In this heartfelt episode of Live Life By Design, host Jeff Mendez welcomes entrepreneur and mentor Nathaniel Olsen to discuss what it truly means to lead with love. From his mission in Sweden to building a successful direct-to-home business, Nathaniel shares pivotal lessons on faith, fatherhood, and finding focus in a world full of distractions. Discover how horseback rides, youth mentorship, and family traditions shape his vision of legacy and leadership. A powerful listen for anyone seeking to live life more intentionally.

00:00 Introduction & Early Life

04:36 Mission & Growth

11:16 Youth Conference Story

19:20 Fatherhood Through Storytelling

25:35 Slow Down & Be Present

42:07 Leadership Through Uncertainty

52:43 Final Takeaway

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In this inspiring episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with Vessie Pearson—CEO of Aptive and founder of Utah United Academy. From taking his son to train with a pro soccer academy in Italy, to leading a $100M+ employee payout, Vessie shares lessons on leadership, resilience, and living with purpose.

This episode covers family, business growth, entrepreneurship setbacks, and how mindset and preparation can shape success.

00:00 Catching Up: Vessie’s Italy Soccer Experience

08:58 Aptive’s Growth & Private Equity Deal

16:15 Why Vessie Gave 30% Equity to Employees

17:27 Health Struggles During Business Pressures

32:15 Final Reflection: Building for a Higher Purpose

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerful episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with Josh Sluyter for an unfiltered, inspiring conversation about resilience, leadership, fatherhood, and personal transformation. From a turbulent childhood and homelessness to building a successful career in solar sales and leadership, Josh shares how embracing vulnerability and choosing love over anger shaped his life. This episode is packed with emotional moments, leadership insights, and real talk on parenting, business, and overcoming life's toughest seasons.

00:00 Introduction & 90s Basketball

02:00 Growing Up with Adversity

06:45 Homeless at 17 & Turning Points

16:00 Fatherhood & Blended Family Life

39:00 Overcoming Anger & Choosing Love

47:00 Breaking into Sales & Solar Leadership

56:00 The Room Question: His Late Brother

59:00 Embracing Vulnerability & Final Takeaways

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In this inspiring episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez welcomes Blake Erickson to discuss the transformative journey of embracing risk, reinventing yourself, and finding purpose beyond comfort. Blake shares his experiences from door-to-door sales to co-authoring a book, launching a training company, and embracing a life of intentionality. Jeff and Blake dive deep into overcoming fears, managing financial risk, navigating family support, and building a fulfilling life designed around contribution and growth. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to break free from playing small and step into their full potential.

⏱️ Key Moments & Time Stamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Peru Travel Stories

02:00 – Blake’s Leap from Door-to-Door to Entrepreneurship

04:00 – How Blake Met Ben Hardy & Pitched the Book

06:00 – Facing Financial Uncertainty

10:00 – Rediscovering Purpose and Passion

13:00 – Navigating Family Support & Big Life Decisions

17:00 – Lessons from Door-to-Door & The Power of No’s

21:00 – Public Speaking and Storytelling

28:00 – Future Goals: Building a Legacy & Giving Back

35:00 – A Heartfelt Reflection on Loss and Legacy

40:00 – Redefining Money & Investing in Yourself

47:00 – Final Takeaways: Don’t Play Small

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In this heartfelt episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with John Frampton to talk about life, leadership, family, and the power of human connection. John shares stories of his new role, past successes, and the challenges of staying grounded while reaching for more. From the importance of relationships to the power of compliments and navigating grief, this episode offers profound insights for anyone wanting to live a life by design. Tune in and get inspired to discover what makes you unique and lean into it with confidence.

⏱️ Key Moments & Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction & Welcome

00:12 - Catching Up with John Frampton

02:30 - Career Shifts & New Role at Haven Hub

05:45 - Reflection on Solar Industry & Lessons Learned

12:00 - The Power of Compliments

18:00 - Navigating Loss & The Importance of Time

23:00 - Customer Service & Building Raving Fans

26:00 - Conversations that Save Lives

34:00 - Leadership & Influence

48:00 - Final Thoughts & Call to Action

51:30 - Wrap Up & Closing

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply introspective episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez is joined by entrepreneur and culture architect Jordan Binning. Known for building high-performing teams and leading with loyalty, Jordan shares the highs, lows, and lessons from his personal and professional journey — including launching a new business from scratch, staying grounded through adversity, and creating success that starts at home. You’ll hear real talk about sales, entrepreneurship, family, legacy, and what it really means to live life by design. This episode is packed with timeless leadership insights and actionable perspective for anyone chasing long-term, purpose-driven success.

Key Moments

00:00 — Jeff introduces Jordan Binning and his leadership impact

01:08 — What excites Jordan about life and purpose today

05:03 — Why consistency and “the boring stuff” wins

06:54 — Jordan redefines success and fulfillment

09:04 — His leap into entrepreneurship and building from zero

17:14 — Emotional moment: who Jordan looks for first in a room of everyone he’s ever met

24:25 — The $60K financial mistake that shaped his investing discipline

26:47 — How his first rental property changed everything

29:11 — Sports and sales: building a competitive edge

31:00 — Morning routine and maximizing time as a CEO

34:00 — Why leaders must be unavailable to be available

36:04 — CEO vs. sales: what changed, what didn’t

42:28 — The hardest season of Jordan’s life and how he handled it

46:15 — The ripple effect of his leadership on others

50:03 — Creating culture that people return to — even after leaving

56:17 — Measurable leadership: what gets tracked gets managed

58:25 — Pressure is a privilege: the mindset shift that changes everything

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What drives a 41-year-old husband, father of three, and CSO of a $300M brand to willingly get punched in the face—on purpose?

In this raw and riveting episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with Dan Gardner, Chief Sales Officer of Bucked Up, to unpack his decision to enter a professional bare knuckle boxing match. From the blood, stitches, and mental battles to the business lessons and parenting insights, Dan shares why this fight wasn’t about victory in the ring—but triumph over complacency.

This one’s about showing up for your goals, leading by example, and becoming your best self—even when it hurts.

This episode is a masterclass in mindset, legacy, and leading with action.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro & Dan’s fight aftermath

01:30 - Why bare knuckle boxing at 41?

06:24 - Training, diet, and mental prep

10:22 - Doers vs critics mindset

14:12 - Bucked Up’s $300M growth story

23:14 - Will Dan fight again?

29:15 - Mental battles & defining moments

34:04 - Becoming a better father and leader

38:26 - Sales mindset & hospital bed closing story

44:12 - Final advice on excuses & legacy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this must-hear episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with entrepreneur JD Beck to unpack a story of radical reinvention. From pursuing a career in psychology to building a $360 million solar company out of a shed, JD's journey is a testament to grit, vision, and choosing growth over comfort.

He opens up about betting on himself, the power of process, and the deep “why” that drives it all—his family. This is a blueprint for anyone ready to pivot, push, and build something lasting.

Key Moments:

00:58 – The Fork in the Road

08:12 – First Big Risk

15:00 – Building from Scratch

24:13 – $360M Valuation

33:05 – Family & Balance

49:19 – Final Advice

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with Brad Mortensen, the founder of RepCard, to talk about what it really takes to build something meaningful — in business and at home.

From humble beginnings in door-to-door sales to creating a software tool used by thousands of reps across the country, Brad shares the wins, the failures, and the mindset shifts that made it all possible. More than just a startup story, this conversation dives into entrepreneurship, marriage, fatherhood, and how to create true alignment between work and family.

If you're chasing success and trying to stay grounded at the same time — don’t miss this one.

👉 In this episode:

Building RepCard from scratch without outside funding

The hustle behind door-to-door sales

Creating harmony between family and business

Sales tech that builds culture (not just revenue)

The power of daily execution

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Brad’s background, family life, and early sales roots

04:15 – Starting RepCard and what the boomerang logo really means

06:00 – Door-to-door sales to solar to software: the entrepreneurial path

09:30 – Bootstrapping RepCard and believing in the vision

13:00 – What RepCard actually does and how it helps sales reps win

17:00 – Gamifying sales with team competitions and incentives

21:00 – Running event registration at major industry conferences

26:00 – Finding balance: time, family, and setting boundaries

30:00 – The "sacred 20 minutes" and leaving your phone in the car

36:00 – Communication, overcommunication, and alignment in marriage

41:00 – Final advice: success isn’t complicated — it’s daily execution

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In this episode of Live Life by Design, Jeff Mendez sits down with his longtime friend, Nick Hansen, to discuss the importance of living life with intention. They dive deep into prioritizing family, navigating career growth, and finding fulfillment beyond social media. Nick shares powerful insights on leadership, resilience, and how past struggles shape our ability to help others. Whether you're in business, personal development, or just seeking inspiration, this episode is packed with wisdom on designing a meaningful life.

00:07 – Introduction

00:10 – Catching Up

00:27 – Balancing Work & Family

01:19 – The Ego Trap in Business

03:25 – Quitting Social Media

04:44 – Recruiting & Leadership in Business

06:59 – Lessons from Sales & Growth

08:31 – Shared History & Hustle

10:50 – Why Grit Matters

15:15 – Business Growth & Investments

18:05 – Defining True Leadership

20:35 – Reflection & Spirituality

23:42 – Guiding Principles for Life & Business

29:57 – Final Thoughts

31:40 – Closing Remarks

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