Chiseled with Rob Commodari

Chiseled with Rob Commodari

By Robert CommodariEducationSelf-Improvement
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Chiseled with Rob Commodari episodes

  • Chiseled Ep 94 - Being at Peace during a Near Death Experience - Steven Cericola

    Steven Cericola was a bit of a wild child. One of six siblings, he was labeled by classmates as the "guy most likely to be dead at 25." But even in his heady youth, he was athletic. He started swimming in the ocean at age 10. He was a competitive distance swimmer in high school.


    Eventually, Steve got serious about his life, attending Johns Hopkins University part-time to earn a degree in mechanical
    engineering, and settling down with his wife Robyn.

    So, it was quite ironic that he would have a near-death experience while swimming during a family vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

    "I body-surfed in on one of the waves ... I heard all this screaming and commotion so when I turned around to see what was happening, the wave was crashing, was pretty much almost up to my face level," he said. "I was tumbling around in the wave like you were a load of laundry in a dryer."

    Steve was slammed into the ground with a force so hard, he thought he hit a rock. That's when he had an other-worldly experience.

    "I was face down in that water, in that warm, serene pocket for, it felt like a long time, that's all I can tell you. And then the next thing I know I felt like it was this kind of like a nudge, like a nudge like, 'You can't stay, you have to go,'" he said.

    Steve estimates he was under water for maybe a minute, but he doesn't know for sure. He does know that when he was about to let go of his remaining breath, his nephew pulled him to the surface.

    Steve was badly injured, his body radiating with severe nerve pain. Taken to the hospital, he had spinal surgery the next day followed by a long period of rehab. The arduous journey back to health has had its highs and lows, and Steve says he still feels residual pain and numbness. But one thing he is sure of — he was being protected that day.

    "I feel like sharing this story with people just to let them know there's something more out there," he said. "There's something way better than here. No one can convince me otherwise."

    Steve has been a friend of mine since high school. He has been blessed with a close family, a good career, and a deep faith. I am thankful he's still with us today, and I am grateful that he shared his story with me.

    If you want to talk to Steve about his experience, you can reach him on his Facebook or LinkedIn page. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy hearing his story on this week's episode of Chiseled.

     


    37 min
  • Chiseled Ep - 93 A Journey of Faith and Survival - Eberhard Samlowski

    Eberhard Samlowski, a devout Christian and retired surgeon, knew before the doctors told him in 2022 that he had esophageal cancer. They suggested a three-part treatment — chemotherapy, radiation, and a risky surgery. Eberhard knew the odds were not good. He also had a trip scheduled to Saudi Arabia, a pilgrimage he had been waiting 30 years to take. He was headed to the concealed potential site that many locals and several archeological and biblical scholars believe is Mt. Sinai.


    The doctors told Eberhard that it was unwise for him to make the trek, and that he had a limited chance of survival without
    surgery. But as a man of faith and science, and with an irresistible zest for life, Eberhard wasn't about to abandon his dream.

    "They basically said that ... I was pointing a gun to my head, and they can't stop me, but they strongly advised against
    going. But I said I'm climbing Mt. Sinai," Eberhard, a former extreme athlete, said. "I wasn't willing to give up my lifestyle."

    Before he left, Eberhard investigated medical options that might increase the 5 percent odds the doctors gave him of
    survival. An Ivermectin and Fenbendazole cocktail later, Eberhard started healing even while on his journey. His lifelong devotion to God was also magnified and reaffirmed.

    "Everything has just been solidified in my mind that the Bible is actually true, that the things that are talked about in the Bible, including miracles, all happened, so I've just accepted all that," he said.

    Two and a half years later and having never had the
    esophagectomy, Eberhard has gone from thinking of himself as a "dead man walking" to planning for his future — even after a new diagnosis of kidney cancer. He is now teaching people not only about the convincing evidence of the Bible's literal truth but also alternative therapies that traditional Western medicine does not yet fully embrace.

    Are you interested in finding out how Eberhard is
    managing his cancer or want to learn more about the many ways God has intervened in his life? You can reach out to him on Facebook. He is also available at the email address he shares at the end of this week's episode of Chiseled. 

    43 min
  • Chiseled Ep 92 - Advocating for Yourself and Others - Alice Tang

    They say dynamite comes in small packages, and

    Alice Tang, all five feet of her, is full of spark. An immigrant from China, she arrived in the United States 30 years ago with her husband, who had been hired by a U.S. tech company. But with no work visa or her own, Alice started to languish.
    "I was truly struggling as a stay-at-home wife with no status to work here," said the self-described extrovert. "I didn't feel good about myself. My behavior wasn't good, and it impacted my relationship, my marriage."
    Alice, ever the problem-solver, asked her husband if the company would sponsor a family Green Card, which would enable her to work as well. The firm said yes,
    and Alice got a second chance. She registered in college and acclimated with others trying to launch a career for themselves.
    "It gave me the curiosity and the possibility," she said. "You forget about feeling pity for yourself."
    Flash forward to today: Alice has been a financial advisor for 23 years, working for the last 18 years with BPG Wealth Management in Portland, Oregon. She specializes in helping women find their "financial confidence" and self-esteem.
    "A lot of times women are told that we're not enough. Either we're told that or it's implied," she said. "My goal is to have people have confidence in their finances (so) that they are resilient, they don't need to worry."
    Alice, who says she's always been a Christian, but became a "woman of faith" after she entered the United States, said God is always there, ready to guide. That's where she gets her motivation to help others.
    "The goal is one woman at a time," she said. "We're in a
    ministry. It's not about money, it's about what is the ministry behind the work that you and I do."
    If you would like to contact Alice to discuss your financial situation or gain financial confidence, she shares her email address during the podcast. She can also be reached on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, enjoy this week's short, sweet, and explosive episode of Chiseled. 

    Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc.member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.   

    31 min
  • Chiseled Ep 91 - Never Failing - Lindsey Hanson

    When a cruel prank during a drunken rager turned

    into a stop in the local hospital psych ward, then-20-year-old Lindsey Hanson knew something had to change. Released to her parents' custody, she returned
    home and decided to start right then.
    "I looked (my mom) in the eye, and said 'I need help,'" Lindsey said. "I was ready."
    Rather than go to a program, Lindsey stayed home to detox in her parents' care, a decision that she said enabled her to start over.
    "I went through four weeks of detoxing, which was absolutely horrid, but on the other side of that is when I started to be able to start feeling human again and working on myself again."
    After 10 years teetotaling, Lindsey now occasionally indulges in a libation, not because she needs it, but because she has turned her experiences into a self-care program that relies on "intentional effortlessness."
    For Lindsey, that means a lot of therapy, journaling, gratitude, planning, and self-care, which includes a dedicated effort to focus on one's own behavior and
    decision-making, as she explains in the podcast.
    Lindsey has found that using an array of tools available, she is able to "make sure I'm regulating that temperature inside me" so that she doesn't overheat, relapse, or lose focus on the future.
    She says the routine will be different for everyone, and she can't make decisions for others, but she can empower people with the tools they need to make their own choices.
    "If you make a mistake your story is not over," she said. "It
    doesn't matter where you've been, who you've been. Grit and determination are the No. 1 things that make sure you never fail."
    Lindsey, former operations manager for "Legendary" Tommy Breedlove, is now helping others achieve their success through her podcast, “Productivity
    with Peace of Mind.” She is willing to help anyone who finds themselves struggling with behaviors they can't seem to control.
    For those who want to give her a buzz or seek out her assistance, feel free to email her at [email protected]. In the meantime, I encourage you to sit back and listen to her incredible story on this week's Chiseled.



    38 min
  • Chieseld Ep 90 Sorrow & Joy in the Midst of Grief - Bob Arnold

    The worst thing imaginable happened to Bob Arnold and his wife Jeanne in 2002. They were getting ready for bed and a coroner calls. Their 23-year-old daughter Marcie

    was found dead in her apartment nearly 500 miles away.

    Marcie, a vibrant young woman who was just getting established in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., was talking with a friend on the phone when the conversation went silent. She had suffered QT prolongation, sudden death from cardiac arrest, a rare occurrence that afflicts people with arrythmia, or irregular heartbeat.

    It is a tragedy that no parent should have to endure. But rather than get angry or go into denial, Bob and Jeanne chose another route to confront their suffering.

    "I knew one thing that had to happen in order to do that ... is to really be honest about what's going on," Bob said. "Trying to think of all the ways to try to rationalize this or deal with this, I knew none of those were reality."

    Bob started journaling. In the first three years after Marcie's death, he wrote 1,300 pages to help him "sort through the depths of despair" he was feeling.

    Those reflections turned into a book authored by Bob and Jeanne called When the Circle is Broken:
    Our Journey Through Deep Sorrow and Surprising Joy in the Loss of Our Daughter.

    The suffering also led Bob to ministry. The Arnolds now have a 70-acre farm in Western Maryland named Marcie's Meadow, which serves the ministry. They help people who are facing illness, death, divorce, or family difficulties find the joyous hand of God in their sorrow.

    "God doesn't take away the pain, but the pain
    continually became a healing agent," he said. "It (keeps) shaping and reforming and reforming, and in the process, we meet this compassionate and caring God."

    Bob's spirituality is evident in this week's episode of Chiseled. He tells a profound story of sorrow and joy and shares a path to healing that we can all follow. 

    Bob's ministry is available to anyone who needs a lift. He
    can be reached at his email or phone number, which he shares at the end of the episode. Meanwhile, you can check out his ministry at his website, meadow4.org. 

     

    44 min
  • Chiseled Ep 89 Acts of Kindness - Paul Hunter

    The doctor who let Paul Hunter know he had back of throat and neck cancer did not have much of a bedside manner. According to Paul, he came in and said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this. You have cancer and your life is changed forever." Then he handed him a reference for an oncologist and sent him out the door.
    Paul could have let that curt diagnosis impact his reaction. But after he and his wife drove a bit, pulled over to pray, and then went home to be with their kids, they knew they were going to get through it.
    Paul moved forward with the monthslong "hell" of treatment, but he never let it get the better of him. In fact, he says a lot of joy came from it.
    "Nobody wishes to go through suffering but there's good there," he said. "Throughout the process you recognize how unbelievably great people are."
    Paul, who is a devout Catholic and a very good friend of mine, said the experience brought him closer than ever to God. Part of the reason for that was the intense kindness he experienced from countless people, including many he barely knew.
    "Humanity doesn't look so great a lot of times, but when something bad happens, people rally and they come to you and they lift you up and that it a phenomenal thing," he said.
    It's now a way of life for Paul, who is cancer-free. He is never short of giving a kindness to others suffering an affliction. He also encourages others to offer a gesture, even if feels awkward or nosy.
    "People want to (help) because not only they want to do it for me, but it makes them feel good," he said. "It was a gift to them to say 'yes' so I let people help me."
    Paul has always had an attitude of gratitude, but if you really want to experience gratitude in action, I urge you to listen to this week's Chiseled podcast. Paul shares his email at the end in case you need help while going through a cancer diagnosis.

    42 min
  • Chiseled Ep 88 The Pleasure of Having Cancer - John McCormack

    Many people who are treated for cancer follow a routine — home, treatment, work, home. Rinse and repeat. That was the case for Florida Atlantic University (FAU)

    baseball coach John McCormack when he was getting treatment for a neuroendocrine tumor — until one day when he could not get a ride home.

    John lost weight, had no energy, and was unable to drive a car during his cancer treatment. He was feeling useless, unengaged, and completely dependent on others. His wife, also an FAU employee, had been unable to pick
    him up that Friday in January when practice had been cut short due to rain.

    Drained of strength, John nonetheless responded to the team's call to offer some thoughts during its weekly post-practice workshop. John started talking and the players rallied around, reminding him why he was a coach.

    "I felt really good about it," he said of the discussion. "On
    the way home, I called my mom and said, 'Mom, I found my purpose again.'"

    Having worked with players since becoming a recruiter and assistant coach for FAU in 1991, and then FAU's head baseball coach in 2009, John remembered that his job is not only to teach fundamentals of America's favorite pastime, but also to help young men get through college and have a good life.

    "Baseball is the easy part," he said. "Life is the hard
    part."

    John's story is personal to me. I've known him since we were competitors on the diamond when I played for FAU and he played for nearby, what was then the College of Boca Raton, and is now Lynn University. We have been friends since our final year at school. We share the philosophy that whether in real estate or sports or something else, everything we do is relational, not transactional.

    John is extending his mentorship to Chiseled listeners.
    So, after you're done listening to this week's episode, if you're looking for more information about cancer treatment or if you have a talented athlete at home, feel free to reach out to John at FAU. He says if he can help, he
    will. You can find his information on the school's website. 

     


    47 min
  • Chiseled Ep 87 The Best Tool for Success: Self-Esteem - Janell Schmittling

    Real estate agents — and anyone who may be struggling with self-esteem — are really going to enjoy this week's guest on Chiseled.


    For years, Janell Schmittling seemingly had the tools to become a successful real estate agent — but she lacked the biggest one — self-esteem. Why? Perhaps due to a lack of support from her brokerage, a lot of spinning wheels without getting results, and a husband who was suffering from alcoholism, which she blamed on herself.

    "I was really struggling," she said.

    Dealing with her husband's addiction, trying to raise young children, and not closing enough deals, Janell debated whether to leave real estate altogether. But something changed that turned everything around.

    "When things finally started shifting for me was when I finally started praying for myself, instead of (my husband). And that might sound selfish, but I started praying to God that he would change how I reacted to him. And I asked God to change me instead of him," she said. "I started focusing on myself ... and then because I made changes in myself, that actually helped my husband hit his rock bottom and realize he needed help for himself. So, it was kind of amazing."

    That's also when Janell discovered Buffini and Company. After watching a series of Buffini success stories on the Internet, she jumped all in. That was more than eight years ago. Janell started learning the systems she needed to succeed, got a great coach, and started meeting
    like-minded individuals.

    "The people I surround myself are growth-minded and they know that we are always a work in progress," Janell
    said.

    Janell now runs an all-female real estate company
    in O'Fallon, Illinois. They sold 200 homes and achieved $50 million in sales last year. By the way, her husband has been sober for eight years.

    Janell still suffers bouts of self-doubt, but she knows now, as she describes in the clip above, that she's not alone.

    And neither are you. Janell is paying it forward,
    especially by hiring and training women to be the real estate success she has shown they can be. Want to talk to Janell about lifting your own self-esteem?
    You can reach her on her email, through her company website, or call her at the number she shares at the end
    of this week's episode of Chiseled.

    41 min
  • Chiseled Ep 86 Breaking Free of the Imposter Syndrome - Patrick Lewis

    Patrick Lewis started working at Superior Rigging and Erecting Company, his dad's place of employment, at the tender age of 10. By the time he was 16, he knew he wanted to own the company. By age 27, in 2001, Patrick and his partners bought it. 
    You would think someone with that kind of focus and drive would be strutting his stuff, but Patrick, while appearing confident on the outside, was plagued by insecurity.
    Patrick was suffering an identity crisis. His need for approval prevented him from having meaningful connections because, he said, he worried that people would find out he's not that smart a guy.
    "When you're constantly worried of what someone's thoughts are of what you're doing, how you look, do you have enough money, are you making the right decisions, everything in your mind is insecure. Every thought that creeps in is a doubt," he said. 
    While having been a follower of Jesus his whole life, it was not until Patrick's mid-40s — with the help of NFL player Aaron Walker, a therapist, and lots of prayer — that he broke free of his imposter syndrome. That was the day that when God "verbally" spoke to him. But the conversation did not start quietly, as he describes in the clip above. 
    "I started by talking to God," he said. "He talked back to me, and he let me know that he loved me."
    Since then, Patrick has not had a bad day since. He has established authentic relationships with family and friends, coached the Georgia Impact girls' softball team to a 2018 PGF National Championship and .883 winning percentage over 13 years, and was named one of the top five coaches in the nation. He also grew his company fourfold. 
    Patrick attributes his success to the peace he has achieved in having a relationship with God. 
    "Anybody that knew me during this whole journey would tell you that 'all Patrick ever wanted in his life was peace,' and that's all I ever have now."
    ​
    I was one of the first people Patrick met at a Tommy Breedlove Legendary Mastermind event almost two years ago. I am fortunate since in the old days, Patrick confesses that he would never have joined one of those meetings for fear of being vulnerable. Now, he's out sharing the word.
    Want to learn more about Patrick's journey? You can DM him on Instagram or reach him through his company website.

    42 min
  • Chiseled Ep 85 Getting a Financial Education - Randy Wilson

    Randy Wilson spent most of his life wondering what he was going to do with himself. An average student who wanted to play pro basketball but lacked the height, he debated entering the military before going to a hometown university and eventually dropping out. In his early 30s and pleased to be a chain retail store manager who could afford to raise his family, his life was upended when the company filed for bankruptcy and his store was shut down.
    Plagued by self-doubt and unequipped with the education or family support he needed, Randy started searching for some answers on what to do next. He ended up at the local library, where he picked up Robert Kiyosaki's book, Retire Young, Retire Rich. From there, he realized that financial education is key to a better life.
    "I was mad at my dad for not teaching me. I thought he was holding it from me," Randy said. "What I realized was that the reason why he wasn't sharing with me is because he didn't know."
    Randy became a voracious reader, gaining financial literacy as well as inspiration through personal development. He is now paying it forward with his The Rich Mind podcast, helping others to discover what they can do to build their security, and better yet, regain control over their time.
    I met Randy while in Dallas, Texas, at a Kyle Wilson retreat. As many of you know, Kyle has helped me to build my brand and my personal development program. He has also helped Randy, who is a co-author of Think Big!, a great read about self-discovery and the power of a mentor. 
    While Randy says he is still early on in his journey, the lessons of those who come before us teach us the value of perspective. The journey must start somewhere and it's usually with the desire to take control of our path. I hope Randy's story reinforces your belief that we are all better than we think. 
    ​
    Want to hear more from Randy? You can tune into The Rich Mind podcast or go to randywilsononline.com. He is also available by email, which he shares at the end of this episode of Chiseled.

    47 min

About Chiseled with Rob Commodari

From the publisher's feed

Chiseled is the podcast to help you create awareness in your life to become the person you were created to be. Through the personal experiences of host Rob Commodari and his guests, listeners gain insights into how they are continually being chiseled away to live their fullest life. We are all a work in progress!