Thoughts From A Balcony

Charlie Schreiber is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, rock climbing coach, and is a world class rock climber himself.

Charlie starts off by detailing how he got into rock climbing at a young age and how it positively affected him as a kid who struggled

with ADHD.

We then jump into how to properly train as a rock climber, as he details the importance of strength training, mobility, and taking care of your body.

We discuss the different challenges in the sport and how they differ so much from aggressive team sports like football or basketball.

Throughout the episode we talk about the mental benefits of rock climbing, dealing with failure, and how to properly navigate fatigue.

This dude is seriously impressive and I gained so much insight into the world of climbing from him!

Hope y’all enjoy 🙏

Check out Charlie and all he has to offer:

https://www.paradigmclimbing.com/?fbclid=PAAaYarI29qQDR-mHkOY6ksVt6_OV7JKuZ_y0oC_zL-axq7IxEPENKDBapqIY

André Alamina is a bodybuilder, content creator, fitness/health coach, immigrant from Belize, works in the tech industry, and is a John Carroll University alum. 

Andre starts off by detailing how he went from being a skinny teenager to posting valuable fitness content that grew his account to over 100k followers.

We then discuss how he went from a serious back injury to stepping on the bodybuilding stage for the first time. We also dive into the importance of fueling your body to build muscle and the role genetics plays in your physique goals. 

Although Andre takes his content & coaching seriously, he talks about how beneficial his 9-5 tech job is at supporting himself and his family.

Andre then talks about his background growing up in Belize, how he earned a scholarship to study in the US at John Carroll, and the selfless people that helped him along his journey to graduation.

Throughout this episode we discuss creating a good relationship with money, living a virtuous life, and the essential role of being an emotional provider as a future parent.

Andre is truly THE MAN, he’s such an inspiration for me and many others with the content he creates and the energy he puts out to the world! 

Hope y’all enjoy! 💪

Check out André & all he does:

https://beacons.ai/gainsbydre_?fbclid=PAAaYsDl4SxWpZCwmGTtEK4eA7zTAxSPLtY8l755bwngxDQhFqoyFS2i7NF5M

Karli Chiappone is an elementary PE & health teacher at the Lawerence School, powerlifter, marathon runner, and my beautiful future wife. 😁

We start off by discussing Karli’s experience working in a school that focuses on learning “differences” like ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, etc. and how it differs from the public school environment.

Karli then details how COVID negatively impacted children’s development in her school and how she reacted when everything went down in 2020.

She talks about all the sports she tried as a young kid and how it lead to her falling in love with running and weightlifting.

Karli and I then dig into what makes our relationship a healthy one - proper communication, supporting each other’s passions, understanding each other’s needs, being kind, compassionate, and empathetic throughout the entire journey.

We talk about perspective of challenges, body image, social media, physical/mental/emotional health, and more!

This pod is a little glimpse into the constant deep conversations we have, we hope you gain value from our discussion! 🙏

Enjoy ✌️

Cal Reynolds(CalWillCookIt) is a content creator, fitness coach, entrepreneur, avid foodie, life enthusiast, and former college football player.

For the second time on the podcast, Cal joins me in a deep conversation where we laugh, think critically, and open ourselves up to vulnerability. 

We begin by reminiscing on how far we came in our lifestyles & mindsets since living together as roommates during our college football days.

Next, we dig into the main pillars of health that truly matter for long term success and wellbeing.

Cal and I then talk about the positives and negatives of social media and how it’s not imperative for you to be online to make an impact in the world. 

We discuss how porn can have a damaging effect on a young man’s psyche and ability to have relationships as we detail our own issues as teenagers growing up during the rise of internet pornography.

Cal gets to tell the story of his brother’s weight loss journey and how much taking care of his physical health translated to improving every other aspect of his.

Always a pleasure sitting down with my brother and connecting.

Enjoy! ✌️

Follow Cal & check out his coaching:

https://linktr.ee/Calwillcookit?fbclid=PAAabfDlrtSeh1FtPj1kwzK_9s7Wb0CJU64JHiM2_kBBrYHsutczLtErgAszg

Kahrin Spear is a musician, artist, videographer, creative, and former college basketball player.

Her new album, “Poems from Willow Creek” is out now on all streaming platforms.

To start, Kahrin and I reflect on our student athlete careers and how it turned us into the people we are today through the traumas, challenges, and blessings we experienced.

Kahrin then walks me through when she discovered her sexuality, how she managed her place in a predominantly catholic community, and how her mother supported her during one of the most difficult times of her life.

We get to dive into how Kahrin channels the “muse” to create beautiful art with meaning.

She also describes the story of how her latest album came about and what it means to her family.

We dig deep into the importance of checking your beliefs, the role spirituality has in overall fulfillment, the benefits/downsides of plant medicine, and so much more.

One of the kindest & most beautiful souls on Earth, I deeply appreciate Kahrin & her wisdom on this episode, I hope you do too!

Follow Kahrin’s music:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3OOAukuurYtyxXWBM1gKrV?si=74sAh7iMS7-HKZ4tJcZ4CQ

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kahrin/1500363046

Follow Kahrin on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/pure_kahrin?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Nick Yanosko is a guitarist, producer, singer, song writer, & carpenter based in Cleveland, Ohio.

He’s currently working on his own solo project while playing, mixing, and producing in multiple other bands.

Nick & I get to sit down and break down his creative process from start to finish, digging into where he gains inspiration from and how he lays down tracks in the studio.

We talk about dealing with failure, the importance of flowing, why you should be patient in creating a song, and the visceral feeling of connection experienced only in music.

As someone who has pristine music taste, Nick takes me through what’s on his playlist right now, and even gets me excited about old 40s and 50s country music by describing the importance it has in American culture.

We then discuss another passion of his- carpentry, as he takes us through a story where he helped rebuild an old studio that Joe Walsh and the James gang used to play in.

Nick has been involved in music for 14 years and is really just getting started! 

He’s also responsible for mixing & mastering the TFAB intro/outro song.

It’s always a special experience for me to sit down with a creative and dig into their mind. 

I hope you enjoy our conversation 🙏

Follow Nick on IG:

https://instagram.com/smoke_gnarlboro?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Follow Nick & his music:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/04IYThHLDT0TuyQDRwpjj0?si=ftlbA_OgQ6-GZ2kv4qfsTA

https://open.spotify.com/album/0vwbrjtAuzw8mJW2qrkcpl?si=WLT28EjESyK3cf83PEzFsw

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2at2m0Z2AnlZYgIVzwMJ9p?si=DEiX0k4cShijpB-Xtyv07A

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2uydOpmDx92dgsxheVDjcs?si=rdpexVsdRvywD3-uXVZyZg

Luke Brown is a podcaster, tri-athlete, marathon runner, former college football player, and kettlebell training enthusiast.

For the second time on the podcast, Luke joins me in another intentional conversation. 

We start off by discussing Luke’s new podcast, “Anyone Extraordinary” and the purpose behind its creation. 

Next we talk about functional training with kettlebells, landmines, and mace bells and the positives and negatives it has in comparison to traditional barbell movements.

He then details the inspirational story of how his brother battled an array of injuries to eventually playing football at a D1 college. Nothing like an underdog story to make you want to run through a brick wall!

Staying on football, we compare our experiences playing together at John Carroll University and the different perspectives we have towards the game.

Fear, doubt, trusting your instinct- some of the many important topics we cover in this conversation.

One of my brothers who I love sitting down and connecting with, this episode was a perfect way to usher in a new season of Thoughts From a Balcony!

Follow Luke & his podcast:

https://instagram.com/lukebrown33?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://instagram.com/liveinfullflow?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://instagram.com/anyoneextraordinary?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Listen to his podcast “Anyone Extraordinary”:

https://open.spotify.com/show/3PwICRoCJW8SHaaYx1RPm0?si=7rAKA2nORiimOJebsKUcxg

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anyone-extraordinary-with-luke-brown/id1668231465

Elizabeth Rohde is a doctor in training, bodybuilding competitor, and co-founder of Hippocratic Strength, a fitness coaching service. 

Elizabeth starts off by discussing her own personal health and fitness journey of how she went from being an overweight middle schooler to then stepping on the bodybuilding stage. 

We discuss treating the root cause vs. symptoms in the current medical landscape, the benefits of osteopathic medicine, and the varying quality of functional health practitioners. 

We get to talk about what metabolism actually is and the importance it has to bodily function, how beneficial weight-lifting is to develop confidence, the effect of metabolic stress on your mental health, how much protein you should be eating in a day, and SO MUCH MORE. 

This podcast is JAM PACKED with information for all ages on how to improve your health!

Make sure y’all check this out and make sure to give Elizabeth a follow on IG! She’s smart af I’m telling you!

Follow her:

https://www.instagram.com/elizabethfuturedoc/?hl=en

Follow her coaching:

https://www.instagram.com/hippocraticstrength/?hl=en

Speedy Sheppard Jr. is a motivational speaker, content creator, and former football player from New Jersey. 

Speedy discusses how his tumultuous upbringing and football career led him to find his purpose of motivational speaking. 

As a content creator, he highlights the importance of creating intentional energy through your authentic self if you want to experience positive results on social media. 

Through technical difficulties, I discover Speedy is the cousin of legendary Raiders safety- Jack Tatum, and we go over his family’s athletic lineage. 

We get to talk about his experience eating an 100% plant based diet, and the negative side effects he noticed throughout 3 years that led him to start eating meat again. 

Speedy is such a genuine dude and his positive energy is contagious to say the least! Beyond blessed to connect and learn about his story and mindset! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Speedy on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thespeedytribe/?hl=en

Luke Brown is a triathlon athlete, humanitarian, and former college football player at John Carroll University. 

Luke and I jump into his most recent triathlon and how he learned to properly swim to prepare for his big race. Next we go over his marathon for charity that he completed during the height of Covid. He ran around the city of Pittsburgh to raise money for the local food bank while incorporating people from the community. 

We get to discuss his service experience at John Carroll and how it helped him gain an appreciation for life. Luke goes over his “8 days of silence” that he took in January of this year and how transformative that was for his relationship with his thoughts, emotions, and the outside world. 

We talk about life after sports, his plans for post-college life, and the importance of following your heart to operate at a higher frequency in life. 

Luke is one of the most interesting friends in my life, and it was truly a special experience hearing some of his life stories! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Luke on IG:

https://www.instagram.com/lukebrown33/