Beyond Grit with Robert Young

Tara Dower has covered a lot of ground in her life – literally.  This young athlete is a hiking adventurer, who spends more time rucking across mountain trails than most of us would walk during our lives.  In this episode, Tara and Rob share stories of their experiences on some of the most well-known hiking spots in North Carolina and across the country.  Tara currently has the fastest known recorded time on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in North Carolina.  If you’ve never heard of it, “The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a simple footpath stretching almost 1,200 miles across North Carolina from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge on the Outer Banks” (https://mountainstoseatrail.org/the-trail/).  For a little added emphasis, this trail goes ALLLLLLL the way from the western part of the NC mountains… to the ocean… hence, “mountains to sea.”  Ok, so now you understand that it takes some serious grit to accomplish something like that - and she crushed it! Tara averaged 40.1 miles per day for 30 days and, as I’m sure you guessed, it was not easy.  Tara shares some of her own personal struggles and how she deals with challenges during her hikes.  From anxiety on the flats to breaking bread and drinking beers in lawn chairs with strangers, this young explorer has had some memorable experiences.  Just as in life, there are peaks and valleys, and we learn what we are made of when we are challenged.  A highlight from this conversation is when Tara describes the difficulty she has when returning to “society” after being on the trail for so long.  The simplistic nature of taking only what you need and utilizing what is in your environment tends to highlight the surplus of “unnecessary things” that so many of us are accustomed to in our daily lives.  Tara explains that simplification is beautiful and being in nature helps a person embrace the important things in life- friendships, experiences, love, food, and water.  We can learn a lot from this young adventurer so listen up and start planning that BIG dream that scares you right NOW!  No time to waste.  Happy exploring!!!

To view footage of Tara’s hiking experiences, make sure to visit her YouTube channel, Tara Treks.  Link below.

• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtIrzDmpYVg

Stefan Huebner is an artist.  He started out as a musician and now crafts cocktails and award-winning experiences in his swanky Charlotte lounge, Dot Dot Dot Charlotte.  In this episode of BG, Stefan details how his music career in his 20s, playing with names like Buckcherry in the 90’s, gave him front row seats to many diverse types of bars and lounges across the country.  While he was creating music back then, he was also making mental notes of what he liked and disliked about certain bars and lounges.  Several years of bartending, winning multiple awards along the way, helped Stefan learn to craft not only the perfect drink, but the perfect lounge experience.  Thus, Dot Dot Dot Charlotte was born.  This entire plan was designed on a cocktail napkin and turned into the masterpiece cocktail lounge that is Dot today.  These men had the vision and they made it a reality.  Now, Dot Dot Dot Charlotte is a premiere cocktail lounge in Charlotte, and it is more than just a place to drink – this is an experience.  The art of conversation is kept alive, the décor is extraordinary, and the drinks are divine.  Grab a cocktail or coffee and enjoy the show.

John Salter is a Bellator middleweight fighter based in Wilmington, NC.  John started wrestling at 12 years old in Alabama, wrestled through high school, and then into college.  It was in college where he was first introduced to MMA fighting.  In this episode, he and Robert discuss what goes into training and how to prepare for fights mentally, physically, and spiritually.  John explains how each time you fight, it's big.  It is going to impact your life one way or the other, and that takes a mental toll.  So, you must get after it every single day and stay hungry.  John is not only a fighter but also a coach at his own gym, SaltyDog Jiu-Jitsu, in Wilmington.  He has a team of coaches training fighters on all levels.

This Friday, August 13, 2021, he will be fighting for the middleweight belt against Gegard Mousasi.  The fight will be one of his biggest to date and will be the main event at Bellator 264.  Currently, John is 18-4.  He is 7-1 (TKO) and 10-3 (SUB).  This guy knows how to take out an opponent and he plans to do just that this Friday night!  Make sure you prepare for the fight by tuning in to Beyond Grit with Robert Young.  Then, catch the main event on Showtime this Friday night!  Bring home that belt, John!  NC is rooting for you!

@johnsalter_mma

@saltydog_jiujitsu

Roel and Pierre both grew up in the Netherlands, not far from one another, but never actually met until years later while they were both on business trips in America.  They remained in contact over the years and eventually decided to go into business together. Together, they built Symcon Group, which is a global supplier of consumables, raw materials, and high-quality parts, servicing industries using vacuum deposition, thin-film, surfacing, injection molding, and coating technologies.  (Simply put, they make the stuff that goes in CDs and DVDs).  The CD industry was booming in the late 80s early 90s, and so was their business. Their team built Symcon group to become the largest reseller of secondhand equipment in the industry and they now have offices in the USA, Netherlands, Brazil, Colombia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.  Roel and Pierre discuss the wave of success that came along with the rise of CDs and DVDs, and how they have adapted to the rapidly changing market of digital entertainment. They have worked with leaders in the entertainment industry, names like Disney and Sony, and they aren’t slowing down any time soon. We hope you enjoy this episode.

In this episode, Barb tells her heroic story of surviving cancer and how her faith, family, and support of great friends helped her battle through the darkest of days.  She is truly inspirational in every aspect of her life.  In addition to her personal life, she is a powerhouse business mogul.  She has built a phenomenally successful Instagram fashion blog in only a few short years and now co-hosts the Mommyhood 2 Menopause Podcast - available on all listening platforms.  Barb's joyful spirit and bubbly personality are magnetic, and she shares many valuable lessons in this week's episode.  This was one of the most impactful conversations to be featured on the show thus far, and I hope it leaves you feeling inspired.

@southernblondechic

@mommyhood2menopausepodcast

In this episode, Robert and John discuss the path that led John to launch Direct CBD Online.  At age 26, John and his wife were happily married with a baby on the way.  With his new family to feed and his whole life ahead of him, he knew wanted more.  Wiesehan and his business partners bought and built an electronic cigarette brand that ended up in 70,000 retail locations across the country.  You never just “land” in 70k stores, you work to get there.  Launching a brand is not easy, it requires a lot of grit and determination.  The hustle never stops – in 2012, he was on 284 airplanes in just that one year.

After growing and selling that business, he wanted to start something new and different.  CBD was on the rise, so he chose to take some risks and ride the wave.  While many companies suffered major losses during the pandemic, fortunately, for Direct CBD Online, e-commerce skyrocketed. His philosophy is “Simplify, Automate, Fail Fast.”  Failure is unavoidable, so when it happens, just learn from it, and move on. 

So, the question is, have YOU been considering launching your own business or side hustle? The time may be now.  We hope you are inspired by this conversation of living life Beyond Grit.

Links are in the description and show notes if you are interested in ordering from Direct CBD Online.

Direct CBD Online

https://www.directcbdonline.com/

Nate Poole is a husband, father of 3 girls, and all-around amazing guy.  He also happens to be athletically gifted.  His hard work combined with exceptional talent landed him at Marshall University, which then led to a career in the NFL.  Nate details what it was like growing up as the 3rd of 5 siblings living in a one-bedroom house and how his family structure contributed to his character development.  Regardless of what he was asked to do as a child, he did it without complaining.  His dad often pointed out how special that quality is in a young man and that if he continued to work hard and stay focused, he could go anywhere in life.  His father was right.  He has maintained that mentality and has certainly put in work.  While at Marshall, Poole was a star.  He played in four bowl games and  was awarded first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors three times. He then spent four years with the Arizona Cardinals and later joined the New Orleans Saints for two more years.  Unfortunately, his career as a player was abruptly cut short after only 6 seasons when he experienced a career-ending leg injury while being tackled in a game.  It was a devastating blow and Poole claims that without his wife, Neville, he would have likely lost his way.  Through the trials of life, Nate has learned a lot.  He utilizes his equation, E + R = O, and tries to instill that into his children and student-athletes.  (Event + Response = Outcome). 

Poole is now the Wide Receiver’s coach at the prestigious North Carolina A & T, which happens to be one of the top HBCU Schools in the nation.  With the 2020 pandemic shutting down the season last year, 2021 will be Poole’s first season on the field as coach of this team - and he is pumped!  We hope you enjoy this conversation.

Buy Tickets to Support the NCAT Aggies:

https://ncataggies.com/sports/2021/6/19/a-t-football-ticketing.aspx

2021 Football Schedule:

https://ncataggies.com/sports/football/schedule

*** TRIGGER WARNING *** For anyone who may be negatively affected by hearing the graphic details associated with IV heroin use, please be advised - *** You may want to skip at minute marker 29:00 - 30:00. ***

For 10 years, Brad Jensen was caught up in a gnarly drug addiction that left him hopeless, homeless, and desperate.  He experienced a defining rock-bottom moment while in the car with his mother, on the way to his grandfather’s funeral, that would impact him so greatly that he would find his way onto his path of sobriety.  Now, 8.5 years into recovery, Brad owns a successful and growing health and nutrition company.  He also recently launched a course called, The Next Level, which parallels many of the ways Brad was able to get sober.

He has been featured on multiple podcasts and has his own podcast platform, The Key Nutrition Podcast.

Brad is a phenomenal storyteller! His story is deep and dark, but the light at the end will give hope to anyone out there struggling with not just drug addiction but weight loss, relationships, and any other challenges they may be facing in life!  This story is beyond gritty, and we hope you are inspired by the life and testimony of Brad Jensen.  Thanks for listening.

Website

www.keynutrition.com

Instagram tags:

@keynutrition

@thesoberbodybuilder

Or Follow these Links:

https://www.instagram.com/keynutrition/

https://www.instagram.com/thesoberbodybuilder/

• 2019 TEDx Cary Women Speaker

Tina Caul has been in real estate for almost 20 years and has sold thousands of homes throughout her career.  She has built Caul Group Residential into the most successful real estate team in Cary, NC and she has consistently ranked in the top 1% of Realtors® nationwide. In this episode, she and Robert discuss how success starts with a mindset and how growth is shifted when you find your “why” in life.  She believes everyone has a purpose and that giving back to your community is a great way to find your purpose.  Caul found her “whys” early in life and those things continue to motivate her to relentlessly pursue her goals.  A solid work ethic is essential to a successful life, but what happens when you enter a season where hard work and determination just aren’t enough?  Do you have the ability and willingness to ask for help?  Tina did - and that decision transformed the way she viewed life and business.  Caul and her husband are a powerhouse team, and she is a role model for any woman who aspires to be great in business or in any area of life.  From small beginnings to financial freedom, listen and take notes during this episode of Beyond Grit with Robert Young.  We hope her story will inspire you to go out and “find your Cauling!"

• Website

https://www.caulgroup.com/

https://www.tinacaullife.com/

• LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinacaul/

• Instagram

@caulgroup

• YouTube Speaking Engagements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J3qxMDaD5E

In this new #Bonus episode of Beyond Grit with Robert Young, we get to peek behind the curtain of the life of our very own, Robert Young.  In his first solo episode, Robert discusses many aspects of parenting and how being a father has impacted his life in such a powerful way.  We just heard Rob’s interview with his own dad, Dale, on Sunday for the Father’s Day Special (If you missed it, go check it out now). So today, we get to hear Robert’s story of his experiences with being a stay-at-home dad for 8 years and watching his kids mature and grow.  He and his wife are entering into the “empty nesters” season of life, as their kids are off to college.  Robert explains what it is like to transition into new seasons and stages of your kids’ lives, what you may expect, and how he has personally dealt with many of those situations.  Whether you are a young father just learning your way, or if you are an older dad who now has grandchildren, or if you are not a dad at all… this episode is for YOU.  Do us a favor and share this episode with a friend – especially if you know a young father who may need to hear some good stories.  You never know who may need to hear these encouraging words from this dad of two.  Enjoy!