The Balanced Warrior Podcast

In this episode of Balanced Warrior, we have the privilege of hosting Jill Russack, an empowerment coach dedicated to helping high-performing women navigate career uncertainties, conquer self-doubt, and emerge as confident leaders.

Key Takeaways:

1. Cultivating a clear vision for advancing in your career.

2. Developing the ability to spot hidden opportunities and leverage them.

3. Investing in yourself, with a coach as a transformative ally.

4. Overcoming and dispelling internal narratives that hinder personal growth.

5. Embracing and aligning with your core values to shape your identity.

6. Setting clear goals and directions for personal and professional growth.

7. Embracing action over regrets to propel yourself forward.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and strategies to empower yourself on the path to success and self-actualization.

In this episode of the Balanced Warrior Podcast, hosts Michael Mertens and Paul Mellela dive into the critical concept of longevity and how to prepare for a life of multidimensional success. As they celebrate Michael's 54th birthday, they reflect on their journeys and share insights on maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health well into later life. 

Key Discussion Points:

• Longevity Mindset: Mike  and Paul emphasize the importance of planning not just for financial security in old age but also for physical, mental, and emotional health. They challenge the notion that aging means slowing down and instead advocate for a proactive approach to staying robust and healthy well into your later years.
• The Role of Ego and Emotional Connection: While initial motivations for health may stem from ego, such as wanting to look good, they emphasize that deeper, more emotional reasons should drive long-term health goals—like being there for your family and experiencing life fully.
• Social Health: The episode also highlights the importance of maintaining a social network, which is crucial for longevity. Mike and Paul discuss how surrounding yourself with a community that values fitness and well-being can provide positive peer pressure and accountability.

• Simple Actions, Big Impact: Mike and Paul close by emphasizing the power of making small, consistent efforts in diet and exercise that can significantly improve your health.

 If you found value in this episode, share it with someone who could benefit from these insights. For more resources on achieving multidimensional success, visit empoweredmastery.com or reach out to us at [email protected].

- Avoid letting summer turn into the lost quarter

- High performers celebrate, recuperate, and recharge, then swiftly return to their routines

- Adapt your habits to the changing seasons, but maintain consistent effort

- Consistency throughout the year leads to significant rewards in health, work, and career

- Take control of how you perceive and approach the summer season

• Infuse excitement into your goals by gamifying them, enabling you to eagerly adapt and explore fresh concepts

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with anyone who might benefit from its content. For more information, visit empoweredmastery.com or contact us at [email protected] with any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

This week on the Balanced Warrior podcast, coaches Chris Berlow, Michael Mertens, and Paul Melella join us to inspire and entertain. Inspired by one of Paul’s clients, who admitted struggling to stay focused amidst the current political climate, this episode is not about politics but about maintaining focus. The central question is: How do we stay productive and focused with so many distractions around us? Paul, Chris, and Mike offer powerful insights on protecting your mindset and freeing yourself from distractions so you can maximize your time and live your best life. Key takeaways include:

• Clearly define your goals and the steps needed to achieve them.
• Be ruthless with time management.
• Schedule appointments with yourself and treat your most important tasks as if you were meeting a client or customer.
• Reflect on whether your current activities are deposits or withdrawals toward your success.
• If you find yourself getting distracted, spend time in nature to regain clarity.
• Ask yourself, as a result of this information, what will I do differently?
• Let your inner voice overpower external influences.
• Most importantly, always keep the main thing the main thing.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with anyone who might benefit from its content. For more information, visit empoweredmastery.com or contact us at [email protected] for any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

Curt Thomas, a dynamic keynote speaker with over 23 years of leadership and management expertise, shares his inspirational journey from overcoming the challenges of failing 9th grade to becoming a successful professional. 

His diverse career spans from serving as an enlisted airman in the Air Force, a dedicated state trooper in South Carolina, to a seasoned account manager in a Fortune 500 company. Currently, Curt serves as a medical officer in the Air Force Reserve, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to service. Alongside, he is a thriving entrepreneur running CURT THOMAS UNLIMITED, LLC, and DENALI CONSULTING GROUP, LLC.

With a Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Claflin University, a Master's in Leadership from The Citadel, and pursuing a doctoral degree at Trevecca Nazarene University, Curt leverages his educational background and rich experiences to guide organizations towards achieving their goals through authentic leadership.

As an accomplished author of 9 published books, Curt empowers individuals to unleash their full potential and become their best selves. His impactful message emphasizes the power of mindset and resilience in the face of challenges, inspiring lasting positive change and transformation within organizations nationwide.

 **Key Takeaways from the Show:**

- Curt's temporary failures fueled his drive to work harder and achieve success in life.

- Transitioning from a life he disliked to focusing on his desired identity inspired his personal growth journey.

- In the face of adversity, Curt shares the choice to either succumb like a victim or rise above challenges with resilience and a determined spirit.

- Years of personal development and learning from high achievers empowered Curt to understand the importance of mindset and attitude shifts in navigating both personal and professional difficulties, leading him to rediscover the path to success.

This week on the Balanced Warrior podcast, coaches Chris Berlow and Mike Mertens delve into profound life philosophies. With decades of experience in martial arts training, personal development, entrepreneurship, and mentoring thousands of individuals, philosophy has become increasingly significant in their lives, particularly at their current life stage. Both Mike and Chris are 54 years old, with grown children, and while still actively engaged in their businesses and coaching, they reflect on the importance of living their best life. Whether facing a midlife crisis or recognizing the necessity of prioritization, this conversation resonates with individuals at all stages of life. Whether you are just starting your career or are retired, every day should be a good day to die, symbolizing truly living your best life. Key takeaways include:

• “Today is a good day to die.” - Native American saying
• “Remember you must die.” - Stoic saying
• “If today is to be your last day on earth, how do you choose to live?” - Grandmaster Byung Min Kim
• “Always be training” - Aspires you to strive for something and provides grace if you fall short
• Driven by Habits: Strive to be driven by habits and maintain consistency in your training
• Comprehensive Training: Training encompasses both physical and mental aspects, practiced consistently
• Reflect Daily: Ask yourself, “Am I leaving anything undone, unsaid, or unappreciated?”
• Focus on Calming Down: We cannot slow down, but we can focus on calming ourselves

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with anyone who might benefit from its content. For more information, visit empoweredmastery.com or contact us at [email protected] with any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

In this week's episode of the Balanced Warrior podcast, coaches Chris Berlow and Mike Mertens delve into effective strategies for organizing overwhelming information. We also extend our congratulations to Mike for successfully hosting a National Convention with over 180 professional Taekwondo practitioners. The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers with decades of experience, offering attendees a wealth of knowledge.

Post-convention, the challenge lies in digesting and implementing the extensive information shared. In this podcast, Chris and Mike discuss actionable strategies for effectively managing and utilizing the insights gained. Here are some key points and takeaways:

• Work on Your Business and Life: Conventions provide an opportunity to step back and focus on overarching goals rather than day-to-day tasks.
• Differentiate Between Notes and Actions: Understand the distinction between notes, lists, actions, and action plans.
• Evaluate Opportunities: When deciding on tasks, determine if they represent opportunities or distractions.
• Value-Driven Decisions: Run your business based on core values, avoiding the allure of the next "shiny object."
• Task Focus Within Projects: Concentrate on the specific tasks within projects rather than the projects as a whole.
• Strategic Project List: Create a strategic project list and consistently make progress on each item.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with anyone who might benefit from its content. For more information, visit empoweredmastery.com or contact us at [email protected] with any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, we have all three coaches sharing their ideas on the best and most useful ways to whisk away the clutter with good Spring Cleaning.  Paul starts by discussing various strategies to rid toxins and purify his body for optimal performance.  Chris shares his approach to Spring Cleaning by tapping into the growth season with the abundant energy in nature and setting up for an adventure to get excited and inspired about the future.  Mike wraps up the conversation with strategies to clean out the clutter in business and assess what he and his team could do better.  All in all, listeners will surely benefit from three different approaches to Spring Cleaning.  Tune in and prepare for a fun conversation with all three Balanced Warriors and kickstart the Spring Season of growth to make an even more enjoyable summer.  Some key takeaways…

• Spring season is all about growth, so tap into the energy cycle of life.
• Spring is a time for new opportunities.
• Take the time to assess how to improve your health
• Spend more time in nature to align with growth energy.
• Spring is a great time to review what is working in business.
• Identify new KPIs and see how to maximize the team’s efforts
• Do a budgeting purge with zero-based budgeting

This podcast has a ton of valuable wisdom, and it is right here for you all to benefit from decades among decades of experience. If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at [email protected] should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

In this episode, Paul shares his experiencing with showing up to a speaking engagement that turned out to be far different than what he expected. Paul discusses how he overcame his initial feelings of embarrassment and disappointment using the "catch it, scratch it, erase and replace" method that allowed him to deliver a great presentation and enjoy the process as well. 

Together Paul and Mike use this experience as jumping off point to discuss: 

• Why high performers in every field must have a strategy to obtain results, even when things don't go according to plan. 
• How to reconnect to your vision and keep the "main thing the main thing" when you find yourself  humbled by a surprise or a setback. 
• The importance of communicating from a sense of gratitude rather than ego. 
• How to frame all experiences as opportunities to learn. 

This podcast has practical lessons to share for  workouts. Learn how to get the most out of every scenario so that you are always learning and growing. 

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, we have a special guest, Dylan Finn, a young man with unparalleled determination.  After fourteen days, Dylan awoke from a coma. Two weeks earlier, he was a typical college kid having fun, enjoying school, and hanging out with friends. But, on this particular day, Dylan had suffered a traumatic brain injury from a fall. With only a ten percent survival rate, Dylan found the strength and courage to flip the perspective of what happened to him and to use what he had learned to help others. His book titled Growth is the real story of what happened and Dylan's journey of learning, lessons, and light found at the end of the tunnel.

A few takeaways from his inspiring story

• A positive attitude is everything when facing an obstacle, no matter how big.
• Focus on “I get to” instead of “I have to.”
• Always fail forward.
• Always strive for personal growth.
• Find a coach and mentor
• Embrace every moment like it’s your last because it may be.

This podcast has a ton of valuable wisdom, and it is right here for you all to benefit from.  If you want to learn more about Dylan and his journey and purchase his book, please visit his website at https://www.dylan-finn.com/. If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at [email protected] should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.