
Hosted by Michael Ruhland · EN
Have you ever asked a question? Been in a classroom? Felt curious about how the world works? Or wondered how we can all keep learning, no matter our age or role?
Then you’re in the right place… because I Have Questions.
Hosted by Michael Ruhland—business owner, former soldier, educator, coach, mentor, administrator, husband, father, and lifelong learner—I Have Questions with Michael Ruhland is a podcast built around curiosity, learning, and the power of asking better questions. After spending more than two decades working in public education, Mike believes the most important thing we can do is stay curious and keep asking questions.
Each episode blends personal stories, conversations with inspiring people, and reflections on life in and around the classroom. Mike talks with teachers, students, parents, and everyday learners about the moments when curiosity changes how we think, learn, and grow. Drawing inspiration from great thinkers, history, and everyday experiences, the podcast explores what it means to be both a teacher and a learner at the same time.
This isn’t a professional development course—it’s a reminder of the joy of curiosity we all had as children and how we can bring it back into our busy lives. Whether you’re an educator, student, parent, or simply someone who wants to learn more about the world, there’s no age requirement and no job title needed to join the conversation.
In our time together, the goal is simple: help you feel relaxed, refreshed, curious, and ready to ask more questions.
And along the way, you might even discover some fascinating answers to questions you didn’t know you had.
Are you ready? Good. Because… I Have Questions.

The conversation explores the idea of pursuing passions at any age and the accessibility of music creation in the modern era. Emily shares her experience of pursuing her passion for music and encourages others to do the same, regardless of age. She also discusses the ease of creating and sharing music in today's digital age.TakeawaysPursuing passions at any ageAccessibility of music creationChapters00:00 Pursuing Passions at Any Age

The conversation explores the influence of personal energy on interactions with others and the importance of internal harmony for external harmony.TakeawaysPower of personal energyHarmony within leads to harmony withoutChapters00:00 The Influence of Personal Energy

The conversation delves into the themes of discovering one's purpose, embracing authenticity, and recognizing the inherent power within oneself. It emphasizes the importance of understanding one's unique gifts and the impact of operating from a place of authenticity.TakeawaysAuthenticityPower withinPurposeChapters00:00 Discovering Your Purpose and Authenticity

In Part 1 of my conversation with Emily Pattullo — certified life coach, award‑winning novelist, musician, and self‑described compulsive creator — we explore the idea that your inner landscape might be the most powerful tool you have. Emily shares how understanding her own feelings, body, and energetic patterns reshaped the way she moves through the world… and how it can do the same for you.We talk about:Why your internal state is visible long before you speakHow curiosity about yourself is the foundation for real changeWhy creativity is more than art — it’s a way of listeningHow Emily’s journey led to her book 12 Creative Steps to a Fulfilling LifeWhat it means to become the author of your own storyHow shifting your inner narrative can shift your entire realityIf you’ve ever wondered why life feels the way it does — or how to change it — this episode is a powerful place to start.👉 Part 2 arrives next week, where we dive into Emily’s music, reinvention, and the moment she decided it was finally time to stop waiting and start creating again.If this conversation sparks something in you, please like, subscribe, comment, and share. It’s free for you and it helps this curious little corner of the internet grow.Stay curious, my friends.— MichaelPrimary Keywordsinner energy awarenessemotional self-awarenesscreativity and purposeEmily Pattullo interview12 Creative Steps to a Fulfilling LifeI Have Questions podcastSecondary Keywordshow feelings shape behaviorunderstanding your inner worldpersonal growth through creativitylife coaching insightsemotional healing through creativityself-discovery conversationLong‑Tail Keywordshow your inner state affects your lifewhy emotional awareness matterscreative steps to finding purposehow to rewrite your personal narrativeunderstanding body-based emotional signalsbecoming the author of your own story#InnerWorld #EmotionalAwareness #CreativityAndPurpose #EmilyPattullo #IHQPodcast #MichaelRuhland #12CreativeSteps #SelfDiscovery #StayCurious00:00 The Journey of Self-Discovery05:35 Embracing Creativity as a Life Force11:37 Transformative Life Changes and New Beginnings

In Part 3 of my conversation with Corey Watts, we bring the journey home. After exploring freedom, travel, danger, and perspective in Parts 1 and 2, this chapter turns inward — toward the classrooms, relationships, and defining moments that shape who we become.Corey opens up about what it meant to be labeled a “problem kid,” how it felt to be misunderstood, and why one meaningful connection can change the entire trajectory of a young person’s life. We talk about mentorship, second chances, and the messy, human side of education that rarely makes it into lesson plans.In this episode, you’ll hear:How a tough high school season became a turning pointWhy connection matters more than curriculumWhat students wish adults understood about “problem kids”How relationships outlast classroomsThe full‑circle moment between a teacher and a former studentWhy grace, patience, and belief can change a lifeThis final chapter is personal, honest, and a reminder that people grow, goals shift, and sometimes the kid who drove you crazy becomes the adult who teaches you something about resilience and gratitude.If you’re enjoying these conversations, make sure to like, subscribe, and share so you never miss what’s coming next on I Have Questions with Michael Ruhland.📧 Got thoughts or a story of your own? Email me anytime: IHaveQuestions2025@gmail.comStay curious, my friends.— MichaelPrimary Keywordsteacher student relationship storiesproblem kids in schooleducation and mentorshipCorey Watts interviewI Have Questions podcastMichael Ruhland podcastSecondary Keywordshow teachers change livesstudent success storiespersonal growth through connectionhigh school memoriesresilience and second chancesmeaningful teacher impactLong‑Tail Keywordswhat students wish teachers understoodhow one teacher changed my lifestories of tough kids who made itthe power of connection in educationfull circle teacher student storieswhy relationships matter in classrooms

In Part 2 of my conversation with Corey Watts, we go far beyond travel stories. This chapter is about the moments that rearrange your priorities, the experiences that shift your goals, and the unexpected ways the world teaches you who you really are.Corey opens up about:How seeing extreme poverty reshaped his sense of privilegeThe opportunities he realized he had been taking for grantedWhy goals aren’t fixed — they evolve as you evolveLeaving construction to pursue a life with more freedom and mobilityHow travel helped him rethink purpose, work, and what “success” actually meansThe beauty of exploring the United States with fresh eyesThe overlooked power of being recognized, believed in, and understoodThis episode is about growth, perspective, and the courage to rewrite your story — whether you’re on the other side of the world or standing on a construction site wondering what’s next.If you’re enjoying these conversations, make sure to like, subscribe, and share so you never miss an episode of I Have Questions with Michael Ruhland.📧 Got questions or stories of your own? Email me anytime: IHaveQuestions2025@gmail.comStay curious, my friends.— MichaelPrimary Keywordstravel changed my lifehow travel changes youevolving goals and purposepersonal growth through travelCorey Watts interviewI Have Questions podcastMichael Ruhland podcastSecondary Keywordstravel perspective shiftAmerican road trip storiesfinding purpose in your 20sblue collar to remote workovercoming expectationsbeing recognized for who you areproblem kids in educationteacher student relationship storiesLong‑Tail Keywordshow seeing poverty changes your worldviewwhy your goals change as you growtravel stories that reshape your identityconversations that change your lifethe impact of supportive teachers

What would you attempt to build if you knew you might never see it finished? Have you looked at a question from a new perspective?In this episode of I Have Questions, we walk across one of the most iconic structures in the world — the Brooklyn Bridge — and uncover the story most people never hear. It begins with an engineer, John Roebling, but it’s completed by someone history nearly overlooked: Emily Warren Roebling, a woman whose curiosity, courage, and relentless questioning carried the bridge to completion.This episode explores:The bold question that sparked the Brooklyn BridgeThe tragedies that nearly stopped constructionWashington Roebling’s battle with the bendsEmily Roebling’s rise from “messenger” to master engineerHow curiosity can rewrite expectations and reshape historyWhy the bridge stands today because three people kept asking What if? Why not? How could we?As we walk through this story, we’re reminded that the world’s greatest achievements aren’t built only with stone and steel — they’re built with questions, persistence, and the courage to keep going even when the path disappears beneath your feet.So as you step back into your day, ask yourself:What’s the bridge you’re building right now? And what question have you been too afraid to ask?If this episode sparked your curiosity, make sure to like, subscribe, and share so you never miss an episode of I Have Questions with Michael Ruhland.📧 Got a question or story of your own? Email me anytime: IHaveQuestions2025@gmail.comStay curious.Peace, love, R.Brooklyn Bridge storyEmily RoeblingJohn RoeblingWashington RoeblingBrooklyn Bridge historyI Have Questions podcastMichael Ruhland podcastwomen in engineering historyfamous engineering failures and successes19th century engineeringsuspension bridge design explainedhistorical storytelling podcastcuriosity and learning podcastwho really built the Brooklyn BridgeEmily Roebling engineering contributionshistory of the Brooklyn Bridge explainedstories of overlooked women in historyhow curiosity drives innovationinspirational engineering stories00:00 The Vision of the Brooklyn Bridge02:39 The Role of Emily Roebling05:35 Curiosity and the Power of Questions#BrooklynBridge #EmilyRoebling #EngineeringHistory #HiddenHistory #CuriosityPodcast #IHQPodcast #MichaelRuhland #WomenInHistory #StorytellingPodcast #LearnSomethingNew #HistoryNerds #AskMoreQuestions

The conversation explores the theme of personal growth and the choice to embrace curiosity over certainty. It delves into the unsettling realization that prompts life redesign and the spark that ignites a new mindset.TakeawaysPersonal growthChoosing curiosity over certaintyChapters00:00 The Unsettling Realization

What if you looked at your life one day and realized… this isn’t it? In Part 1 of my 3‑episode conversation with traveler and adventurer Corey Watts, we explore the moment he and his wife decided to walk away from the grind and design a life built on freedom, curiosity, and a school bus pointed toward anywhere.In this episode, Corey shares:The night he realized the “supposed‑to” life wasn’t his lifeHow he saved money, quit his job, and built out a vanWhy a mini school bus became home for 3+ yearsWhat traveling the U.S., Southeast Asia, and Central America taught himThe moment in Nicaragua that shattered everything he thought he knew about the worldHow saying YES reshaped his worldview and opportunitiesIf you’re craving a life with more meaning, more curiosity, and more courage… this episode is for you.👍 Like, subscribe, and share to support the show.📩 Email your questions or stories: ihavequestions2025@gmail.comKeywords: van life, school bus conversion, travel stories, quitting the 9‑to‑5, life redesign, freedom lifestyle, Nicaragua travel, Southeast Asia travel, personal growth, curiosity podcast, Michael Ruhland, Corey Watts interview

In this powerful moment from I Have Questions, traveler and storyteller Corey Watts reflects on a truth most Westerners never confront:40–60% of the world lives on less than a dollar a day — and many of them are still joyful, connected, and thriving.Corey shares how witnessing real poverty across the globe reshaped his understanding of opportunity, privilege, and what it actually means to live a meaningful life. Instead of sadness, he found gratitude, perspective, and a deeper appreciation for the abundance we often take for granted.If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from what matters, this clip is a grounding reminder of how travel can completely rewire your worldview.global poverty perspectivetravel changes your mindsetliving on one dollar a daygratitude through travelWestern privilege awarenessCorey Watts interviewI Have Questions podcasttravel and personal growthlife lessons from travelthird world country happinessperspective shift storiesminimalism and gratitudeglobal inequality explainedtravel perspective, global poverty, one dollar a day, gratitude mindset, Western privilege, Corey Watts, I Have Questions podcast, travel life lessons, happiness in poverty, global inequality, travel transformation, perspective shift, personal growth travel, Nicaragua travel insights