Erik shares some tips on financial habits to build in 2020 that will help take control of our financial situations so we can reach the goals we have set for the year.  

• Some people may have already abandoned their New Years resolutions of being better financial as this is a new decade.
• Even though that may have happened, we can start today in taking better control of our financial lives.    
• It is never too late and the tips shared can helps us get back on track.    

1. Look at the upcoming expenses and bills due whether it is rent/mortgage, electric, cable, car insurance, and/or credit card bills. We want to make sure the money is in our accounts to avoid overdraft charges that set us back even more. 

2. Track our spending on a daily basis: whether it’s online, at a store, or eating out and being aware of how much we are spending. We have to ask ourselves if we continue doing these habits will it help or hurt us financially long term. We cannot turn a blind eye to what our spending habits are if you want to become financially free.      
3. Learn something daily that will help us financially as there are uncertain times now with war and an election year that we want to be prepared because a decade ago people were not and paid the price with their jobs and finances.       

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

Rocky Garza is a Dallas-based public speaker, who focuses on helping people figure out who they are through his ‘identity mapping’ process. In this episode of Fitness & Finance, Rocky talks about how to interact and connect with other people, how to discover your uniqueness and why this is important to a more fulfilling life.  

• What was Rocky Garza’s upbringing like?   
• Rocky learned that he was really good at disclosure but not good at vulnerability.      
• Rocky has pursued many career paths, including a wedding photographer.   
• What is Rocky’s process of ‘identity mapping?’ 
• Was Rocky more of an introvert or an extrovert while he was traveling a lot when he was a kid?    
• How do we detach ourselves from our personal biases about our past?     
• How do the ‘truths’ others tell Rocky about him and the ‘truths’ he tells himself about himself apply to Rocky now?    
• How can we build connections with people a lot faster?  
• Don’t ask a question if you don’t want the answer.  
• Everyone wants to be unique, affirmed for that uniqueness, and to know we can use our uniqueness for goodness in this world.    
• How can you go about figuring out your uniqueness?  
• How can identifiers about ourselves improve our lives?  
• Being a great observer makes you better in your work life.   

1. Rocky Garza is a public speaker who spends ⅓ of his time doing workshops and keynote speeches at conferences or for companies, ⅓ on a process he calls ‘identity mapping,’ and the last ⅓ on general consulting.  

2. The two types of stories running alongside each other are the stories that have been told to us about us and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves.             

• “Whatever happens to us between the ages of 6-12 is what we do to survive. When I say  survive I don’t mean life or death, unless that’s a part of our story. Whatever we do to get by is a pretty good accurate description of how we operate as an adult.” –Rocky Garza  

• “Everybody deserves to be known and I want to help give you the language and processes required in order for you to see yourself in the way the rest of us see you.” –Rocky Garza  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Find Rocky Garza on Linkedin, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube 
• RockyGarza.com

In this episode of Fitness & Finance, Personal Trainer, gym Owner, plant-based Wellness Coach and Chef, Coach Letha, talks about losing over 100 pounds, being passionate about her health, how she built up her Wellness Warriors Bootcamp brand and fitness gyms, and being both a vegan and a chef.    

• What was Coach Letha’s upbringing and early health like?  
• What were her first 10 days of juicing like?     
• How did Letha get led to the change in her mindset towards a healthier lifestyle?  
• Feeding yourself unhealthy junk food isn’t an appropriate reward system when losing weight.  
• What made her keep going with her diet during the first few days?       
• How long ago was this when she began her health journey?   
• What other lifestyle changes did she make after losing her first 40 pounds?    
• Watching documentaries and doing research in nutrition was helpful in Letha’s journey. 
• Coach Letha’s vegan life was led by compassion and love, as far as what she eats, what she puts on her body, and how she treats people.    
• How did her family respond to her new life choices?  
• Has her family changed their viewpoints about her new life now that many years have gone by? 
• How did her next 60 pounds come off after losing the first 40?    
• How did she develop her training program?  
• What was it like when Coach Letha was opening up her gym?    
• How did she build up the company culture at her gyms?   
• What are Letha’s business plans for the future?   
• Coach Letha talks about being vegan and being a chef.  
• Letha is launching a Patreon account under Wellness Warriors with Coach Letha.   

1. Letha lost about 40 pounds in the first 40 days of juicing and eating a plant-based diet, mostly raw vegan.  

2. Eating better has a more positive impact on your exercises and have more endurance to perform better.            

• “You don’t know what good feels like until you feel it.” –Coach Letha 

• “My body and my mindset and everything just gravitated towards a plant-based lifestyle, more directly being vegan, and I realised, oh my gosh, my makeup doesn’t have to have animal products. Why am I trying to look cute while harming animals?” –Coach Letha  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Find Coach Letha on Instagram 
• Find Wellness Warriors Bootcamp on Instagram & Facebook   

Erik talks about the psychological aspects of our plate size and thoughts about gathering with family during the holidays and eating.   

• When using a smaller plate in wanting to go back to get more food we have to decide if we want to go back and get more food
• The second time around we do not get as much food because we want seconds of the food we want more of.  
• When we meet with family the common thing is food.  
• We want to make the best choices when it comes to our health because we have to mindful of what we are eating and drinking.        

• “Use a smaller plate… people will feel like they are overeating when they go back multiple times.“ –Erik Smith

• “It forces us to get up and out of our seat… it forces us to get up again.” –Erik Smith  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter

In this second part of Fitness & Finance Justin Norris, Entrepreneur and Executive Marketing Director at LegalShield Official in Fairhope, Alabama, talks about why he believes that ‘the victim mindset’ is a lie, giving ourselves permission to have success, learning how to receive, the power of belief, personal development and focusing on the moment.   

• What tips would Justin give to someone starting a business who may have a similar background as him?  
• Justin explains why you need to learn how to receive.   
• Who do we typically listen to?     
• Justin Norris breaks down why he feels ‘the victim mindset’ is a fallacy and creating solutions through challenges.    
• The mind works best when it is focused on one thing at a time.       
• What is Justin Norris’ routine?  
• Justin Norris discusses how he improved his health as he was expanding his mindset and growing in his business.   
• What is the Reticular Activating System?  
• Right now is the only moment we have, and it is filled with infinite possibilities. 
• Which books has Justin read multiple times?  
• Justin expresses the importance and impact of personal development.    
• People deserve their best life and health is a huge part of that happening.  
• What are the things that Justin cares about? 

1. Be on purpose with everything. 

2. Things aren’t happening to us. Things are happening for us.          

• “I didn’t know that I needed to learn to receive. I was so used to being in need, my brain did not have a mature foundation of being willing to receive, and receiving is a good thing because it puts us in a position.” –Justin Norris 

• “Seek the advice and the council. Seek the mentorship. It’s very important. It’s highly important to seek the mentorship of those that have the results that we want, and listen, and be willing to do things against our own understanding.” –Justin Norris  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Find Justin Norris on Linkedin 
• Email Justin Norris – [email protected] 

Erik talks about what it takes to cover expenses for the days we no longer work for money over a 20 year period. He breaks down the numbers for basic expenses. 

• Are we or our parents set up financially to cover expenses that we will have in a 20 year retirement.   
• Depending where someone lives, the expenses could be more for their rent and/or mortgage.     
• Looking at the numbers $1,000,000 seems like a good amount of money but a 20 year retirement requires more than that.  
• As a result many people are more fearful of running out of money compared to dying.          

• “...Want to set up our own pensions, and if we want to do that, we have to look at a lot of factors...” –Erik Smith 

• “Some people spend $912 in a meal…” –Erik Smith
• “$980/month for healthcare… this does not even include Long Term Care.“ –Erik Smith

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• "Power Of Zero" by David McKnight

In this episode of Fitness & Finance Justin Norris, Entrepreneur and Executive Marketing Director at LegalShield Official in Fairhope, Alabama, talks about being raised by a strong single mother, his involvement in sports, how he began to take fitness very seriously, dying and coming back to life, working at LegalShield Official and what paradigms mean in our lives.  

• Justin Norris talks about his upbringing and where he grew up.      
• Justin opens up about the strong positive impact that his mother had on his life.      
• What made Justin Norris decide to get involved in sports early on?    
• Which moment prompted Justin to take fitness seriously?  
• How did mentors play a role in fitness for Justin?    
• What took place in Justin’s life after high school football ended?  
• Justin talks about almost dying in the hospital.   
• What are paradigms and how do they affect us?     
• Why did Justin step away from sports in college?  
• How did Justin Norris begin working at LegalShield Official?  
• For things to change, we have to change.

1. Justin Norris died and was revived. This began after he took taking medicine and his whole body starting to itch and he temporarily went blind. 

2. Anything that we tolerate we invite more of in our life. This is why many people live in pain and don’t do anything to change it.         

• “I’ve got an amazing mom. Huge heart. I believe I inherited her heart and caring for others. She always taught me to do my best. I remember, I think I was 13, when we sat down and she told me to always do my best so I will never have regrets.” –Justin Norris 

• “Paradigms are foundations of thought that we have received, whether it be from our family or from the conditions of the world around us that we believe as completely normal and that we accept.” –Justin Norris  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Find Justin Norris on Linkedin 

Erik shares thoughts on how to get into the 0% tax bracket at retirement since we do not know what taxes are going to be in the future.  

• To get into the 0% tax bracket we have to be able work our exemptions, deductions, retirement accounts, and social security together by intention so we do not pay taxes legally in retirement.      
• A lot of the concepts are ones we do not learn about in school and are typically reserved for the top 1-3%.     

• “There are ways where we can put our money away and it will grow for us tax deferred and be pulled out tax free.” –Erik Smith  

• “You don’t have to like life insurance, but you can like it a little bit more than the IRS.” –Erik Smith  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• "Power Of Zero" by David McKnight

In this episode of Fitness & Finance, Claire Harrison, Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Exec Area Manager and Independent Consultant of Arbonne, Ex-Police Detective, and Mother of Two, talks to your host Erik Smith about her battle with bad health. Claire talks about the steps she took to shift her health, what she has learned about nutrition products and the benefits she has experienced.  

• Claire Harrison talks about how her health has been upgraded.       
• What were the benefits that Claire had when she improved her diet?     
• How can people help their health with The 30-Day Plan?    
• Eat healthily and cook in large batches so you can reheat it and have leftovers.   
• What led to her decision to go full vegan?   
• How did Claire’s body make the adjustment?  
• Has Claire’s vegan lifestyle been difficult?  
• Claire discusses a recipe that she enjoys.   
• What are some alternatives to beans?  
• What is the milk alternative ripple?    
• What was Claire’s experience like singing at the MGM Grand for 16,000 people? 
• What has contributed to Claire Harrison’s growth journey?
• How long did this journey take and how was she intentional with it? 
• How does Claire Harrison help people on their journeys?  
• You are in business for yourself, but not by yourself?  
• What advice does she have for people starting a non-traditional business?    

1. Your stomach is your second brain.   

2. Surrender to what the universe is putting in your path. Learn from it and accept it.      

• “If you can actually improve your gut health, improve everything that is going in there, and stop your body having to overprocess everything in your stomach, you are going to improve everything” –Claire Harrison  

• “The whole purpose of The 30-Day Plan is to remove the toxins and get into an alkaline state and allow your body to make itself well. So, you are reducing the chances of things like diabetes, heart conditions, even auto-immune diseases.” –Claire Harrison  

• Schedule a time to talk with Erik.
• Find Erik on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
• Find Claire Harrison on Facebook and Twitter
• Arbonne: arbonne.com/pws/claireharrison/tabs/about-me.aspx