Becoming Your Best | The Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

Research shows that more than 90% of the 40 to 60,000 thoughts a human brain produces per day are repetitive. Also, it was proved that 70 to 80% of those repetitive thoughts tend to be negative. If we add to this that the human being is a creature of habit, we can see how easy it is for our minds to get stuck into a vicious loop of negative thoughts.  

In this episode, we want to give you three easy tips to disrupt our thinking patterns and avoid falling into a negative thinking loop. The main objective of these three simple activities is to exercise the brain and prevent its atrophy. The brain needs to be tested and continuously stimulated to keep its good shape and perfect functioning, just like any other muscle.  

If you want to experiment the possibilities of a fertile mind capable of conceiving ideas ignoring the constraints that limit our thoughts daily, tune in to Episode 267 of Becoming Your Best and take note of these three useful tips.  

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• What the science can teach us about our brain (4:01) 
• The kind of thoughts we have during the day (5:20) 
• Three ways of disrupting our thoughts (7:20) 
• How has this thought served you? (10:59) 
• Avoiding brain atrophy (12:40) 
• Innovating new ways of living our life by design (17:38) 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]  
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Book: Do What Matters Most: Lead with a Vision, Manage with a Plan, and Prioritize Your Time - Pre-order 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The human mind has infinite fuel to create millions of thoughts, yet it can concentrate only on one at a time. When we find a challenge in our way, we can either focus all our energy on that particular problem or step back and see the easiest way to solve it and keep thinking about our primary goal. 

Joining me today is John Fitzpatrick, President, and CEO of Force Marketing, a company dedicated to transforming the brand-to-consumer buying experience in the automotive business. We talked about his personal and professional life, why he gets involved in philanthropic activities, and how he handles the onboarding process to newcomers in his company. We also talked about keeping the trust meter healthy in business and how the pandemic affected the industry. 

If you want to know the benefits of living a grateful and intentional life and the importance of being aware of our roles and goals all the time, tune in to Episode 266 of Becoming Your Best and hear what John has to say about all these topics. 

Some Questions I Ask: 

• What are some of the things you've seen that have helped you and others succeed? (03:15) 
• What impact have you seen gratitude had in your life? (06:12) 
• What would you give as one or two pieces of advice to a person starting out with your company? (10:19) 
• What's one or two lessons learned through life that you would like to pass on to your kids? (13:24) 
• What's one of the biggest challenges that you've ever experienced in your life? (17:32) 

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• John's simple philosophy that guides his life (3:55) 
• Stepping back and being grateful (7:03) 
• The importance of understanding our role and how can we help others (10:30) 
• Getting to the destination, and then going further (15:39) 
• When obstacles block the goal (22:55) 
• Being intentional with our gratitude (25:26) 

Resources: 

• Force Marketing 
• Book:  Don Miguel Ruiz - The Four Agreements 

Connect with John: 

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram 
• Twitter 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected] 
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sleep is one of the most important tools for living a healthy life – and leveraging its benefits by following some simple, yet crucial, principles should be a priority for everyone.  

In today's episode, Joe Ojile, founder, CEO, and Medical Director of the Clayton Sleep Institute talks about the importance of a healthy relationship with our sleeping time and how it affects our daily performance. He also explains why sleep is a health promotion tool, and he gives away some easy-to-detect cues to know if we have a sleeping problem. Joe also shares unique insights about life, forgiveness, and happiness.  

If you want to know how a good night’s sleep can help you excel in your daily routine, what is social jetlag, and why Joe thinks that happiness is the most underrated daily activity, tune into Episode 265 of Becoming Your Best and listen to Joe's masterclass about the health of mind and body.  

Some Questions I Ask: 

• Could you tell our audience a little bit about yourself? (2:00) 
• When it comes to sleep, what are some things that everyone should know and may not be aware of? (5:45) 
• How do travels to other timezones back and forth affect our circadian rhythm? (9:30) 
• Are you supposed to drink water or not drink water? And melatonin, is it right to take it before sleeping? (14:24) 
• What are some cues that people should be looking for to get professional help regarding their sleep? (17:34) 
• If you could share two or three life lessons, what would those be? (23:18) 

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• Why we sleep, and how it helps us during the day (6:50) 
• What is the circadian rhythm and how it works (10:38) 
• How we create social jetlag. (13:12) 
• How melatonin is helpful when traveling in a timezone that’s ahead of yours. (16:28) 
• The sky is the limit when you surround yourself with high character people. (25:06) 
• The importance of forgiveness (26:30) 
• Three things to do every day. (33:05) 

Connect with Joe: 

• LinkedIn 
• Twitter 

Resources: 

• Website: Clayton Sleep Institute 
• LinkedIn: Clayton Sleep Institute  
• Facebook: Clayton Sleep Institute  

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]  
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leaders are responsible for dealing with difficult times, but that doesn't mean every leader will find the best answers. Last year, a hard-times making machine put every leader's abilities to deal with adversity to the test. 

Today's guest, Mike Choutka, President and CEO of Hensel Phelps, based his strategy to cope with tough times on momentum, the perpetual motion. He went to the fundamentals and succeeded with two simple principles. First, maintain the company's momentum. Fortify what's already working. And second, create new momentum, new ideas to trigger that impulse. He also shares his thoughts on what attributes a good leader should have and valuable advice from his more than 25 years of experience in the building industry.  

If you want to know what is expected from a good leader, the relevance of having a well-balanced life and being well rounded, and much more, tune into Episode 264 of Becoming Your Best and listen to the story of this flawless leader.  

Some questions I ask: 

• What does it take to move up in an organization like this? (5:45) 
• What would you say to someone who's looking for something positive to take into 2021? (9:24) 
• If you had to share some advice with our listeners, one of your biggest lessons learned through life, what would you share? (19:17) 
• If you had your kids in a room, and you could share with them one piece of advice, what would that be for them? (23:20) 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The role of good fortune, opportunity, availability, and ability in Mike's career (6:08) 
• Learning the lessons from hard times (11:15) 
• Momentum will be key in 2021 (17:51) 
• Empathetic leaders are the solution (19:17) 
• How a balanced life affects people's productivity at work (26:00) 

Connect with Mike: 

• Linkedin 

Resources: 

• Hensel Phelps website 
• Hensel Phelps Facebook 
• Hensel Phelps Twitter 
• Hensel Phelps Linkedin 
• Hensel Phelps Instagram 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]  
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year we were forced to pivot from in-person meetings to more virtual gatherings, whether in our personal or our professional lives. People who weren’t familiar with video conferencing platforms had to adapt quickly and to learn the insides of this communication medium – which for many, it wasn’t an easy thing to do.  

Our guest today – Kim Foley – quickly noticed a growing need for people to learn the proper etiquette for virtual meetings so that they can show up with more credibility in front of their listeners. She documented all the pain points people had when it came to being in front of a camera and she gathered them in her book, “Virtual Meetings with Power and Presence”. She shares her expertise gained in more than 25 years as an award-winning producer, media trainer, television stylist, as well as practices and practical guidelines for putting forth your personal best.  

If you want to know how to deal with technical challenges such as poor internet connection or audio quality, how to frame and light yourself for an attractive presentation in less-than-ideal circumstances, and a lot more, then tune into Episode 263 of Becoming Your Best and find out all the tips and tricks that will make you a virtual meeting superstar!  

Some questions I ask:  

• Can you, please, tell us your story and what led you to where you are today? (05:37) 
• What are some things we need to be aware of when we think of virtual meeting etiquette? (10:33) 
• What kind of equipment people should have for a really high-quality exchange in a virtual meeting? (15:28) 
• If people don’t like how they look on camera, how can they fix that? (17:08) 
• What are your thoughts on multitasking while you’re in a virtual meeting? (21:58) 
• Do you have any final tips for our listeners? (24:15) 

In this episode, you will learn:  

• The most important role a television stylist has. (06:39) 
• The reason Kim wrote her book, “Virtual Meetings with Power and Presence”. (08:21) 
• When you should turn your camera off in virtual meetings. (11:20) 
• What your body language should be in virtual meetings. (12:56) 
• How to look fantastic on camera by paying attention to lighting. (16:08) 
• The colors you should wear when showing up on video. (19:14) 
• How to interact with the camera when you’re talking in a virtual meeting. (22:50) 

Connect with Kim:  

• Website 
• LinkedIn 
• Email: [email protected] 
• Facebook 
• Instagram 
• Youtube Channel 
• Book: Kim Foley - Virtual Meetings With Power And Presence: The Ultimate Guide To Online Meetings 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is not uncommon for people, after they’ve suffered an accident or a traumatic injury, to end up addicted to painkillers. They can become your best friend because, as the name says, they numb your pain and make it go away. But at the same time, they can be your worst enemy, leading you to a downward spiral that can affect your entire life and relationships.  

In today’s episode, Max shares his story of becoming addicted to opiates and he vividly details his rollercoaster journey, going from a successful quarterback career to the lowest point in his life and to where he is now, sober and happy.  

Max Hall is a former American football quarterback. After playing college football for BYU, he was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played in a total of six games as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Arizona Cardinals. Max also spent the 2012 year as an assistant coach for BYU. After suffering some injuries on the playing field, his life took a hard turn when he became addicted to painkillers and opiates.  

His story is full of ups and downs, and he’s overcome the addiction challenge after six years of fighting with it. Max is now sharing his experiences, in the hope that other people suffering from addiction will be inspired by his journey. So, tune in and listen to Episode 262 of Becoming Your Best, to find out some great lessons Max has learned throughout his life, that may inspire you to overcome the challenges in your journey. 

Some Questions I ask:  

• What was it like being the quarterback at BYU? (02:05) 
• What are some of your favorite memories of your time at BYU? (05:11) 
• What was your experience like, going to Arizona Cardinals? (08:04) 
• What led you back out of that addiction into where you are today? (17:23) 
• What would be the biggest one or two life lessons or tips that you would share with someone? (32:46) 

In this episode, you will learn:  

• The game that changed Max’s life trajectory. (10:46) 
• How Max got addicted to painkillers and opiates. (13:34) 
• The lowest point in Max’s life. (19:27) 
• Max’s experience of getting sober in a rehab center. (23:40) 
• The most important lesson people with an addiction need to learn. (27:29) 
• How giving second chances can help turn someone’s life around. (28:37) 

Connect with Max: 

• Twitter 
• Instagram 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This year has been a roller coaster full of unexpected turns. But 2020 is just about to end, and what we need to ask ourselves is, “How will I go into 2021 focused, ready, and aligned with my inner self so that it can be a great year, regardless of what comes?”  

Focusing on what matters most empowers you because now your attention goes to the things that are within your control, your sphere of influence, instead of being taken aback by the unexpected events that are not in your power to change. 

In this episode, the final one of 2020, we’re going to share with you the three habits that will make 2021 your best year. These habits are ever-green and they have proven time and again to be powerful for the people that constantly apply them. And you can see the results for yourself with a little discipline needed to follow our advice today. 

So, listen to Episode 261 of Becoming Your Best, to learn how developing a vision, writing clear goals, and doing pre-week planning can help you stay laser-focused on doing what matters most. We guarantee you that they will improve your relationships, your professional life, as well as have a positive impact on your personal self. 

In this episode, you will learn:  

• Why 85% of New Year’s resolutions are broken by January 15th. (01:36) 
• The Five Predictors of Longevity. (05:25) 
• How to develop a personal vision that focuses on what matters most to you. (06:09) 
• The power of written goals. (10:48) 
• How to word clear goals so that they last past January 15th. (11:54) 
• The importance of pre-week planning. (16:36) 
• The four steps of pre-week planning to correctly shift out of reactivity and into proactivity. (18:20) 
• Our definition of ‘discipline’. (21:41) 
• A couple of examples of people who’ve done the pre-week planning and how that impacted their life. (22:26) 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christmas is a really special holiday and a wonderful time of year. It is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Bethlehem. What an extraordinary night! A gift unlike any other has been given to us - one that filled the earth with greater love, forgiveness, and eternal hope.  

Throughout history, there have been many wonderful stories that have helped us understand the lasting impact Christmas has on each and every one of us, stories that teach us to be grateful for the acts of love and consideration that we receive, and in turn, to do small, quiet acts of kindness for others.  

In this episode, we wanted to share with you two of these stories that happened in 1938 and 1914 – how Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was born, and the World War One Christmas Truce. Both of them show the true great meaning of Christmas and can serve as encouragement for us to do good this holiday season, in any way that we can.  

Listen to Episode 260 of Becoming Your Best, to get your dose of happiness for the day. We wish you all a Merry Christmas! 

In this episode, you will learn:  

• How stories of hope and encouragement make the world a better place. (01:50) 
• The story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer & the lessons we can learn from it. (03:40) 
• The World War One Christmas Truce. (08:03) 
• Steve’s message for everyone that’s listening. (14:38) 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed individuals can change the world.” – Margaret Mead 

Imagine what would happen if everyone did these four things: control what they can control, build and maintain trust, become better listeners and communicators, and last but not least, innovate through their imagination. How much more effective would they be? What impact would that have on our society? 

Building these principles and practices into your life melts away frustration, distrust, anger, and hatred, and they replace those with vision, peace, hope, calmness, and love. In today’s episode, we are going to suggest four things that you can do to create greater trust, stronger relationships, and hope that produces permanent positive change. 

Listen to Episode 259 of Becoming Your Best, to learn how you can start to apply these principles today and see an immediate effect on those around you. And remember! You CAN make a difference by focusing on what you can control and living a principled life.  

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The insights from David Brooks’ article, “America is Having a Moral Convulsion”. (02:03) 
• The importance of focusing on what you can control. (13:08) 
• How to build and maintain trust. (15:23) 
• The two parts of being an effective listener and communicator. (18:20) 
• The power to innovate through imagination. (21:37) 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we go into the holiday season, especially this year with COVID-19 preventing us from getting together with our families, most people find that they’re experiencing higher stress levels than ever before.  

That’s why, in today’s episode, we thought it would be great to have our dear friend, Jon Skidmore, with us to talk about some of the challenges that are associated with this time of year and how we can make a great experience out of this year’s Christmas time. We dive into what traditions mean to us in general and why the increased level of expectations can create additional stress in our lives, as well as why we need to set certain boundaries around some of the traditions that bring more anxiety than fulfillment. Jon stresses the importance of relationships and why we should prioritize them, and he describes how we can change our narrative by playing the ‘Yes, and’ game.  

Jon Skidmore is a licensed psychologist, professor at Brigham Young University, therapist, and he’s had the chance to work with thousands of people over the years. Jon co-wrote a book with us, called ‘Conquer Anxiety’, and he has some amazing insight around this topic, especially now, when the holidays are knocking on our doors.  

You are in for a treat today, so listen to Episode 258 of Becoming Your Best, to learn how you can better cope with the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 and 2020’s holiday season.  

Some questions I ask: 

• What are you seeing in the landscape right now, as far as stress and anxiety with the holidays coming up? (03:12) 
• What are some of the things that people can specifically do to minimize anxiety and stress this month? (08:42) 
• Any other thoughts on traditions? (17:04) 
• Any final thoughts or tips that you have, as we go into the next three or four weeks of December here? (22:04) 

In this episode, you will learn: 

• The importance of prioritizing the relationships in our lives and staying connected with the people we care about. (05:43) 
• How to rewrite the stories you tell yourself. (10:17) 
• Why you should set boundaries around the traditions that are stressful to you. (11:58) 
• The rule of thumb for this holiday season and the ones that follow. (15:27) 
• The ‘Yes, and’ rule. (19:22) 
• What the book “Conquer Anxiety” can teach you in terms of reducing the stress around this particular time. (22:56) 

Connect with Jon: 

• LinkedIn 
• Website 

Becoming Your Best Resources: 

• Becoming Your Best Website 
• Becoming Your Best University Website 
• Becoming Your Best Library 
• Email: [email protected]   
• Book: Becoming Your Best: The 12 Principles of Highly Successful Leaders 
• Book: Conquer Anxiety: How to Overcome Anxiety and Optimize Your Performance 
• Facebook Group – Conquer Anxiety 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.