Thoughts From A Balcony

Grant Loy is a former college football player at Bowling Green State University and Auburn University, as well as an avid man of faith.

Grant takes us through the story of how he went from not getting recruited out of high school to eventually becoming a quarterback at Auburn.

He then dives into his small town roots- growing up in a predominantly catholic area with only 900 people in his town and how that’s morphed him into who he is today.

We get to discuss bodybuilding, powerlifting, and gym culture, and how that’s filled a hole left after his college career ended. He goes into detail of what his faith means to him, the focus of serving others, and even drops a secret on getting great sleep and waking up refreshed!

Grant is such a genuine dude and it was great hearing his story and mindset!

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Grant on IG:

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

Nico Lautanen is a former college football player at Bowling Green State University who recently just completed his M.B.A. 

We start by reminiscing on the funny story of how we met way back in our freshman year of high school. Nico then takes us through his football journey that led him to become a starting d lineman at a D1 college.

 With mental health often being an overlooked aspect in sports, we talk about our own battles with mental health and how we’ve struggled to find identity outside of the sport that used to consume our lives. 

Nico goes over how he lost 85 lbs after his career ended, how he rehabbed 4 herniated discs to embark on his best season, what his family means to him, his thoughts on mediation, and the importance of gratitude. 

This was one of my favorite podcasts I’ve done so far & it was awesome to catch up with one of my oldest friends! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Nico on IG: https://www.instagram.com/nico_laut54/

Cal Reynolds is a former college football player, fitness trainer, entrepreneur, and life enthusiast. He’s also going to be my best man in my wedding, so this conversation was definitely a fun one! 

Cal and I get real and vulnerable as we go over our battles with depression early in our college football careers and how much our mindsets have grown since that experience. He dives into why we have to ditch the “victim” mindset and accept responsibility for this opportunity of life we were given. 

He talks about his lifestyle as a fat little kid and the habits he’s learned over the years to get him into amazing shape. To be his best self, Cal takes me through an average day from start to finish. 

We touch on the importance of quality nutrition & sleep, his purpose when training others, why to keep high level people in your circle, and so much more! 

Always appreciate this guy and his perspective on life! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Cal on IG, Tik Tok, & Youtube:

His fitness coaching page: Cal Reynolds | Coach (@50calfit) • Instagram photos and videos

Cal Reynolds | Life Enthusiast (@calwillcookit) • Instagram photos and videos

Cal Reynolds (@calrreynolds) TikTok | Watch Cal Reynolds's Newest TikTok Videos

Cal Reynolds - YouTube

Nina Ruhe is a personal trainer, CrossFit coach, content creator, podcast host, nutritionist, and one strong ass woman! 

Nina talks about how she got involved in the fitness space and details the common mistakes she made during that process. We compare the differences of men and women’s health and fitness, and how easy it is to fall into the comparison trap on social media. 

We dive into the stigmas that exist in the sport of CrossFit, the physical and mental benefits of competing, and how she teaches her clients proper form to reduce the risk of injury. We got to talk about the importance of having a coach, and how she gained confidence in herself as a CrossFit coach. 

Nina has put SO MUCH effort into her content & coaching, and she continues to help so many other women through her work. She has such a great energy, is super knowledgeable, and practices what she preaches! This is not an episode you want to miss! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Check out Nina on IG, Tik Tok, & her podcast "Grit & Grace" at the links below:

Nina Ruhe (@ninaruhe) • Instagram photos and videos

Nina (@ninaruhefit) TikTok | Watch Nina's Newest TikTok Videos

Grit & Grace | Podcast on Spotify

Max Potokar is a former football player, spiritual health practitioner, soon to be nurse, and content creator. 

Max and I start off by discussing the new emotions he’s experiencing after learning he’s going to be a father. We dive into the importance of family and the work he is doing to heal generational trauma before jumping into his new role as a dad. We got to discuss the direction he wants to go with his Instagram page and why we must create more than we consume to take advantage of the human experience. 

Max goes over some breath work techniques to harness energy and alleviate anxiety. As a spiritual health practitioner, he talks in detail about chakras and the importance of aligning those in your life. We even got to talk about psychedelics and how to use them with intention, why certain people shouldn’t use them, and the future of these drugs in treating mental disorders. 

Max is the first person in my life that awakened me to take my spiritual health seriously and I’m so grateful for it! A genuine sweetheart of a guy with a lot knowledge, really one of my favorite people to sit down and chat with! 

Hope y’all enjoy ✌️

Follow Max on IG:

Max (@frequencyharmony) • Instagram photos and videos

Nick Krantz is a nutritionist, former college football player, and 2 time TBI (traumatic brain injury) survivor. He’s also a dad of 3, personal coach, fitness(and skateboard 🤙) enthusiast! 

Nick discusses his journey of how he got involved with football in the 10th grade and how he adapted his life after learning he was going to be a young father. We got to talk about his long history of concussions in football and how he’s teaching his 13 year old son the dangers of the game without discouraging his love for football. We also go over the importance of your perspective on challenges, the current fitness landscape, and creating a lifestyle that is sustainable for you.

 As someone who is focused on health, he talks about healing the mind along with the body and the work he’s done to recover from his traumatic brain injuries. Nick is trying to help others through his story and teach them how to take their health in their own hands. 

Nick is one of the few online presences that I look up to and learn from constantly. It was amazing being able to sit down with Nick and absorb his unique insight and experiences!

Follow Nick on IG and Tik Tok:

𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗞𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘇 🧠 | Nutrition Coach + Brain Optimization (@neurofitnick) • Instagram photos and videos

Nick Krantz 🧠 (@neurofitnick) TikTok | Watch Nick Krantz 🧠's Newest TikTok Videos

Rick Finotti was a former football director/coach at Michigan, John Carroll University, St Edwards in Cleveland, and Mayfield High School. One of my favorites coaches ever, Rick is a great example of a friend, husband, coach, mentor, father, and overall man. 

Rick and I talked about his recent transition out of coaching during one of the toughest times of his life- losing his father. He dives into what his family means to him and all the times they’ve supported him and his decisions. We even touch on Stoicism, the importance of connecting with our elders for wisdom, and how to incorporate that knowledge into our lives. 

For those who don’t know, Rick is a SAVAGE when it comes to the weight room and training. We talk about what training at 49 looks like and his new goals for fitness. He discusses his trials with every fad diet and how he’s trying to improve his relationship with food. 

I’m forever indebted to Coach Finotti for sparking my love for football again after my transfer to John Carroll. I will always have so much love for this guy and it was a blast being able to connect and catch up with a truly inspirational person in my life! 

Hope y’all enjoy 🤝

Gabe Beaver is a current college student at BGSU who is the host of “The Bridge” podcast. His mindset on life, success, and purpose differentiates himself from others his age, and boy do I LOVE having conversations with this kid! 

Gabe and I discuss his upbringing and why he is the way he is today. We go over his core values, where he got them from, and the importance of having a set of values to navigate through life. He touches on the unique back story of his parents and the challenges they had to go through in their lives and how that’s impacted his mindset towards his own challenges. 

We even got to talk a little about his TEDX talk and the curveball he got thrown just a day before his speech. Gabe and I also talk about the importance of being authentic while balancing social media with real life and dive into his name “Gabriel” and what it means to him and his purpose in life. 

Gabe’s confidence OOZES out during this conversation and I definitely ended this talk feeling INSPIRED & EXCITED about life! I seriously love this guy and his energy! 

Hope y’all enjoy 🤝

Follow Gabe on IG, TikTok, and check out his podcast in the links below:

Gabe Beaver (@gabe.beaver) • Instagram photos and videos

gabebeaver (@gabebeaver) TikTok | Watch gabebeaver's Newest TikTok Videos

The Bridge | Podcast on Spotify

Kyle Nymberg is co-founder of the clothing line “Ironpulse” and fellow graduate of John Carroll University. He’s an entrepreneur, extremely smart/hardworking, and has a great mindset towards the further growth of his brand. 

Kyle goes over how Ironpulse got started and some of the challenges he faced in that experience. We discuss how much his brand has grown in the past 2 years and the lessons gained throughout that time. We also go over the process of making a collection of clothes, while highlighting the importance of patience, quality, attention to detail, and giving back to your loyal customers. 

Kyle shares his advice for someone who is looking to start a clothing line or a small business and why having a 9-5 could potentially benefit you in that endeavor. 

It’s evident to see why Ironpulse continues to succeed through Kyle’s(and his partner’s)knowledge and actions. A lot of value packed into this episode for entrepreneurs and anyone looking to leave their mark on the world!

Follow Kyle and his brand on IG:

Kyle Nymberg (@knymberg19) • Instagram photos and videos

Ironpulse® (@officialironpulse) • Instagram photos and videos

Listen to the IronPulse podcast on Spotify:

Ironpulse Podcast | Podcast on Spotify

Richard Love aka @exitcomfortzone is the definition of a SAVAGE and cofounder of “The Savage Army” with his wife. He was an Arctic Ranger in Sweden who served his first deployment in Afghanistan. His enthusiasm for life is beyond contagious and hearing his journey is nothing short of inspiring! 

The message he offers is centered around performance, gratitude, and love. Mr. Love and I discuss how he got started posting content and why it’s important to combat the marketization of the fitness industry with healthy alternatives. He goes over his “why” and just hearing him talk about it GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS! 

We talk about how to become a savage in all aspects of life and how to turn that into generational savagery. We also go over the polarization of social media and how it’s actually important for us to spread our message. 

Although he seems like a tough guy, he’s one of the nicest and most down to earth people I’ve gotten the privilege of speaking to. We touch on the importance of our significant others, what someone who is just started training should do, AND SO MUCH MORE!

Y’all NEED to check this one out! Such a pleasure with the one and only Mr. Love 🤝

Follow Mr. & Mrs. Love on IG & TikTok:

Mr Mrs Love | Wellness Team (@exitcomfortzone) • Instagram photos and videos

Mr Mrs Love | Wellness Team (@exitcomfortzone) TikTok | Watch Mr Mrs Love | Wellness Team's Newest TikTok Videos