Positive Persistence - Ian Bowen & Kerrie Lee Brown on Resilience, Healing, & Choosing How You Live

In this powerful compilation of The Burn Podcast, Ben Newman brings together two extraordinary stories that redefine what resilience, perspective, and intentional living truly mean.

First, Ian Bowen shares his remarkable journey of Positive Persistence after being diagnosed with a rare disease that left him paralyzed and told he would never walk again without crutches. Refusing to accept that outcome, Ian leaned into the power of imagination, belief, and daily discipline. Through his RINSE framework—Remember, Imagine, Notice, Shift, and Expect—he rebuilt not only his body but his mindset. Today, Ian is not just walking; he’s running marathons. His story is a living example that when YOU control your mindset, no diagnosis, circumstance, or setback gets to define your future.

Then, Kerrie Lee Brown, founder and publisher of RedLily® and author of My Heart, My Self, joins Ben to share her journey through leadership, storytelling, and healing. After suffering a heart attack at a young age, Kerrie was forced to confront the pace at which she was living. That moment reshaped her priorities and inspired her mission to help women slow down, find their voice, and reconnect with what truly matters. Through RedLily, she has created a powerful platform for women to share stories of resilience, growth, and transformation.

Together, these conversations ask a profound question: Are you pushing with purpose, or running so fast you’ve lost sight of what matters? This episode is an invitation to persist with belief, pause with intention, and choose a life built on strength, balance, and meaning.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sQ10iMX3Vqo
Listen on all platforms: https://www.theburnpodcast.com

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Chapters

• 0:12 Defining “The Burn” And Early Drive
• 1:43 Diagnosis, Paralysis, And Defying Prognosis
• 5:14 From Proving Others Wrong To Purpose
• 7:25 Rejecting Limits And Owning Your Reality
• 12:22 Sponsor: Q Logics Overview
• 13:23 Positive Persistence Explained
• 16:39 The RINSE Method In Practice
• 21:04 Gratitude After A Heart Attack
• 24:36 Having It All By Slowing Down

Transcript

SPEAKER_03: 0:12

So yeah, so going through the the Coach Coach program and talking about the burn, I thought I knew what it was. And this goes back to God, my past, my my childhood, and uh having a relationship with a father who was very strict um and expected a lot from me. And I was always seeking his approval and never receiving it. And so I always had this I'll show you mentality, kind of a chip on my shoulder, if you will. And I and I joke about this is that I've always had an adverse relationship with authority and people thinking that I can't do something. And that's always been my my driving force. And to use a phrase that we've talked about recently, I've always had a high standard that I've set for myself to make sure that I I guess live up to that expectation for myself that I'll be able to prove to others that I am good enough. And so I always thought that that was that was my burn. And when I entered your program, sure enough, shortly before I did, I had someone tell me you can't. They told me they have what it takes to be a speaker and a coach. And for me, that's that's all I needed because that's all I've ever needed. Back even further, back in 2009, I was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis. And in order for that diagnosis to take place, this was a rare disease, I had to have spinal cord surgery. And that spinal cord surgery rendered me paralyzed from the chest down. And when I woke up from surgery, the doctors told me that you most likely will walk again, but you're probably gonna need a walker, a cane, crutches, but you're most likely never gonna run again. And again, that was the spark, that was my burn at that point. Oh yeah? Watch me. I'm gonna prove you wrong mentality, and that's been what has fueled me for years. But as I entered into, I guess, another season in my life, my burn has changed. And I found that that's okay because I'm a different person now than I was before. So it makes sense that my burn changed, my purpose, my why has changed. And that has now morphed into coaching others and using all of my life experience and the tools that I have acquired over the last maybe 49 years old this year, 48 years of my life in helping others realize that they too can achieve what is once thought to have been impossible, insurmountable, unthinkable, undoable, but they have the power within them to be amazing. And that now is my desire, that is my my purpose, that is my that is my new burn.

SPEAKER_02: 3:32

I you know, and and I love that you're sharing it in that context because I think a lot of times you do hear people say, Well, Ben, I didn't go through what you went through with your mom to have this burn that lasts forever. I'm so glad that your story unfolds the way that it does with the evolution of one burn now to another burn. Somebody could have 16 different burns in their life. There's nothing that says that it's one thing and one thing forever. Mine just happens to be so significant with the pain and the embracing of one day at a time for the days my mom no longer has. That will always be mine. But there's power in you having that awareness to change it. And I know you still pull from the strength of being told that you can't do things to now leaning even more to this burn because there have been physical things, and this is one of the things I love about you, and why I believe people are attracted to you for you to be their coach or for you to speak, is because you actually do what you say you're gonna do, even when your body says that's not supposed to be possible for you. So share with us, because I think a lot of times people say, Oh, well, you know, somebody told me I couldn't do this, so I'm just not gonna do it. Whereas you become as, well, you tell me I can't do it, but watch me do it. And there are things that you've decided to do physically that you were told you would never do after your diagnosis and fighting through it. I'd love for you to maybe share an example of what it looks like to lean into the pain in order to do something that uh that that that really is is unthinkable for you in terms of your what you've been delivered in terms of your health.

SPEAKER_03: 5:05

Yeah, I I think that you know, we do a grave disservice, first of all, to ourselves when we allow someone else's perception of our capabilities become our reality. Because once we've done that, once we listen to them, and unfortunately, sometimes they say a lot, and if it's negative, we buy into that and we allow that to become our driving mindset. And I'll tell you, in that moment where the experts, these are the experts at the mayo clinic, like this is the experts of experts are telling me that you're you're never gonna run again. Being an athlete all my life up to that point, that just wasn't part of what my plan was for life, right? So I was not going to be relegated to a wheelchair for the rest of my life. And you know, that is not taking anything away from those of us who are. There's nothing wrong with that. But for me, that just wasn't going to be the plan. And so in that moment, I decided that I was gonna do everything in my power to make a full recovery, which full transparency, I am still working at. This is 15 years plus, and I still have deficiencies from that surgery. And I'm reminded every single day that my body doesn't work like it was designed to or like it used to. And I used to always think about making progress to where I would be 100% recovered from that surgery. But it took me a while to realize that that's never gonna happen. I'm never gonna be a hundred percent of the person that I used to be before the surgery. So I had to lean into understanding that, and then from there lean into becoming the best version of as I am now. Being 100% of the person that I can be now. And there are only two options, and that is either I make it or I make it.

SPEAKER_02: 7:22

This episode of The Burn is brought to you by our dear friends and partners at Q Logics. Now you know I don't co-sign things I don't believe in, and I believe in John Chiarando and the team at Q Logics. He's built multiple nine-figure businesses, real integrity, real character, the kind of guy you want in your corner. But here's what happened: all that expertise, all that knowledge, it was just his. Locked in his head, his decisions, his team, you couldn't access it. So John created Q Logics. He basically said, How do I make everything I've built available to people who actually need it? Here's what that looks like. QLogics helps you see the blind spots in your business, the gaps you don't even know you have. You don't know what you don't know. They're your tour guide through that. Q Logics helps you build systems that make your business work better or they ask better questions so you're approaching it in the most effective way. And Q Logics has access to a network of businesses and resources, real connections, real synergies that can accelerate what you're building. If any of that resonates, go to Qyphen Logics, L-O-G-I-X.com forward slash Ben. Fill out a form. Their team will research your situation personally, then they'll tell you straight, can they actually help? Thank you to our friends and partners at Q Logics. Make sure you find out more about Q Logics and your opportunity to win more with them today. That's where I love your mindset, you know, because I've always been a big believer it's action and habits, discipline, but also the mindset. And I think you're living proof that, you know, your podcast, the Positive Persistence Podcast, is not just the name of a podcast that sounds good, like we should all remain, you know, persistent and how positive we are. Like you're living that every day. And so if you could speak to the importance in terms of how you see it, of having that positive persistence. And then how the rinse method, right? Because I think that's one of the beautiful things about you and your story, that this isn't some, you know, you thought, oh, these two words sound really great together. And so then I'm gonna build a talk around this, or I'm gonna write a book around it. Like you are living what you share. So please dive into the positive persistence and the rinse method because you're living what you share and teach and coach to every day, which I think is so powerful.

SPEAKER_03: 9:44

Yeah, thank you. You know, it uh positive persistence was born out of just answering a question of you know, coaching people for years and then them asking me, like, how do you how did you do what you've done? And it always came back to just staying positive and being persistent because I know what the other option will bring me. I know because I've been in that. I've been in that that season of my life where I've been depressed, that season of my life where negative thoughts were the ones that were driving my reality, driving my mindset. So why not be positive? Why not be persistent? Because we already know what's gonna happen if we're not. Why don't we find out what happens if we are and do that on a consistent basis? So that's kind of where the positive persistence came from. And that's something that has just been uh part of my DNA from the beginning. Um, but the rinse method is that's what's was born out of everything that I've done from that day of having that surgery. And as I look back further in my life, the other obstacles that I was able to overcome as well. And that is talking about just remembering the things that we have accomplished. And we kind of alluded to this earlier uh when we were talking, and remembering about all the things that we've done in the past that have got us to this point. You know, it may not be the same scenario that we're in, it may not be the same situation that we're in, but it's the same feelings, the same emotions that we may be having now when we are dealing with adversity that we've dealt with before in our lives at some point, and somehow we overcame it before. So it's okay to remember that we have the power to do it again. And then the power of imagination, Ben, for me, this was this was so crucial for me. And that is the I in the rinse method, and being in that hospital bed and not having the ability to move, my imagination was really all that I had. And being able to visualize myself succeeding, visualizing my goal, visualizing what it would be like to walk again, what it would be like to run again. But it wasn't just that, it wasn't just the visualization piece. The imagination is also how do you feel in that moment? What are the emotions that you're feeling in that moment of that visualization? And that really helps to make it real and start to pull that future towards you. Then the end in rinse, as you are making progress during your journey, noticing your small wins, celebrating those small wins. And this was something that I struggled with for a long time. And having a small win and then not making a big not making a big enough deal for me, having the the win of moving from a wheelchair to a walker and saying, Well, that's not good enough. That's not the end goal. I didn't take time to celebrate that. And that was something that was brought to me by my physical therapist who was five days a week as I was going through my rehab. And she would have to tell me that you need to realize how far you've come. And I didn't realize the power in that because so many of us are so focused on the goal that's way out there that we don't take the time to look back and see how much progress we've made, and then realize how much juice that gives us, how much belief that gives us that I've made it this far. And what you talked about it, that's the momentum that can carry me further, which goes right into the S and Rince. And that is about shifting your mindset and believing that you can, that you will, that you must succeed, because belief is paramount. I believe that when you have desire, belief, and then expectation, those three things, those three things put together are your roadmap to success. And that's what I and Rince is all about is expectation. But it's it's twofold because along this journey, what I've had to realize is that you you better expect it to be difficult. You better expect it to be hard. No one is going to hand you that win. You're going to have to put in the work to get there. But the other side of the E is that you should also be expecting to win by having your desire, by having your belief, by putting in the reps, putting in the action, as you say, attacking the process, having that belief and that you will expect to win. That again starts to pull that wing towards you. So these principles they are simple, but they're not easy. And they take, as you talk about, intentional focus every day to prime your mind so you can have that mindset that will lead you to success.

SPEAKER_02: 15:04

You're looking at every day differently now because of what you had to go through to make it to 39.

SPEAKER_00: 15:10

I am. And you know, it's every time I think about what happened at 39, and I'm 51 now, right? So, you know, it's been 11 years, whatever. And I think that you're right. It has made me realize that, you know, all these different things I've aspired to do in my professional life in media and at magazines and publishing, they are all amazing and they've gotten to me where I am today. But I think it's really made me realize that it's about, you know, who is in my immediate circles, my family, you know, those kind of things. That is what is the most important thing in life. And it really, it really woke me up. And every day now, not only do I practice gratitude because of that, but I also also know that it's a message that other people need to hear. I mean, not everyone is going to have a heart attack or or go through even a health crisis, but I really hope that my message can really wake people up and share the fact that we have to realize that we need to put, you know, time and effort into our own self-care and really appreciate where we've come from versus just always looking ahead. I was always this like a type, I still am an A-type-driven person that throughout my 20s, I just really looked at the next, the next thing in my career. How could I, you know, climb the corporate ladder? How could I add this to my portfolio? What's next? There's something to say about that. And I think it's very important in entrepreneurship and of course building a brand. But that wake-up call made me think, you know what? I actually have to appreciate all that I've done as well, rather than just like, you know, hurrying up to the next thing. You have to really appreciate where you are, and that will set you up for success moving forward.

SPEAKER_02: 16:46

And I think your book as well, even though the subtitle is a heartfelt guide for women who do too much, that book was not just written for women. Your book was written for everybody.

SPEAKER_00: 16:58

That's right.

SPEAKER_02: 16:59

And, you know, My Heart, Myself, which is the title, I think it's so powerful that the book, because I want people to understand, and we're going to link the book so it's easy for everybody to grab a copy, but you go into the importance of slowing down, having the gratitude, appreciation. I know family, even how you look at your children, is different than it was pre-the heart attack. Not that you didn't absolutely love and adore your children, but it's it's a different appreciation because you're slowing down now. But I also admire that you still love growing your career. There's still things you want to do. So I'd love for you to touch on the fact because I think sometimes people, when they face challenge and adversity, they say, Oh, well, I'm just going to slow down and have gratitude and just spend time with my family. My career's over. I think your message is to say, no, no, no, no, no. You can have it all if you slow down and do it the right way. Do you mind speaking to that? Because I think it's a powerful lesson.

SPEAKER_00: 17:55

Yeah. And I mean, again, to your point about it being my book is for everyone. I read, I wrote it from the perspective of a female, which obviously I am and a mom, but but yeah, when I say that, it has impacted a lot of males' lives as well. I've had lots of male readers. But to that point, you're right. Like I've always still grown my career, my entrepreneurial endeavors, my philanthropy endeavors outside of my family in that. What I've done differently is looked at the holistic kind of um mesh of them all from my personal and professional life. And that's one of my biggest messages. And I hope people really understand this, is that I used to look at my personal life and my professional life very separately. And I think what ended up happening was they started to compete with each other, right? Like in my own, with my own time, with my own efforts. And I think that's what, you know, aided in my stress levels, you know, really hitting that pivotal kind of high. But now, and every day since my heart attack, I have looked at the ability to do it all by molding those two together. My personal, my professional life has become one of purpose and passion. And that's where I've been successful in order to grow my career and also obviously bond more with my children. They are now, you know, they're now 15 and 20. I mean, this is, you know, they're older now, but also with my friends and family and those who mean so much, because I now look at it differently. And I don't look at it as one or the other. Now I can look at them both and what kind of serves my purpose as a human being and what what I was meant to be on earth here. That has changed since my heart attack. So, in order to kind of say that I'm able to do it all, I feel like there's gonna always be ebbs and flows with that for any person to be able to balance it. And I know the buzzword now is more keep it in harmony, because there are ups and downs. But at the same time, I'm now not looking at my personal life and professional life as competitors for my time. I look at them as one. So if one day my family is, you know, there's priorities there or friends or people in my circles, that's fine. Then Next day it's going to be career, but now it's an ebb and flow that I know it's all part of me, Carrie Lee Brown. And that's the difference. That's the that's how my mindset changed after my heart attack. It was a bit a big deal for me.

SPEAKER_02: 20:12

And legacy is so important. You've had such an amazing legacy of sharing other people's stories. Now you're sharing yours. How important, if we could finish here, how important is that word legacy to you? Your story, telling other people's stories and legacy. How important is that to you?

SPEAKER_00: 20:30

Um, to me, wow, that's such a big question. But I love the fact that you're saying legacy because it is something I'm considering now at my age with my children, but also in my career, because I have met, I've mentored journalists and people coming up in their in the ranks as well. Legacy to me means that not only are you making a difference to other people, but you've made strides to change and evolve your own, you know, healing and your own growth pattern as well. And I think that's what legacy means to me. You can leave behind a message or even just a heartfelt, you know, kind of feeling in someone by speaking to them, by writing their stories. And, you know, that it's that feeling of leaving behind a goodness in someone's heart that led to legacy is legacy to me. Whether it's the people I've written about and they just love the way I wrote about them or interacted with them, or whether it's the people I speak to on the stage, they leave knowing that, you know, I've tried to make them more inspired and also better people along the way. And to that point, you know, I have shared a tons of different stories from celebrities to dignitaries to, you know, athletes, just like you. You, you, you know a lot of people too. But the one thing that I find I bring to the table that that differentiates that as a journalist is that I have all of these nuggets that these people have told me over the years. And I can be that voice, that vehicle that really shares their inspiring stories with others. You know, I can take all the different pieces, and people say, you know, what is the key to so many of the people's success that you've interviewed at Success Magazine? Well, I can see all the different similarities or the similarities or even the differences, and I can share those. So again, being able to bring a voice and a platform to bring my interviewees to the forefront is so important. And that's again where the legacy piece comes in because I think I'm I'm hoping that I'm a vehicle to also help other people, you know, embody their own legacy as well.

SPEAKER_02: 22:30

Well, I it's so powerful to hear you say it so clearly. And if I could just add, I just I'm just excited for you to see everything unfold with the new perspective of one day at a time, knowing that you've been given this second chance at life. And not only have you been given it, you're taking advantage of it. And I think there's a lot of people who, when they face challenge and adversity, they almost shut down. It's almost uh, it's almost they they feel like they would, they're just so blessed to live that they almost choose to not live. And I feel like what I've experienced in getting to know you is you've leaned into this gift of extra time after facing challenge and adversity. And uh now you're attacking it the right way by slowing down and having that harmony. I I still like to say that it's still balance. You know, people say balance doesn't exist, but I believe balance, it's it's all perspective. It's you saying I have a balance of the important things in my life mattering, where many people don't have the discipline that you're an example for to say, hey, yeah, maybe there was a period of time where I was focused on more business than other things, but not now. And I think maybe that's that's what is so powerful about you that I just get excited for is how you're choosing to be an example, which I think is so important because there's too many speakers, there's too many consultants, there's too many people who can share other people's messages that are teaching the opposite, which is work really hard and take time off, as opposed to what we believe, which is own it one day at a time and then go live your best life.