My guest is Michael D’Albor. Some of you will remember his last appearance on the podcast in August 2019. Several listeners have said it was their favorite.

Michael and I go way back. We were baseball teammates during our time at Nicholls State University. Since then, he’s ventured into commercial banking, earning his MBA along the way. Recently, he received a promotion and now works as an “acquisition banker.”

But perhaps his most significant role is that of a dedicated single-father, caring for his special-needs child, Jolie.

In this episode, we chat about Michael’s work & fitness routine in the post-COVID era. Now doing more remote work, we discuss whether he’s been hitting the gym or sticking to home workouts. He shares that he’s a member at four gyms, thanks to his company’s insurance plan. He still gets home workouts in, but 90% of his fitness life happens at the gym. Plus, he’s been doing yoga, spin classes, and sauna sessions for a well-rounded wellness experience.

We also talk about his recent trip to Europe. He recently embarked on a memorable trip with a buddy, exploring Munich, Hvar (Croatia), Naples, and the awe-inspiring Amalfi Coast. According to him, the Amalfi Coast stole his heart with its “breathtaking views.”

Michael’s “island-hopping” escapades in Hvar were his favorite part of the trip—offering a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.

Hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did!

In this solo episode, I cover a range of topics that have been on my mind lately.Tune in as I share insights into my recent investments and where I've been putting my money. I'll also chat about some captivating reads that have caught my attention.Shifting gears, I'll explore the reasons why we go to church, pondering its significance. And of course, I'll spill the beans on why I've been hanging out more on Instagram these days. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording!

Galina Lipina spent 15+ years in IT industry managing projects for global corporations and startups. She is also a speaker, trainer and a certified coach. She helps people create harmony with themselves and in their relationships, and achieve goals with ease and flow. Also, blending her passions of transformation and business into one—she helps organizations to change their culture by transforming individuals. How? By bringing a conscious neuroscience-based change process to increase resilience, creativity, and adaptability and achieve their full potential.

My guest is Benjamin Wall. He's originally from the UK, now living in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

The son of a former bank robber who was in-and-out of jail, my guest ironically had a successful career in finance, following work as a nightclub bouncer, debt collector and stripper.

Nowadays, Ben supports himself day-trading, which long-time listeners will know: Me, as for me, I prefer to get rich slow.

That's not to say Ben hasn't built wealth the long way—he's held long-term positions in $AAPL, $AMZN & $META, and continues to buy dips.

Ben is also the co-owner & founder of a concierge service in "Playa" called Prestige Luxury Services. He's partnered with a doctor-friend of his in paradise to provide a fully-holistic approach to tourism, health and well-being—all while vacationing ('holidaying' he might say:) in PDC and surrounding areas.

About the colorful life my guest has lived. Ben has resided in: Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio), South Africa (Cape Town), Thailand (Phuket), not to mention he's from the United Kingdom (Bristol).

In this episode, we discuss Ben's relationship with his father, who was consistently in-and-out of jail. He says although his dad was charismatic and extremely intelligent—he was also very violent and manipulative.

He says his father instilled lots of contradictory advice over the years. In fact, his dad taught him to hate those "born into money;" or those part of institutions, which of course included those in positions of authority.

While most kids bond with their fathers over hunting, fishing & other sports—Ben's dad would tell stories about prison. Or getting stabbed.

He'd teach Ben techniques to severely wound a man—the sort of know-how you'd probably only learn behind bars—where it's either you or the other guy headed to the great certainty.

So for a long time, Ben wrestled with who he was and what he wanted to be. He tried the corporate world. Logged 15 years in finance, Even vagabonded across SE Asia and surfed the coastlines of Costa Rica.

He visited Phuket, Thailand. Wait till you hear the story of how Ben managed to survive the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

When my wife & I visited Phuket, Phi Phi Islands, & Krabi in 2016—I must've watched the Youtube videos of the tsunami 15 times.

It was chilling to have the opportunity to speak with someone who was in Phuket when the tsunami hit; to chat with a man who saw dead bodies floating around him.

He'd see guys in board shorts looking like zombies, knowing they had nothing else to their name—no money, no wallet, no passport.

Ben says he won't go back [to Thailand]. I don't think I could either.

Luckily, Ben and his travel buddy managed to find a hotel that was at a high elevation. I'll let him tell you the rest of the story, which he says was the most horrifying experience of his life.

Please enjoy.

(By the way, I debated calling this episode: The Most Interesting Man in the World. I explain in the Intro why I didn't. But holey shmoley—this is worth a listen.)

Laurel Irwin is a wife, mother of 4, obsessed with weightlifting, which is why she is a fitness coach who specializes in global strength and body recomposition.

She is insatiably curious about the psychology of motivation and the power of internal beliefs. That will become evident the more you listen to this episode. She describes people and relationships as being her currency, her measure of success & fulfillment.

I would say that's unsurprising, coming from a female—that she would place so much value on people and relationships, as it's been proven time and time again that men prefer things, objects, working with their hands, that sort of thing. And women tend to veer on the side of people and relationships in their preferences.

This has been demonstrated by career choice among among the sexes, even in those countries widely considered most egalitarian, such as those in Scandanavia.

Laurel's says one of her deepest values is truth.

I'll tell you before we get started she's one of the top 2 or 3 smartest gals I've had on the podcast. I really, really, enjoyed our conversation, which felt like a healthy debate at times, which is something we don't have enough of...in this country.

I say "in this country," but it should be said—Laurel is from Canada and lives in Mexico—we recorded our podcast episode in Mexico—and I am from America. Still applies.

Before I bring her on, just want to let you know that you connect with her using the social media links below. She is offering five (5) online training & nutrition coaching slots for those who might be interested. Look her up, and please enjoy our conversation.

Gerald Awak is my guest. He is an African-American fella from Houston, TX. He would tell you that his experience growing up without a father had him seeking guidance from the older men in prison.

There were a lot of fights in prison. It sounds like a lot of them he initiated because it would help to make sure he maintained his own cell.

That was when he wasn't in "solitary," as he refers to it. What he calls the" free world," we call solitary confinement.

But Gerald got a lot smarter spending so much time behind bars. With nothing but his thoughts.

He was let out of prison early for good behavior. But you know, and this isn't to take anything away from him, I heard a lot of people got out of the pen early for good behavior during COVID—I should ask him about that.

He's utilized the knowledge gained from them to make a real impact now that he's out. He's determined to do something with his life. He's a rapper you can find on Spotify—he goes by 3G, which stand for Good, Gone, Gangsta, which he explains in this episode.