Mastering the game of life and leaving no stone unturned

For those who do not know, BHAG stands for “Big Hairy Audacious Goals.”  And we always encourage our clients to set the BHAG at the beginning of the year.  However, doubt and fear set in as the year progressed, and things didn’t go as planned.  This is normal, especially when someone creates goals that excite them and scare them simultaneously.  BHAGs are risky and require you to leave your comfort zone to accomplish your vision and worthy ideal.  In this podcast, Coaches Chris and Paul outline strategies to stay above the obstacles and keep the BHAG front and center, allowing you to stay away from the sharks and see yourself on the other side.  If you’re not sure what that means, tune in to find out, as well as these other value bombs.

• Your goals should excite and scare you at the same time.
• You have to be above the obstacles.
• Be consistent in the day-to-day, and have to work to win the day.
• Set the 12-month goal and reverse engineer it to make manageable benchmarks.
• What is your definition of “winning the day.”
• Work to eliminate distractions, ease your mind, and when things get tough, do the next right action.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

On the Balanced Warrior Podcast this week, coaches Chris Berlow and Paul Melella discuss several ways to maintain a happy and loving relationship.  All three Balanced Warrior coaches pride themselves on having flourishing marriages with their wives, but of course, as with anything, there were challenges.  But always, the strength in the marriage is what allows them to overcome any obstacle that comes their way.  Coaches Chris and Paul share the seven strategies to build, maintain, and foster a deep relationship with the one you love the most.  And keep the spirit of Valentine’s Day alive all the time in your marriage.  Because when things are good at home, you can successfully fulfill all the other obligations you have in life to the best of your ability.

• Always work on effective communication with your spouse.
• Pre-set quality time with and be present when you’re together.
• Show appreciation…It’s the little things that matter.
• Foster a relationship of trust and honesty.
• When facing adversity, work together as a team to resolve conflict constructively.
• Support each other’s goals and ambitions.
• Maintain intimacy and work to keep the spark alive.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, we have coaches Chris Berlow and Mike Mertens talking about the empty-nesting season of life.  Many couples fall in love, get married, have children, raise their children, and when the children move out, they forget why they were together.  They focused solely on being great parents and providing for their children, which is very worthy and admirable, but they didn’t take time for themselves.  Thankfully, that is not the case with Chris or Mike; in fact, it is quite the opposite.  Now that they have adult children, they have more time to pursue other hobbies and interests.  Both Mike’s wife, Alisa, and Chris’s wife, Kathy, completed a full Ironman and have taken their hobbies to an extremely high level.  Alisa rides her bicycle all over the world, and Kathy is always out for the next challenge.  The key to having a solid relationship is understanding and appreciating others’ interests and passions, or as Mike put it, having an “Open ‘Hobby’ relationship.”  Meaning they support each other in their endeavors but always find time for each other.  Some key takeaways to look our for are…

• Always invest in your relationships.
• Children should enhance a relationship and not change it.
• It is important to support your spouse’s endeavors, no matter how bizarre and extreme.
• Be sure to come back to a “Common Ground” in between adventures.
• Ask your spouse, when proposing an idea, “Are you sure you are ok with it?”
• Communication is key.
• Earn your “Spousal approval credits.”

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

2023 was an interesting year for Balanced Warrior coaches Paul and Chris.  While Paul was growing his coaching business, Chris traveled the world and had a major knee replacement surgery.  Paul was highly focused, and Chris was, as Paul likes to joke, on the “Berlow world tour.”  There was a disconnect between them, and on this podcast, Chris and Paul put themselves through the powerful Rules and Values exercise to understand each of their perspectives.  On a very positive note, the two met at Paul’s house in South Carolina, and both became reinvigorated.  In this very personal podcast, Paul and Chris drop many powerful lessons you could apply to keep your personal and professional relationships positive and meaningful.

• In a partnership, never go too long without connecting and aligning your goals.
• Be proactive with collaborative and creative meetings.
• Understand each other’s motivation to appreciate their perspective.
• Keep the main thing the main thing.
• Paul values growth, and Chris values fun, which wasn’t in alignment.
• Understanding each other’s driving values allows for better communication.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

While most people set New Year’s Resolutions that most likely fall by the waste side after a few weeks, Balanced Warriors Chris, Paul, and Mike share an alternative approach to New Year’s Goals.  Why?  Because the fact is…New Year’s Resolutions don’t work!  They say the first action people take after New Year’s is to join a gym, and the second one is to cancel the membership.  Paul shares his strategy on how he utilizes New Year’s to make adjustments to the related areas of life, but because he is constant in his lifestyle, there is no need for dramatic change.  Please listen to what he says because he is masterful at maximizing his time and squeezing every ounce of juice out of his life.  He leaves no stone unturned and accomplishes more weekly than most people do monthly.  Now, Chris and Mike aren’t slackers either; they also have some useful tips to add to the perfect formula for making 2024 the most productive and best year ever!  Here are some valuable tips to look out for…

• Identify the Core Four areas of life that are important to you when evaluating your New Year’s Goals.
• Where are you going to invest more time and spend less time?
• Create three specific clarity goals for each area of life.
• Identify what you could do daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly to move the needle forward.
• Most importantly, time-block the action items in your calendar and protect it at all costs.
• Pre-plan rejuvenation time to make sure your batteries stay charged
• Commit to be consistent.

And as always, If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

Many people are working tirelessly to finish the year strong at this time of the year. So much so that they work so hard that they become exhausted; while this is admirable, it does find reasons to reevaluate the end-of-year approach.  Chris and Paul have a powerful conversation that could help all aspiring Balanced Warriors approach 2024 consistently so they could have a strong and productive year while also enjoying the process. This takes prior planning and a proactive approach to the year rather than being reactive.  If you haven’t heard of the “Five P’s”, you will in this podcast.  “Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance,” especially for all high performers tuning in to the podcast.  Here is a list of highlights to look out for. 

• It’s ok to hit the turbo buttons when needed
• Analyze the year to see how you could have done better
• Reflect on how you performed, what you could have done better, and when you excelled
• Learn to celebrate your victories and from your mistakes
• Rejuvenate and recover systematically so you can always have the energy to perform
• Plan for the next quarter and year with new strategic projects and goals
• Always work to level up!  (ABG..Always Be Growing)

And most important, happy holiday season to all who take the time to listen to our podcast.  As always, If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, we have coaches Chris and Mike chatting about the holidays and how, for many, it is a very stressful time of year.  How do you get the perfect gift for your loved ones?  How much debt am I going to go into buying gifts for everyone?  Will our gathering be enjoyable or filled with stress?  Chris and Mike discuss all these points and how to keep the holiday spirit alive in your circles.  Listen and take notes on how to make your holiday season more memorable than ever before, and it very well could start with you.  As Balanced Warriors, we always strive to be better for ourselves and those around us, so embrace the holiday spirit, no matter what you celebrate, and make memorable moments that will last forever.  Here is a list for you all to ponder…

• Give the gift of experiences
• There is no greater gift than shared quality time
• When you give and do good deeds, it is good for your mental health
• Play “Dysfunctional Bingo” at your family gathering…a fun game to keep sensitive topics light-hearted
• And a very powerful quote from coach Mike, “I’m going to work with the state of the world that I create.”

And most important, happy holiday season to all who take the time to listen to our podcast.  As always, If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, we have coaches Chris and Mike discussing the importance of treating people how you would want to be treated.   Chris just came off a European Cruise and was blown away by unparalleled customer service. He was so inspired that he shared it with Mike, and they decided it would be a powerful podcast topic.  The two of them dive into stories of excellent and negative customer experiences to demonstrate the extremes of the customer service spectrum.  Being in business for almost three decades, they have much to say about this topic.  Here are some of the highlights to look out for…

1. We should never be too busy to be personable.
2. It’s all about relationship builders.
3. Quote to live by, “Customers are not always right, but they are customers.”
4. You tell a lot about a person and how they treat servers in a restaurant.
5. Sincerity + Trust = Credibility
6. Treat your clients like your family and your family like your clients.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.

Being thankful and expressing gratitude is top of mind as we gather around the table for Thanksgiving. But how much more rewarding would you life and your relationships be if you centered them around gratitude every single day?  In this episode, Paul and Mike discuss how you can cultivate a gratitude mindset, and take consistent action to demonstrate your appreciation to others. 

• Paul's recommendation for music that creates the right state for starting each day
• The most powerful question you can ask yourself each morning 
• Real world examples of how your day succeeds or fails based on the "frequency" you are tuned in to 
• The relationship between appreciation and abundance 
• How getting emotionally connected to your goals creates momentum and follow through 
• Why successful  people expect to achieve what they envision 
• How Paul used the "gratitude theater" to reset his mind after a traumatic financial downturn 

This is a powerful episode that has application to your health, home life and career. Listen in and learn how you can tap into the power of gratitude. 

This week on the Balanced Warrior Podcast, all three coaches, Chris, Mike, and Paul, dig into the importance of responding to a situation instead of reacting.  Have you ever had a situation where you reacted a certain way and regretted it and wished you could have taken it back?  Or have you reacted in a way where all parties involved were better because of it?  Well. Chris, Mike, and Paul all experienced both and are sharing with all of the listeners the tips, tricks, and strategies to help you respond appropriately and not react in haste.  Because the latter will help you and those around you grow from the experience, whereas the former brings regret and could set you back in many ways.  So tune in, get a pen and paper ready, and take notes to learn how to respond and not react.  Some key takeaways to look for are…  

• When confronted with a situation, write it out and schedule time to address it.
• Run through a value checklist.
• Responding and not reacting takes conscious effort.
• If people bring toxicity to your world, disconnect with them.
• Understand the other person’s rules, and you could respond more appropriately
• Make your rules easy to meet and hard to break
• Communicate your standards so they understand the rules of your game.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please don’t be shy and share it with anyone who would benefit from its content.  Visit empoweredmastery.com for more information, or contact us at info@empoweredmastery.com should you have any questions about Balanced Warrior and Empowered Mastery.