The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett

Motivational Monday: Failing Forward, Finding Strength & Laughing Through It

• Chris Bennett • Episode 132

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It’s Motivational Monday on The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett and Best Friends—where we find the funny side of failure and the strength in second chances.

We kick off with heartfelt updates from Jineane Ford, celebrating progress, perseverance, and what it means to keep showing up after life knocks you down. We honor Firefighter Glenn Collins and share how to support his family, then pivot to gratitude, growth, and just enough humor to keep things light.

One lucky listener scored tickets—courtesy of Comfort Fit Dentures—to Chris Bennett Comedy Presents: The Best of Phoenix Stand-Up Showcase at the Show Low Elks Lodge on November 1st. We play Boo or Cool with Dave Ramsey, swap laughs with Paul from Beaumont, and welcome our Emmy Award–winning friend Ryan McKee, who drops real talk about forgiveness, failure, and fresh starts.

It’s the perfect mix of motivation, community, and laughter—because sometimes, the best way to move forward is to laugh while you do it.

🎧 Listen now, share with a friend who needs a little Monday motivation, and remember: failure isn’t the end—it’s just coaching in disguise.

SPEAKER_04:

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. Janine, you there?

SPEAKER_05:

Yes, I am. How are you?

SPEAKER_04:

I'm doing great on this Monday morning. It's good to have you back. You were gone Friday again. Yeah. Uh how's uh the wound healing up? They did this.

SPEAKER_05:

I'm doing good. Yeah, I have to go down every Friday and have them torture me a little bit, you know. And then I'm gonna do a skin graft in about two, three weeks. That's another little surgery. So yeah, it's it's taking a long time, but I'm I'm having patience. I guess this type of a thing, a horse kick like this, she said it's totally expected because my whole calf was gone. Right. It's just like, yeah, it was gonna take a little work to get it going, but it's good doing very well. I mean, like my circulation and just that she said they said I'm healing really fast. It's just that something you have to go through. Yeah. But I'm very thankful for lidocaine. Yeah, lidocaine that numbs numbs you, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Well, uh, this weekend, yesterday, uh uh Timber Mesa at Fire Medical District had the uh procession and uh uh uh funeral uh ceremonies for Glenn Collins that that happened yesterday. And just wanted to remind everyone, Timber Mesa shared a link for a GoFundMe for Glenn's uh Glenn Collins' family. So to help them in their time of need. So go ahead and if you're able to donate, check out Timber Mesa Fire's Facebook page and you'll see the link for their GoFundMe there. Uh any news from you there, Janine?

SPEAKER_05:

Well, just the other big, big, big things going on, and our thoughts and prayers go out to everybody, of course, at Timber Mesa and all of our first responders here in the White Mountains, of course. And then all of this rain, what a blessing. I mean, there is flooding and all the things going on but with it, but boy, we needed all this moisture, so this is a good thing. And I am hearing there are other tropical systems off the coast, so we'll be watching that in the days ahead and see if we've got more coming our way. But certainly great to have all this rain. And then the other big thing so much this morning is everybody's watching all these videos of the hostages being released. It is so heartwarming to see them uh with their families, those hugs and all those things. What a blessing! So it's a very exciting time for Israel in the Middle East, so yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing the news with us today, Janine. It is Monday, so you know what that means.

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, motivation.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, it's time for us to get motivated with it. And uh today is also International Day of Failure. So uh I found some motivation.

SPEAKER_05:

What the heck? What kind of day is that?

SPEAKER_04:

Dude, you learn more from failure than you do successes. And there's so that's true, okay. And there's so many people out there that are extremely successful that failed before they were successful. Like Walt Disney, he was fired for having a uh lacking imagination at a newspaper. Uh Michael Jordan didn't make uh the team his freshman year or sophomore year in the high school, the basketball team. So it's kind of celebrating like that day. Like it's okay to fail because that's how you succeed, right?

SPEAKER_05:

Yeah, there you go. I get it.

SPEAKER_04:

There we go. And so I found some motivational quotes uh from uh people that have failed in life uh to get us motivated. So we here we go. First one, Henry Ford says failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Yeah. Uh Winston Churchill said, success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. Thomas Edison said, I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work. Oh, I like that. And uh this one's from Unknown. Don't fear fail. Your fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today.

SPEAKER_05:

Ooh, that's a good one too.

SPEAKER_04:

And last one, uh uh Nelson Mandela. The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.

SPEAKER_05:

Ah, we have to go with that one. That's really good. All of them are good today. Here we go. Good. I know. Very nice way to turn it around. You got the failure.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. I failed and I got better. There you go. Today's uh motivational quote for the week is from Nelson Mandela. The greatest glory in living lies not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall. Heck yeah. Sweet. We love you, Janine. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_05:

Love you too, Chris. Have a great day. You too. Bye.

SPEAKER_04:

Okay, bye. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this? Dave. Dave, you calling to win two tickets, compliments of Comfort Fit Ventures. You'll feel comfortable always to our comedy show at the Elks Lodge, November 1st.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Heck yeah. All right. Uh, what we'll do is today is International Day of Failure. So I'm gonna uh uh name some uh people that have failed, and you gotta tell me who they are. You ready? I'll try. All right. This author, Dave, uh was rejected by 12 publishers before landing a deal. A deal. Was it J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or Suzanne Collins?

SPEAKER_03:

Stephen King.

SPEAKER_04:

No, no, it's uh uh J.K. Rowling from Harry Potter.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, boo. I don't never read Harry Potter.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, totally boo on Harry Potter?

SPEAKER_03:

Totally.

SPEAKER_04:

All right. Uh this tech genius got fired from his own company but came back stronger. Was it Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, or Steve Jobs? Jobs. Yeah, there we go. Boom, boom, boom. He returned apples years later and changed technology forever. And last one. This famous scientist failed over a thousand times before inventing something bright. Was it Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, or Albert Einstein?

SPEAKER_03:

Einstein.

SPEAKER_04:

No, Dave, you're lucky there's no losers. Thomas Edison, and he's famous for saying he didn't fail a thousand times. He just found a thousand ways that it didn't work.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, somebody finally lit up his life.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah. Nice. Well, Dave, you won two tickets to our comedy show, 21 and over, November 1st at the Shoolo Elks Lodge. Compliments of comfort fit ventures. If uh you weren't as lucky as Dave, get your tickets today at Chris Bennett Comedy.com.$30 VIP, those are almost sold out, and$20 general mission tickets at Chris Bennett Comedy.com. It's gonna be a great time. And uh today, Dave, is actually uh the Navy's birthday, and you were in the Navy. Yep. Thank you so much for your service. Um, I thought we'd play a game called Ship Happens. You have to tell me if this is a real Navy term or totally made up. You ready? I'm ready. All right, scuttle butt, real or fake? Real. Real. Uh what does it mean? Do you know?

SPEAKER_03:

Rumors.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, gossip. Uh do you uh do you are you uh a fan of scuttle butt, boo or cool? No, no, totally totally boo on scuttle butt. What about a snack deck? Is that real? Is that a real a snack deck? Is that a real navy term or made up?

SPEAKER_03:

Made up.

SPEAKER_04:

Made up, and and you would know because you were a cook in the navy. Yeah, and there was no snack deck.

SPEAKER_03:

No. Alright.

SPEAKER_04:

What about bulkhead? Real dude, there we go. He knows his navy, uh his navy terms. And uh last one, sea daddy. Do what? A sea daddy.

SPEAKER_03:

Fake.

SPEAKER_04:

You're fake? Well, the internet's telling me it's real. It's a mentor or seasoned sailor who looks out for the newbies. You were never a sea daddy? No. Well, happy birthday to the U.S. Navy. And uh, Dave, I can't let you go without a little boo or cool. And uh, Dave, today is national treat yourself day. It's a day where you're supposed to treat yourself. Boo or cool. Cool. Cool. How do you like to treat yourself?

SPEAKER_03:

I need to go to the Dairy Cream and get me a good big thick hot pudge milkshake.

SPEAKER_04:

Nice. All right, treat yourself today. We're gonna play a game, uh basically boo or cool on uh how celebrities have treated themselves. You tell me if uh uh it is boo or cool way to treat yourself. Here we go. Ordering an Uber Eats meal that costs more in delivery fees than food. Boo. Boo. Oh, really? You're not gonna treat yourself like that. Uh, what about uh Kim Kardashian? She once spent a hundred thousand dollars on a custom Swarolfsky crystal toilet seat. Oh my gosh. Boo or cool. What happens if you got in a hurry? You pee on it. Boo. Totally boo. Uh Taylor Swift reportedly bought a 17 million Rhode Island beach house in cash. Boo or cool.

SPEAKER_03:

If you got it, spend it. I guess that's cool for her.

SPEAKER_04:

Heck yeah, totally cool. What about Lady Gaga once uh treated herself with a$50,000 ghost, a$50,000 ghost detector to keep spirits away?

SPEAKER_03:

Boo.

SPEAKER_04:

Totally boo. You wouldn't spend$50,000 on a ghost detector? No. Do you believe in ghosts?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, all right. But and you don't want to detect them?

SPEAKER_03:

No.

SPEAKER_04:

And a billionaire in Dubai treated himself with a gold-plated Lamborghini.

SPEAKER_03:

And like I said, if you got it planted, but that's a little excessive for a Lamborghini, but cool.

SPEAKER_04:

Alright, but cool. That was Boo or Cool with Dave Ramsey on National. Treat yourself, Dave. Dave, hope you treat yourself to that uh delicious milkshake over there at Dairy Queen.

SPEAKER_03:

I hope to.

SPEAKER_04:

All right, buddy. We love you. Bye.

SPEAKER_03:

Bye. Have a good day. Thanks.

SPEAKER_04:

Yay, yay! Yay, yay! Everyone's favorite redneck from Beaumont, Texas. It's Paul from Beaumont. How are you doing this Monday morning?

SPEAKER_00:

Fantastic, buddy. How are you doing?

SPEAKER_04:

I'm doing good. Anything uh juicy happened this weekend? Uh any uh fun redneck shenanigans with you and your family?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh well, I was uh asked somebody cover for me Saturday because I thought we were going to Houston, and Ryan was like, no, we're not going. And then Carson and Nikki come over and then they all take off and go to Houston.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, and left you home alone?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that was a bad idea. Why? That was a bad idea. Because I went to the Academy and I got new scopes, I got new scope rings.

SPEAKER_04:

Ooh, when uh when the cat's away, the mice will buy firearms.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, yeah, or accessories.

SPEAKER_04:

Today is National Train Your Brain Day. Are you pretty good at riddles?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh man, I don't know.

SPEAKER_04:

Alright, give it a shot. Alright, let me give you some riddles. And these uh we'll start with easy. I have hands but can't clap. What am I?

SPEAKER_00:

Mm-hmm. It's a clock.

SPEAKER_04:

No, it's a clock. We're training your brain. Here we go. What gets wetter the more it dries.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, yeah, this isn't my forward, right?

SPEAKER_04:

A towel. Oh, okay. Alright, you want you want to try one more?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, why why not, man? I'm not a quirk.

SPEAKER_04:

Alright, here we go. What has a neck but no head? What has a neck and no head? Oh Paul. There we go. I knew you would get that one. We definitely got your brain all trained today on National Train Your Brain Day. It is now time for Are You Smarter Than a Redneck with Paul from Beaumont, Texas? And uh today is the uh U.S. Navy's birthday, so we're gonna do some U.S. Navy trivia. If you know the answer, say your name. That's your buzzer. You ready?

SPEAKER_00:

Let's do it.

SPEAKER_04:

What year was the United States Navy officially established? Was it A 1775, B 1812, C 1865, or D 1901?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh B?

SPEAKER_04:

B 1812? Nope. Chris, I'm gonna say 1775, ding, ding, ding. All right. What is the Navy's official motto? Is it Anchors Away, forged by the sea, semper fortis, or honor, courage, and commitment? Paul. Paul? A. Is it A? No, it is not. Anchors away. Uh, it is uh honor, courage, and commitment. Uh bonus fact, Semper Fortis. It's uh an unofficial motto. Uh you and I were both wrong on that one. Special. Special. All right, here we go. What is the largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy fleet? Is it the USS Ronald Reagan, USS George Washington, USS Gerald Ford, or USS Enterprise? Chris, I'm gonna say Enterprise. Nope.

SPEAKER_00:

I want to say the Ford.

SPEAKER_04:

Is it the Ford? It is the Ford. We are tied up going into the last question, which will determine who the winner is. What color uniform do U.S. Navy sailors traditionally wear? Is it? Paul Paul. Paul. White. And blue. There we go. Holy moly! Anchors? What is it? Anchors away. Paul from Beaumont is smarter than a handsome radio DJ. And speaking of anchors away, how is your uh weight loss uh journey going? Any more uh weight loss?

SPEAKER_00:

No, no more. It's about the same. It's holding steady.

SPEAKER_04:

Slow and steady. And uh, have you given yourself more shots?

SPEAKER_00:

No, I ain't given myself no shots. Around a dead Saturday, goes to the Saturday. Oh, nice. All right, well, good luck, buddy.

SPEAKER_04:

Drive safe out there. Thanks for calling in and having fun. We'll talk to you uh tomorrow, I hope.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, for sure. And everybody, uh, you know how you look, man. You you already know I'm I'm White Mountain's best of, so just let Chris know. I'm the I'm the uh I'm the best of and call-in uh competition.

SPEAKER_04:

All right, buddy. We love you. Have a good day. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this?

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, best friend, it's producer Ryan.

SPEAKER_04:

Heck yeah, producer Ryan McKee, Emmy Award-winning producer Ryan, and class of 97, Payson Longhorn graduate. Uh, what's new uh with you? Anything juicy from Ryan McKee there in Wilmington, North Carolina?

SPEAKER_02:

Juicy juicy. I had a an old friend headlining the club this weekend at uh Dead Crow Comedy Room where you headlined. Yep. And his name's Sean Patton. He and I knew each other back in LA in the early days. And he started getting pretty big and kind of started ignoring me. And I held this resentment for 15 years because I thought he didn't think I was funny or subtle enough to hang out with him. But then I went to the club and I figured I'll just say hi anyway, even though I resent him. And guess what? What? He was so happy to see me, even asked me to be on the show, and I realized I was resenting him all this time.

SPEAKER_01:

He wasn't even thinking about me. Yeah, he was just living his own life. I think it's a good lesson.

SPEAKER_04:

It is a good lesson. A lot of times we make bigger deals of things than they are, and uh it's not that big of a deal at all. Exactly. Heck yeah. Well, that's sweet, man. Congratulations on uh on that. Did you tell him? I thought you were mad at me.

SPEAKER_02:

I did not. You did not.

SPEAKER_04:

Awesome. How's uh your uh young roommate uh Joey, your 21-year-old uh roommate Joey doing?

SPEAKER_02:

Joey's killing it out here. He is doing great, and we're becoming better and better friends, which I wonder what really speaks to me as being immature. That I get along with a 21-year-old. So well, because he's not mature, as we've uh talked about. He's not mature for his age, so that means I'm very immature for my age.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, he he talks like he's still in high school. Not even lying to you, bro.

SPEAKER_02:

Not even lying.

SPEAKER_04:

Ryan, before we let you go, we're gonna play a game called Who's More Likely To? You're 46 years old, and uh you have a roommate who's 21, and you guys have so much in common. And uh, I thought we'd uh play a game to find out who's more likely to, you or your 21-year-old roommate. Ready? Absolutely. Who's more likely to lose their keys twice in one day? Joey.

SPEAKER_02:

I hang my keys on the key rock. Joey throws his keys wherever he pleases.

SPEAKER_04:

Uh who's more likely to ghost someone after one date?

unknown:

Ooh.

SPEAKER_02:

It's gotta be Joey. It's gotta be Joey. Again, I am way too dependent on other people liking me. I hate when people are mad at me, so there you go.

SPEAKER_04:

And but he he's actually uh he's got a girlfriend now, so you don't really see him as much anymore, right?

SPEAKER_02:

That is correct. That is correct, because his room is a nightmare, so he doesn't bring her over here nearly as much.

SPEAKER_04:

Smart, and that's probably why they're still together, because she hasn't spent any time in his gross room.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, that is correct.

SPEAKER_04:

And last question: who's more likely to eat gas station sushi?

SPEAKER_02:

Ooh. Gotta be me. Gotta be me. I don't think Joey even would think to buy sushi. Uh, because he's he eats mostly like uh bagel bites and uh pizza rolls and that that sort of stuff. He he's not his uh his taste scope is not large.

SPEAKER_04:

That was Who's More Likely to 21 versus 46 year old edition with our friend Ryan McKee. Ryan, we love you. Keep killing it out there, and uh, we're excited uh to have you come here in December, December 20th. He's uh headlining a comedy show. Chris Bennett Comedy presents at Rocky's. So we'll see you then.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, let everybody know I'm bringing a lot of new material. If you've seen me up there before, it's gonna be a different show, baby.

SPEAKER_04:

Heck yeah, sweet buddy. We love you, and uh, we'll talk to you next week.

SPEAKER_02:

Love you too. Bye. Bye.

Contributor

Chris Bennett

Host