Vigor Life Podcast

It’s easy to go through your day, week, and even life saying that certain things matter to you—that you stand for or against them and that they’re part of your values. But how often do you live up to these values? What guides you to stay on the path of living in integrity with your own personal life, business and career? The key is being honest with yourself. A super effective way to make sure that you're living true to your values is to ask yourself questions. I do this daily and have found it to be a powerful way to bring my key values to the forefront. This simple act helps me—and will help you—focus yourself so that you are able make decisions—and actions—that align with the goals you are striving towards, and the values you believe in. In this episode of the podcast I tackle the ways you can embody courage, empowerment, growth, class and self-respect in your life. And ultimately, help you practice what you preach and lead a more successful and fulfilling life. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => The lessons that death has taught me and how they have lit a fire under me => Why actively seeking rejection will help you embody courage => What it means to be a “friendtor” and how it will help you take your relationships to the next level => Why growth is a commitment to expanding your capacity to add value to your life and how to do it every day => The “edge of the bed” question and why everyone should write out what they want to teach their kids => The difference between elevating and escalating => One thing that will help you be seen as a leader in the eyes others  as soon as it's applied LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Leadership Traits Article (with Luka Hocevar and Dr. John Rusin): https://drjohnrusin.com/how-to-be-a-leader-in-todays-fitness-industry/

I tend to be careful not to take advice from anyone who hasn’t been in business for at least 5 years. This rule is not set in stone, but I like to get wisdom from people who have been there done, that and are still doing it. The people who have withstood the test of time, change and innovation. Mike Robertson is one of those people. Mike has been a friend of mine for a decade. He owns one of the top 10 Gyms in America voted by Mens Health, has influenced and improved the industry with the way they approach training at IFAST, and recently celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his gym; which just happened to be around the same time as we celebrated our 10-year at Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance. In this episode we talk about the 10 biggest lessons learned from owning a gym for a decade, as well as success in the fitness industry. This is a MUST listen for anyone in fitness or that owns a small business. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => How we got started with only thousands of dollars and why it was a competitive advantage => The cliché piece of advice that you MUST take seriously or it will hurt you down the line... and could ultimately shut down your business => The two ways you can market your business – one of which can feel very scary in your first years of business => Why you should study anatomy, biomechanics, program design and structure, and why not doing this will cause you to be a mediocre coach / business owner => How me doing ninja kicks in an orientation session helped me attract new clients, and how to apply the strategy behind the move to your business => How to tell if you are consistently getting better or just staying where you are and why knowing this is the key to success in gym ownership => How to hire and the three mistakes both Mike and myself made in the last decade, and what we do different now => The seven questions that create a coaching habit and how to improve your team leadership => Why every fitness professional should aspire to “leave the jersey better than when they got it” and what that means for you => One of the biggest mistakes gym owners make and the perspective shift you must make to be successful => And much, much more. LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Robertson Training Systems: http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/ Physical Preparation Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/physical-preparation-podcast-robertson-training-systems/id1011924486?mt=2 Physical Preparation 101: http://physicalpreparation101.com/ Mike Robertson Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/robtrainsystems/

Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world. So, wouldn’t it be amazing to identify the *exact* techniques shared by the world’s greatest communicators, then apply their secrets to wow your audiences? One of the most valuable skillsets that I have built in the last two decades is the skillset of communication. Whether it’s with my clients, on stages where I get to present, or through the podcast, pitching ideas to investors, or communicating with friends and family; it’s a skill you MUST develop if you want to improve your coaching, marketing, connecting with people, and effectively sharing ideas with the world. More specifically, good communication skills are important for three key reasons: You have ideas. Great ideas even. Unfortunately, unless you can engage an audience in your delivery of those ideas, they’ll never leave your head. You’re going to have to speak publicly at some point: work presentations, seeking startup capital, on a panel, or for fun if you choose. Ability to communicate effectively has become one the—if not THE—most sought-after skills in job applicants and candidates. I share 10 big ideas on how to communicate and present like the world's best. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => How my speaking journey started, why I was terrified of public speaking, how I got over it and how you can too => The “secret weapon” Tony Robbins used to develop his speaking skills and how to apply it to your life => Why ideas are the most valuable resource and how to present your ideas in the age of instant communication, rapid cultural growth, and technological supremacy => The number one building block of your presentations authenticity and energy and why without it you have no chance => Why you should study and learn storytelling like your life depended on it => How to engage an audience with more than just their eyes and ears and it will keep them engaged and encourage them to remember your presentation. I give you three strategies you can apply tomorrow => Why sticking to the "rule of three" will improve the message in your presentation => Practice makes perfect. This is especially true of public speaking. I'll give you two strategies you can use (right now) to become so comfortable with your content and material that your presentation comes off like a conversation => Why you don’t want to be someone else when you're presenting. I discuss why no matter how much you study and emulate great speakers, the only way to leave a lasting impression on a large audience is to embrace your own unique style LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Book: Talk Like TED - The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of The Worlds Top Minds (Carmin Gallo): https://goo.gl/UQD8a2 Book: The Storytellers Secret - From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On And Others Don’t (Carmin Gallo): https://goo.gl/kGXjj1

We have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. At work, at home, with friends, and in love, we find ways around real conversations – instead choosing to engage with people via text, social media, email and other communication methods where we don't have to engage with people in real life (and reveal our true selves). Without conversation, there can be no genuine connection. I don't believe that technology is the problem. But the unintended effects of technology are contributing to the problem. => Decreased empathy, feelings of alienation, superficial connection, and poor attention spans. => Significant drops in productivity, creativity, and deep thought. Essential traits to innovation and participation in both business, relationships and life. Our generation is in serious danger of never experiencing the irreplaceable benefits of true/meaningful conversation. Learning to use technology deliberately is essential to reclaiming relationships. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => Why conversation is an essential building block of emotional, psychological, and intellectual development, and what is making you lose it => Why you must stop making conversation "easy" because it’s crushing your ability to grow and deepen connections => Why solitude is more important than you think => How mindlessly surfing social media is robbing you of three things you need in your life => What a "device free space" is and how it can help you connect with your family, friends, and team on a much deeper level => How my belief of multitasking stopped me from getting things done => Why you shouldn't abandon technology, but instead learn to use it deliberately so that you can avoid its adverse side effects => How mentors can help you learn and teach new generations how to use conversation to connect, grow, and learn empathy LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Book: Reclaiming Conversation - The Power of Talk In A Digital Age: https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Conversation-Power-Talk-Digital/dp/0143109790

The road to a disengaged team is paved with good intentions. Nobody sets out to make their team overwhelmed, stressed out or miserable. But unfortunately, that often happens when people manage people. As hard as it may be to accept, that horrible boss, manager or owner that you know likely isn't a bad person. In fact, if you got to know them, I'm sure you'd find them to be a good hearted person who genuinely cares about the well being of others. So how do good people become bad managers? It's actually something that happens unconsciously.  The problem is, "bad managers" have internalized a set of powerful unconscious ideas about: (1) Why people don’t do what they ask, and (2) What tools they have at their disposal to change that Statistically 7 out of 10 workers either disengaged or actively undermine the efforts of their organization. Yes, you read that right. You’ve probably also read countless articles, blog posts and books filled with tactics to change that. But what you probably haven’t read — and what is shockingly entirely absent from the discussion — is the other side of the relationship: manager / team leader engagement. As a business owner, I use to operate under the assumption that lack of team engagement was the employees fault. When the truth is it's a 50 / 50 split between the manager and the employees. In this episode I share 5 myths that are stopping you from building a powerful team, and how to flip the coin in your favor. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => The mistakes I made leading a team for over a decade and the powerful lessons I learned from them => How believing that “you can’t find good people” will keep you stuck under a glass ceiling => The number one reason you have team members leaving and the bottleneck to growing a powerful team to fulfill their vision and yours => Why investing time and energy into someone even if they will leave is the ONLY way you can improve your business => The formula to show you how much energy you’re wasting and how to turn it into a team growth catalyst => The reason a system and checklist won’t save you – I share the real problem => Why communication is extremely important, but also a crutch we tend to blame everything on when we're faced with a specific problem => The big mistake of separating yourself from helping your team grow professionally AND personally LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Say Less, Ask More and Change The Way You Lead - Coaching Habit Podcast: http://vigorgroundfitness.com/ep059-say-less-ask-more-and-change-the-way-you-coach-and-lead/

Some call him the most interesting man in the world, I just call him my brother. From becoming a core justice translator at a record breaking 23-years old, to speaking seven languages fluently, traveling to almost 80 countries across the world, and coaching some of the highest level soccer players in Europe, you could say the title fits. In this episode we dive into the topics of sports performance for youth and soccer athletes, coaching, heuristics, as well as lessons from traveling the world. There’s plenty of lessons to take and apply, one of the main ones being how to live life on your own terms. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => How Matej chose to pursue a career where he saw an opportunity and created a business that helped support his lifestyle, which also led to a business of passion => What made us start a gym in a market that didn’t exist with only the belief we could make it happen => Coaching high level professional soccer athletes and the challenges that come with it => How you can build trust by creating “results in advance” in just one training session => The keys to understanding who you’re working with and everything associated with them so that you don’t drop the ball and lose them as a client => Why you should use heuristics in program design and how not doing it may be hurting your clients results => Building relationships with clients so that what you know turns into what they DO => What spurred the “travel bug” and how it has turned into a lifestyle along with lifelong learning => Why you should travel and how it’s the secret to building compassion and empathy => 3 of the biggest lessons from traveling the world LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Matej Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/hochodervish/ Matej’s Website: http://www.entreprenurialnomad.com/

Have you ever created an assessment of who you’re around and how they affect your mood, behaviors, and energy? Assessing how the people you surround yourself with make you react/respond is crucial to not only the direction of your life, but also the quality of your experiences. In this episode I explore the mindset around the reality that your life is strongly influenced by the people you choose to surround yourself with. I also share why I believe you have much more control over this than you think. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => How you might be stopping yourself from growing and how to regain control => How I was able to upgrade my life by surrounding myself with the “right” people (I share two experiences) => Why/how we tend to take inventory of the wrong things in our lives and how to assess if you’re putting too much weight on the wrong things => Why deliberately choosing who you surround yourself with is a super power => How you may be unknowingly moving away from your goals, and how to fix this => The three spheres of control and how they are a blind spot in your road to success => How shifting things from one sphere to another can reduce your stress, and anxiety, while improving your ability action taking (I share a three step process that will help you make things happen in your life) => A method that will help you determine your path to surrounding yourself with the right people (so you can live your best life and grow your business) LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: www.VigorGroundFitness.com Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Precision Nutrition: www.PrecisionNutrition.com 17 Lessons and Rules to Building Phenomenal Relationships That Enhance Your Life: http://vigorgroundfitness.com/ep015-17-lessons-rules-building-phenomenal-relationships-enhance-life/

Everyone now knows that managers and leaders need to coach their people. There’s endless articles about it, yet hard to find actionable steps that outline HOW to become a good coach. Surprising given the fact that coaching continues to prove that it has  “markedly positive” affects on performance. You’re probably not getting very effective coaching, and you’re probably not delivering very effective coaching. But the truth is if you have the right tools and resources it’s not that hard to change that. Really you just need to want to be better than what you are right now. In this episode I share a framework that will help you become a better coach, whether it's with your team, clients, bosses, family, or anyone else. Apply these steps today and see how you can improve on every level. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 1. The three vicious circles that plague your workplace and the solution to solve them 2. Why shifting the focus from "the fire" to who’s managing the fire is key to team success and how to make that shift 3. How to move from performance coaching to development coaching and why doing the former too much is the reason why people are leaving your team 4. The seven essential coaching questions and the step-by-step process that will allow you to start using them today to get better results 5. How taming “The Advice Monster” is critical if you’re ever going to lead and succeed as a coach 6. Why your advice is not as good as you think it is and why you should talk less and ask more 7. The five key things you need to build a coaching habit and how I use them in my gym, with my team and clients (both fitness and business coaching clients) LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: www.vigorgroundfitness.com Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel (Subscribe): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram (Follow Me): https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/

Americans have become some of the most active humans in the world. In the last 20 years, there’s been a huge increase in gym memberships and people are training more than ever.  It may sound like things are (finally) headed in the right direction. The only thing is: they're not. Obesity continues to climb as do cardiovascular related diseases, while general health is declining. So what's wrong? How does it relate to the lack of success in your body transformation? This week I share the reasons behind the lack of transformation as related to your fitness, nutrition and lifestyle and give simple actionable steps to help you change and finally breakthrough the plateaus. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => How much people REALLY exercise and why it’s not enough... or is it? => Whether or not you're training too much or too little => The study that shows the main reason people over eat and how to prevent it => Why changing this one factor in your lifestyle can help you get stronger, put on lean muscle, and lose body fat => Why the brain can only distribute so much energy, and why doing more may not make sense for you => How to improve your performance and why you’re focusing on the wrong one => The 5 success strategies that have nothing to do with training but will supercharge your performance => The “sweet spot” to training and how you find it => The reason you’re doing too much and how slowing down will help you speed up your results LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Luka’s Nutrition That Works (For Good) Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrEkovPNUbw&t=2s How Sleep Changed My Body, Mind And Life and Strategies To Change Yours: http://vigorgroundfitness.com/ep017-sleep-changed-body-mind-life-15-strategies-change/ 8 Weeks Out Bio-force Conditioning Certification: https://www.8weeksout.com/

After I got off my 16th strategy call for fitness business coaching this month, and hearing that one of the bottlenecks in their business was lack of commitment from coaches and clients, I realized I needed to shoot this podcast. While it’s a possibility that coaches and clients are not as committed as you’d like them to be. It’s probable that the reason behind this is something else. It wasn’t that long ago that I tripped over my own truth when dealing with this mindset... later realizing that it was in my control to change it. In this episode I discuss a hidden key that is crucial to have success in building trust, commitment, engagement and drive in your team. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: => The true foundation of any business and why it's one many owners skip – leading them to failure => The reason you’re most likely the bottleneck holding yourself back from your team rising to the highest performance => The story of the hen and the pig and how it relates to the leadership in your business => The 4 stages of awareness and why you won’t achieve success until you take control of the first two => Why commitment sometimes means making tough, uncomfortable and unpopular decisions => How to develop the gifts of your team to then develop the business LINKS AND RESOURCES: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance: http://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ Vigor Life Podcast (iTunes): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/vigor-life-podcast/id1180256583?mt=2 Luka Hocevar YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ29YcBh-g6onRujX3wD_XA?view_as=subscriber Luka Hocevar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ Vigor Life Podcast w/ Martin Rooney: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ep055-everyone-is-coach-how-to-become-great-at-it-w/id1180256583?i=1000415714573&mt=2