Season Four · Episode Two · Morgan Rich
The Permission to Be Yourself
Grief, Belonging and Learning to Trust Who You Are
When fitting in means leaving parts of yourself behind
Morgan Rich grew up sensitive and observant, finding safety in athletics and in a deep, playful relationship with his father. Watching the 1980 Miracle on Ice during a visit to Plainfield, Vermont, ignited an Olympic hockey dream and gave him a path to follow.
When that dream ended and his father died during Morgan’s first year of college, the rules that had guided him no longer felt certain. His story asks what becomes possible when we stop looking outside ourselves for permission and begin trusting who we already are.
Before · The change · What came next
Before
As a boy, Morgan often felt that he did not quite fit. Hockey offered structure, belonging and an ambitious dream, while his father gave him the rare experience of feeling deeply seen and understood.
The change
Morgan left home for boarding school to pursue hockey, working through doubt to earn his place. Then his father’s long-growing brain tumor returned. His death during Morgan’s first year of college ended the relationship that had anchored him and forced Morgan to face grief without a map.
What came next
Morgan left business school, studied philosophy and death, and chose to stay present with grief rather than numb it. The sensitivity, integrity and ability to remain in hard places that once made him feel different became strengths he now brings to men and young people navigating change, connection and self-trust.
“Every single person has something beautiful inside them. Most of us have just forgotten.”
Morgan Rich
Listen to Morgan Rich’s story
The Permission to Be Yourself | Morgan’s Journey premieres October 13, 2026. Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube links will be added here when the episode is released.
Read the Complete Episode Transcript