Alternative Health. Intentional Living. Radical Self-Transformation.
Winner of the 2025 Stevie Gold for Best Independent Podcast
Winner of the 2024 Gold Davey Award for Social Impact
Most personal growth podcasts push productivity. Passion Struck goes deeper—into the mental, emotional, and energetic foundations of a meaningful life.
Why do so many people do everything “right” and still feel unfulfilled?
That’s where Passion Struck is different.
Hosted by John R. Miles—award-winning author, Navy veteran, former Fortune 50 executive, and global expert on intentional living—this podcast isn’t about external success. It’s about internal transformation.
Because mattering isn’t something you earn.
It’s something you choose.
In each episode, John brings together the world’s leading neuroscientists, psychologists, alternative health experts, and thought leaders to explore:
- The science of purpose—how your brain is wired for meaning
- The psychology of transformation—why change is hard and how to make it last
- The mind-body connection—how holistic health fuels passion and performance
- The new rules of leadership, fulfillment, and human potential
If you're tired of drifting through life, checking boxes, and still feeling unfulfilled—this podcast is your wake-up call.
Stop existing. Start mattering.
New episodes drop every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
👉 Follow now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform.
Wish to learn techniques that can work wonders for your professional life and your personal life? Today's episode will teach you how you can apply personal agility to unlock your passion and creativity.
In today’s show, we interview Maria Matarelli, CEO of Formula Ink and co-founder of the Agile Marketing Academy and Personal Agility Institute, where she reveals how her agile management strategies can catapult you miles ahead of the competition both in your business and personal life. Always a hard charger, Maria started working at 15 and paid her way through college. When she entered professional life, she decided to pursue agile project management – which was then an unknown field with very few experts.
Maria progressed quickly through the corporate ranks, and as a 22-year-old, she was managing a 120-person team and saving her employer $1.5 million every year through her project management expertise.
So, when she was handed out a measly 5% increment, Maria decided to push back against the system, and ultimately, she managed to wrangle out a 100% salary increase.
This win proved to be the turning point for Maria as she realized that if she worked hard enough and made herself indispensable, she could bend the rules.
After some more agile project management stints, Maria decided to branch out by kickstarting her own consultancy. While this was a brave and farsighted decision, the first year-and-a-half certainly tested Maria’s mettle. Maria went all out to realize her vision, from running through her entire bank balance to buying one-way tickets to Thailand and India.
Agile techniques, Maria reveals, can help you improve not only on a professional level but also personally. So, if you are routinely bouncing off things, lack consistency and follow-through, then listening to Maria will surely help you out.
Enjoy!
Questions That I Ask In This Show
- How do you transition from the insurance industry to agile management consultancy?
- Can you recall your AH-HA moment?
- How did you overcome your fears and doubts when you were starting?
- What do you do to stay on top of the market?
- Do you recall your first big success? What did it feel like?
- How have you applied your agile methodology to your personal life?
- How did you make a name for yourself as a DJ?
- Why did I see you wearing a T-Rex Costume?
- Where do I get my own money gun?
What You Will Learn In This Show
- How I started my own agile management consultancy
- How to overcome some of the biggest entrepreneurial challenges
- How to build your personal brand in the consultancy space
- How finding your own niche can drive profitability and growth.
- How to apply agile methodology to your personal life
- And so much more
Follow Maria here:
Maria’s Website - http://mariamatarelli.com
Formula Ink - http://formulaink.com
Agile Marketing Academy - http://agilemarketingacademy.com
Personal Agility Institute - http://personalagilityinstitute.org
Follow John R. Miles Here:
Website - https://passionstruck.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passion_struck_life
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Johnrmiles.c0m
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Milesjohnr
Medium: https://medium.com/@JohnRMiles
John's Website: https://johnrmiles.com/
- John's New eBook - The Passion Struck Framework https://passionstruck.com/coaching/
Follow Passion Struck on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/iampassionstruck
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