In this powerful episode of Courageous Crossroads, Dean O’Connor—entrepreneur, mayor, and former lifelong member of a fundamentalist church—shares the most courageous decision of his life: walking away from the rigid faith he was born into. With raw honesty, Dean unpacks what it meant to grow up under strict religious rules, how leaving affected his family […]
On this episode of Courageous Crossroads, Jeff Johnson sits down with Tyler Tompkins—former police lieutenant, real estate entrepreneur, and board member of Exodus 51, a nonprofit that rescues Christian slaves in Pakistan. Born and raised in small-town Iowa, Tyler shares how his path from farming and law enforcement to international human rights work was shaped […]
In this episode of Courageous Crossroads, host Jeff Johnson sits down with Dr. Douglas Groothuis, Distinguished University Research Professor of Apologetics and Christian Worldview at Cornerstone University, author of over 20 books, including Christian Apologetics and Masking the New Age, and host of The Truth Tribe Podcast. With nearly 50 years of defending the Christian […]
In this powerful episode of Courageous Crossroads, we meet Justin “Boyd” Baker a former NASCAR body fabricator turned power grid engineer, comic book collector, motorcycle enthusiast, and devoted family man. Raised in a Midwest farming town, Boyd shares his journey from chasing perfection in high-octane race shops to finding purpose in fatherhood, faith, and craftsmanship. He opens up […]
In this powerful episode of the Courageous Crossroads Podcast, Keith Mercer shares his remarkable journey from growing up in the violent streets of Southeast Washington, D.C.—once known as the murder capital—to becoming a first-generation college graduate, athlete, leadership coach, and motivational speaker. Faced with extreme adversity from a young age, including witnessing a murder at […]
In this deeply moving episode, Eric Voelker—educator, former pastor, coach, and two-time NCAA wrestling champion—opens up about what true courage looks like at this stage in his life. Far from the spotlight of athletic victory or public ministry, Eric shares how the most courageous thing he’s ever done is simply showing up, day after day, […]
Jeff Johannesen is a retired CPA and former Chief Strategy Officer at RSM, where he spent over four decades transitioning from client service into high-level leadership, helping shape the firm’s national and global direction. In this episode, Jeff shares his journey from a small-town Iowa farm to the boardrooms of a major professional services firm, […]
Chris Norton is a motivational speaker, author, founder of the Chris Norton Foundation (www.chrisnortonfoundation.org), and former collegiate football player who defied a 3% chance of ever walking again after a life-altering spinal cord injury. Known for his viral walk across his college graduation stage and down the aisle at his wedding, Chris now travels the […]
Jimmy May is a retired Navy SEAL with over two decades of service, including six wartime deployments across Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and the broader Middle East. A Texas native now based in California, Jimmy is the founder of Mayday Executive Services, which curates high adrenaline, high-security experiences for executives, and Beyond the Brotherhood (www.beyondthebrotherhood.org), a […]
Dr. Nicholas Honkamp is an orthopedic surgeon based in Des Moines, Iowa, and the president of DMOS Orthopaedic Centers. Born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa, Dr. Honkamp studied at the University of Notre Dame and later earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa. His journey into orthopedics began through hands-on experience in athletic […]
