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This episode is co-hosted by one of my favorite humans, Tiffanee Cook, founder of Roll with the Punches!  Join us as we share some invaluable tips on how to create the outcomes you want in life and work, through play.  

In today’s highly innovative, interconnected world, where there are more offerings, platforms and sources of access than at any other time in history, being good is not good enough.  To get noticed, you must be different.  Meaning, you have to be authentic.  Which often means being courageous.  More than that, you must connect your authenticity to others in a way that is relevant, compelling and meaningful.  

Mastery of your craft requires an understanding of how your core competencies connect to concepts and people.  That’s why seeing your life or work through a narrow lens of learning and development can limit not only the value you can give, but the life you’re capable of living. 

Craft requires contrast.  The willingness to experiment, to play, be present, listen, open to learning, embracing failure, all in an arena that is as inspiring as it is challenging.  You can’t be very innovative if you’re always around people that have the same background and perspective.  

In our conversation, we talk about how creative exploration outside our conventional scope of work, such as the performing arts, can structure our environment in a way that challenges us to understand what we truly want, as well as focus on and co-create the blueprint for others to get what they want as well.  

Enjoy! 

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How well do you communicate?  

As a presenter, one of the most common questions I am asked is some version of “what is the one thing…?"  Whether it’s the one book I should read, the one course I should take or the one skill that I can develop in order to…

Most things have too much complexity to be diluted down to one critical success factor.  However, when pressed for an answer, I feel confident that it arguably comes down to communication.  

The quality of our relationships, performance, work, and every aspect of our lives is dependent upon the quality of our communication.  The thing is, communication is not just about how we connect with others, but how well do we communicate with ourselves?  Communication starts with us.  Do we have self-awareness?  Do we know our unique areas of ability?  Do we trust ourselves? As my quest for this episode puts it “When you’re operating from the space of being truly connected, your communication can only be flawless.”

Kass Thomas is an internationally sought-after Transformation Coach whose clientele extends throughout the world, including India, France, Italy, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Croatia, Indonesia, China, Japan, Morocco, Israel, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, the United States, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, UAE and Estonia.

She has facilitated over 1000 classes and assisted over 10,000 people, of which include Madonna, Ray Charles, Denzel Washington, Whoopi Goldberg, Michelle Pfeiffer, Miles Davis and Morgan Freeman, who was the best man at her first wedding.

Drawing on her extensive experience in the hospitality industry at 5-star properties (she won concierge of the year from Where magazine in New York, which I think is brilliant) to managing Off-Broadway theatre productions in the start of her career in New York; to starting her own production company in Italy to finally finding her calling as an empowerment and transformation coach; she shares with us 7 steps to communicating flawlessly.  Being flawless is not about being perfect, but about being present, connected and creating magic within an interpersonal dynamic.  In this episode Kass shares with us how to expand our possibilities by being flawless in our communication, and consequently being flawless in our work and lives.  

For more information on Kass Thomas, or to find her books, 7 Steps to Flawless Communication and Dancing with Riches, visit:

Kassthomas.com 

Kass is brilliant, intuitive, and charismatic.  I completely enjoyed speaking with her and I think you will as well.  Enjoy!  

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It’s arguable that wisdom is the result of experience and reflection.  My guest for this episode has had experiences most of us will never confront.  Luckily.  Yet, the perspective he has based on years of reflection in the most horrific circumstances, offer insights that all of us can benefit from enormously.  

Just days before the end of his tour in Vietnam, Captain Charlie Plumb was shot down in his F-4 Phantom over Hanoi, on what would have been his 75th mission.  In shock, he discovered that he was being shot at as he attempted to parachute to the ground.  With bullets flying past his face and through his canopy, the severity of his situation was becoming increasingly clear.  Captain Plumb was captured, taken prisoner, brutally tortured, and spend close to six years as a prisoner of war at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton.”  

While enduring unimaginable suffering, his perspective helped him to not only survive, but emerge from that experience with a perspective on life that helped him become the person he is today.  

He realized that human connection, no matter how difficult it was within the camp, or how creative he needed to be, was critical to his survival.   He learned lessons about the necessity of purpose, resilience, and forgiveness.  Perhaps most remarkable was the realization that even in the midst of extreme torment, life was demanding a contribution from him.  

After being released on February 18th, 1973, Captain Charlie Plumb answered that call.  He continued to fly for the US Navy for several years.  During his service, his honors include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and the P.O.W. Medal. 

Today, he is one of the most sought-after speakers in the world. A member of the National Speakers Hall of Fame, Captain Charlie Plumb is has shared his story and insights with over 5000 audiences.  These include some of the top organizations in the world.  He has been featured on programs such as Good Morning America, Nightline, Larry King Live, NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and many others.  

This episode is filled with invaluable insights.  Charlie shares stories and lessons that are insightful, entertaining, captivating and at times heart wrenching.  Yet, despite the value he brings to this episode, it’s impossible receive the full depth of his story and all he has to offer in just over an hour.  

His website is www.charlieplumb.com

Every copy of his book “I’m No Hero” is autographed.  It will no doubt be a worthwhile read.  

Note: We did have a bit of technical difficulty during the interview.  I didn't realize it until after the episode was finished.  Charlie sounds really good, most importantly.  You can clearly hear me, but the audio quality for my voice is not as clean as usual.  Apologies.  

Enjoy!

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Joana Meneses has been a friend of mine for years.  In this episode we discuss how the loss of her parents shaped her life and world view.  Her mother passed when she was young, her father over two decades later.  Although their deaths occurred at very different stages in Jo’s life, both times her grief was in many ways the catalyst for her own rebirth.  

We talk about her journey through losing her mother, being a struggling artist in New York City, to becoming an international Pilates instructor with a client list that included Jimmy Fallon and Edie Falco.  After the passing of her father she once again reinvented herself, leaving her studio/loft in New York City to starting her own company, bodyroots in the Azores, her fathers’ home.  We talk about what she learned about movement, life and the most importantly herself.  

Enjoy

For more information about Joana visit:

www.bodyroots.com 

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My guest for this episode is Ron Karr, the former President of the National Speakers Association, renown keynote speaker and executive leadership consultant.  He is a best-selling author of The Titan Principle: The Number One Secret to Sales Success, and Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way.  

I brought him on to talk about his new book, The Velocity Mindset.  We talked the keys to success in sales, leadership and life.    

One thing we discussed that I suspect will be of interest to a log of people is Ron’s perspective on pain and uncertainty.  Ron asserts that not only do pain and uncertainty not have to be barriers to success, they’re in some ways critical.  

Ron has an extensive background and some impressive achievements. In the beginning of the show, I joked with him that his lists of awards is bigger than my grocery list.  Yet, what I appreciate about Ron the most (and I think you will too), is how truly interesting his background is and how much he genuinely cares for people.  

His father was holocaust survivor, which not only had a dramatic impact on his life, obviously, but on Ron’s life growing up.  His mother was Miriam Karr, an acclaimed economist, and President of Chase.  She fought in The War of Independence for Israel, commanding 2000 troops in battle!  

What is clearly most important to Ron at this point in his career is that people have both the mindset to know what is important to them, as well as the skillsets and resources to make it a reality.  Because as he put it, life is short, and he doesn’t want people to look back on it with regret.  This makes his insights not only highly credible considering the source, but authentic, from a place of care.  

For more information on Ron Karr, free resources, leadership assessment and his books visit: 

Velocitymindset.com 

Enjoy this informative and impactful episode.  

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My guest for this episode wears the white hat.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Susan Sly for over a decade and a half.  In the beginning of the episode, I was joking with her that she’s a bit like a bond villain.   I said that because she’s an innovative creator, disruptor, and top performer in every arena she plays in.  So, I was playfully referring to her prolific genius.  She replied that she prefers to think of herself as wearing the white hat.  In film, to wear the white hat means to be virtuous, a mastermind.  A character who is both admirable and honorable.  

Susan is a best-selling author, accomplished international speaker, renowned sales trainer, tech CEO, acclaimed entrepreneur, wife, and mother.  But what I think you’ll appreciate most about her, find most inspiring, is that she’s an altruistic, relentless crusader, who has overcome enormous obstacles repeatedly, to reinvent herself in a way that adds value to her life and the lives of countless others.  She does indeed wear the white hat.  

In this episode we talk about everything from self-reinvention, being of value, NLP, taking responsibility, being a lifelong learner, to living in a virtual reality world.  At times this conversation is incredibly inspiring.  At times it gets heavy.  But it’s authentic and honest throughout.  This episode has no shortage of value, insight and indispensable lessons for life and work.  

Enjoy

For more information about Susan Sly:

Youtube: Raw and Real Entrepreneurship 

www.susansly.com 

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Have you ever worked for a horrible boss?  

Or worse, could you be one?  

The late J. Paul Getty said that “The employer generally gets the employee he deserves.” As we are witnessing a phenomenon the media has coined “The Great Resignation” this assertion packs an emotive gut punch.  

It’s not so much that people leave companies.  Especially when the core values and mission of the company resonate with their people.  People are even less likely to leave when on they're seen, valued, and challenged to use their strengths in ways that add meaningful value to the customer.  More likely, people leave people.  Particularly a certain type of person, a bad boss.  

If you’ve ever worked for a bad boss, you know firsthand the emotional toll it can take on you and those you work with.  

Being a bad boss is not only hurtful to the individuals on your team, but it can also be catastrophic to your organization’s performance long-term.  It can be a massive drain not only on the company’s people, but productivity as well.  What’s worse, because bad bosses typically do not create an environment that fosters honest feedback, nor are they likely to be the most self-aware of individuals, when their behavior is damaging to the company, they’re often the last to know.  Often blaming their team, competitors, the market, et cetera, they fail to realize that they were the main symptom of a cultural disease that killed their department, division and sometimes the company itself.  

On the other hand, great leadership fosters engagement, collaborative innovation and supports high performance.  Great leaders have compelling visions, are effective strategists, with the ability to communicate in a way that energizes and galvanizes the team.  They attract good people.  The relish in the development of their people, creating an environment that champions their people, the mission and performance. 

My guest for this episode asserts that the type of boss you are, largely depends on the energetic impact you have on your people.  

Marcel Daane is the author of the book “Five Energies of Horrible Bosses: and how not to Become One.”

No matter what role you play in your organization, this episode is a must listen.  Leadership is not about a title, it’s about the impact you have on those around you.  We all impact people around us, whether by design or default.  That means that we are all in effect leaders.  Our ability to perform well as a leader is for the vast majority of us, the key to or the lock on our own potential.  

Recipient of the 2012 Global HR Excellence Award in Leadership as well as the 2016 Global Coaching Leadership Award, Marcel Daane is a thought leader who believes we need to constantly challenge the paradigm of normal business practice by daring to explore the unknown without the loss of enthusiasm.

A Pioneer and Practitioner of Executive Coaching in Singapore, Marcel is considered one of the world’s authorities in mind-body leadership, a combination of mindfulness and body-awareness to inspire authenticity, openness, and trust in leadership, strategy, teamwork, change management, and communication.

He is the author of his critically acclaimed leadership book and App called: “Headstrong Performance” and is a renowned neuroscience and leadership researcher exploring the link between physical and mental wellness and their impact on leadership and performance capacity in individuals, teams, and organizations.

Marcel is a life-long practitioner of Martial Arts and is the son of a celebrated Political Activist who taught him early on that life has greater meaning when we are of service to others rather than merely to ourselve

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If you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or uncertain, and as a result you’re trying to mentally power through in response, you need to listen to this.  

We all want to feel and perform at our best.  Yet, all of us have had moments where it seems that no matter how hard we try, we’re swimming upstream against life’s current.  Sometimes we feel as if we are struggling just to stay afloat, never mind move ahead.  

I don’t know about you but when that happens, I have often used the strategy of buckling down, working harder, longer, basically driving through sheer force of will.  

My guest for this episode is Dr. Perry Nickelston.  In our conversation he explains the science behind why this approach might be the opposite of what we need to do, to create the results we want.  

When focusing on performance in any area of our life or work, we need to consider our physiology as much as our mindset.  We can work harder, be more disciplined, hustle, and grind.  However, when we find ourselves struggling with any of these characteristics it may not be laziness.  We need to examine how other variables such as chronic stress, uncertainty, loneliness, lack of sleep, movement, poor diet and other things that biologically influence our inner world, may be impacting how we perform in our outer world.  

When we fail to appreciate how our environment is impacting brain function, toxicity, inflammation, and a myriad of other biological factors that influence how we feel and perform, it’s like driving with one foot firmly down on the accelerator, but the other one steadfast on the brake.  

I first met Perry years ago when we were both presenting at Filex in Melbourne.  I was impressed with his holistic view of wellbeing and optimization of human performance.  In this episode he offers a perspective on how aspects of our internal and external environment can have an enormous impact on us.  He then shares simple to use practices to help us feel and perform at our best.  

Perry Nickelston, DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA, is a Chiropractic Physician with primary focus on Performance Enhancement, Corrective Exercise, and Metabolic Fitness Nutrition and trained from The American College of Addictionology and Compulsive Disorders. He is an expert in myofascial, orthopedic, medical and trigger point soft tissue therapy. A member of the Board of Directors and Medical Staff Advisor for AIMLA (American Institute of Medical Laser Application). Dr. Perry teaches healthcare professionals all over the world how to successfully use Class IV Deep Tissue Laser Therapy in alleviating pain. Director of clinical protocols and training for LiteCure Medical Lasers specializing in Myofascial Laser treatments.

You can find him and other resources at www.stopchasingpain.com

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I wanted to bring on a few co-founders (and close friends) of PTA Global to talk about what we learned from creating that company years ago.  I believe that the insights we gained from that company are critical to the success of any business whose success is based on continually bringing value, packaged in an engaging experience to their consumer.  Which is pretty much everyone.  

In this episode we talk about the lessons we learned, and who we all became as a result of the successes as well as failures involved in creating a global brand.  What I appreciate about this conversation is its honesty, vulnerability, and authenticity.  We had a lot of fun doing this, and we pulled no punches.  

We found ourselves presenting at an event called Meeting of the Minds over a decade ago.  The conference, in partnership with a company called fitpro brought in about two dozen speakers, who were considered the best in the health and fitness industry at that time.  

It wasn’t our moments on stage, but in the audience, where we started to collectively imagine a client centered industry, driven by collaboration, co-creation and commitment to a common mission.  We got together with Paul Taylor and started to create a framework for the vision that was emerging.  This conversation explores our perspective on the lessons we learned along that journey together.   

Thank you to Ian O'Dwyer, Scott Hopson and Richard Boyd for coming on the show.  Special mention to Michol Dalcourt, Rodney Corn and Paul Taylor.   

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In this episode I speak to three prominent, highly successful educators in the fitness industry.  Each of them brings decades of experience from a uniquely valuable perspective.  

Mel Tempest is the CEO and the founder at Ignite Fitness Business Events, the host and founder of The Gym Owners Fitness Business Podcast and The Womens Leaders Fitness Business Podcast. She is a keynote speaker for fitness events globally, and the has been a gym owner and operator for over two decades.  

Robert Dyer is a health club and fitness industry executive, leader and entrepreneur with thirty years of experience operating a variety of health club business models, consulting to and advising fitness facility owners and global suppliers, and developing organizations, partnerships and people. 

Michael Mantell has served as Chief Psychologist for Children’s Hospital of San Diego, Chief Psychologist for the San Diego Police Department, Chief Behavior Science Consultant for the American Council on Exercise, Chief Behavioral Scientist for Anytime Fitness worldwide and served as a member of the faculty of Equinox Fitness Training Institute. Dr. Mantell is an invited contributor to Psychiatric Times Magazine and a frequent writer for Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global.  He is well known for his decades of regular appearances on national and international broadcasts and in health and fitness related publications, has been a member of SAG/AFTRA since 1981. He’s been a popular guest on television and radio talk shows across America, including “Oprah,” “Nightline,” “Larry King,” and “Good Morning America,"

In our conversation we explore their observations of the fitness industry over the past eighteen months, dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.  This episode delivers critical business lessons, through a candid conversation around what the industry has done and is doing particularly well.  We also discuss where the fitness industry needs to shift as well as expand its focus if it is going to capitalize on emerging opportunities for growth in the future.  

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