In the 156th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, CEO of Gym Reinforcements, Dustin Bogle, will talk about how Dustin got started in professional wrestling, bad money lessons we learn from our family, Dustin Bogle fighting Rey Mysterio, and strategies to make more sales in your fitness business.(1:00) Introducing our special guest CEO of Gym Reinforcements, Dustin Bogle(1:40) How did Dustin get started in professional wrestling?(2:10) Everything started as an overweight teenager(2:50) The first time in the gym(3:30) Committed to transforming his body(3:30) Losing 60 lbs of body fat(3:50) “Fitness is the best gift I gave myself, and I want to give this to other people” - Dustin Bogle @dustin.bogle(4:30) Did this father build a wrestling ring for his son?(6:00) The power of being in the ring(8:30) Mike watching Stone Cold @steveaustinbsr and The Rock @therock in WWE(9:40) How was the transition from wrestling to personal training for Dustin Bogle(10:20) Get momentum in your 20s(10:40) Dustin Bogle fighting Rey Mysterio @619iamlucha(13:50) The decision to fix the money first(15:00) What was the relationship Dustin Bogle had with money?(15:30) Bad money lessons we learn from our family(16:40) “People are very white and black with successful people” - Dustin Bogle @dustin.bogle(17:10) Alex Rodriguez @arod and the Texas Rangers(19:30) The beauty of becoming better(20:10) How did Dustin Bogle start his own business?(20:20) “Revisit your hustle muscle” - Dustin Bogle @dustin.bogle(20:50) Posting every night on Craigslist and putting flyers all over town(21:00) Focus on how my client feels(22:20) Get people very active to get them receptive to your information(23:30) Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne(24:00) The power of storytelling as a coach(25:10) Roger Bannister and the 4-minute mile story(27:00) Collect great stories(27:20) What is your 4-minute mile?(30:50) Dustin Bogle going through leadership school(32:20) Opening 1 new gym location per year from 2011 - 2017(35:45) The problem of obesity in America(36:30) What is the most common problem with gyms?(37:00) Retention and follow-up are kings(37:25) “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”(38:40) How long should you follow up with your leads(40:30) “Trust equals transactions” - Dustin Bogle(41:10) Build a “trust campaign” for 7 days, no sales pitch(43:15) Reinforce Your Gym: The Firepower You Need To Build A Million Dollar Fitness Business by Dustin Bogle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW2MZ87Y?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_XKSA46VGZMJW4GJ8HFE9 (44:00) How to get an endless flow of marketing(44:10) Little ways that you can double up the amount of sales with very little effort(44:15) Assembling a dream team and becoming a better leader(46:40) Would you pay for speed?(46:50) If you want to get your time back, you’re gonna need to spend some money(48:10) How long did it take Dustin Bogle to write his book?(49:20) Why you should test your ideas on social media(50:15) How to get Dustin’s book? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW2MZ87Y?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_XKSA46VGZMJW4GJ8HFE9 (50:20) Follow Dustin Bogle on IG @dustin.bogle https://www.instagram.com/dustin.bogle/ (50:20) Join the Gym Reinforcements Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/gymreinforcements 

In the 155th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about his experience being 15 years in the fitness industry, the 3 P’s of Strength Seminar, how to eliminate distractions, intuitive training, and the power of knowing yourself.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk! In this chapter, you will discover:(0:40) 15 years since being a fitness coach(1:50) The 3 P’s of Strength Seminar: Physical training, psychological insights, and psychedelics(2:10) Microdosing(3:20) Register for the 3 P’s of Strength Seminar now (it will be live on April 13th at 5 PM EST)(4:00) Knowing yourself and doing what’s best for you(4:20) “If you feel lost one of the best questions you should ask yourself is: Do I need to know more or do I know to use what I know better?” - Michael Kurkowski (5:30) “Success takes time” - Michael Kurkowski (5:50) “Everything we need to succeed is already within us, we just need to unveil it” - Michael Kurkowski (6:00) Eliminate distractions(6:30) How do you learn to know yourself?(7:20) The power of intuitive training(9:10) Mastery Paperback by Robert Greene (Author)https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X (9:50) If you feel like you need to learn more, start with knowing your core values(10:30) How often do you commit to your core values?(11:00) Do your values give you fulfillment(12:20) Join the Strength Connection Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/246922387454298 

In the 154th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Executive & Intimacy Coach, Dr. Amy Baker, will talk about her story, how she got into the pharmaceutical industry, the power of dancing, the dream of becoming a ballerina, what is “disease state management”, and why you should live according to your values.(0:50) Introducing our special guest, Executive & Intimacy Coach, Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker (1:30) Where did Mike meet Dr. Amy Baker(2:00) What inspired Dr. Amy Baker to get into the medical field(2:40) The dream of becoming a ballerina(2:50) The dream of getting a terminal degree(3:30) Getting into the pharmaceutical industry(4:40) The power of dancing(5:50) The backpacking trip(6:50) Slowling realized that this was not the path(8:30) The realization when working remotely(9:50) Giving up your freedom?(10:20) “How we do one thing is how we do everything” - Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker (11:40) Live according to your values(13:00) A good thing came out of extreme pain(13:50) What is disease state management(14:10) “Health and health care are not synonymous”, here is why(14:30) Healthcare is not designed to care for our health(15:00) Let’s keep their symptoms under control(16:00) If we are in “Dis-ease”, we are not at ease, we are not being ourselves(16:50) “When we're living according to our values, we're more in flow, we're more in ease, and we're healthier” - Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker (18:00) Things that try to put power out of ourselves(18:40) Shout out to Sifu Singh @sifusingh(19:00) “Our default pattern is a healthy person” - The Strength Connection(20:20) Do you “need” to do anything?(21:00) Notice the imperatives in your language(21:30) How we disempower ourselves, is a pattern usually from our childhood(22:30) Dr. Amy Baker hates this word(23:40) Wherever your awareness starts, that’s where you start(24:50) Is there a process to find awareness?(26:20) The Present Centered Relationship Coaching(26:20) “We have language, behaviors, and actions that pull us away from feeling our emotions” - Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker (27:30) “Once you think you’re in flow you’re not in flow anymore” - The Strength Connection(29:10) Invested 10 years in college(29:40) To be a good pharmacist, you need to follow the guidelines and not question the authority(30:00) In this world you have to be a puppet(32:00) Are we re-traumatizing everyone?(35:00) Normalizing “the squeeze”(35:30) “When you conclude who you are, you stop seeling” - Carrie Campbell @carrie_campbell_wbffpro(36:30 Looking at what’s wrong vs looking at what’s working(37:30) “A symptom is a beautiful sign that our body's speaking to us” - Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker (39:10) The importance of the nervous system in health(41:10) Let’s unburden the system(41:40 Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope by Johann Hari (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Connections-Uncovering-Depression-Unexpected/dp/163286830X (43:10) Do we want to search for confirmation of our fears, or for confirmation of our dreams(43:30) Does Dr. Amy Baker practices intuitive training?(44:40) Can my discipline come from joy?(45:50) Is there joy in your training? Shout out to Tim Almond(46:20) Shout out to Dr. John Demartini @drjohndemartini(47:20) Where to follow Dr. Amy Baker @amyrxbaker(47:50) Join The Strength Connection Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/246922387454298 

In the153rd episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about when he started his career in fitness, his introduction to sales, how the Strength Connection podcast started and the labor of love.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk! In this chapter, you will discover:(0:25) Our previous solo episode:The more you prepare the more you can wing it(0:45) 2008 is when Mike started his fitness career(2:40) 40 clients as a personal trainer(2:50) Mike as a manager(3:00) Mike’s introduction to sales(4:10) Shout out to Chris Abbott @chrisabbott232 and “The Breakthrough Secrets Podcast” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-breakthrough-secrets-podcast/id1551573443 (4:40) How the Strength Connection podcast started(5:00) Shout out to Fabio Zonin @x_fab_69(5:20) Mike in the restaurant business(6:00) I love talking to people(6:20) “Be curious, not judgmental” - Michael Kurkowski (7:00) Shout out to Carrie Campbell @carrie_campbell_wbffpro(7:30) When we grow we eventually get to a point where we can’t even recognize the person we were before(9:10) The process of getting into something new(9:40) I love strength and connection(11:20) “Work is a labor of love” - Michael Kurkowski (12:20) Join the Strength Connection Facebook group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/246922387454298 

In the 152nd episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Founder and CVO of Metaplexus, Adam Rodriguez, will talk about the story of Metaplexus, the power of having avatars, with great power comes great responsibility, and using your darkness to shine.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk! In this chapter, you will discover:(1:20) Mike introducing our special guest, Founder and CVO of Metaplexus, Adam Rodriguez(1:30) How did Mike and Adam meet?(3:30) The spiritual side is a big part of the success(5:00) The Metasummit felt different for this(6:20) “There are an infinite amount of ways to get to the end of the path” - Adam Rodriguez(7:50) Shout out to Brian Grasso(8:00) The daily devotion exercise(12:20) What leadership means(16:40) The story of Metaplexus(17:30) With great power comes great responsibility(18:40) The power of having avatars(19:50) Using your darkness to shine(20:50) Drinking 10 bears a night and trying to be an MMA fighter(24:00) The ignition after depression(25:10) Being reborn for the first time(26:40) Anxiety attack(29:20) The 30 game plan(29:50) “Do the top 1% of activities no one else is willing to do” - Adam Rodriguez(30:15) Adam starts a coffee company(31:00) Selling 500 - 800 bags of coffee in the first 30 days(32:10) The power of building systems(32:30) Start With Why by Simon Sinek https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447 (36:30) The limitations of the brain injury(39:00) Show me my gift(42:30) The power of having the right team(44:35) “If you never argue with your spouse, you’re probably hiding a bunch of shit” - The Strength Connection(45:00) Unveiling vs Creating(46:30) What you can learn from Ayahuasca ceremonies(48:10) Bruce Wayne analogy(49:20) The first ego belief(49:40) Getting attached to outcomes(50:00) Believing we can control everything(51:00) “Being nothing allows you to be anything” - Adam Rodriguez(51:40) Infinity on Netflix(52:30) “I will be betrayed a thousand times, but I will trust a thousand and one”(53:40) “The gift is not your talent, but your willingness to use it”(56:00) Where to find more about Metaplexus https://earn.metaplexus.io/?fbclid=IwAR38JgNhDqSSHFPj85zwU53MA9TQ-DPgMRWjVhjJ9uYifO5BUBkVUO0KYd4&mibextid=ykz3hl 

In the 151st episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will talk about what to do when we fall off track, Iron Cardio, double kettlebell training for maximizing your strength, and the more you prepare the more you can wing it.Join us in this insightful and captivating episode! In this chapter, you will discover:(0:50) “We take our health for granted until it’s not there anymore” - Michael Kurkowski(1:10) Lessons of connection(2:00) What to do when we fall off track?(2:50) How do we react when we fall off track?(4:00) Feeling drained in the middle of the day(4:20) Even if you plan for everything, there will always be things you don’t anticipate(5:20) Iron Cardio(6:00) Double Kettlebell training for maximizing your strength(8:00) Shout out to Adam Rodriguez, Founder and CVO of Metaplexus https://www.facebook.com/metaplexus (9:20) Adam is a former martial artist and marine(10:00) Every couple of months he would crush(12:40) The gift of injury(13:20) Kettlebells allow you to do a lot in a short period of time(14:20) The power of focus(15:20) “The more you prepare the more you can wing it” - Michael Kurkowski(19:10) Intuitive training(21:00) What truly is discipline?(21:50) Overprepare

In the 150th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, Public Speaking Coach, Founder of MasterTalk, Brenden Kumarasamy, will talk about professional sports for “nerds”, the power of delivery, audience obsessiveness, and the 4 daily exercises to improve your communication.Join us in this insightful and captivating talk! In this chapter, you will discover:(1:00) Introducing our special guest Public Speaking Coach, Founder of MasterTalk, Brenden Kumarasamy @masteryourtalk(1:20) MasterTalk(1:30) Communication is a skill(2:30) Professional sports for “nerds”(2:40) Competitive presentations(3:00) How do these “competitions for nerds” work?(5:00) What about speaking interested Brenden?(7:30) How did Brenden find his first students?(8:50) What were the wrong messages that Brenden was hearing about public speaking tips?(11:10) A lot of communication is fear-based.(11:30) How would your life change if you would be an exceptional communicator? - Brenden Kumarasamy @masteryourtalk(12:40) “Communication is the accelerant of dreams” - Brenden Kumarasamy @masteryourtalk(16:00) The power of delivery(17:20) Listen to the difference here(18:40) Energy and enthusiasm(19:00) The authenticity in your delivery matters(19:50) Audience obsessiveness(20:35) Balance vs harmony(20:50) Using silence in your speech(21:30) The pause helps us emphasize key ideas in our speech(22:10) How do we practice pausing?(25:00) The big missing piece in communication in most people(27:00) How do we get conditioning to believe that communication is a chore and not a choice(32:00) Focus on the reps(33:40) “If we can make sense out of nonsense, we can make sense out of everything” - Brenden Kumarasamy @masteryourtalk(35:20) In this game, we don’t get points for doing it well, we get points for doing it a lot(36:00) Exercise 1 - Example of exercise for improving your speaking skills(39:00) Exercise 2 - Everyday practice 5 mins of answering questions of what the world will ask you about your business or something else(42:20) Exercise 3(44:00) Exercise 4(46:30) Authenticity in communication(46:50) Don’t worry about the fear but attach it to some motivation(47:30) Where to find more about Brenden Kumarasamy @masteryourtalk https://www.youtube.com/@MasterTalks 

In the 149th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will be talking about his recent recovery, the power of celebrating small wins, the Metasummit in Texas, and the best 3 kettlebell exercisesJoin us in this insightful and captivating episode! In this chapter, you will discover:(0:20) Mike is back!(1:20) How Mike is getting back to Strength Training(2:40) The power of celebrating small wins(3:10) The Metasummit in Texas(4:00) Shout out to Brian Grasso and Carrie Campbell @carrie_campbell_wbffpro(6:30) The power of journaling to align with your purpose(7:40) Shout out to Dr. Mike T Nelson @drmiketnelson https://www.buzzsprout.com/1860981/website/background/edit (8:40) The best Kettlebell exercises? the military press, the snatch, and the squat(9:50) What makes the best Kettlebell exercise?(10:00) #1 It aligns with you reaching the goal(10:20) #2 It gives external feedback to your body(10:50) #3 It gives internal feedback to your mindset(11:20) #4 Different volumes and different intensities can be done with it(11:50) #5 You enjoy it(12:20) #6 It kills multiple birds with one stone(12:40) #7 It gives you more than it takes out of you(13:20) The Go-To Kettlebell Playbook (DM me or email me to get it for Free)(15:50) Email me at mike@breakthroughsecrets.net to get The Go-To Kettlebell Playbook for free

In the 148th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike and our special guest, CEO and founder of Bodylastics, Blake Kassel, will talk about how Bodylastics started, selling Bodylastics on Wall Street, Bodylastics in the Arnold Classic, and the vision stays the sameJoin us in this insightful and captivating talk! In this chapter, you will discover:(0:55) Introducing our special guest CEO and founder of Bodylastics, Blake Kassel @blakekassel(1:40) A 25-year creation journey(2:20) How did Bodylastics start?(4:30) Stacking bands, a solution to a very common problem(7:00) “Resistance bands are the most powerful slingshot on the planet” - Blake Kassel @blakekassel(7:50) The first Bodylastics website(7:50) Selling Bodylastics on Wall Street(8:50) Blake’s sister(9:35) Call me when you make a million dollars(10:10) The sales started to roll(11:40) “Your muscle doesn’t know the difference between what it’s creating the tension” - Blake Kassel @blakekassel(11:50) When you stretch an elastic band, the further that you stretch it, the tougher it becomes(12:15) Bodylastics in the Arnold Classic(12:50) If you can curl all four bands 30 times, I'll give it to you(14:10) Starting to sell Bodylastics on Amazon(16:20) Bodylastics vs the competition. Testing the product(20:00) Beachbody(20:30) The first live Bodylastics workout(21:50) Bodylastics was the first live platform in 2009, way before Peloton(29:20) The design that will prevent people from overstretching the bands(31:30) The O ring patent in Bodylastics(32:45) The vision stays the same(33:00) The product evolved(36:10) No one over 25 should be doing a heavy squat(38:30) Working the muscles without killing them(40:20) The new machine that Blake Kassel has developed(41:10) Fix the problem(43:00) Where to find more about Blake Kassel @blakekassel and Bodylastics https://www.bodylastics.com/ 

In the 147th episode of The Strength Connection Podcast, Mike will discuss Blending Physical Therapy with Fitness, Creating Autonomy In Your Clients, How Blake Kassel created Bodylastics, and we will remember the interview with Ray Gorman.(0:25) Mike will be in Texas in a Mastermind Submit(1:00) Mike’s free gift to you! - The Go-To Kettlebell Playbook (Email me asking for a copy at mike@breakthroughsecrets.net) (3:20) Remembering the interview with Ray Gorman @raygormandpt and the Engage Movement (3:50) Blending Physical Therapy with Fitness(5:50) The difference between an insurance-based model vs a cash-based model(6:25) Creating autonomy for your clients(8:00) “Clients need guidance, but at the same time they are behind the own wheel of their car” - The Strength Connection(8:45) Mastery by Robert Greene https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Robert-Greene/dp/014312417X (9:00) The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene https://www.amazon.com/48-Laws-Power-Robert-Greene/dp/0140280197 (9:30) “Blindly following the leader doesn’t fulfill you in the same way” - The Strength Connection(10:50) “You need to become autonomous, otherwise, you will hit the ceiling very quickly” - The Strength Connection(11:20) Shout out to Blake Kassel @blakekassel, CEO and founder of Bodylastics https://bodylastics.com/ (11:40) The benefits of resistance bands training(13:30) How Blake created Bodylastics - the power of having a vision(14:25) The vision of creating a top-quality product, plus an outstanding program people can do from home(15:50) Having a vision and staying on top of it(16:40) Subscribe to Apple Podcast and to Youtube :) https://www.youtube.com/@thestrengthconnection3001