The Strength Connection
Michael Kurkowski
Connecting with the top minds in strength to share stories, insights and experiences to help the world get stronger everyday!I'm Michael Kurkowski, strength coach, Kettlebell Instructor and everyday strength seeker for over 13 years. The world of strength is riddled with so much information and marketing that it can be downright impossible to know what is best for you. From reading, studying, and practicing over the years, I've found how impactful being strong is to everything we do in our lives. But the thing that helped me more than anything is connection.Connecting with others and hearing about their experiences, their stories in life has given me a better education and understanding of living a strong life than anything. After co-hosting the very popular Breakthrough Secrets Podcast, I created The Strength Connection to speak with the best of the best to help the audience live stronger, healthier and happier lives.Strength has different meanings for all of us, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual. But being stronger and knowing how helps all of us. Enjoy the show!
Episodes
Mentioned books
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/
Jan 4, 2025 • 60min
Ep 273 Mark England: Every Word Matters
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast.One of my favorite people to talk mindset and story with kicks off the New Year with me.Mark England, founder of Enlifted Mindset Coaching joins me on the show again, talking about personal growth, soft-language, tools to create a powerful story, and the healing spiral.One of the most fun, and interesting conversations I’ve had on the show.Check out Mark on IG https://www.instagram.com/enliftedcoaches/?hl=enOr at https://www.enlifted.me/
Dec 28, 2024 • 36min
Ep 272 Top Lessons of 2024
Welcome to the Strength Connection!Another incredible year comes to a close, and in this episode, I dove into some of the biggest lessons, insights, and stories from the incredible guests in 2024.To Join "The Strength Connection" mailing list, and get 5 Minute Mindset, click the link below:https://www.mystrengthconnection.com/signup
Dec 21, 2024 • 52min
Ep 271 Dr. Richard Ulm: Achieving Super Sinister
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast!What an absolute blast and wealth of knowledge this man is.Dr. Richard Ulm is the founder of Athlete Enhancement and treating physician at the Columbus Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center, as well as a Strength and Conditioning coach and SFG level II instructor.His work with DNS training, and combining the strength and medical components of movement is truly valuable, and in this episode, he dives into his work in both, as well as his journey to achieving Sinister, then going above and beyond to achieve “Super Sinister.”To see more from Dr. Ulm, check out https://www.athlete-enhancement.com/
Dec 14, 2024 • 53min
Ep 270 Devan Gonzalez: Master the Art of Connection
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast!In the 270th episode, I’m joined by Devan Gonzalez, owner and founder of Strive 11 Fitness, and host of the Mindset Cafe podcast.His journey took off as he transitioned to personal training, eventually launching his own 6-Figure personal training business serving a wide variety of clients from athletes to gym newcomers—a rare achievement WITHOUT an online model so common today.By the time he reached 28, Devan took the leap to become a gym owner, realizing his vision of building a fitness community that emphasizes personal growth as much as physical results. But he didn’t stop there!Driven to make a greater impact, Devan co-founded and scaled Strive 11 Fitness into a franchise model, becoming CEO of Strive 11 International, Inc. at just 31 years old.His approach to fitness and entrepreneurship is uniquely grounded in mindset mastery and resilience, which he shares with his growing community of franchisees.Check out more from Devan at: https://www.strive11fitness.com/franchise
Dec 7, 2024 • 56min
Ep 269 Todd Durkin: True Strength
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast!Anytime I get to chat with this man, I feel like I could run through a wall!Todd Durkin comes back on the show to talk about True Strength, a memoir released this year about the past few years, and how some of the most painful, and challenging times taught him the greatest lessons.One of the world’s most inspiring, and powerful speakers and coaches in strength, fitness, and mindset, you can’t help but feel empowered after listening to this conversation.You can grab a copy of True Strength at the link below.https://a.co/d/bUA0hcN
Nov 23, 2024 • 44min
Ep 268 Kate Allgood: Keys to Building Unstoppable Confidence
Welcome to the Strength Connection Podcast!Founder of Quantum Performance, mental performance coach Kate Allgood joins the show to talk confidence, resilience, and self talk for elite athletic performance.A recognized leader in the field of mental performance, she holds two master’s degrees in psychology and is a highly sought after coach. Her first book, "Get Into the Zone", became an Amazon bestseller on the subject.Check out more from Kate at:https://www.qpathlete.com
