Few people these days can claim to have found BOTH personal contentment and professional success. Sadly, they seem to be opposites on a spectrum where both cannot be experienced at the same time. It sounds like a panacea, but we all want it just the same. My guest on this episode has walked down both ends of that continuum. He's come through some hard situations that would break many people. But through it all, he's found a way to set his compass daily and fuel a life that matters.
Danny Farrar is the CEO of Soldier Fit, a fitness program birthed out of his experiences in life and as a member of the U.S. military. It focuses on providing a family atmosphere where each "troop" helps push every member to reach his or her personal goals. In this conversation, you'll hear Danny describe the difficult circumstances of his early life, how the military became his first turning-point, and how a terrible transition into civilian life opened the door to the opportunity that became Soldier Fit. Pay close attention to Danny's advice about creating your own "Daily Defense" routine. It's the type of thing I want these episodes to reveal, so take good notes and put his advice to work.
Highlights from this episode
- Adoption, molestation, and struggling through high school [2:49]
- Military service and a poor transition into civilian life [3:30]
- Beginning the Soldier Fit training program [6:01]
- Using adversity to clarify your purpose and how you will get there [8:50]
- Balancing loyalty to your team with the harsh reality of your P&L [11:56]
- Advice for those grinding it out daily regarding maintenance of personal priorities [14:06]
- Three lessons from a recent Facebook post Danny authored [20:57]
An inspiring example of why you can't let your history shape your future
We all experience difficult circumstances in life. There's no getting around that fact. But some people seem to push through them and overcome in spite of the setback. Danny is one of those people. He was an adopted child who struggled to find himself. Pile on top of that the fact that he was molested by family members, became a chronic over-eater and struggled academically in high school, and you can see that he was on a very destructive path that many of us would struggle to change.
But that was just the beginning of his struggles. He joined the military and learned a number of valuable skills, but transitioned out of the military poorly. He was evicted, wound up homeless, and attempted suicide. After being locked up in the psych ward for treatment, he developed a deep desire to change his life.
Soldier Fit is one of the outgrowths of that struggle. But more importantly for this podcast are the lessons Danny learned regarding healthy relationships and how to maintain happiness in spite of circumstances.
There are three types of people: quitters, campers, and climbers
Danny tells the story of how he learned that he had a choice in life, a choice to quit, to settle for less than he was capable of, or to keep climbing to become a better version of himself. He characterizes these choices as becoming a quitter, a camper, or a climber. The interesting thing though is that he tells the story in the context of a failed relationship. His first marriage ended in divorce and Danny feels that the lack of similar ambition is what led to its demise — and in his mind, there was nobody to blame for that incongruence but himself.
Will you be a quitter, a camper, or a climber? Danny's story can help you see how each of them manifest themselves and his example of becoming a climber can help you choose a better path for yourself. Listen and let Danny's story encourage you to become more, so that you can build relationships that matter.
Your "Daily Defense" is vital for your health as an entrepreneur
One of the most intriguing things to me is that every entrepreneur who is successful in both life and business does so intentionally. It NEVER happens by accident. I want to hear those stories and Danny shares a great one on this episode.
He says that every entrepreneur — or every person for that matter — needs to develop what he calls a "Daily Defense." It's an intentional focus on making deposits into four key areas of life. Those four areas are Relational Health, Financial Health, Mental Health, and Physical Health. He points out that your focus on these four areas should be ongoing but flexible. It's not required that you invest the same amount of attention in each one every day, but that something is done for each, every day. He says, "If you allocate to those every day, you'll find that it works out."
Listen to hear more ways Danny has implemented this mindset into his daily life and use it as fuel to build a Daily Defense of your own that works for you.
Connect with Danny Farrar
- Soldier Fit - where Danny leads as CEO
- The Reboot Challenge from Soldier Fit
Connect With Rich Daughtridge
- https://WareHouseCinemas.com
- https://HighRockStudios.com
- Follow on Facebook
- Follow on Instagram
- Follow on Linkedin
- Follow on Twitter
- Subscribe on YouTube
Subscribe to Relative Profitability on Apple Podcasts, Spotify
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com
