"You learn more from your failures than you probably learn from your successes." – Dan Jacobs

Chef Dan Jacobs is the executive chef and co-owner of restaurants DanDan, EsterEv, and Fauntleroy in Milwaukee, WI. He has been nominated twice for the James Beard Award in the Best Chef- Midwest category (2018 and 2019). In the same year as opening DanDan, he was diagnosed with Kennedy's disease, but that didn't stop him from growing into one of the finest chefs in the country. 

In this episode, Adam speaks with Dan Jacobs on life and business. He shares his life journey with us, expanding on the highs and lows he had experienced in life and inspiring anyone listening to do more every day. We learn how Dan found the motivation to keep going amid all the hardships that came his way. Dan talks about fighting Kennedy's disease and shares his journey working with the finest chefs in Los Angeles and establishing the Milwaukee Independent Restaurant Coalition. He also throws light on the serious impact of the pandemic on the restaurant enterprise.

Key Highlights 

• Dan narrates how he fell in love with cooking and why he decided to take that up as a full-time profession.
• Dan reveals how he moved on from a dark place in life - turning to drugs and unprepared to commit to responsibilities.
• Dan confesses how his appreciation for cookbooks started.
• Dan explains how he battled Kennedy’s disease back in 2016, but still did not compromise on his dreams.
• We learn about Dan's failures in life and how his business eventually gained momentum. 
• Dan shares his experience speaking with President Biden about the establishment of the Milwaukee Independent Restaurant Coalition.
• The restaurant business is the most affected industry because of the Pandemic, as the entire franchise was exclusively based on active crowds and social mobility.
• The dining industry dropped 50% of revenue and lost over 85% of the workforce in these times. 
• Learn why middle class restaurant owners have been the most affected today. 

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production. 

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"If people just slow down and had a different perspective, whether that be through psychedelics, or through their own meditation or whatever they want us to get, there will be a much better place." - Chris Bell

Chris 'Boar' Bell joins Adam in this episode of Up and Adam. He is a director, producer and writer, best known for his documentaries Bigger, Stronger, Faster, Leaf of Faith, Trophy Kids, and Prescription Thugs. He's also a carnivore and a co-host of the Better Stronger Faster Podcast with William Shewfelt. Today, he opens up about his life struggles, diet and drug habits and how they made him who he is.

Addictions are hard to accept and overcome. Chris and Adam talk about different drugs and their usages today, including Ibogaine and CBD, and discuss why they are still depended on by people. We learn more about Chris’ carnivore diet and his reasons for starting one. We also dive deeper into pharmaceutical company’s and doctors’ views on drugs, discussing the many ways they impact society. How do diet and drugs affect the entirety of your existence? Is there a major positive to drug consumption, and if yes, how do you recover from an addiction? Tune in to the episode today as Chris and Adam take the complications out of these questions for you!

Key Highlights

• Learn why diet is the cornerstone for your well-being. 
• We discuss Ibogaine. How do animals respond to this natural drug?
• Ibogaine causes people to have profound activity in the brain. Chris narrates an incident where he had prescribed Ibogaine to a patient who had lost 15 years of her memory.
• Ibogaine, CBD, and various drugs and the impact they have in the human body.
• Chris has had double hip replacement surgery due to genetic arthritis at 35 years old. He also shares having his hips replaced and the challenging journey that was part of it.
• Being a pure carnivore vs. majority carnivore and adding other foods to your diet.
• Chris discusses pain and kratom.
• Why is Ibogaine given for recovery from alcohol addiction? Learn the positive and negative aspects of the drug, its origin, and dosage.
• Chris talks about his life journey- having writer's block and eventually turning to drugs and becoming an addict.
• Vulnerability is important. It is only then that you can expect people to help you out. Know how Chris experienced the same recovering from his addictions.
• Drug companies do not most often hold their accountability when someone dies after taking their drugs. How do they manage to do that?

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

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Twitter | Instagram

Better Stronger Faster Podcast

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"The better community of individuals that you can surround yourself that help teach you and you can learn from and the more vulnerable and humble you can be, I think the better off you're going to be long term." - Greg Scheinman

Greg Scheinman enjoyed the entrepreneurial aspect of production, media, and marketing and produced a few films before deciding to be a full-time entrepreneur. He worked as Harvey Weinstein's Executive Assistant in his 20's and called it quits to start his company Team Baby Entertainment which was later acquired by Disney CEO Michael Eisner. Greg is now a top executive athlete and hosts the podcast Midlife Male, where he holds in-depth, raw, and compelling interviews that reveal one's humanity and inspires action.

Greg joins Adam on the episode today and shares the wise journey he has had in life. He talks about finding opportunities amid crisis, setting and preserving boundaries, and working with intention. Listen in as he shares why our goal is to not "define" ourselves but rather "refine" ourselves. Greg and Adam connect with their ideas of serving and touching people's lives with their work. This thought keeps them motivated throughout their journeys in life.

Key Highlights

• Learn to embrace differences. Be more open to people and opportunities, humility, and vulnerable. It is okay to ask for help when you need it.
• Surround yourself with people that are smarter, wiser, wealthier, and ahead of you in different ways. This can phenomenally impact your thinking and life.
• Greg shares that his career started leveling up outside of the training world because of the very people that he was around, good or bad.
• We are here not to define ourselves but to refine ourselves.
• It is often hard to consider ourselves creative. Bringing an idea to execution and remaining focused to complete is always a hard thing to do.
• Greg talks about finding opportunities amid a crisis. In the current scenario, we have made our way out through even the most difficult challenges.
• Know about Adam's fighting spirit and how he has that in everything he does.
• Join Adam and Greg for the fun lightning round!

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

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Website | Podcast | Instagram

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"Although life wasn't what I was planning, and I quickly had to change gears, and figure it all out, it was a great calling, because it's what put me on the path to going back home." - Chase Chewning

Chase Chewning is a soldier turned health, and fitness entrepreneur turned full-time podcaster. He is the host of two top-rated podcasts- Ever Forward Radio and Operation Podcast. Ever Forward Radio was started in 2016, and with over 1000000 downloads, it is one of the most successful podcasts of all time! Tune in today as Chase shares how he found his voice in the podcasting world and what his success story looks like.

Chase shares his backstory with us and talks about his experience battling with severe health issues- both mental and physical. He shares with us how his father's demise at a point in life where he really wanted him to be there shattered him entirely, and his journey in overcoming the grief. Also, tune in today to learn from Chase some incredible insights on health, fitness, and podcasts!

Key Highlights

• Learn the positives and negatives of weightlifting. Know how it can be unsafe while also being emotionally relieving. 
• Statistics show that 9 out of 10 people would not make life-changing decisions to save their life. Why are people resilient to change?
• Chase and Adam discuss recalibration after COVID.
• Learn all about Chase's military background and how it influenced his way ahead in life. 
• Are weeds only harmful? It has been discovered that an entire system in our human body responds to certain things we find in cannabis and marijuana, and CBD. 
• Chase shares why we need to re-examine our belief system to determine why he felt something was right or wrong, good or bad before. If the world is changing, then it could be a sign that maybe it's time for you too, as well.
• What do you mean by andropause in men? It is said that when men go through andropause, they are more susceptible to heart disease, brain disease, loss of musculature, and lower levels of well-being.
• Chase shares how his work life looks like and how he manages his podcasts and podcast production company at the same time. Learn all about his podcasts and what the show brings to its audiences!

Up & Adam is an Operation Podcast production

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

Connect with Chase! 

Website | Instagram

Ever Forward Radio Podcast | Operation Podcast

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"I think you can always have your rebirth. It's either your rebirth or your first time at it, it's never too late... just smash." -  Hunter

Hunter McIntyre has hardly ever lost a game. He is a professional athlete and fitness trainer who has established himself as a dominant force in the world of obstacle course racing. He was named one of the top 50 fittest athletes by Sports Illustrated and is the undefeated champion of CMT's reality TV show, Broken Skull Ranch.

Hunter joins us on this episode of Up and Adam and shares his journey in life. From being raised in an open environment to facing the restrictions at school and eventually landing a position in life that gave him total independence and space to build on what he likes doing, Hunter's story is impactful as well as unapologetically intriguing. Join them on the show today as they discuss fitness, life, and wellness, and Hunter shares his tips for healthy living!

Key Highlights

• Hunter discusses the 2018 fires in Malibu and the martial law they imposed there. He recollects the experience of being "insane" and controlling.
• Adam shares how boutique fitness is definitely in his background.
• Hunter was into soccer until his brother died of a drug overdose when Adam was 22. He talks about the world of soccer and why its players are highly aerobic. 
• Hunter hasn't been in a physical fight since 2011. Learn how he decided upon it and why.
• Hunter was putting classes with kids who had Down syndrome and autism back in school and couldn't talk. He was asked to spend half his day there because they said he had mental disorders. They always said he wouldn't be able to make anything out of life.
• Some people have what is called a warrior gene inside of them. Learn what and how it works in your body.
•  What does Hunter mean by growing a mean mullet? 

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

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Website | Instagram 

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"Wherever it shows up, in business, in fitness, in art, however, creation is something that is neither right nor wrong, necessarily." - Serena Beatty

Serena Beatty of Steel Mace Flow joins me on this episode of Up and Adam! Serena is a 27-year old Licensed Massage Therapist, Onnit Academy Certified Foundations Instructor and Steel Mace Specialist. She is a Coach, LMT, Wanderer, and Flow State Fanatic. 

In today's episode, Serena talks about being drawn into the art and process of steel mace flow. Combining fitness and movement to a flow state and bringing it all together with a fitness tool was the catch. She discusses how by not trying to do what everyone else was doing, she could find her unique life path. The duo also shares their ideas about why people go about working hard for that perfect physique and why "brave" should not be a means to console anyone for not trying to bring positive change in their lives. Also, Serena is launching the first individual steel mace flow series soon. Tune in to the episode to learn more about Serena and her upcoming projects!

Key Highlights

• Serena shares how the riots that happened last year moved her completely. She says some people treat other human beings like their trash, and all of that which occurred was shaking and gruesome.
• Creating an identity is one thing embodying something, and being that thing is another. 
• Learn how music saved her time and time again. 
• Finding yourself is, in some way is also creating yourself. Because our own unique individual expression, and the way we approach things, ultimately, is shaping our reality.
• Bravery is not a word to describe someone who does not put in the effort to make a change. People make you feel good about yourself because it makes them feel good about themselves. Maybe because they probably look the same.
• Women in Africa stored more water in their backside. Learn how it impacted their bodies.
• To be successful, you should first understand yourself, what works for you, or what doesn't work for you. 
• Steel Mace Flow is not an education program. It is a program of flows built and created by Serena, based on the movements and philosophy, and education she has been taught as a coach and as an educator under the branch of steel mace flow. 

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

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Website | Instagram 

Subscription Program- Mace Dojo 

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"I never want people to think there's just one thing you need to do to kind of change your life." -  Joe DiStefano

Joe DiStefano is a coach, educator, and Founder of RUNGA. His talks and teachings focus on ingraining profound mindset shifts, giving audiences the courage and the tools to align their actions with their objectives throughout daily life. During his eight years as Head of Sport and Training at Spartan Race, Joe worked full-time with professional endurance athletes and taught seminars all over the world. Joe joins Adam on this episode of Up and Adam to talk about everything from energy, vibrations, courage, and optimism to food, yoga, and wellness.

Most of us cannot imagine giving up our salary, working every minute of the day to create something that will potentially lead to the future that we envision. Talking of mindfulness and energy, Joe says you can't keep one foot in a job that's not serving you and expect the other foot to just manifest your reality. To get to your dream, you have to burn the boat. He shares how his learnings of vibrations and energy were majorly influenced by a Kundalini Yoga class he attended in LA. Listen in to the refreshing conversation the duo has today and learn all about getting to your higher consciousness by choosing the kind of food and nutrition practices for your body.

Key Highlights

• Courage is the gateway to higher consciousness; it helps bring fearlessness.
• Start speaking the truth. It influences your life in more positive ways than you can imagine.
• Hear about Les Brown, a well-spoken African American pastor who talks about how the fear of change is too great and that it takes courage to live your dreams, manifest your greatness, and decide to live. 
• Learn the importance of time management in life and how you can practice that.
• In the gym, Joe had the most straightforward nutrition plan ever for his kids. Why does he keep it that way?
• Lower amounts of pesticides, the use of organic food, and the like help in the better functioning of your mind and body.
• Know the importance of learning balance. Imbalance comes from knowing all the edges.
• Joe shares how he was introduced to Kundalini yoga and how it helped him evolve as a person.
• Weakness in the body is vibration. Know all about the break in the vibrational sequence and how food influences it.
• Joe discusses optimism and spirituality and also the impact it has on the people you talk to.

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

Connect with Joe! 

Website | Instagram

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“I think our minds close as we become older, and we have to make them open with having that sort of quest for new knowledge because people become more and more set in their ways.” -  Nick Hexum

In today’s episode, Adam speaks with Nick Hexum, American singer, songwriter, and rapper. Nick is currently the vocalist and guitarist for the multi-platinum alternative rock band 311 and The Nick Hexum Quintet. His band has always been focused on spreading positivity and bringing together people through the power of music. Their songs are majorly about human values of tolerance, unity, inclusion, and diversity, science, and spirituality.

Did you know that singers practice stretching of their vocal folds? Regular workout sessions could positively affect your vocals too. Listen in as Nick shares how music and fitness are intertwined for him and how he manages both of the two with an astounding level of enthusiasm and dedication. He also shares how remaining to be “teachable” and “having the humility to ask for help” have helped him level up as a singer at all times.

Key Highlights

• Nick shares why he calls himself an athlete as well as a musician. He talks about his physical workouts before a live performance and why it is essential to help him do his best on stage!
• Ron Anderson’s vocal classes have benefitted Nick during his time training to be a singer. Ron taught him how to navigate the break and blend his singing voice with the speaking voice. This helped expand his vocal levels.
• Nick talks about the never-ending journey of learning and why it is essential to ask for help when it is needed. This has always helped him grow as a singer.
• We discuss why relationships are important to any individual. Nick shares that people want to relate to others, and it is paramount to our living.
• Do aliens exist? Nick shares why he believes they do!
• We learn about Nick’s family and how he got to become a musician. Nick also shares the struggles he had to face early on in his career.
• Learn about the importance of having a good connection with your family. We also discuss general parenting philosophies.
• Know how 311 started off initially and what their plans are for the future!

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast

Connect with Nick! 

Website | Instagram

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"I take recovery more seriously than I do training." - Tom Stoltman

Tom "The Albatross" Stoltman, World's Strongest Man competitor, joins me in today's episode for a fun and enlightening conversation! Tom Stoltman is a strongman competitor from Invergordon, Scotland, and is the younger brother of five-time Scotland's Strongest Man Luke Stoltman. He finished tied for 5th in the 2019 World's Strongest Man final with four-time champion Brian Shaw, and now also has a YouTube channel audience. 

Listen in today as Tom shares how his everyday life looks like, how he maintains his physique, and indulges in content creation for his YouTube channel. We also discuss diet, cheat days, dealing with injuries and the subsequent moving forward, sports, and the importance of sleep for your health and wellness. Learn how this amazing individual maintains his strongman physique consuming 10000 calories a day and what you can imbibe from his routine to lead a super-healthy lifestyle! 

Key Highlights

• Tom shares how he went from 5'6 and skinny to now being the most formidable competitors of the World's Strongest Man championship. 
• YouTube wasn't something he was comfortable doing initially, but he gradually found the platform to be exciting and rewarding. Tom shares how his choices transitioned to that point. 
• Adam explains why Arnold Schwarzenegger is the first biohacker for him. 
• Tom shares his thoughts on the Westside barbell method. 
• According to Tom, what are the top 4 recovery things after an injury, and why does sleep top the list? 
• Tom discusses how sleep plays an essential role in his recovery and well-being every day. 

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast 

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Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 

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“Vulnerability that's attached with movement is emotional.”

Expert Educator Christie Idiong joins me for a heartening conversation on teaching and learning today. Christie is a certified Life Coach and the Founder of Cornerstone Conversations, a black-owned education-driven, people-oriented, principled Health and Wellness platform. She aims to rejuvenate the purpose and passions of individuals experiencing burnout using motivational interviewing and her educational background in human behavior.

Listen in as Christie shares her professional journey with us, talking about how she started with the profession and why she continues to do what she does with love and passion. We also discuss the need to build a rapport between doctors and patients, making people intrinsically motivated towards an activity, and three basic requirements for bringing positive change in their lives. With society continually evolving and creating room for newer advancements, how do we adapt to our goals? Tune in and find out how Christie views challenges and change!

Key Highlights

• Christie's thesis research was qualitative, and it stood out for two reasons. One, not many people go into qualitative, where it is the words, and you're investigating the gray area. And second, she looked into exercise adherence and intrinsic motivation. The twist on her thesis was on social media- how does Instagram influence people's adherence? Does it actually motivate people to stay in a program? Does it motivate individuals to truly exercise? 
• Christie talks about Cornerstone conversations and why they started in the first place.
• How do we get people to adhere? Does building a rapport between doctors and patients make them healthier? The fitness business is excellent, but you need to be in the people business. 
• A lot of people don't ask those why's to understand the person themselves. "And when we look at that, we know that people are more motivated to do things or continue with an activity and here to an activity if it's internally driven, or intrinsic motivation."
• Christie talks about the three basic needs- Autonomy and Connection, Connectedness, and Competence.
• We talk about being successful online versus in person.
• Can we succeed as a society? If all of a sudden, all the gyms were just gone right now? Like, could we do it based off of what you say? What would our success rate be? We as humans need to move, and we will be drawn to move. 
• Learn why coaches will have to evolve and why online training will weed out those that cannot communicate what they need, with words, properly.

Up and Adam is an Operation Podcast production.

Save 15% on Strong Coffee Company with checkout code UPANDADAM at http://bit.ly/strongpodcast 

Connect with Christie!

LinkedIn | Podcast 

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