The Hard Thing Podcast

XP in D&D and how it relates to real life.

You have to be paid attention before you can be paid anything else.

Save some money and see how your future self thanks you. Here are some money saving hacks that I've learned.

You can pacify yourself all day. Is that really what you want when everything gets hard ?

Don't be a lone wolf. I was. It didn't work out well.

It's me again. Talking about personal development overwhelm.

Today I chat with Michael Easter about my favorite book, The Comfort Crisis.

Today I talk with Scott Gazzoli about what you become.

Today, I have the opportunity to chat with Army Ranger Jimmy Blackmon.

Welcome back to the show. Today, I speak with Matt Doherty about trusting your coach.

Welcome back to Becoming the Hero (formerly The Hard Thing Podcast). Today I chat with Simon Chapple about getting real with yourself as you get sober. Enjoy.

Thanks for Listening to the Show. Today we'll talk about the True Realities of Finances.

Welcome back to Becoming the Hero. Today I get to talk about drug addiction and addiction recovery with Adam Gunton of Recovered on Purpose. Adam wants to give you his book for free. Just go to https://fromchainstosaved.com/ (fromchainstosaved.com) and get the book in digital or audio format.

Welcome back to Becoming the Hero. Today I get to talk about drug addiction and addiction recovery with Adam Gunton of Recovered on Purpose. Adam wants to give you his book for free. Just go to https://fromchainstosaved.com/ (fromchainstosaved.com) and get the book in digital or audio format.

Welcome back to Becoming the Hero. I'm your Development Master, Justin Lewis, and together you and I will add more adventure to your life, help you level up in specific ways, and help you be the hero of your own story. If you've ever played Dungeons & Dragons you're very familiar with the Charisma score. It's the number that describes how well you interact with other people whether in a persuasive way or in an intimidating way. It dictates deception and shows your savvy in social situations. If you're like me, you've probably asked, “Why can't I have a good charisma score in real life?” In D&D you can get feats, items, or abilities that naturally improve your charisma score. Today, I want to talk about a few ways to boost your charisma score in real life without the use of magical items. Before we get to that, I want to share a specific announcement. My goal is to make episodes that actually make a difference in your life. To further that goal I will now be shifting to one episode a month. This should allow me to make very good content, laser-focused on moving the needle in your life. I'm extremely grateful for all the support you've given me and I want to ask you if there's anything else I can do for you, let me know via Instagram. For now, the episodes will come out on the first of every month. But until then, let's get back to charisma. Here are 6 ways to boost your charisma score in real life. Wonder and Curiosity The world is full of wonder and few things make as little sense as people. Behind every person is a history of experience and story. The absolute best way to boost your charisma score in real life is by getting curious about people. Honestly, that's one of the biggest benefits I've earned from doing podcasts is a natural growth in the skill of being curious. Naturally, I'm nervous about social encounters because I never know what to say or how to interact. This might make me say stupid things or speak rather quickly. When I change tactics and instead ask questions about the other members of the social interaction the encounter becomes much more interesting. In the next conversation you have with someone else, ask them a question you are genuinely curious about. You'll be surprised what happens. Practice Small Talk “Big gulps huh…. Alright…” If you've seen Dumb and Dumber, you are very familiar with this particular line. It comes at a point in the movie where the heroes have begun their adventure. Jim Carrey's character Lloyd says it to a few gentlemen waiting at a gas station and we, the audience, have a good laugh. We're laughing because it's such an awkward situation and Lloyd is unaware of the awkwardness or unable to circumvent it. I don't know about you, but I've been in situations exactly like that.  That's because I didn't understand the value of small talk. In my estimation, small talk forms the bridge from “stranger danger” to “let's be friends”. If you don't construct that bridge effectively, it might lead you to stand on a partially constructed bridge hovering over the awkwardness. To do small talk right, I think you need a few things. 1. You need to give the person you're talking to a reasonable belief that a conversation or relationship would be worthwhile.2. You need to match their current conversation expectations (I.e. if they are completely closed off then small talk won't happen, a bridge has two sides). 3. You need to set yourself up for better personal topics. A great one is your name. As I said before small talk should be a preface for deeper topics. Selective Vulnerability Speaking of deeper topics, You aren't just a person. You're a story. Every person with whom you come in contact with gets an opportunity to immerse themselves in the story that is you. Just like with books, if you don't interest people or hook them they won't be interested in reading your story. I've found that one way to do this is by sharing selective parts of yourself....

Today's episode is a little different, I'll let you know why next week. Mentioned in this episode: Rebrand Launch Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. I wanted to give you another quick update about the rebrand that is happening in 2 weeks before we get to today's show. Next week I'll spend an entire episode detail the rebrand as well as why I'm rebranding and what I hope happens. First, let me tell you the new name of the podcast. Starting in 2 weeks this podcast will be changed to Becoming The Hero. Ever since I started the show I've gotten all sorts of strange jokes about the name of the show and rightfully so. The name of the show wasn't very good. Hopefully, the new podcast name changes that. Let me also just mention that with the new show I will do a lot more experimenting. I'm going to create content that is truly worthy of your listening. Anyways, come back next week to hear the full details of the rebrand but until then, let's get to today's show. Music by "Scott Buckley - Freedom" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0) https://www.youtube.com/user/musicbys... Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/freedom-song

“Nope, too slow.” I stared at my best friend Ty in disbelief. How was it possible that I still didn't do the obstacle course in a fast enough time? I jumped from the board to the piece of plywood and then onto the large rock as fast as I could. How could I not have done it fast enough? I kept trying and later ended up leaving with my parents in tears. I tried so hard but couldn't make it. Welcome back to Becoming The Hero. I'm your DM, Justin Lewis. Today, you and I will learn how to take the lessons from our heroes (real and fictional) to help us add more adventure to our lives, make worthwhile memories, and level up in meaningful ways. The story I shared at the beginning of today's show was a real experience from when I was 12. My friend and I had set up a makeshift obstacle course. We jumped from obstacle to obstacle in the dirt field in their backyard. I timed him and then he timed me. It was so much fun. Nowadays, that would be considered exercise but back then it was just a game. Because it was a game we both were able to push each other and reach farther. We pushed our limits. That's the point of today's show. I want to share 5 ways that you can start gamifying your life to help you push your limits and have more fun. Also, sidenote, my friend was lying. When he timed me he lied about the time. I purposefully said I didn't do it faster than me to see how fast I could go. I ended up going a good 7 seconds faster than him. That's the power of gamification. Pedometer One of my recent gamifying tools has been a pedometer. Many of us live very sedentary lives unfortunately. I know I work online at home and so for 8 hours a day roughly, I'm on my tush in front of a screen. Obviously, we all have goals of improving our health and maybe shedding a few layers of triglycerides. For a lot of us we can get in the workouts, but improving our overall activity level is somewhat more difficult. Enter the pedometer. This isn't any revolutionary tech. We've had this for a while, but it has become more advanced. Add a smart watch and you've got even more capability in your hands. Let me tell you how I'm using it right now. You see, I'm not interested in massive change. In my estimation and knowing myself, I can burnout really easily. I'm looking more for long-term life-change. On the App that I have, it allows you to set a daily step goal. The step goals can be increased or decreased by 100. That's important. So I started this a few weeks ago and set the step goal to 5,000. That's important for me because based on the data in the app, prior to that, I was hitting or missing that number about 50% of the time. Ever week since I've hit my goal every day. Not just that, but I've also increased it gradually to 5200 steps per day. My idea is to gradually adjust it up but working on consistency over everything so as to help myself create a more all-around active life. Screen Time Widget The whole point of gamifying your life is making the worthwhile things you want to do more interesting and easy. The goal is to get you to live a more abundant, adventurous life, in the real world. That does mean that you'll have to spend time in the real world. There are some of us who might have trouble with that. Screen time Widgets let you see how much time you're spending where. The best way to fix things is to measure them distinctly. For example, My screen time says that I am down 43% from last week. Sweet… except for the fact that maybe I use my phone to do important things. But the app also allows you to see how much time is spent on which apps. From there you just identify the offending apps and then you lower the time on them. Calorie Counter Apps Another great way to help yourself gamify your life is by counting your calories with various calorie apps. There are tons of free ones out there. I do like MyPlate but there are so many out there. You can easily track what you eat, identify macro trends, and then adjust your...

Welcome back adventurer, to Becoming The Hero.  I'm your DM, Justin Lewis.  Together, you and I will implement the lessons from our favorite heroes (real or fictional) to help us add more adventure into our lives, create worthwhile memories, and level up in every meaningful way.  We're here to help you become the hero of your story. I love ensemble stories. I love a group of diverse characters with diverse skillsets coming together to pull off some job, heist or coup.  One of my favorite parts of ensemble heist stories is the planning montage.  I always enjoy seeing the characters come together to figure out who's skills fit where.  The mastermind always sits down, writes a list of their assets, and makes a plan to minimize any liabilities. The mastermind connects the skills to the needs. The mastermind makes the plan come together and as Hannibal says from the A-Team, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Well, time to put on your Mastermind Hat. It's Montage time!!  You and I are going to do the same thing but for your life. We're going to map out assets, liabilities, strengths weaknesses, and so on. Together, we're going to help you perform a personal inventory to know what state your “Home Base” is in and help identify the foundation upon which you can grow everything else. But first a small anecdote. When I was growing up, I loved playing Starcraft. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a real-time strategy computer game where you control a faction of military units and fight against an opponent controlling a similar faction. You can build buildings and train military units.  I remember playing Starcraft via a LAN connection (raise your hand if you know what that means) with my friend Ty. I looked with jealousy at his base and noticed that he had so many more units and buildings than I did. In an effort to catch up, I would click the build button over and over and over again and all I would hear was that Protoss voice saying “Not enough Minerals” or “Not enough Vespene Gas”.  At the same time, I would get alerts saying my units were being attacked. I lost continually. I did poorly because I wasn't mature enough to acknowledge the dashboard that showed me how many resources I had. I did not completely understand my situation. It's the same way in life. It's very difficult to know what you need, how to get it, and how long it's going to take when you don't have an inventory telling you that information. That's the point of creating a personal inventory. It's almost a scoreboard you make to help yourself gauge and guide your efforts. If you've played any sort of RPG you know that your inventory is what you have.  In video games and Tabletop RPG's, it's often your backpack, bag of holding, or other space where you hold stuff.  Generally, to make you look cool in the game and not like you're carrying a bunch of stuff, you aren't depicted with that stuff even though it is in your inventory. Doing a personal inventory is very similar. You'll write down some things that you have that you don't quite carry with you. It's a more comprehensive and slightly abstract inventory. One other thing. A personal inventory is just that, it's personal. I'll suggest a few things that I recommend everyone put on their inventory, but yours will be different than mine. That's good because we value different things.   So let's get into it. Write it down I recommend you write this all down. In my opinion, on paper is the best option, but I understand that we live in a digital age. Writing it down helps it stick in your mind better and it helps you slow down and really articulate thoughts. It makes things more deliberate. So the first step to get a writing implement and prepare your mind. Separate it into categories While Video Games consider inventory to be anything you physically have, with this...

Welcome back, adventurer. Today I continue my conversation with https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisrosbach (Travis Rosbach). Above all else, we talk about preparing ourselves for future challenges and tragedies. There's also a bonus side quest at the end.

Welcome back, adventurer. Today I have the awesome opportunity to chat with the founder of Hydroflask, https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisrosbach/ (Travis Rosbach). It's an awesome conversation with a side quest at the end of today's episode.

The 4 Personal QuestsWelcome, Adventurer to the first episode of Becoming The Hero. I'm Justin Lewis and I'll be your DM for today. You might think DM means dungeon master as in from Dungeons and Dragons. While I am an excellent Dungeon Master, that's not what DM stands for on this show.  No, here DM means development master. I'll explain more about that later. If you're listening to the show for the first time Becoming The Hero is The Personal Development podcast for nerds who see amazing heroes in their books, comics, games, or movies and desperately want to be like their heroes. This is the show to help you become like them. Do you know that feeling you feel when seeing a cool scene in a movie? I want you to have that feeling about yourself. It's going to take some mental shifts and also some work, but I truly believe that everyone can have lives they feel you can write a book or make a movie about. So let's get into it. You're probably thinking that now we need to talk about “setting goals” and being “SMART” about it. You're right…. And you're wrong. You don't need goals. You've likely been setting goals your entire life. You've probably hit some and missed some.  You need something more. You need a personal quest. Cast your mind. Think about Tolkein's Lord of The Rings, or Lucas' Star Wars, or Rowling's Harry Potter (and yes I know the faux pas I committed in having you compare Tolkein and J.K. Rowling, but just go with it for now). The hero in each of those stories doesn't set goals. Instead, they set out to accomplish something.  Frodo set out first to take the ring to Gandalf at the Prancing Pony and then to Rivendel and then to Mordor.  Luke set out to get off of Tatooine and then to help Princess Leia and then finally to become a Jedi like his father before him. Harry set out to become a wizard, and then pass his years in school and then fight He Who Must Not Be Named over and over and over again. I'm not saying that writing down goals isn't worth your time. You're going to be doing a lot of writing because you won't remember everything you think of. Instead, I'm saying you need to add a little more adventure into your life. Add more excitement and let that help fuel you onto the greatness you so truly desire. “Oh Great and Wise DM Justin, what kinds of personal quests are there?” Well, I'll tell you incredibly handsome and humble inner voice. In my estimation, there are exactly 4 types of personal quests. Everything else is just specifics. You can set out to acquire resources. You can set out to build relationships. You can set out to develop skills. And you can set out to further a cause. If you think of another category, please email me as I'd love to be illuminated. But seriously, all your personal quests fall into these categories. “Can I choose all of these quests?” Of course, you can inner voice, however, I don't know that I'd recommend it. You see, by choosing the quest, you also indicate exactly what VICTORY looks like. Accomplishing the quest happens in part because of the specificity. Do you want an example of unspecificity? Think about the movie Forrest Gump. Forrest is an amazing individual, but at a certain point, he loses all specificity in his life. He decides all he wants to do is run, so he does. He doesn't have any aim or goal, he just wants to run. That works for him because that's what he wants. He runs and runs and finally at one point, he decides he doesn't want to run anymore. His quest was to run. It wasn't to run any distance or reach any destination. In that regard, he did reach his goal, but for you and I, we'll need something a little more specific. So let's briefly talk about these 4 personal quests and then I'll give you today's side quest. Acquiring Resources:The goal of this quest is to “slay the beast” and “get the loot”. Whoa…. Hold your horses. I'm not...

Welcome to the last episode of The Hard Thing Podcast. What's the hardest thing you've ever done? That question has really influenced my life for the past 3 years. I started The Hard Thing Podcast with the idea that the thing that sets the super successful apart from the average is their ability to push through the hard. I wanted to discover exactly how that was done. I set out to ask some of the most successful people I knew that question. I eventually branched out to people I didn't know. Then people who didn't know me started reaching out to me.  The goal of the podcast was to help people improve their lives by teaching them how to do hard things. I would say, that is a terrible goal. It's not specific at all and therefore not attainable. Or maybe it's too attainable. The problem is that it's too specific so we'll never know.  I started thinking about this problem. What could I do? I started a podcast because I believed I had something to share with the world. I wanted to help people. I wanted to really make a difference in people's lives. But who was I trying to help?   That's the main reason behind rebranding the podcast: to better focus on a group of people I truly believe I can help.  The new name of the podcast is Becoming The Hero. The goal of the show is to help closet nerds become like the heroes they admire.  Have you ever watched a movie and seen one of the main characters and thought, “Wow, they are so cool! Like everything about them is just awesome!” Well, the new goal of Becoming The Hero will be to help you become a person so that you think about yourself. Obviously, I don't want to vaunt anyone up in ego. I just want you to be able to look at your life and feel that you could truly make a movie out of your life. I want you to literally become the hero of your story. About 8 months ago as a test, I started up a second podcast. It's called How to Be a Better DM. For those Dungeons and Dragons fans out there, it's a podcast all about how to be a better Dungeon Master. I like D&D and to be honest, I like a lot of nerdy things. I also believe that we all love stories. We love movies, books, and video games and I think for the most part it's because it shows us things that we aren't yet but we'd like to become. Each of us would like to be more dashing, charming, brave, daring, and overall better. We'd love to be like Indiana Jones, Sam Gamgee, or Paul Atreides. We want to be the hero. I realized that that is the whole reason I started The Hard Thing Podcast. I wanted to help people feel like that. So now, I'm going to work on getting you to be able to look at yourself and say, “Yeah, my life is freaking awesome!”. So here's what you can expect from me. There will continue to be a weekly episode every Monday. These shows will likely become shorter. I'll sprinkle in a good mix of interviews and solo shows. I will make the bridge between personal development and nerdy stuff. I will do my very best to get you everything you need to level up in real life. If we can have some laughs along the way, so much the better.  This is new territory for me. I am putting away some traditions and starting up some new ones. I just want to say thank you for joining me on the journey, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Before I let you get back to your regularly scheduled ear-bud programming, let me finish with some important, albeit, boring tidbits. The website will remain thehardthingpodcast.com until such time as I am able to purchase a new domain. My social media handles will change, unless they cannot, in which case they will not change. If you aren't following me on Instagram, go follow me there and you'll get all the updates and such. I am completely aware of the fact that with this rebrand, you might not be interested in the content anymore. I get it and I wish you all the best. I also know that with the rebrand you might...

Welcome Back. Today I finish my conversation with Kiki Magnusson. We have 2 action items from today's show: Do a 10-minute burpee workout Add 5 minutes of activity to your day. Thanks for listening to today's show. Mentioned in this episode: Rebrand Launch Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. I wanted to give you another quick update about the rebrand that is happening in 2 weeks before we get to today's show. Next week I'll spend an entire episode detail the rebrand as well as why I'm rebranding and what I hope happens. First, let me tell you the new name of the podcast. Starting in 2 weeks this podcast will be changed to Becoming The Hero. Ever since I started the show I've gotten all sorts of strange jokes about the name of the show and rightfully so. The name of the show wasn't very good. Hopefully, the new podcast name changes that. Let me also just mention that with the new show I will do a lot more experimenting. I'm going to create content that is truly worthy of your listening. Anyways, come back next week to hear the full details of the rebrand but until then, let's get to today's show. Music by "Scott Buckley - Freedom" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0) https://www.youtube.com/user/musicbys... Music promoted by BreakingCopyright: https://bit.ly/freedom-song

Welcome back to episode245 of The Hard Thing Podcast Kiki gave us some wonderful action items today as well. Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to episode244 of The Hard Thing Podcast Today I share my conversation with Kiki Magnuson. Kiki is a certified Nutritionist has a huge passion for helping people find the way to eat well and keep those techniques for the rest of their lives. She works one-on-one with people who want to learn what real nutrition looks like and to be free from the diet mentality stigma. She doesn't believe in restrictions or crash dieting. She believes in balance and having the ability to enjoy all things in life. Kiki is a foodie, loves to cook and likes to try new things. Her background is Panamanian and Greek. She loves everything that comes with discussing culture. One thing she loves to do for fun is offer her online cooking classes which encourage cooking all sorts of different, exotic recipes that are easy-to-follow, delicious and nutritious. She is also into fitness and her exercise of choice is Olympic weight lifting. Her favorite lift is the snatch and she loves the idea of getting strong and challenging her body in this healthy way. https://www.livingwellwithkiki.com/ (Kiki's Website) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJqmEIBWKSLDrFvhD1UC4HQ (Kiki on YouTube) https://instagram.com/livingwellwithkiki (@livingwellwithkiki on Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/livingwellwithkiki (Kiki's Facebook page) She gave us some action items. Write down ways you can better live your brand. Start your self care habits Thanks for listening to today's show. Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to episode243 of The Hard Thing Podcast Today I continue my conversation with David Henzel. David gave us some great action items from today's show: Practice letting go Evaluate your mindsets Record some of your mindset patterns Journal using directed questions Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to episode242 of The Hard Thing Podcast Today, I share my conversation with http://www.henzel.com/ (David Henzel). Here are today's action items: 1. 2. 3. Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to episode241 of The Hard Thing Podcast Today, I share my conversation with Darcy Luoma of thoughtfullyfit.com Here are today's action items: Find an adventure buddy Write 3 possibilities for what your adventure can be Share and commit to one Thanks for listening to today's show. Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcom back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I talk with Darcy Luoma of thoughfullyfit.com. Here are today's action items: Choose 1 person and design your alliance with them Figure out your biggest hurdle Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://the-hard-thing-podcast.captivate.fm/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with founder of copenotes.com, Johnny Crowder. Some highlights for today's show: The fun parts of building a business are like eating candy, everything else is vegetables. Try not to start a business. If you can't not start a business then you are one of the few people who should. Running a business is harder than starting a business. When you can't even do your own job right, then it's time to delegate. Here are some action items for today's show: 1. Ask someone specific questions about your business idea before building anything 2. Present your idea to business-minded groups 3. Talk to your closest person about your struggle 4. Google what you're going through 5. Stop pretending that you don't have to work on Mental Health Thanks for listening to today's show. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. Today I continue my conversation with Rob Dubin. He also left some great action items for us: Do the Fear Breaking exercise Dream Harvesting Exercise Ask Empowering Questions Thanks for listening to today's show. Keep doing hard things and you will overcome average. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Rob Dubin who was lost in the wilderness during a blizzard with no hope of rescue, but somehow was able to survive. Though he and his wife both survived the ordeal, they had to endure another hardship when they found out that his wife needed all of her fingers and toes amputated. Instead, they held on to hope and refused the amputation. Many months later, his wife's fingers and toes were completely recovered. Hear about how to keep hope in the dark moments and how to keep a bright outlook on life. Some highlights: Lessons on keeping hope alive Lessons on learning how to be positive Here are some action items from today's show: 1. Implement 1 thing from the LIVE HAPPY framework 2. Remember a time when you accomplished something you didn't think you could Thanks for listening. Keep doing hard things and you will overcome average. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to The Hard Thing Podcast. Today I continue my conversation with Derrick Kinney. Derrick left us some great action items today: 1. Give praise to someone not expecting it today 2. Write down 1 thing that you deeply care about 3. Set only 1 financial goal and write it down Also if you want to give me some input on a secret project I'm working on, reach out to me via @thehardthingpodcast on Instagram. Thanks for listening to today's show. Keep doing hard things and you will overcome average. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Derrick Kinney, CEO of the https://www.goodmoneyframework.com/ (Good Money Network). Here are some highlights from today's show: Connecting a valuable offering with a worthwhile and genuinely good mission grows your business tenfold Being a parent means leading your kids to the right conclusion Make sure to come back on Wednesday to hear the 2nd part of today's show. Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today's episode is a little different. I'm showing you an episode where I was a guest on another podcast. I go on The Causing the Effect Podcast. Tell me what you think of today's show by sending me a message on Instagram @thehardthingpodcast We'll see you next week for another episode. Until then, keep doing hard things and overcoming average. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird)

Welcome back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Andy Paul from https://www.andypaul.com/ (https://www.andypaul.com/). He just wrote the new book Sell without Selling Out which you can get anywhere fine books are sold. Here are some highlights from today's show: Andy's hardest thing was dealing with a massive million-dollar deal that ended up needing to be renegotiated because the calculations were off. We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Seek out a status mismatch conversation 2. Set aside 10 minutes of thinking time 3. Do the 5Q Exercise Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/undercover-dinner (Andy Bustamante Dinner) https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/hello-fresh (Hello Fresh Link) Mentioned in this episode: Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Learn how to Win in Business Learn these business lessons from 2 Army Rangers, a Navy Seal and an Undercover Spy who've had to put their experience to the test with life or death consequences. Sign up for this 2 hour webinar and get the expertise to make the right business decisions. Hurry to take advantage of early-bird pricing! https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/early-bird (Early Bird) Hello Fresh Ad Sign up to get delicious meals and fresh ingredients delivered right to your door. For the first few who sign up you can get up to $120 off towards your first box of meals. Make sure you use the promo code:HS-T2I3H52IO Signing up will help the podcast but it is first come first serve so don't wait.

Today we discuss Mental Health Welcome back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Rob Eastman. You can reach out to Rob via Instagram @tattooedlifecoach8 We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Take 5 minutes to analyze the example you're giving those around you 2. Tell someone how you are really feeling today 3. Think of 1 person you'd like a relationship. Reach out to them offering to help them with something in exchange for some advice 4. Set three alarms for every day to remind yourself to check in, breathe, and pray https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/hello-fresh (Hello Fresh Link) Mentioned in this episode: Hello Fresh Ad Sign up to get delicious meals and fresh ingredients delivered right to your door. For the first few who sign up you can get up to $120 off towards your first box of meals. Make sure you use the promo code:HS-T2I3H52IO Signing up will help the podcast but it is first come first serve so don't wait. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/hello-fresh (Hello Fresh Link) Today's Show is Sponsored by the Breakfast Leadership Podcast A special thanks to my friend Mike Levit of the Breakfast Leadership podcast for supporting our show. Go ahead and listen to his trailer.

Today we discuss Mental Health Welcome back to the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Rob Eastman. You can reach out to Rob on Instagram via https://www.instagram.com/tattooedlifecoach8/ (@tattooedlifecoach8) Rob is a powerful motivational speaker who's dealt with depression, addiction, and suicidal thoughts. He also runs a gym and has placed in the top 150 in the World Championship of obstacle racing in 2012. He also runs the Stand and Fight Podcast as well as participates in many programs to prevent suicide. He's also a life coach that has helped numerous individuals take back control of their lives. Number for the Suicidal Hotline: 800-273-8255 Here are some highlights from today's show: Rob's hardest thing was to overcome difficulties with mental health Rob's early life was difficult because he felt he was different than others Bullying is a taught behavior Therefore we need to watch the example we give to others. Parents don't have to know everything. Come back on Wednesday for Part 2 of today's show. Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Get $120 off of Hello Fresh today: https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/hello-fresh Use promo code: HS-T2I3H52IO

Today I continue my conversation with Frankie Russo. Here are some highlights from today's show: Remember what it was like to be child Get back in touch with what you wanted as a child Learn to play again We also got some great action items from today's guest: Get deeply honest with yourself in front of a mirror Identify 5 passions Ask yourself what you wanted to do when you got older and write that down Perform the inventory (Name it, What happened, How has it affected me, What is my part) Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Mentioned in this episode: Today's Show is Sponsored by the Breakfast Leadership Podcast A special thanks to my friend Mike Levit of the Breakfast Leadership podcast for supporting our show. Go ahead and listen to his trailer.

Welcome back to the 230th episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with http://www.frankie-russo.com/ (Frankie Russo). Frankie Russo, through his Russo Capital firm, has developed a portfolio of companies across multiple industries, including technology, advertising, marketing, automotive, music, agriculture, publishing, and finance. The beneficiaries of his investments have offices in the United States and India and serve 128 US markets. Russo and his team have led two of his companies to become some of America's fastest-growing, privately-owned organizations for eight years in a row. The Art of WHY (2016), Russo's first book, was on Amazon's bestseller list in the self-help category and has been readapted and expanded into the rules-defying Breaking WHY. Frankie's highest calling is his family, and he happily lives with his wife and six children in Louisiana. This is part 1 of today's conversation. Come back on Wednesday for part 2. https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/undercover-dinner (Andy Bustamante Dinner) Mentioned in this episode: Today's Show is Sponsored by the Breakfast Leadership Podcast A special thanks to my friend Mike Levit of the Breakfast Leadership podcast for supporting our show. Go ahead and listen to his trailer.

Welcome back to the 15th episode of the Thursday Meditations show! Like always, today I share some thoughts I've had and some ways that each of us can overcome average. You might not want to hear today's episode. Today I talk about 6 things that we don't really want to think about because they aren't sexy, they aren't flashy, and some of them are against common sentiment. I believe these are important to think about anyways. If you are new into personal development, this might not be what you want to hear: Here are the 6 Things you might not want to hear: Be Ruthless Use Force Read Fewer Books Simplify Sacrifice Some Things Disappoint Some People Below I have the action items to help you do the above things successfully and strategically. You might not have wanted to hear them, but there they are. . *** ACTION ITEMS: Write Your Core Values Assess your life against your core values Write 1 thing to do today that aligns with a core value, and then do it. *** Thank you so much for listening to the podcast. I really appreciate it because I couldn't keep this going without you. Let's go back to the deal I made you earlier. Did you find value from listening to this episode? If yes then: 1. Share the podcast with one person who could really use it. 2. Reach out to me on Facebook and Instagram. Let me know how the podcast is going. 3. Leave a rating and a review. 4. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episode. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average.

Welcome back to the 8th episode of the Thursday Meditations show! Like always, today I share some thoughts I've had and some ways that each of us can overcome average. *** In today's episode, we talk about the importance of drive and reasons each of us should develop it. By drive, I mean the desire to improve aspects of your life. The idea here is to avoid complacency and to always search for better ways to live. Here are the 4 reasons: 1. You feel more fulfillment. 2. You are better able to help others 3. You Have a Better Perspective 4. You Set a Standard for Others **** *** In the show we also talk about our new show sponsor, Audible. They are a premiere audiobook platform that offers over 180,000 different titles you can listen to from your Iphone, Android or any other device. Audible is offering listeners of the The Hard Thing Podcast a free Audiobook and a free 30 day trial. To take advantage of this, go to audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast to get signed up today . *** ACTION ITEMS: 1.Think of one area in which you need to improve 2. Think of one way to improve in that area 3. Do it. *** Thank you so much for listening to the podcast. I really appreciate it because I couldn't keep this going without you. Let's go back to the deal I made you earlier. Did you find value from listening to this episode? If yes then: 1. Share the podcast with one person who could really use it. 2. Reach out to me on Facebook and Instagram. Let me know how the podcast is going. 3. Leave a rating and a review. 4. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episode. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 5. Check out the blog. 6. Support the Podcast. Go to anchor.fm/thehardthing/support and donate to help us make better content. Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. --- Support this podcast: https://my.captivate.fm/thehardthingpodcast.com (thehardthingpodcast.com)

Today we discuss success, defining your values, and changing the world. Welcome back to the 133rd episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with https://www.themillennialwhisperer.com/ (The Millenial Whisperer) himself, Chris Tuff. Here are some highlights from today's show: Chris' hardest thing was remaking himself and changing his metric of success Chris also decided to quit drinking We each need to moderate our hula hoops We need to look at ourselves and understand our purposes We level up our lives by evolving our currencies One way to ask someone for something is by masking it in your dream But we have to reserve our asks for only the most important things You get one free ask from every person People go in for the ask way too early Go to the deep end in order to better connect with people Relationships aren't built with just one touch-point Pretend your Google and do more of what people go to you to ask questions We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Ask someone about their dreams 2. Give someone a give 3. Perform the "You're Google" Exercise 4. Write your purpose/passion Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. Here's an amazing opportunity! Sit down and have dinner with myself and an undercover CIA Agent. That's right, have dinner with an undercover spy! My guest, Andrew Bustamante is graciously offering my listeners the opportunity to sign up for a dinner with him and me. All you gotta do is sign up here: https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/undercover-dinner (https://listen.thehardthingpodcast.com/undercover-dinner) It is first come first serve and there is only room for 1 person, so hurry quick. You sign up and then get yourself to Utah and I'll handle the rest. I look forward to having dinner with you.

Here's an amazing opportunity! Sit down and have dinner with myself and an undercover CIA Agent. That's right, have dinner with an undercover spy! My guest, Andrew Bustamante is graciously offering my listeners the opportunity to sign up for a dinner with him and me. All you gotta do is sign up here: https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante (https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante) It is first come first serve and there is only room for 1 person, so hurry quick. You sign up and then get yourself to Utah and I'll handle the rest. I look forward to having dinner with you. Welcome back to the 132nd episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with former Super Bowl Champion, https://jimmyfarris.com/ (Jimmy Farris). Here are some highlights from today's show: Jimmy had to remake himself after leaving the NFL and that process took some deep introspection When you rebuild yourself you don't have to throw away everything Refining yourself takes deep intellectual work. It pays to try new things We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Start reading more books 2. Be open to trying your interests Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average.

Here's an amazing opportunity! Sit down and have dinner with myself and an undercover CIA Agent. That's right, have dinner with an undercover spy! My guest, Andrew Bustamante is graciously offering my listeners the opportunity to sign up for a dinner with him and me. All you gotta do is sign up here: https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante (https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante) It is first come first serve and there is only room for 1 person, so hurry quick. You sign up and then get yourself to Utah and I'll handle the rest. I look forward to having dinner with you. - Welcome back to the 131st episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with https://andrewhallam.com/ (Andrew Hallam). Here are some highlights from today's show: Andrew's was diagnosed with cancer right after completing a large race The principles of accumulating wealth include tracking expenses and income Giving to charity only works when you find yourself connected to the receivers We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Focus on controlling your attitude 2. Give more charity in order to build a connection 3. Create and achieve stepping stone goals Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average.

Here's an amazing opportunity! Sit down and have dinner with myself and an undercover CIA Agent. That's right, have dinner with an undercover spy! My guest, Andrew Bustamante is graciously offering my listeners the opportunity to sign up for a dinner with him and me. All you gotta do is sign up here: https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante (https://qt690.infusionsoft.com/app/orderForms/Private-dinner-with-Justin-Lewis-and-Andrew-Bustamante) It is first come first serve and there is only room for 1 person, so hurry quick. You sign up and then get yourself to Utah and I'll handle the rest. I look forward to having dinner with you. - Today we discuss radical honesty, the power of glucose, and discipline. Welcome back to the 130th episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Andrew Bustamante. You can reach out to Andrew by visiting his website everydayspy.com or any of his social media accounts @everydayspy Here are some highlights from today's show: The hardest thing for Andy was choosing to leave the CIA Maintaining discipline while undercover is of the utmost importance Making sure you do the little things will keep you alive Andy performed a cleansing ritual in between assignments The only way to successfully operate at full capacity with someone in a relationship is through complete and total honesty We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Go o everydayspy.com/self 2. Wake up and immediately drink 500 ml of water, wait 15 minutes then eat 4 - 7 oz. of fresh fruit 3. Think about the little things 4. Be radically honest with your partner Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show: Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average.

Today we discuss core values, experimenting, and constantly reinventing yourselves. Welcome back to the 129th episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with the founder of blinds.com, https://www.jaysteinfeld.com/ (Jay Steinfeld). Jay is very active on https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysteinfeld/ (LinkedIn). Here are some highlights from today's show: Jay shares how he dealt with the death of his wife. Finding your core values is essential Experimenting is the only to find success Jay shares that oftentimes hard things never get any easier Success is not extrinsic We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Work on evolving your core values 2. Learn to accept good and bad 3. Ask yourself "Now what do I do" 4. Add gratitude to the mix Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Support this podcast

Life is full of starts and finishes and the quality of your next beginning can be tied to the quality of your last ending. Welcome back to another episode of The Hard Thing Podcast. I'm your host Justin Lewis and I'm here to walk with you through the journey of discovering solutions to whatever hard thing is in your life right now and in the process learn how to deal with whatever hard thing life tries to throw at you. Today's episode is going to be different than normal. For those of you who are new to the show, usually I sit down and have a discussion with someone who's overcome or accomplished incredibly hard things. Usually we talk about how they managed to do that and how you and I can emulate their example.  That's not what we're talking about today. In fact, that's not what we're talking about for the next few weeks until January 3rd 2022. Yes that's right, this will be the last episode of The Hard Thing Podcast until 2022. In the next few weeks when you usually would be listening to The Hard Thing Podcast, take a moment and call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. So since this is the last episode this year, I thought I'd take a moment and talk about the most important principles I've learned this year. That will be a great way to round out the year. Before we get into the meat of the show, let me first take a moment to invite you to go to ourrescue.org and learn about Operation Underground Railroad. They are my absolute favorite non-profit organization because they put their lives at risk to go undercover to dens of thieves and murderers to rescue children who've been stolen and sold into sex-slavery. The brave women of OUR try their best to put an end to human trafficking and what they need right now is more awareness. So go to ourrescue.org and get to know the problem of human trafficking and what solutions are out there. Now, let's talk about 2021. Your relationships are one of your most valuable resources Recently I contracted COVID 19 and then I got better. But as happens for a lot of people I started feeling intense feelings of anxiety and depression. It was like nothing I'd ever felt. During this period, the thing that most helped me was being around friends and family. Reaching out to people I deeply cared about was infinitely more rewarding because I was suffering and connecting helped relieve that suffering. People are the world's greatest gift. Some is always better than none Many times you'll be tempted not to do what you say you're going to do. You won't want to wake up early and work out. You won't want to go to that extra class. You won't want to ask for help. You won't want learn a new skill. Sometimes all of your internal forces will be pushing you not to do that thing. This isn't an excuse to slack or give up. In those moments when your discipline is weak, just do any amount of your desired behavior. Any amount is better than none. A shorter workout is better than none. Calling and saying hi is better than not. Even texting is better than not. Doing anything is better than nothing. Keep pushing yourself to do more, but don't overlook doing at least a little. Emotional Detachment is essential for adaptation As I've said before, you can choose results or methods. Too many times, we get attached to the “way we've always done it.” If you really want to see results, you have to detach yourself emotionally from what you are doing and learn new ways of doing things.  Seeds must be planted constantly I found this out based on looking for podcast guests. Whenever I would get a guest booked I felt great. This year I had some really amazing people on the show. A couple times, I would enjoy this feeling of having booked an awesome guest and forget to book the next guest. Bad idea! Seeds must be constantly planted if they are to be constantly harvested. It's not about how long you've been going Sometimes we base our expectations on how long we've been doing something. It... Support this podcast

Welcome back to the 128th episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with Scott Glassman, who just wrote a recent book https://www.scottglassman.com/book/ (A Happier You). Here are some highlights from today's show: We talk about depression The importance of Gratitude You need to spotlight the great things in your life and your strengths in order to balance out all of the negative thoughts you have. We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Talk to somebody 2. Practice gratitude before bed 3. Look at your strengths 4. Do thttp://viacharacter.org/ (he viacharacter.)org survey Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Support this podcast

Today we discuss celebrating life, having a mindset that sees you through struggles, and adapting. Welcome back to the 127h episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with former Navy Seal, https://martystrongbenimble.com/ (Marty Strong). Here are some highlights from today's show: Marty's hardest thing was dealing with the unexpected death of his son Life should be celebrated, not mourned Selection processes are designed to find those with the right mindset Developing the right mindset deals with ensuring your current identity matches the current reality Never be too attached to what you are or were We also got some great action items from today's guest: 1. Celebrate life more 2. Develop a sense of humor 3. Get a good idea of what you want to do 4. Try to maintain a positive perspective 5. Exercise intellectual humility 6. Take 20 min for vision creation Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Support this podcast

Today we discuss COVID 19, personal choices of consequence and resilience. Welcome back to the 126th episode of the Hard Thing Podcast. Today I share my conversation with https://www.frogmanleadership.com/ (Steve Giblin), author of the new book https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Walking-in-Mud/Steve-Giblin/9781637580646 (Walking in Mud) Here are some highlights from today's show: Steve's hardest thing was making it through Hell Week in BUDS and then serving as a Navy Seal Resilience is all about coping Resilience is getting hit with hard things and still going With the "new normal" everyone needs to weigh personal choices and pre-accept their inherent consequences Gratitude is an excellent way to prepare your mind before, during, and after hard things Parents always teach what schools can't We also got some great action items from today's guest: Work on resilience in all aspects of your life Don't overthink Ask, "What could I have done better?" Start each day with gratitude Be a better version of yourself tomorow Thanks for listening to the show. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. Support the Show:  Patreon donation link:  https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast (https://www.patreon.com/thehardthingpodcast) Audible (Free Audiobook): audibletrial.com/thehardthingpodcast  Share the podcast with one person who could really use it.  Leave a rating and a review. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss any episodes. We are on Google Play, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.  Buy one of our Shirts or Hoodies https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/ (https://thehardthingpodcast.com/shop/) Again thanks so much for listening, and stay tuned to next week. Keep doing Hard Things, and Keep Overcoming Average. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy Support this podcast