

The Strength Connection
Michael Kurkowski
Exploring Strength: Body, Mind and Spirit. The Strength Connection goes beyond the gym to uncover the lessons, stories, and wisdom that build resilience and purpose in every area of life. Join host Michael Kurkowski as he connects with world-class coaches, athletes, and leaders to reveal what true strength really means.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 25, 2025 • 49min
Ep 283: Creating Massive Clarity in Your Vision w/ Carrie Campbell
Welcome to the Strength Connection!Truly one of the most insightful, passionate and powerful people I’ve ever met, Carrie Campbell is back on the podcast.A 25+ year coach and clinical counselor, Carrie is one of the premier minds in the mindset performance space, and she has been on a mission in her program Her-dentity over the past year to “leave no woman behind”, and create the biggest impact she ever has before.Every time I speak with Carrie, I feel like I could run through a wall afterwards, and this conversation was no different.Check out more from Carrie at:https://thecarriecampbellexperience.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecarriecampbell_experience/

Mar 18, 2025 • 1h 3min
Ep 282 Aleks Salkin: The Insider's Guide to Kettlebell Complexes
Welcome to the Strength Connection!One of my favorite people comes back on the show to talk strength and Kettlebell complexes.Aleks Salkin has been one of the premier coaches in hardstyle strength for years, and has been a guest on the Strength Connection numerous times.In this new episode, we dive into Aleks’ most recent book, The Kick-Ass Insider’s Guide to Kettlebell Complexes, as well as talking all matters of strength and conditioning.Check out more from Aleks at:https://alekssalkin.com/9-minute-challenge-old-school-strong-fortify/Grab Aleks’ new book at:https://www.amazon.com/Kick-Ass-Insiders-Guide-Kettlebell-Complexes-ebook/dp/B0DTPL6CWR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1M4SRDCBXJJT9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.E-n0ReNXRtwsYaMHo_HWd4Qv0w9HjDMUB3k-n1PcoRbGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.Qf_RFq2HaMuhNnxHV1nmuaS515WeMdr6qGNkREta4HY&dib_tag=se&keywords=aleks+salkin&qid=1742246465&sprefix=aleks+salkin%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1

Mar 12, 2025 • 49min
Ep 281 Brian Hite: Flow under Fire
Welcome to the Strength Connection!Brian Hite, Ph.D., is "The High-Stakes Performance Whisperer," blending over 30 years as a professional stuntman with advanced expertise in performance psychology. With a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology and a Master’s in Sport Psychology, Brian helps leaders, athletes, first responders, and creatives see through the illusions of stress and pressure to unlock clarity and achieve extraordinary results.Brian’s career includes over 100 film and television credits, a Screen Actors Guild Award for 24, and a decade coaching soldiers as a Master Resilience Trainer for the U.S. Army. Today, he shares his expertise through programs like PressureX, PhaseX, and FACTs; his podcast Flow Under Fire; and keynotes that inspire audiences to rethink their potential.Check out more from Brian at:https://BrianHiteGlobal.com

Feb 22, 2025 • 57min
Ep 280 Jeremy Strawn: Confident vs. Comfortable
Welcome to the Strength Connection!This was truly one of the most enjoyable conversations.Jeremy Strawn is a fantastic coach from Ralston Creek Crossfit, and tremendously insightful in connecting physical and mental performance.His breakdown of confident vs. comfortable was one I hadn’t heard before, and left me thinking quite a bit.So many great insights of wisdom in this conversation.Check out more from Jeremy at:ralstoncreekcf.comIG: https://www.instagram.com/coach.jeremy.strawn/

Feb 15, 2025 • 1h 6min
Ep 279 Kimberly Kesting: Change Your Story, Change Your Life
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast!Kimberly Kesting is a Mindset Performance Coach, and co-host of Get Enlifted.Her experience in personal transformation, eliminating self-doubt and storywork is truly inspiring, and she shares all the details of her experience in changing her body and mind, the early days of coaching, to specifically helping women in changing their story to achieve lasting and life-changing results.Check out more from Kim at:IG: https://www.instagram.com/kimberly.kesting/Podcast: https://www.enlifted.me/

Feb 8, 2025 • 52min
Ep 278 Eric Fasciani: Build Unstoppable Resilience
Welcome to the Strength Connection!How things evolve throughout life when aiming up in your physical and mental strength was the major focus in this great conversation with Eric Fasciani.Eric is the owner/founder of Crossfit Souhegan, and Level 3 Enlifted Mindset coach, recently celebrating 10 years of operation at CFS.From early struggles and lessons, to his evolution of coaching methods over a decade; some great insights throughout this chat.Check out more from Eric at:IG: https://www.instagram.com/raisethebarmethod/

Feb 1, 2025 • 52min
Ep 277 Laken Summerville: Creating your Strongest Story
In this enlightening discussion, Laken Summerville, a mindset performance specialist and former CrossFit athlete, shares her journey from burnout to empowerment. She emphasizes the importance of unlearning self-judgment to cultivate genuine self-love. The conversation highlights the pressures women face in caregiving roles and the necessity of prioritizing self-care. Laken also explains how anticipation drives motivation and the significance of actionable steps in overcoming self-limiting beliefs, reinforcing the idea that small successes can lead to transformative changes.

Jan 25, 2025 • 50min
Ep 276 Jason Turner: The Truth about Addiction Recovery
Welcome to the Strength Connection!The work Jason Turner is doing is not just insightful, but incredibly important.Jason is the founder of E-Motion Wellness, a business that is revolutionizing the approach to mental health and addiction recovery.Listening to his story, and his dedication to challenging traditional norms, pioneering new approaches, and guiding clients towards a renewed sense of purpose, fulfillment, and well-being…it is truly remarkable.Check out more from Jason at https://www.emotionwellness.com/And also check out his podcast at https://www.youtube.com/@e-motionwellness210

Jan 18, 2025 • 51min
Ep 275 Brad Kearns: Peak Performance with Passion
Welcome to the Strength Connection!Brad Kearns, 58, is a New York Times bestselling author, Guinness World Record holder, #1 USA-ranked Masters age 55-59 track&field high jumper in 2020, and former national champion and #3 world-ranked professional triathlete.He has written twenty books on diet, health, peak performance, and ancestral living, and is a popular speaker, retreat host, and face of the Primal Blueprint online multimedia educational courses.His latest book, Born to Walk, co-written with Mark Sisson is out now, diving deep into the world of peak performance, endurance, and longevity.Check out Brad athttps://bradkearns.com/about/IG: https://www.instagram.com/bradkearns1/?hl=en

Jan 11, 2025 • 59min
Ep 274 Zack Henderson: Lift-A-Palooza 2025
Welcome to The Strength Connection!In the 274th episode, I’m joined by Zack Henderson, Coach and Owner of East Nashville Kettlebell.Zack is a StrongFirst Elite Instructor who is hosting the 6th Annual Lift-A-Palooza with Dan John, Ed Coen and Tracey Cooks.A deep dive into strength, connecting physical and mental resilience, the evolution of coaching, and the role of goal setting in helping clients.Check out more from Zack at:Lift-A-Palooza - https://zackhenderson.com/liftapaloozaInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/eastnashvillekettlebell/Kettlebell Swing Masterclass - https://zackhenderson.com/swing-masterclass/


