THE FORTITUDE FORUM

Embracing Obsession and Legacy with Manny Amezcua. In this episode, Bill welcomes Manny Amezcua, CEO of MassMutual Great Lakes and founder of Podium Group. Manny shares how his obsession with adding value and solving problems has been shaped by personal experiences and family values. Manny delves into building inclusive company cultures, championing philanthropy, and balancing professional dreams with family priorities. Manny also opens up about his legacy, which he views through the lens of his children's future, and emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, continuous improvement, and leading with a servant's heart.

00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win

00:43 Welcome to The Fortitude Forum

01:08 Manny Amezcua: The Obsession with Adding Value

04:09 Building Companies and Cultures

08:18 The Relentless Pursuit of Excellence

13:18 At the Podium: Personal and Professional Alignment

24:50 Balancing Personal and Professional Life

29:30 Legacy and Final Thoughts

In this episode of The Fortitude Forum, host Bill discusses the power of urgency and peak performance with guest Charlie Ruiz, a former professional baseball player turned keynote speaker and performance coach. Charlie shares his nostalgic love for baseball, emphasizing the importance of history and connection in the sport. He recounts a poignant visit to Rockwood Field and the emotional moment of Willie Mays' passing. The conversation transitions into handling the mental game in sports, closing the chapter on athletic careers, and reinventing oneself for corporate success. Charlie explains his approach to translating athletic lessons into the corporate world, emphasizing presence over preference and the importance of acknowledging one's previous achievements. The episode concludes with valuable insights on navigating personal fulfillment and professional stagnation. 00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win 00:44 Guest Introduction: Charlie Ruiz 01:31 Charlie's Baseball Journey 03:35 Lessons from Baseball 03:56 A Memorable Baseball Experience 10:20 Transitioning from Sports to Life 12:49 Coaching in the Corporate World 20:53 Reinvention and Personal Growth 25:43 Choosing Presence Over Preference 30:15 Finding Fulfillment in Leadership 37:01 Conclusion and Contact Information

In this episode, Bill engages in an inspiring conversation with Don Polite, Chief Marketing Officer at SkyGen and former high-level college basketball player. Don shares his diverse background, from his upbringing in the Northeast and Southern roots to his high school and college athletic experiences. He elucidates the valuable lessons learned from sports, including preparation, mental toughness, and leadership traits that seamlessly transitioned into his successful corporate career. Don emphasizes the importance of teamwork, vision, communication, and perseverance in both sports and business. The episode also touches on Don's strategies for maintaining resilience and his commitment to a servant leadership lifestyle, aiming to mentor and support others in their professional and personal growth. 00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win 00:45 Meet Don Polite: Athlete and Executive 01:48 Don's Early Life and Family Influence 04:09 High School to College: The Athletic Journey 08:04 Lessons from College Basketball 16:55 Transitioning from Sports to Corporate Life 20:50 Leadership and Mental Toughness in the Corporate World 28:20 Daily Habits for Success 30:40 Conclusion and Connect with Don Polite

In this episode of The Fortitude Forum, host Bill is joined by Jamie Elizondo, a seasoned football coach with experience in the NFL, CFL, and XFL. Jamie shares his background, starting from his early years in Texas through his career progression in football and transition into performance coaching. They explore Jamie's life-changing decision to forego a lucrative law career for coaching, his insights from working with top talents like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, and the importance of having a coach to highlight one's blind spots. Jamie introduces his 'Crush It' formula, focusing on principles like courage, resilience, and high performance habits to help individuals reach peak performance in all areas of their lives. The episode also delves into Jamie's future projects, including his upcoming book 'The Crush It Formula,' a 50-day online course, and an exclusive program for football coaches.

00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win

00:44 Guest Introduction: Jamie Elizondo

02:01 Jamie's Early Life and Career

03:12 Transition to Coaching

04:25 Coaching Philosophy and Insights

08:31 Impactful Players and Lessons Learned

14:16 Transition to Performance Coaching

25:12 The Crush It Formula

33:39 Upcoming Projects and Conclusion

In this episode of The Fortitude Forum, host Bill interviews Desmond Clark, CEO of a logistics firm, 12-year NFL veteran, and former Chicago Bears tight end. Clark shares insights from his childhood, highlighting how his struggles and his mother's resilience shaped his character. He discusses the importance of self-belief, the process of greatness, and how success is a series of disciplined choices. Clark delves into the mental challenges and transition from professional sports to the business world, emphasizing the power of relationships, self-motivation, and result-oriented goals. The conversation also covers mentorship, leadership, and the essence of mental toughness. Clark concludes by outlining his vision for a legacy that inspires and elevates others to achieve greatness.

00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win

00:48 Guest Introduction: Desmond Clark

01:27 Desmond's Early Life and Challenges

05:50 The Path to Success: Choices and Determination

08:09 NFL Insights: Talent vs. Hard Work

11:48 Transitioning from NFL to Business

14:55 Discovering Leadership and New Opportunities

19:43 Principles of Winning

19:52 The Power of Relationships

20:10 Commitment to Excellence

20:23 Self-Motivation and Results Orientation

21:24 Philosophical Insights on Success

22:15 Defining Mental Toughness

24:20 Mental Toughness in Leadership

27:07 Mentoring and Belief

30:26 Advice from Mentors

33:27 Passion for Inspiring Others

36:18 Legacy and Impact

37:50 Final Thoughts and Farewell

In this episode of The Fortitude Forum, host Bill Burke welcomes Matt Johnson, president of On Target Living, a health and wellness company founded by his father. The discussion touches upon Matt's upbringing in a health-conscious environment, the evolution of health awareness, and the challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle amidst a busy schedule. Matt emphasizes the importance of foundational habits like sleep and urges listeners to focus on small, consistent actions rather than quick fixes. He also shares insights from his book 'Capacity,' which highlights the need to increase our capacity to handle life's increasing demands. The episode concludes with Matt's thoughts on legacy and the importance of empowering individuals to take control of their health. 00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win 00:44 Welcome to The Fortitude Forum 01:31 Matt Johnson's Background and Family Influence 04:14 Health Trends and Public Perception 06:33 Personal Health Journey and Aha Moments 08:49 The Importance of Rest and Rejuvenation 12:23 Challenges in Maintaining Healthy Habits 22:04 The Critical Role of Sleep in Health 24:13 The Sleep Crisis and Modern Stress 24:56 Foundations of Mental Fortitude 26:25 Health Trends and Lifelong Commitment 26:58 Building Sustainable Habits 29:12 The Importance of Capacity 35:56 The Writing Journey and Legacy 44:04 Final Thoughts and Takeaways

The 9 Drivers of Fortitude: Unlocking Peak Performance In this solo episode of the Fortitude Forum, Bill delves into why fortitude is the foundation of peak performance, detailing the nine critical elements: focus, ownership, resilience, time, inner voices, team, understanding emotional energy, discipline, and execution. Listeners are encouraged to improve one of these drivers to unlock their highest potential. Featuring motivational insights and actionable steps, this episode challenges the audience to relentlessly pursue the best version of themselves.

00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win

00:48 Welcome to the Fortitude Forum

01:06 The Foundation of Peak Performance

02:52 Nine Elements of Fortitude

02:58 Focus: The Starting Point

04:04 Ownership: No Excuses, Just Results

04:58 Resilience: Embracing Adversity

06:06 Time: Commanding Your Clock

07:00 Inner Voices: The Power of Self-Talk

08:03 Team: Building Your Huddle

09:09 Understanding Emotional Energy: Mastering Your Emotions

10:10 Discipline: The Difference Maker

10:59 Execution: Turning Plans into Action

11:56 Conclusion and Challenge

This episode of the Fortitude Forum features an engaging conversation with Dr. Kyle Stephenson, a highly accomplished orthopedic surgeon who shares his inspiring journey towards achieving peak performance in both his medical career and real estate investing. The host, Bill, introduces the concept of 'Your Game Clock,' an exercise designed to instill urgency and focus in one’s life. Dr. Stephenson discusses his passion for sports medicine, his perseverance through setbacks in medical school, and his innovative approach to maintaining mental toughness in the high-stress environment of surgeries. He also delves into his interest in real estate investing, emphasizing the importance of self-education, building strong teams, and balancing multiple career paths to avoid burnout. This episode is filled with valuable insights on handling adversity, making decisive actions, and striving for success and significance in one’s community.

00:00 Introduction: Playing to Win in Life

00:48 Welcome to the Fortitude Forum

01:15 Meet Dr. Kyle Stephenson: A Journey to Orthopedic Surgery

04:03 Overcoming Adversity: The Path to Medical School

11:54 Mental Toughness in Surgery

17:20 Real Estate Investing: A New Passion

22:45 Balancing Two Careers: Surgery and Real Estate

28:32 Conclusion: Embracing Multiple Paths

Winning Relationships: A Conversation with Casey Jacox. In this episode of the Fortitude Forum, the host welcomes Casey Jacox, a former corporate sales star turned keynote speaker, sales trainer, and author of 'Win the Relationship, Not the Deal'. They dive into the concept of treating life with a game clock mentality, highlighting the importance of urgency and focus. Casey shares his unique formula for leadership and relationship building, H + C + V (Humility + Curiosity + Vulnerability), and discusses its application in both his sales career and his role as an executive coach. The discussion also touches on the critical importance of resilience in sales and life, and Casey offers insights into effective parenting, emphasizing curiosity, humility, and vulnerability in raising mentally tough and well-rounded children. The conversation concludes with Casey discussing his podcast, 'The Quarterback DadCast,' where he continues to explore these principles with other dads. 00:00 Introduction: Are You Playing to Win?

00:45 Meet Casey Jacox: From Corporate Sales to Keynote Speaker

01:52 Connecting Sales and Leadership: The Power of Humility, Vulnerability, and Curiosity

05:05 Resilience in Sales: Overcoming Obstacles and Learning from Failure

12:38 Winning Relationships Over Transactions: The Key to Long-Term Success

16:35 The Six Keys to Building Solid Relationships

17:58 Effective Listening and Follow-Up Questions

18:10 The Importance of CRM in Sales

18:45 Keeping Ego in Check

19:05 Building Strong Relationships

20:11 Mental Toughness in Sales

20:49 The Power of Asking Great Questions

25:56 Balancing Family and Mental Toughness

27:43 Curiosity in Parenting

34:01 Final Thoughts and Resources

The Power of Surrender: Adam Jablin’s Transformation from Addiction to Triumph In this episode of the Fortitude Forum, Bill Burke sits down with Adam Jablin, a life coach, author, and interventionist who shares his incredible journey from addiction to sobriety. Adam reveals how a pivotal intervention on July 14, 2006, led him to confront his alcoholism and addiction, which he now understands as a spiritual disease. Through rehab, he learned the importance of surrender, spiritual healing, and redefining mental toughness. Adam also discusses how he uses prayer, meditation, and journaling in his daily life to maintain his recovery. He introduces his new book, which delves deeper into his transformative journey, and shares insights from his coaching program, 'The Hero Project,' aimed at helping others find their own path to recovery and resilience. This episode is a heartfelt conversation about hope, transformation, and the true essence of mental toughness.

00:00 Introduction:

00:44 Introducing Adam Jablin

01:28 Adam's Defining Moment

02:08 Understanding Addiction as a Disease

04:53 The Spiritual Component of Recovery

06:16 The Decision to Enter Rehab 1

11:58 Life Inside Rehab

16:00 Redefining Mental Toughness

18:30 The Essence of Mental Toughness

19:12 Trust and Teamwork

21:06 The Challenge of Change

23:56 Daily Practices for Mental Strength

26:17 The Power of Community

26:41 Introducing the New Book

30:49 The Hero's Journey

33:48 The Importance of Hope

36:30 Connect with Adam Jablin