July 16, 2026

Embracing Childlike Wonder: Steve Gamlin on Authenticity, Resilience, and Human Connection

Embracing Childlike Wonder: Steve Gamlin on Authenticity, Resilience, and Human Connection
Truth & Transcendence
Embracing Childlike Wonder: Steve Gamlin on Authenticity, Resilience, and Human Connection

✦ Step deeper into your Calling & bring it more to Life

Book a Clarity Call with Catherine:

https://beingspace.world/clarity

About my guest Steve Gamlin

Motivational Speaker & Master Coach

In this episode, Catherine welcomes Steve Gamlin, the "Motivational Firewood Guy" and master coach. Steve shares his unique perspective on maintaining childlike wonder throughout life, the importance of authenticity in a world of "canned content," and how his personal journey through radio, stand-up comedy, and loss has shaped his approach to helping others. They discuss the power of human connection, the value of seeking help, and how simple acts of kindness can make a profound difference.

#ChildlikeWonder #Authenticity #SteveGamlin

Where our conversation went:

00:00 – Introduction

Catherine welcomes Steve Gamlin and introduces his background as the "Motivational Firewood Guy" and master coach.

01:19 – Authenticity in Content Creation

Steve discusses creating his own content and avoiding "canned content."

02:19 – Earliest Memory of Childlike Wonder

Steve shares a humorous story about falling into dog crap in corduroy pants as a child.

04:31 – Maintaining Childlike Wonder

Steve talks about how he has retained his childlike wonder into adulthood and how he looks for interesting things.

05:07 – Finding Hearts and Smiles

Steve shares his mentor's practice of finding hearts and his own experience with a smiling broken balloon.

06:48 – Uniqueness of His Path

Discussion on how his "silliness" has led to a successful career in radio, comedy, writing, and speaking.

07:38 – Why Others Lose Childlike Wonder

Steve explains how societal pressures often suppress childlike wonder in others.

09:09 – The "Die Laughing" Philosophy

Steve's humorous take on life and death, and celebrating life.

10:11 – Loss and Celebration of Life

Steve shares the profound loss of his wife, Tina, and how he celebrates her memory by continuing to be his authentic self.

11:54 – The Importance of Authenticity in Relationships

Discussion on being real in relationships versus presenting a false image.

13:00 – The Power of Visualization

Steve talks about seeing desired outcomes and creating an experiential essence of life goals.

14:30 – The Role of Mentors and Coaches

Steve emphasizes the importance of having coaches and mentors, and the pitfalls of trying to do everything alone.

16:00 – "Good Enough is Better Than Perfect"

Inspired by his mentor Lonnie Robinson, Steve discusses the value of putting work out there rather than striving for unattainable perfection.

17:30 – Knowing When to Ask for Help

Identifying the signs that it's time to seek external assistance to overcome stagnation.

19:00 – The Power of Human Connection

Steve highlights the importance of simple acts of kindness and connection to combat isolation and improve well-being.

20:30 – Making Someone's Day Better

Steve's approach to interacting with service people, aiming to leave them laughing and feeling positive.

22:00 – Final Thoughts and Advice

Steve's concluding remarks on maintaining a positive outlook and the impact of small interactions.

24:24 – The Power of Visualization (Continued)

Steve elaborates on creating an experiential essence of life goals using all senses.

25:22 – Learning from Heroes (and Jerks)

Discussion on how we can learn from both positive and negative examples in our lives.

26:06 – Transition to Coaching

Steve explains how his personal journey led him to help others transform their lives through coaching and programs.

27:57 – The Importance of Coaches and Mentors

Steve stresses that coaches have coaches, and trying to do it all alone is a recipe for disappointment.

28:42 – Investing in Professional Help

Steve shares examples of investing in photographers and web developers to achieve better results.

29:31 – "Good Enough is Better Than Perfect" Revisited

Lonnie Robinson's advice on putting work out there rather than waiting for perfection.

30:40 – When to Seek Help

Identifying when stagnation indicates it's time to reach out for assistance.

32:37 – Acts of Kindness and Human Connection

Steve's method of dealing with personal struggles by committing simple acts of kindness and connecting with others.

34:06 – Setting the Bar High for Service Interactions

Steve's humorous approach to making service people's day better.

35:50 – Childlike Wonder in Problem Solving

Applying childlike wonder to challenging situations, like being on hold with customer service.

37:15 – Final Thoughts for Leaders and Servers

Steve's message to those striving to be part of the solution: be a human plus sign.

38:41 – The Ripple Effect of Kindness

How small acts of kindness can change the world.

39:46 – Steve's Favourite Part of the Conversation

Steve reflects on the effortless, heart-to-heart nature of the conversation.

41:01 – Connecting Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart

Emphasizing the importance of genuine connection and shared humanity.

41:51 – Catherine's Appreciation and Call to Action

Catherine thanks Steve and encourages listeners to connect with him or book a Clarity Call.

Where to find Steve Gamlin

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✦ Step deeper into your Calling & bring it more to Life

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#Resilience #HumanConnection #Motivation

Catherine Llewellyn Profile Photo

Being Space Founder & Facilitator

Founder & Facilitator at Being Space | Humanistic Psychologist | Writer | Podcaster | Conscious Dance Facilitator | Pellowah Teacher | Transformational Coach | Cat Person

Steve Gamlin Profile Photo

Keynote Speaker, Visualization Strategist

As The Motivational Firewood® Guy, Steve Gamlin blends back-to-basics Positivity, Visualization & Humour, teaching his clients to SEE their desired outcomes, understand their WHY, and build ACTION PLANS to achieve them.

He delivers this as a Keynote Speaker, through his ‘Ultimate Life Vision’ learning program, 1-to-1 and Group Coaching, plus Live and Virtual events.

Bottom line: Steve teaches the necessary MINDSET to identify what your goals LOOK like, FEEL like, SOUND like, SMELL like and even TASTE like.