Ep 174 Letting Go of Expectations

Sometimes, expectations can feel like the only thing keeping us moving forward.

Our expectations on ourselves, on others, on our friends and family.

But when do expectations start to work against us and how can we switch things around to progress with less stress and worry? 

Tune in today to find out one way you can shift expectations to drive towards more success and more peace. 

Ep. 173 Amin Lakhani (PART 2) - The Dating Coach on Wheels talks Comedian, Imposter Syndrome, and Overcoming Life's Challenges

At a young age Amin was diagnosed with a condition called Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, a degenerative genetic condition that affects nerves in the body causing difficulty moving and decreased sensation. 

He takes us through his journey of battling feeling "different" as an adolescent and what it was like growing up with CMT. 

In Pakistan, where Amin's family is from, disability is seen as taboo or a bad omen, but Amin's parents never let that influence him. They pushed him to go after his dreams and pursue them with tenacity. 

Through multiple surgeries and challenges associated with his condition, Amin continued to challenge himself to redefine what was possible for him to achieve.

This eventually led to Amin interning at Google, graduating from an Ivy league school, and then earning a job at Microsoft after graduation. 

After all this success, he then wanted to improve his dating relationships and hired a dating coach to help him grow in that area of his life. 

Later, he dove into comedy to help him battle his own depression, to bring laughter to some of life's challenges, and to use humor to help others around him. 

Now, Amin is a dating coach, comedian, speaker, and writer working to help people use their challenges to help others and create their own unique magic in the world.

In this two-part interview with Amin, he and I discuss: 

• What it was like growing up with a degenerative genetic condition and some of the biggest lessons it taught him
• How to use rock-bottom moments to create momentum and shift the course of your life
• How to connect with people that have disabilities
• What he did to go from struggling to get a date to having too many options to choose from in his dating life
• The trap in the "Destination Fallacy" and how to avoid it 
• How Amin used comedy to combat his depression
• How he has been able to face his challenges to live life without regrets

And so much more!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMIN LAKHANI, CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW:

• Amin's Website: https://datingcoachonwheels.com/
• Amin's YouTube Page: Dating Coach on Wheels YouTube
• Amin's Instagram: Dating Coach on Wheels Instagram 

Ep 172 Amin Lakhani - The Dating Coach on Wheels talks Comedy, Relationships, Imposter Syndrome, and Overcoming Life's Challenges (PART 1)

At a young age Amin was diagnosed with a condition called Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, a degenerative genetic condition that affects nerves in the body causing difficulty moving and decreased sensation. 

He takes us through his journey of battling feeling "different" as an adolescent and what it was like growing up with CMT. 

In Pakistan, where Amin's family is from, disability is seen as taboo or a bad omen, but Amin's parents never let that influence him. They pushed him to go after his dreams and pursue them with tenacity. 

Through multiple surgeries and challenges associated with his condition, Amin continued to challenge himself to redefine what was possible for him to achieve.

This eventually led to Amin interning at Google, graduating from an Ivy league school, and then earning a job at Microsoft after graduation. 

After all this success, he then wanted to improve his dating relationships and hired a dating coach to help him grow in that area of his life. 

Later, he dove into comedy to help him battle his own depression, to bring laughter to some of life's challenges, and to use humor to help others around him. 

Now, Amin is a dating coach, comedian, speaker, and writer working to help people use their challenges to help others and create their own unique magic in the world.

In this two-part interview with Amin, he and I discuss: 

• What it was like growing up with a degenerative genetic condition and some of the biggest lessons it taught him
• How to use rock-bottom moments to create momentum and shift the course of your life
• How to connect with people that have disabilities
• What he did to go from struggling to get a date to having too many options to choose from in his dating life
• The trap in the "Destination Fallacy" and how to avoid it 
• How Amin used comedy to combat his depression
• How he has been able to face his challenges to live life without regrets

And so much more!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMIN LAKHANI, CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW:

• Amin's Website: https://datingcoachonwheels.com/
• Amin's YouTube Page: Dating Coach on Wheels YouTube
• Amin's Instagram: Dating Coach on Wheels Instagram 

Ep 171 Who Am I Without That?

Identity is an interesting thing.

We create it. Day by day, decision by decision, but sometimes it feels like it is thrust upon us. 

What happens when we take away or lose something that we have used to define ourselves?

Today I share my recent experiences on stepping away from things, why I am doing it, and what it has helped me realized so far. 

I hope this helps you on your path.

Have a great one today,

- Brian

Ep 170 Getting Out of a Funk

Sometimes it feels like life comes at you in multiple ways, all at once.

Sometimes, it is too much and life knocks you down. 

What can we do to face up to this and best handle it? 

In today's episode, I don't share a magic formula. I share my recent experiences and what has been helping me through.

My hope is it helps you too. 

Tune in today to find out what has helped me recently to get out of my own funk. 

Ep 169 Power Through

How do you respond when you are hit with overwhelm? 

When you get hit with a move, craziness at work, starting a business, staying fit, and everything else that life throws our way. 

Sometimes when I get SO overwhelmed that I feel like I don't know where to begin, I end up doing nothing.

Today, I share some advice my brother gave me when I was at the point of overwhelm that helped me push through and get done what needs to get done.

I hope this helps you too! 

Ep 168 Mostly Sober February

A few days into February, I decided I wanted to take the rest of February off.

I wanted to be sober for a few weeks to see what I could do and produce when I'm not working "at a deficit" every weekend.

There are times that we say we "need to unwind" and we drink, smoke, veg out, etc., but do we really end up feeling more rested and more recharged? 

Today I share about some of the recent realizations I had about what purpose drinking was serving in my life and where I feel it had been holding me back.

I also share about how this applies to multiple areas of our lives. 

To find out how it could apply to yours, listen in today! 

Ep 167 Know Your Limits

When we think about our limits, we often think of them in terms of our workouts or our energy throughout the day.

But how often do we think about our limits when it comes to relationships and friendships?

This is just as important and sometimes more important than respecting our limits in the other areas of our lives.

Where does your responsibility end in these situations?

Today I talk about some important reminders of this in my own life and how you can make sure your are understanding and respecting limits in your life too. 

Ep 166 Continued Quarantine

I know this has all gone on a hell of a lot longer than we expected. 

Initially, we thought we would be working from home for 3 weeks.

At the end of the month, it will have been over a year since we started WFH. 

So what can we do to have connection, interaction, and continue to grow during this time. 

Tune in today to find out! 

Ep 165 They Took My Spot!

Have you ever been in the heat of the moment and thought, "Maybe I shouldn't react now, maybe I should just walk away..." then suffered the consequences after? 

Well, today I share a recent example and reminder why we should never let our emotions run the show when we are angry, stressed, or worked up. 

Its a good reminder, annnnd a bit embarrassing...

Check out today's episode! 

Ep 164 New Beginnings and Protecting Your Peace

Trent Shelton introduced me to the phrase, "Protect Your Peace," through his speaking and his book. 

I had never realized how critical this is, not just once in awhile, but how we need to do it every day. 

He explains not just different ways to do it, but the different areas of our lives we need to do it. 

Want to know what they are? 

Tune in to today's episode to find out! 

Ep 163 The Wall of Fog

Have you ever seen fog so thick, that you can't see past it? 

And you get that creep, mysterious feeling, wondering what's on the other side. 

How many times have you known you wanted to find out what lay beyond but doubted yourself?

Have you ever, like me, said things like, "I just need to do some more research, once I know everything that could possibly be beyond the fog, THEN I will go walk through it." 

Or maybe like other times where I've said, "I'll just wait for the fog to pass."

Why is it so important to walk into the fog? 

How can we take the steps even when we are afraid?

Tune in today to find out! 

Ep 161 The Holidays Feel Different

This year, the holidays are feeling and looking different for many of us. 

I wanted to record this episode to give some quick reminders about your strength and resilience,  as well as the things worth celebrating this year, even if it was your toughest year yet.

I love you all and we are going to get through this together, one step at a time.

When things get really tough, a quote that has helped me a lot this year is, "This too shall pass." 

I love you all, get ready for me to bring lots more to you going forward. 

We got this.

- Brian 

Ep 160 Feeling Drained, Empty and Burnt Out

I know this year in particular has left many of us drained, exhausted, and ready for a fresh start. 

How do we keep going and keep our promises, to ourselves and others, even when life gets tough.

In today's episode I share about what helps me when I face these challenges and ways to work through the tough times. 

Ep 159 Challenges in Creative Pursuits

We all have things we want to create and bring to the world, but there are things that get in the way.

Sometimes we know exactly what is holding us back.

Other times, it can be a lot more elusive.

In today's episode I talk through some common obstacles we face in creative pursuits, as well as how to overcome them. 

Ep 158 Jamie Del Fierro - Forgiveness to Freedom: Overcoming Rape, Freeing Yourself from Your Past Story, and Forgiving the Unforgivable

At the age of 11 years old, Jamie was molested. Then at 14 years old, two of her brother's best friends raped her in her childhood bed. 

One of the boys from that event told her, "You deserve this, you're a whore and you are trash." 

After going through these traumatic events, when Jamie heard the words, "You are trash," her life shifted course. Hearing those words at such an impressionable age, at the time she believed that was her truth.

For the next 10 years, Jamie adopted the identity of what she believed was "trash." This led to using drugs and alcohol. She was pregnant at 16 and had her daughter at the age of 17. She said that in the early years, she felt more like a "care giver" to her daughter than a mother. 

Eventually, continuing deeper into this story of "being trash" she go into multiple abusive relationships, stripping, escorting, and eventually into using cocaine and meth. 

All of this changed one day at a dinner at a sushi restaurant when she met one of her brother's friends, a man by the name of Sean Stephenson. 

After one life-changing meeting with Sean, Jamie decided to take control of her life and turn things around. She realized she was going to make these changes for herself and for her daughter. She said, "I want to look at myself in the mirror and be proud for once in my life." 

Now Jamie is 13 years sober, is an incredible speaker and coach running her own business, co-owner of renowned MMA Gym (Alliance Gym) in San Diego, has a deeply-loving marriage, and is best friends with her daughter. 

In today's interview Jamie will share:

• How to forgive the unforgivable
• Her best advice on how to overcome trauma and how to help people you love through traumatic experiences
• What it takes to shift a story or identity that is holding us back
• Her advice for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse on how to open up and get help
• How one night at a sushi restaurant changed her life forever
• Why vulnerability has led to her greatest successes
• How to find motivation to change when you are at rock bottom
• What it took for her to find a loving relationship that is completely open and honest
• How she became her daughter's hero and best friend
• How her forgiveness changed so many people's lives (and changed her wedding day)

And so much more! 

To learn more about Jamie's Coaching and Speaking, visit: http://www.jamiedelfierro.com/

To learn more about her MMA Gym, Alliance MMA, click the link below: https://alliancemmagym.com/

OVERCOMING GRADUATION SHOW NOTES: 

To subscribe to the podcast, search for "Overcoming Graduation" on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. You can also click here to be taken to the Itunes page!

If this episode was of value to you, please like, share, give a rating, and provide feedback on the show. This will help me understand how I can better serve you and reach even more people!

To provide a rating click here, click the "View in iTunes" button under the podcast art, click "Rating and Reviews" to the right of the podcast art, and then leave me your feedback, I'd love to hear what you think and how I can better serve you!

To learn more about the OCG Community, check out the Overcoming Graduation website or check out the OCG  Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

To contact me directly for interview recommendations, to provide feedback on the show, or to contact me for speaking engagements / book signings, reach out to me at Brian@OvercomingGraduation.com

Ep 157 Dr. Moses Davis - Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins on Pursuing Dreams, Fighting Racism, and How to Support Racial Equality

Ever since Moses was a child, he has always loved difference. 

He loved getting to know people from different backgrounds, learning about different cultures, traveling to new places, and trying new foods. 

Growing up as a young black man in Michigan, he was able to see how difference can be both celebrated and shunned. He didn't let the negatives dampen his curiosity and passion for learning about how to help and connect others.

In college he studied Dance, Spanish, and English then after graduation spent time working in AmeriCorps (which is essentially a domestic Peace Corps).

His passion for helping people eventually led to him getting a Masters in Higher Education Administration from NYU (and he got NYU to pay him to come to them). Later he earned his PhD in Workforce Education from Penn State University. 

He has worked for years at multiple prestigious universities helping to promote diversity, inclusion, connection, and equality.

He currently works as the Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.  

Today, Moses will share: 

• How an act of racism in his childhood eventually helped him to see the "Beauty of the human being" 
• His greatest lessons learned from working with AmeriCorps (domestic Peace Corps)
• How to get colleges to PAY YOU to come to them 
• What value he gained for working for "Satan's nephew" and how it helped him be a better manager and person
• How we can support Diversity and Inclusion both on the college campus and outside of it
• The importance of "unlearning" when we are exposed to new information / ideas
• Personal experiences of when he has experienced racism and how he has used those experiences to help others
• What white people can do to support the black community and people of color in the fight against racism

And so much more! 

If you would like to contact Moses, please visit the below link:

• Moses Davis - Associate Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins

SHOW NOTES:

• Darryl Davis on the Joe Rogan Experience (Ep. 1419)

•  

  Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi "The Danger of a Single Story" 

OVERCOMING GRADUATION SHOW NOTES: 

To subscribe to the podcast, search for "Overcoming Graduation" on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. You can also click here to be taken to the Itunes page!

If this episode was of value to you, please like, share, give a rating, and provide feedback on the show. This will help me understand how I can better serve you and reach even more people!

To provide a rating click here, click the "View in iTunes" button under the podcast art, click "Rating and Reviews" to the right of the podcast art, and then leave me your feedback, I'd love to hear what you think and how I can better serve you!

To learn more about the OCG Community, check out the Overcoming Graduation website or check out the OCG  Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

To contact me directly for interview recommendations, to provide feedback on the show, or to contact me for speaking engagements / book signings, reach out to me at Brian@OvercomingGraduation.com

Ep 156 Quarantine #4 - 100 Important Days

Have you found it difficult to tap into your creative and inspired energy during this quarantine?

Have you felt stuck, negative, as if all you can do is ruminate on the negative and the lack? 

That was me for several weeks. As I having more inspiring conversations and doing the work, I am pulling myself out of that self-created trap and into a place of excitement and power. 

One of those conversations happened recently with my dad where he shared an incredible idea to reconnect to your gratitude and creativity.

To hear what his advice was, tune in to today's episode! 

OVERCOMING GRADUATION SHOW NOTES: 

To subscribe to the podcast, search for "Overcoming Graduation" on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. You can also click here to be taken to the Itunes page!

If this episode was of value to you, please like, share, give a rating, and provide feedback on the show. This will help me understand how I can better serve you and reach even more people!

To provide a rating click here, click the "View in iTunes" button under the podcast art, click "Rating and Reviews" to the right of the podcast art, and then leave me your feedback, I'd love to hear what you think and how I can better serve you!

To learn more about the OCG Community, check out the Overcoming Graduation website or check out the OCG  Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

To contact me directly for interview recommendations, to provide feedback on the show, or to contact me for speaking engagements / book signings, reach out to me at Brian@OvercomingGraduation.com

Ep 155 Quarantine #3 - 30 60 90

Drifting. As the weeks of quarantine passed, more and more I felt the apathy setting in and found myself feeling as if I was just... drifting.

Waking up with a feeling of, why bother getting up? Why not just lay in bed, play games on my phone, and try to distract myself through this whole thing.

Then two conversations changed everything. Since those talks, I have been waking up early, taking massive action, doing amazing workouts, and feeling the best I have yet in quarantine. 

To hear the advice they shared with me, tune in to today's episode!

OVERCOMING GRADUATION SHOW NOTES: 

To subscribe to the podcast, search for "Overcoming Graduation" on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play. You can also click here to be taken to the Itunes page!

If this episode was of value to you, please like, share, give a rating, and provide feedback on the show. This will help me understand how I can better serve you and reach even more people!

To provide a rating click here, click the "View in iTunes" button under the podcast art, click "Rating and Reviews" to the right of the podcast art, and then leave me your feedback, I'd love to hear what you think and how I can better serve you!

To learn more about the OCG Community, check out the Overcoming Graduation website or check out the OCG  Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

To contact me directly for interview recommendations, to provide feedback on the show, or to contact me for speaking engagements / book signings, reach out to me at Brian@OvercomingGraduation.com