
Show Notes
Jordan Rassas is proof that even the darkest beginnings can create the strongest men.
From growing up in poverty and surviving years of abuse to becoming one of the UK’s most outspoken voices for men, family and faith, this is a conversation that strips everything back. Jordan opens up about the dark years he’s never shared publicly before: the violence, the trauma and the defining moment that forced him to rebuild his entire life from scratch.
He talks candidly about how being locked in his bedroom as a child led him to books that would shape his mindset forever, how a near fatal spider bite became the catalyst for his transformation, and how his faith and family became the foundation of the man he is today.
This episode dives into modern fatherhood, masculinity, homeschooling, technology addiction and the spiritual battle unfolding in the world right now. It’s raw, real and unfiltered, a reminder that even when life breaks you, you can still rebuild with strength, purpose and integrity.
Key moments include:
✔ Growing up in poverty and surviving an abusive childhood that shaped his drive, resilience and deep empathy for others. ✔ How isolation led to reading and imagination becoming a lifeline during his darkest years. ✔ The near fatal spider bite that changed the course of his life and became the catalyst for transformation. ✔ Rebuilding his body and mindset from rock bottom after losing everything. ✔ The lessons learned through faith, fatherhood and family values that underpin his purpose today. ✔ Why he refuses to give his children iPads and how that decision has transformed their development. ✔ The message he’s sharing with young men about strength, discipline and living life on a mission.
Make sure you subscribe to stay up to date with the latest episodes and support the On a Mission community by sharing this conversation.
⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Jordan Rassas: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelionglass/?hl=en 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-rassas-23164b236/ 🔗 X: https://x.com/TheLionGlass
More from On a Mission Podcast 2.0
What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances, but the story you’ve been telling yourself?
James O’Keefe spent years around gangsters, dealing drugs, fighting and womanising. In his own words, he was “Andrew Tate on steroids.” Today, he’s the founder of Unguarded Warrior, helping people break the patterns that nearly destroyed his life. James grew up with an alcoholic father, was thrown out of home at 15 and lost his dad soon after. He went on to become a professional MMA fighter and build a successful property business, but the anger and need to prove himself never went away. He talks about the extortion that left him frightened enough to buy a gun, and the £700,000 business deal that ended in a loss so devastating he no longer wanted to live. Being married to Beverley Knight, one of the UK’s most successful performers, forced James to confront what he believed it meant to be a man. For years, he measured his own worth against an idea of what he should provide. He explains how that pressure shaped his relationship with money, the mistakes he made, and what he had to unlearn to show up as an equal partner. Few people discussing the manosphere can say they’ve lived the life it sells. James can. We talk about why that version of masculinity appeals to young men, what happens when boys grow up without anyone to guide them, and why he’s now determined to give people a way through the anger he once lived with. This conversation is about as real and raw as it gets. James is a man on a mission because he knows what can happen when anger and shame are left to run your life. We confront what it takes to face the person you’ve been, take responsibility for your choices and believe you can still become someone different. ⸻ Key moments include: ✔ James describes the violent, womanising version of himself as “Andrew Tate on steroids.” ✔ He explains how his childhood and his father’s alcoholism shaped the anger he carried into adulthood. ✔ James shares what happened when he was targeted for extortion and why he eventually gave the gun back. ✔ He opens up about losing £700,000, the shame that followed and the support Beverley gave him. ✔ We examine the manosphere, the appeal of toxic masculinity and what young men need from real role models. ⸻ Chapters: 00:00 Introducing James O’Keefe04:06 The work James does today13:24 Growing up angry and losing his father15:13 James’s rules for handling conflict42:58 Marriage to Beverley Knight and the pressure to provide45:01 Drug dealing, fighting and the man James used to be51:19 The manosphere and the role models young boys need01:08:15 Extortion and the decision to buy a gun01:10:31 Losing £700,000 in a business deal01:13:05 Shame, suicidal thoughts and Beverley’s support01:20:06 How to help someone who’s struggling01:25:06 James’s plans to work with young people ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow James O'Keefe 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesokeefenrg/?hl=en
Andrew Hulbert went from starting a company in his bedroom in his pants to building and exiting a business for $100 million before the age of 40.
What happens when you stop trying to avoid adversity and start seeing it as part of the deal?
A two year old girl leaves nursery with a man who wasn’t authorised to collect her. By the time her mother is told, her daughter has already been returned. What happened in between remains unknown. In this episode of On a Mission, Jody Riley tells the full story of the day her daughter Rosie was taken from nursery by a man Jody did not know, the account she says she was initially given about what happened, and the serious questions that were raised when she finally obtained the CCTV footage for herself. What followed has been an extraordinary fight for answers. Jody describes conflicting accounts, safeguarding failures, an inadequate response from the organisations she turned to for help and what she believes has been a cover up, including attempts to shut her down as she continued to ask questions. For the first time, Jody takes us through the entire sequence of events without restrictions as we also discuss the extraordinary personal cost of trying to find those answers. Jody speaks candidly about the deterioration of her mental health, the impact on her businesses and family, and the abuse she has received online as she fights to uncover the truth about her own child. Jody wants answers, accountability and change, and she has no intention of being silenced. ⸻ Chapters: 00:00 Jody Riley joins Ellie McKay on On a Mission03:05 The phone call from the nursery05:21 Jody learns Rosie had left with an unauthorised person09:06 The first account Jody says she was given11:01 How could the wrong child leave the nursery?15:36 Jody contacts the police18:05 The incident is described as a mistake20:06 Jody questions the extent of the investigation21:49 Being told to “accept and respect” the situation24:29 Finally obtaining the CCTV footage25:19 The footage that raised serious questions about the version of events34:58 Why did it take so long to contact Jody?37:03 The nursery response and conflicting accounts40:00 What Jody believes should have happened immediately46:16 How the experience has changed her as a mother47:32 Other parents begin contacting Jody49:48 The impact on her mental health52:40 Taking the story to social media55:29 Good Morning Britain gets in touch57:02 What Jody says happened when the cameras started rolling59:54 The aftermath of the GMB interview1:03:31 Trolling, accusations and the cost of speaking publicly1:09:21 Pressure to stop speaking about the case1:10:38 Ofsted and Jody’s continuing concerns1:11:05 Solicitors become involved1:12:43 The questions Jody still cannot answer1:18:09 Why she never wanted to become a public figure1:20:15 The impact on Jody’s family and businesses1:23:42 Turning her experience into a wider mission1:24:35 Jody considers opening her own nursery1:25:04 The plans for National Child Safeguard1:28:46 Jody’s mission now ⸻ Connect & Follow Follow Ellie McKay: 🔗 Website: https://onamissionpodcast.com 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_mckay_official/?hl=en-gb 🔗 On a Mission Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onamissionpodcast2.0/?hl=en-gb Follow Jody Riley: 🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodyriley_/?hl=en-gb