The Impact Entrepreneur

This episode is part of the Halftime Series. It’s the middle of the year… are you still on track to meet your goals? Many of us have gotten off track but now is the perfect time to determine how the rest of the year will go. It’s time to grab the opportunity bull by the horns and ride it into submission with the help of these inspiring guests.

Todd Stottlemyre grew up around Yankee Stadium in “a school of champions." His teachers were legends like Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Thurman Munson, and his father, Mel Stottlemyre.

Growing up in that environment inspired Todd to dream of following in his dad’s footsteps and playing in Major League Baseball, but things weren’t always easy for this high-performing family. When Todd was just 15-years-old, his brother died after an extended battle with leukemia.

This devastated Todd, but his father’s leadership helped carry the family through that adversity and the community lifted him up. He credits the experience with helping him become the man he is today: a man who has spent 15 seasons in MLB and played on three World Series Championship teams.

Todd learned some incredible lessons in the school of champions, especially from his dad, and he wants to pass them on to others. He wrote Relentless Success: 9-Point System for Major League Achievement so that other people can benefit from the school of champions and live their championship life.

Everyone’s championship life looks different, but success is always built around these same core principles.

In the spirit of Halftime, you should follow Todd on Facebook and check out his recent Facebook Live videos. He’s been talking about how 2017 is all about the endless pursuit for human potential, and the only way to discover what we can achieve as human beings is to fail miserably – you have to get out there and go for it. We have to learn in order to move forward.

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Resources:

• Connect with Todd: Website | Facebook
• Relentless Success: 9-Point System for Major League Achievement by Todd Stottlemyre
• Pride and Pinstripes: The Yankees, Mets, and Surviving Life's Challenges by Mel Stottlemyre & John Harper
• No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity by John C. Maxwell

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Halftime Series. It’s the middle of the year… are you still on track to meet your goals? Many of us have gotten off track but now is the perfect time to determine how the rest of the year will go. It’s time to grab the opportunity bull by the horns and ride it into submission with the help of these inspiring guests.

Today you will be inspired by former American college football coach and sports analyst Lou Holtz. For many years, Coach Holtz has been considered among the greatest speaking legends in America. He talks about overcoming seemingly impossible challenges by setting your own goals and working to achieve them – the perfect person to kick off the Halftime Series.

Despite never inheriting a winning team, Coach Holtz compiled an impressive 249-132-7 career record and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He is also the only coach in the history of college football to…

• Take six different teams to a bowl game.
• Win five bowl games with different teams.
• Have four different college teams ranked in the top 20 poll.

Coach Holtz doesn’t claim to have achieved any of his accomplishments because he is above average – he is intensely motivated, constantly learning, and tries to help the people around him believe in themselves.

Motivation is a critical factor for success. There’s really only two things a leader or coach can help you with: your belief in yourself and your skillset… but if you’re not motivated, nobody can help you with those two things.

Everything, especially motivation, starts with a dream; a goal.

Coach Holtz believes that only one thing determines whether you’re growing or you’re dying, and it’s not age... It’s whether you are trying to accomplish something. If you’re trying to accomplish something – if you have a goal – then you will have enthusiasm and excitement when you get up every day.

“One thing determines whether you’re growing or you’re dying: are you trying to accomplish something?”

This idea applies to any and every aspect of life. If you aren’t trying to figure out how to improve your marriage, the marriage is dying. If you aren’t trying to find new solutions for your business, your business is dying.

Even when you’re moving forward with motivation, you will still have to make some tough decisions along your path. When Coach Holtz was the head of a team, he only had two mandates: graduate and win. Every decision he made had to help his team meet one of those two mandates.

As a business leader, you also only have two mandates: satisfy the customer and make a profit. Once you understand what your mandates are and what you’re trying to accomplish, then the right thing will be more obvious and you will start making the changes that are necessary to do those two things.

“There’s no right time to do the wrong thing and there’s no wrong time to do the right thing.”

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Don’t be a podcast junkie…

Resources:

• Get inspired with Coach Lou Holtz’s books:

• Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography

• Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success

• The Fighting Spirit: A Championship Season at Notre Dame

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is the conclusion to the Comeback Series, which featured Entrepreneurs who have experienced a major setback and then successfully pivoted to something different, bigger, and more impactful.

There are few things in life that are universally true. However, regardless of race, religion, or nationality, we love to celebrate people overcoming adversity and shutting down the naysayers; we love to see people bounce back, crush obstacles, and face seemingly insurmountable obstacles head on.

Don’t just celebrate – take action.

Where is your comeback?

Here’s my challenge to you:

1. Take a moment over the next few days to reflect on your story. What has made you who you are? What are you proud of? What are you embarrassed by? What scares you? What gets you excited?
2. Write those things down, own it, and visualize it.
3. Share it with your friends, family, and me. Write about it on Instagram and tag me @TheImpactMike so that I can read, comment, and share it with my community.

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Comeback Series, which features Entrepreneurs who have experienced a major setback and then successfully pivoted to something different, bigger, and more impactful.

Today’s guest is Adam Eidson, an entrepreneur who left his high-paying corporate and took a 50% pay cut to pursue a more purpose-driven life. He is driven by empowering others and making them feel better about themselves so he opened his own gym, RARE Crossfit, and started hosting The Mentee podcast.

Growing up, Adam didn’t have the confidence or self-esteem he has today. There was no consistent father figure for much of his early childhood, being a smaller guy made school a challenge (he graduated high school at 118 pounds), and he was shrouded in limiting beliefs.

Ultimately, it was support from his first mentor and father figure that helped Adam realize his own abilities and grow into a more confident human being.

Later, mentorship from former guest Geoff Woods guided Adam on a transformative journey. He developed clarity about the incredible power of people, relationships, and action. To foster those relationships – and add more value to the people in his life – Adam started practicing greater transparency and vulnerability in every aspect of his life.

Like crossfit, being open and vulnerable requires a lot of strength. But we have to acknowledge our weaknesses to grow beyond them, and we have to be honest to form real connections with other people.

When we support each other, we are all capable of a major Comeback.

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Resources:

• Listen to The Mentee
• RARE Crossfit

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Comeback Series, which features Entrepreneurs who have experienced a major setback and then successfully pivoted to something different, bigger, and more impactful.

Today’s guest, Cindi Busenhart, is the Founder & CEO of MERGE4, one of the most exciting action sports sock brands in the world. Before Founding MERGE4, she was President of Sessions and Este, one of the original snowboard brands on the market.

Sessions went through a few difficulties in the ‘00s. The bulk of their snow wear started shipping on September 1st, and the events of 9/11 caused many stores to cancel their shipments. Nobody wanted to get on a plane and fly to a resort. A few years later, the global financial crisis took another toll.

While weathering these challenges, community was hugely important for Cindi and the company. Community is important when we’re thriving, but it’s critical when we’re facing adversity.

“Persistence trumps brilliance almost every time.”

When we experience these moments of adversity, it’s also important to be persistent. Even in the most difficult times, there is opportunity if you’re willing to look for it. If, on top of that, you can continue to believe in yourself and your passion, your positive outlook will reap greater opportunity.

Cindi tries to persistently keep a positive outlook because she believes that if you want to get something, you have to give it. This can be positivity, support, or even health.

Cindi lives this belief. When her brother was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that shut down his kidneys, she persisted to jump through every hoop put in front of her so that she would be allowed to donate a kidney. “It was hard for us, but there was never a moment that I didn’t think I could do it.”

Because of her extreme giving, Cindi got what she wanted: her brother’s health.

Cindi applies this same giving philosophy to MERGE4. In addition to fostering a positive community, they are a B Corp, which means they are a for-profit company certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. They are dedicated to providing cool socks to children, teens, and those receiving extended treatment in hospitals.

“If you want to get something, give it.”

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Don’t be a podcast junkie…

Resources:

• Connect with Cindi: LinkedIn
• Pick up some MERGE4 socks

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Comeback Series, which features Entrepreneurs who have experienced a major setback and then successfully pivoted to something different, bigger, and more impactful.

Today’s guest, Nick DiNardo, had his whole world flipped upside down at age seven. Now he helps entrepreneurs perform at their very best and teaches them to overcome overwhelm… but he had to build resilience to get there.

Nick’s mother experienced her second bipolar episode when he was seven, which led to some time in a hospital, his parent’s divorce, and his father’s bankruptcy. He felt angry, ashamed, misplaced, and like everyone else had a nuclear family that he could not have.

These experiences allowed Nick to develop resilience, and he believes he has thrived off of the adversity he experienced.

But how does someone build resilience if they experience success, instead of adversity? If Nick’s son grows up under better circumstances, how will he develop an awareness of struggle?

“The difference between the high-performers and the average is the ability to identify and use adversity to your opportunity, rather than avoiding it or just letting it pass you by.”

Nick’s book, The Game of Adversity, offers eight practices that will help anyone turn difficulty into opportunity, developed through his years of experience as a practitioner of resilience.

1. Building a Growth Mindset is the keystone habit and foundational principle of his book.
2. Process Over Outcome is about focusing on the daily habits and practices that we need, rather than being too overly-focused on goal-setting. We shouldn’t rely too much on goal-setting.
3. Focus on Stoicism, or what we can control, and our relationship with failure.

• Building Self-Awareness

• Focus on Goals That are Bigger Than You

1. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants is about perspective, and understanding history and the challenges people have gone through before you.

• Preparation

1. Gratitude, and appreciation over expectation.

If you have faced adversity or struggle and you haven’t built your resiliency, where should you start? Nick suggests an exercise for identifying how you naturally react to adversity so that you can review the game tape and change your processes.

• Tim Kight, Founder of Focus3 Consulting, developed this heuristic: Event + Response = Outcome (E + R = O).
• You can’t control the event and you can’t control the outcome, but you can control your response.
• Brainstorm 10 specific tough times that you have experienced adversity (small to big).
• In each of those moments, what was the outcome and how did you respond?
• How would you respond now, knowing what you know now and what the optimal response would have been?

I appreciate Nick coming on the show and sharing his vulnerability. People don’t think of vulnerability as a strength often enough, but it is incredibly powerful – and Nick is living proof.

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Resources:

• Connect with Nick: Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram
• Listen to Nick’s podcast: The Sweet Adversity Podcast
• The Game of Adversity: 8 Practices To Turn Life's Toughest Moments Into Your Greatest Opportunities by Nick DiNardo
• Aspire: Discovering Your Purpose Through the Power of Words by Kevin Hall
• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
• “Here’s The Strategy Elite Athletes Follow To Perform At The Highest Level” by Ryan Holiday

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Comeback Series, which will feature Entrepreneurs who have experienced a major setback and then successfully pivoted to something different, bigger, and more impactful.

There is a narrative pervading our society that we have to be perfect, and we project perfection into the world – but we don’t relate to any single person through their success or their perfection.

We relate to other people through their struggle.

That’s why we’re talking to Geoff Woods, a man who has come up against adversity numerous times in his life only to overcome it, and grow stronger as a result. He’s Vice President of The ONE Thing, the company behind the best-selling book of the same name written by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan, and host of The ONE Thing podcast.

As we discussed last time Geoff was on the show, his entrepreneurial journey began with a tragedy: in just one week, his pay was dramatically slashed and a co-worked died of a heart attack.

He then went on a mission, inspired by Jim Rohn, to surround himself with new people and change his life, and he started The Mentee podcast as a vehicle for this journey. He discovered that people really connected with his struggle, “and it was at that moment that I realized the greatest power that I could possibly have, being the man behind the mic, was vulnerability.”

But he’s not just vulnerable – he’s committed to change, and courageous enough to share it with us. You can hear more of Geoff’s vulnerability on The ONE Thing podcast.

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Don’t be a podcast junkie…

Resources:

• Subscribe to The ONE Thing podcast
• the1thing.com

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This is the last episode in the Happiness Series. We have been taught to believe that we can not choose to be happy because happiness is something that can only be earned – that’s not true.

We can take hold of happiness any time we choose. Happiness is an attitude, and attitude is a choice.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” –Viktor Frankl

Over the past several weeks, we had leading experts from a wide array of industries share, confirm, and reiterate simple truths about happiness, fulfillment, and impact.

• Sheryl O'Loughlin had a phenomenal job, great career, and great potential – all of the success we might imagine for ourselves. However, it came at a great cost… one that nearly took her life. Sheryl taught us how truly powerful our choice to be happy can be.
• • Ep. 53 – How Happiness & Love Help Entrepreneurs & Businesses Succeed – with Sheryl O’Loughlin.
    
    
  
  
• JP Sears joined us for two hilarious and ultra spiritual episodes. He helped us laugh, but he also offered insight about cultivating our greatness, belief, and rejoicing in small victories.
• • Ep. 54 – Allow Yourself to Choose a Happier Mindset – with JP Sears
  • Ep. 55 – How to Cultivate Your Greatness & Happiness – with JP Sears
    
    
  
  
• Doug Kisgen challenged us to rethink happiness, and in doing so accomplish great things by living a life of virtue (which means to do the common uncommonly well). He wasn’t talking about scaling, hustling, or grinding – he was talking about love, patience, prudence, and justice.
• • Ep. 56 – Rethink Happiness & Live a Life of Authentic Joy – with Doug Kisgen
    
    
  
  
• Jason Kotecki revealed the epidemic of adultitis, and encouraged us to engage in our childlike nature from time to time. Children are creative, insightful, speak their minds, and love unconditionally… can we do that?
• • Ep. 57 – Annihilating Adultitis – with Jason Kotecki
  
  

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Resources:

• Rethink Happy

• Escape Adulthood

• KILLING IT!: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart by Sheryl O'Loughlin
• Get a free excerpt from How To Be Ultra Spiritual: 12½ Steps to Spiritual Superiority by JP Sears

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Happiness Series. We have been taught to believe that we can not choose to be happy because happiness is something that can only be earned – that’s not true, and I hope these amazing entrepreneurs will help you choose to find happiness. Doing so will give you an advantage in business, relationships, and life in general.

Jason Kotecki is an artist, author, professional speaker, and entrepreneur. He and his wife founded Escape Adulthood in 2000 (and later The Cure Adultitis Institute) with one goal: annihilate Adultitis.

Jason and his wife envisioned an ideal version of adulthood, but the “real world” didn’t live up to it. Bitterness and cynicism are rampant – excitement and enthusiasm are elusive.

Why?

They realized that most of us lose something in the transition from childhood to adulthood: curiosity, delight, and the ability to dream big.

However, the most successful entrepreneurs – the Musks and Jobs of the world – never lose these super powers.

Escaping Adulthood isn’t about ditching responsibilities to rediscover fun. It’s about remembering what we once knew as kids so that we can improve our lives, our relationships, and our businesses.

• How do you bring more fun into the workplace in a productive way, without being branded the crazy misfit?
• How do you become a more fun parent and raise your children with discipline?
• How do you find time for yourself when you’re a caregiver?

Don’t get caught living a paint-by-numbers life – we are made for more. The beauty of adulthood is freedom and choice, so live freely and make your own choices!

If you want a crash course in productive fun, you can attend the 2017 Escape Adulthood Summit.

You can also join their free community of insiders and find a ton of awesome escape tools, and so much more, over on EscapeAdulthood.com.

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Don’t be a podcast junkie…

Resources:

• Connect with Jason:
• • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  
  
• Escape Adulthood:
• • EscapeAdulthood.com
  • FREE Insider Community
  • Escape Tools
  • 2017 Escape Adulthood Summit
  
  

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters

This episode is part of the Happiness Series. We have been taught to believe that we can not choose to be happy because happiness is something that can only be earned – that’s not true, and I hope these amazing entrepreneurs will help you choose to find happiness. Doing so will give you an advantage in business, relationships, and life in general.

Today’s guest, Doug Kisgen, is the author of Rethink Happy: An Entrepreneur’s Journey Toward Finding Authentic Joy.

One of the key tenets in Rethink Happy is the importance of living a life of virtue. We often focus on the hustle, the monetary success, aesthetics, and independence… but we try to hide the adversity, the struggle, or the heartache we experience along the way.

If we live a life of virtue – which doesn’t mean we have to stop hustling – we can fill the holes that we try to cover up.

So what does living a life of virtue mean? Doug breaks it down to six parts…

• Love
• Wisdom
• Temperance
• Courage
• Justice
• Transcendence

We can see these virtues brought up throughout history by great minds such as Aristotle and Benjamin Franklin, but we also seem to have forgotten them – and we aren’t actively or intentionally trying to bring them into our lives.

If you want to challenge yourself to embrace these virtues, don’t take on too much at once. We often fail to create lasting change in ourselves because we try to make too many changes at one time.

You have a finite amount of willpower, so don’t wear it out.

You can start living a life of greater virtue and make the most out of your willpower by taking baby steps. Committing to small changes can lead to big results. Ask yourself: What’s a small win that I can get on a daily basis, and that I can keep track of?

Learn more about living a life of virtue in Rethink Happy: An Entrepreneur’s Journey Toward Finding Authentic Joy.

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Don’t be a podcast junkie…

Resources:

• Rethink Happy
• Connect with Doug: Twitter | LinkedIn

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We are also brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. The are your one stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.

Visit LawtonMG.com for more info.

Production & Development for The Impact Entrepreneur Show by Podcast Masters