Strong By Design Podcast

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Don Manning is, first and foremost, a husband and dad who follows Christ. He and his wife Suzanne founded Crazy Cool Family several years ago after raising seven children of their own – four girls and then three boys ages 34 to 18 – and seeing the need for parents to be inspired and equipped to build their best family.  

Don has a business and real estate background, owning different companies and putting together real estate deals. He and Suzanne are now blessed with eight grandchildren and more to come! 
 
In this episode on the Strong by Design Podcast, Jared and Don discuss the importance of building healthy relationships and culture within the home. Parenting is not about controlling your kids, but loving them and teaching them what is means to grow into a healthy adult. If you are a parent, you do not want to miss out on the wisdom that is poured out in this episode. 

"How do you make your kid wise while trying to keep his purity? And that's this balance that we're fighting as parents throughout the time." — Don Manning 

Time Stamps 

00:30 - Welcome to the 'Strong By Design' podcast 

01:36 - Today's special guest, Don Manning, co-founder of 'Crazy Cool Family' 

6:39 - Why 'play' is a child's most important job 

9:54 - How Don's kids helped write the 'Crazy Cool Family' book 

12:48 - Discover the key to raising a Godly family 

16:41 - Don on teaching men to win at family life 

21:03 - What Deuteronomy 6 teaches us about raising kids 

21:54 - Building stronger connections & cultural roots with 'Crazy Cool Family' 

26:40 - Create a strong family foundation by doing THIS! 

31:20 - How to let go of control in parenting 

38:38 - Dad's many hats: Bestowing a strong identity to your kids 

44:04 - The power of creating a home everyone loves 

52:29 - Connect w/ Don and start your '5 Days to Rethink Your Family' challenge 

Resources: 

•  Crazy Cool Family 

Connect with Don:

• Facebook
• Instagram 

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• CriticalBench.com
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In today’s show, Coach Tonya sits down with Dave Clukey, a former Green Beret with over 20 years of military service.

Now Sr. Director of Business Development – SOCOM at Immersive Works, Dave continues to serve in the national defense sector.  While his passion for what he does is apparent, Dave is also a huge supporter of veterans and their families.

Join us as Dave talks about making the transition from a military career to civilian life … you don’t want to miss this!



"Seek help; don't be proud, and you are not alone... Those are probably the two biggest things to take away from my transition journey." — Dave Clukey



Time Stamps
00:50 - Welcome to the Strong by Design Podcast!
01:13 - Meet today’s special guest: Dave Clukey, Senior Director of Business Development and former Green Beret
02:06 - Dave shares his motivation and passion for his current role
07:13 - The significance of accessing denied areas: Why does it matter?
10:15 - Exploring the importance of technology and people in modern contexts
17:21 - Dave discusses his transition from Special Forces to Civilian life
24:28 - What is more challenging: asking for help or receiving it?
28:09 - The genuine bond shared among military members
35:40 - Comparing discipline in military versus civilian life
41:30 - Understanding military qualifications, requirements, and passing percentages
46:27 - How to connect with Dave Clukey and learn more about his work




Connect with Dave:

• LinkedIn
• Facebook

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No one has answered the two-year-old lingering question “what is a woman” quite like Jennifer Strickland has. 

Let me tell you why: Jennifer is not afraid to address how this question is so deeply answered in the Bible. 

And the Strong By Design team couldn't agree more with her platform and voice in such a troubling era of gender misinformation.

After two years of research and Jennifer’s previous experience as a former model and established speaker for a variety of topics, her knowledge and passion for explaining what a woman is reaches beyond the surface. It moves well past Genesis and into the depths of the Hebrew language. 

In this special episode on SBD, Jennifer shares the deep wisdom she gained while writing her newest book, I Am a Woman. 

In her book Jennifer expands on the deep, biblical, Hebrew meanings of man and woman, where it comes from, and how this information can be used to free men and women across the world who are struggling to grasp ‘Truth’ since the feminist movement that bred our culture's gender identity crisis. The same movement that emasculated and demoralized men. 

Jennifer will not only inspire you to use your Godly role and voices to lead more people to Christ, but teach to be a voice for others in these times of trials (1 Peter 1:7).
 

 
 "The truth is we're created male and female with purpose and intention." — Jennifer Strickland
 
 
 

Time Stamps

01:08 - Welcome to the Strong by Design Podcast!

01:33 - Meet today’s special guest: Jennifer Strickland—author, speaker, former model, and founder of Let's Write and U R More Ministries

06:20 - Jennifer discusses healthy body image, identity, and sexuality

12:00 - Exploring our purpose and roles as male and female

20:39 - Rebuilding our nation with the foundation of truth

23:30 - Defining womanhood: What is a woman?

28:00 - Jennifer introduces her latest book, I Am a Woman

30:10 - Loaded language: How it bypasses logical reasoning

35:50 - Why we, as Christians, approach sexual identity from a specific perspective

42:53 - Establishing healthy boundaries in life

44:38 - Chris discusses the debate over restroom access and gender inclusion

47:50 - How to start, seek guidance, take action, and find the truth

49:19 - Connect with Jennifer, get her book 'I Am a Woman' and join her group

53:20 - Please share, and leave ratings & reviews for the SBD podcast

Resources:
 

·           URMore.org

·           I Am a Woman

Connect with Jennifer:

·         Instagram

·         Facebook

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• Facebook
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• CriticalBench.com
• CriticalNutritionLabs.com
• StrongByDesignPodcast.com

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Our final episode highlighting the amazing men, women, and kids at the first ever Rise Up Con event in Sevierville, TN., just outside of Knoxville.

Meet Jared Moon, from Proverbs 22:6 - his organization helps to reunite incarcerated men and women with their children. Their purpose is to heal these families and support them while most people turn their backs. The heart of their process is rooted in the 4 E's which are to: Encourage, Engage, Educate and Empower.

As Jared said during our conversation, "We bring the humanity back to the human that's behind bars."

Fun Side Note: Jared Moon had a booth next to ours on Day 1 of the event. We quickly got to talking and we became instant friends! He and another representative from his organization will be visiting our facility in Clearwater, FL. to have a longer, more in-depth discussion about what Proverbs226 is doing to help reunite families.

Meet Laura Klassen, founder and director of Choice42, a Christian, Anti-Abortion organization. Choice42 is pro-women, pro-baby and pro-life!

They are based in Canada but their reach is worldwide. Laura is also known as an anti-abortion influencer with some fantastic content on YouTube, just look for the pink wig!

Choice42 website: CHOICE42 connects online with abortion-minded women from all over the world and helps them to cancel their abortion appointments. With the help of our supporters, we are able to provide emotional and practical support to women to empower them to choose their babies.

And lastly, meet WWE Bros superstar Lucas.

Lucas visited the Strong By Design booth several times and after receiving lots of free gifts spinning our fun prize wheel, we encouraged him to join us on the show for a few minutes.  He and his brothers are huge WWE wrestling fans and have a fun YouTube channel. He was a delight to speak with.

Both Jared Moon and Laura Klassen are fighting for our children, kids like Lucas. All life is special and matters, we must continue to do anything possible to save our children.



"Children of inmates don't know that their parents love them."  -Jared Moon



Time Stamps
01:19 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' podcast
02:19 - Proverbs226: Guest Jared Moon's fight against generational incarceration
08:43 - Jared talks more about life-changing transformations behind bars
10:38 - Why we must defend the family unit now more than ever
13:20 - Connect with Proverbs 226: How you can help end incarceration
15:59 - Get to know Laura Klassen, anti-abortion activist & founder of CHOICE42
18:41 - Understanding the importance of human life
21:13 - Laura discusses how CHOICE24 empowers women
25:35 - Meet Lucas from WWE Bros
28:00 - Chris, Jared, and Lucas share their favorite wrestlers and more
29:20 - Connect and subscribe to Lucas on YouTube



Resources:

Proverbs226.org
Choice42.com
WWE Bros

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Have you ever heard of the Wild brothers?  Well hosts Chris Wilson and Jared Haley met them at Rise Up Con.

Meet Morgan and Hudson, two of the four Wild brothers from Wild Brothers TV. They are the elder brothers but refused to say better lol. As their name infers, these boys are a bit 'wild' (yes, that's their real last name) and adventurous living several years of their lives (15) in southeast Asia (Indonesia) as missionaries spreading the Gospel.

They lived side by side with the Indonesian people, fully immersed in their culture and customs doing things like hunting, exploring, building and even learning the language. 

Morgan and Hudson (and their younger brothers Kian and Asher) see following Christ as the ultimate adventure. They are currently filmmakers living in Florida continuing to explore and find adventure here in the US. They are truly fascinating young men, creating entertaining content on Wild Brothers TV and documenting their lives through filmmaking to share with the world.



"Following Christ is the ultimate adventure."   -Hudson Wild



Time Stamps
00:45 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
01:08 - Meet today’s special guests, The Wild Brothers, Morgan and Hudson Wild
02:30 - The Wild Brothers discuss their teamwork and collaboration
03:25 - Discover the origins and launch of the Wild Brothers
06:00 - Dive into the Adventure Documentaries featured on Wild Brothers TV
08:30 - Exploring why following Christ is the Ultimate Adventure
10:00 - Tips on communicating the Gospel clearly and effectively
13:40 - Understanding spiritual warfare and overcoming fear
18:00 - Strategies for protecting our kids from spiritual attacks
25:00 - What Wild Brothers TV is all about
27:30 - Introducing the new TV show: Zoo Tales—Animals, Zookeepers, and Believers



Resources:

WildBrothers.TV



Connect with the Wild Brothers:

Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

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• CriticalBench.com
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Ever meet someone and after just 5 minutes they feel like an old friend?

Our guest today on the Strong By Design podcast, Adam Kovar, is a Marine Corp Veteran, Patriot, husband, father and hardworking entrepreneur. He is a guy that you instantly feel connection with if you love our country, what it stands for and why it's worth fighting for. And there is nothing better at bringing people together for hours than a warm fire on a cool night.

At Rise Up Con in the beautiful mountains of southeast Tennessee, hosts Chris Wilson and Jared Haley had the good pleasure of seeing Adam's MYFIRESIDE booth. An amazing display of handcrafted, made in the USA firepits. The kind of firepits that make you want to sit down with people you know (or don't know) and engage in hours of conversation beside a roaring fire. But his firepits are like nothing you've ever seen before...

His story of meeting actor, tv host and true patriot, Kirk Cameron, by the roadside a few years back is absolutely amazing. Sometimes in life it's just about hard work, passion and grit... and of course meeting a guy with 3.5 million followers on Facebook! 

If you want the BEST FIREPIT EVER, you have to visit Adam's website and take a peek at the incredible firepits he makes himself and sells from his garage. We can't wait to get our own customized pits. You will never have a boring fire again! Please enjoy our final conversation of the event with our new friend Adam.



"Small business patriotic entrepreneurs are the solution to turn the tide back!"
-Adam Kovar



Time Stamps
0:50 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
01:10 - Get to know today's special guest, Adam Kovar
02:30 - What is Adam's purpose behind his Firepit creations?
6:00 - God intervenes and brings a passionate Firepit Enthusiast, Kirk Cameron, to Adam
8:00 - What is the American Campfire Revival?
09:24 - Success doesn't happen overnight
11:00 - Different ways to minister and spread God's word
13:00 - Overcoming Fear, Fighting the Good Fight, and Finding Hope
14:00 - How You Can Support Adam's Business



Resources:

• MYFIRESIDE.com

Connect with Adam:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Support the show

Connect w/ Critical Bench: 

• Youtube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• CriticalBench.com
• CriticalNutritionLabs.com
• StrongByDesignPodcast.com

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Our past does not define our character or determine our future.

While this sentiment is simply said, it is terribly difficult to believe and follow through with. Unfortunately, some of us can never seem to overcome our past.

Today's guest on the Strong By Design podcast is a living testament to the power of turning your life over to God. After years of struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, Rob believed his life was a complete failure and beyond repair. He even went as far as attempting suicide but miraculously he was saved.

Now he's an award-winning author, speaker, producer, actor and TV host.

In his book, Cruising Toward Heaven, Rob talks about redemption and devoting your life to God in service of others. This conversation will make you cry, give you goose bumps and get you Fired Up! Get ready for the one and only Rob Ekno.




"Lord, please give me the words to write in this book to glorify you."  -Rob Ekno



Time Stamps
0:22 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
0:45 - Get to know today's special guest, Rob Ekno, award-winning author, screenwriter, broadcaster and speaker
2:30 - Rob shares his story from drug addict and alcoholic to award-winning author
6:00 - Rob thanks the cop who changed everything
9:15 - Beneath the surface: Unseen ways we make a difference
14:05 - Answering God's call: Rob's journey from a D in English to Author
24:04 - Discover Rob's mission beyond book sales
30:11 - The importance of spiritual protection for teenagers
34:24 - The power of teaching people to be followers of the Spirit
38:58 - Host Jared shares powerful stories from his pastoral experiences
43:01 - 'Cruising Toward Heaven': Rob's testimony of God's glory
49:00 - Why you should prepare for the eternal rather than the temporary
52:26 - The power of trusting God's provision



Resources:

• RobEkno.com
• Get your copy of Cruising Toward Heaven

Connect with Rob:

• Facebook
• Instagram

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• CriticalBench.com
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Storytelling is an art form that has stood the test of time.

From sitting around a campfire listening to spooky stories and tales of legendary heroism, to a family gathered around a giant radio in the 1930s listening to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes or Abbott and Costello, the audio experience invites imagination and evokes excitement.

Live from Rise Up Con, hosts Jared Haley and Chris Wilson had the opportunity to speak with Darby Kern and Micah Touchet, audio producers for the Jake Muller Adventures, an action packed audio drama series and Callie Sioux, creator of the 1232 audio epic, which is a time-travel medieval fantasy audio adventure for all ages.

Get to know these amazing people, how passionate they are about their work and what it takes to produce a top notch audio drama.



"There's a lack of family-friendly content available in media."  -Callie Sioux



Time Stamps
00:35 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
00:58 - Get to know today's special guests, Darby Kern & Micah Touchet
02:20 - Darby and Micah introduce 'The Jake Muller Adventures' and how the audio drama came to life
05:21 - The art of casting: Journey to finding the perfect actors for audio drama
09:55 - Who 'The Jake Muller Adventures' is for?
11:30 -  Connect with Us! Follow 'The Jake Muller Adventures' on Social Media
13:53 - Welcome our next guest, Callie Sioux of '1232: An Audio Epic'
15:28 - Callie shares what makes '1232' special
20:34 - Discover how spirituality is woven into the show
25:50 - The joy and nostalgia of listening to old-time radio shows
26:50 - 1232: Ongoing saga or completed story?
29:00 - Where you can go to connect with Callie Sioux and get FREE content


Resources:

• JakeMullerAdventures.com
• 1232 Audio Epic

Connect with Darby & Micah:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Connect with Callie Sioux:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Support the show

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• Youtube
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• CriticalBench.com
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Sitting down with humble, sincere and genuine people never gets old.

Today on the Strong By Design podcast hosts Jared Haley and Chris Wilson are blessed to speak with animator and story teller Davy Liu and award winning actor Ben Davies.

Live from Rise Up Con in Sevierville, TN., these two men are using their amazing talents to spread God's truth through storytelling.

Davy Liu, an outstanding animator who worked for Disney for several years on projects like Mulan, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast decided it was time to do things his way.  Now he uses Jesus as the example in his storytelling on screen and in his children's books. As Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." His character 'Kendu' comes from this powerful scripture.

Ben Davies, an award-winning actor from films Courageous, Fearless Faith, I'm Not Ashamed, Vindication and many more might be one of the kindest, most humble people you ever meet. Interestingly Ben was also a top-level athlete, at one time he was ranked the No. 1 high school decathlete in the country and went on to collegiate track and field at the University of Florida. Ben has landed the lead role in twenty feature films while earning awards and nominations for 'Best Male Actor" in five film festivals.

Hope you enjoy our conversations with these extraordinary men!



"Our God is almighty. He creates everything with excellence."  -Davy Liu



Time Stamps
00:47 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
1:10 - Get to know today's special guests, Actor Ben Davies & Animator Davy Liu
1:35 - Actor Ben Davies shares his faith through film
03:36 - The hard work behind movie magic
11:14 - Ben's next big thing: Future roles and upcoming projects
16:31 - Ben on boosting your child's growth with sports
22:41 - Creating magic beyond Disney: How Davy Liu transitioned from Disney to Kendu Films
24:28 - Why Davy left Disney to serve a higher purpose
26:05 - Exciting internship opportunity at Kendu Films!
27:25 - Davy's children's books: Classic stories of Faith, told from the animal's perspective



Resources:

• RiseUpCon.com

Connect with Davy:

• Instagram
• KenduFilms

Connect with Ben:

• Instagram
• Facebook

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• CriticalBench.com
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Welcome to the First Ever RISE UP CON, Where Fandom Becomes Faith.

Ever heard of ComicCon... where all of the Star Wars, Star Trek and comic book super fans pour into San Diego's convention center by the thousands for days on end every year? 

Well, actor, director, and author Kevin Sorbo (Hercules '95-'99) thought having a similar atmosphere for Christian actors, writers, producers, musicians, creators, and entrepreneurs was needed.

After having Kevin on the Strong By Design podcast in 2023, our team decided it was a great opportunity to attend the first ever event and surround ourselves with men and women influencing American culture in a positive way while also standing firm in their Christian faith.

This special compilation episode highlights some of the many interactions, interviews, conversations and events that took place at the Strong By Design booth in Sevierville Convention Center, just outside of Knoxville, TN. Hosts Jared Haley and Chris Wilson were honored to participate and meet people from all over the country spreading the Gospel and the love of Christ.

If you would like to learn more about the recent event from May 30-June 1st, here is the link, RiseUpCon.com



"God is a Creator. We're created in His image. We are designed to create." -Jared Haley



Time Stamps
00:16 - Welcome to the 'Strong by Design' Podcast
01:18 - What is RiseUP Con?
2:55 - Former Disney animator Davy Liu on using our talents to glorify and serve the King of Kings
4:56 - The 'Jake Muller Adventures' with Darby and Micah: What to expect in this adrenaline fueled audio drama
5:58 - Faith on Film with actor Ben Davies
9:45 -  PROVERBS 22:6 - Jared Moon speaks about breaking the cycle of generational incarceration 
12:39 - Meet Lucas of 'WWE Bros' - future superstar ;)
14:25 - Inside the jungle life of the 'Wild Brothers'
16:41 - Choice42.com: Where women and babies matter with Laura Klassen
18:40 - Listen to 1232: an audio epic podcast by Callie Sioux
22:25 - Why MYFIRESIDE pits are real men essential with Adam Kovar

Resources:
RiseUpCon.com

Support the show

Connect w/ Critical Bench: 

• Youtube
• Facebook
• Instagram
• CriticalBench.com
• CriticalNutritionLabs.com
• StrongByDesignPodcast.com