The Undeniable Level Up

Guest: Karl Jackson

Welcome back to another Undeniable episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  With you host, Jose Medina and Crystal Garcia.  And today we are here to talk about Demystifying Digital Dough.  What is this thing called Crypto.  Wow, that rhymed didn't it!  

For some of our listeners who follow our professional development and self improvement discussions, you may be asking how discussion of Cryptocurrency is a relevant topic for us to discuss and to those listeners. I would say, financial health is one of the 8 wellness categories.  And with everything that's going on with the dollar and Russia's and China's plan to move away from the Dollar Dollar Dollar Bill Yall, I think there is no better time to discuss Crypto than now.

Now, I have some friends and associates who purport to understand Crypto and I'll be honest, I have a Crypto wallet with a little bit of Cryptocurrency, but I'd be lying if I told you that I totally understand everything about crypto.  I know how to invest in it, but I have no idea how to spend it.

If you're like me, then you have a lot of questions too.  

And here to help us demystify this Mystifying mullah is none other than Crypto Expert Karl Jackson.  Hi Karl, and thank you for joining us on today's show to discuss the ins and out of Cryptocurrency.

Jose and I met Karl about 1.5 years ago when he was working as a Tax Attorney.  This guy is a Tax Wizard of the highest order, a financial genius and business structure master.  And now a Cryptocurrency Colossus!  

Marc Kenigberg, the Founder fo BitcoinChaser says "Blockchain is the tech. Bitcoin is merely the first mainstream manifestation of its potential."

Q: Do you agree with Marc?  Are we still at the beginning of what Crypto will be?  Where do you see Crypto in the next 5 years?

This quote highlights the importance of understanding that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are just the beginning of what blockchain technology can achieve. The potential applications of blockchain technology go far beyond digital currencies and could have a transformative effect on various industries.

Q:  How do you think the underlying blockchain technology will continue to evolve, and what impact will this have on the cryptocurrency landscape?

Q:  Can you discuss the potential for decentralized finance (DeFi) to disrupt traditional banking and financial systems? What are the key advantages and challenges of DeFi?

Q: What role do you see cryptocurrencies playing in the global economy, particularly in developing countries where access to traditional banking infrastructure might be limited?

Satoshi Makamoto, the mysterious and pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin stated that, "The root problem with conventional currency is all the trust that's required to make it work. The central bank must be trusted not to debase the currency, but the history of fiat currencies is full of breaches of that trust." 

This quote from the inventor of Bitcoin emphasizes the fundamental issue that cryptocurrencies aim to address – the trust required for traditional financial systems to function. By leveraging blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies aim to provide a more secure, transparent, and decentralized alternative to conventional currencies.

Q: How do you think regulators and governments will respond to the growing influence of cryptocurrencies, and what effect will this have on the industry's future?

Q: Security has always been a concern in the crypto space, with numerous high-profile hacks and breaches. How can individuals and businesses best protect their digital assets?

Q: What are your thoughts on the increasing popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and their potential impact on various industries, including art, gaming, and intellectual property?

Adam Draper, founder of Boost VC. Said, "The blockchain does one thing: It replaces third-party trust with a mathematical proof that something happened."

Adam Draper's quote succinctly captures the essence of what blockchain technology offers – a decentralized, trustless system that relies on mathematical proofs and cryptography to ensure security and transparency. This shift from relying on third parties to mathematical proofs has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of our lives, from finance to supply chain management.

Q: Scalability has been a long-standing challenge for many cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin and Ethereum. How do you envision this issue being addressed in the future?

Q: How do you see the relationship between centralized and decentralized exchanges evolving, and what does this mean for the accessibility and security of digital assets?

Q: In your opinion, what are the most promising use cases for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology beyond finance and investment?

CTA

If you've been thinking about investing in Crypto, but the mysticism and newness of the digitally currency has kept you hesitant, then today's topic should have given you some much needed insight and education and a strong starting point.  This is call to action is for those of you have interest, but just don't really know where to begin your journey and experience with Crypto. 

We are going to ask you to become a participant in Crypto Twitter.  To do that, all you need Is a Twitter Account.  If you don't have one, it is easy to sign up at Twitter.com.  Use the search bar at the top of the Twitter interface to search for relevant hashtags like #cryptocurrency, #bitcoin, #ethereum, #blockchain, #DeFi, or other specific terms related to the crypto world.  Browse through the search results and follow accounts that regularly post about cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, and related topics. 

We will put some of the more popular accounts in the show notes to help you get started.

• @VitalikButerin (Ethereum co-founder)
• @SatoshiLite (Litecoin creator Charlie Lee)
• @aantonop (Andreas Antonopoulos, a well-known crypto educator and author)
• @cz_binance (Changpeng Zhao, Binance CEO)

Some additional keywords that are useful to look up when getting started and all of which are discussed in this podcast include:

1. Cryptocurrency
2. Bitcoin
3. Ethereum
4. Blockchain
5. DeFi (Decentralized Finance)
6. Crypto Wallet
7. Altcoin
8. Satoshi Nakamoto
9. Smart Contracts
10. Cryptocurrency Mining
11. Proof of Work
12. Proof of Stake
13. NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens)
14. ICO (Initial Coin Offering)
15. Token vs Coin
16. Digital Asset
17. Cryptocurrency Exchange
18. DEX (Decentralized Exchange)
19. Crypto Trading
20. Crypto Investment
21. Cryptocurrency Market Cap
22. Stablecoin
23. Crypto Regulations
24. Cryptography
25. Crypto Security
26. Crypto Taxes
27. DAO (Decentralized Autonom...

Audio Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yw6dFQBklA

Guest: James Young

In a world that is constantly evolving and increasingly connected, the ability to communicate effectively is more important than ever before. I'm your host, Jose Medina and I'm here with my Co-Host Crystal Garcia, and we are excited to have you join us on this enlightening journey as we explore the secrets to unlocking your true communication potential.

Today, we'll dive into fascinating conversations with our guest and communications expert James Young.  Together, we'll uncover practical tips, proven strategies, and eye-opening insights that will empower you to express yourself with clarity, confidence, and charisma.

From the art of persuasive storytelling and mastering nonverbal cues, to navigating difficult conversations and building meaningful connections, we'll tackle it all, ensuring you're equipped with the tools to thrive in both your personal and professional life.

So, whether you're looking to ace that job interview, captivate your audience during a presentation, or simply build stronger relationships with the people around you, you've come to the right place! Sit back, relax, and get ready to transform the way you interact with the world as we embark on this exciting adventure together. 

And here to speak with us about communication is out special guest and friend, James Young.  

Hi James.  Thanks for taking the time today to join us on our show.  With all that you have going on, we know time is precious.  Can you begin by telling our listeners where your journey started…where did you grow up?

Today, we will be focusing on how to master the art of communication.  It may sound like a simple thing.  Afterall, we learn how to communicate when we are between one to two years old for most kids.  We should be experts by the time we reach adulthood, right?.  Well the truth is some of us never really learn how to communicate effectively.

There is a reason why I believe that this topic may be one of the most critical topics we've ever covered on our podcast.  Afterall, poor communication can lead to a variety of negative consequences, both in personal and professional settings. Some of the pitfalls of poor communication include:

1. Misunderstandings: Ambiguity or lack of clarity can cause confusion and lead to misunderstandings, which can result in wrong decisions or actions being taken.
2. Damaged relationships: Ineffective communication can strain relationships, create mistrust, and foster negative feelings such as resentment, frustration, or anger.
3. Decreased productivity: In the workplace, poor communication can hinder collaboration, create inefficiencies, and lead to costly mistakes.
4. Conflict escalation: Poor communication can exacerbate conflicts, making it harder to find resolutions and leading to a breakdown in teamwork or personal relationships.
5. Loss of credibility: Inconsistent or unclear communication can damage your credibility, making it difficult for others to trust or rely on you.
6. Lower morale: Poor communication can contribute to a negative atmosphere, leading to decreased motivation, job satisfaction, and overall morale.
7. Hindered personal growth: Ineffective communication can limit your ability to learn from others, receive constructive feedback, and grow personally or professionally.
8. Misaligned goals: In a professional setting, poor communication can result in team members or departments working towards different goals or objectives, leading to wasted resources and a lack of progress.
9. Inability to influence: Inability to communicate your thoughts persuasively may reduce your capacity to influence others, negotiate effectively, or advocate for your ideas and needs.
10. Missed opportunities: Poor communication skills can lead to missed opportunities, such as failing to secure a job or promotion, losing a potential client, or not effectively expressing your feelings in personal relationships.

Well, you're in luck, because we have 5 hacks to help you master the art of communication.  These are 5 of the best methods for enhancing not only your ability to get message across the way you intend for it to, but to also receive messages from other senders so never miss out on opportunities, 

Our first hack is Active Listening. It's the foundation of effective communication, yet often overlooked. The key to active listening, is to really be present when someone's talking to you. Avoid distractions and just focus on the person speaking. And don't forget to maintain eye contact – it shows you're interested in what they're saying.

Remember, it's important to be patient and let the speaker finish their thoughts without interrupting them. Your body language matters too, so nod, lean forward a bit, and stay relaxed to show you're engaged.

When they're done talking, try to summarize what they said to make sure you got it right. If you want them to share more, ask open-ended questions that can't be answered with a simple yes or no.

It's crucial to keep an open mind and not be judgmental during the conversation. Focus on understanding their perspective, even if you don't agree with it. Show some empathy by acknowledging their feelings and expressing your understanding.

Feel free to provide feedback, but only after they've finished talking. Just make sure it's constructive and respectful. And don't forget, practice makes perfect! The more you practice active listening, the more natural it'll become for you. 

The 2nd trick to mastering communication is to show empathy.   Developing your ability to listen and communicate with empathy can really make a difference in your relationships, whether they are personal or professional. 

When communicating, ry to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Imagine what they might be feeling or going through, and focus on understanding their perspective instead of just thinking about your own.

When someone's talking, pay close attention to their words, tone, and body language. These cues can give you valuable insights into what they're feeling. And don't forget to be fully present – avoid distractions and give them your undivided attention.

It's also important to be patient and let the person finish their thoughts without interrupting them. When they're done, reflect back what you've heard and ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share more.

Make sure to validate their emotions by acknowledging their feelings and showing that you understand. Phrases like "I can see why you'd feel that way" or "That sounds really tough" can help convey empathy.

Remember, it's not always about solving the problem or offering advice. Sometimes, people just need someone to listen and empathize with their situation.  This takes practice and if you get it wrong the first couple times, keep working on it.  The key is to practice these skills regularly in your conversations. You'll be surprised by how much it improves your connections with others!

Nonverbal cues can contradict and destroy the message you are trying to send and can distort a messages being sent your way.

93% of communication can be non-verbal.  Body language accounts for 55% and tone accounts for 38% of non-verbal comm...

Audio: Motivational Speech on Courage 

Guest: Krista Roseborough

Welcome to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast, your go-to source for powerful insights and transformative tips to elevate every aspect of your life! Why settle for mediocrity when you can unleash your full potential? Join us as we dive into the world of personal and professional growth, uncovering life hacks to boost your career, turbocharge your relationships, and elevate your personal well-being. Together, let's unlock the secrets to becoming the ultimate version of yourself, armed with the tools, strategies, and yes, even the tricks, that we'll explore in our captivating conversations. Get ready to level up like never before!

You know, courage is really an interesting and layered idea. It's been on the minds of thinkers and philosophers for ages. Basically, it's all about standing up to tough situations or risks with a strong mindset, some guts, and a can-do attitude.

So, Aristotle talked about courage in his book Nicomachean Ethics, and he saw it as one of the most important virtues. He believed it's all about striking the perfect balance between being too scared and too confident when dealing with tough times. A brave person knows they're afraid, but they still take action, without running away or diving headfirst into danger.

Historically, other philosophers perspectives on courage emphasized moral or ethical considerations. For example, some philosophers argued that courage involves not your the ability to face danger or adversity but it towards a just or a noble cause. In this sense, courage is tied to moral principles and a commitment to doing what is right, even when it is difficult or risky.  

Oh, and speaking of courage, existentialist philosophers like Søren Kierkegaard and Jean-Paul Sartre had their own unique take on it. They saw courage as dealing with the ups and downs of life while trying to find meaning in a world that doesn't seem to care. For them, being brave means tackling life's uncertainties, owning your freedom and responsibility, and making genuine choices when faced with life's big questions.

Courage, as a philosophical concept can be understood as a virtue that enables individuals to face adversity, danger, or challenges with strength, determination, and a commitment to moral or ethical principles. While the specific nuances of courage may vary across philosophical perspectives, it is generally recognized as a crucial aspect of human character and personal development.

And here to speak with us about courage is out special guest and friend, Krista Roseborough.  

Hi Krista…

Joe and I met Krista through Jiu Jitsu when she was training here in Houston, TX.  As a professional, a mother, a daughter and the many more hats that Krista wears, the one thing she never has a shortage of, is courage.  Thank you for taking the time to join us today.  

Can you begin by telling our listeners where you grew up?

 "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear." – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Q: What are your thoughts about President Roosevelt's words?

This quote really highlights that courage is not about being fearless, but rather understanding and recognizing that some things are more important than fear, such as what we value and hold dear, our goals and our purpose in life.

Today, we present seven powerful hacks that will not only boost your courage but also empower you to confront challenges and seize new opportunities in life. By implementing these seven practical strategies, you'll be able to develop your courage, conquer your fears, and unlock your full potential

And the first of the seven hacks is setting achievable goals – Setting achievable goals is essential to driving internal courage as it fosters a sense of self-efficacy, motivation, and resilience in individuals. By establishing realistic objectives, individuals are more likely to feel confident in their abilities to overcome challenges and accomplish their desired outcomes. This sense of self-belief serves as a catalyst for courage, empowering individuals to take calculated risks and face adversity head-on. Moreover, breaking down larger aspirations into smaller, attainable goals provides a clear roadmap for progress, allowing individuals to track their achievements and maintain motivation. As each milestone is reached, a sense of accomplishment further reinforces the courage to persevere and overcome obstacles. 

In essence, setting achievable goals not only nurtures a resilient mindset but also cultivates the internal courage needed to navigate life's uncertainties and achieve personal and professional success.

Q: Have you ever found breaking goals down into smaller chunks boosting of your self esteem and confidence? And has that ever given you courage to chase more daring and challenging objectives?

The 2nd Hack is embracing vulnerability.  You know, being open and vulnerable is super important when it comes to building up your courage. It helps you form genuine connections, grow as a person, and bounce back from tough times. When you're honest about your fears and hopes with people you trust, you create a support system that can offer great advice, motivation, and guidance. Sharing your experiences and viewpoints not only makes you stronger, but it also helps you feel less alone in your struggles.

Plus, when you embrace vulnerability, you can face and accept your own limitations, which helps you develop a growth mindset that's key for building courage. Recognizing your weaknesses means you can tackle them head-on and learn from your setbacks, turning obstacles into chances for growth and self-improvement.

And, being vulnerable also encourages self-compassion and empathy, giving you a better understanding of your feelings and experiences. This emotional intelligence lets you handle tough situations with more adaptability and resilience, which ultimately boosts your inner courage.

Q:  Have you ever struggled to be vulnerable and where did you muster the courage to overcome that fear?

Number three is practicing mindfulness.  Practicing mindfulness is important to driving internal courage because it fosters a deep sense of self-awareness, emotional regulation, and mental focus. By engaging in mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, you learn to observe and process your thoughts and emotions without judgment. This increased self-awareness allows you to recognize and confront your fears, paving the way for the development of courage. Furthermore, mindfulness helps you stay present and focused, enabling you to approach challenges with a calm, clear mind and a heightened sense of resilience. 

As you become more adept at managing your emotions, you'll find it easier to act courageously in the face of adversity, since you'll be less likely to be overwhelmed by fear or anxiety. In addition, mindfulness encourages reflection and introspection, which can lead to a better understanding of your values, goals, and motivations. This clarity of purpose further reinforces your internal courage, empowering you to make confident decisions and take decisive...

Welcome to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast where we provide our listeners with life hacks to leveling up in business, leveling up in your career, leveling up in your personal lives, and even leveling up in your relationships. Why strive to be average, when you can be the best version of yourself with the tools, tips and sometimes with the tricks that we provide in our discussions.

Last week we discussed the superhero task of raising children, in our episode titled, “It Takes a Village.” We shared with everyone ten key components to raising a successful child and challenged everyone to incorporate those components in their own children’s lives.

Today we are here to talk about starting a revolution. Don’t worry, we are not talking about doing anything too crazy here. We are talking about a revolution of change in your life. We just want to help you in your journey to leveling up. Starting a revolution in your life can be an exciting and transformative experience. 

To many a revolution is seen as a sudden, radical, and often violent change in the political, social, or economic order of society. However, they can also be peaceful and involve changes in attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that lead to a significant transformation in society. Historical examples include the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. 

We are a couple months into the year now and if you are finding it hard to make those moves you know you want to and many times need to in your life, we have you covered. Today, we are going to start a revolution. 

The American Revolution was ignited with a speech given by Patrick Henry before the Virginia Convention in Richmond on March 23, 1775 where he said, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

I think we can all agree that we have things in our lives that we want and / or need to change. No matter who you are, this should resonate with you and if not well you are perfect. HaHa! No one is perfect, so be honest with yourself. There are 5 steps to begin with in your revolution that we want to share with you all today. 

1). Change Identification 

2). Goal Setting

3). Plan Creation

4). Action 

5). Support 

So lets jump right in…

1)    Change Identification – The first step in starting a revolution in your life is to identify what you want to change. It could be your career, your relationships, your health, or any other area of your life that you feel is not where you want it to be. 

2)    Goal Setting – Once you know what you want to change, it's important to set specific, measurable goals that will help you achieve your desired outcome. Make sure your goals are challenging yet achievable and write them down to keep yourself accountable. If this is not familiar with you, check out our podcast on “Goal Setting.”

I am huge fan of writing things down for a number of reasons. For starters I personally feel like writing something down shows commitment and provides accountability. Dr. Gail Mathers, a Psychology Professor at a Dominican University of California conducted research where she concluded that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals by simply writing them down. Yes, you heard that right. Harvard University also conducted a study where they found that the 3% (yes a low number) of graduates from their MBA program who had their goals written down actually ended up earning 10 times as much as the other 97% put together (YES, PUT TOGETHER)! Guys and Gals, this is powerful!

So, I utilize SMART goals when I set goals and I write it all down. At many times in my life people would laugh and me writing things down, making lists, and labeling and organizing things… but I was on to something even if I had no clue at the time. I set goals, I write them down, I reference them frequently adjusting as necesarry, and I crush them!

3)    Plan Creation – I’m sure we have all heard the wise statement, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” To do anything well, you have to plan. Think of this like a trip… A revolution doesn't happen overnight, so it's important to create a plan that outlines the steps you need to take to reach your goals. Break down your goals into smaller, manageable tasks and create a timeline for when you want to achieve each one.

4)   Action – Nothing is achieved without action. Now that you have a plan, it's time to take action. Start with the first task on your list and work your way through each one until you've accomplished your goals. Be prepared for setbacks and obstacles, but don't let them derail your progress.

5)   Support – Surround yourself with support. Making big changes in your life can be challenging, so it's important to surround yourself with people who support and encourage you. Seek out like-minded individuals who are also making positive changes in their lives, and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Get a mentor and don’t surround yourself with people who do not challenge you. 

Level-up! 

We challenge all of you to identify the change or changes you want and / or need to make, set goals, create a plan, take action, and surround yourself with the support you need!

Remember, starting a revolution in your life take courage, commitment, and perseverance. However, the rewards can be life-changing, so don’t be afraid to take the first step. 

 https://a.co/d/h0y483L - "The Power of Now" - Eckhart Tolle

https://a.co/d/j7qywVC - "Atomic Habits" - James Clear

https://a.co/d/7bYr3Vw - "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" - Sean Covey

 Welcome to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast where we provide our listeners with life hacks to leveling up in business, leveling up in your career, leveling up in your personal lives, and even leveling up in your relationships. Why strive to be average, when you can be the best version of yourself with the tools, tips and sometimes with the tricks that we provide in our discussions.

Last week you heard from Alicia Anaya, in our episode titled, “Killing the Procrastinator in You.” Alicia shared with us her tips and tricks and even her personal struggles. 

Today we are here to talk about raising children and why it indeed does, “take a village to raise a child” and how you as a parent can better equip your children for the battlefield or life and being successful in it. Raising children can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but it can also be challenging. 

Welcome back everyone, we have missed you all. 

READ PROVERB: We have all heard, “It takes a village to raise a child,” it’s a proverb or a traditional saying that has taken on the meaning that it takes an entire community of people for a child to experience and grow in. In 2016 National Public Radio (NPR) researched the origins but were unable to pinpoint them. Scholars have attributed this proverb to several African cultures. There are several proverbs found throughout cultures that roughly mean the same thing.

So I think before we even begin to talk about the village, it’s important to understand the concept of a village first. So what is a village exactly? A village is the network of people and institutions that surround us or we are exposed to that contribute to our growth and development. Think of living in a town and never leaving it. That village you are a part of would be the only one that assists in raising you. It is where you have connections, where you are exposed to opportunity, where you develop your concept of social norms, and have experiences. 

Our psychological development includes our cognitive, emotional, intellectual, and social capabilities and functioning beginning from infancy and continuing through our life span all the way into our old age. Our development is shaped by a multitude of factors, including our genetics, environment, social relationships and experiences throughout our lives. 

Research this topic and you will be sure to find a plethora in each of these respective areas all seeking to both reveal and understand how “who we become” is shaped. The field of epigenetics 

is a fascinating field that explores how behavioral and environmental influences impact the expression of genes and influence our behavior and health. By recognizing the power of the villages impact on our genetic expression, we can better understand how to create a village where children thrive.

Yes but I want to share a personal story with you guys on what prompted this episode and the realization I came to when I realized what this truly meant. 

As a parent, you want your children to be better than you and you want to prevent them from experiencing the hard lessons or speed bumps you encountered along the way in your journey. You make decisions to promote this such as choosing what school district and neighborhood you live in. Now I don’t know any parent that wants to see their child in pain, in fact it’s quite excruciating for a parent and you will certainly realize this as you hear this story. 

So recently one of my children encountered a situation leading up to something they have been working towards relentlessly. When I say relentlessly, they were so focused that no excuse veered them off their path. I watched my child tired, not feeling well, physically and mentally fatigued push through and work so hard like a Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, or Danica Patrick. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, no one was outworking them. The situation became extremely stressful and emotionally overwhelming to the point that I watched as my child’s heart broke before the event even happened. 

Now I have never been a helicopter parent (and you’ll learn about this later in the episode) so I was self-reflecting and trying my best to view the situation from different perspectives because my child was hurting and it didn’t feel good. My child is extremely mature and this was for my child to deal with, not for me to swoop in and handle. As bad as this sounds, this wasn’t the worst part. The worst part occurred the day of the event when I watched my child’s heart ripped right out of their chest again right before me. So as you might expect, the result of the event was unsuccessful but certainly not one that was earned nor deserved. While my child was expecting support from loved ones for such a big event, they didn’t get it and it came as a large blow with a painful consequence. In this moment my heart was shattered.

Now to top things off, I am an empath. I didn’t just watch all of this, I felt it all. I became so emotional that I had to go to the bathroom and actually had my fist over my mouth (now I don’t cry often) but I watched the largest crocodile tears fall from my eyes (in silence of course) to the floor at my feet in this bathroom stall I was in. That whole, “be strong for your child,” yeah I was struggling. I realized that in a moment my child needed support and more importantly their heart to be victorious. It wasn’t possible without a heart… makes sense right? I would have without question replaced theirs with mine. Now in this moment the event was completely insignificant to me as my child’s life is more important.

Naturally, I was experiencing a flood of emotions that included anger. I wanted to unleash the tsunami you get from me when you hurt someone I love, but I had to pull myself in and give myself a peptalk as did my husband still in this bathroom stall. The truth be told, this was not my battle, it was my child’s and regardless of how I felt it was important that I empower my child as opposed to removing their power in that critical moment. 

So, while still in this stall, my child messages me for backup and not to fight their battle but to ensure the battlefield was fair. I knew this was a significant emotional event for them and a monumental moment. Trust me, I had pulled myself together, threw some water on my face, and walked out powerfully and pumped up. I was ready to engage and ready to skip some steps in the escalation of force if the situation required it. 

You know what though… I experienced the most extraordinary moment I had ever experienced as a mom up close and personal. I watched my child step out to the line of the battlefield, violently retrieve their heart, dump baggage out of their rucksack and then with no hesitation whatsoever draw their sword and raise it with a show of force and someone you don’t want to come face to face with on the battlefield. I was so proud! I realized in that moment that had I have responded in any other way emotionally, verbally, or physically… that would not have occurred. I realized in this moment, my child didn’t even need the backup but I was so proud to have witnessed this. It is in this moment that I suddenly realized that it does take a village to raise a child and I wanted to share that with all of you because I wish I knew this before I had my first child. To put this into perspective, this wisdom came to me at 41 years old with 6 children, three step-children, and two grandchildren. If I have you guessing, I had my first child at 15 and...

 Welcome to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast where we provide our listeners with life hacks to leveling up in business, leveling up in your career, leveling up in your personal lives, and even leveling up in your relationships. Why strive to be average, when you can be the best version of yourself with the tools, tips and sometimes with the tricks that we provide in our discussions.

Last week you heard from Alicia Anaya, in our episode titled, “Killing the Procrastinator in You.” Alicia shared with us her tips and tricks and even her personal struggles. 

Today we are here to talk about raising children and why it indeed does, “take a village to raise a child” and how you as a parent can better equip your children for the battlefield or life and being successful in it. Raising children can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but it can also be challenging. 

Welcome back everyone, we have missed you all. 

READ PROVERB: We have all heard, “It takes a village to raise a child,” it’s a proverb or a traditional saying that has taken on the meaning that it takes an entire community of people for a child to experience and grow in. In 2016 National Public Radio (NPR) researched the origins but were unable to pinpoint them. Scholars have attributed this proverb to several African cultures. There are several proverbs found throughout cultures that roughly mean the same thing.

So I think before we even begin to talk about the village, it’s important to understand the concept of a village first. So what is a village exactly? A village is the network of people and institutions that surround us or we are exposed to that contribute to our growth and development. Think of living in a town and never leaving it. That village you are a part of would be the only one that assists in raising you. It is where you have connections, where you are exposed to opportunity, where you develop your concept of social norms, and have experiences. 

Our psychological development includes our cognitive, emotional, intellectual, and social capabilities and functioning beginning from infancy and continuing through our life span all the way into our old age. Our development is shaped by a multitude of factors, including our genetics, environment, social relationships and experiences throughout our lives. 

Research this topic and you will be sure to find a plethora in each of these respective areas all seeking to both reveal and understand how “who we become” is shaped. The field of epigenetics 

is a fascinating field that explores how behavioral and environmental influences impact the expression of genes and influence our behavior and health. By recognizing the power of the villages impact on our genetic expression, we can better understand how to create a village where children thrive.

Yes but I want to share a personal story with you guys on what prompted this episode and the realization I came to when I realized what this truly meant. 

As a parent, you want your children to be better than you and you want to prevent them from experiencing the hard lessons or speed bumps you encountered along the way in your journey. You make decisions to promote this such as choosing what school district and neighborhood you live in. Now I don’t know any parent that wants to see their child in pain, in fact it’s quite excruciating for a parent and you will certainly realize this as you hear this story. 

So recently one of my children encountered a situation leading up to something they have been working towards relentlessly. When I say relentlessly, they were so focused that no excuse veered them off their path. I watched my child tired, not feeling well, physically and mentally fatigued push through and work so hard like a Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, or Danica Patrick. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, no one was outworking them. The situation became extremely stressful and emotionally overwhelming to the point that I watched as my child’s heart broke before the event even happened. 

Now I have never been a helicopter parent (and you’ll learn about this later in the episode) so I was self-reflecting and trying my best to view the situation from different perspectives because my child was hurting and it didn’t feel good. My child is extremely mature and this was for my child to deal with, not for me to swoop in and handle. As bad as this sounds, this wasn’t the worst part. The worst part occurred the day of the event when I watched my child’s heart ripped right out of their chest again right before me. So as you might expect, the result of the event was unsuccessful but certainly not one that was earned nor deserved. While my child was expecting support from loved ones for such a big event, they didn’t get it and it came as a large blow with a painful consequence. In this moment my heart was shattered.

Now to top things off, I am an empath. I didn’t just watch all of this, I felt it all. I became so emotional that I had to go to the bathroom and actually had my fist over my mouth (now I don’t cry often) but I watched the largest crocodile tears fall from my eyes (in silence of course) to the floor at my feet in this bathroom stall I was in. That whole, “be strong for your child,” yeah I was struggling. I realized that in a moment my child needed support and more importantly their heart to be victorious. It wasn’t possible without a heart… makes sense right? I would have without question replaced theirs with mine. Now in this moment the event was completely insignificant to me as my child’s life is more important.

Naturally, I was experiencing a flood of emotions that included anger. I wanted to unleash the tsunami you get from me when you hurt someone I love, but I had to pull myself in and give myself a peptalk as did my husband still in this bathroom stall. The truth be told, this was not my battle, it was my child’s and regardless of how I felt it was important that I empower my child as opposed to removing their power in that critical moment. 

So, while still in this stall, my child messages me for backup and not to fight their battle but to ensure the battlefield was fair. I knew this was a significant emotional event for them and a monumental moment. Trust me, I had pulled myself together, threw some water on my face, and walked out powerfully and pumped up. I was ready to engage and ready to skip some steps in the escalation of force if the situation required it. 

You know what though… I experienced the most extraordinary moment I had ever experienced as a mom up close and personal. I watched my child step out to the line of the battlefield, violently retrieve their heart, dump baggage out of their rucksack and then with no hesitation whatsoever draw their sword and raise it with a show of force and someone you don’t want to come face to face with on the battlefield. I was so proud! I realized in that moment that had I have responded in any other way emotionally, verbally, or physically… that would not have occurred. I realized in this moment, my child didn’t even need the backup but I was so proud to have witnessed this. It is in this moment that I suddenly realized that it does take a village to raise a child and I wanted to share that with all of you because I wish I knew this before I had my first child. To put this into perspective, this wisdom came to me at 41 years old with 6 children, three step-children, and two grandchildren. If I have you guessing, I had my first child at ...

Good morning, today we have a Bonus Episode for our listeners.  And a very special Co-Host for this episode as well, Raquel Medina.  Raquel is co-owner of Sage & Soul, a spiritual boutique company that specializes in everything mystical and magical.  Raquel was a guest on our podcast in Season 1, and also published her own podcast under the Sage & Sol brand.  Hi, Raquel, glad to have to as a co-host today.

Our topic is one that I am pretty sure we can all benefit from. How do you sell ice to an Eskimo.   We will be looking at the Five Principles of Persuasion developed by the renowned psychologist and author Dr. Robert Cialdini.  His book, published in 1984 titled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”,  discussed the five principles that affect how one person can influence or persuade another.

These are principles that sales people have been using for years.  And you may be thinking, well I'm not a salesperson, so why do I need to know these five principles.  Simple, sales people are using these principles to persuade you every day, multiple times a day. And these principles have influenced you in one way or another, regardless of whether or not you recognize the principle being applied.

Having knowledge of these five principles will allow you to make better purchasing and life decisions and not allow you to be so influenced by others.  It will allow you to identify the tactic that is being applied in the situation and allow you to make a more informed decision.  In this undeniable level up discussion, we will give you the tools to identify when a persuasion method is being used against you, and how to counteract your autopilot mode in order to make a conscious decision against the persuasion method being applied.

And here to discuss the five principles of persuasion is our special guest, Jose Medina.  Although Jose typically hosts the Level-Up podcast, today he is switching seats with me, and we will be putting him in the hot seat this time.  For those of you who do not know Jose, yet, or know him well, he is a 24-year Army veteran, entrepreneur, business owner, father and now adds grandfather to the list of hats that he wears.  

Welcome Jose!  And thanks for allowing me, to fill in for you today as we get to dig into your methods of persuasion.

Jose, let's start with your childhood, I know first hand, but let's give our listeners a little insight into your background and your journey.   Where would you say you grew up?

Aesop says, "Persuasion is often more effectual than force."

Before we begin looking at the five principles of persuasion, it is important to understand the difference between persuasion and manipulation.  These two topics are very close cousins to each other.  Persuasion is the action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something.  Manipulation on the other hand is can be defined as the action of manipulating someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.

What are your thoughts on these two different definitions?  Have you ever used persuasion?  What about manipulation? What are your thoughts on dark psychology?

The first principle of persuasion is Reciprocity.  Reciprocity relies on our need for equality and balance.  This is governed by Adam's Equity Theory which theorizes that as humans we have a tendency to require fair and equal treatment when either giving or receiving a service, a product, or our time.  When ever we find ourselves out of balance it makes us feel uncomfortable and uneasy.  

This method of persuasion is used when someone offers you a gift or a free sample of a product.  When someone gives you something, Adam's Equity Theory requires that we return the favor.  Sales people often use this principle when they offer you a free sample, a gift ,or even a mint at the end of your dinner with the bill when dining out.  If someone sends you a birthday card, it is likely you will feel the urge to send one back.

Have you ever used this principle to entice someone to either purchase a service or provide some act in kind?  Have you ever fell victim to this principle before? How did it work?  Were you aware of the rule of reciprocity?

The second principle of persuasion is Scarcity.  This principle relies on a person wanting something more, as there is less and less of it.  Sales people use this principle when they say things like "only a few left at this price" or calling something "limited edition".  A limited edition means there is only a few available and when it is gone, there are no more.  Also, a collectors item, relies on this principle as well.

Have you ever used this principle of scarcity?  Have you ever fell victim to this principle before? How did it work?  

The third principle of persuasion is authority.  This principle claims that we are unconsciously moved to follow those who are in a position of authority based on the persons perceived knowledge, experience or expertise.  This is due to our innate trust that is developed in us as children.  As we get older and are exposed to greater levels of authority, such as teachers, police officers, doctors, coaches, etc., throughout our early development, we develop a high level of trust in authoritative figures. This is why no one questions a person in a reflective vest and a clip board, or a person in hospital scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck.  We associate the costume of authority and assign it our trust willingly.

Have you ever used a position of authority to persuade others?  Has this ever been used on you?  Have you ever misused your authority to persuade others? Has anyone ever seen this method of persuasion used for bad intentions?  Have you ever used it for bad intentions?  Hos does this apply in business?  How does this apply in leadership?

The fourth principle of persuasion is commitment and consistency.  People have a need to act consistent with their values and ideals.  When they act outside of those values they feel discomfort and uneasiness.  In persuasion, this theory can be applied by having someone do something small, like filling out a survey in the grocery store.  Stopping and filling out the survey may seem like an innocent ask, but then ask you to sample a product.  This is also a small ask and so you again comply, due to your need to remain consistent with agreeing.  Finally they ask you to purchase the product.  You may actually like the product and buy it, but would you have bought the product without the persuasion?

Has this principle ever been used on you?  How?  Have you ever used this principle on others. For good, for bad?  Have you ever seen someone manipulate another using this principle?

The fifth principle of persuasion is likeability.  This persuasion technique means that the more a person likes you, the more you can persuade that person.  People have a tendency to like others that are like themselves.  It is a higher probability to persuade someone if you share the same name, come from the same city, have similar life experiences.  This is also why sales people are often attractive and why more attractive waiters and waitresses ...

Good morning, today we have a Bonus Episode for our listeners.  And a very special Co-Host for this episode as well, Raquel Medina.  Raquel is co-owner of Sage & Soul, a spiritual boutique company that specializes in everything mystical and magical.  Raquel was a guest on our podcast in Season 1, and also published her own podcast under the Sage & Sol brand.  Hi, Raquel, glad to have to as a co-host today.

Our topic is one that I am pretty sure we can all benefit from. How do you sell ice to an Eskimo.   We will be looking at the Five Principles of Persuasion developed by the renowned psychologist and author Dr. Robert Cialdini.  His book, published in 1984 titled “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion”,  discussed the five principles that affect how one person can influence or persuade another.

These are principles that sales people have been using for years.  And you may be thinking, well I'm not a salesperson, so why do I need to know these five principles.  Simple, sales people are using these principles to persuade you every day, multiple times a day. And these principles have influenced you in one way or another, regardless of whether or not you recognize the principle being applied.

Having knowledge of these five principles will allow you to make better purchasing and life decisions and not allow you to be so influenced by others.  It will allow you to identify the tactic that is being applied in the situation and allow you to make a more informed decision.  In this undeniable level up discussion, we will give you the tools to identify when a persuasion method is being used against you, and how to counteract your autopilot mode in order to make a conscious decision against the persuasion method being applied.

And here to discuss the five principles of persuasion is our special guest, Jose Medina.  Although Jose typically hosts the Level-Up podcast, today he is switching seats with me, and we will be putting him in the hot seat this time.  For those of you who do not know Jose, yet, or know him well, he is a 24-year Army veteran, entrepreneur, business owner, father and now adds grandfather to the list of hats that he wears.  

Welcome Jose!  And thanks for allowing me, to fill in for you today as we get to dig into your methods of persuasion.

Jose, let's start with your childhood, I know first hand, but let's give our listeners a little insight into your background and your journey.   Where would you say you grew up?

Aesop says, "Persuasion is often more effectual than force."

Before we begin looking at the five principles of persuasion, it is important to understand the difference between persuasion and manipulation.  These two topics are very close cousins to each other.  Persuasion is the action or fact of persuading someone or of being persuaded to do or believe something.  Manipulation on the other hand is can be defined as the action of manipulating someone in a clever or unscrupulous way.

What are your thoughts on these two different definitions?  Have you ever used persuasion?  What about manipulation? What are your thoughts on dark psychology?

The first principle of persuasion is Reciprocity.  Reciprocity relies on our need for equality and balance.  This is governed by Adam's Equity Theory which theorizes that as humans we have a tendency to require fair and equal treatment when either giving or receiving a service, a product, or our time.  When ever we find ourselves out of balance it makes us feel uncomfortable and uneasy.  

This method of persuasion is used when someone offers you a gift or a free sample of a product.  When someone gives you something, Adam's Equity Theory requires that we return the favor.  Sales people often use this principle when they offer you a free sample, a gift ,or even a mint at the end of your dinner with the bill when dining out.  If someone sends you a birthday card, it is likely you will feel the urge to send one back.

Have you ever used this principle to entice someone to either purchase a service or provide some act in kind?  Have you ever fell victim to this principle before? How did it work?  Were you aware of the rule of reciprocity?

The second principle of persuasion is Scarcity.  This principle relies on a person wanting something more, as there is less and less of it.  Sales people use this principle when they say things like "only a few left at this price" or calling something "limited edition".  A limited edition means there is only a few available and when it is gone, there are no more.  Also, a collectors item, relies on this principle as well.

Have you ever used this principle of scarcity?  Have you ever fell victim to this principle before? How did it work?  

The third principle of persuasion is authority.  This principle claims that we are unconsciously moved to follow those who are in a position of authority based on the persons perceived knowledge, experience or expertise.  This is due to our innate trust that is developed in us as children.  As we get older and are exposed to greater levels of authority, such as teachers, police officers, doctors, coaches, etc., throughout our early development, we develop a high level of trust in authoritative figures. This is why no one questions a person in a reflective vest and a clip board, or a person in hospital scrubs with a stethoscope around his neck.  We associate the costume of authority and assign it our trust willingly.

Have you ever used a position of authority to persuade others?  Has this ever been used on you?  Have you ever misused your authority to persuade others? Has anyone ever seen this method of persuasion used for bad intentions?  Have you ever used it for bad intentions?  Hos does this apply in business?  How does this apply in leadership?

The fourth principle of persuasion is commitment and consistency.  People have a need to act consistent with their values and ideals.  When they act outside of those values they feel discomfort and uneasiness.  In persuasion, this theory can be applied by having someone do something small, like filling out a survey in the grocery store.  Stopping and filling out the survey may seem like an innocent ask, but then ask you to sample a product.  This is also a small ask and so you again comply, due to your need to remain consistent with agreeing.  Finally they ask you to purchase the product.  You may actually like the product and buy it, but would you have bought the product without the persuasion?

Has this principle ever been used on you?  How?  Have you ever used this principle on others. For good, for bad?  Have you ever seen someone manipulate another using this principle?

The fifth principle of persuasion is likeability.  This persuasion technique means that the more a person likes you, the more you can persuade that person.  People have a tendency to like others that are like themselves.  It is a higher probability to persuade someone if you share the same name, come from the same city, have similar life experiences.  This is also why sales people are often attractive and why more attractive waiters and waitresses ...

Guest: Alicia Anaya

Welcome to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast where we provide our listeners with life hacks to leveling up in business, leveling up in your career, leveling up in your personal lives, and even leveling up in your relationships.  Why strive to be average, when you can be the best version of your self with the tools, tips and sometimes with the tricks that we provide in our discussions.

Last week you heard from Jules Johnson, in our episode titled, 'Managing Stress Like a Boss".  Jules, the Assistant District Attorney for Harris County in Houston TX discussed how he not only learned to live and excel in a stress-filled home growing up, but how he continues to manage stress effectively in his high-stress career as a attorney.

Today, we here to plan a murder.  We are here to discuss killing the procrastinator in you!  

We all have a little bit of procrastinator in us.  It begins when we are young with small unimportant tasks like "Go to Bed!"  As a child, we don't want to go to bed, so we ask for a glass of water.  We don't want to clean our room, so we watch television instead.  Usually, by the time a parent has had it, with the procrastination, they will typically direct you to complete the assignment and begrudgingly, you get it done.  

As we get older, the procrastination lingers with us.  In school, we put off assignments until the very last minute, or we study for a test while riding to school on the bus.  When we enter the work force, we put off tasks and responsibilities, like completing 1:1's because the thought of address performance doesn't excite us.  We put off changing the oil because we don't have 15 minutes to spend at Jiffy Lube, and we drive until the gas mileage display runs crashes below zero.  If your have ever done any of these things, chances are you have a procrastinator in you and we are going to put that sucker out of his misery. 

And here to discuss the pitfalls of procrastination is our guest and our incredible daughter, Alicia Anaya.  Hello Alicia!

Q: So, we know you very well, but tell our listeners how was it growing up as a military brat?

READ QUOTE:  William Arthur Ward says, "Begin while others are procrastinating.  Work while others are wishing."

The big question that is on my mind and should be on everyone else's mind as well, is WHY.  Why do we have a tendency to procrastinate?

The high-level answer is we procrastinate because we often rely on self control to get things done.  But our self control is highly reliant on our motivation.  When we lack motivation, then our self control suffers and we end up pushing tasks aside for more enjoyable activities.  Like napping.  Or watching TikToks.

Factors such as exhaustion, fatigue, hunger, anxiety, depression can all contribute to an overall lack of motivation and make you a chronic procrastinator.

When it comes to the 10 main factors that lead to procrastination, we find that this list consists of:

• Weak goals vs. SMART goals
• Failure to Visualize a Future Self
• Feeling Overwhelmed
• Anxiety
• Perfectionism
• Fear (Failure, Judgement, embarassment)
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Burnout
• Overtasked

So we have 14 hacks to killing the procrastinator in you.  These are 14 lethal steps that you can take to ensure that when you find yourself being impacted by either fatigue, fear or anxiety, in such as way that you begin to procrastinate, you will be able to maintain steadfast self control and motivation and get things done.

The first step is stop trying to eat the whole elephant in one sitting.  You don't have to complete a task from A to Z, especially when it's a large task.  It is sometimes better to break that task up into smaller parts.  If the project takes 8 hours to do, you can 2 hours on day 1, 2 hours on day 2 and so on and so forth.  This will reduce the stress of an 8 hour project and allow you to space it out over time and avoid procrastinating.

Q:  Have you ever tried this approach?  How did it work?  What did you learn?

Step 2 is make a list!  Having a checklist is how pilots fly the most complex aircraft in the world.  Having a list ensures you remain in sequence, allows you to check tasks off as they are completed.  They also ensure you never forget something.  It’s a great way to say sane when your have information coming at you from multiple angles.

Q: Do you use lists?  What do you like about using lists?  What are some of the lists you use to ensure you get stuff done on time?

Step 3 is find your Sacred Space of Success.  That's the place where you are able to focus and get stuff done.  If might be the office, the bedroom, maybe it's poolside or maybe the local Starbucks.  Where ever that magical place is that you get the most work done, go there and get it done.

Q:  Where is your Sacred Space of Success?

Step 4 develop a plan.  It's not enough to have a major task or project to get done.  You need to know each step required to reach the end goal and establish a timeline to accomplishing each task in a realistic time frame.  Having a plan is like having a GPS that directs you towards the fastest path to success.  Once you have a good plan, then execute that plan with self control and commitment.

Q: What was the last thing you planned?  How did that go?  Were you successful?  What failed?

Step 5 is eliminate distractions!  Email notifications, text messages and long winded talkers.  Get them out of your space.  Turn your notifications off.  Focus and concentrate and set specific intervals to check emails and text messages.

Q:  How do you manage distractions?  What are the worst distractions for you?

Step 6 is reduce your need to make decisions.  If you need to stop and decide something, you are losing time.  Instead set low priority tasks on autopilot.  For example, have a planned daily menu for lunch.  Monday's is Canes, Tuesday's is Chic-Fila and Wednesday's is Popeyes.  Thursday and Friday you bring a lunch.  This stops you from stopping and having to scroll through DoorDash looking for lunch options.

Q:  Are there any low priority tasks or decisions that you have automated in your life?  What things could you automate in your life?  How would that help you be more productive and procrastinate less?

Step 7 have a schedule and stick to it…as closely as you can.  Obviously emergencies are going to happen, but your days should be planned from start to finish.  This allows you to forecast your productive hours in the day, ensures you arrive at meetings and planned event son time and allows you to maximize your day without losing time.

Q:  Do you keep a schedule?  Would a schedule help you accomplish more things faster?  What are things you dislike from using schedul...

Guest: Jules Johnson

And we're back with Season 2, Episode Five of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  For those who missed our last episode, we had the chance to introduce and speak with AJ Franco, a very close friend of ours who discussed how to "Fake it Til You Make It".  AJ shared his personal success story and how he found a way to climb the corporate ladder, going from warehouse associate to General Manager of a Fortune 500 food distribution business. 

Today, we are here to discuss how to "Handle Stress Like a Boss"!  

Unmanaged stress is harmful.  Harmful to the point that your health can be impacted negatively.  Symptoms like headaches, backpain, fatigue, lack of sleep.  These things can wreak havoc on your body, cause you to have trouble concentrating and pull your focus away from critical tasks.  It can cause obesity, increase your blood pressure and lead to heart disease.  Yes, stress can literally kill you if you do not manage it.

Stressors come from a variety of directions in our day to day.  We experience stressors at out job, as we deal with critical deadlines, pressure to perform, and work volume as we all are forced to do more with less.  This includes 60, 70 and sometimes 80 hour work weeks.  Stressors come from our home lives with sick children , school and sporting events, family time and maintaining relationships with those we love.  Stressors come from our finances as we struggle to earn, save and manage our finances effectively.   Stressors come from our phones with constant news of war, police shootings, increasing crime statistics and inflation.  There is no shortage of stressors in our current day and age.

Your ability to handle stress is critical to your success.  

And to speak about handling stress like a boss, we have a very special guest today, Jules Johnson.  Welcome to the show Jules.

Jules definitely has a high-stress job.  As the Assistant District Attorney for the Harris County in Houston, Texas, Jules' primary focus is prosecuting police brutality complaints, police shootings and other police crimes.  With the level of coverage that we have seen when it comes to these unfortunate events, you can only imagine the level of stress that his job puts on his shoulders.

Q: Jules, did you grow up in Texas? 

Danzae (Dan-zay) Pace is quoted as saying, "stress is the trash of modern life.  We all generate it, but if you don't dispose of it properly, it will pile up and overtake your life".

It is important to understand the different methods available to us for managing and dealing with stress.  The more capable we are of managing our stress, the more we are able to get after our goals and objectives, and therefore, the higher the probability that we will achieve success.

To assist with that, we have 14 steps that you can take to assist you with handling stress.  The first step is to understand the signs of stress on your body.  Stress can present as:

• low energy or fatigue
• headaches
• insomnia
• changes in appetite
• digestive issues
• rapid heart rate
• sweating
• low self-esteem
• loss of sex drive
• frequent illnesses

Q: Have you ever experienced any of these symptoms associated with stress?  What was causing it?  How did you deal with it?  What was the outcome?  

The second step is to document or write down your stressors.  This is even more important if you are feeling stressed and can't truly pinpoint what the cause of that stress is.  Keeping a journal is a great way to identify your stressors and create a positive method for managing it.

Q:  Do you keep a journal?  Has it assisted with dealing with stress?  

The third step is to take time to re-energize and recharge.  Find an activity or an action that allows you to reset your internal batteries.  This can be going to the gym, training jiu jitsu, going for a drive, reading a book, writing poetry.  What ever it is for you, find that thing that allows you to ground yourself in the present and reset yourself.

Q: What do you do to reset and recharge?

The fourth step is to manage your time properly.  Poor time management is a huge contributor to stress.  There is nothing more stressful than running late for an important event, or missing a critical deadline.  Being able to manage your time will greatly assist you in minimizing your stress.  

Q:  What do you do to help with time management?  Are you a procrastinator? 

The fifth step is to find work life balance.  When your work life balance is out of whack, the portion that is under supported can contribute to your stressors.  This is always easier said than done.  Being deliberate in managing overtime, scheduling personal time, and managing your time to ensure you keep track of important dates, appointments and scheduled activities will all help in reducing stressors from your work and personal life.

Q: How do you manage work life balance in your current role?  Is this something that you struggle with?  Are there times when you've had to sacrifice one over the other?  How did that work out?  

The sixth step is to learn to view the cup as half full as opposed to half empty.  Words are powerful.  Negative words will result in negative feelings.  Learn to put a positive perspective on those things that may initially appear to be negative.  For example, if you have to work late and will not be home to cook dinner, you can call you significant other and invite them to dinner out, or offer to pick up dinner on the way home.  Instead of looking at challenges as problems view them as opportunities to stretch and challenge yourself.

Q: Are you an optimist or a pessimist?  Is that something you think you can change?  How does that impact how you feel and handle stress?  Ho does that impact those around you?

The seventh step is have a power circle. You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time around.  Creating a strong power circle can make a world of difference.  Your power circle should be made up of friends and family who add value to your life.  They should be good influences, be strong moral compasses, and be honest with you when giving feedback and offering advice.  Anyone who blocks your shine, doesn't add value or is a negative influence or brings negativity into your circle should be removed.  

Q:  Do you have a power circle?  Who are the top 3 individuals in your circle and why have you chosen them?  Have you ever had to eliminate someone from your circle or needed to and couldn't?  Why?  How did that play out?  How did that impact your trajectory?

The eighth step is to remember to self-care.  This means taking care of yourself.  The eight dimension of wellness are:

• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Intellectual
• Physical
• Environmental
• Financial
• Oc...

And we're back with Season 2, Episode Four of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  For those who missed our last episode, we discussed Embracing the Suck, where Professor Minh Nguyen, a 3rd Degree Taekwondo and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt discussed how he learned to embrace the suck in his pursuit of not only mastering one, but two martial arts, and how he continues to do this as the owner of Aspire Brazilian Jiu Jitsu School, an affiliate of the Pablo Silva Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school, where Crystal and I both train and compete.

In life, you'll find that not everything is going to go according to plan.  The reality is that shit happens. The plan you had at 15 is not the plan you have at 21, and it is not going to be the plan that you have at 30.  Why?  Because shit happens.  The one definite thing you can depend on is that shit is going to happen.  And when it does, your success depends 100% on how you pivot from that thing that has derailed you.

This is where most people fail.  Your inability to side step a challenge, your inability to get passed a road block, your inability to overcome an obstacle, derails you in a way where you find yourself spiraling, making bad decision after bad decision, until you finally hit rock bottom.  But this doesn't have to be your story.

So, you lost job? Okay, time to find a new opportunity. A side hustle.  Oh, your car got repossessed? Okay, time to learn public transportation and find out who your real friends are.  Damn, your home got foreclosed on, okay, time to find a roommate.  None of this changes the fact that it's not time to stop and lick your wounds.  It's not time to cry about what could have been and it's not time to whine about it.  It's time to side step, pivot in a new direction and keep it moving.

In some instances, especially when something catastrophic happens you can find yourself needing to pivot into a role that you are unfamiliar with.  And when this happens, you will need to fake it 'til you make it.  That doesn't mean lie on your resume.  It doesn't mean, pretend you're something that you are not.  It doesn't mean, apply for a job you're not qualified for.  What it does mean, is figure out what you need to be successful in this new position you find yourself in, and do what you need to do to become successful.

This might mean that you need to learn a new skill, like carpentry or welding.  And although you may be 40 years old and just graduated from welding school, you need to fake the confidence of a 20 year veteran welder when you apply for that new welding position, until being a veteran welder becomes your reality.

Maybe you just left the military and you're looking for a corporate executive job.  Fake it 'til you make it, means dress the part, speak the lingo, exude the confidence of a corporate executive, until it becomes your reality.  

Maybe you just got out of prison where you spent the last 8 - 10 years paying your dues to society and now your looking for a way to provide for your family.  Fake it 'til you make it means, developing the job skills necessary to create a career, find a mentor who can teach you a path and learn as much as you can, take every opportunity given and do the job assigned to you better than everyone around you, until you are so fucking undeniable in your skillset that being the best is your reality. 

Today we are here to discuss how to Fake it Until You Make, and we have a special guest and a very good friend of ours.  AJ Franco.  For those of you meeting AJ for the very first time, AJ is a Supply Chain leader and executive currently residing and working in Northern CA where he leads a Fortune 500 grocery distribution center.  AJ is no stranger to the concept of faking it until you make it and has had his fair share of "shit happening".

Paulo Coelho has been quoted as saying "You must be the person you have never had the courage to be. Gradually, you will discover that you are that person, but until you can see this clearly, you must pretend and invent."

 
Does Paulo's approach to faking it seem dishonest or sneaky?

When we discuss the act of faking it, what we are truly focusing on is your ability to be confident in an environment where you lack confidence.  We have all been in a situation where we have found ourselves under-prepared and not fully confident in either our preparation, our capabilities, or our knowledge.  When we do find our selves in these types of situations, it important to find that confidence intrinsically.  So when should you not fake it?

• When you lack knowledge or credentials to perform a job
• When you are required to be deceitful or dishonest.
• If you are creating a visual representation of success that is beyond your financial situation
• If you are creating an environment that will be unsafe or dangerous

  Have you ever faked it when you shouldn't have?  How did that work out?  What did you learn from it?

Confidence impacts the way others view you.  The way others interact with you and it impacts the way you see yourself.  You are capable of manipulating your brain to think of yourself as more confident.  This rewiring can have a long lasting impact and become second nature for you as you become more and more confident.  We are going to provide you with the 15 ways to level up your confidence so that you too can fake it until you make it. 

Has a lack of confidence ever held you back from achieving a goal or accomplishing an objective?

The first method is one of my go-to favorites.  Its Power Posing.  You get the opportunity to harness one of your super heroes!  Using positive and empowering body language, like power posing, you are able to get over your fears and stressors.  This can happen when you find yourself in a new and an uncertain environment.  It is a great way to exude and boost confidence.  

Power posing was made popular after Amy Cuddy, a Social Psychologist who conducted a Ted Talk where she shared scientific evidence that substantiated that power posing can build confidence and enhance self esteem.  Although today, some psychologist have challenged Amy's findings, they all agree that there is an impact on a person mentally, even if physiologically, there is not much of a change.

The second is doing something that you are great at.  It is possible that there will be times in your life when your confidence will waiver of dip.  This happens when you're underprepared for meeting, or you get caught off guard by a question.  Don't allow that uncomfortable feeling to linger longer than it has too.  Go and do something that you are great at and remind yourself that although you don't have the answer to every question, you are good at a lot of things.

Have you been in a situation where you lost confidence and how did you recover from it?  What caused the confidence loss?  

Thirdly,  is maintain eye contact.  It is a dead giveaway that your confidence is lacking when you have difficulty making or maintaining eye contact.  If maintaining direct eye contact begins to make you uncomfortable or uneasy, a good method to fake it, is to focus on the person's nose o...

Welcome back! Thank you for tuning in for another Undeniable Level Up podcast episode with your hosts, Jose Medina and Crystal Garcia. Today, we have invited a special guest, Minh Nguyen. Welcome Minh.

Minh is the owner of Aspire Jiu Jitsu, based in Houston Texas and is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Professor and Black Belt.  Minh has trained under Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion, Professor Pablo Silva and operates as an affiliate of the Pablo Silva BJJ school which focuses and specializes in competitive BJJ for both children and adult competitors.

In our last episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast, we discussed getting out of your comfort zone.  And in that podcast we discussed how we got into BJJ a little over a year ago, which has definitely taken us outside of our comfort zones as we dove head first into learning a martial arts and began competing at a national level in BJJ.

Today, we are going to learn how to “Embracing the Suck!” 

Q: Have you ever heard this term before? What does it mean to you?

If you’ve never heard this term before, it was a term that I first heard in the military when referring to the most miserable experiences that you go through while in the military.  If you were out in the field for training and it began raining, “Good, embrace the suck”.  If you were on a deployment and found out you are being extended, “Good, embrace the suck!”  It basically means: To consciously accept or appreciate something that is extremely unpleasant but unavoidable.

It is a term that basically encourages you to take the worst and most demoralizing part of your current experience and embrace it.  Love the process, don’t quit, don’t give up and find the good in your experience.

But before we get too deep into our topic…

Q: Can you begin at the beginning.  Where are you from and where did you grow up? How did you get into martial arts?  Is BJJ the only martial arts background that you have?  Have you always had a dream to open your own dojo?  

I’m sure there have been moments in your journey where you’ve had to learn to embrace the suck, where you’ve had to learn to love the process and find value, growth and strength in the journey.  

In the words of AJ Jacobs, “Accept failure. Enjoy it, even. Embrace the suck, for the suck is part of the process.”

PLAY: Clip by Admiral William McCraven “Don’t Ever Ring the Bell!” 

NEVER QUITTING! I think of all of my uncomfortable sucky moments where I may have felt broken or defeated but charged forward anyway. 

I have a tattoo that says, “A champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, and at the point of exhaustion when no one is watching.”

I got this tattoo as a reminder to myself of the courage I have had to bear my soul, learn, and grow in the most challenging and excruciating parts of my journey in life. Everyone sees the winner, the champion, the elite… but few know what the journey entailed.

With everything going on in the world today, there is enough suck in our lives to go around so that everyone gets their fair share.  Whether it’s COVID19 restrictions, supply chain disruptions and port congestion, or unemployment and inflation, it is important that you don’t allow the suck to stop you from achieving success.  And to assist with that, we are going to provide 8 steps that you can take to ensure you are able to fully embrace the suck, overcome temporary pain and face adversity with resilience and achieve success.

The first step, you must figure it out. There is a solution to every problem.  For every obstacle you must either go around it, over it, under it or through it.  In BJJ there is a defense move for every offensive move, that will allow you to win the fight.  Sometimes, the answer isn’t immediately obvious, but with training and repetition and by placing yourself in these tough and challenging situations, you are able to build the muscle memory and the reflex to execute the proper response quickly.

Step two, quiting is never an option.  Ringing the bell, is never an option.  You must perservere.  As long as you continue to place one foot in front of the other, and you continue to move forward, persistency and consistency will see you through the worst of it all.

Q: Have you ever felt like quitting at BJJ?  At anything in life?  What allowed you to fight through that moment of weakness or self-doubt?  What words of wisdom would you give to a young…or old, new BJJ practitioner who is going through the suck right now?

Q: How has your mindset changed having not “rang the bell?”  How has your life changed?  Have you ever had to encourage or remind someone to not quit?

PLAY: Clip by David Goggins “Embrace the Suck!” 

Q: Another great example from another military guy.  Obviously, a lot of suck to embrace in the military.  What are thoughts on David’s speech? 

Step three, create the calluses of mental toughness.  The more you do something the easier it gets for you to continue doing it.  This applies the same to your mental toughness as it does to lifting weights, or the pain you feel in your hands when you first begin in BJJ.

Q:  Where have you had to build mental toughness and psychological calluses?

Step four, do the things that suck when it is least optimal.  It is easy to got to BJJ when you’ve had plenty of sleep and your back doesn’t hurt.  It’s easy to go work out at the gym when you’re well rested and hydrated.  It’s easy to go for a walk or a run when the weather is perfect outside.  Do these same things when it’s not optimal.  Go to BJJ when your toe is broken or you have a fractured spine.  I did.  Go to the gym when you’ve only had 2 hours of sleep and are cutting 5 pound of water weight for a competition.  Go for a run when it’s pouring rain and the weather is south of 60 degrees.  This is where resiliency is developed.

Q:  Where do you struggle with this concept?  Why do you think you struggle?

Step five, fix your face and your attitude.  It’s what my mom used to tell me when I was younger.  When you have something challenging to do, something that you find difficult or challenging, change your attitude about it.  The more you complain about it, the more you will dread.  Change the narrative by changing the internal dialogue.  The more you do this, the less suck you find you must embrace.

Q: Have you’ve ever found a bad attitude to be part of your problem when dealing with a crappy situation?

Step six, be the best version of yourself.  Would the best version of you quit?  Would the best version of you procrastinate or make an excuse to avoid a challenge?  If the answer is no, then get it done.

Q: What does the best version of you look like and how do you manifest this version of yourself?

Step seven, build a routine.&nbs...

Bonus Episode

Leveling Up Your Emotional Intelligence

Welcome back! We are happy that you have tuned in to the Undeniable Level Up Podcast with your hosts, Jose Medina and Crystal Garcia. This bonus episode will help you level up your emotional intelligence. Understanding personalities and how they differ is paramount to increasing your emotional intelligence. Just like us, we know that you have experienced interactions where you were left feeling confused by the other individual’s reaction to you or maybe even the situation itself. 

Prepare to be enlightened today! Emotional intelligence is key to leading successfully and even living successfully.

According to Travis Bradberry, “Emotional intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.”

Q: What are your thoughts on this description of emotional intelligence? 

Though this description is accurate it’s missing the inclusion of how personality plays into this.  Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character. Part of being emotionally intelligent is understanding the individual’s response(s) in relationship to their personality. 

Q: What are your thoughts on the importance of personality in being emotionally intelligent?

Well for starters there is a misconception that being emotionally intelligent is strictly about reading emotions and it’s not. An individual’s personality determines not only how but why they will respond in various ways. If you know and understand personality differences at the most basic level, you can increase your emotional intelligence immediately. This increase in your emotional intelligence allows you to confront interactions almost like you have received a full brief prior to that interaction. 

Q: So what are the different personalities?

I am sure most people are aware that there are a multitude of personality tests and styles. However for the purposes of this podcast , we are going to utilize the easiest and most basic personality identification model DISC. Each letter of the DISC model signifies one of the four personality types. 

D (Dominant) – Red

I (Influential) – Yellow

S (Steady) – Green

C (Conscientious) – Blue

So, we are going to break down each personality. As we do this, think about what personality you are. Think about the personalities of those you interact with. 

We will start this off with what I refer to as a, “red.” The D or dominant personality trait. Famous people with this personality are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Oprah Winfrey

▪ Communication Method - Direct  

▪ Emotional Intelligence – High (they are able to recognize and draw out potential in others)

▪ Value

o Achievement – achieve results and are competitive

o Action – take action quick

o Control – they will take charge

▪ Their Drive

o Desire to Win

o Doing Something Meaningful

o Goal Orientation

▪ Their Motivators

o Challenges – solving problems

o Implementations/Changes – Implementing new things, adapting to changes

▪ Challenges

o Aggressive – They can be aggressive

o Details – They do not like details, they see them as unnecessary

o Pushy – they can seem pushy because they do not give up and believe there is a way around anything

o Sensitivity – due to their value in action and achievement they can come off as being insensitive

o Type “A” – like to take credit and may come off as “know it alls”

Connecting with a red requires for you to:

▪ Allow them to make their own decisions

▪ Ask them if you want insight into their decisions, they will tell you

▪ Promote competition

▪ Recognize them in front of others

▪ Utilize BLUF (bottom line up front) when communicating with them “Meat & Potatoes”

The I or Influential personality is what we will refer to as a yellow. Famous people with this personality are Kevin Hart and Robin Williams.

▪ Communication Method – Passive (tends to avoid conflict)

▪ Emotional Intelligence – Low (they connect and build relationships easily)

▪ Value

o Attention – they are energized by people and love attention

o Connection – they like to connect to many people

o Image – they dress to be noticed and care about their image

▪ Their Drive

o Connecting with others

o Image

▪ Their Motivators

o Connection – they are moved by personal stories

o Fun & Happiness – they like things fun, when its not fun they get bored

o Social Recognition – they love social recognition

▪ Challenges

o Attention – they have a short attention span

o Avoidance – they avoid pain rather its physical or emotional

o Boredom – they bore easily and quickly

o Follow Through – if its boring or no longer interesting they will stop doing it

Connecting with a yellow requires for you to:

▪ Be enthusiastic when you communicate new things

▪ Follow-up with them

▪ Make things fun when possible

▪ Reward them

▪ Support them

▪ Tie changes to image

The S or Steady personality is what we will refer to as a green. Famous people with this personality are Nelson Mandela and Julia Roberts.

▪ Communication Method

o Passive (w/ passive aggressive tendencies)

o Calm (avoids conflict)

▪ Emotional Intelligence – Low (they require clear and concise information and guidance)

▪ Value

o Collaboration – they like working in groups

o Formal Roles – they like formal roles in activities

o Support – they like to both give and receive support

▪ Their Drive

o Desire to “help”

o Desire to make a difference

▪ Their Motivators

o Appreciation for “help”

o Given the opportunity to help make a difference

▪ Challenges

o Blame – they often blame other for their situation

o Change – they do not like change

o Collaboration – they are reluctant to share without total comfort

o Decision Making – they do not take sides (they like to make everyone happy)

o Emotional Intelligence – they often misread what is said or done

o Emotions – they respond and lead emotionally

o Focus – they can’t handle numerous tasks

o Motivators – they will not take responsibility for others motivators

o Time Management – they take their time with tasks; often unorganized

Connecting with a green requires for you to:

▪ Encourage them / to complete projects

▪ Help them explore ways to save energy, time, and money

▪ Question them to gain insight into what they need

▪ Show them appreciation for their contributions

▪ Show them the necessity for change

▪ When faced with decisions, ensure they understand the responsibility i...

Jose & Crystal here and we are back with Episode 202 of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  In our last episode we discussed the sacrifices that are required to achieve success.  If you missed it, please go and listen to it now by clicking on the "last episode" hyperlink.  We heard a moving story from Steve Harvey about how he sacrificed for his chance at comedy stardom after his first open mic on stage and the truth is, most of us haven't really considered the sacrifices that are required to make our dreams a reality.  So I definitely encourage you to check out that podcast.  

Today we are exploring the edge of your comfort zone!  For some of you, you have gotten so comfortable that you've resorted to NEVER getting out of that comfort zone.  But that's where life begins!!!  At the edge.  Right where fear turns your stomach and anxiety pulls you back from the edge, this is where the magic happens.

Roy Bennet wrote in 'The Light in the Heart', "It's only after you've stepped out of your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform".  

Q: Do you agree or disagree with Bennet?

It is extremely easy to get stuck in your comfort zone.  Some even refer to it as being "stuck in a rut".  If you've experienced this before, you know exactly what this feels like.  Your day is the same old routine, day in, day out.  Nothing changes.  You wake up, get the kids ready for school, you go to work, you come home and make dinner.  Spend a few minutes helping the kids with homework, a little Netflix and then its off to bed and the routine repeats the next day.  And then the next and then the next.  At some point you wonder how 10 - 15 years have just passed without any excitement, no growth and a deep dark depressing boredom that you wear along with your now permanent frown.  

But this doesn't have to be your reality, right?  The very first step to change is realizing that you need to make a change.  So how do you know if you are stuck in your comfort zone and need to begin exploring the edge a little more.

Casey Imafidon, from Lifehack, provides us with 8 signs that indicate it's time for you to take leap out of your comfort zone.  If any of these signs resonate in your heart, then it's time to begin to expand your comfort zone and go from being alive to actually living:

The first indicator that you are stuck in your comfort zone is that you are unhappy.  Many times it's difficult to identify what exactly is making you unhappy. 

Q: Have you ever found yourself feeling deeply unhappy and feeling like you are stuck in rut?  How did you handle it?  What things did you do to implement changes?

The next indicator is a profound feeling of self doubt.  You either don't think you can accomplish much, you feel like you peaked in life or have an overwhelming sense of feeling incapable of more than you are currently doing.  That could be working a dead end job and not feeling like you are worth of a promotion, or maybe you are trying to get in shape, but feel like you're too old to really make the transformation you want.

Q: Have you ever found yourself second guessing your ability to achieve a goal or an objective?

The next indicator is that you are living a stagnant life.  Meaning there is no movement in your life.  Everyday seems still and eventless.  You might be accomplishing mundane tasks that do not add value or excitement to your life.

Q: Have you ever found yourself in a stagnate state?  What put you there?  How did you get out?

The next indicator is that you can't recall the last time you did or tried something new.  Your day to day has become so mundane that your zest for learning and growth has all but vanished.

Q: When was the last time you tried something new?  How have you enjoyed it?  What challenges did you face?

The next indicator is that you have nothing to talk about.  When you are around others, you are the least exciting person in the room.  You are amazed by the lives and stories of others and can't imagine doing half of the things that the people around you are doing.

Q:  Have you ever been the least exciting person in a room?

The next indicator is that you constantly say "NO' to anything you've never done before.  Rather than try something new, you prefer to stay in that flaccid state of inactivity and non-action.

Q: When was the last time you said NO to trying something new?  Why?  Do you regret it?  Would you do it now?

The next indicator is that you procrastinate on taking action.  You want to learn how to dance Salsa, and you will as soon as you lose 30 pounds.  Or you always wanted to learn how to ride horses, and you plan to, as soon as the kids are grown up and move out of the house.  

Q:  What types of things have you wanted to accomplish but continue to procrastinate on?  How will you change your behavior?  

Finally, you often use the words "IF' and "WHEN" to excuse your current state of comfort.  Negative words like "CANT" and "WONT" are common in your vocabulary.  "I WON'T jump out of plane because I am afraid of heights", or "I'm NOT going diving because I CAN'T swim well".

Q: What type of negative self talk do you use or have you used in the past?  How have you changed the narrative of your self talk?  How has that reflected in your choices?

So what do you do if you find yourself stuck in that comfort zone?  Well, there are several different things that you can do to get yourself unstuck.  And we are going to give you 12 different things you can do to turbo boost yourself out of that nasty yucky comfort zone.

The first one can be challenging.  But it involves understanding how you body handles and responds to fear.  I've found myself in some very scary situations and so I know exactly how my body responds to fear and I also know how to control my reactions to fear.  Understanding how you manage and deal with fear allows you to control the stress that you'll encounter as you begin leaving your comfort zone.

Q: How do you respond to fear?  Have you always responded this way.

Second is self affirmations.  And if you haven't listened to the Undeniable Level Up podcast, Season 1, Bonus Episode 3, "I am a Champion" The Power of Positive Affirmations" then please go listen it to it now.  This is a great way to help you edge out of your comfort zone.

The third, is change your internal dialogue and control your narrative.  You can tell yourself, this is too hard to endure, or you can say, "I've got this, I've been through tougher situations".  Controlling your narrative will allow you to put thing...

What is going on!!!  We are back to another episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  In our last episode, we provided our listeners with several methods, tricks of the trade, to organizing your lives.  Let's face it, for most us, this is the primary blocker stopping us from achieving success.  If you missed that episode, I encourage you to go back and have a listen.  It was our last episode of our 1st season.

Today, as we jump head first into our first episode of our 2nd season, we are here to discuss success and whether or no success requires sacrifice.    

READ: Tonic Motihala says "There is no success without sacrifice".  

Q: How do you feel about Tonic's statement? Do you believe that success requires sacrifice?

If success were easy, then we would all be successful.  In order to achieve success, we often find ourselves in conflict between choices and options.  Do we pursue those tasks which bring us closer to our goals and objectives, or do we take it easy and relax.  Watch TV or take a nap?  These are often options, where we become conflicted between what we want to do versus what we need to do.    

Some common decisions include do I sleep in, or do I get my lazy butt out of bed and go to the gym?  Do I go home early or do I stay late at work and finish that project my boss needs in the morning.  Do I buy that new sports car, or do I invest my money in a new business venture?

These are all decisions that can make the difference between being successful and not being successful.

The goals and objectives you are trying to achieve will not just magically manifest themselves in your life.  You have to make sacrifices towards those goals and objectives to truly manifest them.  This is how you create momentum towards achieving your desires.  This could present in the form of giving something up, such as time, money or energy.  You might have to sacrifice one, two or all of these things to achieve your goals and become successful.

One of the biggest sacrifices often required for achieving success is changing who you are as a person, versus who you need to be, to achieve success.

Q: Have you ever had to change yourself to achieve success?  What did that look like?  How did others accept or not accept that change in you? Who was hurt by that change?  Who supported you?

It is quite possible that you may have to completely change who you are to achieve your desired goals and objectives.  Some questions that you can ask yourself when you self assessing as to whether you need to make personal changes are:

• What values must I change to achieve this goal?
• Would any of my deal breaker values being negatively impacted by trying to achieve success?
• What habits or activities must I sacrifice to achieve success?
• What does my goals demand I change about myself?
• Can I make those changes?
• Am I willing to make those changes?

Q: How have you changed as a person from who you were before you were successful to who you are now?  Was this change positive or negative looking back?

Often times making a sacrifice means giving up something good for something better.  This often requires foregoing that instant gratification that we've all gotten use too.  It's giving up that short-term pleasure for that long term gain.  It's the "No Pain, No Gain" mentality of sacrificing now for a huge payback later.

Q: What sacrifices have you had to make for long term gains?  Do you regret making these sacrifices?  

Many times, what detracts you from reaching success are distractions.  Distractions are activities, events and even people that take you off course from your desired objective and move you further away from achieving success.  These things can give you temporary pleasure, but leave you unfulfilled.  Things like television, parties, a lover.  All of these things can become a distractor towards achieving your goals.

Q: What distractions have you had to overcome to achieve success?  Was it hard to overcome these distractions?  How did you manage to eliminate these distractions?

Many times we will find people who want to achieve success but refuse to make the necessary compromises or sacrifices to achieve that success.  As a result, they remain stuck in their situation.  They often attempt to rationalize that failure by blaming those around them for their lack of success.  They say things like "I should have gotten that promotion", or "he/she was lucky they invested when they did", or "I don't have the knowledge to start my own business".  These are just excuses made by those who are not willing to sacrifice to achieve something greater than their current situation.

Making a sacrifice is never easy.  If you have been struggling with making some necessary sacrifices to achieve success, we are going to provide you with the six (6) steps that you need to take to determine if you're ready to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve success.  The first step is:

• STEP 1 - Provide clarity of your goal or objective.  What is it you really want.  Why do you want it?  Is it in alignment with your values and your WHY?  Do your values and your WHY need to be adjusted?

Q: Have you even had to adjust your values to reach an objective or goal?  If so, was it difficult?  Were you able to sustain the change?  Did others accept your new values?

• STEP 2 - Create a plan.  Define the roadmap to achieving your objective.  What exactly do you need to do to achieve your goals.  

• STEP 3 - Consider the repercussions.  What will be the fallout of your sacrifice?  Is it worthy?  Will it violate your values?  Will it go against your WHY?  How will it impact your life?  How will it impact the life of your family?  Your spouse?  What conflict will arise from this sacrifice?  Will it impact you emotionally? Financially?  Morally?

• STEP 4 - What changes do you need to make in your life to reduce the impact of the repercussions?  Do you need to adjust your circle? Do you need to make changes to your life?  Do you need to make personal changes?

• STEP 5 - Make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success.  Are these sacrifices enough.  Are you having to sacrifice more than you bargained for?

• STEP 6 - Assess whether or not these sacrifices are worth making?  You can do this by looking at your values and your WHY and determining if they are negatively impacted by your sacrifice.

When considering making sacrifices, it is easy to get tunnel vision and focus on short term impact without fully understanding the long term impact of your sacrifices.  For example, if you need to sacrifice time away from your young children for the next 10 years, you may think that you'll still have time to spend with them once you achieve success, but the relationships may be damaged beyond repair.  It is important that you consid...

Back again!!!  With another episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  Last week we covered the importance of not confusing motion for action.  We shared 11 rules to help you avoid getting caught up and lost in motion, so that you are able to take deliberate action.  This is important to ensure that you are able to accomplish your goals and objectives and get after winning.

If you're just joining us for the first time today, I invite you to go back and listen to some of our earlier podcast where we cover some important topics having to do with leadership, entrepreneurship and business.  Topics that include Finding Your WHY, Living your values, Defining Success and our favorite, Extreme Ownership.

Today, we are going to focus on how to Organize your Life.  And I say life because there are many of you who like Crystal and I, live in constant motion, moving from one set of activities to another requiring different tools in each subset in order to remain efficient and as productive as possible.  This could include being organized as a single or dual income parent, while being organized at work, while being organized in health and fitness, while being organized in your business or side hustle.  Each group of activities require varying degrees of organization to ensure the best possible outcome.   This ensures that you are capable of getting the most done with the time that you have available.  

Read Quote: Christina Scalise says "Organization isn't about perfection, it's about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money and improving your overall quality of life."

Q: Do you agree with Christina, that organization isn't about perfection?  What are your thoughts on organization?

It is possible to have organization in one aspect of your life and not in others.  For example, you might be very organized at work but struggle to find that same organization at home.

There are many reasons why someone might find themselves disorganized and overwhelmed in one or multiple aspects of their lives.  The first could be lack of focus.  According to NBC News, there is evidence suggesting that having too much visual stimulus can cause your attention to falter.  If your home is cluttered and there is too much stimulus you may find productivity at home to be poor as your attention bounces between stimuli.  Some happens if your work desk is cluttered and there's papers all over the desk top.

Q: How have you found working from home?  What have you done to combat an inability to focus?  How does clutter affect your ability to be productive?

Another reason for disorganization in your life is that you are constantly procrastinating .  Telling yourself that you will do it later instead of just getting it done now.  You continue to put if off and eventually it gets done late, or worse, it never gets done at all.  This could be as simple as throwing that full laundry basket of laundry into the washer or meal prepping for the week.  Delaying certain tasks eventually result in a build up of competing requirements against your very limited resources of time.

Q: What things do you typically procrastinate on?  How do you avoid procrastinating?

A third reason for disorganization in your life comes from having unrealistic expectations.  Having unrealistic expectations can cause you to get stuck, causing work to backlog creating poor efficiency and causing disorganization.  At home, this might present as, "I can't go the gym unless the house is completely clean".  Or at work as, "I must read every single email and respond by the end of the day". 

Q: Have unrealistic expectations ever impacted your ability to get or remain organized?  

A fourth cause of disorganization is having too many distractions.  At home, this could be the kids, the television, the spouse.  Too many distractions pulling you away from what you have planned to do, intend to do or need to do.  This includes competing priorities and difficulty with prioritizing.

Q: How do you prioritize so that you get the right things done at the right time?  How do you handle distractions?

Finally, an inability to make a decision can result in disorganization.  Getting stuck in analysis paralysis and data diving, when you should be making a decision.

Q: How do you make decisions at home versus work?  What about Business?

Read Quote: Someone way more intelligent than I once said "For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned.

In today's environment, the world moves at lightening speed.  To keep up with the demand on your time, you have to be organized, and have good organizational skills.  I have seen smart and talented individuals fail due to the simple fact that they were disorganized.  

Being disorganized can cause difficulties in your personal life, wreaking havoc on you finances due to late or missed payments on bills, living outside of your financial means, due to not tracking expenses, missing important dates for family members such as birthdays, anniversaries and graduations.  The list could go on.

Q: How have you organized your life?  How do you do it as a single parent in the military?  As a business owner?

Being disorganized can also damage your professional life as well.  Being disorganized reduces your efficiency in the work place, driving down your productivity and costing you time and your employer money.  No one appreciates a cluttered work space.  Having to hunt for reports, filings and other critical documents can cause you to be viewed as unreliable and disorganized.

Q: How have you organized in your past job positions?  What has worked best?  What would you recommend to others seeking advice?

Being disorganized can negatively impact your aspirations in health and fitness.  Many of us have competing obligations and are often squeezing in health and fitness on the backend of our schedules, conducting these critically important tasks only when time permits, but then it never really does, does it?  So you end up skipping that work out, or not eating that healthy meal that you prepped, and now you are having to eat out.  

The Mayo Clinic conducted a study that showed disorganized people have more anxiety and stress in their lives.  This increases exhaustion levels and is displayed in physical ailments such as headaches and backaches.

Q: How have you organized your fitness objectives so that they were made a priority?  How have you done that while serving? 

Being disorganized as a business owner is a surefire way to end up with a failed business concept...

1. Intro: 

We are back with another episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  Last week we covered why rules are for stupid people.  We shared some personal examples where this philosophy applied in our lives and we heard about multiple CEO's and very successful businesses that operate from the "Rules are for Stupid People" philosophy as well.

Today, we are going to talk about action.  And why we should NEVER confuse motion for action.

Gandhi states that "A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do. Nothing else."

Q: What is the difference between motion and action?

Motion is being or looking busy regardless of what you are doing, but what is being done will never produce an outcome by itself. Action, is the behavior that garners a result.

Benjamin Franklin also says "Never confuse motion with action"

There have often been roadblocks and obstacles that have prevented me from taking action based on a desired objective or outcome.  Whether its been to finish college, start a business or retire from the military, I have found myself confused between motion and action and so I have wasted tremendous amounts of time and energy going through the motions.

Action, as defined by Crystal, is the behavior that ends in a desired result or achievement of a goal or objective.  Motion is just expended energy.  Wasted energy.  A perfect example can be seen when I was working on finishing my Masters degree.  I kept procrastinating by starting pointless projects, focusing my attention on everything except finishing the degree and as a result, I wasn't done with it when I retired, which was my goal.  To others, it looked like I was really busy. I was doing taxes for family members, starting small businesses, coaching others to start small businesses and overall wasting a bunch of time and energy.

If you want to save time and energy, we are going to give you the 11 rules you need to follow to ensure that you are not confusing motion for action and getting the right things done.   

Number 1: Always do the hardest or most important task for the day FIRST! Do no procrastinate on the hard things.

Q: Do you follow this philosophy? Why do you think this works or doesn't work?  What other criteria do you put on this rule

Number 2: Practice extreme ownership.  Own your successes and your failures and never pass the buck.

If you haven't had the chance to listen to our episode on Extreme Ownership, I encourage to check it out, It is Episode 9 of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast with a short excerpt from Ex-Navy Seal, Jocko Willink.  Definitely a great message about extreme ownership.

Number 3: Begin with baby steps.  If it's something that is hard to do or you don't feel like doing it, break it down into smaller more manageable steps and if you have the luxury of time, spread out it out over time to make it easier to swallow.

Q: Have you ever had a project or task so big you had to break it down into smaller parts to get it done?

Number 4: Be compassionate with yourself.  Be kind and encouraging to yourself.

Q: How are you compassionate with yourself when executing tough projects or tasks?

Number 5: Constantly re-focus on your WHY and your Values.  These should get you off the couch when you lacking in motivation and feeling like procrastinating.

Q: How often do you focus on your WHY and your values?  What does this look like?  

Number 6: Create accountability.  If you can't hold yourself accountable, then create a process or system to hold you accountable.

Q: Have you ever had to create an accountability process for yourself?  What did that look like?  Did it work?  Why did it or did it not work?

Number 7:  Create work life balance.  Take time to completely shut work off so that you are rested enough to focus fully when your back on the grind.

Q: How do you balance between work and life?

Number 8:  Be confident.  Lack of confidence will have you over analyzing and over-preparing and wasting time.

Q:  How has lack of confidence impacted your work on projects or important tasks?

Number 9:  Sustain your enthusiasm.  Sometimes our initial energy for a project or task begins to die as the task or project becomes extended.  Re-engage that enthusiasm by having a partner to re-engage you, listen to podcasts about the topic or read a book about the topic.

Q:  How do you sustain your enthusiasm especially on really prolonged projects?

Number 10:  Have fun.

Q: How do you make projects or tasks more fun?

Number 11:  Celebrate the small victories!

Q: How do you celebrate your small victories?

Read:  For those of you still finding it a challenge to tell the difference between motion and action, James Clear, author of The Mistake Smart People Make: Being in Motion versus Taking Action provides the following examples of motion versus action:

• If I outline 20 ideas for articles I want to write, that’s motion. If I actually write and publish an article, that’s action.
• If I email 10 new leads for my business and start conversations with them, that’s motion. If they actually buy something and turn into a customer, that’s action.
• If I search for a better diet plan and read a few books on the topic, that’s motion. If I actually eat a healthy meal, that’s action.
• If I go to the gym and ask about getting a personal trainer, that’s motion. If I actually step under the bar and start squatting, that’s action.
• If I study for a test or prepare for a research project, that’s motion. If I actually take the test or write my research paper, that’s action.

Guys and Gals, it's time to level up and stop allowing motion to detract us from actually accomplishing our goals and objectives.  Begin understanding that in order to move the ball forward, you need to take decisive and deliberate action.  Stop planning, preparing, scheduling, researching and saving and start doing.  

 .

If you have been thinking about going back to school, enroll today.  If you have been thinking about starting a business, register your business now.  If you've been seeing that cute guy or girl, approach him or her today. 

Motion isn't enough to get the job done.  Take action and achieve succe...

The "I am a Champion" speech can be found at the following link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX39J_YyKbs

BONUS #2

Success P.I.E. focus on the fact that performance is not enough to get you promoted or to have you advance in your current role.  If you are looking to get ahead and grow in your role, you need to understand P.I.E.  Performance, Image and Exposure.  Performance is only 10% of your ability to advance.  Image is another 30%.  That leave exposure with a whopping 60%.  If you are doing all the right things, but no one who can influence your advance is catching wind of the great things that you are doing, then it is very likely that you will not advance.

This is how some insecure bosses keep you from leveling up beyond them.  By managing your exposure they prevent you from rising past them.  A great leader will give credit where credit is due and work on getting you recognized for the incredible work you do.  If you are doing great work and not advancing, start assessing where in the P.I.E format you are getting it wrong.  Does your image need work or is it your exposure?

Empowering Yourself: The Organizational Game Revealed on Amazon @ https://amzn.to/3tglWsP

We are back with another episode of the Undeniable Level Up Podcast.  Last week we discussed extreme ownership.  We heard an amazing speech from former Navy Seal Jocko Willink, who hosts an amazing podcast.  It was actually one of the first podcasts that I ever listened too.  We will provide a link in the show notes if you want to go and check him out.

Today, we are going to talk about the rules.  And why rules are for stupid people. 

Dr. House from the television show, "House" is fond of saying, "Rules are just helpful guidelines for stupid people…".

Q: Would you agree with Dr. House?

So I was first exposed to the "Rules are for stupid people" philosophy when I was deployed to Afghanistan during my first tour, between 2008 and 2009.  I deployed there as part of an advisory MiTT Team.   Our call sign was Vampires and I was Vampire 4.  We were known as Team Vampires.  We were deployed to the Paktika Province, a small outpost called Forward Operating Base, or FOB Bermel.  For my Vampire brothers out there that may be tuning in, I miss you guys!  There are bonds that are forged in combat that can't be broken by time or distance.

The mission of a MiTT team is to serve as combat advisors to Afghan and Iraqi combat troops so that they can continue the counterinsurgency mission long after we are gone.  Our job was to "build an Army".  The only problem is that this is a mission typically reserved for Special Operations units.  These are typically heavily resourced teams with priority support that allow them to operate independent and with disregard of the battlefield owner's control.  MiTT teams on the other hand were severely under-resourced, lacked any type of priority and often fumbled throughout the battlefield space struggling to reach higher echelon leadership.  We were often outside of commz, unable to gain air support and riding solo throughout some of the most treacherous geography that Afghanistan has to offer.   

When we traveled, we often traveled with two MRAPs, three U.S. Soldiers per MRAP; a driver, a tank commander, or T.C., typically the highest ranking person in the vehicle and then the Gunner.  Oh yeah, and an Afghan Interpreter.   

The team was rank heavy with mostly Captains and Senior enlisted non-commissioned officers and few junior Soldiers for a total of six to 200 - 400 Afghan Soldiers in Hilux Pickup trucks.  

Our team leader was a Major, and on our team, that was MAJ Mike.  This dude was fearless when it came to moving with the Afghans.  

There was a mission that we were on once where an Afghan commander, enraged for whatever reason, began to beat one of his Soldiers with the butt of his AK47, pulling him out fo the back of the Hilux Pickup.  We were in the middle of a convoy at the time, we hadn't gotten our MRAPs yet, so we re in armored Humvees, and I was on the .50 Cal machine gun when MAJ Mike jumps out and rushes over to stop the commander from beating his Soldier to death.  I tried to stop him, but he wasn't having it.  The whole time I had the .50 cal trained on the Afghans knowing that if they responded aggressively toward Mike that it would turn into Custer's last stand.  

Fortunately for us, Mike was able to de-escalate the situation, being the phenomenal diplomat that he is.

I say all of that and share that story to set the tone for what happened when I challenged one of MAJ Mike's decisions.  I can't remember the context of the discussion.  I just remember telling him, "We can't do that, it's against the rules," to which he responded, "Rules are for stupid people!"  

Now, let that sink in, the same way I did, when I first heard it.  

Q: What do you think about small pearl of wisdom?

Ray A. Davis says, "Following all the rules leaves a completed checklist.  Following your heart achieves a completed you."

(Discuss the quote)

As I returned from my first deployment to Afghanistan, I had been doing some consulting there on contracts for the local contractors that were building roads, guard towers and buildings on our small outpost for free.  They would bring me government proposals and ask me to interpret them so that they can submit bids.  

When I redeployed back to the U.S., I began getting emails from these same contractors, asking if I could take some time to assist them with these proposals.  This was the point at which my first official business was born.  JLM Consulting provided consulting on government contracts for Afghan Construction Contractors.  My services were free, and I was only compensated when the contractor was awarded a contract that I had consulted on and helped prepare.  This made me a lot of money, very quickly.

"Rules are for stupid people,"  is equivalent to "legal opportunism".  This is the act of circumnavigating the law.  Operating in the gray areas between what is black and white.  Sometimes this can be a moral sticky ground.  When someone is using this philosophy to live their lives, they aren't breaking the rules, they are just bending them to a point where it is advantageous.  

Q: Have you ever had to bend a rule to capitalize on a situation?

 In an article titled, "Why Entrepreneurs Say Rules Shouldn't Apply To Them", author, Derek Ludlow states that entrepreneurs are "prone to breaking or ignoring the rules".  He calls out both Uber and AirBNB for using rule breaking for creating their multi-billion dollar companies.

Uber has been sued by multiple cab companies and taxi commissions around the world, saying that they do not follow the rules that apply to Taxi Cabs.  I know recently in California the state ruled that Uber was misclassifying their drivers as independent contractors instead of as employees in order to avoid increased costs due to benefit requirements.  

Additionally, AirBNB has received complaints from hotels for not having to pay hotel tax fees, which drive up costs for hotels versus AirBNBs.   

Q: Do you believe that entrepreneurs should be exempt from rules or be allowed to bend rules in order to drive innovation?

In the cannabis industry, we have federal regulations that still make cannabis an illegal substance, but states have approved both medicinal and recreational use.  Oregon just recently opened the flood gates to almost all illegal drugs to include heroin.  

Q: Should businesses be profiting from a business structure that has traditionally resulted in criminal punishment? What about the fact that these laws often targeted minority communities, but the entry into most of these markets are so difficult that most of those victimized by these rules, cannot participate in them legally.

Q: Do you operate from a "Seek forgiveness, not permission", or are you a permission seeker when it comes to your entrepreneurial spirit?

Q: What rules should never be bent or broken from a business or entrepreneurial perspective?

<...