Mark Boersma ~ Dummies

1-1: Podcasts for Mark Boersma For Dummies

So ... Watch the short video. Take notes on what Jim shares about Mark, then consider what that will mean to you ... IF ... You and Mark decide to engage in life together.

So ... Did you write out your notes and thoughts? We're guessing that maybe you didn't. Do that for your own personal benefit. You'll be glad you did.

Transcript of the Video

Greetings. Jim Bontrager, here. Author of the best-selling book Mark Boersma for Dummies. a tremendous resource. You'll see the subtitle there.

(1) The first thing you may truly know is you really don't know what you thought you knew. And ... you know, that's just, ... sums up my experience.

(2) You know, when I first met Mark, I, like many of you, are trying to figure this guy out. And, so I just thought I'd put together a guide here to help you better understand. And I'd like to share with you some of my collective wisdom that I've found in my relationship with him and (3) help save you a bunch of time here.

So, you'll notice we have a number of exciting things that I learned. (4) First of all, I like you I like you are wondering. I never met anybody like this guy. 
But I did learn a couple handful of things I want to share with you, (5) maybe save you some time here, maybe answer some questions for you.

(6) The first thing you got to understand about Mark is he believes that you were given a gift called life, that you have tremendous potential to make the world a better place. (7) It doesn't matter how that looks like. It can be in business. It could be you as an individual running a nonprofit, maybe as a pastor or a dad or a mom, husband, wife.

(8) But the other thing that Mark firmly believes is is that we all have blind spots. (9) We have things that are keeping us back from being everything we're designed to be. (10) We have a tendency to judge others by their actions, but us by our intentions. And many times, we do no more than that, intentions. (11) There's not permanent life change.

(12) So, one of the things about Mark as a driving force is that he is your best friend. If you have a sincere desire to grow, (13) that if you have the humility and and (14) want to be accountable to have people in your lives that collectively we could make our time on earth count, then I'm telling you right now, this guy's going to be one of your best friends.

(15) But you need to be warned also and that's the fact that if you don't want that. If you just want to go through the motions and just try to keep walking down the road there blind to the things that are tripping you up and keeping you from being everything you need to be, (16) then uh this guy's going to expose it pretty quick, you know. (17) So you might want to move on.

(18) You know, if that's you and you don't have a sincere desire to grow, then uh this is going to be the worst thing you ever made up your mind.  (19) So I just want to try to give you a couple things that I learned in my short relationship with Mark. I hope they be encouragement to you and (20) I believe with all my heart that those of you that really have a sincere desire to grow in business to grow in in your ability to serve your fellow man and and a heart's desire to be a better human being so that you can make the world a better place (21) then welcome aboard this going to be a a great ride.

So God bless you.

(1) ~ Hmmm ... I'm not as smart as I thought I was.

It's interesting how Mark shares and seems to really believe that he is average or below average in probably most of everything ... and wasn't told by anyone that he was smart until he turned 40 years old. Nope ... Not even his own mom told him he was smart.

Interesting?

Mark is very clear with everyone he knows that he's not a very smart guy. What's fascinating to those who are interested in growth is that due to his social autism, Mark will tend to quickly reveal to others that they aren't that smart either.

Mark and others share the wisdom his grandfather imparted to him at age eight and how it changed his life forever.
Audio Podcast
Video Podcast

(2) ~ Best not to figure Mark out ... but ... Just BE

People who try to figure Mark out ... will not ... And strangely enough, they often will not trust him. Why is that? They sense they can manipulate / control him, just as they think they can everyone else in their worlds.

Interesting?

Many of these same people seem to have a life vision, maybe their sole purpose in this world is to "Fix Mark!" Mark shares that he may be the highest-functioning, mentally ill person who has ever lived on this planet. The scariest thing about this is that he's actually very serious.
Mark is very open about his social autism ... and how much of a disability that is. Mark's therapist, Beth Smith ... laughs and shares ... 
Audio Podcast
"Honestly, sometimes I think Mark is the most sane person I have ever met. He's just very direct and honest with people and it's crazy how much he sees that others just miss." 
Video Podcast

Special Friendship Section ~ Expressive/Amiable Friendship

Mark has four levels of friendships. Most of Mark's friends seem to think it's really hard having him as a friend, which Mark totally understands. What's most interesting to Mark is that most of his friends don't see how hard it is to be friends with them?  

Interesting?

Does that mean his friends are narcissistic, self-centered, self-righteous, victims, and entitled? Now most of the time, you don't say this to your friends. Why? There is this agreement between friends: "If you don't call me out ... I won't call you out." Which, to Mark is what leads to people having their HUA, which leads to people being a POS, which leads to all the POS' getting together and becoming a FOS."
Mark seems to have the most challenges with the amiable/analytic style, which is interestingly the personality of his wife, to whom he has been married for over 40 years. Mark's dad had the same personality as his wife. Mark also has challenges with expressiveness and amiability.  
Audio Podcast
This podcast features a young man who has been a friend and business partner for 4 years. What's interesting is how direct Mark is with Kenny. When you actually see someone who cares more about the person than the relationship ... It's pretty wild to see. It almost seems abusvie ... and you know what ... Mark wouldn't disagree. But who is abusing whom—that would be a most interesting conversation.
One could strongly argue that the amiable person is actually the one who takes advantage of and emotionally abuses others and seems to get away with it?  
Video Podcast

For additional podcasts on Friendships ~ click here ~

(3) ~ Help Save you a bunch of time?

Is honesty supposed to feel comfortable?
What if the truth hurts… because it’s supposed to?
And how much time are you losing because no one will say what needs to be said?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we get into a raw conversation about time, clarity, and why direct truth is actually a gift.

We talk about communication in business and at home. Why does business feel like warfare to some leaders?
Why saving time is about more than efficiency. It’s about focus and survival.
And why doesn't everyone understand the weight of leadership?
Audio Podcast
This isn’t polished.
It’s not soft.
It’s real.
If you value clarity over comfort and truth over ego, this conversation will challenge you.
Video Podcast

(4) ~ I never met anybody like this guy

Ever met someone who feels like a mirror?
Someone who pulls things out of you that you didn’t even know were there?
And are you ready for friendships that actually stretch you?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack intensity, loyalty, and what it really means to go “all in.”
We talk about praise and motives.
About grief, loss, and meeting people in defining moments.
About high level friendships that sharpen you instead of just supporting you.
And why isn't everyone ready for a level four relationship?
This is a story about connection.
About the challenge.
Audio Podcast
About the kind of conversations that bend steel and expose blind spots.
If you’ve ever wondered why certain relationships accelerate your growth while others stay surface level, this one will make you think.
Video Podcast

(5) ~ Maybe save you some time, Maybe answer some questions for you?

Have you ever had someone tell you something about yourself that you didn’t see… but couldn’t ignore? Are you asking for honest feedback, or just affirmation? And if someone gives you the truth, are you ready for it?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to “save time.”
Not productivity hacks.
Not surface-level encouragement.
Real-time. Emotional time. Relational time.
Mark breaks down lessons from a year of intense friendship with Jim. Conversations that exposed blind spots. Patterns. Defensiveness. Ego. Growth. The kind of insight that can take decades to learn on your own.
We talk about being an “acquired taste.”
About why some people want honesty… until they get it.
Audio Podcast
About ownership instead of apologies.
And what happens when truth hits pride?
This isn’t about being harsh.
It’s about being clear.
If you’ve ever wondered why certain people challenge you more than comfort you, this episode will make sense of it.
Video Podcast

(6) ~ You Don't Have to Care — But Can You Own It?

Have you ever blamed yourself for someone else's choices — but been told that's wrong?
What's the difference between fault and responsibility? And when everything falls apart, do you fall apart with it — or do you own it?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to take ownership.
Not guilt.
Not self-destruction.
Real ownership. Hard ownership. The kind that costs you something.
Mark shares the story of losing his oldest son Jonathan — hours after it happened, already naming his anger out loud, already taking his 51%.
Conversations that expose what it means to be a dad, a man, a creator.
Patterns. Blame. Defensiveness. And then — growth.
The kind of clarity that can take decades to reach on your own.
About responsibility instead of victimhood.
And what happens when grief meets integrity?
This isn't about being perfect.
Audio Podcast
It's about being honest with yourself first.
If you've ever wondered why some people crumble under pain while others somehow build from it, this episode will make sense of it.
We talk about being "too intense."
About why some people can't explain why they don't like you — until five years later.
About what it means to create from nothing, and why that matters more than you think.
Video Podcast

(7) ~ Chasing a Feeling Isn't the Same as a Calling

Have you ever tried to fit in by making yourself smaller? Are you chasing a feeling — or actually living your purpose? And when God shows you something about yourself you didn't want to see, are you ready to hear it?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to magnify people.
Not fitting in.
Not chasing praise.
Real vision. Uncomfortable vision. The kind that gets you kicked out of rooms.
Mark breaks down lessons from a lifetime of being "too much" for every group he's ever been in.
Conversations that exposed crabs in a bucket.
Patterns. Conformity. Ego. Growth.
The kind of insight that can take decades to learn on your own.
About accelerating people instead of managing them.
And what happens when your gift magnifies both the good and the bad?
This isn't about being arrogant.
Audio Podcast
It's about being honest about what you carry.
If you've ever wondered why certain people either deeply love or deeply hate you, this episode will make sense of it.
We talk about being an "accelerator."
About why some people chase a calling… until they actually have to live it.
Video Podcast
This is a most interesting podcast as well. Mark saw this years ago ... It AWAKENED him. Isn't it interesting what they say about groups and stupid people? But ... Mark still hasn't discovered how to help heal people from being stupid? Would you like to help Mark discover this?  
Have you noticed that Mark seems to have a tendency to mock people he considers stupid? Stupid people want to FEEL smart, kind, nice, giving ... etc. It's easy ... to learn how to seduce / groom people into thinking we're smart, nice, kind ... etc. and then to actually "believe our own press releases." If Mark ever starts to feel smart ... He has a system to prevent that.
If you don't think you need a system to help you stay humble ... hmmm maybe you're wrong? :-) How you responded to this ... well ... reveals a lot. If you laughed and decided to watch this / use it, well good work! If you got upset ... projected your own heart onto Mark's ... well ... You might benefit more from this than you think. 
The Goofball song, written by Mark, Nora Fry and GingerAnne (Mark's oldest daughter), is about men who SAY they want to be a husband and a father but do not DO what's necessary to really be a great husband and father.
The truth is this song could easily be adapted for a woman/mother, a pastor, a police officer, a chaplain, or anyone else. We SAY we WANT something ... But that's a lie. What we really want is a FEELING without any of the WORK, SACRIFICE and RISKS.
It seems like most people want to live in a fairy tail world of make believe. We are enslaved, unaware of the truth and enjoy being deceived. We are quick to SEE this in others, but slow to see it in ourselves.  

(8) ~ The Friends Who Won't Tell You & The Enemies Who Will

Have you ever noticed that the people closest to you never tell you the hard truth — but a stranger, or someone who's angry, will? Are your friendships protecting you… or protecting themselves? And what if the most loving thing someone could do is the thing that scares you most to hear?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to have a blind spot.
Not a weakness you know about.
Not a flaw you're working on.
A blind spot. The thing everyone else sees. Except you.
Mark breaks down why your closest friends are often the least equipped to help you grow.
Not because they don't care.
But because they care about the wrong thing.
The friendship over the person.
The comfort over the truth.
The silence over the risk.
We talk about what it takes to actually heal —
And why hurt people who haven't healed are the ones doing the damage.
About anger that reveals what politeness conceals.
About the difference between caring at zero… and caring below zero.
Audio Podcast
About what it costs you when nobody in your life will tell you the truth.
And what it says about them.
This isn't about surrounding yourself with harsh people.
It's about knowing the difference between someone who protects the relationship — and someone who protects you.
If you've ever had a friend go quiet when you needed honesty most, this episode will tell you exactly why.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

(9) ~  The Blind Spot You Can't See & The Truth Nobody Will Tell You

Have you ever been so sure you were living up to your potential — that you never stopped to ask if you actually were? Are the people around you staying silent to protect you… or have you trained them to? And if someone finally said the hard thing out loud, would you hear it — or would you shut it down?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to have a blind spot you can't see.
Not a flaw you're working on.
Not a weakness you've acknowledged.
The kind that's hiding in plain sight — and everyone around you already knows it.Mark breaks down why the people closest to us go quiet when we need honesty most.
Not because they don't see it.But because we've trained them not to say it.Through defensiveness. Through silence. Through the subtle signals we send that say — don't go there.The kind of insight that takes decades to learn — if you ever learn it at all.We talk about a little boy and five loaves of bread —And what actually happens when one person decides to stop hoarding and start sharing.About the ripple that changes everything.
About good guilt and bad guilt — and how the wrong one steals the energy from the right one.About what it costs you when a word meant to help lands as a wound.
Audio Podcast
About the difference between someone who shuts down a room —
And someone brave enough to say what they saw anyway.
This isn't about being criticized.
It's about staying open enough to be changed.
If you've ever silenced someone who was actually trying to help you grow, this episode will be hard to ignore.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

(10) ~  The Intentions That Never Became Actions

Have you ever caught someone living completely differently from what they preach — and said nothing? Are you judging everyone else by what they do, while quietly excusing yourself by what you meant to do? And what happens to a person, a friendship, or a faith when intentions become the permanent substitute for action?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to say one thing and live another.Not in theory.Not in someone else's life.
In yours.Mark breaks down the gap between intention and integrity —
Why people disappear from your life without warning.Why vision isn't optional.
Why the moment you stop growing, people can predict you.
And a predictable person is a finished person.We talk about a pastor who preaches humility from a stage —And loses it on a pickleball court.
About big churches that water things down to keep the crowd comfortable.
About iron that's supposed to sharpen iron —But mostly just folds like wet paper.
Audio Podcast
About the difference between people who grow and people who perform growth.About a 41-year marriage and one man who struggles to find a single promise he broke.About what it costs a community, a church, a company — When the people at the front stop doing the work they told everyone else to do.This isn't about calling people out.
It's about calling yourself in.If you've ever hidden behind an intention when an action was what was actually needed, this episode will be hard to sit with.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

(11) ~ Permanent Change or Comfortable Illusion?

t’s interesting how Mark wrestles openly with growth, faith, identity, and the uncomfortable truth that most people want the rewards of transformation — without paying the price for it. He questions systems, challenges groupthink, and exposes the subtle ways we protect our ego instead of pursuing real change.

Nope… most people don’t want permanent change. They want comfort.

Interesting?

Mark dives deep into the idea that there is no permanent life change without intentional growth. He challenges the subconscious patterns we operate from — the habits, beliefs, and identities we rarely question but fiercely defend.
He confronts a hard reality:
People want the benefits of marriage… but not the responsibility.
They want success… but not the sacrifice.They want confidence… but not the discomfort required to build it.
They want faith… but not the wrestling.
Through personal stories — including raw reflections on loss, doubt, and spiritual tension — Mark explores what it means to truly “work out” your beliefs instead of inheriting them blindly. He questions religious systems, cultural identities, and the human tendency to over-identify with groups rather than grow as individuals.
Audio Podcast
Video Podcast

(12) ~ Your Best Friend, Your Worst Enemy & The Growth That Actually Hurts

Have you ever told someone "you just don't understand me" — and used it to avoid changing? Are you expecting a sticker for small steps when what's actually required is a completely different version of you? And what happens when the most caring person in the room is the one everyone thinks doesn't care?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to have a sincere desire to grow.
Not casual interest.
Not incremental improvement.
Not the kind of growth that earns a gold star and a pat on the back.
The kind that makes you a completely different person in the last ten minutes.
Mark breaks down why he becomes your greatest ally — or your most uncomfortable mirror — depending entirely on one thing.
Whether you're actually growing.Or just performing it.
We talk about a pickleball coach who said men's biggest challenge is ego —And women's biggest challenge is that they put everything above themselves.About a 43-year-old leader who stood before 22 employees and said he'd never been more confident that he was wrong.
About a speaking coach who called someone the worst speaker she'd ever met —And got a laugh instead of a breakdown.
Audio Podcast
About what it means to do the 21st and 22nd rep —When everything in you says you've already done enough.About the difference between people who think they're growing —And people who are actually being changed.This isn't about trying harder.It's about being honest enough to admit you haven't started yet.If you've ever used "you just don't understand me" to stay exactly where you are, this episode was made for you.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

(13) ~ Fake Humble, Broken Idols & The Thing Nobody Wants

Have you ever watched someone claim humility — and felt something was off but couldn't name it? Are the things you're most confident about the very places you're most blind? And what if the fastest way to find out what someone truly worships is simply to touch it?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what humility actually looks like —
And what it looks like when it doesn't exist but someone thinks it does.
Not theory.Not a sermon.
A live autopsy of every personality type and exactly where their idol lives.
Mark breaks down why the Amiable isn't kind — they're conflict-avoidant.
Why the Analytic isn't humble — they're just precise about things nobody else cares about.
Why the Expressive doesn't need to fake humility — they already know they're a narcissist.And why the moment you touch someone's idol, the nine Ds activate like a reflex — defend, deny, destroy, deceive, disguise.Every single time.Without fail.We talk about a 15-year-old boy who walked into a psych ward —And took a doctor with three PhDs to school in under five minutes.
About a man who asked his wife in front of company if she thought he was humble —And what that question actually reveals.About three men who stayed friends for 60 and 70 years —By accepting each other exactly as they are. And what level of friendship that actually is.
Audio Podcast
About what it means when you get defensive with a child —
And whether that's an idol being touched or just someone being smarter than you.
About the difference between not caring —
And convincing yourself you don't care.
This isn't about becoming humble by talking about it.
It's about finding out where you're not —
By noticing what you can't let anyone touch.
If you've ever asked someone to confirm your humility, this episode already has your answer.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

14 ~ The Pastor Who Said No, The Man Who Shook On It & The Accountability Nobody Wants

Have you ever asked for accountability — and watched every adult in the room suddenly go quiet, make excuses, or simply never follow through?
Is it possible that the people most convinced they value growth are the very ones most threatened when someone actually starts growing?
And what happens when a five-year-old boy shows more courage than a room full of grown men — simply by asking the same question three times a week?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what real accountability looks like when nobody around you actually wants it.
Not the kind you talk about in church.
Not the kind that gets nodded at and never followed up.
The kind that makes a man's job come back.
His marriage come back.
His life come back.
In a few weeks — after ten years of nothing working.
We talk about a Sunday school class that ran for ten years and produced almost nothing —And a curriculum that ran for a few weeks and changed everything.About a pastor who gave permission once and took it back for no reason.About a woman brand new to faith who did something most lifelong Christians never do —She actually applied it.About a man named Dan whose life was falling apart —Who chose the spiritual conversation over career and marriage —And sealed it not with a prayer but with a handshake.
Audio Podcast
About a five-year-old boy who asked the same question Wednesday, Sunday morning, and Sunday night —And was more of a man than everyone else in the building.This isn't about church.
It's about whether you actually want your time on this earth to count —
Or whether you just want to say that you do.Because if you don't have a sincere desire to grow, this is going to be the worst thing you ever made up your mind to do.And if you do —This guy is about to become your best friend.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

15 ~ The Confidence You're Missing, The Team You Never Built & The Apology That Wasn't Enough

Have you ever apologized for something — and then done the exact same thing again in a slightly different way, convinced that the apology already covered it?
Is it possible that the person who exposes your biggest blind spot in 62 years isn't a therapist, a mentor, or a lifelong friend — but someone who simply showed up when everyone else didn't?
And what if the thing you've been building your whole life looks like a team — but isn't one?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what real exposure looks like when it comes from the people closest to you.
Not from enemies.
Not from critics.
From the ones who show up exhausted on a Saturday morning and still say — we're a team.
Mark breaks down why the most powerful thing you can do when someone calls out your blind spot isn't to defend it.
It's to love it.
Because being exposed means you just found something you couldn't grow past before.We talk about a man who told a TV executive he lacked confidence —And got dead silence on the other end of the phone.
About a daughter who moved to Michigan and said what she loved most about her husband's family was simply — they're there for you, Dad.
About a 16-year-old girl who asked to talk before bed —And a father who said tomorrow —And spent the next three weeks carrying it.
About what a real apology actually means —Not the words.Not the tears.
The part where it never happens again.
Audio Podcast
This isn't about being perfect.

It's about being the kind of person who sees their mistake before anyone has to point it out —Wakes up already knowing —
And goes back and does better.Not because someone made them.
Because that's just who they are.If you've ever thought one apology was enough for a wound that went deep, this episode will stay with you longer than you expect.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

16 ~ The Locked Room, The Entitled Pastor & The Song That Could Be Written About You

What if the version of you that keeps reacting, shutting down, and getting defensive isn't today's version at all — but a child still trapped in a room you locked years ago and never went back to finish?
Is it possible that the people most convinced they have nothing to hide are the very ones most terrified of being seen — and that the biggest threat to an imposter was never confrontation, but simply a podcast, a book, or a song with just enough detail?
And what if the difference between feeling safe and being strong is the exact distance between staying stuck and taking your entire house back?

Interesting?

On this episode of the Voices of Integrity Podcast, we unpack what it really means to walk back into the locked room —
Not to feel safe.But to become strong.
Because safety is what children look for.
Strength is what adults are built for.
And the moment you stop pretending the room doesn't exist is the moment your reactions finally start growing up with you.Mark breaks down why you can't unsee what you've seen, unhear what you've heard, or unexperience what has already happened to you —And why that's not a threat.It's an invitation.
We talk about a grown man crying on the phone —Not out of genuine remorse, but to escape what's coming.About a pastor on a pickleball court who revealed his entire heart in one entitled comment —About courts he didn't get access to.About a woman whose business was judged and damaged by an Amish man with arrogance dressed up as biblical authority.About Taylor Swift —And what it means when someone makes billions from the heartache that someone else caused —And those people spend the rest of their lives wondering if that song is about them.
Audio Podcast
This isn't about naming names.It's about giving just enough detail —
That the people who need to wonder —Will.
If you've been putting your childhood wounds on everyone around you and calling it their fault, this episode is the room you've been avoiding.
Time to turn the lights back on.

Listen to the full podcast now.
Video Podcast

1-99: What's Going On In The Backstage?    

This group is ... well ... let's just say they are a crazy group!

We work to flag the best podcasts and provide those to everyone who has a passion to make a huge difference in the world ... while ... growing their business. Watch these ... and then DO CARE and share these with others who might benefit from them.