Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Flex Lewis. Flex is a serial entrepreneur, coach, motivational speaker, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has won 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.

He's also the co-owner of Arsenal, strength gym equipment, the fastest-growing fitness equipment company in the world, and the owner of the famous Dragon's Lair Gym in Las Vegas.

01:21 - Joe Gold recruiting Flex Lewis and living with John Cena and Hulk Hogan

11:50 - Motivation and background of Mr. Olympia

25:15 - Flex's last Mr. Olympia

28:00 - Flex's parents supporting him

38:20 - Hustling, relationships, and free protein powder

49:45 - Having a long-term view and the shelf life of careers

1:00:33 - Dana White

1:10:05 - Extreme Preparation

1:17:09 - Flex's family

1:23:54 - Extra questions, Joe Rogan, and pigeons on creatine

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is the incredible Flex Lewis. Flex is a serial entrepreneur, coach, motivational speaker, and one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time. He has won 7 consecutive Mr. Olympia titles.

He's also the co-owner of Arsenal, strength gym equipment, the fastest-growing fitness equipment company in the world and the owner of the famous Dragon's Lair Gym in Las Vegas.

Time stamps:

00:55 Flex’s family and background

• Grew up in a loving home in Wales
• His father was a steel worker and his mother a nurse
• Decided to be a millionaire as a kid

03:52 Born with a rugby ball in the mouth

• He started playing rugby at the age of 6
• His full name is Steven James Lewis
• Flex is a nickname he got as a kid

06:27 The pressure to better himself

• A pressure to become better
• His first entrepreneurial moment
  • Delivering papers on his bike
• Learned responsibility and dealing with money

13:22 Investing the money he earned

• Bought a male and female finch
• Started breeding and selling them

15:57 Starting a moving company

• Powerlifting and starting a moving company
• Bought his first truck and developed the business
• Went an extra mile to do a good job

22:05 Learning from the Quadfather

• Spent weekends at his grandparents
• Discovered a book by Tom Platz at 12
• The book changed his life
• Found weights and started doing squats

26:23 His parents’ worries

• His parents were afraid it would stunt his growth
• Stayed away from training weights for a number of years
• Funny story about his father catching him squatting

28:30 Steve Naylor and his influence

• Flex had a lot of admiration for Steve
• He was drawn by his humility
• Started training with Steve
• Bodybuilding is all about mind-muscle connection

32:19 Elbow injury and getting a tattoo

• Spent the whole summer building his motocross bike
• Had an accident and broke his elbow
• After removing the plaster cast, his arm was dead
• Had to make it stronger by himself
• A tattoo on the weakened arm

38:53 Working in silence and achieving things

• Didn’t like school but liked PE teachers
• He had dyslexia or ADHD, was labeled stupid
• How schools were failing kids by discouraging them
• Practicing a handstand and the first day at school

47:26 The first powerlifting competition

• From high-level rugby to powerlifting show
• Bodybuilding in Wales is a big thing
• The competition was held in the Royal Princess Theatre

51:59 Getting on a bodybuilding stage

• Was drawn by a free gym membership
• Changed his diet and watched a lot of VHS videos
• The competition and the alter ego
• Performed great and won the show
• Deciding to prepare for British nationals
• A 20-year relationship with his coach
• The importance of loyalty

1:01:40 Chasing dreams and making sacrifices

• Winning the British Nationals
• Got an invitation from Gold’s Gym to come to the US
• It was a magic

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Arik Armstead. Arik is a star defensive lineman NFL football player for the San Francisco 49ers and a dedicated philanthropist. He has been nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for four consecutive seasons, recognizing his on-field excellence and impactful community work.

Time stamps:

00:58 The first contract

• Got a 3-million-dollar check
• Bought a house for his parents

05:08 Managing money and voting

• Managing big money and choosing the right advisers
• Investing money to create wealth and secure the future
• Learning form Randall’s filling out a voting ballot

14:29 Advice to kids that want to be like him

• NFL and NBA statistics
• Fight for your dream and be realistic about your situation
• Use opportunities to better your life, don’t focus only on sports

19:24 The story of Brock Purdy

• The underdog who made it to the top
• Arik doesn’t understand the hate towards him
• Brock is a very good team player and great at improvising

22:24 Ass-kicked by the Detroit Lions

• The atmosphere in the locker room
• The moments of failure that built their team

25:18 Playing in the Super Bowl

• Most watched Super Bowl in history
• Really prepared and focused on the game

27:36 Extreme preparation and top 3 ingredients of success

• Owes his success to preparation
• 3 ingredients of success
  • Ownership over what success truly means for you
  • Sacrifice
  • Determination

30:28 The work-life balance

• In season, it’s tough
• His wife is a physician and has her own career
• They have 3 children
• Never feels like he’s doing enough

34:38 Randall’s funny stories

• Randal’s being mixed up with Jimmy Garoppolo’s dad
• Playing with Tom Brady in the Bahamas
• Two best moments with Kliff Kingsbury

40:50 Fill in the blanks for excellence

• The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is
  • Anything worth having is worth working for
• My number one professional goal is
  • Reach my full potential
• My number one personal goal is
  • To create a happy, healthy, loving home for my family
• And more

46:58 Philanthropic work

• One of the most philanthropic people in professional sports
  • Nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year 4 times
• His organization is AAP, the Arms Academic Project
• Believes that education equity would solve many societal issues
• They partner with other organizations
• Focusing on literacy with elementary school students
• Offering STEM education to middle school students
• College exploration with the high school students

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Welcome to In Search of Excellence! My guest today is my good friend Arik Armstead. Arik is a star defensive lineman NFL football player for the San Francisco 49ers and a dedicated philanthropist. He has been nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for four consecutive seasons, recognizing his on-field excellence and impactful community work.

In this episode, we are talking about Arik’s remarkable transition from little league rejection to NFL Man of the Year nominee, his crazy spring break in Vegas and unexpected meeting with Floyd Mayweather, and the importance of humility, faith, and unwavering hard work in his path to excellence.

Time stamps:

01:36 Family background

• Mother wrote a book about being the illegitimate daughter of a priest
• Born and raised in LA and was shot in a gang shooting
• Father is a respected basketball trainer
• Trained over 500 NBA players
• Arik was always with him
• Grew up as a gym rat and that shaped his mindset

07:28 Arik’s childhood

• Being around famous athletes was cool
• The influence of NBA player Mike Wilkes
• Being humble and having compassion for other people
• Your hunger to be successful must exceed your thirst to shine

15:39 Entrepreneurial spirit

• His brother started a snack bar
• When he went to college, Arik continued
• Didn’t have entrepreneurial drive as a kid
• At college, his creativity and problem-solving kicked in

19:03 A chubby kid in the gym

• Was always in the gym with his dad
• Played basketball and football
• Matt’s advice about giving an effort

23:12 Playing football

• Playing football and basketball at 11 years old
• Offered a scholarship to USC his Freshman year
• Started dunking in freshman year

26:44 Achieving goals

• Army All-American and a McDonald's All-American
• To play football and basketball in college
• Wanted to be the first person to play in the NBA and NFL
• The importance of dreaming big and setting your goals
• The importance of internal motivation

32:21 The importance of education

• Education was not super important to him
• He would do some things differently today

35:57 Being available for the highest bidder

• Oregon recruited him
• Coach Kelly’s promise
• The offers he got
• Kids should not only take the highest bid
• But what else they will get – reputation, coach, skills

44:38 The humbleness of million-dollar athletes

• Randall’s story about a million-dollar player who wanted to be his intern
• Arik was aware he needed to learn and educate himself
• The wedding

48:13 Arik’s drafting

• Drafts are spectacles
• His was in Cleveland and he didn’t go
• Didn’t want to embarrass himself
• Had a watch party with his loved ones at home

52:28 Crazy agent stories and meeting Floyd Mayweather

• How sports agents work

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Welcome to In Search of Excellence! You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Danielle Vasinova, an actor, producer, entrepreneur, avid equestrian, and drummer. If you haven't yet listened to part one yet, be sure to check it out first.

Danielle is talking about the realities of pursuing a career in Hollywood, the life of aspiring actor and their struggles, her personal near-death experience, and the importance of preparation and creating your own destiny.

Tune in for now to listen to this amazing and inspiring conversation!

Time stamps:

01:02 After The Young and the Restless

• Reality check and finding an agent
• Worked in the restaurant to pay bills
• Broke a foot and worked as an extra

04:20 A Pivotal moment in Danielle’s career

• Passed an audition and went to film in South Africa
• One of the most magical, crazy experiences of her life
• Also scary and lonely
• After that had jobs on and off

08:54 Saying No to movies

• Said No to Danica Patrick’s movie
• Refused to play a jockey
• Agreed to work on her other movie
• The whole movie ended up falling apart

11:33 Three minutes of death

• Danielle’s near-death experience
• Felt like having a flue
• Later on, felt like she was going to die
• Went to the hospital
• Lost her heartbeat for 3 minutes
• Doctors induced coma to avoid organ failure
• Discharged after a month
• She was one of the first COVID cases in the US

18:48 After the hospital

• Almost had to relearn everything
• Didn’t know what she was going to do or how to make money
• Greater sense of purpose
• Not taking anything for granted

21:35 The life of an actor

• The reality is different than what people think
• Many auditions to get 1 job
• Working many hours
• How are actors memorizing the text?

26:26 What are the elements of success?

• Discipline
• Drive
• Punctuality
• Consistency

28:21 The importance of extreme preparation

• The impact of luck on success
• You need luck, but you also have to create it
• A letter to 300 CEOs
• It’s not hard, you just got to be willing to do the work

35:25 Randall as a mentor

• Randall’s relationship with his guest
• Mike Tyson and his Instagram post
• Randall’s love for mentoring and coaching

40:02 Goals in her career and life

• The Improv Group - don't think, just jump
• You've got to create your own destiny
• A list of directors she would like to work with
• Would love to get married
• A show with Joe Russo

44:29 Fill in the blank to excellence

• My number one professional goal
  • To be in the Marvel Universe
• My number one personal goal
  • To get married and have a family
• And more

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Welcome to another episode In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Danielle Vasinova. Danielle is an actor, model, producer, entrepreneur, avid equestrian, and drummer, she has been in more than 50 movies and TV shows and is best known for her colorful action-adventure rolls. And she has graced the cover of many magazines, including Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar.

 In this episode, Danielle shares her story of overcoming shyness through cheerleading, starting a modeling career, and landing her first movie role. Randy discovers how he unexpectedly landed a role in a movie alongside Sharon Stone despite having no acting experience and emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity you get in life.

Time stamps:

01:23 Danielle’s background

• Her grandmother was an actress and singer in Prague
• Escaped communism at 17
• Met her future husband at displaced persons’ camps in Germany
• They came to New York City together
• Her mom worked for American Airlines
• Dad tested airplane engines for Pratt and Whitney
• Fell in love and moved to Connecticut

03:46 Childhood memories

• Dad bought her a pony
• Farm animals became her friends
• Painfully shy as a kid
• Creating a character is a form of protection
• Reluctantly became a cheerleader
• Helped her to break out of the shell
• A training accident

11:12 Modeling at 13

• Competition at the local mall
• The scout came up to her and offered her to be a model
• Went to New York and signed a contract
• Castings, auditions, rejections and bookings

18:23 Taking advantage of opportunities

• Danielle’s bucket list
• Randy’s advice on how to get to people
• Randy’s story about meeting a famous actress
• People do respond to bold moves
• Myocarditis on a date

29:16 Do you need education to be an actor?

• UConn collage
• Was a waitress the whole time
• Became a Patriots cheerleader
• Coming to Santa Barbara

32:31 Young and Restless casting

• Called for casting through her mom
• Went to LA and auditioned
• Got the part

• 35:05 Randy’s hilarious experience with the movie industry
• Becoming friends with Bruce McNall
• Casting for the role in the movie
• Getting the role of a police officer
• Meeting Sharon Stone
• Shooting the scenes
• Becoming friends with a certain director
• Being offered a role in his show

50:53 Randy’s first podcast guests

• Meeting Sam Zell and becoming friends
• Sharon Stone and
• Cliff Kingsbury, a football coach
• Mark Cuban responded to his email
• The greatest piece of advice Randy got from his mentor
• Doing things that no one else has done before

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Welcome to In Search of Excellence! You're listening to part two of my awesome conversation with Joe De Sena, the CEO of the global fitness and wellness brand Spartan, which has a community of more than 10 million athletes around the world.

If you haven't yet listened to part one of my conversation with Joe, be sure to check that one out first. In this part, Joe shares his incredible story of perseverance, the importance of mentorship, and how pushing your limits can lead to extreme success and personal growth.

Time stamps:

00:58 From Cornell to Wall Street

• The entrepreneurship class at Cornell
• Won a $5000 prize in a competition for the best business idea
• The advice from one of the judges to go to Wall Street
• Went back to his pool business

05:00 Joe’s bold stock investment

• Buys Syntax stocks and earns $ 100,000
• Sells his pool business for $500,000
• Blew it all on the wrong stock investments

07:25 How to get a mentor?

• Mentors are looking for basic human skills
• Randall’s experience with his mentors
• Earning a mentorship – a story about Max

13:35 The importance of taking meetings

• You might add value to their life, they might add value to your life
• Money comes from the most unexpected places
• You never know where a meeting could lead

17:46 A risk to peruse your dream

• Leaving the shore is uncomfortable
• Take the chances, you can always come back
• An incredible red barn story

21:20 The Spartan Company 24 years ago

• Getting people outside their comfort zone
• In the beginning, it didn’t work
• People don’t want to buy discomfort
• The change that came with Facebook

23:18 The Death Race

• It’s like a Navy SEALs or Delta Force event
• Spartan’s toughest event meant to break you
• You look in the mirror and find out who you are
• What does the Death Race look like?

26:27 Serious health issues in Japan

• Joe was stressed out about his business
• Woke up one morning and couldn’t see anything
• Ended up in the hospital – and was told a part of his brain is dead
• He decided not to accept that

28:59 Why do people come to the Spartan race?

• When people experience the transformation, it’s addictive
• Even if it sucked while they were doing it
• Joe’s philosophy - nobody cares, work harder
• Optimize your health and wellness to be able to operate

31:01 The fear of failure

• Failure is a learning opportunity
• A lot of our fear is just fiction

32:48 Three most important ingredients for success

• Persistence, Personality, Gratitude
• The level of hard work needed for success
• You must be willing to sacrifice and save the fun for later

35:45 The importance of extreme preparation

• Joe is constantly working and always preparing
• He prepares months ahead

37:42 Joe’s ultimate dream

• A year of some form of military service post-high school
• Disconnecting all water heaters
• Kids doing burpees before they come into the school
• Is a work-life balance possible?

38:55 Fill in the blanks for excellence

• The biggest lesson I've learned in my life is

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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My guest today is Joe de Sena, a serial entrepreneur, ultra-marathoner, endurance athlete, motivational speaker, and self-described maniac. For the past 17 years, Joe has been the CEO of the global fitness and wellness brand Spartan, which has a community of more than 10 million athletes around the world.

Joe is the host of the CNBC primetime show, No Retreat business boot camp, and a New York Times bestselling author of four books, Spartan Up, Spartan Fit, The Spartan Way, and his latest, 10 Rules for Resilience.

Time stamps:

01:46 Joe De Sena’s background and childhood

• He grew up in Howard Beach, the organized crime capital of the world
• Mom was a long-distance runner, vegan, and yoga practitioner
• Dad was a workaholic entrepreneur
• The story about his dad and the missing package in the warehouse
• The story about moving bricks all night
• An unbelievable BMX ride to Greene, New York

11:33 Working for Joe Bananno as a kid

• Lessons from the head of the organized crime family
• Became a trusting kid and gained a lot of customers
• The attractiveness of the mafia lifestyle and his dad’s advice
• Joe Bananno as Joe’s friend and mentor
• The best thing we can do in life is help people 

18:15 What’s wrong with the mentality of today’s interns

• Human beings are naturally lazy and wired for comfort
• The story about Shaun and moving artworks
• Make yourself invaluable and irreplaceable

26:48 Never ask for money

• A story about a car dealer from Vermont
• A risk worth getting numerous customers
• Get your foot in the door first and provide value

29:23 How rejections can fuel you

• Applied to Cornell and was rejected
• Learned hard to prove worthy of Cornell but kept being rejected
• Finally, enrolled in The Textile Department of Human Ecology
• If you just keep doing it, you eventually break through

35:05 The ability to hang in there and finish is changing your biology

• If the obstacle you face is not fatal, it’s just a lesson
• Failure can be our greatest asset if we use it right
• Finishing hard things creates tracks in the brain
• Quitting creates gaps and more quitting

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Today, we continue the amazing conversation with Jessica Berman – the commissioner of the NWSL! She addresses the disparity in pay between male and female athletes, outlining the steps needed to achieve pay equity and grow women's sport which will drive unprecedented growth in the NWSL. Her dedication and strategic vision to continue shaping the future of women's sports is relentless.

Success is not just about achieving goals but also about embracing vulnerability, building resilience, and fostering authentic connections.

Join the movement to support women's sports! Together, we can empower female athletes and promote equality in sports.

If you missed part one, be sure to catch up for an inspiring conversation about breaking ceilings in the sports industry.

Timestamps:

0:47 - Introduction to part two.

2:01 - Climbing up the ranks in the male-dominated sports industry

- Transition from NHL to NLL; challenges faced.
- Family support and career leap into NWSL.
- The importance of taking risks.

9:10 - Transition to becoming Commissioner of the NWSL and the league's growth

- Turning a massive landmine into a field of diamonds.
- Surreal experience of accepting the NWSL Commissioner role.
- Milestones achieved: team expansion, media deals, office expansion.

12:20 - Challenges inherited with NWSL; league turnaround

- Addressing systemic abuse issues; league investigation.
- Transformative growth: franchise values, media deals, attendance.
- Expansion of NWSL staff; hiring process and objectives.
- Office environment and collaborative workspace described.

18:47 - The disparity in pay between men's and women's soccer

- Comparison of earnings between male and female players.
- Importance of growing fan base and revenue for equitable pay.
- The challenges of building a sustainable business model.

23:53 - Importance of female soccer superstars

- Cultivating stars in women's soccer; role models and icons.
- Impact of star players on league popularity and recognition.

27:38 - Five ingredients for success; empathy and hard work

- Personal qualities for success discussed; empathy as top priority.
- Role of passion, preparation, and relationships in success.

29:20 - Significance of passion and preparation

- Passion is inherent to success; holistic preparation for challenges.
- Role of extreme preparation in achieving goals.
- Importance of physical and mental readiness for success.

32:05 - Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership

- Role modeling behavior and building connections.
- Overcoming ego to foster genuine leadership.
- Creating a culture of trust and authenticity.

35:15 - Legacy of Leadership

- Embracing authenticity and individuality in leadership.
- Fostering a culture of success and pride.
- Prioritizing family and collective accomplishments.

38:11 - Triumph Over Adversity

- Balancing career demands with personal challenges.
- Cultivating resilience amidst life-altering circumstances.
- Leveraging support systems for personal and professional growth.

42:40 - Resilience and Recovery

- Brad's (His Ex-husband and Best Friend) miraculous recovery journey post-stroke.
- Navigating family dynamics amidst adversity.
- Finding strength and gratitude in life's challenges.

43:42 - “Fill in the blank to Excellence” Game

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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Today, our guest is Jessica Berman, the Commissioner of the National Women's Soccer League, a trailblazing executive in professional sports. With a history of transformative leadership, she played a pivotal role in the growth of women's soccer.

From Deputy Commissioner of the National Lacrosse League to her impactful years at the NHL, Jessica has consistently broken barriers.

Jessica attended Fordham Law School, interning with the NFL during her studies. She later worked at Proskauer Rose, specializing in labor and employment law, where she dealt with the legal aspects of the NHL. Her story is one of leadership, innovation, and breaking barriers in the world of sports.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro

2:23 - Jessica’s Background & Influence of Parents

- Diverse upbringing in Brooklyn, with an Orthodox Jewish family.
- Phyllis, Jessica's mom, pursued a PhD after taking care of her.
- Ted, Jessica’s dad, was an entrepreneur with golf gas stations in New York.
- Dad's immigrant background, emphasizing hard work as the key to success.
- Dad's grassroots business approach and resistance to advanced technology.

6:15 - The Brady Bunch Family

- Jessica's family, a blend of her dad's kids from a previous marriage and her mom.
- The uniqueness and challenges of growing up in a mixed family.

7:45 - Early Interests in Dance and involvement in sport manangement

- Focus on dance and cheerleading due to limited sports opportunities for girls.
- Volunteering as a student manager for high school sports teams.

8:12 - Dealing with Frustration and Pursuing Passions

- Lack of opportunities to play sports directly
- Involvement in cheerleading.
- Advice on dealing with frustration and finding alternative paths.

10:36 - Epiphany at a Hockey Game

- The pivotal moment at an Islanders game that led Jessica to aspire to work in the sports industry.
- The Nelson Mandela quote

16:38 - Inspiring Social Change in Youth

- Reflection on her Jewish education instilling values of equality and respect.
- Encouraging parents to inspire social change in their children.

19:16 - Pursuing Dreams (Square peg, Square(Round) hole moment)

- Jessica's advice to relentlessly pursue one's passion
- Remaining open to different paths.
- Balancing focused pursuit with openness to unexpected opportunities.

24:00 - Breaking Through and Adding Value

- The importance of making oneself useful.
- Adding value in the absence of formal internship paths.
- Challenges of breaking through.

29:56 - Networking and Following Up

- Disappointment in the lack of follow-ups after informational interviews.
- The simplicity of standing out
- Making lasting impressions in today’s competitive world.

32:46 - Law School and Career Path

- Attending law school
- Role of a graduate degree in her career.
- Working with the NFL during law school
- Later joining Proskauer Rose to work with the NHL.

36:39 - Do you need a graduate degree to be successful?

- Jessica’s decision to attend law school to pursue her career goals.
- Reflections on the value of legal training in her career.
- The necessity of graduate degrees for success in various fields.

41:02 - Jessica’s Law school experience

- Post-law school and her decision to leave the NHL.
- Balancing ego and career aspirations

Coaching and Staying Connected:

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