On this episode of Baby Steps, I give my thoughts on O.P.P. - Other Peoples Perceptions (of us). We as people and a society spend so much time on what people. think about us as opposed to becoming clear on what it is and how we want to live our lives. This is something that even myself struggle with at times. People like Gary Vee speak about this subject all the time and it's something that I believe that all of us could learn from and work toward improving on. Rather than putting pressure on others and ourselves to chase likes, validation and pats on the back, Let's work on living our best lives on our terms and possibly through offering ourselves some Grace along the way.

Please let me know your thoughts on this over on Twitter or Instagram. Remember, the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step, just keep moving forward.

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

This is the 1st episode of something i've initially called, Baby Steps. There are so many things that come up in my interviews that could be talked about through a different lens. That's what I'm going to do with Baby Steps, chat about real things and give my personal thoughts and anecdotes along the way. The goal is for them to be short, digestible and hopefully thought provoking. In this episode, I speak about how it's OK to not be OK along with some of my learnings and experiences with therapy. This is not meant to be advice, more my experiences and the lens at which i'm looking through things. I hope that you enjoy this. Please let me know your thoughts on this over on Twitter or Instagram. Remember, the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step, just keep moving forward.

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

Gary DeFranco is a Television Executive Producer for The Ultimate Fighter & Street Outlaws. Additionally, Gary is the President of Max Glow Media, MMA and Records! Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio Gary has seen so much in his years on this earth. From FBI raids to performing on stage with Bone Thugs & Harmony to Interviewing the best fighters in the world, Gary has a life’s story that is worth sharing. Currently living in Las Vegas, NV, we also dig in on how he made his way out to Vegas and what moment set him on that path toward the bright lights and big city. As we say in the intro, the journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step, you will want to tune in to hear the steps this Cleveland native has taken.

LINKS:

Gary DeFranco Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gary_defranco147/

Website - https://maxglowmedia.com/

Max Glow Music YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl6aaF0NXyM8-AgJWf7SpqA

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

Our conversation today is with Sean Huiet. Sean is the Head Volleyball Coach at Texas State University. Sean took over as head coach of the Bobcat volleyball program in 2020 after spending 14 seasons as the assistant/associate head coach. In two seasons at the helm of the program, Sean has accumulated a 51-21 overall record. Originally hailing from Cincinnati, Sean eventually left the Midwest after spending time at Indiana State and Bowling Green State University and found his way to San Marcos, Texas 16 years ago and never left. We discuss Seans journey in coaching and in life and some of the crossroads that he has encountered which are integral in bringing him to the place he is right now. This conversation is loaded with real conversation and inspiration. We hope that you love it as much as we loved recording it.

LINKS:

Sean Huiet Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/shuiet8/

Sean's TED Talk -

https://www.ted.com/talks/sean_huiet_adoption_and_difference_our_family_s_story

My Fav pic of Sean & His Son - https://www.instagram.com/p/CBPGuPfBM92Wo-Go5yM1TkIMBg0vwDlZOpsJHY0/

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please head over to either Apple podcasts or Spotify Podcasts and Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

Our guest today is Lucy Crivelli. Lucy has a passion for content creation, social media marketing, community events, and pushing industries forward. Lucy is Mexican-born, Los Angeles raised. She came to the US at age 3, fighting through adversities any female minority faces living in underprivileged communities. Lucy’s family is everything to her, she has worked hard to get a degree, and prove that women like her can create space in rooms that were not built for them. As a creative, Lucy has worked leading projects with brands like adidas, Reebok, & many more. Currently, Lucy is the Head of Socials for a sneaker gaming app called Aglet, in her role with Aglet she has made it a priority to represent Latina’s in tech + sneakers. As a freelance photographer + marketing consultant Lucy has helped Spanish-speaking business owners, including her parents, find the right resources not only to remain open but help their business succeed online.

Quick Disclaimer – Lucy and I talk a bit about crypto currency and the NFT space. None of our conversation is financial advice. Please seek professional investment advice and do your own research

LINKS:

Lucy Crivelli Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lucycrivelli/

Lucy Crivelli Twitter - https://twitter.com/lucycrivelli

Aglet App Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agletapp/

Aglet App Twitter - https://twitter.com/AgletApp

Aglet App Discord - https://discord.gg/2BY2Q9rk

Tomorrow Isn’t Promised - https://www.tomorrowisntpromised.us/

NFT Communities I spoke about – NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE

High Society Twitter – https://twitter.com/highsocietynfts

High Society Discord – https://discord.gg/highsociety

Jungle Cats Twitter – https://twitter.com/JungleCatsIO

Jungle Cats Discord - https://discord.gg/HSYV6nvt

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please head over to either Apple podcasts or Spotify Podcasts and Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

Our guest today is Greg Meade. Greg is the CEO of CROSSNET (think a cross between 4 square & volleyball) and a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree. Greg hails from the great state of Connecticut which is where he and his co-founders of CROSSNET got their big idea. In our conversation we discuss everything from having the entrepreneurial spirit and how that spirit has helped him keep moving forward through failures that get thrown his way. We also dig a little bit on web3, the metaverse and the NFT space. (DISCLAIMER - neither Greg or I are financial professionals. Additionally, our conversation is NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE. Please do your own research and consult with a financial professional.) Theres a lot that Greg and I cover in less than an hour & I hope that you find at least one thing to take away that helps you move forward today!

LINKS:

CROSSNET – https://www.crossnetgame.com/

Greg Meade TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@greg?lang=en

Greg Meade LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmeade/

Greg Meade Twitter – https://twitter.com/woeismeade

Greg Meade IG - https://www.instagram.com/woeismeade/

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please head over to either Apple podcasts or Spotify Podcasts and Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Our guest today is Amanda Martin. Amanda is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She played Division 1 soccer at Saint Louis University and is a member of the St Louis Athletics Hall of Fame. From there she spent 8 years as a Division 1 soccer coach before transitioning into the corporate space with Deloitte. From the time that she joined Deloitte until now, Amanda has had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many that have been lucky enough to cross her path. Currently Amanda is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting Manager for Deloitte and is calling Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home.

Please find the following links to connect with Amanda:

https://www.instagram.com/amandamart10/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinamanda1/

If you like what we are doing on Steps, please head over to either Apple podcasts or Spotify Podcasts and Rate, Follow and Subscribe.

Be sure to let us know who you would like to have on as a guest, someone who's story needs to be told to the world.

Lauren Carlini is a professional indoor volleyball player, and a member of the USA Volleyball Women’s National Team. Lauren grew up in Illinois and was a multi-sport athlete until she decided to commit her whole focus on the sport of Volleyball. Her collegiate journey took her to the University of Wisconsin and started off with an extreme high, finding themselves in the National Championship and Lauren earning National Freshman of the Year accolades. Lauren’s college journey was one that many can learn from. She encountered bumps In the road and character building moments that have made her the person she is today.

From college Lauren transitioned into Professional Volleyball and began training with USA Volleyball’s Women’s National Team. For the 4 years following her final collegiate competition Lauren had one goal in mind…. The Tokyo Olympics. In our interview we unpack her journey and the result on her quest for Gold. There’s so much Gold (pun kind of intended) in this episode and I hope that you enjoy Lauren’s vulnerability and candor.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/laurencarlini/

https://twitter.com/laurencarlini

Dustin Watten (Instagram) is a professional indoor volleyball player, founder of NoEzyBuckets (Instagram) and all-around amazing human being. In our conversation Dustin and I unpack his journey from Long Beach State University into the pros and competing in the gym with USA Volleyball on the Men’s National Team.

While playing professionally Dustin has evolved both his life and his desire to be of service to others. This spawned the creation of NoEzyBuckets (NEB). NEB is a platform where Dusty aims to train the best athletes in the world in their Mind, Body & Performance. In this episode we discuss what NEB stands for, the mission of NEB and what he continues to bring to life.

Links:

www.dustywatten.com

https://www.instagram.com/dustinwatten/

https://www.instagram.com/noezybuckets/

Matt Ginipro (Instagram Twitter ) is a husband, a father, a volleyball coach (Appalachian State, Virginia, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech) and beer aficionado (Rotation 6 Instagram). Matt joins Steps to discuss how he recently left the Head Coach role at App State, what happened and why it happened. Matt and Steve openly discuss the culture of coaching, how it can lead to unhappiness and what can happen when when unaddressed. Matt also shares how the death of his brother has affected him and how it's never too late to speak to someone about your mental health and well being..

Steve and Matt are not Health Care professionals. If you are in need of assistance, please find resources below.

Emergency: 911

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1- 800-799-7233

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

National Hopeline Network: 1-800-SUICIDE (800-784-2433)

Crisis Text Line: Text "DESERVE" TO 741-741

Lifeline Crisis Chat (Online live messaging): https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat/

Self-Harm Hotline: 1-800-DONT CUT (1-800-366-8288)

American Association of Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222

National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependency Hope Line: 1-800-622-2255