Thoughts From A Balcony

Ryan Mattila is a graduate from Cleveland State University who studied American Literature and wrote his senior thesis paper on masculinity. He is also an avid fitness enthusiast, video game lover, and has a great mindset towards life, love, and creating relationships. 

Ryan and I jump right into the discussion of what it means to be a man and what masculinity looks like in today’s day and age. We go over what homoeroticism is and how that ties into the decisions we make as men. As two people who are so involved in working out and staying healthy, we dive into bodybuilding and “social media fitness”, the adverse effects it can have on your physical and mental health, and why you should avoid this lifestyle if you’re not competing. 

Although we love fitness, we go over the importance of finding balance in life and understanding what makes life worth living. We touch on relationships, decompressing from every day life, finding happiness in the day to day grind, and so much more! 

Make sure y’all check this one out, there is TONS of value packed into this episode!

Todd Green is a fitness trainer, former college football player, and drummer living in Denver, Colorado. In this episode, Todd details how he made the transition into his current career and how he balances his passions while being an effective trainer. We got to talk about fitness, finding yourself, music, covid, and a bunch of other stuff. I’ve always loved Todd’s perspective on life and it’s always a pleasure catching up with a dear friend. Hope you enjoy this knowledge packed episode!

Jason Conner is an IFBB pro, former college and arena football player, and future educator of our youth. 

Throughout the episode, I get to learn about his tumultuous upbringing before being adopted by his loving family and how that’s molded him into the person he is today. We also had a great, open minded conversation on society’s opinions of sexuality, masculinity, and how to break those notions in becoming a true version of yourself. 

As a professional bodybuilder, he details how he got into the sport, who has influenced him throughout his career, and what he hopes to accomplish when it’s all said and done. 

He’s such a kind and genuine person, I loved getting to sit down and learn more about this dude and I know you’ll feel the same when you listen. 

Hope y’all enjoy 💪

Follow Jason on IG:

Jason Conner IFBB PRO (@memoirs_of_conner) • Instagram photos and videos

Vinny is a mixed martial artist, personal trainer, and former teammate of mine at Mercyhurst. 

In this episode, he explains how he transitioned to MMA from football, his advantageous goals in the fight game, and how he dealt with the loss of his father at the young age of 10. We also got to take a trip down memory lane as we revisit our experience together as college freshman- from our ridiculous prank wars to spending hours playing pick up basketball. 

He announces that he will be a father soon, and how he feels prepared to jump into the most important role in his life. It’s always a pleasure catching up with a dear friend and it’s even more a pleasure to see him dominating life! 

Hope you enjoy this conversation 🤝

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Vincenzo“il Prescelto”Iannuzzo (@viannuzzomma) • Instagram photos and videos

As one of my best friends and mentors for over 10 years, Kent and I got to sit down and talk about a wide range of life topics. From self awareness to how to live in the present moment, Kent shared some lessons and techniques that have helped him (and myself) in figuring out how to get the most out of life. 

He also touches on his experience being a captain of the Ohio University football team his senior year, detailing how he grew mentally and physically over his career to prepare himself for that role, and what a leader truly means on the football field and in life. He’s always been one of my favorite people to get into deep talks with, and this podcast certainly was a reflection of some of the discussions we’ve had over the years. 

There’s A LOT of value in this hour long podcast, you’ll probably want to save it and come back to it later, I know I am 😏. 

Hope you all enjoy!

Follow Kent on IG:

Kent 🍔 (@kent_berger) • Instagram photos and videos

As a pro scout for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalen offers his insight for what’s its like to work for an NFL team, and even discusses his experience with the Chiefs during their super bowl winning season in 2019-2020. 

Along with his career, he talks about his increasing interest in the bodybuilding lifestyle and details the lessons he’s learned through the process of changing his body composition after playing college football. 

We also go over the work ethic and mindset that has carried him to being in his current position and how he plans to attack the future, setting himself up for success. 

Hope you all enjoy! 🤞

Follow Jalen on IG:

Jalen Myrick (@thejalenmyrick) • Instagram photos and videos

Mason McKenrick, one of the top up & coming models in NYC & former NFL prospect, talks through his journey of how he got to where he is now and the obstacles he had to overcome. 

Although he has achieved things people only dream of, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Mason. He had to deal with extreme medical setbacks, doubt from himself and others around him, and choosing between pursuing one dream over another during a pivotal time in his transition to adulthood. 

He has one of the most inspirational and interesting stories I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing, this is NOT a episode you want to skip over!

Follow Mason on IG & TikTok:

Mason McKenrick (@masonmckenrick) • Instagram photos and videos

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