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My Story

This week I wanted to take a step back and share my story, as many of you wonderful people only know parts of me. My past, and the life experiences I've had, have played an immense role in shaping me into who I've become. These experiences are why I write and share these topics with you each week!

I grew up in a loving home with my mom and my grandparents. My mother was a single parent who worked late nights so she could spend time with me while I was awake. I've never seen anyone in my life work harder than my mom. Her example is the reason that I've attained such a strong work ethic in adulthood. My grandfather become my father, teaching me what it meant to look someone in the eyes and shake their hand. The way I act in business dealings is a direct byproduct of my grandpa's teachings.

Despite the fact that my childhood seemed normal to me, I grew up with a tremendous amount of anger and resentment at my father for abandoning me. When I was young I didn't know how to deal with these feelings. I got into fights, I acted out in school, and eventually I found the sport of wrestling which helped me channel that energy into something productive.

Wrestling eventually led me to fitness and, ultimately, to pursuing a competitive career in the sport of CrossFit. I dedicated myself wholeheartedly to training, eventually achieving my goal of competing at the CrossFit Games in 2016. Despite having accomplished what I set out to do, I still felt empty. I had neglected my emotional development during my singular pursuit of competition, and my relationships were suffering.

This, coupled with the fact that my grandfather had Alzheimer's disease and started to deteriorate before I was old enough to ask him meaningful questions, I was fairly lost in life. He passed away when I was in college, and I felt like I didn't have many role models or mentors I could turn to. I've since spent the better part of my adulthood attempting to learn everything I can from people I respect. I say all this to point out that when I started this journey of self-development, I needed a lot of work.

By struggling to find myself and tackle my own shortcomings head on, I managed to find a number of ways to help others on their journey. Learning to breathe, to meditate, to journal, to express gratitude, and to slow my mind down have truly saved my life. The techniques that I preach and discuss are all things that have allowed me to fix issues holding me back from achieving meaningful relationships and satisfaction in life.

I'm far from figuring it all out, but if anything I've encountered on my journey can help you, that is more than enough motivation to keep exploring and keep writing. This newsletter is equal parts a love letter to myself and to all of you. It's my way of sharing the things that pulled me out of some dark places in the hopes that they guide you to your own light and happiness.

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Hit List

This week, I want to share some of the most powerful resources I've encountered on my journey of personal development. It isn't an exhaustive list, and I will share far more in the future:

Mindfulness: The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

This is my most-gifted book, and one that acts as a primer for mindfulness to those who are uninitiated. It's an easy read, but one that you should do slowly and deliberately.

Mental toughness: Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine

Commander Divine has been a huge influence in my life, and he was an indirect mentor during my college years. A friend and training partner interned for him at SealFit HQ, and when this friend ultimately graduated from BUD/S and became a SEAL, Commander Divine awarded his trident at the graduation ceremony. (The Unbeatable Mind Academy is also worth every penny for those who want to dig deeper.)

Favorite motivational video: "Good" by Jocko Willink

I'm a big fan of embracing the suck and pushing through hard things. That said, some days things go wrong unexpectedly and I find myself just as pissed off about it as anyone else. The mindset in this video helps me overcome that.

A course worth exploring: Transcendental Mediation​

TM is recommended by so many high-achievers who I respect that I finally had to give it a try. I went at the tail end of COVID and didn't really know what to expect. I came out of it with an actionable method of meditation that, simply put, works. It's easy to do, and it helps clear my head. I do believe it makes me more present and more creative.

My new goal setting templates: The Lean List Goal Setting Template​

This goal-setting system was born out of a desire to help my clients who were struggling to put words into action. It went through many iterations until it arrived at the version you will see here. I tried to make these templates affordable, but you can get them for FREE if you refer 5 friends using your personalized link below.

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Until next time, my friends!