Nic sticks the landing on the intro. After Tarina compliments him, Nic replies with a wink, “I know things.” They talk about their new cold plunge and healthy coffee—which tastes better. And Nic claims it was his Wreck-it-Ralph elbows that “honked at” Tarina.

When you don’t share your opinion, it is not humility. Combined with lying to ourselves this points to our insecurity. We are exactly in the place we find ourselves because of the choices we’ve made—which includes choosing to be honest or not be honest.

Nic explains that it is self-deception—not being honesty with yourself—is the root of underachievement. When we lie to ourselves we are not holding ourselves accountable.

When we lie to ourselves and to others there are consequences. It erodes trust. And when we break trust we might miss the promotion or worse. Don’t sell your soul for some cheat lie because you’re afraid to admit when you screw up.

It’s about being human and making mistakes and owning the mistake. Honesty says, “I dropped the ball. I screwed up.” This is especially important for leaders, as well as just apprentices and new hires. Brushing things under the rug shows a lack of courage.

Honesty simplifies life. Ask yourself: When was the last time I told the truth and even though it cost me something? With courage there is a cost.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic jokes with Tarina about having “abandonment issues.” She’s never abandoned an online shopping cart. Now Nic is the one shopping and bought a new pair of $15 shoes. Tarina told him, “I like those shoes. They don’t make you look fat.”

In this episode, they ask the question: What jobs will AI disrupt or replace?

One thing it’s irreplaceable is connection. It is already damaging human connection. The jobs AI is coming for are where we’ve already taken the human out of the work.

One conclusion Nic and Tarina make about AI is having judgement, or discernment.

Other jobs or fields they discuss include transportation, surgery, cyber security, and coding. The jobs it won’t impact are the plumbers, pipe fitters, and electricians.

Nic reminds us the two most important questions to answer for yourself: 1) What do you want? And 2) What are you willing to do to get it?

AI is coming for jobs that don’t require problem solving, human connection, or physically do the work. “Other than that, it’s coming for you.”

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina and Nic talk about Elle’s wedding—a truly beautiful life transforming event and how they had to pivot because of weather.

Nic is receiving a lot of requests for “sensitivity training.” As Nic jokes, “Kids today who never had to learn how to hold the flashlight for their dad.” Kids who never had the opportunity to take direction under pressure.

The question out there among a lot of seasoned leaders who are direct is, “Why is this generation so soft?” The problem is not that leaders are too hard. The problem is some of these leaders expect the moon and don’t teach.

Tarina comments, “Teaching is hard.” It’s the weak leader, Nic says, who tells a worker he/she is a piece of trash.

Nic wants to empower leaders to care enough about this next generation to teach them. The other place weak leaders skirt teaching is they lie to them, telling them they’re doing a good job when they are not doing a good job.

It’s about constructive criticism that changes behavior and leading through strength. It’s the courage to teach and train.

Ultimately it’s about practicing “clear is kind.”

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

This episode features Mark Broadwater, VP Egan Company, leading Egan’s ATS Group: Building Automation, Technology Systems and Service. His 28 years in the industry sets Mark apart from many leaders as he supports the sales team and look for new opportunities to connect the dots inside Egan.

It was Mark’s grandfather, a furniture maker, who inspired him to learn a craft and it launched his career as a field technician after completing the Electrical Construction program at Albert Lea Technical College. Today, he has enjoyed working in a hands-on role.

Mark is famous for saying, “Don’t lose your people in the numbers.” He also stresses how Egan Company had the right processes in place before they focused on the people. He asks the question, “Where do you lay your head at night?”

His point is to get to know your people and knowing where people are from and digging into their lives. It’s more than saying “Hi” in the hallway. It’s about asking about the soccer tournament or their vacation.

In this interview, you will hear Mark’s focus and heart on people and building relationships.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

This episode features Josh Bone, Executive Director of Electri International—what he describes as the research and development lab for the electrical contracting industry. It is at the forefront at navigating market impacts and look at where technology is going.

Josh has been a driving force in bringing cutting edge technology to the construction industry. In his early days he worked with mechanical design teams and has consistently championed innovation. His expertise is in bridging the gap between technology and real-world construction practices. He is a speaker and thought-leader and shares his insights with professionals nationwide.

Josh shares how his driving force is connecting with people, as well as purpose and curiosity. He talks about how in his 27-year career he has helped companies manage change, especially when it comes to technology.

This is a big and important conversation with keen insights and practical implications—everything from absenteeism to how data is the new oil to the use of artificial intelligence.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic tricks his new son-in-law, Micah Graf, to join him on podcast. He opens the conversation with a question, “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

They talk about farming in western Oklahoma, which includes scaring up wild pigs. His favorite part of farmer is corn harvest. He also posts drone footage on Instagram @Oklahoma_Farming, capturing the seasons of farming. Check out the mile-long, 100 bushel corn harvest while a storm rolls in here.

Micah’s brother (Instagram: @That_Gun_Guy) got him started using thermals for rifle shooting and is on the Pulsar Pro Staff. Oklahoma farming often requires shooting pigs and coyotes, what Nic comments “thin them out.”

Nic asks him, “What do you think will be the biggest challenge of married life?” Micah says it’ll be his work schedule as a farmer and all the hours involved.

Nic shared some Nic Bittle Crap with Micah when he asked permission to marry Elle. He said, “My family isn’t getting bigger. You’re creating a new family and that comes first. You got to have the courage to say no.”

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina is grateful for a power nap before recording this episode. Nic compares her naps to people needing a Snickers Bar when they’re hangry. And Tarina appreciates how Nic compliments himself about how he regulates his emotions and knows things—no naps needed. (That’s some good Nic Bittle crap right there.)

They laugh about cold plunges, soft-sided tackle boxes, and losing sunglasses at the beach. Life is good at the Bittle ranch. 

Regarding the college or career question, Nic and Tarina received some good feedback. They review a few of these, continuing the conversation about viable paths to take and the value of each. 

One conclusion they make is that relationships matter whether one chooses college or career after high school. 

A key question they ask: What kind of pain do we want to expose our kids to, so they grow up and become successful adults? It’s the pain in life that teaches us responsibility. Life is not pain free and parents can’t protect their kids from all of life’s bumps and bruises.

Nic shares a comment from a high school teacher he met recently who said, “Kids today are over-mothered and under-fathered.” In other words, they observe how comfort seems to matter more than discomfort. What’s needed helping kids choose their hard. 

The pivotal question: What kind of life do you want? Then reverse engineer it. Choosing college or career ultimately depends on the future you want to create for yourself and who you want to serve.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic shares how he attended an event to showcase his Life-Ready Curriculum. He had a booth and two break-out sessions to talk about how and why he created the curriculum and how it’s been implemented.

The point of the curriculum is to help students come up with their own answers rather than a fill-in-the-blank right answer. It was designed as a journey of self-discovery. At first, students main question is, “Will this be graded?”

“If we’re going to build a successful next generation, we have to get them to think on their own,” says Nic.

Especially in the age of AI, cheating is not a technology issue. It’s an integrity issue.

Nic chose to build the curriculum to give something back. Leading means teaching the virtues that it takes to have a successful and fulfilling life.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina talk about the struggle of choosing to go to college versus jumping into a career. As they prepare for Cruze to take his next step, they are wrestling with the value of higher education.

They discuss the various options available to craft a life and career that doesn’t require a college degree. Cruze has expressed wanting to do what Nic does for a living, so Nic breaks down what it’d take to become a speaker/trainer.

Cruze has also said he wants the “college experience.” What is that? Is it gaining the Freshmen 15? Having a professional gym is appealing, though.

If you have insights or perspective, Nic and Tarina welcome your thoughts—just email them at [email protected].

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic talks with Brett Russell on what he did and does to build a strong culture. In this episode, they discuss what destroys a culture. And they agree that life is life—and so work is both professional and personal. There’s no division.

Jumping in where they left off from Episode 68 (start there), Nic and Brett talk about the difficulties and opportunities to sow the right seeds to build strong leaders and a strong leadership culture. Brett identifies the importance of recognizing just how hard good leadership is.

The reality is a strong culture is the result of well-trained and strong leaders.

Brett Russell is the Fire Chief for the City of Clinton, Oklahoma, where he has served since 2017. With a fire service career that began in 1998, Brett brings over 25 years of experience in emergency response and leadership. He is also the founder of Classic Marble Design, a kitchen and bath company he started with his wife and parents in 1997.

Brett’s passions are faith, family, and leadership—in that order. His relationship with Christ shapes every area of his life and leadership. A strong believer in servant leadership, Brett also serves as Chairman of the Board for Western Oklahoma Christian School, a PreK–6th grade elementary school dedicated to Christ-centered education.

As Nic quotes Cruze, “There is going to be a hard in your life.” So, choose your hard. It’s hard to go to the gym every day or hard at the pool and be out of shape. It’s hard to build a business and it’s hard to be broke. “Which hard do you want?”

Final thought: “I need to be less concerned to seeing what the seeds produce,” says Brett. “Instead, I ask what am I committed to?” We are all called to something, and you got to find what that is for you.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at [email protected].

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to [email protected].

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.