The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

  My guest today is the former Miss United States and sports anchor, Whitney Miller. She has found her true calling helping individuals and couples as a love, sex and relationship coach. Her experiential journey to self-mastery started 5 years ago with her well publicized open relationship with an ex fiance.   Whitney has since joined forces with some of the leading scientists and researchers in the field, and now hosts talks and workshops around the world. She believes that regardless of your relationship construct, monogamous or open, there are always ways to create more love, better sex, and healthier, happier relationships.   If you are someone who struggles dealing with your personal insecurities, and you’re tired of  hearing people tell you what to do with your life, then you should listen to this episode. Whitney and I will be talking about her incredible backstory, having a strong mindset and how to overcome you deepest insecurities to improve your self confidence and become your best self.   Whitney’s Backstory:   Whitney was naturally gifted. She started doing gymnastics and soccer by the time she was four. That's the only thing that she knew and she loved competing. She loves trying new things and doing pretty well at it.   Pageantry was a complete out of the box for Whitney because growing up, she used to be a tomboy playing sports with the boys in the neighborhood and keeping up with her brothers.   She was at the age of 15 when she started competing in a pageant. On that same day, she also had a surfing contest. She showed up to rehearsals, all sunburned, clearly not taking the pageant seriously at all. But she went into it and was just trying to see what it was like. And that’s what her mindset was.   Her parents always told her, “Whitney always does what she wants to do, like we can tell her to do one thing, but she's going to try to figure it out on her own.” Whitney’s strong mindset   She ended up winning the pageant and that's when she started to understand the pageant industry.    When I'm 15 years old, she had a very naturally athletic body, which is great for sports, but not great for pageants, particularly back then.   According to Whitney, 15 or 16 years ago, having abs and arms wasn't really considered sexy or feminine on a woman. And so I was constantly told, “You need to be softer. You need to get rid of some of your muscle. You need to not work out so much.”   Her main secret is that she wouldn't let anyone say what she should do, or how she should be.  She’s going t o just be authentically herself.    Again, she ended up winning Miss Texas, and winning the swimsuit, which is really interesting, because she still had my very athletic body. So she won swimsuit, went to Miss Texas. And when she went to Miss United States, she kept the same mindset.   How Whitney handles her insecurities:   For Whitney, people just need to understand that insecurities are just part of our lives. And insecurities exist to teach us.    Whitney always tries to see how she can transform her insecurity into something that can be one of her greatest teachers, that can actually lead to a life that she really wants to live.   The Momentum   We make a choice and we get a little bit more momentum. We keep going until we start to just feel that way and we're gonna mess up. We're human, we're not always going to be perfect and stay on that course.   By gaining that momentum, we gain confidence, because we start to trust ourselves that we're making the right decisions for ourselves.   Tune in to this episode to know more about Whitney’s journey and life lessons that she will be sharing!   Get Coached By Whitney:   Whitney's TogetherNLove Mentorship Program   Connect with Whitney:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/whitnlove   Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Miss2Jits   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitnlove/   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Soul CBD Gummies:   Click the link below and enter the code "Doug" at checkout to receive 15% off Soul CBD Gummies!    www.mysoulcbd.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you are self-conscious and struggling on how to be more confident with yourself, this is a MUST LISTEN!   My guest today is none other than David Nurse — an NBA life and optimization coach, future bestselling author, and worldwide motivational speaker.    As a former professional basketball player (both international and domestic) and a coach for the Brooklyn Nets, David has personally helped over 150 NBA players with their personal and professional development both on and off the court.   In this episode, we will be talking about his so-called 7 Steps to Unshakable Confidence.   If you are self-conscious and struggling on how to be more confident with yourself, this is a MUST LISTEN! You will learn a lot from David as he gives tips and pieces of advice not only to achieve confidence, but to become optimistic as well!   The Pivotal Moment in David's life:   David grew up in the middle of cornfields of Iowa. He always wanted to play in the NBA. That was his whole dream. His whole mission, everything he did on a daily basis was poured into how he could play in the NBA.   Now, he never dunk a basketball once. He can't even touch the rim of 6'2", because he is not very athletic.   College basketball basically grinded David's way to achieve his dream. He played professionally over in Europe. Fast forward, he gets cut from that team.   Not only are all his hopes and dreams and everything that he put into his life with no backup plan, everything was taken away from him.   He came home and his mom told him something he never heard before that really stuck him. His mom said, "David, when one door closes, four open in an entire beachfront patio overlooking the ocean."   That's when it triggered him. He realized that everything he's been doing to play in the NBA has actually been for him to learn how to help others -- how to coach.   The pivot that everything David put into it was to actually coach. He made that decision to become a coach in the NBA.   Tips from David to become optimistic:   - Know that failure is not just a way that we can learn and grow. It is the only way to learn and grow.  - Failure is a big time blessing because not only are we learning and growing, but it's also able to teach someone to help somebody else along their journey, who goes through the same exact thing that we are struggling with right now in our life. - Know that God's timing always ends up being so much better than our own timing. - Take 1% steps daily.    David's 7 Steps to Unshakable Confidence: - Confidence through Comparison - Confidence through Focusing on Your Strength - Confidence through Redefining Vocabulary - Confidence through Creating Your Own Personal Highlight Reel - Confidence through Pouring Into Others - Confidence through Your Cue Word - Confidence through Preparation — The Relentless Consistency Tune in to this episode to know what those steps mean, so that you will also be able to achieve that unshakable confidence within you!   Connect with David:   Instagram: www.instagram.com/davidnursenba   Amazon: Pivot and Go   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Earth Echo Foods/Golden Superfood 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

In this episode, my guest and I are going to talk not only about business and entrepreneurship, but also about breaking unhealthy generational patterns and creating massive success. This will make people realize that just because you are born into unhealthy or traumatic family dynamics, it doesn't have to be that moving forward. Once you break the pattern and commit to working on yourself, great things can happen. This includes not only making  a lot of money, but changing a lot of lives along the way.    My guest today is none other than The Jenn Kennedy — an impact-driven business mentor and a coach. She is the founder of Impact to Income Academy and she helps people absolutely crush and scale their business.  Jenn’s Back Story:   Jenn was just 5 years old when her parents got divorced. That time, she doesn’t even know what “divorce” means. All she knew was everybody is sad. Her mom was depressed, and her dad wasn’t around.   She realized as the oldest daughter of their family that it was going to very quickly be her job to just make sure that everyone's happy. She took on the role of her family to be the light and just make sure that no one is sad.   If she was mad or frustrated, it was just buried deeper and deeper because her parents were both very stubborn in their alcoholism tendencies and they told her to never ask for help, because they can do anything by themselves and they just act like everything's okay.   That message and mentality really is what caused Jenn’s eating disorder. It's what caused her to try drugs when she was in college. It's what caused her to never think that she was good enough, skinny enough, smart enough, no matter how hard she worked.    It was the reason why she was looking for approval, and looking for her self worth in every single human in her life besides herself.   After she overcame that eating disorder, she realized how many women were struggling with the same things she was struggling with, because she didn't speak about anything. She realized that women were still struggling and were not living in their power, because they were afraid that their physical bodies weren't good enough for that. That's when Jenn started her first business, which was nutrition coaching. And that's the reason why she found the passion in helping women uncover their power and stand in their confidence as a woman in their body. Jenn’s secret to effectively deal with all the circumstances that the world is going through right now: Jenn always takes care of herself first. As a leader, she knows that she has to take care of herself first. And that means her energy, mind, body, soul, and everything.   The first thing that she’s doing is she’s making sure that she is still showing up, most importantly, for herself.   She is educating herself, trying to understand, and learning to lead like an imperfect person. She doesn't know what's right. She doesn't know what's wrong, but she is leading anyway. And so she’s just leading, knowing she’s going to make mistakes, knowing that she has flaws, but she’s showing up anyway, because that's what's near and dear to her heart. In this episode, Jenn will be answering these questions:   How did Jenn manage to leave her teaching career to become a full-time entrepreneur   How well did Jenn handle all the judgements thrown to her by the people around her   How Jenn and her husband made their relationship work better despite all the difficulties they faced while they try to grow individually   What are Jenn’s main goal in building her own business Words of wisdom from Jenn:   “The only person who should be in charge of yourself, is yourself.”     “If I can do it, anyone can do it.”   “Every single human is born with empathy.”   “Comparing yourself to others can be really healthy.”   Tune in to this episode to know the reason behind these quotes from Jenn! Connect with Jenn:   https://www.instagram.com/thejennkennedy   https://www.yourimpactyourincome.com/ImpacttoIncomeAcademy   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Earth Echo Foods/Golden Superfood 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

My guest today is Bedros Keuilian - a serial entrepreneur with multi-million dollar generating businesses in franchising, software, digital marketing, and business consulting.   Bedros is the founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp three times listed on Entrepreneur Magazine’s 500 fastest growing franchises in the world. He is also known as the hidden genius behind many of the top businesses, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. His list of clients include New York Times best-selling authors, celebrities, NFL athletes, Navy SEALS and massive social influencers who turn to him when they want to create highly profitable brands and businesses   In this episode, we will be talking about his life experiences that can absolutely help lots of people, especially those who have gone through tough times and are not certain about what their future holds. Bedros will make us realize that everything happens for a reason, and we can reach our goals and dreams if we just attract positivity, and let it enter our lives.   Bedros’ Backstory Bedros is a foreigner and was an immigrant to the United States. He came from a communist country, Armenia, which at the time was under Soviet rule. His dad was a member of the Communist country. But he was a capitalist and he was the most westernized communist on the planet.   Bedros and his family escaped the Soviet Union into Italy. When they got to Italy, they went to the American console and it took about 10 days for them to get all of their paperwork right, and legally enter the United States. The reason was his dad had to literally say, “Look, I'm a member of the Communist Party. I didn't want to be a member, but I had no choice. whatever information you want about communism, I'll gladly share it with you guys.” And so they entered as political refugees. Bedros was 6 years old that time.   When his family was still living in Armenia, they had a very good and comfortable life. But when they went to the United State, they were living in section eight housing, he’s getting picked on and bullied by the neighborhood kids, and his family was eating out of dumpsters that they find in the back of grocery stores where people throw away food. His dad worked at a gas station pumping gas at a pizzeria wiping tables down and delivering newspapers to in the morning.   Now, Bedros is a 46-year-old man and CEO Fit Body Boot Camp, an international franchise and software company supplement company and coaching programs and he has coached Navy Seals and Super Bowl winning NFL athletes and some of the top thought leaders that everyone's probably following have been his clients.   Like that adversity that he dealt with as a kid was literally the foundation of which how he built myself and how he coaches his coaching clients.   According to Bedros, most things can be solved if you have enough adversity tolerance in your life, and that's literally the foundation of his coaching program.   The Start of the Fit Body Boot Camp Bedros became a personal trainer because he was a fat kid. Going through elementary, junior and  senior year of high school, he decided to work out and get in shape because he wanted to go to prom.   He lost 30 pounds senior year of high school I've got more confidence.   The way his body changed, he knew that this is what he wants to do for a living. He wants to be a personal trainer. And so he worked in a big box gym as a personal trainer, but didn't know how to sell himself. He also worked as a fry cook at Disneyland and as a bouncer at a bar.   But one day one of his personal training clients was like, “Dude, you can do this on your own. Like you can have your own gym.” That guy, Jim, started to mentor Bedros, and that was his first exposure to mentors.   Jim saw something in Bedros, and that’s how he ended up starting Fit Body Boot Camp after a series of owning his own gyms, selling them coaching and consulting the personal training industry.   Bedros’ life experiences: When Bedros was 37 years old, he felt like he was having a heart attack. In that moment, all he could think about was who's going to walk Chloe down the aisle, his daughter when she's older, and gets married, who's going to teach his son Andrew to be a modern-day knight, and he made a promise to his wife that he would protect her, and so who's going to be there to protect her when he’s gone?   Listen to this episode to know what really happened to Bedros and how he survived this trying times of his life!   Lessons and words of wisdom from Bedros:         Positive mental attitude is mandatory.         Before we physically die, we tend to mentally die first.         Let's always focus on what we can focus on, and only go down that path. “We have one of two shirts we can put on… But one shirt says, ‘What can you do for me today?’ and the other shirt says, ‘How can I serve you today?’ You put on the shirt that says, ‘How can I serve you today?’ You're going to have more things work out in your favor, because there's this universal law that seems to reward people who show up by way of service versus by way of greed.” -          Bedros Keuilian  Connect with Bedros: https://web.facebook.com/bedroskeuilian https://www.instagram.com/bedroskeuilian/ https://twitter.com/bedroskeuilian https://www.linkedin.com/in/bedroskeuilian/ https://www.youtube.com/user/KeuilianInc   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Earth Echo Foods/Golden Superfood 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

Losing a loved one due to suicide is really tough. You will always ask yourself why you let that happen, and you will always tell yourself that you should have done something to prevent that from happening.   If you have been following me for sometime, you know that mentors have been so meaningful in my own transformation and that has trickled down into being able to help others. Some of them have made big names for themselves and then there are a few “unsung heroes” that aren’t as reputable.   One that many of you know have come to know is my cellmate, another is today’s guest Larry Indiviglia. Larry has been a mentor and coach of mine for nearly a decade and been instrumental in my success and transformation and frankly this podcast wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for him. He and I met through our mutual friend Todd Durkin at his mentorship and have developed a transformative professional and personal relationship since.   Larry is also a retired Naval Officer, he served 26 years in the Navy and has been a fitness professional for 32 years.   You are really going to appreciate hearing about his life experience and how he used negative situations and turned them into something positive and meaningful.   His “Yoda like” wisdom coupled with his grit is remarkable and has been able touch the lives of so many. His unmatched ability to empathize and inspire others comes from his own personal journey of overcoming massive adversity.   He lost his sister to a car accident that he was the one driving the car and lost his brother to suicide. He broke his neck, survived colon cancer, and lost the love of his life dying on a deathbed next to him... But he is still able to give back, write an amazing book, and help people change the world.    He will make everyone realize that it’s okay for someone to not think about others and focus on themselves first. Not only will it save you from all the burden that was thrown at you, but can also be the reason for you to do great things!   Larry’s backstory:Back in 1973, Larry went to Naval Academy at the age of 17. It was great for him because he made lots of friends in different unions. He spent his four years there and worked real hard. It was his graduation week -- a very special time for all the families. He was driving his sister and aunt to the airport, but unfortunately, they didn’t make it. They had a really bad car accident where his sister died.   That was his first day as an ensign in the Navy, and there he was lying in Walter Reed Hospital. Fortunately, he only got some bruises and a little concussion but he survived.   Four days later, Larry was at a funeral and that was a really tough time for him. But he knew that he just needed to sit down there and move forward. His sister’s loss and aunt's loss gave him the inspiration to then get back on track and do something special with his life.   Larry’s Unshaken Faith:   Larry is a Christian and he believes that God has a plan — that Christ has a plan for all of us. After they buried his sister, his dad said, “Larry, go and live your life. God has saved you for a reason. You don't have to prove anything. Just go out there and be you, and live your life. You don't have to do anything especially for Barbara, and Teresa. You don't have to do anything special.” The best thing for him was to get out of that environment. If he had to stay home and wallow around if he got seriously injured, that would have been a lot tougher for him. He didn't have time to process it super intently. He was able to put it behind him and then move forward because he had a job to do.   In four years on that ship, Larry won two medals. He didn't necessarily do it for anybody. He just did what he felt he had to do.   Larry didn't have time to wallow in it. It might sound selfish, but that really helped him and his faith.   From being in the Navy to being into fitness:   Larry always wanted to get into the fitness word. He used to follow bodybuilding when he was in high school. You have got to listen to this episode to know more about Larry’s interesting journey and how he ended up having his own fitness center in Coronado!   Larry Indiviglia and Todd Durkin   Larry truly believes that it's one of the plans sometimes God has for our lives. He brings people into our life for a reason. And he met Todd for a reason.   Their bond is really interesting yet inspiring because through the last 20+ years, Larry and Todd made a massive impact in the world together.   If you are curious about how and when they met, you will know the history in this episode, so tune in! Larry’s pieces of advice for anyone who lost a loved one and going through tough times:   Accept a realization that you can't save someone You will get clarity when adversity strikes. If you have faith, go back to your faith and thank God for the lesson he has given you in that process, and that you're still here and able to continue your journey.   Buy Larry's new book:    126 Days, 11 Minutes: Our Love Story   Connect with Larry: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larry.indiviglia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-indiviglia-96341811   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Earth Echo Foods/Golden Superfood 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

A lot of people think that their current situation will be a lifelong one -- may it be about their struggles, financial status, and even in their career. Sometimes people think that they are imprisoned by what/where they are right now. They tend to think that there is no possible way to shift from doing what they used to do for a living, to doing what they really are passionate about.   Today’s guest will make us realize that change is okay, and how doing what we really love can change our lives for the better. We just have to embrace changes. My guest is Chris Gronkowski -- the owner and inventor of the Ice Shaker. He first made a career for himself as a professional football player and joined the NFL in 2010 after being signed by the Dallas Cowboys as a fullback. During his years in the NFL, Gronkowski also played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos. In 2016, he decided to put his entrepreneurial skills to the test when he set out to create a protein shaker bottle that would alleviate many of the issues he and other avid athletes experience with standard protein shakers.   Chris Gronkowski Backstory   Chris has 4 brothers and they all play pro-sports. His eldest brother plays baseball. They did not come from a football family. They were just athletes because their parents can’t handle them being inside the house all day, because it will be like they will take five boys, they leave them inside a house, and all they will do is fight. It will be just all brawls non-stop. So Chris and his brothers put all their energy into sports. And that's how that all came about.   His goal really wasn't to make it to the NFL, and he actually thought he had zero chance. All he gets told every single year by his teachers and by everyone is, “Hey, this is a dream. Very few people make it. It's one in a million. Get your grades because it's probably not happening for you.”   Being told that everyday, Chris’ goal was just to get to college, and get the best education possible. But he was lucky enough to get a last minute scholarship offer to the University of Maryland and he got to college for free at division one. Then along the way, he obviously put his all into athletics. And since he has his brother on his team, it became a competition between brothers. And that just led them to pushing each other harder and harder. It led to an opportunity where scouts might have been coming in to see his brother, Rob, but they were also seeing him at the same time. What is it like to play in the NFL?   According to Chris, playing in the NFL is not just a game. It's a job. A hard and super stressful job.   In college, you could pretty much hold up a sign. If you see the signs on the sideline like, “What the hell does that mean?” And it actually tells you exactly what you’re doing.    In the NFL, it's definitely not like college. You walk up to the line, you have a quarterback, like a Brady - Peyton Manning, he's calling out one word on the line, and in a split second, you have to know exactly what you're doing. So you have to be a pretty smart and intelligent person. And then also with that, you'll play changes as “defend changes.”   Chris’ transition from being in the NFL to becoming an entrepreneur   It was almost a blessing in disguise when Chris got hurt in his fourth year. He took an injury settlement, because once you get hurt in a camp, and you're not a superstar player, you're pretty much “damaged goods” at that time. They'll release you and they'll pay you out as long as they think you're going to be hurt. And so they paid Chris for three games.   So it was an easy, easy transition for Chris because his wife also started a business in his third year. She started hand painting wine glasses, and he saw it as if this little hobby that's going nowhere. But pretty soon they started to sell. They started selling. She had to find a way to scale up and she started scaling up and at that time, while Chris ended his first contract with the Broncos.   Chris had this little break and he started looking into the business and realized that it was a huge opportunity. It was personalized gifts and it was super expensive. It was a long turnaround time. And they had a way to do it fast most of the time, same day and do it for a lot cheaper just through our mind and through the etsy platform and their own website. So he started pouring money into it, putting the NFL money into commercial grade laser engravers and, and other machines to personalize gifts and soon enough you know it took off. He was there for a couple months, he got hurt and he had this to fall back on so it wasn't too hard and he just poured everything into it. So Chris went from everything in football, to the blog days just right over to business and putting the long hours in which was his wife's business and did that for about five years until he thought of the idea for ice shaker which he eventually got on to to shark tank and going into four years.   What are some things that Chris did to develop an unbeatable worth work ethic?   The work ethic really was just instilled with them from their parents. His dad was an entrepreneur himself, he's worked two jobs for six years to get his business off the ground. Now, he is the second largest distributor of fitness equipment in the US. So Chris and his brothers watched their dad and their mom, who probably had more than a full time job raising the five of them. Every day, their mom had a ridiculous calendar with 10 to 12 different events that she had to drive them to get them ready for.    Everything had to be earned. And that's what their parents instilled in them.   “If you want something awesome, find a way to get it.” - Chris Gronkowski   The Ice Shaker   It's the classic shaker bottle right that people love with easy open pop top and an easy to hold handle. They put measurement markings inside of it. It’s made of a kitchen grade insulated stainless steel, so it's not going to absorb the odor like the plastic bottle does, it's actually made of the same material that a kitchen fork would be made of. It is insulated so it will keep the drink hot or cold for an extended period of time. Whereas if you filled it with just ice, it would last over 30 hours before it all melted.Learn more about the Ice Shaker and what separates it from the traditional blender bottle! They have put something in it that’s really interesting!You will also hear the story behind how Chris got into the Shark Tank. It was epic and it’s another proof that everything happens for a reason, and it happens in its own time!   Chris Gronkowski as an entrepreneur   Just like the other entrepreneurs, Chris faced challenges too when he was just starting his business. He was able to get through those difficult times and in this episode, he will share with us how he handled everything.    So listen to this episode and learn some lessons from Chris that are all based on his own experiences!CONNECT WITH CHRIS   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisgronkowski/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisgronkowski   Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/ChrisGronkowskiPage   Ice Shaker: https://www.iceshaker.com/   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   Website: www.dougbopst.com/gift   More on Earth Echo Foods/Golden Superfood 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

Gabby Reece: Being of service is the ultimate sign of strength.   My guest today is none other than Gabby Reece -- not only a volleyball legend, but an inspirational leader, host of the Gabby Reece show, author and entrepreneur. But, most importantly she’s a mom, a wife and an incredible human. In this episode, she will be sharing lots of inspiring experience-based stories about her life as an athlete, wife, mother, and entrepreneur.   Tune in to this episode and take notes of all the words of wisdom that Gabby will be sharing with us!   Gabby Reece’s Backstory: Gabby’s father passed when she was very young. And when she was a junior in high school at the age of 15, she was living in the Virgin Islands.    She thinks she was going nowhere, because it didn't occur to her. She didn't have people around her who were like, “Go to college.” and all those things. It was like people were having a good time.    Her  mother pulled her out of that situation and put her into St. Petersburg, Florida, because she was six foot three. And she walked into a very small school, and people automatically were like, “Oh, you're gonna play sports.” Because if you were worth your weight at all in sports, in that community, you would have gone to a bigger school to try to get attention.    And so she got involved. She had messed around a little bit with volleyball but really got involved with volleyball and basketball.   Her basketball coach was a great mentor. There were a few families in that environment who saw that Gabby was navigating a couple things as far as like her home situation, and people sort of said, “We'll help this kid a little bit.”   Even in her senior year, weirdly, she lived with the principal and his wife and their two small children because her mom was not going back to that school. And that was her senior year and she sort of built some stability and he was like, “No send, Gabby.” And when she got put into the school which was funny for her, because it's a Christian school, and she feels like she was the only “unsaved person.”   Gabby thinks she’s by nature and totally, she’s probably inside pretty defiant in a different kind of way. So then she got offers to play basketball and volleyball in college, and she has chosen Florida State. And then her coach, Dr. Cecile Ron ended up having a huge impact on her life.    How did sports save Gabby’s life? Gabby went from the pros back into work life. Her strategic self looked at continuing in volleyball, and it was tough. It was such a small sport, but it’s a community on purpose, contribution to the tribe, and level of self discipline -- these things are very grounding.    As for Gabby, when someone put in an honest day's work, whatever that work is, she thinks it empowers a person in a way, even though it's challenging and hard, and sometimes they really don't want to do it reinforces their mettle, as a person, their armor, their ability to also believe in themselves that, “I may not know a lot, and I might be uncomfortable, and I'm unsure. But at least I have the ability to work to learn something new.”   Gabby’s successful married life with her husband, Laird: When Gabby was working, she was always doing other things. And one of those was doing TV. She had a show on MTV sports. But that brought her to another show that she hosted, The Extremists. And then she met Laird, her husband on that show. And now, they’re married for 23 years.   Gabby and her husband are not easy people. They’re both pretty intense.    For Gabby, a person can't dictate to their partner on how to do something. Both her and Laird are highly self governed. They’re interested in trying to really show up as flawed as it is. And if they have a real issue, the good thing is that Laird certainly is a clear deck guy. Every day, he's the one who taught Gabby about helpful conflict, because before, Gabby thought that when you love someone, you just kind of don't say anything.    Gabby is not looking for Laird to make her fulfilled or happy. And what she says to him is like, “I can't make you happy, but I could make your life better.”   Gabby thinks that we live in a time where people are really afraid to be of service to one another. And what she knows to be true, is that being of service is the ultimate sign of strength. It is not, in fact, a weakness.   Gabby and Laird’s parenting styles: She started as a step parent, her oldest daughter was very young, four or five months old, when she met Laird, they've co-parented the whole time with her than eight years into their relationship. They had their second daughter, who's now almost 17, and then her youngest daughter is now 12.   She was like, “Okay, if I'm, if I create a really safe and clean and healthy, peaceful home, I'm gonna, it's going to take care of everything.” And then what she realized is that every kid is different. And they will have to go through things that their parents didn't want them to have to go through. And then they become teenagers, and they start to talk to their parents about their parenting skills, or their parenting techniques.   But for Gabby, if someone can pay attention as a parent, and really not take it personal and really try to hear what their kids are saying, there's an opportunity for the parents to grow in a way that they wouldn't have had.   Techniques… they change all the time.   Tune in to this episode about Gabby and her husband’s other parenting techniques! Gabby as an entrepreneur: Losing is as much like if you're an entrepreneur, you probably lose more often than you win. Sometimes you get one win that's bigger than 20 losses.    Being clear, being systematic, being organized, and you're thinking about your approach, taking criticisms constructive criticisms about what you're not doing well, and also, even sometimes knowing when to pull the plug, and staying realistic.    Sometimes people get too emotional about something when they're entrepreneurs.    Learning to keep the space between you and what you're doing is really important. So you want to have the passion to get up each day to do it.    The XPT: XPTis just kind of some lifestyle habits that Gabby and Laird were doing and some of it is nothing new. The notion is to breathe, move, and recover. Breathing is obviously, really important to know how to do it right. And Gabby always loved that. It's free and you can do it anywhere.    Know more about XPT as Gabby shares how they do it and how they help people to become the most versatile and resilient human being possible. Connect with Gabby: Website: https://www.gabriellereece.com/    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialGabrielleReece/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/gabbyreece   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/    Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gabby-reece-show/id1492179907 XPT: Website: https://www.xptlife.com    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xptlife/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xptlife/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XPTExtremePerformanceTraining   Twitter: https://twitter.com/XPTLife   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group:   https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   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

Have you been overworking without getting what you think you deserve? Or are you not sure if you’re worthy of being known in the industry that you’re in? Then this episode is a must-listen! You will surely get you more inspired and motivated as my guest shares her experience from working 60-80 hours a week to having her own marketing agency where she helps other entrepreneurs get their message out there and show off what they’ve got! My guest today is Lauren Salaun — a PR and marketing consultant, media personality, speaker, and entrepreneur. She is a former health coach, personal trainer, fitness model and competitor.   A lifelong athlete, Lauren spent the bulk of her career in public relations, crisis communications, and marketing before launching a health and fitness coaching business in 2015. While helping people live their healthiest lives and dipping her toes into the world of fitness competitions, Lauren continued her PR and social media consulting and coaching, supporting entrepreneurs in the health, wellness, lifestyle, and personal development industries in building their influence online and monetizing their social media. Lauren has extensive experience in public relations, marketing, and media, from crisis communications to running her own social media management company, being an on-air podcast personality, red-carpet host, and influencer, and of course today, running her own PR agency and being a sought-after speaker on public relations, influencer marketing, and visibility.   In 2019, Lauren launched influence+IMPACT ["Influence And Impact"], a PR and influencer marketing agency, where she helps entrepreneurs elevate their visibility, strengthen their authority in their industry, and share their message on a global level so they can increase their income and make even more of an impact. A bit of Lauren Salaun’s story:   Growing up, Lauren has always been very active. She has wonderful parents who raised her and her siblings so well. She also grew up with very high expectations from her parents and in her family, and they expect her to get straight A's, do all the sports, do music, do everything. Her parents argued a lot when she was growing up, and that’s one of the reasons why she wanted to give her best at everything -- to not add stress to the situation in their home.   She double-majored in college, did a ton of singing in school after deciding not to play soccer.    In her entire life, she was like, “You're gonna do all the things, and the goal is to be the best at all the things.” And that creates a recipe for burnout going nonstop.   Her last job that she was at before becoming an entrepreneur and working for myself, was at a PR agency -- working like 60 to 80 hours a week, which gave her exhausting tons of burnouts.   Why did Lauren leave her last job?   She left simply because that wasn’t her passion, although she knows that she’s doing an important job because she works at a hospital industry, it’s just not really where her interests are.   Also, Lauren wanted to have more freedom and flexibility over her schedule and how she works when she works.   She wants to fit her work around her life rather than life around her work.   What are some steps Lauren took to get herself to where she is today?   Lauren is starting to have a morning routine -- a morning ritual that includes meditation, gratitudes, visualization, and all that “woo woo” stuff, that she never thought she would actually need.   She knew that it was so important to start her day grounded, and not to start her day opening up emails, opening up social media, and getting right into work mode. She is carving out 5 to 10 minutes to say, “No, learn your boundaries. Your mental health should come first.” And  that was a really powerful step for her.   And three years ago, she did a really intensive leadership development and emotional intelligence program in a mastermind where they did some professional development stuff, which she always loved. But since she is going out on her own and becoming an entrepreneur, she has always found so much value in masterminds, or coaches, or just that collaborative community support type of structure and ongoing personal and professional development.   The PR Accelerator   Lauren and her team work with a number of entrepreneurs to get their message out there, book media, and all that kind of stuff. They can scale their business, bring in more money, and the biggest thing that they often work with everyone in that group is the mindset stuff.   The Impostor Syndrome   Impostor syndrome is when someone highly doubts their very own skills. An example of this given by Lauren is when somebody’s been like, “Oh my gosh, so and so got back to me about being on their podcast, which is crazy, I would have never thought…”   And so, Lauren and her team are always reminding their clients to push the impostor syndrome out of the way, and stop comparing themselves because they have a massive value to add to their lane. Some words of wisdom from Lauren for entrepreneurs:   If you're an entrepreneur, and if you're not owning what you do and not talking about it, how are people going to know what you do? How will they be able to hire you? How are you going to have a business?    If you really believe in the service and the product that you offer, the solution you have for the world, and you believe in how you can make people's lives better through your business, then you have an obligation to share about it.    Share about it, unapologetically.   Tune in to this episode to learn more about Lauren and her company, and gain a lot of knowledge from the pieces of advice that she will be giving for everyone who could relate to her story. Connect with Lauren Salaun:   Instagram: @LaurenSalaun  https://www.instagram.com/laurensalaun/    The PR Accelerator: https://www.laurensalaun.com/pr-accelerator      Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   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

Are you looking for a BLUEPRINT on how to develop an UNBEATABLE MINDSET?    Then this episode is a MUST LISTEN!    My guest today is none other than Mark Divine — a New York Times best-selling author, leadership expert, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and retired U.S. Navy SEAL Commander. He is also the founder and CEO of SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind and hosts the highly-rated weekly podcast, The Unbeatable Mind with Mark Divine.   Mark's story is incredibly inspiring because he not only made it through BUD/S, at 26 he graduated as the Honor Man (#1-ranked) of class 170. Perhaps even more striking was that his entire original boat crew graduated with him that day. The odds of that happening by chance are literally one in a million.   Mark then served for twenty years (9 active duty and 11 reserves) leading his team on reconnaissance, training and classified missions in 45 different countries throughout Asia and the Middle East.   He now shares the same secrets to entrepreneurs, executives and teams through his books, speaking, award winning podcast, and world-renowned leadership and team events.   Get ready to have your mind blown with the facts that Mark and I will be discussing about his story, meditation, human experiences, mindfulness, discipline and how to develop an unshakeable mindset.   Quick overview on Mark Divine’s story:   After college, Mark was a typical guy trying to make a lot of money and make a mark in the world. He got his MBA at Stern School of Business, he was a Certified Public Accountant working toward shifting over to becoming an investment bank or trader or hedge fund guy.   Just like others, Mark had an early life crisis. He had that kind of existential experience of “What the eff am I doing in this corporate world in the suit and tie, chasing money when none of that really means anything to me?”    And his paradigm was meditation. He was very fortunate. It's incredible for him.    When he looks back, he was introduced to Zen meditation at 20 years old, through his martial arts teacher, which was literally the month or two after he went to New York City from Colgate to start his professional career. Because his teacher was so serious about the value of Zen training, to complement the martial arts training and Yin and Yang, his teacher had them meditate for five minutes before and five minutes after every class. And they had a Zen class for 45 minutes on Thursday nights. A small group of them were really dedicated to that. And then they used to go to the Zen Mountain Monastery in Woodstock, New York for long weekends to sit with Zen monks. And Mark felt so good after a few months of wrestling. It just calmed his mind, and he started to feel really good. And so he decided to commit to a daily practice every morning. And it's never wavered since then even while he was in the SEALs. So every morning I would sit, meditate for 20 minutes, I had these profound shifts.   Then, as a 20 to 23 year old kid, his brain was still really developing fast. So the fact that he was meditating meant that he was affecting how his brain was developing. The outcome of that was for him to have those really, really cool moments of just great clarity and insight at a young age where he could see that he was on the wrong path. He sees that the stories that he had been kind of fed through my family, the way they dialogue through the culture, through everything were leading him down a common path, but it just wasn't his path. It wasn't who marked what’s meant to be for him.    So when he started asking questions to his higher self or spirit, he started to get answers about what he’s supposed to be doing or who he is. And it was leading him in the message that he was a warrior, he was meant to be a warrior, he was meant to serve and lead others, and do some grizzly warrior things. He hadn't even heard of the SEALs at that time. But that insight that he was meant to be a warrior is what led him to stumble across the Navy recruiting office. That's where Mark learned about the SEALs because he saw a poster there with guys doing cool SEAL things on it. And that just cracked right open. He was like, “That's it right there!”    That was a synchronicity moment. Mark knew that was it.   So in November of 1989. He got his MBA in the mail. Because he had to go extra, he went an extra year to finish it because he was doing night school. He got an MBA certificate, and got his Certified Public Accountant certificate. He earned my first degree black belt. And then he was on a bus to Officer Candidate School in the Navy.   And the lesson that he learned was: “Follow your passion and purpose, or else you're gonna be miserable.”   What does Mark love most about living on the beach?   One of the main practices of being in nature itself is a spiritual practice, because we really just start to resonate and vibrate at the level of the earth, which is the alpha state.   Mark gets that experience -- being in the water and having ionization on the water and the grounding effect. And the ocean effect immediately puts him in that alpha state.   When he meditates, he has both open and closed meditation practices. The open eye meditation practice is done with a wide angle vision or broad gaze.   Left Brain vs. Right Brain   The left brain is trained and refined the egoic structures of the brain and the concentration power of the mind is trained with a focused gaze.   The right brain is really about context, pattern recognition, spontaneity, and those types of things.   Learn more about these as Mark explains its roles in a person’s meditation process!   What are some of the top tactics that Mark learned that the everyday listener can adapt to develop the unbeatable mindset?   Every individual must be in service to something bigger than themselves.   In order to serve well, you've got to relentlessly train yourself to evolve yourself to become your best version physically, mentally, emotionally, intuitively, and spiritually, so that you can serve powerfully starting with serving your family.   A training is a thoughtful, disciplined approach to training the whole body, mind, and spirit system. The whole person along those five mountains that I address — physical, mental, emotional, intuitional and spiritual. So in order to do that, we're going to exercise, move things, move weight, move our bodies, move energy. And we need to do it with the right mindset, the right attitude, the right breath, posture, and breathing skills, the effective use of energy management, both to accrue energy and to prevent energy from leaving us unawares, and to recover effectively.    We always know why we're training and what specifically we're trying to focus on or improve if we have a gap. And we elevate this training to the same level of importance as eating and sleeping, so that you don't ever miss it.   How was Mark able to calm himself spiritually, mentally, and emotionally during times of adversity?   For Mark, it really is just an understanding of the nature of human experience. He studies his own life. And he studies humanity through spiritual texts, and through great books, and by observing very closely what happens. It's like Socrates says, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” It's pretty harsh, but Mark agrees with it.    Mark has a wonderful explanation about these and more, so you better listen and take notes of each and everything he said in this episode! Connect with Mark:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdivine/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sealfit   Twitter: https://twitter.com/sealfit   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RealMarkDivine/   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ustacticalsd   Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unbeatable-mind-podcast-with-mark-divine/id955637330   Connect with Doug   Instagram: @dougbopst   Facebook: Doug Bopst   Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/690686891674188   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

  COVID-19 challenged not only the physical strength of those who suffered from it, but also the mental health of many people suffering from depression due to lack of social connections and interactions.   Are you one of those who feel so lonely during this pandemic? Do you question yourself why you always feel like something’s wrong with you? Then you must hear what my guest says about these.   My guest today is none other than Lori Gottlieb. She is a psychotherapist and a writer. She is the author of the book “Maybe You Should Talk To Someone” and writes the weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column for The Atlantic.   A quick overview about how Lori became a therapist: Lori started working in the entertainment business because she loved stories and the human condition. So whether that was through film and labor through television, she really felt like the reason that people watch those shows and the reason that they make people laugh or cry is because the stories are about being human.    And then she worked in a real ER, where she spent a lot of time, because they used that to do research. And their consultant on the show, who was an ER physician said, “You know, I think you'd like it better here than you might in your day job.”   Being skeptical at first, Lori still ended up going up to Stanford for medical school. And when she got there, managed care was just coming into play. And she realized that she wasn't going to be able to really spend time with her patients in the way that she wanted to. So she started writing, in a way to help people to tell their stories.   Then she left medical school to become a journalist. And after working as a journalist, she had a baby. And she felt really disconnected from other adults during the day, because she loved her child. And for sure, new parents can relate to that feeling -- the need to connect with other people who can speak.   So she called up the dean at Stanford Medical School, and said she maybe needs to come back and do psychiatry. And the dean said, “You're welcome to come back. But you'd be doing mostly medication management. And you really want those longer term, deeper connections. So why don't you get a graduate degree in clinical psychology, and then you could do the kind of work that you've always talked about doing.”   So that's what Lori did. And she feels like she went from telling people stories as a journalist, to helping people to change their stories, as a therapist.    Right now, she still does both. She writes books, she has a weekly column, she has a podcast, and she has a clinical practice. And everything she does is all about a story in the human condition. What does isolation do to people's mental health? As humans, we want to be connected to other people. And even in pre COVID times, Lori thinks that there was a sort of epidemic of loneliness happening because she sees it with her patients.   A lot of the times what happens is we’re kind of distracted by all of these things that are not nourishing to us. And we don't realize how disconnected we are.    People feel anxious, sad, angry, having difficulty in relationships, and having insomnia or addiction. Whatever is happening, people are looking for something else to fill the hole of what really needs to be where connection would go.    So during this time, people are really struggling, because they didn't have a lot of practice. And they didn't cultivate those connections.    And now, the silver lining to this pandemic is that people are really saying, “Wait a minute, I need to prioritize the connections in my life, and I need to prioritize the connections that matter.”   Idiot Compassion vs. Wise Compassion Idiot compassion is what we do with our friends. Our friends will tell us a story, and then we'll say, “Yeah, you were right. They were wrong. That's terrible.” which just reinforces our very narrow view of a particular situation.   Wise compassion is what people can get in therapy. We hold up a mirror to someone, and help them to see something about themselves that maybe they haven't been willing or able to do before.   Productive Anxiety vs. Unproductive Anxiety Productive Anxiety is when you are reasonably worried about something and it's productive, because it makes you take action to protect yourself. And so we are reasonably worried about getting COVID, so we are wearing masks, we are socially distancing and doing other things that we need to do to take care of our physical immune systems.   Unproductive Anxiety is an obsessive rumination. It's like the distraction from doing something productive. You're just ruminating about something and it might not even be about COVID. It might be about that thing that your partner said to you that you can't get over with. You're like, “I can't believe they said that” and you won't let it go.   Being Envious Envy is sometimes really useful, because it tells you what you want. When you feel envy, it's because somebody else has something that you want in your life, too. Tune into this episode to be able to know the answers to your questions, and understand why you feel that way about yourself during the pandemic.   Lori Gottlieb is so amazing, and she can surely enlighten anyone who hears her speak about human conditions and how to effectively deal with it.   Connect with Lori:    Website: https://lorigottlieb.com/    Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoriGottlieb1   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GottliebLori/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorigottlieb_author/    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