The Empowered Life with Dustin Vaughn Warncke Podcast

Special Guests: The "Aggies Without Limits" (AWL) and Bridges to Prosperity Panel from New Mexico State University (NMSU)

Co-Host: Tammy Bean

Episode Summary In this heartwarming special edition, Dustin sits down with a diverse panel of students, alumni, and faculty from New Mexico State University’s Aggies Without Limits (AWL). This group travels internationally to developing nations like Nicaragua and Guatemala to build critical infrastructure—water systems, bridges, and health centers—for underserved communities.

Moving beyond the engineering and logistics, the conversation dives deep into the human element of service.

The panel shares powerful stories about the unbreakable bonds formed between volunteers, the humility learned from living with host families who have little material wealth but immense generosity, and how "suffering together" in the trenches of service work creates lifelong family dynamics.

Dustin and the group explore how service acts as a "drug" that, once tasted, changes your trajectory forever. Whether it’s fixing a baseball field in Mexico, laying pipe in a Guatemalan trench, or simply being present for someone in need, this episode is a testament to the fact that when you give of yourself, you often receive far more in return. Meet the Panel Kenny Stevens: NMSU Faculty Advisor who has been with the group since 2007, completing over 18 projects.

Molly Williams: Joined AWL in 2016; served as President for the Guatemala water project.

Diana Jaramillo: Current NMSU Senior and International Project Manager; joined in 2022.

Linnette Gutierrez: Outreach Coordinator starting her second year with the group.

Daniel Gomez: Recent graduate and former Vice President/Local Project Manager.

Naila Salinas: Former Project Manager and Treasurer, currently in her fourth year with the organization. Key Takeaways & Highlights

The Bond of Service: The group discusses how three weeks of intense service work creates relationships equivalent to living with someone for a year. Strangers become family through shared purpose and adversity.

"Don't Suffer in Silence": A core motto of the group introduced by Kenny Stevens. It emphasizes the importance of communication, vulnerability, and relying on your team when things get physically or emotionally tough.

Perspective Shift: Several guests share how returning to the U.S. after living in communities with metered water or limited electricity fundamentally changed their view on American luxuries. Leadership in Action: How students with no prior construction experience (like Linnette repairing a bridge with a jammed finger) learn resourcefulness and leadership on the fly.

The Universal Language of Help: Dustin draws parallels between AWL's work and his own experiences with fishing ministries for soldiers, noting that the heart of service is the same everywhere: it is about selfless giving without expecting a reward.

 

YOUTUBE SLIDE SHOW OF GUESTS:

https://youtu.be/N6TfgwKtCqE

Memorable Quotes

"Service is almost like a drug... once you get into it, it's hard to not want to keep doing it." — Kenny Stevens

"We don't fit in here... we want to travel to different parts and do something for somebody else." — Kenny Stevens (on the origins of the group)

"When you put it all in God's hands... things started just happening. Things that you couldn't do yourself." — Dustin Vaughn Warncke

"It’s amazing to see their joy... children playing with the water that was coming off their property... it made it all worth it." — Naila Salinas

"Memento Amori: Remember that you must love." — Stoic Phrase Quoted by Dustin Vaughn Warncke

Call to Action: Dustin closes the show with a reminder that you don't have to travel across the world to make a difference.

Look for opportunities in your own community—whether it's volunteering at a food bank, helping a neighbor, or joining a service organization.

Be the light in the darkness.

Connect with Dustin:

Website:

DustinsProjects.com

BusinessWithDustin.com

Social Media

@DustinsProjects

@BusinessWithDustin

Books: Available at DustinsBooks.com Join the Community: The Empowered Life Nation on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweredlifenation

What really matters in the meaning and purpose of this life experience and embodiment? 

What happens when a flood comes through your area and people who you know lose everything?

We talk about the summer floods here in Central Texas and the meaning of life when disasters like this, manmade or natural, happen in our world.

Learn more about Dustin Vaughn Warncke and connect with him the following ways.

Text: (512) 497-7674
Email Dustin: Dustin@BusinesswithDustin.com

All the LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/dustinwarncke 

Some of Those Links:

https://BusinesswithDustin.com (Full-Stack Consulting, Marketing, and Business Scaling)

https://DustinsProjects.com (Creator Hub)

https://DustinsBooks.com (Amazon Author Hub)

https://DustinsPodcast.com (Personal Growth Podcast The Empowered Life with Dustin Vaughn Warncke)

http://thebestoftheoutdoors.podbean.com/ (Outdoors Podcast by Dustin)

In this powerful episode of The Empowered Life with Dustin Vaughn Warncke, Dustin sits down with Steve Itzkowitz, the author of From Diseased to Destiny. Steve shares his remarkable journey of transformation—from battling illness and hardship to discovering renewed purpose, faith, and destiny.

Listeners will be inspired as Steve unpacks the lessons behind his book, offering hope, resilience, and a reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, breakthrough is possible and there is always hope if you keep moving forward. His story is a testament to the power of perseverance, spiritual growth, and the pursuit of a greater calling.

To learn more about Steve’s work and his book, visit www.FromDiseasedtoDestiny.com and you’ll find resources, inspiration, and tools to help you walk your own path from struggle to strength.

And don’t forget to explore more episodes of The Empowered Life at www.dustinspodcast.com, where Dustin continues to share uplifting conversations designed to empower, encourage, and equip you for life and business.

Dustin and Lori go way back to their middle and high school years and even both attended the same college, Texas Lutheran University in nearby Seguin, Texas. 

In this heartfelt and eye-opening conversation, Dustin Vaughn Warncke sits down with Lori, a compassionate professional in hospice and end-of-life care. Together, they shed light on one of life’s most tender and often misunderstood seasons—supporting individuals and families as they walk through the final chapters of life and how the body knows how to die which sheds insights on why certain end-of-life care is done with certain guidelines.

As a Registered Nurse as well as a very emotionally intelligent, compassionate person,  Lori shares her journey into hospice care and the powerful lessons she’s learned about compassion, presence, mindfulness, and the dignity every person deserves at the end of life. From stories of meaningful connections with patients to practical advice for families facing difficult decisions, this episode offers both inspiration and comfort.

Dustin and Lori also explore the deeper spiritual and emotional dimensions of hospice care, reminding us that end-of-life moments are not only about closure but about love, grace, and living fully until the very last breath.

Key Themes Include:

• Understanding what hospice truly is—and what it is not.
• How hospice teams support both patients and families through care, counseling, and compassion.
• The importance of dignity, respect, and presence in end-of-life situations.
• Stories that reveal the beauty of connection in some of life’s hardest times.
• Spiritual and emotional takeaways for anyone seeking peace, healing, and perspective.

This episode is an invitation to see end-of-life care through a lens of HOPE, not fear. Whether you’re facing these decisions now or simply want to be better prepared, Lori’s wisdom and Dustin’s heartfelt questions offer guidance and encouragement for the journey.

👉 Listen now and explore more empowering episodes at DustinsPodcast.com.

Outdoor TV, Radio, Podcast, Book, and Magazine outdoor celebrity Larry Weishuhn joins Dustin to talk about some deep  subjects about our roots, life lessons, and leaving a legacy to our children's children.

 

About Larry Weishuhn

Larry Weishuhun is a professional wildlife biologist, outdoor writer, book author, artist, after-dinner speaker, podcaster, outdoor television and radio show host and life-long hunter/wildlife conservationist.  As a professional wildlife biologist he has established quality wildlife management programs on well over 12,000,000 acres. As an outdoor writer/television show host he has published over 4,000 feature articles, columns and blogs, has authored and/or co-authored nine award-winning books and written chapters for many others; he has appeared in over 500 outdoor television episodes. Larry has hosted, co-hosted, owned and produced many award winning outdoor television series. He currently serves as a co-host for the weekly “A Sportsman’s Life” with Luke Clayton and Jeff Rice, which can be seen on CarbonTV.com and YouTube.
Larry currently does three weekly podcast: “DSC’s Campfires with Larry Weishuhn” which airs on Spotify, Applepodcasts, Carbontv.com, waypointtv.com and elsewhere; “Campfire Talk with Luke and Larry” on Sporting Classics Daily as well as many other platforms; “Catfish Radio with Luke Clayton and Friends” which can be listened to on CarbonTV.com.  Larry too has been doing a weekly outdoor radio show with Luke Clayton since 2007, “Luke Clayton Outdoors”.
Even though known universally as “Mr. Whitetail” Larry has hunted extensively on six continents.  In 2007 he was inducted into the “National Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame” and that same year received the very sparingly presented “Zeiss Lifetime Achievement Award”.  Long involved in wildlife conservation and hunting Larry serves as a Brand Ambassador for Hornady, and long served as the “DSC (Dallas Safari Club) Ambassador”.

Learn more about Dustin Vaughn Warncke and connect with him the following ways.

Text: (512) 497-7674
Email Dustin: Dustin@BusinesswithDustin.com

All the LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/dustinwarncke 

Some of Those Links:

https://BusinesswithDustin.com (Full-Stack Consulting, Marketing, and Business Scaling)

https://DustinsProjects.com (Creator Hub)

https://DustinsBooks.com (Amazon Author Hub)

https://DustinsPodcast.com (Personal Growth Podcast The Empowered Life)

Let's Face It, Most of us have "too much stuff". On this episode, Dustin talks about his journey of minimizing all of the clutter and storage unit expenses by letting go of things he owned, LOTS of extra "stuff", that was holding him back and giving away and selling things that didn't add value to his life any more.

 

Brought to you by EVER HOPE

https://Ever-Hope.com

 

Learn more about Dustin Vaughn Warncke and connect with him the following ways.

Text: (512) 497-7674
Email Dustin: Dustin@BusinesswithDustin.com

All the LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/dustinwarncke 

Some of Those Links:

https://BusinesswithDustin.com (Full-Stack Consulting, Marketing, and Business Scaling)

https://DustinsProjects.com (Creator Hub)

https://DustinsBooks.com (Amazon Author Hub)

https://DustinsPodcast.com (Personal Growth: The Empowered Life)

 

Dustin rides solo on this podcast and teaches some humorous ways to tackle challenges, and adversities that we all face in life using "Double Negative Statements" and adding other perspectives that engage our gratitude for the things that are going right in our lives. 

 

Brought to you by EVER HOPE:

https://Ever-Hope.com

 

Learn more about Dustin Vaughn Warncke and connect with him the following ways.

Text: (512) 497-7674
Email Dustin: Dustin@BusinesswithDustin.com

All the LINKS:

https://linktr.ee/dustinwarncke 

Some of Those Links:

https://BusinesswithDustin.com (Full-Stack Consulting, Marketing, and Business Scaling)

https://DustinsProjects.com (Creator Hub)

https://DustinsBooks.com (Amazon Author Hub)

https://DustinsPodcast.com (Personal Growth: The Empowered Life)

 

Dustin talks about how to experience God's "voice", how to understand how and when the Divine communicates with us in Spirit. Focusing on calmness helps us find peace. Let's have a GREAT DAY and AWESOME LIFE!

The goal of this podcast is to help you adjust your expectations and adapt your goals to your success in living an intentional optimized life with empowering resilience. 

Sponsored by EVER HOPE Inspirational Cuff Bracelets at https://Ever-Hope.com.

Learn more about Dustin Vaughn Warncke and connect with him the following ways.

Email Dustin: Dustin@BusinesswithDustin.com

https://BusinesswithDustin.com (Full-Stack Consulting, Marketing, and Business Scaling)

https://DustinsProjects.com (Creator Hub)

https://DustinsBooks.com (Amazon Author Hub)

https://DustinsPodcast.com (Podcast Hub for THIS SHOW!)