This story is one of the most inspiring you will EVER hear. Sentenced to sixty-five years in a Texas prison, Damon West once had it all. Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, nationally known keynote speaker and best-selling author (with best-selling author and motivational speaker Jon Gordon) of The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. His first book and autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, was published just three years after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison. At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hard core drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stock-broker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit. After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today. Today, Damon lives a life of recovery and service, going to meetings and sharing his story all over the country with schools, church's, athletic teams, corporations, conferences and inside correctional facilities. Over the past few years, he has been sharing the Coffee Bean lesson with dozens of college football teams such as Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, and countless schools and businesses. His #BeACoffeeBean message has inspired thousands from Walmart to the NBA. Damon’s message connects with audiences on a level rarely before seen, as evidenced by the lengthy and thought-provoking Q&A following each presentation. His ability to articulate his story is proof that sometimes they lock-up the right person. Damon’s story has been featured both nationally and globally. His second book, The Coffee Bean, co-authored with best-selling author Jon Gordon, became an instant best-seller and a part of Forbes’ “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.” Damon is passionate about the Coffee Bean message and loves sharing how it changed his life and how it can change yours, too. He is excited about the Coffee Bean Clubs that are being started by students at schools across the country. More on Damon: Website: www.damonwest.org Instagram: @damonwest7 Books: https://amzn.to/37xWIwe Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super excited to have my friend Angelica Grace on the show today.  Angelica is a psychic medium, and author, and intuitive coach.  She will help you gain clarity on getting through the darkness, giving you clear insight into your true selves, and connecting you with loved ones and their important messages for you. She is the author of Graceful: A Soul’s Journey, which can give you more insight into her own self-transformation from dark to light with the help of her guidance system.  Angelica has dedicated her life to helping all those who need extra support while on their own soul transformational path. Connect with Angelica: Instagram: @angelicagracec Amazon: Graceful: A Soul's Journey Coaching: Intuitive Coaching Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. David Sinclair: Modifying Our Lifestyle to Reverse Aging    Today I’m incredibly honored to host Dr. David Sinclair.  David is a professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He’s the author of New York’s Times best-seller Lifespan, a book with insights on why we age, and how we can slow and even reverse aging. A top innovator, David was in 2014, named on Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and listed as Time's Top 50 in healthcare in 2018. David’s inspiration growing up David grew up with his grandmother, who was a constant believer in his abilities and always motivated him to set and shoot for his life-goals and he will always achieve them.  In an unfair world filled with cruel and mischievous people, David’s grandmother always reminded him to be grateful and generous where he could. To always do whatever he can to make the world a better place than it is. David owes a lot of current success and grit to this background and claims that every no one needs a positive environment of someone who believes in them, and they too can set to achieve greatness. Hormesis: Using exercise and healthy eating to fight aging. Being a trained geneticist, you’d think that David would vouch for DNA as the major contributing factor for your health and wellness destiny. But oh no, the key to this, David says is the epigenome  The epigenome is the real powerhouse and determinant of our lifestyle i.e how much we sleep, mental stress, physical fitness etc.  A study on identical twins held in Denmark supports this claim, with the findings suggesting that we only inherit from our parents 20% in terms of the predictability of our long-term health.   The key to better physical and mental health and ultimately slow aging, David states, is through exercise and healthy eating.  As for exercise - do anything that gets your breathing level up for at least 15 minutes Exercising triggers the longevity genes which regulate the epigenome - which is in control of how we age. Healthy eating also triggers the epigenome, resulting in similar effects.    Healthy eating and numerous benefits of fasting.  It’s no surprise that what we eat is a big contributor of how our health turns out to be. However, what always seems to be left out, is how to eat.   Having 3 meals a day and zero exercise has a reverse effect on your mind.Your brain loves being relaxed - just sitting down and having snacks is all you need -  By giving in to this kind of lifestyle, you’re sacrificing your body’s ability to fight diseases and aging. Because your body gets the message from the brain that it’s very safe and there’s plenty of security and food to eat. So you relax, and the defense modes switch off. It’s for this reason that obese people who don’t exercise, not only look older, but are actually older.    Fasting triggers the longevity genes as well. Through fasting, the body is tricked into thinking there isn’t enough resources to live on. Amino acids are also restricted and the epigenome is activated too.   Types of foods David suggests you should take when fasting. You don’t want foods with a lot of sugar - as they make you get hungry faster Don’t be too rough on yourself - one milkshake isn’t bad (as long as you’re consistent) Best meal for him is a salad with a bit of olive oil on it or vinegar Protein is good in small amounts.  Green leafy vegetables and practice Hormesis i.e If your plants are stressed before you eat them you get the benefit. So you don’t have to do it yourself. You can eat plants; That have grown without much rain or water in the environment. With bugs on them   Dr. David Sinclair’s Adversity - Growing from the failures and setbacks he’s been through   There’s no way to be successful without massive amounts of adversity, criticisms, failures and mistakes, claims David. We don’t have all the answers, and aren’t perfect either.   Failure is part of the journey. And as David shares his lowest point in life, he certainly owes a lot of his current progress and success as a result of embracing and his setbacks and learning from them. David saw his mom die in front of him, which was of course, a big blow to him, both emotionally and psychologically. But it’s the career setback he really digs into and narrates on the show. Close to the tip of being sacked and losing his reputation (which for scientists is everything) A 41 year old David was completely battered, beaten and destroyed.   When he was 34 years old, David and his team had just uncovered a huge biological milestone through a breakthrough which seemed too easy and good to be true. And so they patented it. 7 years down the line. David would face so much criticism from journalists and scientists, all of whom claimed that everything he had published on his breakthrough was false. And so the company that he had invested so much in, and received millions of dollars in donations for clinical trials was a hoodwink and based on lies.   About half of David’s lab staff abandoned him, deeming his career over. All David could wonder was how it could all go soo wrong. How could it be that the very world he was trying to save, is now punching him in the face? There was nothing more to do. So he went to bed every night sad and depressed.  As time went by though, David decided not to quit. He decided he would put on a fight and prove all his doubters and critics wrong with proof and data. 3 years later, and with the help of the loyal staff that remained, David solved the problem that had resulted in so many individuals misunderstanding and attacking his professional achievements.  Having published his findings in 2013, this put Dr. David and his team back on track into achieving the great  things they had set out to when they started.   Don’t quit mentality Now 50, David knows that it never gets easier and the setbacks never stop. But for him, winners are the ones who decide to get back up as fast as possible and handle all the blocks and obstacles that are a normal part of life. Even till date, David still faces criticisms and hindrances from his colleagues, donors, newspaper and, and university. But now older, that he was, he’s wise enough to know that the challenges never get easier or end, you only get better and tougher.   David’s thinking pattern is that humanity is in all these together. We’re all trying to work out and solve life’s big problems and challenges. And, so we must work together. This line of thought  has landed him into bad relationships with many scientists who try to remain as secretive as possible in matters regarding their research and findings.    In conclusion, David advises us to always have goals in our lives. When you’re low and in depression, and still lacking in goals, dreams and aspirations to look forward to. Then life hits you even harder. So set a goal, go for it, and don’t stop or give up on it until you get there!   Connect with Dr. David Sinclair  Website - https://lifespanbook.com/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/davidasinclair LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinclairda/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidsinclairphd/?hl=en Lifespan on Amazon - https://amzn.to/2BFribo Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift More on Earth Echo Foods/Cacao Bliss: www.earthechofoods.com/dougbopst Use Promo code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off your order     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I sit down with holistic healing health icon Danette May. We spoke about her journey, the power of forgiveness, nutrition and all things adversity. Danette is the founder of Mindful Health LLC, Earth Echo Foods and The Rise movement. She is a world-renowned motivational speaker, author of The Rise and other health and women's empowerment books, former celebrity fitness trainer, wife, and mother.  Since 2011, she has helped transform the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual lives of millions of people around the world by focusing on healing foods, healing movement, and a healing mind. Her journey was inspired after losing her son during childbirth, getting divorced, and nearly becoming bankrupt and homeless, all one after the other. It was then that she decided to stop being a victim, and rewrite her story. She began to focus on the three pillars of healing – healing foods, healing movement, and a healing mindset.  Connect with Danette May Website -https://www.danettemay.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheDanetteMay Twitter - https://twitter.com/danettefitness Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thedanettemay YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/danettemay Earth Echo Foods -https://earthechofoods.com Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest on the show today is the legendary Dean Graziosi. Serial entrepreneur, multiple New York Times best selling author and all round great guy.  Our main theme of discussion today is being the beacon of light and hope in the current pandemic ridden times.  Having experienced 4 downmarkets himself, Dean understands that it’s completely normal and human to feel insecure and worried over what tomorrow brings.  But instead of focusing on the negative side of the pandemic, we should focus on the bright side. So many individuals have always wanted extra time to work on their lives and start that new online business or learn that new skill, the funny part about all of these, is that so many of these individuals are either stuck on their seats stressing over what’s on the news, or aimlessly giving in to their impulses to drink and eat heavily.  Just like the last recession and the great depression, this too shall pass. And the question that we should all reflect on, is what kind of person we’re going to be on the other side. Will you have: Gained extra capabilities and made something good out of the opportunities that are sprouting as a result of the pandemic Or  Remain dormant & pessimistic, and be the one to miss it all when it’s all over Everyone right now, starting from our close friends and family members, are in dire need of leadership, inspiration and a role model to look up to. They need you to step up and be the one to guide them through this tough, unfamiliar territory. So that when it’s all over, they’ll look back and remember that you’re the one who took the initiative to be creative and innovative, creating a safe haven for them when everything was going to hell. If history is anything to go by, out of the ashes of the fire that’s burning, new industries and businesses will arise and strive. There’ll certainly be more wealthy people made out of this pandemic too. A close friend of Dean recently told him a story of two restaurants quarter a mile apart from each other that had to shut down as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.  While one of the owners got extremely mad and began pointing fingers and blaming everyone; from China, to the government and the president. The owners of the other restaurant took to restructuring their restaurant the weekend that they were closed. They made it in such a way that the cooks could cook in different distanced places. Later on they made a shelter for a drive through so that customers could pull in and place their orders. Right now, one restaurant is still shut down, with a bitter and mad owner. The other restaurant business on the other hand is making 3 times the amount of sales and profits that they’ve ever made in their entire life. 5 years from now, one owner will complain that his business was thriving until Covid-19 shut him down, while the other wonder will testify that his business was doing ok until Covid-19 came along and now he owns 6 restaurants.  While one individual focused on finding a solution and innovating his way through the obstacles brought by the pandemic, the other one focused and obsessed on who moved his cheese, and demanding it back. All the massively successful individuals in our modern times and history, lacked resources They lacked resources, but learned to be massively resourceful.  A lot of individuals claim that what’s holding them back from success is lack of financial resources, supportive family members, better staff etc. But the sad and simple truth is that what they truly lack is resourcefulness.  In life, you should learn to embrace the struggles that you go through. All of your setbacks, failures, and challenges are just setting you up for your greatest comeback! The underdog lifestyle that you’re going through is a gift to help you get through and navigate new territories and be bulletproof. All it takes is changing your mindset and looking at things from a different angle. Learn to make your disadvantages, critics, and the power of being resourceful over having resources as the fuel to drive you into success.  A lot of people see Dean and praise him for being so lucky to have come so far and achieved so much.  They see him in great shape and thank his genetics. They see what a wonderful wife and disciplined kids and count him as the luckiest family man.  What they don’t see however is him waking up at 5 in the morning to exercise in the gym  How he worked on himself and saw a coach in order to change who he was and attract the right life partner.  The several parenting books he’s read and counsellor he’s seen for 3 years in order to be a great dad.  A lot of our subconscious tend to protect us from this reality. All we see is success, but not the determination, obsession and habits that had to be put in in order for other people’s success to manifest in their lives.  From this story. Dean encourages us to focus on how we can best use our resources to overcome and prosper in the current environment that has affected everyone and all businesses globally.  Focusing on what could go wrong and our disadvantages won’t help solve anything. Instead, we should focus on what could go right, and how we can flip the odds back to our advantage    Connect with Dean Graziosi Website - https://www.deangraziosi.com/ Facebook - https://web.facebook.com/deangraziosipage/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/deangraziosi Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/deangraziosi/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/deangraziosi/featured Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on the show, I had my dear friend Johnny Elsasser on to talk about his journey through the elite special operations military system. He was forced to rediscover his identity after leaving the military. This included dropping his ego from the alpha male environment in which he was used to succeeding, doing the internal work and learning the true meaning of masculinity. We spoke at length on his transformation and how he is using his lessons to help other men. Johnny Elsasser is a former Special Operations U.S. Army Ranger with four combat tours between Iraq and Afghanistan and another 5 years protecting the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq in Baghdad. Johnny has seen the field of masculinity through extreme alpha perspectives and knows the trials and tribulations the toughest men deal with day to day. Johnny's mission is to help men find strength in developing masculinity to be consistent with who they are and not what society expects them to be. Johnny has shifted his fight to advocating and supporting alpha males in finding their own masculinity and purpose as a man in society today. He is the host of the top rated podcast, The Art of Masculinity where he provides insights from himself and others on how to have men live their best lives through authenticity, vulnerability and credibility. More about Felicia: Website: www.johnnyelsasser.com Instagram: @johnny.elsasser Podcast: The Art of Masculinity   Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I sit down with cover model turned mindset coach and podcast host, Felicia Romero. Felicia shares the “ugly truth" of being a fitness model including body shaming, self sabotage and the deadly comparison trap.  She reveals how a toxic relationship with herself set the stage for abusive relationships with men until a major wake up call caused her to start looking within and catapulted her on a a healing journey.  We traced her unhealthy relationships with food, men, her body and herself back to her childhood.  Thankfully for her and others, it all led to her own personal transformation and most importantly to her helping others overcome the same hurdles she faced with her "Diet Dropout Podcast.” Listen as she shares step by step how she overcame the battle within herself and then turned it into a set of tools to help others. More about Felicia: Website: www.feliciaromero.com Instagram: @feliciaromero Podcast: Diet Dropout Podcast Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leveraging Functional Medicine as a tool for healthier and happier living.  Welcome back to the show everyone, today’s guest is someone that I’ve been wanting to talk to for quite a while now. Given my passion into the holistic approaches towards health and wellness, Dr. Will Cole is undoubtedly one of the most experienced and educated individuals in the field of Nutrition and Functional Medicine. Dr. Will Cole, is a leading functional medicine expert, who specializes in clinically investigating the underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing health programs for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders and brain problems. Distinctive from modern medicine’s style of the sick-care approach where there’s an emphasis on treating the symptoms, Dr. Will Cole, as a functional medic, takes a more health-care approach and provides his patients with advice and treatment after diagnosing the root problem based on their unique biological make up. Functional Medicine - Common causes of inflammation and what you can do to minimize it. You can’t talk about metabolic, autoimmune and mental issues without bringing in the underlying factor that is chronic inflammation. What drives inflammation in one person is different from what drives inflammation in another person. Thus, inflammation is a commonality, and not a causation. In his latest book The Inflammation Spectrum, Dr. Will Cole , through his extensive research and experience, takes a deeper dive into how we can naturally balance our immune system. He suggests that we can mitigate and calm inflammation by reducing our intake of the four core causes of inflammation. These include; Grains Dairy Sugar Industrial seed oils Alongside the four major causes, there are also four other sub-categories which include; Nuts and seeds Legumes Eggs Nightshades  Other common non-food causes of inflammation include; Stress Lack of enough sleep Social isolation Increased screen time Social media What goes on in your gastric system is also a big contributor to how imbalanced or balanced your body is. Viral infections, heavy metal toxicity and lymes are some of the most common causes of inflammation in your gut. So what does Dr. Will Cole suggest we do to reduce inflammation? The biggest step we can take is to minimize or completely eradicate our intake of the four core causes of inflammation. This alongside, increasing our input of healthy fats such as avocados, extra virgin oil, coconuts and pasteurized eggs is a sure way of reducing our chances of getting inflammation. There’s no denying the link between our mind, body and wellness. At the end of the day, what really counts is our head space. Renegotiating the relationship with ourselves, the present moment we live in and what we want from life contributes a big part to our mental well being. Dr. Will Cole also suggests that activities that calm our mind and increase our self awareness such as meditation, nature time and self reflection are some of the daily practices we should learn to make a habit out of. We ought to use self care as a form of self-respect. Love and respect yourself enough to eat and engage in activities that are only good for you. The light and grace that we receive after realizing our true value and strength is the genesis of sustainable wellness. Love yourself enough to settle for nothing less than what improves your mental and physical well being. Connect with Dr. Cole Website - https://drwillcole.com/ Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/doctorwillcole/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/drwillcole Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drwillcole/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/DrWillCole Amazon The Inflammation Spectrum - https://www.amazon.com/Inflammation-Spectrum-Triggers-Reset-System-ebook/dp/B07NX21BFW Ketotarian - https://www.amazon.com/Ketotarian-Mostly-Plant-Based-Cravings-Inflammation-ebook/dp/B079KTQFN2/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&qid=1589141915&refinements=p_27%3AWill+Cole&s=books&sr=1-6 Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past Tuesday (Cinco de Mayo), I celebrated 12 years since my arrest. Every year, I take time to reflect on that day to unpack how far I have come and practice gratitude that that day literally saved my life. Without it, I wouldn't be hosting this podcast, have written the books or been able to help as many people as I have.  Today, I unveil the top 4 things that have helped me get through. If you have been following me through the years, they will sound familiar: 1. Self Awareness 2. Movement 3. Inner Circle 4. Gratitude Listen in as I get deep on each of these subjects and give you real time advice on how you can apply them into your situation right now to help you become your best self!  Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I sit down with my dear friend and mentor Todd Durkin. I first met Todd in 2012 at his Mentorship program, and that event literally changed my life. Since that time, I also attended Todd’s Mastermind program, and my success both professionally and personally skyrocketed since attending both programs. Listen, as we go deep into Todd’s story about the many obstacles he has overcome in life. Such as, how he overcame being raised in a divorced home, how he severely injured his back and overcame an addiction to Vicodin, which ultimately shattered his dreams of playing football professionally. Through all of this pain, Todd went on a personal journey of healing by seeking out mentors, developing personal and professional friendships, and ultimately finding his purpose in life. This led to Todd becoming one of the world’s most well-known and respected trainers and thought leaders. Todd's Bio:  Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally recognized strength, speed and conditioning coach, personal trainer, body worker, motivational speaker, and author who motivates, educates, and inspires people worldwide. He is the founder of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, a world-class facility that provides personal training, strength and conditioning, therapeutic massage and bodywork, Pilates, yoga, nutrition, chiropractic and physical therapy programs. Todd works with a high-profile clientele of elite professional athletes. This includes NFL MVPs, Super Bowl Champions and MVPs, Heisman Trophy Winner, Olympic and X-Game Gold Medalists, and many other champion athletes. He is a 2 Time Personal Trainer of the Year (IDEA & ACE) and has received numerous industry accolades. Greatist has named Todd one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Health & Fitness for the past four years. His gym, Fitness Quest 10, was named one of “America’s Top 10 Gyms” by Men’s Health for the past 5 years, and in addition to high-profile athletes, attracts many fitness enthusiasts of all ages, shapes, sizes, and levels who want to improve their overall health and fitness performance. His team of 38 trainers, coaches, and therapists deliver results to over 500 clients weekly. Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, the NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, ESPN the Magazine, Stack Magazine, the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and many others. He was also featured trainer on NBC’s hit fitness show STRONG. Through Todd Durkin Enterprises, Todd and his staff provide motivational and educational programs and team-building events to companies and conferences worldwide. Some of these companies include Under Armour, Gatorade, The Ken Blanchard Companies, YPO, Wells Fargo, Bath & Body Works, Cal-a-Vie Resort & Spa, the Golden Door, IMG, USMA, UCSD, UBS Warburg, Quest Ventures, Behr Paints, Kaiser Permanente, Torrey Pines Bank, Administrative Professionals, Life Care Solutions, and the San Diego Chargers. Todd earned his BS degree in Kinesiology from The College of William & Mary in Virginia and his MA degree in Exercise & Nutritional Science with a specialty in Biomechanics and Sports Medicine from San Diego State University. He and his wife Melanie reside in San Diego, CA, with their three children, Luke, Brady, and McKenna. More about Todd: Website: https://todddurkin.com Instagram: @todddurkin Todd's new book: Get Your Mind Right Connect with Doug Instagram: @dougbopst Facebook: Doug Bopst Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices