Apogee Strong

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/

Today's guest is Kristopher Lee "Kit" Cope, a man known by many names- Cobra, Doctor, Havoc, The Prophesy- is best known for his time in professional kickboxing and mixed martial arts. Kit is a very outspoken individual, particularly about fighting, masculinity, and freedom. He was a natural-born fighter, always having been involved in some way. He talks about how he discovered his love for martial arts and kickboxing, and how the physical disciplines that it takes to be a great fighter have shaped his strong mentality. Now, hear his take on the Essential 11 question. More places you can find Kit: Instagram - @kitcope Twitter - @KitCope Shop - www.manshitbrand.com

Today's guest is a man who is on a mission to make good people dangerous. Byron Rodgers served in the United States Marine Corps infantry with two deployments to Iraq as a Squad Leader for four years, afterward becoming an executive protective agent. He has authored the book, “Finding Meaning After the Military, and he's currently working on book number two: “Social Dynamics of Executive Protection.” In this episode, Matt and Byron talk about the protector mindset, how danger tempers this mindset in men, and why men being capable protectors is still incredibly important today. More places you can find Byron: Instagram - @byron_rodgers Twitter - @Byron_Rodgers YouTube - ByronRodgers Website - byronrodgersmotivation.com Book - Finding Meaning After the Military