Built Not Born

Today’s guest is Matt Marcinek.

Matt Marcinek, a native of Scranton, PA is a Certified Mental Performance Coach, a motivational speaker, and a brown belt in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. Matt is the owner of the No Limits Grappling Academy located in Blakely, PA. 

Matt is a graduate of Marywood University with a BA in English and earned a Masters degree in Education from the University of Missouri.

And that I not even half of Matt’s incredible story…

At 9 months old, Matt Marcinek was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. At that time a neurologist recommended to Matt’s parents that they “place him in a facility where he would receive round the clock care and they should never look back.”

Lucky for Matt and his students today, his parents said “No”. And gave Matt the opportunity to fight through almost insurmountable odds to create his remarkable life.  

Matt discusses the amazing gift his parents gave him throughout his life, a gift which is so rare today -  His parents allowed him to fail.

​Matt’s shares his story of how he has conquered seemingly insurmountable adversity and created his life – from becoming an Eagle Scout, to talking his way on to the HS wrestling team to opening up his own BJJ Academy. 

Talking to Matt it’s not hard to understand when he tells you that he does not even look at himself as disabled.

Like Matt says in our discussion: “That there is no playbook to operate as a disabled person, so do your best with what you've been given and then go from there.”

And this gem “If you want to do something, figure out a way to do it and just get it done.”

So…

Thank you for listening. 

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation on with Matt Marcinek, Mental Performance Coach, Motivational Speaker, Brown belt in BJJ and Judo, owner of the No Limits Grappling Academy and someone who flat out defies the odds

And remember, “Life is built, not born…”

Today’s guest is Kristi Artz, MD.

 Dr Kristi Artz is an emergency medicine physician based in Grand Rapids Michigan. She is a graduate from the University of Michigan with a BS in Biology, she attended medical school at Wayne State University. Dr Artz did her residency in Emergency Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where she also served as Chief Resident.  

Dr Artz also lived in and treated patients in New Zealand where she did everything from deliver babies, treating injuries from NZ’s Iron Man competitions, and working on the medivac treating patients in remote locations on the island. 

Kristi now focuses her clinical practice working with patients to stay out of the emergency room in the first place by helping them adapt a Whole Foods, plant-based lifestyle. Dr. Artz also holds certificates in Plant Based Nutrition and Culinary Medicine. She is a certified diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, member of the Advisory Board for Health Meets Food.

Kristi and I discuss the latest science that promotes fasting, the different types of fasting out there and what we need to know to get started. 

During our Q&A Dr Artz tells us why fasting is a powerful tool for not only preventing chronic disease that run in so many families such as high blood pressure, heart disease & diabetes, but even reversing those conditions with patients that are already suffering from those diseases.   

Dr Artz shares a bunch helpful tips and ideas of how we can individualize a fasting plan that works for us and how fasting can help us live a longer and healthier life.

So…

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation on “The Science of Fasting” with Dr Kristi Artz, an emerging thought leader in Lifestyle & Culinary medicine. 

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In this Episode: 

Website:  www.SpectrumHealth.org/lifestylemedicine

Book: The Longevity Diet (Valter Longo, PhD)

Book: How Not to Diet (Dr Michael Gregor)

Today’s guest is Bassil Hafez.

Bassil Hafez is a professional mix martial arts fighter living in Denver, Colorado, training out a Factory X MMA.  

A native of Philadelphia, Bassil is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Phil and Ricardo Migliarese of Balance Studios. 

Bassil and I discuss his journey from growing up in the tough streets Philadelphia, to his childhood family trips to father’s homeland of Egypt and mother’s homeland of Syria, to the trouble he got into on his way to becoming a professional fighter.

Bassil also shares what it was like to see each of his parents fight through and ultimately lose their battle with cancer at way too young an age.

Bassil tells the story of his near-death car crash during Hurricane Harvey that put him in the ICU for 2 weeks and required multiple surgeries he had to overcome to get back into the ring again.

Bassil discusses his journey of being a professional MMA fighter: from how he got started, to him winning the CFFC Welterweight Championship of the World, to losing the title on a split decision and what it is going to take for him to reach his ultimate goal of fighting in the UFC.

Bassil also shares bits of wisdom he’s learned from his fighting coaches, along the way, like this gem Coach Marc Montoya told him, “If you want to live an elite life, you have to show up elite every day.”

So…

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Bassil Hafez – Professional MMA Fighter, black belt in Brazilian Jiu jitsu, former CFFC Welterweight Champion of the world and one of the toughest dudes you will ever meet.

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In this Episode: 

IG: Bassil Hafez

Website: Balance Studios (Best of Philly BJJ)

Website: Factory X MMA / Muay Tai  (Englewood, CO)

Today’s guest is Mike Trombetta.

Mike Trombetta, a native of Flemington, NJ, grew a passion for mountain living, skiing, and gourmet cooking. After attending culinary school in Vermont, Mike headed west to the Sierra Nevada Mountains to start a new life in Truckee, California.

Mike has a fascinating and adventurous career path. He is a ski patrolman and a wilderness first responder and a member of a mountain search and rescue team in Lake Tahoe, California. 

In the summers, Mike does what he calls “low stress” guiding for hiking, mountain biking, and kayak tours for Tahoe Adventures, and he is also a professionally trained gourmet chef.

But the main reason I asked Mike to be on the show is that for 8 weeks each year, Mike is a helicopter ski guide in Alaska for the Alaska Rendezvous company in Valdez, Alaska, where he leads guests from their resort in Alaska on and off the helicopter then down the mountain for what Mike calls the “greatest skiing on earth.” 

Mike is a certified Wilderness First Responder and is Level III American Avalanche Institute certified. Mike is also a proud member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team and an entrepreneur with his gourmet catering company he named “Farm to Belly.”

Mike and I discuss what it is like when a helicopter drops you off on a remote mountain in Alaska and there is nothing but you, your guide, and the mountain for as far as you can see. 

Mike shares some amazing stories of recusing a friend from what calls “the biggest avalanche he has ever seen”, almost a mile in length down the bowl of the mountain. He also shares some survival tips that every skier needs to know if they ever find themselves caught in an avalanche.

Mike and I also cover the book he goes back to most often, why he keeps a daily journal, and what it is like trying to grow a small business in a resort area like Lake Tahoe.

Also, mike discusses his philosophy why a guide and first responder “needs to be an asset, not a liability” and what it is like training his first ever avalanche rescue dog, a black lab named Graupel.

So…

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Mike Trombetta – Ski patrolman, wilderness first responder, Alaska Helicopter Ski guide, gourmet chef, and entrepreneur. 

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In this Episode: 

Website:  Alaska Rendezvous Heli Skiing

Website: Tahoe Adventure Company

Website: Farm to Belly

Trip Advisor: Truckee, California

Trip Advisor: Lake Tahoe, California / Nevada

Book: Wild Rescues: A Paramedic's Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton (By Kevin Grange)

Today’s guest is Barry Butler.

Barry Butler is an internationally published landscape photographer. 

Known as “Chicago’s Picture Poet”, Barry Butler’s remarkable photographs have appeared everywhere: from television, books, billboards, to album covers of rock bands. His images have been featured on the Weather Channel, CNN, and every local news affiliate in Chicago.  

The Huffington Post has even recognized Barry’s work as top’s in Chicago photography.

Born in Ireland, Barry Butler immigrated to Chicago as a child with his parents in search of a better life.

Barry describes his life as series of “turning negatives into positives.”

A self-taught photographer, Barry picked up a camera for the first time after a breaking his collar bone playing ice hockey to stay active while he recovered from his injury. 

Barry started taking images of the Windy City to practice his new hobby. He started to post them to social media where they soon started drawing local, national, then international attention. It’s not uncommon for Barry to post a photo on Facebook and it received thousands of likes and hundreds comments in only a few hours.

Barry and I discuss what it was like to immigrate to the USA, how a series of “negative” events led has to positive outcomes and why his late father is still his hero.

Barry shares how he starts each day 2 hours before sunrise and why the Chicago winters, sometimes -50 degrees below zero are his favorite time of the year.

Barry also shares some tips on how the average person can take professional looking pictures

We also get into some serious deep life questions like who a better front man for Van Halen was – David Lee Roth or Sammy Hager, the book that most inspires him and how photography (like life) is all about persistence and creativity.

So…

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Barry Butler – Amazing Landscape photographer, and author of the book “Chicago, A City Above All.”

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In this Episode: 

Website: www.BarryButlerPhotography.com

Book: Green Eggs and Ham

Album: Best of Both Worlds (Van Halen’s Greatest Hits)

Lowlights: 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Finals

Today’s guest is Mike Thomas

Mike Thomas a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a 7x All-American swimmer and a member of Cal Berkeley’s 2019 NCAA National Championship Swim Team when the Cal Bears defeated the University of Texas Longhorns.

Growing up, Mike attended Hatboro Horsham High School outside of Philadelphia, where he broke the National 100m Backstroke record during his junior year and was one of the top swim recruits in the nation coming out of high school. 

After an impressive 4 year swim career at Cal Berkeley, where he also competed at the Olympic trials, Mike Thomas traded diving into the swimming pool for jumping into wild fires.

Mike began training to become a wildland firefighter for Cal Fire. And soon found himself on the front lines battling some of the largest wildfires in California State history.

Mike and I discuss what it's like to be on the front lines of historic wildfires, his training to become a Swiftwater and flood rescue technician and his current job of paramedic.

Mike and I also get into what he calls the toughest challenge he ever faced, the untimely death of his dad who was diagnosed and battled with leukemia during his junior year at Berkeley. Man, that’s got to be really hard.

Mike and I also discuss the importance of establishing a nighttime routine that sets your next day up for success, the book that most influenced his life and why hard work and humility are the trademarks of a champion.

At 24 years old, Mike is the youngest guest we’ve had on the podcast and one of the most impressive. You can’t help but be impressed and motivated after you speak with him. It’s remarkable how he tackles the obstacles life throws at him and the tenacity and focus he attacks the goals he places in front of him.

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Mike Thomas, 7x All American, member of Cal Berkley’s 2019 National Championship Swim Team, Wild Land Fire Fighter and Paramedic. 

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In This Episode:

Video: 2019 NCAA National Swim Championships

Book: The Power of Now

Website: Cal Fire

Today’s guest is Joe Gozdieski

Joe Gozdieski is the Senior Director of Commercial Effectiveness and Training for a specialty pharmaceutical company in San Diego, California. 

Joe has about as an impressive of a resume as you are going to see in the corporate world and a remarkable story to tell.. Joe is a US army veteran and commissioned officer through the ROTC program where he was the cadet battalion commander for 13 schools.

Joe earned two undergraduate degrees at the same time from 2 different colleges:  A mechanical engineer degree from Seaton Hall (where he played D1 soccer and was a member of SH’s 1991 Big East Championship team) & a physics degree at NJ institute of technology. He also has an MBA from USC.  

Joe and I discuss how failure is our greatest teacher and what he learned from he calls his greatest failure & regret – dropping out of the Army’s Ranger School. And how that changed his mindset about preparation and making sure the people he leads in the corporate world today are prepared and equipped with everything they need to succeed.  

We also get into how seeing his mom suffer from mental illness led him to the world of pharmaceuticals so he could have a positive impact and help other families and patients suffering from mental illness. 

Thank you for listening.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Joe Gozdieski.

And remember… “Life is built, not born".

Mentioned In this Episode:

Book: GRIT (by Angela Duckworth)

Book: Failing Forward (by John C. Maxwell)

Book: The Daily Stoic (by Ryan Holiday)

Today’s guest is Marco “The Professor” Perazzo.

Marco Perazzo is a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, owner and head instructor New Jersey Marital Arts located in Maple Shade, NJ. Marco known in the BJJ community as “The Professor” has been cornerman for MMA fighters competing in the UFC and in Bellator. 

Marco is also the  is co-host (or likes to say the main cohost of the popular Ninja Rob Podcast) where he discusses all things MMA.

Marco, a native of South Philadelphia, spent his early years between his home in South Philadelphia, and visiting Argentina (where his mother was born), and Italy (where his father was born).

After graduating high school with no real direction or long-term plan, Marco attended then quickly dropped out of Temple University. Marco started working a health insurance company until one day in the early 1990’s his life changed direction forever when he went over a friend’s house and watched a bootlegged recording of the first UFC that showed a undersized Royce Gracie easily defeating bigger, stronger, faster opponents using the then little understood techniques of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. 

Marco describes what it was like starting his BJJ training with Steve Maxwell at Maxercise and how he met Phil and Ricardo Migliareese, who he established a 30+ year friendship and how he still continues to learn from the brothers to this day. 

Marco describes the conversation early on in his BJJ journey that led him to lose 70 pounds. Marco and I also discuss his philosophy of the business world, BJJ and life is built on establishing great relationships and being able to work with people. 

We discuss why a teacher student relationship is built on trust and we get into what he believes are the amazing mental and physical benefits of training a combat martial art like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. 

We get into what it was like to lead a small business through a global pandemic and how the pandemic taught him when times get tough, it’s no the time to be a boy scout.

Marco describes the rush of emotion of what it is like to walk your fighter into the ring of a UFC fight and why some of his greatest learnings in BJJ and life are from noticing the little details.

We also touch on “The Professor's” bout with COVID-19 that sent him to the hospital for multiple days .

So…

Thank you for listening.  

We just past the 1,200 download mark. 

To everyone who has texted and messaged encouraging messages and things I need to do better…I really appreciate it.  

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with “The Professor” Marco Perazzo – BJJ blackbelt, entrepreneur, UFC Cornerman, and main host of the Ninja Rob podcast

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In This Episode:

Marco's BJJ Academy: New Jersey Martial Arts (Maple Shade, NJ)

Marco's Podcast: The Ninja Rob Podcast:

Book: Into the Wild (Jon Krakauer)

Today’s guest is Dr David Meltzer

David Meltzer, OD is a US Army veteran of the Iraq War and an optometrist at Salus University in Philadelphia. David Melter has literally looked into the eyes of killers and lived to tell the story. 

David is a native of Rockville, Maryland. After spending the better part of his high school days skipping school and getting bad grades, he was rejected form the University of Maryland.

So, at 17 years old, on a whim, David decided to join the Army, where he was assigned to a healthcare unit.

After his army training, attending optometry school and Hahnemann University, David found himself being shipped off to Iraq as part of a surgical team attached to the US Army’s 1st Armored Division. 

Being one of only a few eye doctors early in the Iraq war, David frequently got calls to treat not only injured members of the US military, but high value prisoners after they were captured and needed medical care.

David treated multiple members of the infamous Iraqi “deck of cards”, including none other than the Ace of Spades himself - Saddam Hussain. David also treated Saddam’s top general “Chemical” Ali and the Iraq’s Foreign Minister and chief propagandist Tariq Aziz.

David shares some fascinating stories of what it was like to literally look into the eyes of killers.

David describes what happened when “Chemical” Ali, known for using chemical weapons against the Kurdish people, came face to face in a hallway with a Kurdish translator, who was working with the American forces, whose entire family was killed in those attack

David also tells us about the time he was called to a prison to treat Saddam Hussain only a few days after he was captured.

After the war, David tells stories of the multiple leaders at he was called to treat during his time at Walter Reid Hospital, including the then Vice President Joe Biden. 

David and I also discuss his time treating at the US Military Academy at West Point how he started the sports vision program there for the cadets

David and I also discuss how he got connected to Dr Dan Laby - a thought leader in the field of vision - and how that collaboration has led to David becoming the Spring Training eye doctor to multiple major league sports teams like the Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs.

We end our chat with how David got involved with the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team and how he plays ice hockey on an injured warriors hockey team that takes the ice vs. NHL legends like John LeClair, Mark Howe, Danny Brier and Kjell Sameulson. 

We wrap things with David’s thoughts on why today’s high school students could benefits from that military services can provide today’s college age students.

So …

Thank you for listening.

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Dr David Melter – Iraqi war veteran, hockey player, and eye doctor to the famous and infamous

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Mentioned In This Episode:

LinkedIn: David Meltzer, OD

Book: Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Eye Clinic: Salus University (Philadelphia, PA)

Iraqi Deck of Cards

Eye Clinic: Sports Vision NYC - Dr Dan Laby

Mike Collins is the head baseball coach at Bloomsburg University.

Coach Collins is the all time winningest coach in program history. He is a 3x winner of the PSAC Coach of the Year and in the Spring of 2021 lead the Huskies to their first ever back to back PSAC Championships when they knocked off #6 in the nation Seton Hill on their home turf. 

Mike, a native of Scranton, PA, graduated from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Arts in politics. At Saint Joe’s, Mike played Division I baseball where he was a two-time team captain and four-year letter winner.

After suffering a season ending knee injury during his senior year, Mike spent a lot of time during his rehab just sitting in the dugout and observing and learning the game from a different perspective. He then got the idea that he wanted to become a baseball coach after his playing career was over. 

After graduating college, Mike Collins had to put in long hours and even longer cross-country drives to make his dream of being a head coach a reality.

Mike’s first coaching job was at Keystone junior college, where he not only had to build a program, but had to work blue collar jobs when not on the field to help pay the bills.  Then Mike moved on to Binghamton University where he served as assistant coach and head of recruiting. His recruiting duties at Binghamton found him living out of his car and driving across the country scouting prospects from PA to California. It was not unusual for Mike to leave the field after a game, jump into his car and drive across country to go recruit. 

In 2005, Mike Collins was offered the head coaching job at Bloomsburg University, a program that at the time was in need of a rebuild.  

Mike and I discuss what he looks for in the student athletes and how his program at Bloomsburg has evolved into a Division 2 powerhouse in the highly competitive PSAC.

Coach Collins also tells us why he believes a successful college program is not defined by wins and losses only. We discuss his “40-year Plan” that focuses on helping his players develop into future leaders that will play a positive role in the local communities and helps them succeed in life long after their playing days are over. 

Coach Collins also discusses why it's so important his players play a positive role in their local community and how the program engages their alumni to help work with their current players as they get ready to enter the work force. 

We also get into why positivity plays such an important role in his leadership style, what book has influenced him and the intangibles that make a great collegiate baseball player

Thank you for listening.

If you like what you hear, please HIT the SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. 

We have a bunch of cool interviews, like this one, to come.

Enjoy my conversation with Mike Collins - 3x PSAC Coach of the Year and all-time winningest coach in program history.

And remember… “Life is built, not born…”

Website: Bloomsburg University Huskies

Twitter: Coach Mike Collins

IG: Coach Mike Collins

Author: Jon Gordon

Book: The Power of Positive Leadership