500 EPISODES. One Incredible Journey | Ep. 500 with Melanie Durkin

WOW. 500 EPISODES. I honestly can’t believe I’m even writing those words. When Melanie first pushed me to start a podcast back in 2019, I had no idea what this journey would become. And now, here we are… Episode 500 of the IMPACT SHOW Podcast…having never missed a single episode! And there was absolutely NO ONE better to have sitting across from me for this milestone episode than my wife, my better half, my partner in life, and the woman who has been by my side through all of it—Melanie Durkin.

Episode 500 is different. It’s very personal. It’s real. And Melanie & I go DEEP. We talk about the last seven years of the podcast, the journey from Fitness Quest 10 to IMPACT-X Performance, our 25 years of marriage, raising three kids, becoming empty nesters, faith, dreams, aging, our hopes for the future, and the seasons of life that have shaped us. We talk about the “God winks” that show up when you need them most, the importance of maintaining a growth mindset when you’re in the middle of the fight, and why you have to slow down enough to appreciate the season you’re in because, man… the days can be long, but the years FLY BY.

Most of all, this episode is my THANK YOU to YOU. Whether you’ve listened to all 500 episodes (I want to know if that’s YOU!), you’re brand new to the IMPACT SHOW, or you’re somewhere in between, you are part of this journey. And I am incredibly grateful for you.

IN EPISODE 500, HERE IS SOME OF WHAT YOU’LL HEAR:

• The story behind the IMPACT SHOW and how Melanie was the one who kept pushing me to start a podcast back in 2019.
• What 500 episodes really means and how we've stayed committed to delivering an episode every single Monday.
• A HUGE thank you to the Mind Right Maniacs who-tune in from more than 38 countries around the world.
• Melanie’s favorite IMPACT SHOW episodes and the powerful stories that have stuck with her over the years.
• The impact of Joseph Pangelinan’s story and why his courage, faith, and fight continue to inspire us.
• What the first six months of IMPACT-X Performance have been like and what this new season has meant for Melanie personally.
• The reality of building a business and why starting something new can feel like drinking from a fire hose!
• The “God winks” we’ve experienced at IXP—those little moments, people, conversations, and reminders that tell you to KEEP GOING.
• Why maintaining a growth mindset is so important, especially when you’re in the middle of chaos, uncertainty, and the fight.
• The difference between scarcity and growth thinking and why we should stop asking, “How do I get five more people?” and start asking, “How can I impact 100 more lives?”
• Melanie’s dreams for the future, including a BIG family trip to Greece to connect with her Greek heritage.
• Our Montana dream and why sometimes your timeline changes, but the dream doesn’t have to disappear.
• Why dreaming keeps me alive and gives me something to work toward while I’m grinding in the present.
• What we feel we got right raising our three kids and the values we’ve tried to instill in them.
• Faith, hard work, exercise, and resilience and how those values have shaped Luke, Brady, and McKenna.
• What Melanie might have done differently as a mom, including learning to pick your battles and not sweat the small stuff.
• The empty-nest season and what it’s been like watching all three of our kids grow up and move across the country.
• Melanie’s journey of balancing motherhood and her career at Southwestern College for nearly three decades.
• What we’re looking forward to in this next chapter—more travel, more freedom, more downtime, and more time together.
• How Melanie’s faith has evolved over the years and the role Scripture, church, family, and our kids have played in that journey.
• Our thoughts on getting older and why aging is a blessing when you focus on staying healthy, active, and FULL OF LIFE.
• What Melanie knows about me now that she didn’t know when we first started dating 28 years ago.
• The yin and yang of our relationship and how our differences have actually made us stronger together.
• The “replay tape” of life—the seasons and memories we believe we’ll look back on the most when we’re older.
• And, of course, a whole lot of gratitude for YOU and everyone who has been part of this incredible 500-episode journey.

500 EPISODES…WOW! When I think about everything that’s happened since Episode 1, it’s pretty incredible. There have been episodes recorded on airplanes, in crazy weeks, during business moves, during packed schedules, starting businesses, and even when there seemingly wasn’t enough time to get it done. But we kept showing up. Every Monday. 500 times. And that’s the lesson for me: COMMITMENT COMPOUNDS. You keep showing up. You keep doing the work. You keep serving. You keep putting one foot in front of the other. And then one day you look up and realize you’ve created something you never could have imagined.

I am SO grateful for Melanie, for my family, for my team, and most of all, for YOU—the listeners who continue to show up, share the show, send messages, and allow me to be part of your journey. Episode 500 is a celebration, but it’s not the finish line. There’s more impact to make. More lives to change. More stories to share. More people to encourage. More light to shine. So thank you for being part of this journey. 500 episodes.

One incredible journey. And we’re just getting started. THANK YOU for being part of it!

HELP US CREATE EVEN MORE IMPACT! If this 500th episode speaks to you, please share it with someone who has been part of your journey, someone who needs some encouragement right now, or someone who could use a little more inspiration and light in their life.

And if you haven’t already, make sure you’re subscribed to the Todd Durkin IMPACT SHOW so you never miss an episode! If Episode 500 fired you up and you’re grateful to be part of this IMPACT community, please do me a favor and do 1—or ALL 4—of the following:

1. Give us a 5-star rating and WRITE a Review. This really helps the Todd Durkin IMPACT SHOW climb the podcast ranks.

2. SHARE IT.
Please forward this episode to a friend, colleague, family member, teammate, or someone you know who would benefit from the conversation Melanie and I had in this special 500th episode.

3. SPREAD THE WORD.

If you have a newsletter, email list, or community that you lead, please consider sharing this episode with them. If this conversation can encourage even ONE more person, it’s worth it!

4. SHARE IT ON SOCIAL.
Screenshot Episode 500, share it to your IG Stories or Facebook, and tag me so I can see it and THANK YOU personally!
IG: @ToddDurkin
FB: @ToddDurkinFQ10

Thank you for helping us reach 500. Time to celebrate, breathe, and get ready to keep creating some MORE IMPACT!!