Podcast appearances and mentions of Charlie Brenneman

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Charlie Brenneman is a public speaker, author, and former UFC fighter. As a wrestler, Charlie was a 2x PIAA runner-up and was an NCAA qualifier for Lock Haven. Enjoy! * PRESENTED BY THE FROG NINJA WRESTLING CLUB'S SUMMER CAMPS This episode is brought to you by the Frog Ninja Wrestling Camps, taking place June 27-29 (Lancaster, PA) and July 11-13 (Oxford, PA). If you live in PA and the surrounding areas, check out these camps! Register now at www.frogninjawrestlingclub.com

On todays @champandthetramp we are blessed to have @charliespaniard on the CATT podcast. Charlie is a @UFC alumni fighter fighting the likes of @anthony_rumble @johnyhendricks and @rickstory_170 . Charlie was a former high school Spanish teacher turned UFC pro and now finds his life's purpose and motivation in public speaking to many schools around the country. He has his own podcast called The Spaniard Show and is an author and avid book reader. Charlie believes knowledge is power and has a passion for reading and sharing his life experiences with the youth of our country. Check out our interview with this small town Pennsylvania kid who became a superstar. LFG !!!! #ChampandtheTramp Show page: https://www.instagram.com/champandthetramp Frankie: https://www.instagram.com/frankieedgar Roger: https://www.instagram.com/rogermathewsnj

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.A lot of people know this Mike Tyson quote, but it's not just a boxing rule. It's a life rule. And trust me - it's not a question of IF life will punch you, it's WHEN. My guest today can speak to both the physical and metaphorical aspects of this wisdom. Charlie Brenneman was a Junior High Spanish teacher before he decided to step out on a whim and audition for a show that trained amatur athletes to compete against professional fighters. And he won. Over the next 10 years he earned a spot in the UFC, all the while earning his Masters Degree in Leadership and Management. He has since retired from professional fighting and taken his journey from the classroom to the cage and turned it into a presence that includes author, speaker, and podcaster. Nicknamed “The Spaniard” during his time in the UFC, Charlie doesn't simply occupy multiple roles, he blends them with a passion that we could all learn from. Enjoy the show! SHOWNOTES:BOOKSBecoming a Warrior Driven: My Unlikely Journey from the Classroom to the Cage 

This episode is about becoming the worlds toughest lifelong learner. Former UFC fighter, Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman is a podcaster, speaker and author. RETURN GUEST - Original interview in the Awaken Your Alpha Book www.AYAlpha.com/book Charlie fought at every level of the industry, including an 11-fight UFC career. He then transitioned his experiences as a professional fighter into professional speaking and mentoring. "I’ve been knocked out cold on live television, and I’ve lived out my own Rocky story in front of a million people" The #1 Mens Development Podcast for Tales & Tactics To Thrive! Watch Adam's "Awaken Your Alpha" TEDx Talk here: www.bit.ly/TEDxALW Connect across social media @AwakenYourAlpha @AdamLewisWalker to join the conversation.

Episode 071: Special Guest, Kris Hackbusch, Principal Reno High School Check out our patreon page and become a supporter—early access to all episodes, fun videos, polls, exclusives…it’s all on patreon.   Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter here. Questions we asked Principal Hackbusch What do you love about being Principal of this School?  How does coaching inform your leadership style?  You had a big reading year last year - how many books?  What kinds of books did you read last year?  Do you have a personal reading goal for this year?  Why does reading matter in your adult life and how does it impact you positively?  What are your favorite sports picks? Reno High School Equity Team Book Club Recommendations  Stamped From the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi White Privilege: Essential Readings on the Other Side of Racism by Paula S. Rothenberg White Fragility: Why its so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades by Ken O'Connor Grading for Equity: What it is, Why it Matters, and How It Can transform Schools and Classrooms by Joe Feldman  Principal Hackbusch's Favorites For Kids  The Secret of Terror Castle (The Three Investigators #1) by Robert Arthur Hardy Boys Starter Set - Books 1-5 by Franklin W. Dixon The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell  The Giver by Louis Lowry Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston The Odyssey by Homer  Principal Hackbusch's Spy / Thriller Favorites The Terminal List by Jack Carr  The Grey Man by Mark Greaney Gunmetal Gray by Mark Greaney Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton State of Fear by Michael Crichton Prey by Michael Crichton Patriot Games by Tom Clancy  American Assassin: Mitch Rapp book 1 by Vince Flynn American Sniper by Chris Kyle  Principal Hackbusch's Sports Favorites Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior by Phil Jackson and Hugh Delehanty  Life on the Run by Bill Bradley Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage by Charlie Brenneman  Principal Hackbusch's Leadership Role Book Recommendations The Dichotomy of Leadership: Balancing The Challenges of Extremem Ownership to Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin The Starbuck's Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary by Joseph A. Michelli Award Winning Culture: Building School-Wide Intentionality and Action Through Character, Excellence, and Community by Hans Appel We Can All Do Better by Bill Bradley Other Books Mentioned Angels & Demons by Dan Brown Origin by Dan Brown Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin The Stand by Stephen King Media Mentioned Game of Thrones Series Accelerated Reader and Star Testing Info We briefly talked about using two products from Renaissance Learning. One is Star Testing that gives students a reading comprehension test that gives them a reading level (grade and month) and a ZPD (zone of proximal development) of what level books they should be reading to improve their reading ability. Renaissance Learning is expensive and not the only product available but one that our school district uses. .

Like many people, Charlie Brenneman found himself unfulfilled with his everyday job. While most would look to move to a different company to get a better job, he did something completely different. That’s because Charlie Brenneman isn’t like the rest of us. We begin the fourth season of Your Corner Man with “The Spaniard”, as I sit down with the man who left his Spanish teaching job for the Octagon. The former MMA fighter tells me how he decided to step out of the classroom to dive headfirst into a sport he knew nothing about and “get his butt kicked” by the likes of UFC stars Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez. Brenneman is a fascinating study in getting the most out of your life and taking advantage of a work ethic that won’t quit. We dive in to how his wrestling background gave him perspective on how to deal with a loss, how it ultimately helped him make the leap to combat sports, the commitment it took to train the way he needed to, and what he sees for his future. He discusses how his unique background in teaching and in sports helps him as a speaker for students, his aspirations for his own life and how he wants to live it, what led up to him writing two books so far, and what he wants for his own kids. Charlie is a well-grounded man whose life can provide motivation for those in the boardroom, the classroom, or the ring. This talk certainly is full of plenty of lessons of perseverance and will power. It’s hard not to be inspired by his goals in life and what he’s already accomplished.LESSONS FOR LEADERS· Being able to overcome self-doubt is hard and can take a lot out of you but doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. · How you respond to something negative that happens to you will tell a lot to those around you.· Remember someone who helped you at your lowest and try to be there for people who may be experiencing similar instances in their lives.· Being happy for those succeeding around you speaks volumes about your development.· You can develop the trait of feeling joy for others. Being a sore loser can be worked passed.· Life changes can be scary and making big decisions in the workplace can have consequences. But if you believe in your gut that it’s the right move, you can follow that path more confidently.· People that you recognize as the best at what they do are extremely valuable to learn from.· It’s very noticeable to others when you’re accountable and you work hard. It can only help you going forward.· Wanting something and being willing to pay the price are two completely different things. · Take what you’ve learned from teachers and coaches and put those lessons back into the world.· Surround yourself with the right people to help you succeed. You will, in turn, help them succeed as well.

Cody Wood – Ain’t No Party Like a Bull Party! - Every thought, "I'd like to try bull riding." Cody Wood wants to make that dream come true. Get ready for the ride of your life with Cody's Bull Party Cody's company is growing, so look up the Bull Party nearest you for details...OR just get to the rodeo-when we're able...and you'll likely see our man wrangle tenderfoot folks onto the backs of gentle bucking bulls. Cody is hosted by Pete A Turner and Jon Leon Guerrero in this instant classic episode of the Break It Down Show.HaikuIt’s like skydiving2000 pounds of furyBest to hang on tightSimilar episodes:Charlie Brenneman https://youtu.be/qJAcmfl7LCUDale Comstock https://youtu.be/jCvz9SH7Q68Darryl Chan https://youtu.be/SfGWYJV0sTc Join us in supporting Save the Brave as we battle PTSD. ​ www.savethebrave.org Executive Producer/Host/Intro: Pete A. Turner https://youtu.be/mYoUxRJzXcA Producer: Damjan Gjorgjiev ​ ​​​​https://youtu.be/3Ciw2tLo_hg ​ ​The Break It Down Show is your favorite best, new podcast, featuring 5 episodes a week with great interviews highlighting world-class guests from a wide array of topics. Get in contact with Pete at peteaturner.com

Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitor in the lightweight division with an overall fight record of 19 wins and 8 losses. After leaving the UFC two years ago, Charlie has devoted himself to helping other people achieve the success that they desire and deserve through professional coaching, speaking, and entrepreneurship. Favorite Success Quote “You are what you repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit” ~ Key Points 1. Success is About Giving Everything You Have In our materialistic and results driven society, it is easy to get caught up in this idea that success is all about making a certain amount of money, winning every competition, and reaching every goal. But the truth is much deeper than that. While accomplishment should certainly play a central role in every man’s definition of success, the missing piece of the puzzle is the effort that you devote to achieving your goals. If you put everything that you have into the attainment of a goal, if you are relentless and driven to a point that many people consider you insane and you still don’t achieve your desired outcome, then guess what? You are still a success. You showed up, you put in the work, and you did everything that you could do. Sometimes despite your best efforts, the stars simply don’t align. And it’s times like this where you can look at yourself in the mirror with pride, knowing that you gave it your all and are still a man of success despite the perceived failure. 2. A Life of Fulfillment Comes from the Habit of Pursuing the Uncomfortable  So many people believe that fulfillment will come whenever they reach a certain goal. Whenever they have seven figures in their bank account, are married to the model wife, or driving the Ferrari. In reality, however, as men, we derive our true sense of fulfillment from constantly pursuing a life of “uncomfortability.” A life where we don’t know whether we will succeed, a life of struggle and triumph, a life, as Teddy Roosevelt put it, “In the arena, with your face marred by blood, and sweat, and tears.” If you want to be fulfilled and live every day with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, then get out of your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable and start pushing the boundaries of what you think is possible in your life. 3. Humility is a Hallmark of the Greats  No matter how successful you become, there is always someone out there who is better than you. And if you want to truly succeed at any endeavor, then you need to have the humility to learn from others and devote yourself to constant improvement. If you look at any great man in sports, business, or life, you will notice that no matter their stature, they were always willing to take criticism and look for ways to improve their craft. From billionaires like Sam Walton to All-Stars like Kobe Bryant, they all approached their field with a deep and genuine humility, accepting that they did not know everything and had plenty of room to improve. If you truly want to be one of the greats, then you need to take the same approach to your life. 4. Accept the Struggle  Whenever you start out at anything, whether it is a business, a sport, an instrument, or improving your social skills, you are going to suck. It’s not pretty, it’s not nice, but it is the cold hard truth. You are going to suck, and you are going to suck for a long time. The quicker that you can come to terms with this and accept that the journey is part of the joy of mastery, the sooner you will be able to overcome your own egotistical nature and truly become an expert in your craft. So embrace the suck. Don’t take yourself too seriously, and get ready for months or even years of fumbling through until you become proficient in your field. 5. Surround Yourself with the Best  The quickest way to accelerate your own growth is to surround yourself with people who are playing the game of life at a higher level than you are. Find people in your field who are performing at a level 10X your current level and get around them. Figure out what habits, tactics, and mindsets are separating them from the 99% and putting them into the proverbial hall of fame. The sooner that you can build up your circle of friends and mentors who are playing at a higher level, the quicker you will achieve your own goals and truly embrace your own potential.

Charlie Brenneman – The World’s Toughest Lifelong Learner - Charlie Brenneman has a wide array of accomplishments, He's been a teacher, always laudable, he's won a season of Pros vs Joes. Next he became an MMA and UFC icon with his own Rocky story. Charlie was a last-minute replacement to fight Rick Story on a UFC card...and won.  Get Charlie's book Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage https://amzn.to/2AP0yoV Pete A Turner and Charlie talk about Pros vs Joes, and what it's like to battle in the ring, and to constantly take on challenges in all aspects of life.  HaikuEven a teacherContinues to fill the mindOr just taps you outSimilar episodes:Tito Ortiz https://youtu.be/L0oLXdiuB58Don Frye https://youtu.be/UeAkYKWlXX4Doc Collins https://youtu.be/TfziwHRgYFg Join us in supporting Save the Brave as we attle PTSD. ​www.savethebrave.org ​ Executive Producer/Host/Intro: Pete A. Turner https://youtu.be/mYoUxRJzXcA Producer: Damjan Gjorgjiev ​ ​​​​https://youtu.be/3Ciw2tLo_hg ​ ​The Break It Down Show is your favorite best, new podcast, featuring 5 episodes a week with great interviews highlighting world-class guests from a wide array of topics. Get in contact with Pete at peteaturner.com

Charlie Brenneman has done it all. He wrestled in college, taught high school Spanish, fought in the UFC against top opponents, wrote two books, and hosts a podcast. In this episode, Charlie tells us how he went from a "wimpy" kid to a UFC star. The many lessons he's learned along the way and why he now shares those lessons with the next generation. Follow Charlie on social media @charliespaniard. His books: -Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage -Becoming the World's Toughest Lifelong Learner http:www.charliespaniard.com ------- For more info click here: http://rolliepeterkin.com/podcast-charlie-brenneman-from-high-school-spanish-teacher-to-ufc-fighter

Charlie Brenneman @charliespaniard is a former American mixed martial artist, Spanish language teacher, and book author. He believes in resilience and hard work, but most of all in continuous learning. Charlie's books:* DRIVEN: My Unlikely Journey From Classroom to Cage * Becoming The World's Toughest Lifelong Learner: A Book For Anyone Who Wants To Pursue AnythingSupport the show (http://www.scribblechook.com)

Charlie Brenneman “The Spaniard” joined PicREP.  Charlie is a former teacher and UFC fighter with an incredible background.  With my co-host Alicia Hanf. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/theprotectors)

Covidiot Sessions:Rocco & Archie talk about how Covid-19 is effecting the metal community and a strange rumor that Uncle Phillip H. Anselmo will be getting together with members of Slayer for a supergroup side project.The 2 schmucks go over Union, NJ's own Artie Lange's super funny bit on his hysterical album "Jack & Coke" called, Lawrence Taylor. Our very special guest is MMA trainer Mike Constantino.We discuss how he broke into the State Of The Art Security Agency (SASA) and a Tactical Instructor at ITC. Then we get into MMA and how he made a name for himself in the UFC with his gym AMA Fight Club and how he got to manage great fighters such as Jim Miller and Charlie Brenneman.Visit AMAFightClub.com for Details

The Solecki Bro's are joined by Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman. Charlie Brenneman is former UFC fighter, now podcaster, speaker, author, and loving husband and father of two. Charlie hosts the podcast "The Spaniard Show" designed to inspire life long learning. He has written two books entitled "Driven" and "Becoming the World's Tough LifeLong Learner", both available on Amazon. Charlie discusses his transition from fighter to business man and reviews some principles he has learned in his constant pursuit to learn that has helped his transition after his fighting career. Learn More About Charlie Brenneman:https://charliespaniard.com/@charliespaniardpodcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spaniard-show/id1142730497Driven: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1518752802/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_icRdEb4268C69Becoming Worlds Toughest Lifelong Learner:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1671213920/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_NcRdEbEQYKS04

Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY Jim Harshaw Jr Revealed (Pt 2) It’s not often that I have a conversation with an interviewer who gets me to bare all. Jerry Miller was able to do just that. In this interview, we talk deeply about the challenges, pitfalls, and ultimate fulfillment in living a life of purpose and passion. I share things in this conversation that I’ve never before shared on the Success Through Failure podcast. I broke it into two parts. Part 1 (#228A) we cover my personal story-- from losing 22 lbs in two and a half days to shaman medicine men. In part 2 (#228B), we get into failure, adversity, and how to reach your fullest potential. You can capture lessons from a dozen episodes of STF in just this one interview. Give it a listen! If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action/. Links referenced in this episode: Seth Goldman: https://jimharshawjr.com/15/ Kevin Donegan: https://jimharshawjr.com/23/ Charlie Brenneman: https://jimharshawjr.com/217/ Mark Divine: https://jimharshawjr.com/45/ Tony Horton: https://jimharshawjr.com/85/ Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re in the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes to reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You Are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter

Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY How and Why? We all want to win. Maybe you want the championship, the new house, the car, the job, the business, the status, or the happiness. There’s something “out there” off in the future that you want. But why is it that some people seem to not only get the thing but they’re also content throughout the journey? What is it about people who focus on the process over the outcome that allows them to be successful and happy regardless of the failures, adversity, and setbacks along the way? In this episode, I dissect the mindset and tactics of elite performers who seem to shrug off the burdens of pressure, perform at an elite level and focus on the process over outcome. And, as always, I give you tactics on how to do the same in your life. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action/. Links referenced in this episode: Charlie Brenneman: https://jimharshawjr.com/176/   Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re in the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes to reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You Are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter

Action Plan: https://jimharshawjr.com/ACTION Free Clarity Call: https://jimharshawjr.com/APPLY A conversation on high performance. Having fought the scariest men on Earth, taught junior and senior high Spanish, won a reality TV show on national television and read incessantly for many years, UFC veteran, speaker, and author Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman calls upon his myriad personal and professional experiences and knowledge to inspire you, challenge you and make you believe. He’s been knocked out cold on live television and lived out his own Rocky story in front of a million people. Now, through traditional keynotes and workshops you can get an inside look at what it takes to compete, and win, at the highest levels. If you don’t have time to listen to the entire episode or if you hear something that you like but don’t have time to write it down, be sure to grab your free copy of the Action Plan from this episode-- as well as get access to action plans from EVERY episode-- at JimHarshawJr.com/Action/. Links referenced in this episode: Charlie Brenneman: https://jimharshawjr.com/4/ Alan Stein Jr.: https://jimharshawjr.com/184/ Jon Gordon: https://jimharshawjr.com/117/ Drew Manning: https://jimharshawjr.com/149/   Let's connect: Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re in the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach, and former Division I All-American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes to reach their full potential by getting clarity on what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You Are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle, and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter

Pete Tanzilli, a police officer shot in left hip in the line of duty, faced chronic physical issues from the incident, he speaks with us just before taking on his first Spartan Race with the Task Force Sentinel / OEW team. Chris Thorp has served in many uniforms, from EMT to Police Officer. As a public servant he’s had to deal with many tragic and difficult situations. In a small gesture of gratitude he created a patch to say thank you, that small gesture lead the way to Task Force Sentinel - the law enforcement branch of Operation Enduring Warrior. Learn to take on an attitude of gratitude and always help to inspire others - no matter your situation. LESSONS Take control of your situation Extend gratitude to public servants Take one step at a time & keep stepping Reach out- knock on a door Be an inspiration to others LINKS https://www.enduringwarrior.org/ TIME STAMPS 0:00 Charlie Brenneman, Col. Nye, Doctor Johnny & Sefra introduce the interview 1:30 interview begins with Colonel Nye and Chris Thorp at West Point 3:30 How people treat you can depend on your uniform 4:30 a patch to thank you 6:15 Operation Enduring Warrior - earning your mask 10:00 take that one more step when it seems impossible 13:00 dealing with the daily traumas of service in family life 15:07 Marion introduces “Spartan Trail Talk” with Charlie Engle & Luis Escobar https://apple.co/2IlA9k3 16:30 Running Bad Water & secrets of hydration… 19:45 Interview returns with Pete Tanzilli before his first Spartan Race 21:15 inspiring & motivating others in their recovery 24:00 Charlie Brenneman, Col. Nye, Doctor Johnny & Sefra discuss what they learned SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpShow YouTube: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpYT Google Play: http://bit.ly/SpartanUpPlay FOLLOW SPARTAN UP: Spartan Up on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/spartanuppodcast/ Spartan Up on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpartanUpPod CREDITS: Producer – Marion Abrams, Madmotion, llc. Hosts: Johnny Waite, Sefra Alexandra, Colonel Nye & guest host Charlie Brenneman Synopsis – Sefra Alexandra Production Assistant - Andrea Hagarty © 2019 Spartan

Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitor in the lightweight division with an overall fight record of 19 wins and 8 losses. After leaving the UFC two years ago, Charlie has devoted himself to helping other people achieve the success that they desire and deserve through professional coaching, speaking, and entrepreneurship. Favorite Success Quote “You are what you repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit” ~ Key Points 1. Success is About Giving Everything You Have In our materialistic and results driven society, it is easy to get caught up in this idea that success is all about making a certain amount of money, winning every competition, and reaching every goal. But the truth is much deeper than that. While accomplishment should certainly play a central role in every man's definition of success, the missing piece of the puzzle is the effort that you devote to achieving your goals. If you put everything that you have into the attainment of a goal, if you are relentless and driven to a point that many people consider you insane and you still don't achieve your desired outcome, then guess what? You are still a success. You showed up, you put in the work, and you did everything that you could do. Sometimes despite your best efforts, the stars simply don't align. And it's times like this where you can look at yourself in the mirror with pride, knowing that you gave it your all and are still a man of success despite the perceived failure. 2. A Life of Fulfillment Comes from the Habit of Pursuing the Uncomfortable  So many people believe that fulfillment will come whenever they reach a certain goal. Whenever they have seven figures in their bank account, are married to the model wife, or driving the Ferrari. In reality, however, as men, we derive our true sense of fulfillment from constantly pursuing a life of “uncomfortability.” A life where we don't know whether we will succeed, a life of struggle and triumph, a life, as Teddy Roosevelt put it, “In the arena, with your face marred by blood, and sweat, and tears.” If you want to be fulfilled and live every day with a smile on your face and joy in your heart, then get out of your comfort zone. Get uncomfortable and start pushing the boundaries of what you think is possible in your life. 3. Humility is a Hallmark of the Greats  No matter how successful you become, there is always someone out there who is better than you. And if you want to truly succeed at any endeavor, then you need to have the humility to learn from others and devote yourself to constant improvement. If you look at any great man in sports, business, or life, you will notice that no matter their stature, they were always willing to take criticism and look for ways to improve their craft. From billionaires like Sam Walton to All-Stars like Kobe Bryant, they all approached their field with a deep and genuine humility, accepting that they did not know everything and had plenty of room to improve. If you truly want to be one of the greats, then you need to take the same approach to your life. 4. Accept the Struggle  Whenever you start out at anything, whether it is a business, a sport, an instrument, or improving your social skills, you are going to suck. It's not pretty, it's not nice, but it is the cold hard truth. You are going to suck, and you are going to suck for a long time. The quicker that you can come to terms with this and accept that the journey is part of the joy of mastery, the sooner you will be able to overcome your own egotistical nature and truly become an expert in your craft. So embrace the suck. Don't take yourself too seriously, and get ready for months or even years of fumbling through until you become proficient in your field. 5. Surround Yourself with the Best  The quickest way to accelerate your own growth is to surround yourself with people who are playing the game of life at a higher level than you are. Find people in your field who are performing at a level 10X your current level and get around them. Figure out what habits, tactics, and mindsets are separating them from the 99% and putting them into the proverbial hall of fame. The sooner that you can build up your circle of friends and mentors who are playing at a higher level, the quicker you will achieve your own goals and truly embrace your own potential.

Charlie Brenneman walked away from his job as a Spanish teacher, with a dream to fight in the UFC - a dream he ultimately accomplished in a big way.  A naturally curious person, he has turned his lifelong love of learning and helping people into a career, and is now a recognized podcaster and speaker.  He’s just a really good human being, and we have really fun conversation in this podcast. In this week’s show, we discuss: His path from the classroom into the UFC octagon His connections to the military The learning process he uses to absorb and retain new information His podcast and speaking career And much more!

Best of the Everyday Fighter Podcast for the week of January 13, 2019 Ep44: Charlie Brenneman https://www.everydayfighter.me/edfp44 Ep45: Philipp Lomboy https://www.everydayfighter.me/edfp45

Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC fighter, author, and speaker. Charlie shares his perspective on going for your passions as well as his personal challenges facing the end of one career path and the start of another. You can find him at [https://charliespaniard.com][1] EPISODE SPOTLIGHT: AnySoldier AnySoldier connects deployed servicemembers in need of comfort items, personal hygiene products, and correspondence with volunteers back home that send these items in care packages. Packages from supporters have also contributed to the distribution of toys, books, and necessary supplies to civilians living in war zones. To date they have helped more than 2.5 million troops. Learn more at [http://www.anysoldier.com][2] [1]: https://charliespaniard.com [2]: http://www.anysoldier.com

Fighting, fatherhood, finances, and figuring it all out. Todays Podcast is sponsored by: Beast Goodr Sunglasses Show Notes: Charlie's website

“You can learn your way to confidence and courage. You can learn your way out of mediocrity. It takes consistent hard work, and you have to believe it’s possible, but it is indeed possible.” This is the mindset of Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman who joins Sean today on the podcast. With this mindset Charlie rose through the ranks of the UFC while fighting some of the most accomplished mixed martial artists in the world. Now that his fighting career is done Charlie is attacking life as a constant learner and helping others get the most out of life.   http://whatgotyouthere.com/ GlobeKick 10% off with discount code “WGYT” https://globekick.com/ 15% off Four Sigmatic with discount code "WGYT" http://foursigmatic.com/wgyt   https://charliespaniard.com/ https://www.facebook.com/charliespaniard https://twitter.com/charliespaniard https://www.instagram.com/charliespaniard/   https://twitter.com/WhatGotYouThere https://www.instagram.com/whatgotyoutherepodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/whatgotyouthere/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-delaney-00909190/   Intro/Outro music by Justin Great- http://justingreat.com/ Audio Engineer- Brian Lapres 

Spanish Teacher, UFC Fighter, Speaker, Author, and Life-Long Learner. In Episode 6 of This Amazing Life, you'll meet Charlie Brenneman, hear about his continual evolution, and unwavering commitment to life and learning. Have a great day!

Charlie Brenneman is a former UFC fighter, Author and current host of the Spaniard 101 podcast. Listen to Spaniard 101 PodcastConnect with Charlie on Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Charliespaniard.com Connect with Kyle Kingsbury on Twitter and on InstagramGet 10% off at Onnit by going to Onnit.com/Podcast              Onnit Twitter         Onnit InstagramNOTESThe Art of Learning Josh WaitzkinHow Adam Smith Can Change Your Life by Russ RobertsHow to Fail At Almost Everything and STill WIn Big by Scott Adams

Any friend of Jack Canfield and Patty Aubery (former radio guests) is a friend of mine! Very much looking forward to going a few rounds with Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman on Living Fearlessly with Lisa McDonald. Winner of Spike TV’s, Pros vs Joes, and ranked as high as #7 in the world as a UFC Professional Fighter, Charlie has certainly learned a few Fearless tricks along the way! Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a professional speaker, author and media host. Following a successful high school wrestling career, Charlie took his talents to Lock Haven University where he achieved a top 12 finish at Division I Nationals and 1st Team All-Academic. After teaching Spanish for three years and winning Spike TV’s Pros vs. Joes, Charlie decided to leave his job to pursue a master’s degree and begin his professional fighting career (UFC)—“The Spaniard” was born. In 2011, he was ranked as high as #7 in the world, and in 2015, he published his autobiography, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage. Charlie currently lives in PA with his wife and children. Thank you for generously being one of more than half a million Living Fearlessly Podcast Subscribers! Deeply grateful to each and every one of you! Uplifting you to fear less and to live more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Spanish teacher turned UFC fighter who is now a speaker, Charlie Brenneman (https://charliespaniard.com/) calls himself "The World's Toughest Lifelong Learner." Who's going to argue with him? He's a prolific podcaster who is embracing the idea of the entrepreneur as a media company. Learning from failure, overcoming fear, connecting with your audience -- Charlie offers a fistful of insights. You can hear his podcast, "Spaniard 101: Learn to Be Bold," here: https://charliespaniard.com/podcast/ Charlie's book, "Driven: My Unlikely Journey From Classroom to Cage," is available at https://www.amazon.com/shop/happyvalleyhustle. AND Make sure you always Hear The Hustle: Web: http://bit.ly/HVHustle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappyValleyHustle/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/billzhustle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billzhustle/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billfzimmerman/▶️ MAKE your podcasting dreams happen with hosting from Buzzsprout.

Charlie Brenneman grew up wrestling, and that is what drove his life through his school days. He went on to wrestle at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. He figured he would graduate go back to his hometown, teach Spanish, coach wrestling and that would be a sweet little life. Well, turns out Charlie didn’t do well without the intense competition he was used to the majority of his life. Learn how Charlie won season one of the reality show Pros vs Joes, which gave him the jolt of competition he needed to pursue an MMA career when everyone thought he was crazy. Charlie fought his way up to the UFC, and in 2011 he upset the #6 fighter in the world Rick Story. This changed Charlie’s life as he skyrocketed up the world rankings and was fightings against the best. He left the UFC three years ago and is now building his personal brand as a speaker, author, podcaster and more. On today’s episode, Charlie and I discuss: The most valuable lesson Charlie took from wrestling that has been applied to his life Winning Pros vs Joes What it’s like to be fighting in the UFC cage for the first time Freedom from the fear of failure And much more… Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher Visit https://www.ubpath.com/ for a full breakdown and my 3 Big Takeaways Charlie’s Website: https://charliespaniard.com/ Charlie’s Podcast: http://afightersmindset.libsyn.com/ You can Find Charlie at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charliespaniard Instagram: charliespaniard Twitter: @charliespaniard Sponsor: Bighorn Apparel Drawing inspiration from their Denver, Colorado hometown, Bighorn owns the line between everyday urban style and the tough, mountain look. Their up for anything approach has created a versatile brand that’s appropriate for any type of situation. Bighorn aims to empower the consumer by using environmentally friendly materials that are produced in a responsible manner. They strive to find the connection between tough, sustainable, and stylish in their durable clothing line. Use promo code “ubpath” at checkout on the website at https://www.wearbighorn.com/ to receive 25% off your order.  

Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a professional fighter, speaker, mentor and author. Following a successful high school wrestling career, Charlie took his talents to Lock Haven University where he achieved a top 12 finish at Division I Nationals and 1st Team All-Academic. After teaching Spanish for three years and winning Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes, Charlie decided to leave his job to pursue a master's degree and begin his professional fighting career—“The Spaniard” was born. In 2011, he was ranked as high as #7 in the world, and in 2015, he published his autobiography, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage.  Through speaking, mentoring and podcasting (A Fighter's Mindset - The Spaniard Podcast), Charlie is instilling in others the tools to smash self-doubt and exceed personal expectations. Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a budding example of how drive, mixed with strategy and tactics, can overcome a lack of natural ability and lead to success in sports, business, and life.

Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a professional fighter, speaker, mentor and author. Following a successful high school wrestling career, Charlie took his talents to Lock Haven University where he achieved a top 12 finish at Division I Nationals and 1st Team All-Academic. After teaching Spanish for three years and winning Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes, Charlie decided to leave his job to pursue a master's degree and begin his professional fighting career—“The Spaniard” was born. In 2011, he was ranked as high as #7 in the world, and in 2015, he published his autobiography, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage.  Through speaking, mentoring and podcasting (A Fighter's Mindset - The Spaniard Podcast), Charlie is instilling in others the tools to smash self-doubt and exceed personal expectations. Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a budding example of how drive, mixed with strategy and tactics, can overcome a lack of natural ability and lead to success in sports, business, and life.

Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a professional speaker, mentor, and author. Following a successful high school wrestling career, Charlie took his talents to Lock Haven University where he achieved a top 12 finish at Division I Nationals and 1st Team All-Academic. After teaching Spanish for three years and winning Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes, Charlie decided to leave his job to pursue a master's degree and begin his professional fighting career (UFC)—“The Spaniard” was born. In 2011, he was ranked as high as #7 in the world, and in 2015, he published his autobiography, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage. Charlie currently lives in PA with his wife and children. This podcast is just great. If you want some real insight into the mind of an elite individual both in and out of competition, tune-in and hear what Charlie has to say.    A Fighter's Mindset podcast iTunes – https://goo.gl/rrzhHQ Stitcher – https://goo.gl/11YL0K Google Play Music – https://goo.gl/LVdmmD   Charlie's book – Driven https://goo.gl/ZljPSV     This episode brought to you by: This podcast is brought to you by Amino VITAL, a World Leader in amino acid, nutritional hydration products.  You might not know a lot about amino acids, but if you are looking for a healthy alternative to sugary sports drinks, then you owe it to yourself discover Amino VITAL's new ACTION and RAPID RECOVERY formulas.   Zero caffeine. Non GMO. Certified Vegan — and packed with plant-based amino acids. Discover these and more energizing drink mixes to enhance your active lifestyle at your local Target store or visit amino-vital.com and enter Offer Code: MINDSIDE to SAVE 20% off your order.

In this episode, Brian talks with Mixed Martial Arts fighter Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman and his remarkable story going from working his dream job as a Spanish teacher, to winning UFC fights in the Octagon. Follow Charlie on Twitter @SpaniardMMA Follow Charlie on Instagram @MMASpaniard Check out his website Charlie-Brenneman.com You will learn about... Charlie's journey going from Spanish teacher to UFC fighter Charlie's 5 Elements of Excellence that have lead him to great success Charlie's AM and PM routines Charlie's daily video posted on Facebook and YouTube where he shares knowledge from the book he is reading that day How you can have Charlie come speak to your team or school   PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION Brenneman: That result is there. We want it, we want it, we want it. But just above that - slightly more important than that - is the process, is the pursuit of that goal not the attainment of that goal. Cain: This is Brian Cain with the Peak Performance Podcast. Today our guest, Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman, has not only fought the who's-who in the Mixed Martial Arts world as a UFC veteran but he is also a former high school teacher. Charlie has a fascinating story that has come out with his book Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom To Cage. Charlie, I'm just fired up to have you on. Thanks for making the time to be a part of the Peak Performance Podcast. Brenneman: It's my pleasure to be here. I love talking to likeminded people and you're one of them so I'm happy to be here. Cain: Well Charlie if you would for our listeners they probably have seen you in the cage. They've seen you with the who's-who in the UFC from Johny Hendricks and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. What they probably don't know is your story up until that point in the UFC. Could you give kind of a quick snapshot of your career as a high school/college athlete, into teaching, and then what kind of got you into MMA? Brenneman: I'm from central Pennsylvania. I grew up in a small town. I'm a wrestler. Even today when I speak one of my lines is “I'm a wrestler who learned to fight.” That is basically what I did. The sport of wrestling taught me mental toughness, it taught me mindset, it taught me discipline, sacrifice. Those are the things that I carried up with me through high school. I would always come close to achieving my goals but I would fall short. I started to keep track and understand that the reason I was falling short was because I ultimately lacked the self confidence at the highest level. I ended up losing a state title two years in a row in high school. I took my athletic career into wrestling and for my first four years of my collegiate wrestling I red shirted a year. I completely underperformed. The last year it was like I had a mental breakthrough that really changed my last year, it changed the trajectory of my future. I ended up capping off my college career in a great way. I still felt short of my goal but I finished in a round of twelve at Division One Nationals. Then I thought it was all done. I thought all that discipline and sacrifice was over. I was ready to go home. I was ready to get fat and sit on the couch. After about a year of doing that I realized that I needed something. I needed to compete again. Around that time the sport of Mixed Martial Arts was starting to come to the forefront and started to kind of make a little bit of progress in the mainstream. Then literally one day I decided I'm going to leave my Spanish teaching position and I'm going to be a UFC fighter. Up until two years ago it'll be my last fight but I spent the last decade training with, competing against, fighting, beating, losing to, the biggest baddest toughest fighters in the world. I came from a small town, became a teacher, then fighting, and now I'm on the other side of it where I'm kind of taking everything I learned, condensing it, and delivering it through speaking and mentoring. Cain: I know we just kind of got off of a good discussion before we got onto the podcast. What are some of the key principles that when you're going in to speak to a school or you're going in to work with a team what are some of the key principles - basically your framework, Charlie, that you share with them that made you successful that you know if they would adopt and they'll heed to you teachings you know that they'll be more successful. What are some of those key principles or key concepts within your framework? Brenneman: So what I did when I had my last fight and I thought “what am I going to do,” the first thing I did was I sat down and I literally wrote a book. I had had so many questions about I left my job, I got called crazy, I got called stupid, I got called all kinds of things because it was against the norm. So I sat down and I wrote a book about it. I'm a note taker and I'm a writer so I condensed all of the notes, the principles, the things that I've recorded over the years and I boiled them down into five what I call “elements of excellence.” Those things together create a fighter's mindset. When you're talking about a fighter's mindset you think of the best fighters in the world. There is this resilience and perseverance and mental toughness and discipline - all these things. But the five things that I really focus on is the idea of a vision, knowing where you want to go, always having that North Star. The next thing is your core values whether it's in your personal life, whether it's in your athletic life, your professional life. I read a lot of books and so many of them focus on this idea of core values, knowing who you truly are and being that person in competition. The next one is defining success. To me that took me a lifetime of winning and losing. That took me a lifetime of competing to really truly appreciate the process versus the outcome. The fourth one is living with accountability. To me accountability - when I decided to leave my teaching position and I decided to literally drive into the unknown, this unknown world, it was all on me. It was on my shoulders. I had no paycheck. I had no leads. I had to create it. So that idea of accountability, (as Jocko Willink in Extreme Ownership says) assuming extreme ownership in everything you do and say. Then the last part - I don't want to say the most powerful, but - is the idea of surrounding yourself with the best every day. Even today in my life connecting with you, connecting with other speakers and mentors and podcasters, I'm obsessed with surrounding myself with the best. Looking at the best in the world then literally trying to talk to them. The first two guys I communicated with in Mixed Martial Arts were Eddie Alvarez and Frankie Edgar. Eddie is the current UFC Champion. Frankie is one of the best in history. So I believe in the power of influence. Those five elements are kind of my keys to living with a fighter's mindset. Cain: I love that. I think you hit the nail right on the head and as it ties back with what a lot of our listeners have gone through and are familiar with some of the work that I've done with the 12 Pillars of Peak Performance and in talking about vision and values (that's Pillar #2) and kind of defining your success is that process. The process over the outcome. Then surrounding yourself with the best. As we say you become the average of the five people that you hang out with most. In one of the books that you mentioned from Jocko Willink about extreme ownership, one of the top reads (I think) from people in our Inner Circle and people that are going to be listening to this podcast. I'm assuming you've seen his video where he talks about good and making adversity your advantage. What are some of the other best books that you've read that have had the biggest impact on your mindset? Brenneman: I literally read every morning. It's one of the things I started doing 42 days ago. I read every morning. I've been reading for years and years and one of the things I've been doing is making a daily video summarizing and applying what I have read that day to everyday life. There are 100 books I could say.   Some of the coolest recent ones that I've read, The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday. It talks about using adversity to your advantage. Certainly The Obstacle Is The Way. Start With Why by Simon Sinek which just really gets back to kind of along the lines of your values. Figure out what's your purpose. Why do I get up every morning at 4:30? Why do I still do treadmill sprint workouts when I have no fight? Really getting to the core of that.   I'll give you a third one. The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson talks about small consistent actions repeated over a long period of time resulting in giant results. Those are three of the top ones. Reading is a habit that I would encourage everyone to get into. Cain: Those are definitely four books that are in my library and four books that I think many of our listeners have gone through. It's funny, The Slight Edge is a book that was given to SMU's athletic director, Rick Hart, gave that book to all of their coaches. Then The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday, he's got another book The Ego Is The Enemy that the TCU athletic director gave to all of their coaches. So you're reading books, Charlie, that are right up there with our audience. The videos that you make, is that something that you put out on social media and  something that our listeners could follow along as well so they could kind of learn through what they're learning? Brenneman: Absolutely. I'm glad that you mentioned that. I do Facebook Live. I tested it out a little with Periscope, a little with Facebook Live, and I seem to get the most views on Facebook Live. From there I upload them to YouTube so you can subscribe to me on YouTube to get them on a daily basis or you can follow me on my personal page, Charlie Brenneman, or my business page, Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman. Every morning 5:30 I'm there with a smile on my face kind of reciting. I feel kind of weird because I've been an athlete, I've been a fighter, that's what I do, but I get so amped up about reading and learning and just pushing it out. So yeah I put them out every day on my social media. Cain: I love it. So your social media. The best place for people to follow you. What is your Twitter handle? Brenneman: @SpaniardMMA. My website www.Charlie-Brenneman.com has all of my links in the upper right-hand corner. I'm SpaniardMMA across the board. Instagram I'm MMASpaniard because I can't get SpaniardMMA so that is the only hiccup. Cain: Then your YouTube channel is SpaniardMMA? Brenneman: Yep. If you just search Charlie Brenneman or SpaniardMMA on YouTube it will come up. Cain: Awesome. I think that would be something that our listeners definitely will want to follow. I didn't realize you did that so that is going to be something I go and get on for sure and check those out in the morning. You talk about getting up every morning and doing a video at 5:30. You sound like you're a machine of routine. Tell us about your morning routine and kind of what you do on a daily basis. Brenneman: This is something for the listeners out there. I'm a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk who - you can call him an internet marketer, entrepreneur, he's a lot of things. One of the things that I learned from him - actually I didn't learn it from him. I felt comfortable because I heard him reaffirm it, this idea of trying a bunch of different things. The very first person who turned me on to this idea of a morning routine is Hal Elrod in The Miracle Morning. Since then I've tried maybe 10-20 different routines in the morning. For me basically it's simple. My alarm is set for 4:30 every morning. I get up early every morning. On Sundays I sleep in till a whopping 6:00 or 6:30. There is really only two things: I drink 32 ounces of water basically right out of the gate and I read for at least 30 minutes a day. Those two things when it's completely quiet, when the bids aren't even chirping, it's dark, I'm sitting here with water, a coffee, and my book. If I can get that in my day then that puts me up in the right direction. Cain: Hal Elrod, one of my favorite books The Miracle Morning where he talks about the acronym SAVERS. The first S is silence, the A if affirmation (so positive), the V is visualization, the E is exercise, the R is that you read, and the last S is that you scribe and you write and you actually do that without knowing and putting it to the SAVERS acronym that Hal talks about in The Miracle Morning. You're actually doing that on a daily basis. Maybe instead of writing you're speaking into your video and putting it out there for others which is probably a more easier digestible way for people to learn these days. But I love that morning routine. What about your PM routine? Do you have a shutdown routine at the end of the day to help you kind of log off and get more dialed in with your family? Brenneman: We just had a son three weeks ago and I have a daughter that is three years old. Where I'm at in this phase of my life I'm probably done fighting for several different reasons. I realize it's like the work is there, the tasks are there, and I could literally work every hour of every day. This is a transition period for me and my wife. We've seen in the last decade when it went from teaching to fighting and fighting now into speaking and mentoring that these different transition phases - and they're tough. For any goal driven person in a relationship who has a family it's tough. It's not easy. What we've done is develop - that's partially the reason I get up at 4:30 in the morning, so I have the time to do the things I need to do. But I really - we're recording now in the PM and this is an anomaly. I normally shut off by - I'm done with my workout by 5:30 and then it's all family. Just because if I didn't draw that hard line it would go on forever. Mixing that business and family time is just not a winner in our home. Cain: That one hit me pretty hard as I'm sitting here on a cruise and I'm looking at my wife who is sitting out on the balcony waiting for me to get done doing work so that I can take her to dinner. I think you hit the nail on the head. For the coaches that are listening to this you've got to have that hard shutdown routine. You've got to have that time in your day where you said “hey what's done is done and what's not done can be put off until tomorrow” because if you don't draw that hard line you're right, you could literally work 24 hours in a day when you're uber motivated and a guy who is excited to go out there and make a difference which our listeners are. So I think I they can start to learn about that shutdown routine as well. That's going to be important. Now when you shut down at 5:30 after that workout are you done with technology and you're turning off the computer and the email and the cell phone and all that so you can engage? Or do you still have that digital distraction sometimes? Brenneman: Yeah I'm not going to sit here and say I'm perfect by any means. But no, my objective is to - I actually am up in my office right now (it's on the third floor of my house) and I leave my computer up here because what I've found is that when I would bring my computer downstairs I would be tempted. If my wife went in to get something to eat or to fix something to eat I'd be tempted to hop on my computer and check my email real quick. So by leaving it up here in the attic it's kind of the idea of if you don't want to eat junk food don't keep it in your cupboards. It's that same idea. If I don't want to be on my computer I should leave it upstairs. So I do that. My cell phone, I've flirted with some different strategies here and there but it's in my pocket but I've done a good enough job - and I know this from my wife saying “you know what you've done a really great job in the last couple months of staying off your cell phone after hours.” The computer is the hard up in the attic. The cell phone is just in awareness that I'm aware of how much I'm on it. Cain: Love it. That's awesome. That's great advice for everybody. Charlie, if we can let's go back to your I think you call them your five “elements of excellence?” Is that right? Brenneman: Yep. Cain: And with the five elements of excellence - vision, core values, defining success, living with accountability, and surrounding yourself with the best - how do you define success for yourself? Brenneman: Whenever you're explaining it you kind of mention the process. What happened to me is from a young age, honestly from the earliest I can remember I was dead set on getting straight As and I was dead set on winning a state championship in wrestling. Those were my goals. I would achieve those goals often but I would fall short of those goals almost as often. One of the things I tell coaches and parents as often as I can is expose your kids - both your real kids and your athletes - expose them to winning and losing as often as possible. That builds resilience and that builds mental fortitude. What I learned - honestly the heartbreak of losing two state titles, especially the second one, in high school. I was an 18 year old kid and you would think as a 35 year old man who experienced all this other stuff in the last 15 years those two nights I can't think of a more painful athletic night than those two nights. I still kept going. I still kept moving forward, keeping my values, having that vision clear of who and what I wanted to be. But it wasn't until I was fighting. You see in UFC you fight but every 3-5 months. So what would happen is I would win a fight, I would come home and I would feel like a million bucks. That was great, I had money, this and that. But then if I lost I would come home and just feel like absolute garbage. Like absolute terrible garbage. Everything was terrible. Then after that happening 3, 4, 5 times I started to - honestly it was like I just got fed up with it and I thought “there has to be another way to do this because this is not worth it, this up and down is not worth being a professional fighter.” Then it was like one day it clicked and it was like “wait a minute that's silly” to judge my self worth, to judge my feeling, to judge my mental state on the winning and the losing is wrong. I truly believe it's wrong. That's where it goes back to the process that you mentioned and Nick Saban mentions it. The idea of defining success to me - and whether you want to quote John Wooden also - is the process. Putting in the work on a daily, on an hourly, on a minute basis to produce that result in the end. That result is there. We want it, we want it, we want it. But just above that - slightly more important than that - is the process, is the pursuit of that goal not the attainment of that goal. Cain: I love that. You just mentioned two of the greatest coaches of all time (I think) in Saban and Wooden. Wooden, since we mentioned books and I'm keeping a list of your books that you mentioned here which we'll put out in the notes with this episode, is one of John Wooden's books A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On And Off the Court. It's a little blue book. it's fantastic. Brenneman: Yep. Blue and yellow. Cain: Yeah you got it. Then Nick Saban's book How Good Do You Want to Be I think is one of the best that I've ever read as well. The one I have has this cover of him at LSU on it. I know the new one has him in Alabama. So he talked about the process and I think you're so spot on with that. What about your core values? Brenneman: I was going to say another just little caveat I wanted to throw in there is this idea of excellence. Honestly when I started this pursuit (speaking and mentoring etc.) the term “excellence,” (“elements of excellence” hence the Elements of Excellence) that word really stuck to me. That stuck with me. As a kid my parents taught me, one, do the best you can in everything you do, and two, inspire other people to do the same. It was like those were kind f the two things that I thought were normal. I thought “oh yes every person does their best and every person inspires other people.” I just thought that was normal. This standard of excellence I've carried with me in my life. None of us are perfect. I've done less than perfect things and haven't maintained that standard. But I believe in operating with a mindset of excellence on a daily basis. It's like you know the cliché you shoot for the stars, you miss, you still land hot. If your objective, if your mission is excellence you're going to be good across the board no matter what. I really want to stress and emphasize the importance of setting your bar at excellence. Cain: I love that. Skip Bertman, who was the baseball coach at LSU for a number of years, I had a dream come true and got a chance to do a book with him within the last year. One of the things that Skip talked about is he says there are three doors you can go through. You can go through the door of win, you can go through the door of loss, or you can go through the door of excellence. Excellence is bigger than winning. Sometimes you can give an excellent performance and not win. I'm sure in the octagon you've had those fights where you've gone out there and fought great and fought the way you wanted to and because of the judges or because the other guy was just a little bit better that night it didn't go the way you wanted it to. But I think that happens in athletics all the time is that the process doesn't always lead to the result but the process does give you the best chance to get the result. I think if you're committed to excellence and being the best that you possibly can be and have that growth mindset you're going to be able to achieve a lot more over the marathon than the person who is focused on win-loss. Would you agree? Brenneman: Absolutely. 100%. The process versus the achievement or the process versus the outcome, yeah, it's - and I'm not saying this to make myself feel better because I lost three fights in a row to end my career. I'm not saying this to make the listeners feel good about themselves because they lost and they need a pat on the back. I'm saying this because it's tried and true from experience. This is what I learned. This is what the most successful people in the world have learned. If you're not going to take it from me take it from Saban, take it from Wooden, take it from all of these other people who say the same thing. Cain: No question. We use a term a lot that says “success leaves clues.” You've reaffirmed and (I think) brought to the table a lot of the same concludes that we try to teach and that coaches try to teach. But coaches that are listening to this and myself, I've never stepped in the octagon. I've been on either side of the octagon - fence, corner, and some guys - but you've been in there with the who's-who of MMA. For the coaches or the teachers or the athletic directors listening to this if they wanted to bring you in to deliver your message on the five elements of excellence and talk about the importance of vision, talk about core values and knowing who you are, redefining success as it relates to the process and the pursuit of excellence, being more accountable (which I know every coach has issues with trying to grow accountability in their program), and then talking about that surrounding yourself with the best and you becoming one of those people that those coaches associate with, what is the best way for people to get a hold of you and do you go in and speak to schools and do you go in and work with athletes and programs? Talk a little bit more about that process and how they can get you and what you do when you go in there. Brenneman: I appreciate that. absolutely that is what I do. If you go to my website www.Charlie-Brenneman.com it's very simple to navigate. There is a contact tab up top. Contact me. Speaking events, workshops, mentoring, it's right there for you to clearly define why you're making contact. Honestly one of the more enjoyable things I do is these workshops, these fighter's mindset workshops. There are six one hour sessions. I take them through the elements of excellence. I cap it off with a leadership session. It works great with coaches and it works great with athletes. One of the things I've learned from experience and I've heard said across the board is these success principles, these fighter mindset principles, they're going to work for you in high school athletics, they're going to work for you in college athletics, they're going to work for you in a coaching position, in a professional position, they're success principles that don't falter. They work across the board. It's awesome. For much of my life I was the guy in the fire. I was the guy in the octagon. I was the guy on TV. And I loved it, trust me. It was awesome. I loved every second of it. But now that I'm able to kind of 10x, 20x, 1,000x, 1,000,000x that into affecting people around me - I don't want to say it's more enjoyable but it's just slowly becoming more enjoyable. Cain: I think they say that the true measure of a man's life is the positive impact that he's had on others. You have a positive impact through inspiration. When you're in the cage and you're fighting it's entertaining but I think you being able to take your experience, Charlie, of what you've done and what you've learned through that journey of being an elite MMA warrior and a guy who has fought the best of the best. You are in there with a UFC World Champion and Johny Hendricks. You are in there with Anthony Johnson who I think was a World Champion as well? Brenneman: He was almost. He still might be. Well first of all I fought him at 170 lbs. Now he's at 205 lbs. So he's the number one contender at 205. Cain: I remember the days of him and his weight class changing. He's probably at his natural weight now of 205. I can only imagine how much of a beast he was at 170. But being able to have gone through and done that and now being able to take what you've learned from all the punches and the trials and tribulations and now being able to decipher that into the five elements of excellence and share that with young people who are in the pursuit of excellence (and for coaches who are trying to support their young people in pursuit of excellence) I think is fantastic. The beauty of just getting to know you a little bit here on the podcast today and in our time before is you were also a high school teacher and you are able to communicate that and you can communicate it in Spanish. It's something that I think is very unique. I will say having spent a lot of time in MMA there is not a lot of UFC fighters that I'd be comfortable with having been a former athletic director rolling them out in front of my coaches or rolling them out in front of my students because some of them - the full student body that would be non athletes - and having you go out there to talk about the five elements of excellence, that fits across the board. And the fact that you have been in a classroom and are comfortable in that setting and know what is appropriate to do with high school student athletes and high school students I think makes you at least at the top of my list of people that I would bring in to speak to my student athletes and coaches if I were still a high school athletic director. So Charlie, I'm fired up to have had the opportunity to get to know you. I appreciate you making time. I apologize for keeping you past 5:30 so please apologize to your wife for me. Brenneman: No worries. Cain: For all of our listeners again you want to follow him at @SpaniardMMA on YouTube, SpaniardMMA, and go to www.Charlie-Brenneman.com. Looking forward to getting you back on here as a repeat guest. This is one of my favorite podcasts we've done and it's exciting for me personally having watched you fight and compete in the cage as much as I have to be able to get you on a podcast here. It's very impressive to get to meet the guy who was inside of the cage. Pretty cool. Brenneman: I appreciate it. One more thing I don't think I mentioned at all is my podcast The Fighter's Mindset: The Spaniard Podcast. What I do is I dive deep into - it's called A Fighter's Mindset and to be honest I was debating whether to call it that because it's not about fighting. It's about applying the mindset, a fighter's mindset, to everyday life whether it's competition in sports, competition in life, being a better father, you name it. It's those ideas - self confidence, perseverance, resilience - all those things that make us successful inside the octagon, translating that into sports and other areas of life. You can also find that on the podcast page on my website or check us out on iTunes at A Fighter's Mindset: The Spaniard Podcast. Cain: Fantastic. I'm fired up. I'm going to get on the bike tomorrow morning and pound it out as I'm training for an Iron Man coming up here and I'm going to listen to episodes on there. Brenneman: Nice. Cain: Yeah I don't know how nice it is. It's a pain in the ass really. Brenneman: I hear you. Cain: But it's just something you set a goal and you want to go do it and it's something I'm not sure I can finish so we're going to find out here. But I'm going to work the process and give myself the best chance for success and that's all I can ask. I believe that if I do that I'll cross the finish line. I think if you keep sticking to the process and doing what you're doing you're going to have a tremendous impact and influence on a lot of people's lives out there. Charlie, thanks for your humility, thanks for your commitment to excellence, and thanks for being a guest on the Peak Performance Podcast. Brenneman: My pleasure. I want to throw this last thing out there. I am not okay with having fought the best guys in the world. I wanted to beat them. I wanted to win a world championship but I didn't. That fire and that passion is coming out of me and I'm instilling it in other people. That is what's driving me every morning to get up at 4:30 and to keep doing these sprint workouts is to share that with the up and coming group of kids and coaches that still have that opportunity. Cain: Wow I hate to say this but I guess I'm thankful for the fact that you never got the chance to put the UFC Gold around your waist because if you weren't on the mission that you're on right now I don't think you would have impacted as many people's lives as you're going to. So maybe the best thing that never happened to you was winning a UFC title because you are going to influence and impact a hell of a lot more people by what you're doing now (I think) than you would if you were still in the cage my friend. Brenneman: The obstacle is the way. Let's end it with that.

Imagine one day you’re teaching Spanish to middle school students and then you’re in an octagon fighting for your life and getting punched in the face. Sounds pretty insane, right? That’s exactly the journey of the latest guest of the Academy, none other than Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman who was a former teacher turned UFC fighter who ranked as high as #7 and now a speaker, author, coach and writer who shares his story all over his platforms and turned into a book called "Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage". In this episode we discuss how to adopt a fighter’s mindset, how to have a magnificent obsession, having a massive outcome that makes sense to you (but not others), lessons from the octagon, how to deal with endless critics, trolls and haters, the process of writing a book and enjoying the process of every single moment of life. We’d love to hear your big takeaway from this episode, tag Charlie and I on social media and let us know what you got this conversation. I’d like to thank the brilliant team at Athletic Greens for supporting the mission of the show and offering us the highest quality nutritional insurance on the market, in an easy to take, all-in-one packet. Grab your special bonus as an Academy listener right here: --> athleticgreens.com/resistaverage Thank you for supporting my mission and being part of this platform. Resist Average, Tommy

Today I am very excited to announce our guest, Charlie Brenneman, aka “The Spaniard.” If you're a mixed martial arts or UFC fan, you may recognize Charlie from his time in the octagon, but these days you're more likely to find Charlie at a book signing of his best-selling book Driven: My Unlikely Story from Classroom […]

Today I am very excited to announce our guest, Charlie Brenneman, aka “The Spaniard.” If you’re a mixed martial arts or UFC fan, you may recognize Charlie from his time in the octagon, but these days you’re more likely to find Charlie at a book signing of his best-selling book Driven: My Unlikely Story from Classroom […] The post 118: Are you playing with a Fighter’s Mindset? with Charlie Brenneman aka “The Spaniard” appeared first on 18STRONG.

In 2007, Charlie Brenneman left the comfort of his hometown and full-time job as a Spanish teacher to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. What started out as a dream soon turned into reality. Charlie fought at every level of the industry, including an 11-fight UFC career. After upsetting #6 ranked Rick Story in 2011, his life changed as he skyrocketed into the world rankings and went head-to-head with the best fighters in the world, such as UFC Champion Johny Hendricks and current top-ranked light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. The key ingredient in his climb to the top – HARD WORK. Website: charlie-brenneman.com Twitter: @SpaniardMMA Facebook: /SpaniardMMA   Listen Now: Listen on iTunes: iTunes link Listen on Stitcher: Stitcher link Listen on Google Play Music: Google Play link - Quote 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit' What types of goals did you set when you set out on this course to fight in the MMA? The goal is not the be-all-end-all. It's the experience, knowledge, the process that you gained in the pursuit of the goal. Process vs. outcome Your book is titled ‘Driven' – what does it mean to be driven? Charlie spent a whole bunch of time on the road driving around to be around the best trainers. So the title 'Driven' is a double-meaning of being driven and motivated while at the same time spending a bunch of time on the road driving to his training. Self-confidence Preparation = Self-confidence Preparation trumps self-doubt Mistake-recovery-routines Don't pretend something bad didn't happen. But set a timeframe to allow yourself to feel sorry for yourself, then move on. This timeframe could be 3 seconds, it could be 7 days (in the case of Charlie after a tough MMA loss.) ‘Get serious about having fun' It's all about perspective - don't lose perspective that playing sports should be fun ‘A fighter's mindset' Podcast: 'How you do one thing is how you do everything' - Mike Tyson quoting Cus D'Amato In everything Charlie does, he prepares for it as he would a fight: with discipline, with self-confidence, extreme preparation, resilience, perseverance What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? His Dad: Humility: 'Don't go around telling others how good you are, let them tell you' Favorite success or leadership quote? Favorite success or leadership book? Quote: 'We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit' Book: Extreme Ownership - Navy Seal author Jocko Willink Parting Advice 'Be the change you want to see' Charlie-Brenneman.com Podcasts, book, blog, daily reading videos, and much more! Website: charlie-brenneman.com Twitter: @SpaniardMMA Facebook: /SpaniardMMA   Today's Sponsors I Youth Football helps coaches, organizations, or parents teach football skills to kids ages 3-11.  Not only does I Youth Football guarantee your players increase their skills, they will give you individualized pricing based on your situation. So if you are a coach or want your local organization to run I Youth Football in your area, visit them at www.iyouthfootball.com and reach out. It's simple to set up, and a nice way to earn a little side money while helping kids learn the game of football. To get $100 off the program be sure to use this coupon code: winning -- Reviews are the lifeblood of the podcast!- If you like the podcast- please take 2 minutes to write a review! Click here -  Ready to be an Awesome Youth Coach? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter:

UFC fighter “The Spaniard” and lifelong wrestler, Charlie grew up in normal circumstances. As he puts it “I’m just like you,” he didn’t have to overcome a great deprivation or trauma, he just worked hard and went on to great successes. Brenneman dispels the myth that you must follow a Rocky type trajectory to compete with the best. Instead he shares the simple steps he took, including surrounding himself with good mentors and Consistency. He arrived by realizing that in a sport like wrestling in which “heartbreak far outweighs the triumph” the journey is what matters. Lessons:     1.    Being in a normal family that provides good core values and a supportive environment is an underestimated advantage. It doesn’t take extraordinary circumstances to do extraordinary things.     2.    Every opportunity, no matter how small, counts. Things add up.     3.    If you don’t move the proverbial line in the sand, you’re never going to get best.

In this episode of The Quarter Life Comeback, I chat to Charlie Brenneman about smashing your goals and how he went from Spanish teacher to UFC fighter. The post QLC 030: Develop a Fighter's Mindset with Charlie Brenneman appeared first on Bryan Teare.

In my conversation with Charlie Brenneman, aka "The Spaniard", we discuss benefits within mentors, dealing with losses, the importance of reading, and coaching athletes that may seem to 'have it all'... yet still lack confidence. Also, as we feature his new Podcast, "A Fighter's Mind", Charlie insists to change that "I should" to "I did". Welcome the IMNOTYOU squad, Charlie! Episode 86 Time Stamps: (4:15) Charlie's background | "2x silver, aka 2x loser" (7:37) How Charlie gained the courage to quit his job to pursue a fighting career (10:48) The importance of a MENTOR | Shoutout to Frankie Edgar & Eddie Alvarez (14:01) Post-teacher life | Sacrifice (15:50) Commonalities within top athletes (opposed to your expectations!) (17:00) How to deal with losses (19:15) Systematic living | Charlie's "Elements of excellence" (5 principles of living) (22:11) Coaching an athlete through identifying values (25:21) "Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins (25:40) How simplicity can make a GREAT day (26:49) ROUTINE (27:19) Charlie's philosophy on winning and losing | "If I could look across the cage and think, 'You're gonna get tired before I'm gonna get tired', that was the only thing I needed to know" -The Spaniard (29:54) Advice for that specific athlete who seems to have it all, but still lacks confidence (32:07) "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday | "Sweeping the floor" (32:31) Why Charlie reads, and you should, too! (35:29) The Spaniard's favourite books | "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson | "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho | "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg | "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek (37:58) Every day MUST's! -> Get up super early and drink a gallon of water (43:14) What you can expect in Charlie's new Podcast, "A Fighter's Mindset" (44:48) Cael Sanderson, Jordan Burroughs, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson CONNECT   Charlie's Website: charlie-brenneman.com iTunes Podcast: "A Fighter's Mindset" Facebook: spaniardmma Instagram: @mmaspaniard Twitter: @spaniardmma YouTube: charliespaniard's channel   SHOW LOVE! Today's blog post can be found here: Episode #86 Blog Blog posts for ALL podcast episodes can be found here: IMNOTYOU.COM/PODCAST Thanks for listening to another IMNOTYOU Sports Motivation Podcast!     

In this episode, UFC fighter Charlie Brenneman talks about how to go from an average job to really developing the training habits and routines to become a high performer in a sport, and the mentality that you need to do so. Guest Bio: Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman is a professional mixed martial arts fighter, speaker,… The post SA 027: Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman on the Journey from Spanish Teacher to UFC Fighter appeared first on Nick Dinardo.

Charlie Brenneman, aka The Spaniard, is a family man who has had a successful career as a teacher, an MMA fighter, a professional speaker, a mentor and an author. He is living proof of humans’ ability to adapt and transition to whatever they desire to be in life. He shares the details of his journey from being a high school wrestler all the way through to having his life-altering stroke. He also talks on his understanding of how nutrition can help the body perform at a higher level and which type of workouts keep him in top shape.   Key Takeaways: [4:07] How did Charlie get the nickname “The Spaniard”? [9:05] Binging on food after a weigh in is definitely a thing of the past. It’s now about understanding how nutrition can help the body to perform at a higher level.  [14:42] This is what happened when Charlie transitioned from a wrestler to a UFC fighter. [20:56] Screw your weaknesses and focus on what you are best at. [22:51] Charlie has had 2 major events which made him believe he would never fight again. [33:54] To fill the void of not being a fighter, Charlie set out to help others. [36:09] There’s not enough money in the world to make me sacrifice my family time. [39:18] What are some daily habits the Spaniard never fails to do? [41:58] A couple of key things Charlie includes in his workout. [44:45] Drew’s famous spinach shake breakfast. [47:14] The Lightning Round - Google “Adlan UFC”. [55:53] Contact information for Charlie.   Sponsors: Dollar Workout Club   Mentioned in This Episode: Fit2Fat2Fit @fit2fat2fit - Drew on Instagram 2FitatHome @2fitathome - Lynn on Instagram Charlie Brenneman Driven - My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage @spaniardmma on Twitter @mmaspaniard on Instagram

Continuing with the theme of wrestling and its relationship to mixed martial arts, we talk with Charlie Brenneman, a UFC veteran, former high school Spanish teacher and motivational speaker. On Episode 11 of the Attack Style Wrestling Podcast, Jason Bryant and Daryl Weber join Brenneman to share experiences and tactics that wrestling has taught that transfers to MMA, writing and entrepreneurship. Brenneman uses wrestling in nearly ever aspect of his life, but what were some of the traits wrestlers can employ to make a successful transition to MMA? We'll dive into that and more on this episode of the Attack Style Wrestling Podcast. Get more information on Charlie at Charlie-Brenneman.com. The Attack Style Wrestling Podcast is brought to you by AttackStyleWrestling.com. SUBSCRIBE TO ATTACK STYLE WRESTLING PODCAST iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | SoundCloud | Google Play Music | RSS JOIN THE TEAM And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn.com by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.

Most of you have watched MMA fights. From the casual observer, it simply looks like two guys beating each other mercilessly. And, while violence is certainly and element to the fighting these guys participate in, there are so many lessons that can be extracted from fighting in the cage. My guest today, Charlie Brenneman, shares with us how to be more disciplined, how to develop a perfect day, and what separates the winners from the losers. Podcast Shownotes: Order of Man, Episode 54 Website: Order of Man

We are lured into believing that success comes to people by pure luck… good genes, a connected parent, being in the right place at the right time. Sure, there are people who get lucky. We’re lured into looking at them as if luck is the only way to be successful. But those cases are one in a million. In the case of the lottery-- like the Powerball-- it’s more like one in hundreds of millions. It’s easier to believe in luck than to believe the truth. It’s easier to believe that we can be successful from luck than it is to believe that it came from hard work and struggle. That it came after many, many failures and nights laying in bed riddled with self-doubt. We can all find reasons why the other guy had it made, had an easier path or had more luck. Like when Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg, won the NCAA division I wrestling championship. When he first started wrestling, everyone say, “Poor Anthony. He’ll never win a match. He’s only got one leg.” Years later-- after more failures than most of us have been through-- he figured out how to make his handicap his advantage and people started saying, “Yeah, sure he won but he only has one leg… you can’t hit a double leg takedown on him… you can’t use the same breakdowns you would on a two-legged wrestler.” What about you?  Why are you lucky? As lucky as, say, Anthony Robles? Whether you were born to a wealthy family or to a poor family, both can be seen as an advantage if you choose to see it as an advantage. You grew up wealthy so you had more opportunity and had more experiences. You grew up poor so you’re hungrier and aren’t afraid of getting your hands dirty. You can see it as a factor in your favor or you can choose to see it as something holding you back.  It’s a choice. My good friend Charlie Brenneman recently wrote a blog post about his fledgling motivational speaking career. He wrote about how he stumbled into an opportunity to speak to a large corporation. Turns out there were all kinds of friends and family connections that led him there. It all came from one random email that he decided to send to an organization to see if they might be interested in his service. Luck? Sure. But he also sent 100 other emails that were dead ends. He failed 100 more times than he succeed. You can call it luck or hard work. They’re not really that much different when you look at the end result. One you control. One you don’t. There’s always a reason to believe that you have the edge. And there’s always a reason to believe that the other guy has the edge that you don’t have. What you believe is a choice. No matter what your background, experience level, prior success, up-bringing, education or socio-economic status, simply choosing to believe that you have the edge is the key. Because you do. I believe that you have the edge…. What is it? If you had to identify your edge in the next 60 seconds, what would it be? This podcast is almost over but take the next 60 seconds to identify why YOU have an unfair advantage to succeed in what you want to accomplish. And, if you enjoyed this episode, I hope you’ll consider sharing it with just one person. Shoot them an email, a text, a tweet, a message on FB… whatever… and tell them to check out the Wrestling with Success podcast by Jim Harshaw Jr. Have a great day! ==== Let's connect:  Website | Facebook | Twitter About Your Host Jim Harshaw My name is Jim Harshaw. And I know where you’re at. You’re working hard and qualified for what you do but you aren’t getting what you want. You have plans on getting to the C-suite or launching a business but ultimate success seems as far away today as ever. You’re at the right place because you can get there from here. And I can help. Who I Am I’m a speaker, coach and former Division I All American wrestler that helps motivated former athletes reach their full potential by getting clarity on their what they really want and taking aggressive action to lead their ideal life not just despite their prior failures but because of them. I’m a husband and father of four. And I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve launched multiple successful businesses as well as the obligatory failed one. I’ve been the executive director of a non-profit and have raised millions of dollars. I’ve worked in sales. I’ve even been a Division I head coach. While I was born in a blue-collar home I have spent my life surrounded by Olympians, CEO’s and millionaires. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” I’ve been lucky. I’ve learned the habits of successful people and guess what. You’re just like them. I know because I know your type. You’re programmed for hard work, which is a prerequisite for success, but you’ve never been shown how to use what you know to create the life you want with the tools you have. I will show you how. Why You are Here You've worked hard to achieve greatness. You’ve set goals and maybe even set records. You’ve definitely failed and you’ve at some point found yourself questioning if you were on the right track. You need to understand this: You are far more prepared to succeed than those who’ve not tried, competed, struggled and overcome like you have. That’s the value of your education as someone who aims high. You are prepared to be as successful as your wildest dreams will allow. Here I will teach you, with the help of brilliant minds that have been shaped by failure, struggle and adversity, to be who you want to be. I sense that you want this because you have read this far. To take the next step today, click here. FOLLOW JIM Website | Facebook | Twitter  

Today's interview was a fascinating one for me to conduct, because as you may know, I am a HUGE fan of UFC and professional Mixed Martial Arts! Today’s guest is UFC fighter turned motivational speaker and author, Charlie “The Spaniard” Brenneman. While teaching Spanish to high school students, Charlie’s life took an unexpected turn when he won the first season of the hit television show "Pros vs Joes." He went on to become a professional UFC ​fighter, competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and earning the rank of #7 UFC fighter in the world! In this episode, you will… Discover the Success Principles that enabled Charlie to rise to be the #7 ranked UFC fighter in the world Gain an understanding of the importance of having “focus” in ​your ​life Learn ​the importance of establishing Core Values to guide every decision you make ​And much more... ​   “I tried to prepare myself for anything that will come my way.” – Charlie Brenneman CLICK TO TWEET   TRANSCRIPTS Download the Transcript for Episode #115 (PDF) JOIN THE CONVERSATION >>If you enjoyed this post, if it added value to your life, please leave a quick comment below and SHARE with your friends. Thank YOU for paying it forward! :^) COMMENT QUESTION: What is your big takeaway?. Write it in the comments below. SUBMIT A QUESTION Do you have a question you would like answered on a future podcast? Click the button below. EPISODE RESOURCES Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage Charlie Brenneman | Spaniard BYEBonline course The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) Bulk orders of The Miracle Morning   MiracleMorning.com   The Miracle Morning Community   Your Podcast Guru

The Spaniard, Charlie Brenneman, straight out of Pennsylvania gives it to us straight on his wrestling background that led him from a teaching career into the MMA world of fighting.  As one of the best fighters in the world, you will learn how much money he made as a novice,his training rituals, and even the surprise and awe he encountered when some  fans turned on him.  Mark and Charlie talk about the mental game involved and how Charlie entered the ring an empty vessel of power.

In 2007, “The Spaniard” left the comfort of his hometown and full-time job as a Spanish teacher to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. What started out as a dream soon turned into reality. “The Spaniard” fought at every level of the industry, including an 11-fight UFC career. After upsetting #6 ranked Rick Story in 2011, Charlie skyrocketed into the world rankings and went head-to-head with the best fighters in the world, such as UFC Champion Johny Hendricks and #1 ranked light heavyweight Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Charlie Brenneman transitioned his experiences as a professional fighter into professional speaking. While illustrating specific principles and examples that helped propel him to the top of the fighting world, Charlie specializes in maximizing performance through a life of excellence. “The Spaniard” has deconstructed his success principles into 3 Functions for Success and 12 Elements of Excellence. If you like what you hear, please subscribe, rate and review on iTunes. It helps our show get found, and I truly appreciate it.  Also, the way this show grows is by word of mouth.  or rather you sharing on social media, talking to friends, tweeting about it, posting on Facebook.To stay in touch with the show, get detailed show notes, and subscribe to my email newsletter, visit DavidRachford.com/podcast.  I've got a great info-graphic I just released that shares the 5 simple tools I used to lose 50 lbs in 6 months, just subscribe to my list and I'll send it over.  I won't spam you, I just send out a weekly email to keep in touch and share some things I'm working on.

USA Wrestling's Bonus Points podcast, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance, will feature many of top names in wrestling from the U.S. and beyond. Episode 22 of Bonus Points features wrestler, mma fighter, entrepreneur and author Charlie Brenneman. Brenneman wrestled collegiatly at Lock Haven University where he finished in the round of 12 at the 2004 NCAA Championships. He was named to the NWCA All-Academic Team in 2004. Following his wrestling career at Lock Haven, Brenneman taught high school Spanish for three years, where he garned his nickname The Spaniard, before winning the reality television show Pros vs. Joes in 2006. Soon thereafter, he elected to turn to a career in mma. Brenneman was ranked as high as No. 7 in the UFC welterweight division. He has battled current top contenders Johny Hendricks and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson inside the Octagon. Currently, Brenneman works as a professional speaker and author. He just released his first book, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage, last fall. Join USA Wrestling's Richard Immel as he takes you through the latest wrestling news from around the country and talks with Brenneman about how wrestling has shaped his life, his UFC career and his current business ventures. Follow Bonus Points episode 22 featured guest Charlie Brenneman on Twitter at @SpaniardMMA and follow host Richard Immel on Twitter at @Richard_Immel. Provide any feedback for Bonus Points on Twitter by tweeting @USAWrestling and using the hashtag #BonusPoints. Listeners can also email suggestions to rimmel@usawrestling.org. Listen to previous episodes of the show on the USA Wrestling Bouns Points Archives or by subscribing on your favorite podcast listening application. Related Links www.charlie-brenneman.com Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage Subscribe to Bonus Points iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | SoundCloud | AudioBoom | RSS

Ariel Helwani speaks to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Benson Henderson, Chad Mendes, Tyson Fury, John Kavanagh, Ray Longo, Makwan Amirkhani, Charlie Brenneman, Guilherme Cruz and Seán Sheehan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ariel Helwani speaks to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Benson Henderson, Chad Mendes, Tyson Fury, John Kavanagh, Ray Longo, Makwan Amirkhani, Charlie Brenneman, Guilherme Cruz and Seán Sheehan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ariel Helwani speaks to Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Benson Henderson, Chad Mendes, Tyson Fury, John Kavanagh, Ray Longo, Makwan Amirkhani, Charlie Brenneman, Guilherme Cruz and Seán Sheehan.

Wrestling fans who follow the world of mixed martial arts should know the name Charlie Brenneman. Known as "The Spaniard," Brenneman had a number of fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championships and has also held titles in various regional promotions. On Episode 221 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, Brenneman will talk about his new book, Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage and break down the reasons behind he got into fighting and the reasons why he felt his story was compelling enough to write a book about it. Brenneman just missed All-American honors his senior year at Lock Haven and went into teaching Spanish in his hometown. Then the first crack at television came with the reality competition series called Pros vs. Joes. Brenneman will break down the experience and explain why that kickstarted his push into MMA. It's a fun conversation with The Spaniard. Leave a voicemail for the show by checking out our contact page. Your listener feedback could be played back and answered on an upcoming episode of Short Time. SUBSCRIBE TO SHORT TIME iTunes | Stitcher | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | SoundCloud | iOS App | Android App | RSS GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS! You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day. Almanac Time! Get the Cadet & Junior Nationals All-American Almanac, a 219-page digital download. It's available now and if you use the promo code "JB" you'll save $5 off the cover price. It's got every All-American EVER in Fargo (and the locations that were before Fargo) and every breakdown by year and state. Oh, you know this guy who says he placed at Juniors? Fact check him or her quickly by buying one now! And if you haven't already, leave a rating and a review on iTunes. The Short Time Time Wrestling Podcast is proudly sponsored by Flipswrestling. Share your attitude and #BEHEARD at Flipswrestling.com. Contribute And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you. Looking to start a podcast of your own? Get a free month with Libsyn by using the promo code MTO when you sign up. You'll get the remainder of the month from when you sign up as well as the next month free. It'll be enough time to kick the tires and lights some fires.

Overcoming Graduation Ep. 19 "Accomplishments Don't Start in Reality" (and Happy Easter!)  Happy Easter everyone! Today's episode is a short episode to celebrate Easter Sunday and follow up on my promise to personally thank all of the people who have shared my podcast. I hope you enjoy it and spend this day celebrating all of the wonderful blessings in your life.  Thank you again to all of you who have shared this podcast to help it grow: Bernie Drury, Rose Cox, Charlie Brenneman, Kresimir Jug, Aunt Mary Liz, Cindy De Champ, Gloria Stephenson, and James Peterson! I love you guys and have a wonderful day!    Visit OvercomingGraduation.com to see more interviews. Contact me at Brian@OvercomingGraduation.com Subscribe to the podcast on Itunes or through the Stitcher app Check out the newly created Overcoming Graduation Facebook page!   

Overcoming Graduation Ep. 2 Charlie Brenneman: From High School Spanish Teacher to Professional UFC Fighter Charlies' journey from teaching Spanish and wrestling in a high school to go on and compete at the highest level of mixed martial art is nothing short of incredible. He realized that he had a dream, made a plan, then worked the plan to make his dream a reality.  Charlie's ideas on work ethic and making things happen in your life will inspire you to begin taking massive action towards your dreams today! In today's interview Charlie will discuss: - How to set a plan to succeed - What it takes to compete at the highest level of Mixed Martial Arts - How to overcome self doubt - How to reevaluate your dreams and take the next step And so much more!   SHOW NOTES: Charlie's Book - Driven: My Unlikely Journey from Classroom to Cage To pick up a copy of Charlie's book on Amazon click here!   To learn more visit OvercomingGraduation.com.

Featuring Michael Bisping, Tyron Woodley, Charlie Brenneman, Rich Franklin, and Brandon Vera.

Featuring Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson, Charlie Brenneman, Jared Hamman and MMA roundtable.

News: - Sonnen talks TRT on UFC Tonight - Danny Castillo vs Charlie Brenneman at UFC 172 - Mike Ricci vs George Sotiropolous at Titan FC 28 -Ryan Jimmo looking for new oppoent at TUF FInale Tweet of the Day If you're a "champ" @JonnyBones you'd whoop @dc_mma and move on. He's a tougher test than your last two fights so just #embracethegrind — Tyson Griffin (@TysonGriffin) March 5, 2014

The guys discuss why Jake didn't come through on a wingman request from Adam for a night in Hollywood. Hector Lombard calls in to discuss the bone he has to pick with boxer Adrien Broner which leads into the debate on who wins a boxing match between the two. Then, Tony Ferguson takes a moment from the doctor's office to tell us how his comeback from injury is progressing. Finishing it off, hot off his debut win in the UFC, Beneil, we call him Benny, Dariush talks about beating Charlie Brenneman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Any fan of Quentin Tarantino knows Zoe Bell very well and on this week's Great MMA Debate podcast she discusses her new movie as well as possible roles in the new Expendables movie and the new Tarantino film 'The Hateful Eight'. Check out the rest of Bell's interview along with UFC Fight Night competitors Lorenz Larkin, TJ Dillashaw and Charlie Brenneman plus an entire preview of the upcoming card from Atlanta with debate topics also discussing Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva and how much influence the new executive director from the Nevada State Athletic Commission will have on the UFC this year.

Monday's edition of MMAWeekly Radio is dedicated to the popular FX outlaw biker drama "Sons of Anarchy" with three of the show's top stars joining us to talk about the fifth season. With the UFC's move to FX earlier this year as part of their new deal with Fox, just about everyone has noticed that many of the actors from Sons of Anarchy have started popping up at UFC shows. Now we bring the Sons of Anarchy into MMAWeekly Radio. On today's show, Theo Rossi (Juice), Kim Coates (Tig) and Harold Perrineau (Damon Pope) join us to talk about the fifth season of the show and much more. All three are also huge MMA fans including Perrineau, who used to train at Renzo Gracie's academy in New York City. Also on today's show former UFC welterweight Charlie Brenneman stops by to discuss the popular show with us as well, being a dedicated Sons of Anarchy fan himself. Check out this special edition of MMAWeekly Radio with the Sons of Anarchy and also make sure to check out StatenStrong.com to see how Theo Rossi and the rest of the cast of Sons of Anarchy are helping those in need after the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy. [display_podcast] Click to listen on non-Flash devices or right-click to download MP3 Subscribe via iTunes Also available on Stitcher Radio