, Chris made his way to Salida, where he decamped first at an eco-village and later in a cabin. He has been pursuing this lifestyle ever since.
With a background in physical therapy and a need to earn income, Chris launched the All-Mountain Athlete Project to train individuals — from weekend warriors and 80-year-old grandpas with hip replacements to professional athletes — how to create a physical routine that maximizes activity while minimizing side effects. He helps people "crush mountain sports without burnout."
Chris calls his training program the "minimal effective dose" for performing at peak without causing fatigue or feeling like a "kicked-in trash can."
Chris's coaching program trains people so they can get outdoors, not stuck in a gym. It may not be for everyone, but for those with wandering souls, it may be the system they need to commune with nature — in a hardcore, workout kind of way — and feel great the next day.
I couldn't be prouder of Chris, who shares his journey on this week's episode of Chiseled. Feel free to listen while you're trekking through the wilderness on your own journey this weekend. Enjoy.
4 JUL 2026 · Matt Tyner Sr. grew up a "normal kid in Smalltown U.S.A." In his hometown of Decatur, Illinois, he learned about sports the old-fashioned way, attending local games. But in 1974, while watching ABC's Wide World of Sports, he saw University of Miami play in the College World Series and he knew that's where he wanted to go.
"Since I was in fourth grade, I decided that I either wanted to be a professional baseball player or the president of the United States, and I didn't think I was going to make that second one happen," he said.
He and his best friend decided they wanted to go to college together, so they flipped a coin: heads, University of Miami, and tails, Arizona State. Heads it was.
Through a series of good fortunes, Matt became a walk-on at the University of Miami and when a buddy got sick, he filled in. His star was born. He went three times to the College World Series and in his senior year was a ninth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Orioles.
But having grown up with an alcoholic mother and living the life of a star athlete in Miami in the 1970s, Matt developed a pretty severe alcohol and cocaine problem. He became a hard-core addict.
"That drug would grab me and never let go," he said. "I would carry that with me for 28 years."
In 2001, Matt quit drugs and alcohol cold turkey, but he didn't get into a program. His physical body was cleaning up, but his mental state was not improving. After an unfortunate and highly public encounter with his estranged wife in 2003, he met someone who to this day is his sponsor at Alcoholics Anonymous.
"God puts people in your path," he said. "There are angels strewn all throughout my path."
In recovery and over the years, Matt reunited with his wife and reconciled with his children. He got a job as a coach for the Towson University Tigers baseball team, which he just officially retired from four days ago, on July 1. He found a spiritual path through AA and rediscovered his faith in Jesus.
He has written a book, "Fast and Hard: From Addiction to Redemption," and plans to take his testimony on the road to speak to young athletes about staying focused on the bigger picture and not losing themselves in the enticements offered by college and pro sports.
"It's fast. There's a lot of fun. There's a lot but at what cost? What was the cost? That is the underlying theme on everything I speak on," Matt said.
As a sponsor, coach, and communicator, Matt shares entertaining stories of his youth, the Miami college sports scene, and the way forward after living the fast life. I am sure you will be entertained if not learn some of the benefits of joining a program to overcome addiction. So, tune in to this week's episode of Chiseled, and I hope you have a great day celebrating America's 250th founding! Happy Independence Day.
The Chiseled podcast, hosted by Rob Commodari, is a biweekly show dedicated to fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Through candid conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds—including entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and...
show more
The Chiseled podcast, hosted by Rob Commodari, is a biweekly show dedicated to fostering personal growth and self-awareness. Through candid conversations with guests from diverse backgrounds—including entrepreneurs, spiritual leaders, and individuals who have overcome significant challenges—Rob explores how life's experiences shape us into the people we are meant to be. The podcast emphasizes that we are all works in progress, continually being "chiseled" by our experiences to live our fullest lives. Launched in 2021, Chiseled delves into themes such as resilience, transformation, faith, and the pursuit of purpose. Rob's approach is deeply personal and spiritually grounded, often reflecting on how divine guidance influences our journeys. Each episode offers listeners insights and inspiration to embrace their own paths of growth and self-discovery.
show less
Information
| Author | Robert Commodari |
| Organization | Robert Commodari |
| Categories | Spirituality |
| Website | - |
| rob@talktorob.com |
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