In this, possibly the final episode of #InsertContext, I sit down with Coach Nick Garcia to discuss the finer points of what it means to be a coach.

Having drawn an immense amount of knowledge from our respective coaches over the years, Nick and I share some of the most important lessons we aim to pass along. 

Prior to his coaching career, Nick Garcia was an accomplished college hammer thrower. Usually not the largest in the, Nick realized early on that if he wanted the opportunity to compete, he would have to work harder than anyone around him. 

We also get into the weeds a bit talking about strength training, buuut that's bound to happen when you get a couple fitness nuts in one place.

A huge shout out to the many inspirational coaches that contributed to our development as athletes and more importantly, as men. I've mentioned many on this show, but just to formally list a few of my own:

- Steve Nelson
- Rodney Clay
- Jeff Dunn
- Mike Maynard
- Mike Erb
- Jeff Stanners
- Dan Lange
- Ron Allice

From FAT kid to fast and fit 💪🏻freshman walk-on with arguably the world's greatest college track and field program✌. 

Tired of being made fun of for being "the fat kid", he began to take control of his health in his early teens. When Ben adopted proper diet and exercise as a lifestyle, he opened the doors to a career in sports. Among other things, you could say Ben Brown's relationship with food played a big part in that change.

When Ben joined the USC Track and Field team, he quickly grew a reputation for leaving it all out on the track every practice. Not only was that part of the arrangement with former head coach, Ron Allice, but it was part of a commitment to himself. He would give everything he had. every day in an effort to improve.

After the completion of a commendable track career, Ben would take these character traits he developed as an athlete out into the world. Like, really out there...to 60 different countries. He collected knowledge and he collected experiences. All of which would lead to...TastePro.

and that's pretty much where we pick up. Enjoy!



After USC joined Teach For America (https://www.teachforamerica.org/)

International Food Writer
Ben's 5 Most Majestic Dining Experiences in Vegas
- Alez

Start-Up Founder
Taste Pro
www.gotastepro.com

@gotastepro

EXAMPLE TOUR
North Park Tour

Start at Encontro - renowned chef that opened Bottega Louie in LA. gastro pub spectacular (encontronorthpark.com)

Crazee Burger - featured on DDD - crazeeburger.com

Then to El Comal - Some of best fish tacos in SoCal - elcomalsd.com

Finish at Figaro Desert Cafe - http://figarodesserts.com/   gelato fresh crepes

How much, you ask??

~$50 including tax and tip

Add a flight of margs for $4. WHAT?! 

Not discount service, just incredible value

One word...spectacular

Happy New Year! 💪🏼😎🤘🏼

For the very first episode of the year, I was joined in-studio by my good friend Derek Opperman to talk about why your New Year's resolution to change what you see in the mirror, may be flawed from the jump.

With over a dozen certifications in various fitness and health methods and modalities, Derek is the founder of LifeUp Health and newly accredited Integrated Health Practitioner. We cover deep topics like what the hell that means, why gut health is important, and understanding your body type before embarking on your fitness journey.. Also, I flip out a little bit and break a marker. Find out why.

"Calories aren't even real! Thanks Dr. Atwater" - Derek Opperman
At its most basic, a calorie is a measure of energy. One Calorie (equal to one kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories) is the amount of energy that is required to heat one kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius at sea level.

The Problem With Counting Calories
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/problem-with-calorie-counting-calories-in

LifeUpHealthCoaching.com
IG:@ _life_up_

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "change for the better" or "continuous improvement."

Ayurvedic Medicine: 6 thousand year old practice

www.nccih.nih.gov

Topics:
Nutrition
Supplementation
Exercise
Sleep
Personal Training In Hollywood 
Small Shirts
Preparing for fitness competitions
Expectation vs Reality

IGG response - latent food sensitivity. Responding to allergen in food

IGE response - immediate. real food allergy 

To Be Continued...

What do Lebron James, Oprah, and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? 

Well Yes, they are all stupid rich, but they also share the experience of working with a Life/Mental Coach.

What does a Life Coach do? 

We’ve talked about the importance of a good coach to success in sports, but what about a coach the physical wellness, mental, and emotional side of things?

What could someone who has already achieved so much, have to gain from an introspective dive into a past traumatic experience?

What about life after sports? 

What about high performers in business, entrepreneurs, or actors who have never set foot on a sports field? What need might they have for a coach?

In this episode, I sit down (via Zoom) for a chat with Michelle Blasen to Insert a little context into what we know about Life Coaching.

Michelle Blaze is the head life coach and creator of Blazen Systems as well as the host of the podcast, “Blazen Systems: Holistic Mental Training For The High Performer.”

How is Michelle helping athletes already competing at the highest level to find more within themselves?

We reflect on the terrible moments in our respective sports careers that led to us becoming the people we are today.

AND no shit, Michelle actually helped me to see some areas for improvement inside myself, just in the short time we spoke.

This episode and all of Michelle's teachings can be applied off the court/field/etc. as well. Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, Athletes, Actors, can all benefit from an introspective look into areas for improvement.

Learn more about Michelle and Blazen Systems here: blazensystems.com

When you envision the owner of a company, What do you see? 

Suit? Tie? Briefcase perhaps? 🤔

How about mohawk, piercings, and the letters G-E-E-K tattooed across their knuckles? 🤯 No? Not what you’d expect? Welp...Meet Rich Rudzinski

A laid back, tech-forward, entrepreneur with his mohawk up and his foot down, on the gas pedal towards growth.

Fast forward to 2008, when the whole job market hits the brakes. The live music world took a pause, but Rich did not. He shifts his career towards his second passion, technology. 

Shout out to @DanKhabi and the team at Mirum, where Rich first cut his teeth in the digital world. Once he had learned all he could there, he set off to fill what he saw as a void in the service most agencies provided. The rest...history,


We covered

• Pivoting your career to adapt to changing times
• As an entrepreneur, when should you be scrappy and when is it time to hire a team.
• Why authenticity is important when you ARE your brand
• Managing a dispersed team

        ...and more!

Rich Rudzinski has been helping businesses and startups create modern digital experiences for over 15 years. Maybe you've heard of some of the brands he's had the pleasure of working with: 

• Pixar
• Lego
• FIS
• Intuit
• GM
• TaylorMade Golf

To get in touch with Rich and his team at Tragic media, check them out here: www.tragic.media

For some examples of their fine work, check out:

White Rabbit Search (www.wrsearch.com)

When you get these two  Recruiters/Headhunters in a room, you're bound to get a few things. A little shop, a little silly and a lot of REAL! Join me for a very candid conversation with my good friend and former colleague, Jon Broderick of Broderick Search.

Finally recovered from his travels abroad, Head Hunting Hodophile, Jon Broderick joins me as my first official guest in the new studio. We got the chance to catch up over a few beers in the middle of the day (no judgement).

Per usual, we do get a little silly, but this is a MUST LISTEN for #HR, #Jobseekers, and anyone interested in a peak behind the Head Hunters's curtain.

I mean, What do recruiters even DO, right??

What we talked about:

•  What an unpleasant candidate experience says about your company's brand
• Several Simple ways to improve it☝🏽
• What is Salary Arbitrage? - The shift towards remote work has literally opened up a world of possibility
• Could you become a Digital Nomad? 
• Top 3 Places bucket list travel destinations for those who work to live
• Is Raw and Authentic or Polished and Professional, who do you want to work with?
• A few resume Red Flags

Interested in a more authentic hiring experience? Talk to these guys!

Broderick Search has a site coming soon, but he can be contacted on LinkedIn or by smoke signal.

White Rabbit Search just recently updated their site. Check it out here and schedule your Free consultation today! www.wrsearch.com

For a professional athlete,  hanging up the spikes (cleats, gloves, etc.) is a big step. When you are among the best in the world at your sport, it can be a challenge to find a new path in which to excel. For many, it's a process that involves replacing the skills they have honed into second-nature with new, unfamiliar skills that could take time to learn, let alone perfect. 

One of the fastest humans to ever run the 800m, Duane 'Bang' Solomon, will soon be ascending the ranks as a police officer in Arizona. 

It's no secret that law enforcement has been getting some bad press as of late. During a time when there are probably more black people looking to "defund the police" than join the force, why make that move? 

I think we need more people like Duane out there for the right reasons, keeping our streets safe.

Also Covered:

• Running on old school dirt tracks
• Getting lost in Europe
• What could render a pro athlete STARSTRUCK?
• What it means to be a Trojan 
• Why are #UCLABruins such haters?
• Does it have anything to do with USC being better?
• Louie Zamperini: Trojan, POW, and American hero (#Unbroken)

Fun Fact:
If USC had competed as its own country, its 307 total medals would rank 14th among all nations (13th in golds). Trojan Olympians have represented 65 countries all-time and competed in 29 sports.

Tagger. Thug. Hoodlum - you know the guy. Doesn't give a shit about society. Gets in trouble for the adrenaline rush. Must have been raised by some bad parents.

Positive Role model. Activist for Change. Innovator of Good.

Could these be the same person?

 "I am not who I was, but who I was helped me become the man I am today." said Danny Patton, in a video about his transformation from neighborhood thug to coordinator of afterschool programs for underprivileged kids in the community.

In this, the first episode of Season 2, Danny describes the spark and the context that led to him changing his life and the lives of hundreds of children for the better. 

Notes

• Joining and getting jumped into a gang/crew
• Why he chose to leave that life
• Challenges kids are facing today (cyberbullying, suicide, lack of outlet/resources, etc.)
• What is the Blue Whale Challenge? (A MUST FOR PARENTS OF TEENS)

Who I Was - https://www.facebook.com/1357764912/videos/10224664587866266/



For more info about MPAS,  Danny's after school organization on the Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District website: https://www.mpesd.org/domain/3232

Since the program has been adopted by the school district, they don't accept cash donations, but they DO accept donations of clothes and canned goods closer to their charity events.

Contact me at [email protected] for more info about ways to donate.

Tim Cashman has made a pretty dramatic transition in his career. One moment, he's sitting with A-List celebrities waiting out a storm and the next, he's...well...doing much the same thing at WeWork in a very different way.

Tim joins us from his home in London for a couple drinks, a bunch of catching up, and some great advice for job seekers and agency recruiters alike (SEE BELOW)

While employed by BuzzFeed and now WeWork, Tim has taken part in the hiring of hundreds of employees across a vast array of functions. He's what we in the agency recruiting world call The Gatekeeper.

The Gatekeeper is the first line of defense between a company's busy employees and those pesky agency recruiters trying to gain a new client. 🙋‍♂️I'm one of those!

Recruiters, job seekers, imagine if Saint Peter had tips for how to get into the gates of heaven? Would you listen? Well, this is sort of like that...sort of. 

Actionable tips to use in your own career transition!

1. Always reach out to the network you have. People in your network who work at a company may have a referral bonus program for bringing in someone who gets hired. Remind them.
2. Always ask for more when discussing your offer. While you don’t want to scare the potential new employer away from the table; they are not likely to abandon your candidacy over a couple grand and have to start back from square one.
3. What if you don’t match every requirement? Should you still apply? Tim says always apply, but adjust your resume to match the job description as much as possible. Haven't hired anyone inn maybe 500 people that matches the description perfectly.
   - Apply to the job that’s slightly outside your level of experience, even if you don’t match all ofthe requirements. Then connect the dots that explain what’s missing and make it easy for the person reviewing it to see your value.
4. Does your title match your job responsibilities? If not, then change it. LinkedIn is your own property and most companies don’t care what your title says there. If you are looking for a new job, consider adjusting your title to reflect your responsibilities and the function you performed.
5. Download your Linkedin profile to see what it looks like. Often times, recruiters may be using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software that aggregates the data from your profile into their system. This process may leave out some of your experience, education, or recommendations
6. Give and ask for recommendations from people who know and have worked with you.
7. Be active and engage with people’s posts and content. Allow people to get to know you better beyond strictly professional

Lose The Lag and Get the Bag ...WHAT?!

Lose the Lag - Chris Saint gives so awesome and free tips to optimize your gaming setup by diminishing input lag.
Get the Bag - Make a Large Sum of Money (Urban Dictionary)

In simple terms, Input Lag is the time it takes between pushing a button on the controller and the action happening on the screen. 

Reduce Input Lag > Win More/Die Less > Take Over the World of Gaming!

• What are the top names in gaming doing to get/stay there?
• Oh yea, you were a world-renowned body piercer!
• Did he just admit to pirating early video games??

TIPS FOR OPTIMIZING YOUR GAMING EXPERIENCE!
You're Welcome!

Dying a lot in Warzone? Getting real familiar with the inside of Russian Gulag, cell один два три?

In my conversation with Chris Saint, professional live streamer and better than average Fortnite player, I asked him for a few tips to improve my gaming experience. He said that when it comes to your display (tv/monitor), it’s important to determine whether you are looking for greater performance or a cinematic experience. If your goal is the former, here are a few almost completely free tips for optimizing your tv to get the most out of your gaming experience

1. Wire In EVERYTHING! - Wire in your controller, wire in your headset, and if you have the ability, hookup to that ethernet. If you don’t have an ethernet cord, or you only have wireless controllers, this is the one thing that will cost a few bucks. 
2. Downgrade your video - Are you playing on a state of the art 4K TV? Hell yea, good on you! Now turn that shit down to 1080p. Honestly, you probably won’t even be able to tell the difference, but again, every fraction of a second counts. Note, you will have to do this through the settings on your gaming system.
3. It’s GAME time - Turn on GAME MODE in your settings. Ever wonder what that was for? When you enable game mode on some monitors and televisions, it strips away some, or all of the processing that the screen does to the image to get it from the source to the screen panel as fast as possible. Generally, this means shaving a few milliseconds off, like going from 10ms of lag down to 6ms. 
   Basically, turn anything that has a GAME MODE available, ON
4. Power UP - Turn off any “Power Saving” mode. You can be environmentally conscious in just so many other ways. 
5. LOSE CONTROL - The HDMI Device Link is that function that lets you turn on your TV when you switch on your console? Chris says, Turn that shit off to get rid of another 10ms of input lag! 

Once you start earning actual money and you’re ready to reinvest in your equipment, there are a bunch more options on the table for creating the ultimate gaming setup

You could try a Higher refresh rate monitor, - a 120Hz display refreshes twice as fast as a 60Hz panel, and 4x faster than an old 30Hz TV, producing smoother motion and transitions.

Lower input lag monitor like his, which is a 240Hz 1ms response rate with g sync. 

Sound fancy? Well, it is! A top-of-the-line display like a BenQ Zowie XL2540, that will set you back about $400-500.

All of these small changes will help to diminish input lag, making you feel more connected to the game instantly. To put it simply, “We’re cutting down the amount of time between us pressing the button and the thing happening on screen”, says Chris.

While these tips may only earn you a few milliseconds, it could mean the difference between earning a Kill Streak and another trip to The Gulag.