🎙️In This Episode...
In this episode of Think in Cursive podcast, Brandon sits down with Professor Alex Enriquez, a jiu-jitsu black belt, instructor, and international competitor representing the Philippine national team.

Alex shares how years on the mats have shaped her mindset, relationships, and approach to life, from competing in Abu Dhabi with a painful, swollen foot to teaching children how to build confidence.

But this conversation goes far beyond jiu-jitsu.

Alex explains why jiu-jitsu reveals your character, how learning to fail can make you more confident, and why even a world-class athlete needs to maintain a beginner's mindset. He also shares what he's learned from growing up with hardworking immigrant parents, the coaches who helped raise him, and the young students whose lives have been transformed through training.

🎙️Timestamps:
00:00 – Competing for the Philippines: Alex Enriquez’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey
01:28 – Competing Through Pain: Alex’s Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Tournament
05:30 – Starting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Age 11 and Training on the International Stage
16:23 – How Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Reveals Your True Character
22:14 – The Life Lessons of Jiu-Jitsu: Discipline, Confidence, and Self-Defense
26:58 – Alex Enriquez’s Future Goals: Opening a Jiu-Jitsu Academy and Giving Back

Creators & Guests

• Brandon Leonard - Host
• Alex Enriquez - Guest

Would you believe that the CEO of a successful real estate media company in Georgia never even finished high school?

Evan Roberts dropped out of high school, waited tables at McDonald’s, delivered pizza, and eventually built a successful real estate media business.

🎙️In This Episode...
Evan sits down for an honest and wide-ranging discussion about entrepreneurship, failure, creativity, faith, and building a career on your own terms.

From living in his mom’s basement and delivering pizzas to running a growing business, Evan shares what he learned by taking an unconventional path and figuring things out along the way.

Evan’s story is a reminder that there isn’t always a straight line between where you start and where you end up. You may not have the perfect education, plan, credentials, or circumstances, but you can still learn, adapt, take risks, build something meaningful, and figure it out along the way.

If you’re an entrepreneur, parent, professional, or someone trying to build a meaningful career while staying grounded in your faith and family, this conversation offers plenty to think about, or a few things you may not agree with.

🎙️Timestamps:
00:01:03 What did Evan Roberts do after he dropped out of high school?
00:07:14 How di Evan start his real estate media business?
00:20:17 Why running a business is a creative process?
00:35:12 Is college necessary for success?
00:41:05 Building a successful business

🎙️This Week's Guest Bio:
Evan Roberts is an entrepreneur and the founder of Visually Sold, a real estate media company based in Georgia. Throughout his journey, Evan has learned through failure, experimentation, self-education, and being willing to try things before he had everything figured out. Beyond entrepreneurship, Evan is a devoted husband and father who seeks to honor Christ through his work and everyday life.

🎙️Keywords:
Entrepreneurship,
High school dropout success stories,
How to become an entrepreneur,
Real estate photography business,
Real estate media business,
Starting a business without college,
Christian entrepreneurship,
Work-life balance for entrepreneurs,
Faith and business,
Building a meaningful career

LET'S CONNECT!
Facebook: / brandon.r.j.leonard
Instagram: / begoodbrandon
Tiktok: / begoodbrandon
LinkedIn: / brandon-leonard-atlanta-realtor

Creators & Guests

• Brandon Leonard - Host
• Evan Roberts - Guest

Casey Baker built the career many people are told to hold onto: a "safe" and stable job, a clear promotion path, a retirement plan, and more than a decade invested in education.

Then she found herself crying over whether she could do this job for another 20 years.

🎙️In This Episode...

Casey tells the honest story of why she quit her teaching job, and what happened when she gave herself permission to change direction. We talk about the exact moment that made her question everything, the pressure of being a high achiever, and how easy it is to confuse familiarity with security.

We get into some bigger questions:
➡️ What happens when your career becomes your identity?
➡️ How do you know when it’s time to leave a job?
➡️ Why do high performers struggle to slow down and rest?
➡️ Can grit become a reason to stay in something that’s hurting you?
➡️ How do you take a career risk when other people depend on you?
➡️ Why do adults, especially men, struggle to create meaningful communities?
➡️ How can we be more present with our families instead of constantly being tethered to our phones and to-do lists?
And what does faith have to do with moving forward when you can’t see what comes next?

Overall, this is a fun, insightful, and genuine conversation about career change, burnout, identity, purpose, entrepreneurship, resilience, and the freedom that comes from realizing you don’t have to stay the person you once decided you would be.

If you’ve ever thought, “Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing?”, you’ll probably recognize a little of yourself in this conversation.

Creators & Guests

• Brandon Leonard - Host
• Casey Baker - Guest