Smarter Strength w/ Dr. David Skolnik, DPT

Our guest today is Danial Hooper.

In today’s conversation, I ask Danial about the role of community within the framework of building a brand, what challenges he has faced in building a digital brand and Danial shares an incredible shift in perspective from assessing Return on Investment (or ROI) to prioritizing Return on Relationship (ROR). Plus I get Danial to spill the beans on some new products and projects coming down the pipe at FNX Fitness.

Our Partner on Today's Show - FNF Fitness - Use code "essential" for 25% off every purchase

Connect with Danial - @instadanial_
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Book Recommendation - The Go Giver (Bob Burg & John David Mann)

Action Plan

I want to zero in on one of Danial’s core philosophy’s for delivering amazing customer service - and that is the idea of delivering home cooked meals. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since Danial and I recorded this conversation and I’ve been taking steps to ensure I deliver that level of personalized care in each interaction I have in my coaching business and with my patients. I hope that each of you listening feel a bit of that home cooking each time you listen to this podcast. I mean really, what an incredible standard to hold. I’m so happy to have gained this gold nugget of insight from Danial.

What I’d ask each of you to do is to make a point of delivering that home cooked feeling to at least one interaction this week. It could be an interaction with a customer, an employee, a friend or even a stranger. The home cooked feeling makes it obvious you’ve put extra time and thought into your interaction - you could have gone the convenient, store bought route but you decided to take the time to cook something up SPECIAL. I think you’ll find that people will respond to this in an incredibly positive way!

That’s it for this week - until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest today is Crystal Miranda.

Crystal is back as our very first repeat guest and today we are talking about the dangerous nature of Toxic Positivity and the importance of normalizing the full spectrum of human emotions.

Today’s episode is being released on October 10, 2021 on World Mental Health Day and in support of Crystal and the non-profit work she is doing through The Healthy Mind Movement - we are releasing a new piece of apparel. I’m sure everyone listening has seen someone wearing a “Good Vibes Only” T-shirt, but what about all the other vibes? The anxious vibes? The angry vibes? That accepting and nurturing vibes? Even the bad vibes? Life is full of emotions, all of which are innately normal and human, which is why were are releasing our "ALL VIBES WELCOME" t-shirt today, on World Mental Health Day, with all proceeds going directly to The Healthy Mind Movement to support access to mental health services.

Connect with Crystal - @healthymindmovement
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
Purchase Your "All Vibes Welcome" T-shirt - HERE

Today’s conversation is all about normalizing the full spectrum of human emotions. It’s about giving ourselves permission to “feel all the feels” and it’s about creating an opportunity for each of you listening to support the work Crystal is doing by purchasing an “All Vibes Welcome” t-shirt. It’s OK to not be OK. It’s OK to work through tough things just like it’s OK to celebrate all the good in our lives. All emotions, all feelings… All Vibes are Welcome here.

Your action plan this week is to give yourself time, space and permission to FEEL YOUR FEELINGS. To be OK not being OK and to welcome whatever vibes emirate from your mind and your soul. Soak them in. They are what make you human.

If today’s conversation resonated with you and you want to support the powerful work that Crystal is doing in the Mental Health Community through her non-profit The Healthy Mind Movement - check the show notes for lots of ways to connect with Crystal, support her work and of course, to purchase your All Vibes Welcome T-shirt.

Until next week, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Sarry Ibrahim.

In today’s conversation, Sarry and I talk about how to define financial strength, what it means to Think Like a Bank, the importance of having financial objectives and goals and what Sarry thinks people can do right now to set themselves up for strong financial futures.

Sign up for Enduring Strength - Take the guesswork out of your workouts with this year-round program coached by Dr. David Skolnik, DPT.  Build Strength, Gain Muscle and Improve Your Endurance with Enduring Strength. Hit the link above to e-mail David directly and receive your link to join the join the program!

FNXFit - Use the code "essential" - Take 25% off any order from FNXFit. FUEL YOUR GREATNESS!

Connect with Sarry - Sarry Ibrahim, MBA, LTCP
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the show - @essential.strength.podcast

Book Recommendation - Who Not How: The Formula to Achieving Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork

Action Plan

Your action plan for the day is this - take 10-15 minutes this week to write down 1 or 2 primary financial objectives and 3-5 steps or strategies you can implement to start moving yourself in the direction of accomplishing those objectives. I know you all have financial goals, even if you’ve never written them down. Let today be the day you start taking real action toward meeting them.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest today is Dr. Justin Farnsworth, DPT.

In today’s conversation, Dr. Farnsworth and David talk about how the American Healthcare system is failing to keep us healthy and how the Fitness Industry needs to step up to fill the void. They talk about why it is so difficult for people to take personal responsibility for their own health and the dangers of “convenience culture”. This is a no-holds-barred conversation, with a lot of passion - these issues are vitally important and its going to take a lot of difficult discussions to bring about real change.

If you are listening on Apple Podcasts - don't forget to leave a 5 star rating and short review. These simple actions make a major impact on the show's future!

Connect with Dr. Farnsworth: @drjustinfarnsworth
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Our Partner Today is Pain Free Performance - Use the code "essential" for 15% off.
The Pain Free Performance Certification is a must for any fitness professional who is committed helping their clients achieve true health, avoid injury and maximize performance!

Action Plan

Your action plan this week is to take responsibility for your own health. I want you to identify the area of your health that is lacking the most. That could be sleep, nutrition, stress management or physical training. Piggy-backing off of my conversation with Mads Friis on Ep. 53 - I want you to write down the three biggest barriers to making positive changes to your chosen health metric and then I want you to make an Action Plan for taking steps toward improving your health. Maybe you do what Mads does and bring your gym bag to work to avoid the temptation of stopping at home and never going to the gym at all. Maybe you write down your grocery list instead of just shopping on a whim. Or maybe you set an alarm on your phone that tells you to PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY at 9:30pm so you can start winding down and improve your sleep quality and quantity. It doesn’t matter what you choose. Choose something, identify your obstacles and make a plan. You are your own best healthcare system and you only get one body and one life - so act accordingly.

That’s it for this week - Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Kyle Benson.

Kyle is a marriage and sex therapist who has worked with dozens of couples to help them understand the root causes of their wants, needs, insecurities and find the truth in their relationships.

In today’s conversation, Kyle and I talk about how to cultivate intentionally intimate relationships, how to adjust the “thermostat” on your relationship, balancing individuality with partnership, and how to root out defensiveness and stonewalling to allow for effective communication.

Connect with me and to connect with this podcast via Instagram where we produce weekly video content and would love to get a chance to know you, our listeners! If you have a second to rate and review this podcast, that would also mean the world to me and help get these messages into more heads and more hearts!

Connect with Kyle: @_kylebenson
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
 
Recommended Reading
For New Couples & Those Currently Dating: Attached & Wired for Dating
For Committed Couples: 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work, Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love & Eight Dates
For Non-Monogamous Couples: Polysecure
For Better Sex: Magnificent Sex

Action Plan

Your action plan this week is specifically for the listeners who are in a committed relationship. I want you to take a page out of Kyle’s book and schedule 30 plus minutes of uninterrupted time with your partner where you talk about the things that are going well in your lives (both individually and as a couple), areas of stress and uncertainty, and areas where you could really use each other’s support. This conversation could happen on the couch, at the kitchen table, on a walk, or over dinner during date night. The only rule - NO PHONES, NO DISTRACTIONS - if you think you’re going to need to take notes, grab a piece of paper and a pen. This is about internal togetherness.

That’s it for this week. Until next time we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Hayley Pettinato.

In today’s conversation, Hayley and I talk about the power of daily affirmations and how to optimize your self-talk. We discuss different forms of journaling, and Hayley and I dive into three of the biggest health and fitness myths that can have damaging effects on both our physical and our mental health.

If you have a second, please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a five star rating and write a quick review. It means the world to me, and it helps get this podcast out into the ears of more people looking to discover their strength. Check us out on instagram too, @essential.strength.podcast - where you can catch video clips of every episode, motivational quotes and keep up with everything happening on the show!

Connect with Hayley: Instagram @iamhayleynoelle // YouTube Hayley Noelle // Philosophy of Fitness Podcast
Connect with David:  @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Our Partner on Today's Podcast is FNX Fitness - Take 15% off their full line of performance supplements with the code "ESSENTIAL" at checkout.

Action Plan

Your action plan this week is to use one of the journaling strategies that Hayley told us about today - the Scripting Strategy.

I want you to choose a current goal you are working towards and set aside 10 minutes between now and our next episode to write down, in detail, a description of the day you achieve this goal as if it has already happened. Where are you? Who is with you? How do you feel? What was the hardest part? The more detail, the better. If someone else were to read this journal entry, they would have no idea that this event has not yet come to pass.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Mads Friis.

On today's Episode, Mad's and David discuss strategic goal setting, the importance of sleep and rest, and why so many people are unhappy despite their perceived success.

Mads is, by his own admission, excessively curious and this curiosity has lead hum to question why so many people seem so unhappy and unfulfilled. It is his mission with his Podcast and his coaching business, to help as many people as he can figure out what makes them happy, where they want to be in life, and show them how simple it is to start taking concrete steps towards fulfilling their highest desires.

Connect with Mads - Instagram: @madsmfriis // Website: GrowthIsland.com // Podcast: Growth Island w/ Mads Friis
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Check out our Partner on Today's Episode!
15% off at FNXFit when you use the code "ESSENTIAL" at checkout!

FNXFit is my go-to performance supplement brand - from their SuperGreen powder, to protein, creatine and pre-workout products - they have everything you need to live an optimized life! 

Action Plan

Your action plan this week is take action on one of Mads’ most simple, and yet most profound suggestions for living your highest performing, most fulfilled life. And that is to write down what makes you happy. Block out at least 10 minutes to grab a piece of paper and a pen - yes, a physical piece of paper and a pen, not just your laptop or phone - and write down as many things that make you happy as come to mind. Do your best to just let this list flow out of you - without judgement, or worry of what others might think. This is your list. Written by you. And for you. You can share it if you want, or keep it all to yourself. But please, allow yourself to be immersed in the process of discovering, or perhaps rediscovering, what truly makes you happy.

That’s it for this week. If you enjoyed today’s episode Mads and I would love to hear from you! Take a screenshot and post it to social media, be sure to tag me, @dr.davidskolnik.dpt and Mads, @madsmfriis. And if you’re so inclined, subscribe to this podcast, as well as the Growth Island podcast, and drop each of us a review and a comment! It’s a small action to take, but it has an outsized effect!

That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Joe Sullivan.

In today’s episode, Joe and I talk about the origin of his “Adapt or Die” mentality, the importance of family, what  makes a good coach and Joe answers some questions from gym members at my home gym, American Raw Fitness out here in Gilbert, Arizona.

Joe is an All Time World Record holding powerlifter, a coach, an entrepreneur and an educator. He is very familiar with hardship and speaks frequently on the power of mindset as it relates to overcoming difficult circumstances.

Our Partner on Today's Episode
Barbell Rehab - use the code "stronger25" to get $25 off any online courses from Barbell Rehab.

Connect with Us:
Connect with Joe - @joesullivan_aod & on YouTube
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast
Remember to SUBSCRIBE and RATE the podcast wherever you listen to podcasts :)

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is two-fold:

The first thing I want EVERYONE to do is take a second and just count your blessings. Just stop and be thankful for what you have and for the hardships you’ve overcome because they’ve lead you to wherever you are now and at some point in the future, those same hardships will provide you with the wisdom and experience to overcome the hard shit the future indefinitely holds for all of us.

For the coaches listening - take an honest look at yourselves and your services and make damn sure that you’re delivering what you are succeeding in fulfilling the promise of the service you were hired for. I thought this definition of good coaching sets a very clear bar for all of use to measure ourselves by, but only if you’re truly honest in the assessment. If you aren’t sure, the answer is probably “no”, but you could always take a quick poll of your clients - at the end of the day it’s really their perception of your service that matters most.

That’s it for this week. Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review or a comment, and check out the Instagram Page for this show - it’s linked in the show notes - to see video clips and other highlights from the show!

Until next week, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our Guest this week is Kandace Hudspeth.

On today’s episode, Kandace and I talk about all the things you need to know to leverage Instagram to support your personal brand and business. From how lay out your page, build trust, increase interaction and help people transition from consuming your content to taking action on it.

Kandace is a career brand strategist and lifelong fitness enthusiast who pivoted her career, from big agency leadership to fitness business and brand innovation. With 20 years building brands and crafting digital marketing strategies, Kandace brings proven growth and an elevated touch to every brand and team she works with.

Connect with Kandace - @kandacehudspeth on Instagram // Kandace Hudspeth on LinkedIn
Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Books & Products we Talked About
1. Pain Free Performance - use the code "essential" at checkout for 15% off
2. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino
3. Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
4. Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is going to sound easy - but it is going to be VERY HARD for anyone who uses Instagram to support their personal brand or business. For the next week, I want you to take Kandace’s advice and truly treat it like it’s a part of your business - make a strategy, block your time, cut out the consumption and focus on action. Set specific time aside to connect with like-minded individual, audit pages that are achieving what you hope to achieve with your page, and make some Gary V style “deposits”. Seriously, I’ve been trying to do this since we recording the conversation 10 days ago and it is freaking TOUGH. But it feels good to be taking purposeful steps towards maximizing the power of this social media platform.

That’s it for this week. Until next time, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest today is David Skolnik.

We’re changing things up to make episode 50 with something special. Today, my producer - Christian - is interviewing me. The idea is, a reintroduction of sorts. Now that we’re 50 episodes in, I know it’s not just my mom and dad and a few friends listening any more, so getting to know who I am, and why I do what I do seemed the pertinent thing to do.

Connect with David - @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show - @essential.strength.podcast

Our Partner today is  - Get PPSC - use the code "Essential" for 15% off
The Pain Free Performance Certification is the ULTIMATE in-person learning experience for any fitness professional who wants to provide the absolute best for their clients.

Action Plan

Your action plan for the week is this - If you have some element of your own personal story that you find it hard to talk about, I want you to lean into that discomfort just a little bit more this week. There were elements of my experience with depression that I shared for the first time on this episode. Things I’ve only told my closest friends and family, and even a few pieces of the story they may never have heard before. Each time I talk about that time in my life, it gets a little bit easier to share the dark, uncomfortable details. It’s those details that make the story real, and relatable. And it is those details that could make the difference in someone else’s life. You don’t have to share with everyone. You can share with one person. But that’s my challenge to you. Share a little more than you ever have before about something hard that you’ve been through. Overcome the mental resistance and you will be stronger for it.

That’s it for this week. We’ll be back to our normal format next week with a new guest for Episode 51.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt