Chiseled with Rob Commodari

If you're a business professional who believes in the notionthat "givers gain," you're probably familiar with Bob Burg.

Bob, an entrepreneur and leadership trainer, isknown for his "Endless Referrals" sales training classes. He alsoco-authored the book TheGo-Giver with John David Mann. The Go-Giver has sold 1 million copies and has been translated into 30languages. It is listed by Inc.Magazine as No. 10 of the most motivational booksever written.

Motivate is what Bob does. He teaches salesprofessionals and leaders how to communicate their value to acceleratetheir business growth. He is an "unapologetic" believer in the freemarket system and says the amount of money one makes is directly proportionalto how many people one serves.

"The people who are most successful in sales,most sustainably successfully, (are) always the ones who (are) more focused ongiving value to others," Bob told me.

In this episode of Chiseled, Bob shares the principles behind The Go-Giver, which draws on storytelling and parables to teach the fivelaws of stratospheric success. These are defined as the laws of value,compensation, influence, authenticity, and receptivity.

I'm not going to give the whole podcast away and Icouldn't possibly tell you all the valuable nuggets in the book, so you'll justhave to listen to Bob's summary. Bob is full of wisdom, which he relays soclearly that you may instantly want to go out and buy his books. It was myhonor to interview Bob in one of my shortest but most jam-packed podcasts yet.

If you'd like to reach Bob and get a copy of hisDaily Impact email, you can sign up at burg.com. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episodeof Chiseled.

Robert Taylor Jr. will never forget 12/1/21 and not just because the date reads the same backward and forward. That's the night that Coach Taylor survived a massive cardiac event thanks to "everybody (doing) what they were supposed to do that night perfectly."
Rob is a physical trainer who has worked with Olympians and NFL sports teams as well as youth and college athletes. You'd expect him to be tough.
But when he woke up that December night to the feeling of a "singular 18-wheeler" hitting him in the chest and running down his right arm, he wasn't sure what was going on. Moments later, a "highway of 18 wheelers" went through his chest and he was thrown to the floor from the pain.
"I'm 240 pounds. I'm not normally knocked on my rear end," he said.
Unsure about whether he was having a heart attack since the pain was in his right arm, not his left, his wife got him into the car to drive to Baltimore's St. Joseph's hospital.
They never made it.
Through a series of wild events that he describes in this week's episode of Chiseled, Rob shares through laughter and tears the details of that night, how it has affected his life and business, and what he does with the knowledge he gained from the experience.
You may want to grab a tissue for this episode. It's an emotional roller coaster in the best kind of way.
I've known Rob for about eight years. Our friendship dates back to the days he trained my soccer-playing daughter while she attended Maryvale High School in Baltimore (she also played soccer for four years while studying at Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore). He is a tough but lovable coach and his philosophy and skills have changed the lives of countless athletes. My family is fortunate to have had him come into our lives and we're glad he's still in them.
If you'd like to reach Rob, you can download his ebusiness card from callcoachtaylor.com. His information will be entered directly into your phone's contact list. You will also receive great coaching videos and other information about Smarter Team Training. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled

Michael Schiff admits he could have been in thecriminal Hall of Fame by the time he was in 8th grade. Arrested six timesbefore age 16 on drug possession, shoplifting, destruction of property, andother charges, he ended up in a juvenile detention center followed by a rehabcenter followed by a state-run military school.
It was there, in 11th grade, that Mike found hisfirst mentor, a football coach who taught him and his teammates their firstlessons in self-respect.  
"He was a father figure to me. He was afather figure to many other guys. He really taught me that relationship betweencoach and coachee," Mike said.
Mike rose in the ranks, becoming captain of thefootball team and a battalion commander in charge of 250 corps cadets. Butafter 19 months clean, he fell backward again when he started taking medicineto manage the pain of a root canal.
"I thought it would be a good idea to doubleup on my meds — what the nurse would dispense out — and save them all for aFriday night, and by doing so ... I released my addiction all over again,"he said.
After a second attempt at recovery, Mike wasaccepted to the University of Florida in Gainesville. There, he relapsed oncemore and started down another dangerous path. Arrested again, he was sentencedto one year and one day in prison. As an imprisoned senior fearful for hisfuture, that was the final straw. Mike has been in recovery, clean and sobersince Nov. 18, 2003.
Mike eventually graduated college, a day he callsone of the top five of his life. He also succeeded in getting his recordexpunged. He considers himself extremely lucky and tries to pay it forwardevery day.
Mike is someone whom I call a friend, and I aminspired by his leadership. Earning his real estate license in 2004, he now owns a real estateteam that sells $100 million in real estate and 350 homes a year. He works to find recovery housing space in the Baltimoremetro market for others dealing with addiction, and he runs a private Facebookgroup for real estate professionals who are active in recovery.
Mike has faced setbacks, but he says they are no longer atrigger for relapse. Even so, he says when he thinks he's got it allfigured out, he knows he, like all of us, is still a work in progress. That'sone reason why I am so happy Mike is my guest this week on Chiseled.

If you'd like to reach Mike, you can find him on Instagram or through his closed Facebook page REPAIR: Real Estate Professionals Activein Recovery.

Jim DeCarlo has had a very full life. He is the proud son of Art DeCarlo, a champion Baltimore Colts defensive back and end. He lived in Australia for 24 years, lured by the offer to play indoor lacrosse professionally. After 22 years of success in the financial services industry down under, a $19 billion buyout of the firm where he worked as a senior executive proved to be a transformative opportunity. He decided to quit the firm and move his family of six back to Baltimore.
"I told my kids and my wife, we have two choices, we either sell the house and move to Sydney or we sell the house and move to Baltimore and everyone voted feet and hands, Baltimore," he said.
Upon his return, Jim discovered that transitions in the financial services industry in the United States were taking root more slowly than in Australia. It was another opportunity for transformation.
"It was a gift to see around the corner a little bit," he said.
Jim started working with large financial services firms, but decided his mission in the U.S. would be more than technological transformation. It would also be a chance to build an environment where capitalism stands by its original promise to help employees reap the rewards of their commitments.
In this episode of Chiseled, Jim shares when he realized the move back to Baltimore was a leap of faith, why he's energized to change the organizational culture of financial firms, and what we all can do to find more joy, purpose, and value while we still have time on this Earth.
It was a pleasure to speak to Jim for this episode of Chiseled, and I am really moved by the insights, perspectives, and honesty he brought to the conversation. If you would like to contact Jim you can find him on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Greg Kettner got started in comedy on a dare. After watching hockey with his buddies one night, on their way home they passed a pub that was holding an open mic night. After a couple drinks, he got the courage to stand up and tell some stories. The rush was so big, he returned the next week, and kept up the weekly routine until he got a call to become a comedy club emcee.
From there, Greg hit the comedy circuit. For almost a decade, he toured North America, opening for no less the likes of Robin Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Norm MacDonald, and Gilbert Gottfried.
But it was a lonely and financially unsatisfying place.
"The downside was I wasn't getting paid that much so it took me about six years to figure out that I like money more than I like standup," he said. "But now I've been able to combine the two."
About four years ago, Greg founded WorkHappy, a coaching program that teaches corporate leaders how to communicate, remember where they want to go, how they want to get there, and how to blow off steam rather than "bottling it up and just blowing a gasket."
"We spend two-thirds of our day, a lot of us working, and when we're not happy, it's a grind," he said.
Working in suicide prevention and mental wellness, Greg also founded Men in the Middle, a fellowship program in his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington. The program enables bonding experiences and teaches men how to care for themselves and talk openly about mental health.
"If we take care of each other, take care of ourselves, the world's a much better place," he said.
I met Greg through a mutual friend and I'm so glad I did. He made me laugh throughout this interview, and I'm sure you will too listening to his stories and natural timing. I'm sure I will be following his mantra to "laugh every day. Put it on your calendar."
Greg also runs the Facebook group, The Humor Lab, which he launched during the pandemic lockdown. Nonpolitical and PG-13-rated, the group now has more than 38,000 members. I encourage you to look it up when you need a laugh. If you'd like to reach Greg, you can do so on LinkedIn or on his website, GregKettner.com. 
I hope you get a bellyfull of laughs from this week's podcast.

As a 9-year-old, Missouri native John O'Leary wasnearly killed while playing with fire. Burned on 100 percent of his body with89 percent covered in third-degree burns, John was not expected to live thefirst night. 
But then something happened, call it a miracle. Through thepower of countless people all striving to keep John alive, not to mention thewell wishes from near and far, including President Ronald Reagan, Pope JohnPaul II, sports announcer Jack Buck, NHL star Gino Cavallini and the entire St.Louis Blues hockey team, John pulled through. 
But that's just John's origin story. John survived, but hefelt lost trying to fit in. Throughout his youth, he would try to be likeeveryone else by taking big risks, whether physical feats, drinking, or otherextreme behavior.
"Anything someone else would do I would do even biggerand better to prove that I was ordinary," he said. "I wasn'tchiseled, I was bandaged. I was just raft with lies and a mask." 
At age 28 while working construction, John was asked to sharethe story of how he was burned — and he said "yes" for the firsttime. So, he spoke to a Girl Scout troop of three. 
"I did a lousy job. I was not even paid with a box ofSamoas," he joked. 
But one of the girl's fathers asked John to speak at hisRotary Club. That grew to another speaking gig and then more and more speakingengagements, not to mention two books, including the Number 1 bestseller,"On Fire, The Seven Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life,"which has sold 250,000 copies and been translated into 12 languages.
"I'm not afraid of the scars anymore," John said."By saying 'yes' to others, I began to realize the dignity of my ownstory."
Over the years, John has spoken publicly 2,500 times andreached several million people to reveal "what happens when we allowourselves to be used for something bigger than ourselves." 
I am so inspired by John, not only because of the greatbaseball stories he shares about Jack Buck and the dozens of signed baseballshe received, but also because John embodies the principles of faith, healing,and dedication to purpose. 
John shares his story and the lessons he's learned in thisweek's episode of Chiseled. If you'd like to reach John, you can do soon one of his two websites, JohnOLearyInspires.com and readinawe.com, whichwill also give you the opportunity to take the 21-day challenge to sparkinspiration, meaning, and joy. Check it out and enjoy this week's podcast.

A.J. Yager's grandfather had a lot to do with where A.J. istoday — a highly successful hypnotherapist, emotion and performance coach basedout of Eden, Utah.
"My grandfather was a mentor early in my life," he said. "Hechallenged me to have a self-study course outside of school or sports."
When A.J. was a boy and wanted to achieve a goal, his grandfather would makehim read a book, watch a video or listen to an audiotape by Tony Robbins,Napolean Hill, Dennis Waitley, and others. His granddad told A.J. to studythese and other self-development leaders for 45 minutes per day and write downhis thoughts. At the end of the week, A.J. and his grandfather would reviewwhat he learned.
"All these different self-development topics that he wanted to startingraining into my unconscious mind at a young age," A.J. recalls of hisstudies. "Basically, that got me into a place where I wanted to help otherpeople."
A.J. started his career path when he was just 10 years old.By age 17, he owned a computer maintenance business and was attendingdevelopment seminars with his grandfather. He has been professionally coachingsince he was 18 years old.
Now 42, A.J. helps people recode their unconscious mind and move out ofunhealthy patterns of suppression into healthier patterns of connections. Healso helps business owners translate their data into growth.
I had the pleasure of interviewing A.J. a few months back and am glad tofinally get this episode of Chiseled out to you. A.J.'s knowledge of how themind works and how to surface the unconscious to achieve what you are set outto do is the true meaning of chiseling. If you're like me, you will befascinated by what he had to tell me.
Want to reach A.J. and learn more about how your mind can affect your physicaland mental wellbeing and what you can do to evoke the incredible amounts ofpotential in your brain? You can reach him on hiswebsite and connect for a complimentary introductory call. I'msure you will immediately tap into some new insights about yourself and yourrelationship to the world around you.

#awareness

#theunconsciousmind

#chiseled

#mentalwellbeing

You may remember David Sidoni from the 1990s. He was the PatSajak of the tween set (were they called 'tweens' back then?). David had abrief but successful career on TV and in music videos, most notably on thesketch comedy show Roundhouse and as host of Wheel 2000,the kids' version of the game show Wheel of Fortune. 
But David decided to put his acting career behind him and gointo real estate. 
"As I got into real estate, everyone said, 'Oh, you'regoing to be great in real estate (because) you're an actor.' Eh. You're more astage manager. You put out fires all the time," he said.
Nonetheless, David was happy getting chiseled into the'David' he wanted to become. But after years in the business, he startednoticing a trend that unsettled him and he realized he wanted to focus on theparts of the job that he loved.
From there he launched his podcast, How to Buy aHome, now in its fourth year. It focuses primarily on first-timehomebuyers, a third of the market but a segment that David says most real estatecompanies ignore. 
"Go to all the big ones, I don't care who it is —Keller, eXp, Compass, Coldwell, Sotheby’s. It's listings, listings, listings.What other business totally ignores one third of the customer base? It blows meaway."
I met David not long ago and I am trying on my unicorn hornas one of his referral partners. It seems to fit nicely. More so, I'm happy tohave a "guy" on the show with boundless energy and true passion forwhat he does. I am sure you will feel his energy and joy in this week's episodeof Chiseled.
If you would like to get in touch with David, all of his contact informationcan be found on HowtoBuyaHome.com.

Mary LouKayser is a best-selling author of seven books, a podcaster, educator, writer,and mother of two. She is also a listener of the universe. And when it sendsher a message, she's ready to receive it. But at no time did she expect amessage to tell her that she needed to write a book of poems.
However, when her father unexpectedly passed awayand a new person came into her life who had a profound influence on her, shewas tuned in for the signs. And she got one.
"I started getting downloads from a highersource and they were coming to me as poems," she said. "So I juststarted collecting and writing them down."
Months later, she found she had a collection thathit on four themes: leaving, grieving, loving, and being. She put them togetherand published the set in her new book The FarUnlit Unknown, which she describes as a take on "non-obviousleadership development."
Mary Lou calls her newest book a gift to herselfand an opportunity to move toward her next calling, whatever that may be.Indeed, Mary Lou teaches that resistance or preventing yourself fromgoing after new goals is the enemy of a fulfilled life.
"At the end of the day you're the only personwho stops you," she said. "It's up to us to say 'yes' to ideas."
I was fortunate to meet May Lou through our mutualconnection Tommy Breedlove. She has amazing insights and I'm happy to be ableto share some of them with you in this week's episode of Chiseled, the podcastfor those of us who are still a work in progress.

#Chiseled

#Rejectingresistance

#awareness

#resistanceistheenemy

At age 21, Ty Nichols was "cooking" as Comcast's top Mid-Atlantic regionsalesman for 19 months in a row. He was looking to buy property in Panama andcreate a successful life and career — until he ended up in the wrong place atthe wrong time.

Hanging out with friends he had known sincepreschool, Ty found himself caught in a massive brawl. Though a bystander, hewas arrested and charged with first-degree assault and second-degree murder.

"I'm staring down a million-dollar bond and Ididn't even do anything," he said. Ty ended up getting sentenced to 15years, which was suspended to five. He served three years in a statepenitentiary.

A former Catholic school student, Ty turned to theBible on his first night in jail. He opened up to a random page and landed onPsalm 1, whose first line starts with "Blessed is the one who does notwalk in step with the wicked." Ty knew that he had to steer clear oftroublemakers and eliminate from his life the people who got him into his mess.

"Those that you surround yourself with dohave a massive impact on your life," he said.

After his release, Ty did everything he could tosay on the straight and narrow path. After several attempts to find work,Target finally gave Ty a chance. He worked his way up, eventually becoming astore manager, team leadership trainer, and recruiter. After 14 years atTarget, Ty moved on and opened up his own business. He now teachesprofessionals and leaders how to be more productive, more impactful, and moreinfluential through behavior design and habit formation.

To get to his success Ty needed motivation,skills, and the will to succeed. It wasn't easy, but thanks to a little helpfrom new friends, a supportive wife, lots of dedication, and a clearvision, Ty is a public speaker, a behavioralist, and the "habitstrategist," who helps individuals reach the mindset they need to achievetheir goals.

I was fortunate to be introduced to Ty by ourmutual Toastmaster friends, Karen and Frank Story. Ty really teaches us thatanything is possible — both good and bad — and how we use the lessons from ourexperiences will determine how our futures will progress. I'm pleased to shareTy's engaging story and insights on this week's episode of Chiseled.

#awareness

#habitstrategist

#behavioralist

#chiseled