1: Finding The Courage to Rebuild Yourself From Within | Dr. Delatorro

In the powerful pilot episode of Pursue YOU, Pat Smith sits down with renowned speaker and author Dr. Delatorro McNeal, II, MS, CSP, CPAE, for a soul-deep conversation about identity, faith, fear, and purpose. This episode marks Pat’s first step into telling her own story and inviting you to do the same. Through raw reflection and spiritual insight, Dr. Delatorro introduces life-changing frameworks from his book Shift Into a Higher Gear, helping Pat unpack grief, loss, labels, and the courage required to pursue the version of herself that exists beyond public perception. Together, they explore why adversity is often intentional, how fear is learned, and faith can be learned too, and why healing is not linear (but necessary) if we want to live fully and freely. This conversation is an invitation for anyone who feels stuck, unseen, or unsure of what comes next to stop waiting and start moving. “I literally thought, who am I? This home, this life, none of it felt like ME anymore.” – Pat Smith If you have ever felt like life stripped everything away so you could finally meet yourself, then this episode is for you. KEY POINTS You cannot pursue purpose while hiding behind labels. Adversity is not always the enemy. Fear is a learned behavior. How healing is required before love, leadership, and clarity can return. Change the identity, change the outcome. Growth often happens underground before it becomes visible. Courage is not the absence of fear, as it is an action despite it. You are allowed to redefine yourself on your own terms. QUOTES “All of the things were stripped away so that you could focus on you.” – Dr. Delatorro McNeal “Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the presence of fear and executing anyway.” – Dr. Delatorro McNeal “If we can learn fear, we can learn faith.” – Dr. Delatorro McNeal “Make sure people understand your story before they celebrate your glory.” – Dr. Delatorro McNeal GUEST RESOURCES Dr. Delatorro McNeal Website | https://www.delatorro.com/ RESOURCES Pat Smith IG | https://www.instagram.com/patsmithty PURSUE YOU is produced by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/)