Apogee Strong

Today's guest is Josh Tyler, a professional fighter and survivalist. He is the co-founder of Savage Gentleman, a retail brand and ethos that believes that men are both savages and gentlemen. Josh is also the host of a podcast by the same name. I've followed Josh for a long time, within the fighting sphere and his brand Savage Gentleman. The concept of the Savage Gentleman is something that has deeply resonated with me. It's a phrase that I use to describe the qualities of a man who is a good man and is good at being a man. This is the foundational mentality that we're working to create in the young men in Apogee. Much of the credit for that goes to the mindsets of men like Josh Tyler. THE SAVAGE GENTLEMAN "The world is full of savages and gentlemen. Rare is it to find the man who can be both. It is not ideal void of all traits of masculinity, nor is it suitable to succumb to one’s every base desire. There must be a balance struck between the two sides of the same coin that is manhood. This is the plight of the savage gentlemen, to cultivate both aspects of his being and achieve his full potential.

We frequently talk about the importance of mindset on the Essential 11, particularly how your mindset will affect how you handle tough situations, how resilient you are, and how your mindset can drive your success. But what if we told you your mindset directly correlates to how long you live, the very expression of your genes, and shape the anatomy of your brain? That's exactly the scientific-based info that today's guest Dawson Church brings to this episode. Dawson is a researcher and the author of several award-winning science books. Research teams led by Dawson have published many clinical trials. His studies with veterans have shown that, using advanced psychological methods, over 80% recover from PTSD. He'll talk about his own journey- starting way back 100,000 years ago (don't worry, he summarizes)- and covers his own battle with depression and anxiety as a young person, how he came to look in the mirror and ask himself "why"? His journey in psychology and spirituality began to answer that question then solve it for so many others. We also touch on how cortisol was once a necessary anatomical response to danger but is now a direct threat to health, how optimism can allow you to live longer, and the only kind of drugs Dawson would recommend. More places you can find Dawson: Website - https://dawsonchurch.com/ Get his book for free - https://blissbrain.com/

We've decided to change things up a bit on The Essential 11. Today's special guest kicks off a new format that we'll be adding to the mix of episodes. While we normally ask our guests the set of questions from the 1,500 youth that was surveyed, in today's episode we get the questions directly from the mouths of the young people who want to ask them- our very own savage gentlemen participating in the Apogee program. It was an honor and a pleasure to kick-off this format with someone who is making waves in today's culture. Zuby has been featured on The Joe Rogan Experience, BBC, Fox News, Sky News, The Adam Carolla Show, The Rubin Report, The Candace Owens Show, and The Ben Shapiro Show. If you don't know him by name, I can guarantee that you've seen a Twitter screenshot of one of his posts. Zuby is a rapper, podcast host, author, public speaker, creative entrepreneur, and he's well-known by many for beating the British women's deadlifting record and posting it on Twitter. Oh, and did I mention that he identified as a woman while he did so? He wanted to challenge the trendy idea that there is no biological difference between men and women- especially not in sports. And challenge it he did. Now, hear his answers to the questions our Apogee men have for him. More places you can find Zuby: Instagram - @zubymusic Twitter - @ZubyMusic Website - https://www.zubymusic.com/ YouTube - Zuby Music

When we were establishing Acton Academy Placer, we actually had our founding students choose our mascot. Groups of students created and gave a pitch for their idea and then everyone voted. Lions won. We refer to all of the young heroes at Acton as Lions to reaffirm in their minds that they are independent thinkers, learners, and doers that are courageously leading their own journeys. Someone who whole-heartedly embodies those qualities is our guest on today's podcast. Sean Whalen is a father, entrepreneur, public speaker, podcaster, business coach, and the founder of LIONS NOT SHEEP. Sean's viral social media posts have been engaged with over 600,000,000 times, and he speaks at business and marketing events with the likes of Gary Vaynerchuk, sharing his story of success, divorce, suicide, and how telling the truth both personally and in business not only saved his life but gave him the opportunity to build a globally recognized company. While we get into the Essential 11 questions, our conversation gets into the importance of focusing on what you can control- the present. Anything beyond this present moment, specifically the past, is not worth your time or energy. But using the opportunity that you have in the present to make for a better future for yourself is not only beneficial, it is your obligation. And the best part is that you get to define what a better future for yourself looks like- it doesn't have to be what society says it should be. We also get into how young people can take advantage of knowing what they want to do, and how to discover what that may even be if they don't know right now. It's all about experience and self-awareness. More places you can find Sean: Instagram - @seanwhalen | @lionsnotsheep Website - https://seanwhalen.com/ Book - How to Make Sh*t Happen

Today's guest is someone who Matt has known personally for quite a while. Performance coach for almost 8 years with over 6,000 hours of one-on-one coaching experience, Jason Drees is an expert on using elevated mindset to achieve elevated growth. In this conversation, Jason talks us through how he works with clients to shift their mindset to operate at a higher vibrational frequency to match the frequency of their goals, and why this works so thoroughly. We also cover why most people set their sights too low, the social conditioning that instills limiting beliefs from a young age, how this often puts us in our own way from achieving our goals, and how to reshape our belief system in a way that makes anything possible. More places you can find Jason: Instagram - @jasondreescoaching Website - https://www.jdcmindsetacademy.com/

Anyone who knows Matt, knows that he's an avid carnivore. Meat is pretty much the only thing he eats because it's one of the only foods that keep him at peak performance. He's certainly not the only one who follows and thrives on this kind of diet. We've previously had Mikhaila Peterson as a guest, we've had Chris and Mark Bell, but today, we have the Carnivore King. Shawn Baker is credited with the popularization of the carnivore diet, one of his most well-known discussions of his diet taking place on the Joe Rogan Podcast. As a multisport elite-level athlete, medical doctor, CEO of MeatRx, and author of The Carnivore Diet, Baker shares a unique perspective on the Essential 11 questions. In this episode, he shares the benefits of starting the day with a cold shower, why the mission is always the boss, why he never sits down after 6 pm, and much more. More places you can find Shawn: Instagram - @shawnbaker1967 Twitter - @SBakerMD Website - https://shawn-baker.com/ Book - The Carnivore Diet

Acton Academy has a term that they use to identify the true leaders among the group, the ones who are making big things happen, and are actively supporting fellow students' success- we call them sheepdogs. When we had the idea for Apogee, before it had its name, we wanted this new program to specifically cultivate sheepdogs, not just men who follow the herd, but men who go above and beyond to be the ultimate gentleman, the ultimate savages, and ultimate leaders who are making waves in today's culture. And who better to team up with to accomplish this massive mission than the founder of Sheepdog Response himself? Today's guest is Tim Kennedy, a Green Beret, Special Forces Sniper, former top 5 UFC Middleweight, and now, co-founder of Apogee Strong and founder of an Acton Academy in Austin, Texas. We cover the Essential 11 questions while getting into just how important resilience is and being able to display an ongoing track-record of resilience to create bigger opportunities for yourself. More places you can find Tim: Instagram - @TimKennedyMMA Facebook - @TimKennedyMMA YouTube - Sheepdog Response

Pete Roberts is an entrepreneur, founder of Origin Maine, and an absolute savage gentleman. Pete admits that he began his entrepreneurial venture very naive but ambitious nonetheless. He recounts losing everything in the 2008 recession including the business he was running at the time, an experience that humbled him. During this time he had turned to jujitsu as an outlet which in turn began his next entrepreneurial venture- Origin Maine. He explains how he and his team learned everything through a hands-on approach and by prioritizing quality and innovation they have been able to grow so much as a company. This is a resilient man who knows how to roll with the punches, pivot, adjust, and keep going. Now, hear his take on the Essential 11. More places you can find Pete: Instagram - @pete.m.roberts Shop Origin Maine - https://originmaine.com/

Ed Latimore is a best-selling author, former professional heavyweight boxer, and competitive chess player. His writing focuses on self-improvement and a practical approach to stoic philosophy. He has published two books, Not Caring What Other People Think Is a Superpower: Insights from a Heavyweight Boxer and Sober Letters to My Drunken Self, along with a writing and marketing guide for social media titled Engagement Is the New Cocaine: The Art and Science of Writing Awesomely Addictive Tweets. Ed is a man who has lived a life not without struggle, and he believes he is all the better for it. The physical and mental disciplines that he had developed over the course of his life are indelible and he uses his experience to help guide others to be better versions of themselves. More places you can find Ed: Instagram - @edlatimore Twitter - @EdLatimore Website - https://edlatimore.com/ Books - Ed Latimore Author

Today's guest is a highly accomplished athlete who has a passion for nutrition.  Cynthia Monteleone is a World Champion Track Athlete who specializes in the 400 meters. She competes for Team USA in Masters Athletics, is a 2018 National Champion, a 2019 National and World Champion, oh yeah- and she's faster than she was when she ran in college. Cynthia regularly challenges the typical standard of "healthy eating" and uses natural methods that help those who train under her, including several Olympic athletes, achieve big in their sports. Now, hear her take on the Essential 11. More places you can find Cynthia: Instagram - @fastover40 Website - https://mam808.com/