GO with Joe

🎧 Joe Chura is an entrepreneur, inventor, and investor philanthropist. He founded and bootstrapped two companies, Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Inspire, which both became two of the fastest-growing companies in America, earning the #39 spot on the Inc. 500 and #5 ranking on Crain’s Chicago Fast 50. In 2018, Joe sold both businesses to Cars.com in Chicago’s largest acquisition of the year, and he continues to lead their growth and innovation today as CEO. Joe’s passion is using his leadership and health and fitness experiences to help others achieve their goals, including starting an event REFUEL in December 2017, the Not Almost There Podcast in January 2021, and another event GO which was held in August of 2021.  

→IN THIS EPISODE… Joe shares with you an incredible lesson he learned from a powerful documentary that has become a life-altering mantra, "If not now, when?" He also recaps his event, GO, a one-of-a-kind day that incorporated activity with motivation. He delivered on what he promised, which was to have those who attended sweat, reflect, and be inspired.  Joe also had captivating speakers; Rich Roll, Jordan Burroughs, and Cedric King, and he breaks down who they are, what they talked about, and lessons they imparted to the audience that you can use as well. 

🔍 Breakdown with Joe Chura:

Chapter 1 (0:00​) Joe Introduces the episode

Chapter 3 (12:16) Learning from event, GO.

Chapter 4 (13:16) Learning from Rich Roll

Chapter 5 (14:13) Learning from Jordan Burroughs

Chapter 6 (15:20) Learning from Cedric King

Chapter 7 (17:31) Joe Wraps up the Episode

PETE DAVIS is a civic advocate from Falls Church, Virginia. He works on projects aimed at deepening American democracy and solidarity. Pete is the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a state policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy. In 2015, he cofounded Getaway, a company that provides simple, unplugged escapes to tiny cabins outside of major cities. His Harvard Law School graduation speech, “A Counterculture of Commitment,” has been viewed more than 30 million times.

IN THIS EPISODE… Joe and Pete talk about the concept that we are part of a generation that was told to keep our options open; when we were trying to find a job or in our personal lives when dating and trying to find a partner. Even at the most basic level, scrolling through Netflix unable to choose one movie or show. Pete also discusses stories of historical dedication and how it has progressed over the year, and not always in a positive direction. Specifically how all the new apps and trends are conditioning us to have even less dedication. Most importantly Joe and Pete talk about some great tactical ways you can start dedicating yourself to a goal today.

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Chapter 2 (2:00) Digging into dedication

Chapter 3 (3:43) The inspiration for the book

Chapter 4 (6:46) Historical stories

Chapter 5 (11:27) Make a decision

Chapter 6 (18:08) Be confident in your choices

Chapter 7 (23:00) Making your commitments count

Chapter 8 (25:41) Excel at a few things

Chapter 9 (35:04) Enjoy the process

Chapter 10 (40:20) Everyday examples of dedication

Chapter 11 (49:34) Adding chapters to the book

Chapter 12 (50:02) Wrap Up

📞 Connecting with Pete Davis:

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

RICH ROLL A graduate of Stanford University and Cornell Law School, Rich is a 50-year old, accomplished vegan ultra-endurance athlete and former entertainment attorney turned full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, popular public speaker, husband, father of 4, and inspiration to people worldwide as a transformative example of courageous and healthy living. In 2012, Rich became a #1 bestselling author with the publication of his inspirational memoir Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself. Taking up where the book leaves off, in 2013 Rich launched the wildly popular Rich Roll Podcast, which persistently sits atop the iTunes top-10 lists. In 2014, Rich & his wife Julie Piatt published the bestselling cookbook and lifestyle primer, The Plantpower Way: Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes And Guidance For The Whole Family.

IN THIS EPISODE… Joe sits down in person with the inspirational wellness advocate, best-selling author, and podcast host Rich Roll. Rich tells Joe about his crippling addiction to alcohol and how he was able to finally admit he had a problem and seek help. He talks about his relapse 13 years into sobriety, which only lasted one day, and what he learned from that experience. Rich also explains how one scary moment going up the stairs at age 39 triggered his quest to find a healthier, plant-based lifestyle. They wrap up their in-depth conversation with a look at how Rich was able to start his podcast during a time with limited resources and technology and turn it into a top-ranking, healthy lifestyle in areas of fitness, mindset, and nutrition for his listeners. 

Breakdown with Rich Roll:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Chapter 2 (2:00) Pre-podcast journey

Chapter 3 (7:26) Law trajectory

Chapter 4 (12:40) Seeing help

Chapter 5 (17:56) A moment of prayer

Chapter 6 (29:50) Health scare and a change

Chapter 7 (40:04) Giving up dairy is tough

Chapter 8 (49:52) Endurance Running

Chapter 9 (58:56) Finding ultra

Chapter 10 (1:05:45) Magic in Hawaii

Chapter 11 (1:20:34) Doing it without a net

Chapter 12 (1:38:02) Wrap Up

📞 Connecting with Rich Roll:

JORDAN BURROUGHS Olympic Gold Medalist, 4x World Champion, 2x Olympian, Husband, Dad. Jordan is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who competes at 74 kilograms. In freestyle, he is the 2012 Olympic Gold medalist, a four-time World Champion (seven-time medalist), three-time Pan American Games Gold medalist, four-time Pan American champion, and four-time US Open National Champion, making the US World or Olympic Team on nine occasions. In folkstyle, Burroughs was a two–time NCAA Division I champion for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy (equivalent to the Heisman Trophy) in 2012. Burroughs is widely known for his double leg takedown and is considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time. Burroughs’ goal is to become the winningest wrestler in American history. John Smith, the American leader, stands in first place with six total titles. In order to do surpass him, he would have to win two more world championships in addition to the five he already has. He has his sights set on another gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Dream it. Do it.

Breakdown with Jordan Burroughs:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Chapter 2 (1:00) Campers versus climber

Chapter 3 (4:08) The beginning of his wrestling journey

Chapter 4 (11:39) How much work you put in

Chapter 5 (13:31) Experiences Jordan learned from the most

Chapter 6 (18:53) Becoming an olympian

Chapter 7 (24:30) Lessons from defeat 

Chapter 8 (42:13) The daily routine

Chapter 9 (1:17:12) Spirituality and food are both fuel

Chapter 10 (50:12) Wrapping up

Material Referenced in this interview:

📞 Connecting with Jordan Burroughs:

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

CURTIS TOLER is a Chicago native and former leader of one of the city’s most notorious street gangs, Curtis serves as Director of Outreach for Chicago Cred. He is committed to impacting the culture of violence in Chicago by linking at-risk young men with chances to reset their lives through job training and permanent employment opportunities. Before joining CRED, Curtis was a gang intervention specialist and a spokesman for the peacemakers at the Faith Community of St. Sabastian’s Church. A member of the Community Justice Task Force and a Chicago Gang Historian, Curtis has received recognition from the State of Illinois Senate for his leadership efforts to bring peace to the streets, his commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities as well as for his commitment to advocating for positive changes to reduce violence in our neighborhoods. Curtis has been seen on HBO’s The CHI and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah as well as a contributor to Amanda Ripley’s book, High Conflict.

IN THIS EPISODE...Curtis shares his story with Joe; he came up in a high violent, high crime neighborhood. He was also the son of a prominent gang member. Curtis explains how he became involved with gang life and eventually moved up through the ranks to become a leader. He also shares how he decided to make a change, get out of the violence, and become an advocate for change within the inner city of Chicago, where most children and young adults are not given an opportunity at a life outside of crime and violence.

Breakdown with Curtis Toler:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Chapter 2 (2:40) Curtis’ start

Chapter 3 (12:53) Getting into the gang life

Chapter 4 (28:49) Series of horrible events

Chapter 5 (47:26) Deciding to Leave the Gang

Chapter 6 (58:52) Starting Chicago CRED

Chapter 7 (1:02:30) Social media plays a part in gang conflict

Chapter 8 (1:14:16) Programs starting in pre-school

Chapter 9 (1:17:12) How to help

Chapter 10 (1:24:25) Wrapping up

Material Referenced in this interview:

📞 Connecting with Curtis Toler:

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

Brian Reyelt is an award-winning executive chef and restauranteur for over 20 years. Brian graduated magnum cum laude from Johnson & Wales Culinary University where he studied the business side as well as the cooking side of the food world. He was invited to cook at the James Beard House, and has successfully opened several restaurants, with his first restaurant opening before he was 30 years old. Most impressively, Brian overcame his toxic relationship with alcohol. He went through years where he went down a slippery slope until he found himself in a situation that demanded change. Now he is over 4 years sober and is focusing his efforts on his mental health as well as physical health. He has run 4 marathons, swam the Long Island Sound, and most recently completed an incredible feat of finishing Kokoro Camp, a 50+ hour crucible training which mimics BUDS navy seal training’s hell week, run by Retired Navy Seal Commander Mark Divine's SealFit.

🔍 Breakdown with Brian Reyelt:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Chapter 2 (2:21) Rock BottomBrian shares the painful story of his lowest moment struggling with alcohol

Chapter 3 (6:00) Finding help

Chapter 4 (38:49) Continuing that help

Chapter 5 (47:09) Dealing with unhappiness

Chapter 6 (53:50) Finding salvation in the physical

Chapter 7 (1:12:45) Next Adventures

Chapter 8 (30:47) Wrap Up

📞 If you or someone you love is struggling:

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

⛳️  Christina Lecuyer is a former Professional Golfer, a three-time reality television competitor, Confidence + Mindset Coach, and Founder of Women with C.L.A.S.S. Mastermind, as well as Decide It’s Your Turn™. As a former professional golfer and host, Christina has helped raise millions of dollars for charity and used her skills as a human connection specialist to facilitate business relationships via the golf course. Her clients include Forbes list CEOs, Wall Street executives, and numerous global charities. Christina’s mission in life is to empower people to fully live in their purpose, confidently and successfully.

→IN THIS EPISODE…Joe and Christina bond over a shared experience, and dive into their mutual interest around confidence. They have an important discussion about confidence versus cockiness. Christina talks about balancing the two and each is important. Her insights on confidence and taking your life to the next level are spot on. Christina and Joe agree: the difference between the person making it and the one struggling is the person making it didn’t have self-doubt or negativity blocking their way. It wasn’t their credential or pedigree, it was their grit and determination.

🔍 Breakdown with Christina Lecuyer:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Joe introduces Christina Lecuyer, former Professional Golfer and confidence and mindset coach

Chapter 2 (2:19) A shared experience

Interestingly enough, Joe and Christina are in a small club of individuals who competed in this experience

Chapter 3 (6:34) Handling stress under pressure

Meditation is so important to handle stress. Make sure to take deep breaths and center yourself as much as possible

Chapter 4 (15:14) Golf Channel’s Big Break Experience

Christina was a 3x golf channel reality show contestant, and the first one was The Big Break. She shares her experience.\

Chapter 5 (18:23) The balance between confidence and arrogance

Confidence deals with self-assurance or certainty about something. There is nothing bad about being sure about yourself or what you are doing

Chapter 6 (21:46) From Pro Golf to Confidence Coach

Christina had some struggles when she was coming up in the golfing world. She had external validation, but it wasn’t coming from within. Her experiences led her to want to help others

Chapter 7 (29:15) How to implement what you learn

Taking action on what you want is so important. You need to take what you learn and make a plan on how to do it

Chapter 8 (31:48) Hurdles people face with confidence

Stop worrying about what other people think. Don’t ever quit, that is the most important thing to remember. When quitting is not an option, everything else is

Chapter 9 (39:01) Confidence coaching, what we do first

The very first thing Christina does with a new client is to answer where they are at, and what their biggest weaknesses are, and how series are you from a 1-10. Mindset is so important

Chapter 10 (48:05) How confidence relates to success

Confidence and success go hand in hand. It is imperative to believe in yourself and push yourself in order to be successful in your life

Chapter 11 (51:27) Life lesson from Alice Cooper

Christina was on a pro-am golf experience many years ago and was able to golf with Alice Cooper. She witnessed him do something that was a life lesson she never forgot

Chapter 12 (55:41) Wrap Up

Joe concludes the episode and shares his takeaways

Material Referenced in this interview:

→The Gifts of Imperfection

→The Big Break: Ka'anapali

→The One Thing by Jay Papasan

→Decide it’s your turn: The Podcast

📞 Connect with Christina Lecuyer

→https://www.instagram.com/bechristina/

→https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-lecuyer-54862b142/

→https://www.facebook.com/christina.l.salter.3

→https://christinalecuyer.com/

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/​

Connect with Joe on social here:

→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/​

→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/​

→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

🤼‍♂️ AMANDA RIPLEY is a New York Times bestselling author and an investigative journalist for The Atlantic and other magazines. Her books include High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way, and The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why. Ripley spent a decade writing about human behavior for Time magazine in New York, Washington, and Paris. Her stories helped Time win two National Magazine Awards.

→IN THIS EPISODE…Joe and Amanda discuss conflict; the different types, which conflict is good and which is bad. Amanda shares some incredible stories from the road while interviewing people who experienced high conflict in different ways from a gang member to a scholar of conflict who found himself in the same conflict he himself talks about how to avoid.

🔍 Breakdown with Amanda Ripley:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Joe introduces Amanda Ripley, New York Times bestselling author

Chapter 2 (2:51) Types of conflict

There are several different types of conflict, and not all of them are bad. Amanda explains the good kind of conflict and the bad conflict which is high conflict

Chapter 3 (8:59) How do you identify when you are in high conflict

Amanda includes a checklist in the back of her book to help identify, which she shares. Also, Amanda gives actionable tips on how to get out of it.

Chapter 4 (11:58) The Gary Freeman story

Gary Freeman is an attorney who is a conflict expert. He has been a guest lecturer at Harvard and Standford, so when his neighbors asked him to run for office in his little town he would be able to handle it, but things went very wrong. Amanda shares the story.

Chapter 5 (19:06) Tips from a gang member

Amanda worked with a gang member from Chicago which embodies the ultimate form of high conflict. He shares his story and his journey.

Chapter 6 (28:02) Changes in congress

Amanda talks about her views on congress and steps they need to take in order to get our limiting two-party system to a place of listening and out of humiliation

Chapter 7 (33:35) Company acquisition

Joe’s company was acquired and he reflects back with Amanda about the experience, and what someone can do to help ease the merging of two companies or teams.

Chapter 8 (36:47) Constructive criticism

Start with really active listening. Prove with your responses back that you have really heard them.

Chapter 9 (42:57) What would be an additional chapter

After the book was published, Amanda has heard so many great stories from people after they have read the book. One idea she would add would be about good conflict, and how it is transcendent. 

Chapter 10 (50:18) Wrap Up

Joe concludes the episode and invites Amanda to come back to talk about Smartest Kids on Earth.

Material Referenced in this interview:

→High Conflict 

→The Unthinkable

→The Smartest Kids in the World

📞 Connect with Amanda Ripley

→https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-ripley-50a22112/

→https://www.instagram.com/ripleywriter/

→https://www.facebook.com/amanda.ripley.35

→https://www.amandaripley.com/

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/​

Connect with Joe on social here:

→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/​

→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/​

→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

🏃‍♂️ RUSS RAUSCH is the Founder of Vision Pursue or VP. VP helps individuals and organizations create a Performance Mindset through their training and mobile app. Before founding Vision Pursue. Russ has worked with countless athletes in the NFL, NBA, PGA, and the Olympics. These are top athletes with an incredible amount of stress and pressure.  Russ was the COO at the hedge fund Emil van Essen. Before that he was part of the executive team that took the trading software firm, Trading Technologies, Inc. (TT), from a 20-person startup to a 650-person global company as CFO, CIO, and EVP of Global Buyside Sales. Russ lives in Chicago.

→IN THIS EPISODE…Russ and Joe talk about key tips to change up your competitive mindset by expecting the unexpected, controlling the controllable, and a game-changing acronym that will have you “see-ing” each situation differently. Russ explains how to take inspiration and turn it into action, and some tools/apps to use to help along the way.

🔍 Breakdown with Russ Rausch:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Joe introduces Russ Rausch, founder of Vision Pursue

Chapter 2 (1:51) Pivotal starting moment

Being in a job that didn’t inspire Russ was weighing on him. He shares his story of how he left his corporate job and started Vision Pursue

Chapter 3 (4:59) Impactful content

Russ shares what has inspired him, and how he was able to change his mindset.

Chapter 4 (9:58) Surrounding and the power of S.E.E

SEE doesn’t stop your emotions. However, the three steps should calm your emotions or at least allow you to access your thinking mind to make better decisions.

Chapter 5 (17:06) Performing at a high level

Performing at your highest level can be wearing. Russ explains how to combat that exhaustion

Chapter 6 (22:02) Preparation

Preparing for your day/goal is a big way of combating stress and anxiety. Russ explains the best practices of preparation

Chapter 7 (23:35) Visualization

Visualizing outcomes is a technique used by many athletes, most notably by Michael Phelps. Joe shares a story about how Phelps was able to set a record even when something goes wrong in the water.

Chapter 8 (30:47) Not Almost There, just starting

The story of how Not Almost There Started and how just starting a plan or a project and not over thinking can be a great practice.

Chapter 9 (35:57) Meditation

Mediation is an excellent school to center your thoughts and have a clear mind to take on the day.

Chapter 10 (38:18) New tools to use 

Russ shares tools/apps to use to help with your mindset journey

Chapter 11 (49:49) Upward Social Comparison

A problem we face is comparing ourselves to others. It is all over social media, and hard to avoid, but it is so important to focus on you and your family and not comparing to what others have.

Chapter 12 (1:01:09) Wrap Up

Joe wraps up the episode and shares his key takeaway. 

Material Referenced in this interview:

→The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel

→https://www.visionpursue.com/

→

📞 Connect with Russ Rausch

→https://www.linkedin.com/in/russ-rausch-7358a12/

→https://www.instagram.com/russrausch/

→https://www.facebook.com/russ.rausch

→https://www.visionpursue.com/contact-2/

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/​

Connect with Joe on social here:

→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/​

→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/​

→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura

🏃‍♂️ Dr. Noel Brick is a professor, ultra runner, and most recently a published author.  Co-authored with Scott Douglas, The Genius of Athletes focuses on successful athletes who have a toolkit of mental strategies that help them to perform at their best. The book expounds on how, once learned, these techniques can be adapted to overcome challenges in everyday life. Currently, Noel is working on his second book and is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Ulster University. He completed an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Limerick in 1997, an MSc in Sport and Exercise at Ulster University in 2003, and an MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University in 2017. In 2016 he completed a Ph.D. at the University of Limerick. Alongside his academic and research activities, Noel is also a long-distance runner and has completed more than 30 marathons and ultra-marathons including the Marathon des Sables in 2012 and the Irish 24-hour Championships in 2013.

→IN THIS EPISODE…Joe talks to Noel about his incredible book, The Genius of Athletes. We start the episode strong with Hoe asking Noel why learning to think like an athlete is so important, and the conversation just explodes from there. Noel provides tips for not just the athletes in the audience, but for everyone looking to help win in their everyday lives with goal setting, confidence building, and controlling stress levels. 

🔍 Breakdown with Noel Brick Ph.D.:

Chapter 1 (0:00) Intro

Joe introduces Noel Brick, author of The Genius of Athletes

Chapter 2 (1:12) The importance of thinking like an athlete

There is so much that happens in sport from emotions to pressure/stress. These themes can mirror in our lives

Chapter 3 (3:38) Getting into the psychology of athletics

Noel is a lecturer in sport psychology, research is his hobby. He is an ultra runner and athlete himself, and his experience and studies have brought him to interesting discoveries

Chapter 4 (12:23) Kikkan Randall mindset

Kikkan Randall is an Olympic athlete that was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is a great example of putting voice to her emotions in a healthy way is a great strategy.

Chapter 5 (20:38) Emotion regulation and expression

Emotions have such a high impact on your daily plans. It is important to implement strategies to mitigate the effect high emotion can have.

Chapter 6 (28:32) Journaling and other strategies

Planning time to worry and allowing yourself time for feelings of stress and anxiety helps to limit the control said emotions have over you. It also minimizes the moments of surprise panic, because you allowed time for those feelings.

Chapter 7 (39:12) Pre-event rituals

Noel shares some of his most effective pre-event rituals, and how you can get yourself in the right headspace before an important day.

Chapter 8 (45:22) What you can control

The theory of threat state is an idea about how you can view a situation. Noel goes into the psychology of threat and control.

Chapter 9 (48:29) Be your own coach

It is important to self-analyze and give yourself tips and strategies to be better. Set your own goals. No one should be more invested in your success than you!

Chapter 10 (52:56) 5-4-3-2-1 Method

This is a grounding method that Noel advocates for to help bring you back to the present moment.

Chapter 11 (55:37) Failure to achieve

Failing to get started can be a number one reason for failure when people set goals for themselves.

Chapter 12 (58:22) Putting thoughts to action

Having a plan to not allow your thoughts to be stagnant and not come to fruition. It is important that you put your thoughts to action.

Chapter 13 (1:05:03) Off days

You can’t allow your off days to derail your training/ambition. Everyone has off days, Noel gives examples of who to minimize your off day and how to keep your momentum going.

Chapter 14 (1:11:22) Creating new habits

Great tips on starting new habits in your everyday life. This doesn’t have to be just for your athletic goals, but for your daily goals as well.

Chapter 15 (1:28:03) Ending

Joe thanks Noel for being a part of the show, and wraps up the interview

Material Referenced in this interview:

→The Genius of Athletes

→World Class: The Making of the U.S. Women's Cross-Country Ski Team (Kikkan Randall)

📞 Connect with Noel Brick

→https://twitter.com/noelbrickie

→https://www.facebook.com/noel.brick

→https://noelbrick.com/contact-me

👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link 

→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/​

Connect with Joe on social here:

→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/​

→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/​

→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura