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Strongoo Podcast
My name is Joe Donar, and my intention for this podcast is to help individuals to create action by opening up, being vulnerable, getting uncomfortable and having hard conversations. By learning how to act, we must first learn how to feel. This gives us the emotional resiliency to overcome any challenge that stands in our way. You can listen anywhere you get your podcast, and please rate and review if you enjoy what you hear. Thanks for your support and I am honored that I get to share my experience with you. Love happy my friends!
Strongoo Podcast
Fighting For Yourself w/Brad Edmondson
In this episode, Joe sits down with Brad Edmondson, Black Belt and owner of Misfits Jiu-Jitsu in St. Charles, IL, to explore how jiu-jitsu became the lifeline that helped him rise from severe depression into a life of purpose, balance, and leadership. Brad shares openly about starting his training at age 30 during one of the darkest seasons of his life, the mentors who shaped him, and how the discipline of jiu-jitsu rewired his mind, his identity, and his belief in himself.
Together, Joe and Brad dive into the connection between movement and mental health, what it means to build a safe and positive training environment, and how Brad uses jiu-jitsu as a tool for emotional regulation, resilience, and personal transformation. This conversation is raw, inspiring, and filled with practical wisdom for anyone navigating their own internal battles or searching for a path back to themselves.
A powerful reminder that healing doesn’t always start with talking — sometimes it starts with stepping on the mat.