It is tough and perhaps unfair to label Elliott Royal as just one thing. She's a community leader, empathetic advocate, a thoughtful communicator on topics such as public health and wellness, community access to healthy food, gentrification, government representation, transportation, and so much more. Elliott is SouthEast Community Service Area Liaison with Housing and Neighborhood Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

So much of this podcast is about mindset and being your best each day to make optimal decisions or to choose happiness. But if you don't have access to healthy food that is affordable, how can you be your best? Healthy food is fundamental to life as a human being and no one disputes that, but as she puts it, our community in Charlotte is segregated to a point that not all of us have access to healthy food options. Not everyone in Charlotte has the ability to be their best. This is a huge problem that doesn't get attention it deserves. As a society we love to point fingers and vilify others, whether it's individuals or groups. Elliott believes we don't need to point fingers; instead, we need to hold hands and collaborate.

On today's podcast...

3:00 - Elliott Royal's broad range of expertise

5:49 - How the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council is researching food to make communities better

9:24 - It's not just price: the time and convenience factors that drive where we buy food

13:27 - Our children are what they eat and what we expose them to

16:23 - Elliott knows the effect of public food assistance because she was forced to live it

19:24 - Connecting students and vegetables

24:00 - "You can be a family of four with two working parents and still be food insecure."

27:17 - The chicken and the egg conundrum of food policy

32:26 - The negative views of rent and its connection with gentrification

36:30 - "Successful change, whether it's in a family, whether it's an organization, whether it's in a community, starts with communication."

39:30 - Urban development: "We need to think in about every neighborhood that is built is if the resident will not have a car."

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

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We're exploring entrepreneurship from all angles today with the team from Enderly Coffee in Charlotte, North Carolina. Roaster, rapper, landscaping wizard Marquell Pettiford joins us to discuss how he lifted himself up out of a bleak future through hard work and young entrepreneurship. His mentor, Tony Santoro, owner of Enderly Coffee, discusses why he took a chance on Marquell and why his business and life philosophy is all about treating people like people. 

Enderly Coffee is not your average coffee company. They use baby pictures for staff photos. They have a section on their website called "Our Why" that details Tony's focus on strengthening his community by forging relationships and inspiring others to live for others. Whoa. It has formed the basis of Marquell and Tony's friendship and business relationship.

Pour a cup of coffee and listen to this wide ranging discussion on making money in a sustainable way, lifting up neighborhoods instead of tearing them down.

On today's podcast...

2:40 - Marquell's experience in youth sports and what it taught him

8:22 - Roastery time is quiet time and quiet time is music time

12:43 - Opportunities for young entrepreneurs in a growing city

16:39 - Tony put Marquell in the place he needed to be

20:45 - The hardest thing in Tony's life is not his business

24:26 - Tony's coffee roasting hobby begins with the Great Recession

27:04 - Getting the boat close enough to the dock before you jump

31:54 - Enderly looks for ways to give back to the neighborhood that made them 

34:56 - Tony's leadership philosophy is a way of life. Treat people like people.

39:23 - Experiencing gentrification

43:42 - Finding support in one's own community

48:50 - Growing a business isn't easy and it's not perfect

54:03 - How is success defined for Tony's children

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

The struggle of our military servicemen returning home to civilian life is well documented. Dealing with the trauma of war is only the beginning. Veterans also have to deal with transitioning to civilian life that might not be looking for the same skills that made them an amazing soldier. 

So many of us want to help veterans but don't understand how. My guest today, Steven Cole, is here to discuss the myriad of ways we can make an impact on the lives of those who risked theirs to give us the freedoms we cherish.

Steven is the Vice President of Advancement at Veterans Bridge Home, where he is responsible for community engagement, communications and development.

A retired Army lieutenant colonel, Steven served for more than 20 years in roles including: the public affairs officer in Washington DC, Kabul, Afghanistan, and as the Army's liaison to the film and TV industry in Los Angeles, CA. He'll discuss his work on movies like Godzilla, Superman and Lone Survivor.

Prior to these public relations assignments, Steven taught history at West Point and served in numerous management and staff assignments in armor and cavalry organizations.

On today's podcast...

3:26 - Life at West Point Academy, a unique blend of military and college life

7:08 - Soldiers are no different than any other employee

11:00 - Steven Cole's many West Point assignments....

15:09 - ...lead him into a career in...the movies?

21:44 - Working with Hollywood for accurate portrayals of the U.S. military

24:37 - "If there's giant radioactive lizards, then they're probably going to be better than one tank."

28:14 - Jobs weren't waiting for Steve when he left the army

30:00 - Veterans Bridge Home takes a chance on Steve

34:26 - The veteran struggle is more than just PTSD

38:11 - The story of Veterans Bridge Home

42:25 - The biggest thing you can do right now to help veterans

46:58 - The move to civilian life: lost revenue in translation

50:45 - How smart companies take advantage of the soft skills veterans possess

54:33 - Steven's words for anyone who wants to serve or who are currently serving 

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Today's guest is a business leader, a speaker, author, and a man who speaks to the power of mindset and overcoming challenges. Weldon Long's story is one of redemption. While he notes his greatest adversity is self inflicted, Weldon long took control of his life while sitting in a prison cell.

He shares this story on stages all over the world, but we dive deep into his life and what specific formative life events shaped his decisions, both good and bad that led him to where he is today. Weldon is a fast paced and high energy speaker. He is thoughtful, educated in remarkably successful. As you listen to today's episode think of someone in your life who may need to hear what Weldon has to say. We've all hit rock bottom at some point, some harder than others, but you can always change your future. You can always give to others and you can always change your mindset. It starts with a decision to accept your circumstances and to have clarity of what you want. We become what we think about.

On today's podcast...

3:05 - Weldon Long's short fall lands him a long sentence in the federal penitentiary

7:28 - When you're young you think your family is normal, when you grow up you realize everyone's crazy.

10:23 - Prisons are not setup to send people back out into the world

12:45 - Weldon's master plan for turning his life around

18:27 - The effect of author Dr. Wayne Dyer

21:55 - The key to building a multi-million dollar business

26:51 - The one piece of advice Weldon gives to ALL entreprenuers

30:53 - Consistent results come from consistent activities

37:39 - The 4 primary areas of focus for early success in sales

43:48 - What Weldon tries to pass on to his children

49:49 - Facing rock bottom

More about today's guest...

Weldon Long is a successful entrepreneur, sales expert and author of the NY Times Bestseller, The Power of Consistency - Prosperity Mindset Training for Sales and Business Professionals. He is one of the nation’s most powerful speakers and a driven motivator who teaches the Sales and Prosperity Mindset philosophies that catapulted him from desperation and poverty to a life of wealth and prosperity. At the age of 39, Weldon was living in a homeless shelter after having served 13 years in prison. A 9th grade dropout and three-time convicted felon, he found himself broke and unable to find work. After 6 months of knocking on many doors, he landed a sales position and quickly became one of the industry’s top sales leaders. In 2004, he opened his own company, and in 2009 that company was selected by Inc. magazine as one of the nation’s fastest-growing privately held companies. 

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Today's guest personifies the word "leadership." Jose Costa has been a Marketing Manager and VP of some of the biggest food brands in the world, a President at Maaco and the CEO at GrandVision, the largest optical retailer in the world.

But Jose doesn't operate like a typical CEO. He doesn't have an office. He sits out with his team. He doesn't use his official title. Whenever anyone asks him he simply says, "I'm in operations." Humility runs at the core of his leadership philosophy. 

Jose casts a long shadow of hard work, big dreams and leadership wherever he goes and with whoever he meets. It led to promotion after promotion and opportunity after opportunity. He'll share some of the strategies that has led to his success and the lesson's he's learned from his trials and errors. 

Today Jose has hung up his corporate ladder and exchanged it for his own business and more time with his family. He'll share what compelled him to walk away from the C-Suite.

On today's podcast...

3:50 - Why Jose left a company at the top of its game for his own marketing firm

8:25 - Jose Costa's new leadership took 5 years to write but represents 20 years of work

9:22 - I think balance is something you need to own as an individual

12:40 - Dream big, work hard

14:20 - The shadow of the leader

15:00 - Jose is rejected by Burger King because he wasn't a fit for the culture...then Burger King went through a culture change.

17:35 - The time Jose needed a Maaco mulligan

20:48 - "I'm hiring you and I'm giving you 6 months to fix Latin America and if you don't...I'll fire you."

25:00 - What Jose does in the first 90 days of taking over a leadership position

27:50 - Be humble and be authentic and you can connect with people

28:30 - Growing up in Venezuela and the immigrant mentality of working

32:00 - A view of America from outside of the bubble

36:30 - The most beautiful gift a leader can give you...

41:00 - The reason Jose Costa doesn't have an office and never uses a title

44:26 - How Jose defines success for his children and how he helps facilitate that

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Today's guest is licensed marriage and family therapist Carmella Whitehead. Carmella's hidden story is literally life changing but her everyday work is just as compelling and full of lessons in happiness, marriage, and parenting and how those begin with a confident sense of understanding yourself.

We were not afraid to get into sensitive topics that run through the very heart of her work with couples. Including issues that men face holding onto frustrations and pain, how that affects them and their marriage. It made me realize and appreciate two aspects of my life that perhaps I take for granted. One is how grateful I am that my wife will listen to me vent and she doesn't judge and the time I get with my buddy Scott who occasionally lets me work out with him a few times a week. Having a friend you can share your joys and frustrations with and talk to without the risk of being judged is so vital.

It's just one of many interesting and valuable takeaways from one of the most insightful guests we've ever had.

On today's podcast...

6:40  - How Carmela found her way to marriage therapy

12:21 - How to give advice on marriage when you're not married

18:10 - Common issues in marriage therapy

20:50 - Why do men have trouble expressing emotions?

22:37 - Are women the biggest shamers of men?

25:08 - What everyone craves most out of other people

26:29 - The difference between empathy and fixing

32:40 - A near death experience changes Carmela's life

51:40 - What Carmela's children teach her everyday

More about today's guest...

Carmella is a licensed individual and couples psychotherapist who helps you to simplify your complex situation so that you can move forward with purpose, clarity, and direction. You can find out more about her and her services at http://www.carmellawhitehead.com/

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Sometimes when your normal gameplan isn't working, you have to change the game itself. Whether you are a parent who takes an active role as a coach or support member of your child's activity or someone who simply cheers from the sideline, every action you take can have a big impact. Think of all the life lessons and values that we want to instill in our kids that can be learned from sports: leadership, teamwork, communication, honor, competitiveness, ethics, respect, loyalty, coachability, adversity, and the ability to overcome it just to name a few. But to learn these skills we often hand the responsibility of instilling these lessons to someone who may or may not know how to best work with our kids.  

Today's guest is John O'Sullivan, CEO and Founder of the Change the Game Project. John started the Changing the Game Project in 2012 after two decades as a soccer player and coach on the youth, high school, college and professional level.  He is the author of the #1 bestselling books Changing the Game: The Parents Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes, and Giving Youth Sports Back to our Kids and Is it Wise to Specialize? John’s work has been featured in The Huffington Post, CNN.com, Outside Magazine, ESPN.com, Soccer America and numerous other publications. John is an internationally known speaker for coaches, parents and youth sports organizations, and has spoken for TEDx, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, US Lacrosse, IMG Academy, and at numerous other events throughout the US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

Today we discuss the dangers of early specialization in sports, transformational coaching, learning from the many mistakes that parent-coaches make and what you should and should not say on the ride home after your kids game.

On today's podcast...

3:00 - Jeremy's kid teaches him a valuable life lesson
7:00 - The politics of angry parents helps create Change the Game
10:00 - The principle of "I love watching you play"
13:30 - The dangers of early specialization in sports
21:09 - How do you know if your kid is going to be good at a sport?
24:00 - Your competitor is the one who works with you to bring out the best in both of you
28:00 - What's missing from coaching education
31:00 - Transactional vs. Transformational
33:20 - Jeremy makes a coaching mistake / How do you clear a mental block for your kid?
40:55 - What you should and should not say on the ride home from a game
44:40 - Does physical punishment help fix technical errors?

More about today's guest...

Originally from New York, John is a 1994 graduate of Fordham University, where he was a team captain as a senior, and a member of the 1990 Patriot League Championship team.  After a stint playing professionally for the Wilmington (NC) Hammerheads of the USL, John began his coaching career as the Varsity Boys Soccer Coach at Cardinal Gibbons HS in Raleigh, NC.  He then moved on to become the Assistant Men’s and Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Vermont, before delving into the world of youth club soccer.  Since that time, John has worked as a Director of Coaching for Nordic Spirit SC (Vt), Ann Arbor Youth Soccer Association (MI) and from 2006-2011 as the Executive Director of Oregon Rush Soccer Club in Bend, OR.  Most recently he was the Central Oregon Regional Training Center Director for the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer, before turning his attention full time to the Changing the Game Project in 2013.  He holds his USSF A License, NSCAA Advanced National Diploma, and US Youth Soccer National Youth Coaching License.

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Where does the future of medicine lie? Certainly technology will play a role in determining the answer to that question but so will more natural, alternative and holistic approaches as we all search for what it means to develop and maintain a healthy life. 

Today's guest, Caspar Szulc, Co-Founder of Innovative Medicine, left a lucrative career in finance to change the way people heal through "integrative medicine." Integrative medicine is essentially a blend of conventional and alternative treatments. But Caspar explains how this type of approach flips the script on both traditional AND alternative approaches to healing a patient. 

Caspar grew up with a mother who was a psychologist and a father who was a pioneer in integrative medicine. But initially he decided to take a different route into finance. What brought him back to medicine?

That's all ahead on this edition of Hidden Stories.

On today's podcast...

2:39 - Caspar grew up around medicine but chose a different route
5:36 - How integrative medicine flips the script on both conventional and alternative medicine
10:00 - Building trust, personalized medicine
14:30 - The purpose and passion it takes to change something as big as healthcare
18:00 - How our brains are being overused and overstimulated
22:28 - Are supplements the answer?
26:40 - Nuanced levels of improvement
28:31 - What is Low-T? Why is it being advertised so much?
32:00 - Being an introvert in an extroverted world
37:30 - Caspar looks to expand the ways he can help people evaluate how they are getting care

More about today's guest...

As President and Co-Founder of Innovative Medicine, Caspar brings a passion and vision that has played a vital role in the growth of the company and world-renowned medical center and breaking into new markets around the globe. His “quality first” approach has helped to set the tone of a company that not only bridges that gap of science and nature but of design and medicine – relentlessly trying to achieve a balance of the two that benefits both practitioner and patient. 

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Our guest today, Jaclyn Shearer, is living her dream and helping people every day. Jaclyn is a meteorologist at WSOC, the number one rated news station in Charlotte, North Carolina and a self-proclaimed weather geek. Jaclyn is an active member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and of the National Weather Association (NWA) and sits on two NWA committees. 

She's here today to geek out with me about weather trends, patterns, hurricanes, why it's raining SO MUCH, the Farmer's Almanac and if the Carolina Wedge is a real thing. 

Get out your umbrella, this episode has a 100% chance of teaching you something about what's going on outside your window. 

On today's podcast...

2:48 - What exactly does a meteorologist do?

5:07 - Hurricane Katrina and why Jaclyn got into meteorology?

10:20 - How Jaclyn deals with public criticism

16:19 - Weather facts and interpretations

21:38 - The boiling pot of water theory

26:19 - Wild weather and climate change

35:29 - Is the Farmer's Almanac full of it?

39:25 - What is the Carolina Wedge?

43:45 - A message for future meteorologists

More about today's guest...

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Over the course of the podcast we've had a handful of guests where cancer has played a major role in their hidden story. One of the common themes that we continue to hear over and over again from our guests is that they were told to "be an advocate for themselves."

Today we explore what that phrase actually means and how it can potentially change the prognosis for someone with a threatening disease. We'll be discussing nutrition, physical therapy, personal training, massage therapy, and how each can help piece back together a life shattered by a diagnosis. Doctor Katie Edwards and Martin Michelson from Fight Back Performance and Recovery share with us their personal stories and experience with cancer and how those experiences have fueled their passion and expertise. This episode helped me learn more about the human element to a cancer diagnosis and hopefully it will give you a glimpse into what the road to recovery could look like.

On today's podcast...

3:00 - Katie and Martin put down a big bet to help fight a big disease
7:49 - Connecting with our neighbors, our doctors and doing it through the fight for life
12:30 - Who's responsibility is it to form a plan to fight your cancer?
16:22 - Martin's personal experience with the unknowns of a cancer diagnosis
20:00 - Acting as an interpreter or advocate for someone who has cancer
24:38 - Katie and Martin are filling the gap between remission and full recovery
29:42 - There is a journey and a "normal" that you can return to post-cancer
34:15 - The importance of personal training to the recovery process
41:00 - The guard rails that prevent people from accessing these services and how they are working to overcome them
48:27 - "We're trying to change how things are done." Changing the priorities of the physician BACK to the patient
52:58 - Medicine is business. Insurance is business. But what about caring for people?

More about today's guest...

Dr. Katie Edwards received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from East Carolina University. Prior to her doctoral education, Katie earned a Bachelors in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Katie has also achieved a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is certified in Dry Needling by the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy

Martin Michaelson is a certified personal trainer from American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Precision Nutrition Level 1 and additional fitness related certifications. Martin’s training style is deeply rooted in a strong commitment to his clients balanced with a sense of humor. He looks forward to helping you achieve your goals and finding the best version of yourself.

Hidden Stories is a production of the Sell or Die Network, a collection of the best podcasts on sales and personal development on the planet. Check out what else we have to offer:

Sell or Die

The Why and The Buy

Wheelbarrow Profits

Women Your Mother Warned You About

Street Smarts with Harvey Mackay