Podcasts about underdog true stories

135: Scott Kujak: Author of Underdog: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, Podcast Host of Underdog, and Territory Sales Executive at Beckman Coulter, talks about how he overcame the low points of his life, from his wife leaving him to losing his friend and inspiration Phil Taylor to cancer.  Scott Kujak  Scott Kujak is an ex-college football player who has gone on to live a life of lifting up those that have faced adversities head on. Hear how the obstacles that prevented him from attending his first choice for college, Texas Christian University, where he had a partial academic scholarship and a preferred walk-on position on the football team waiting for him. “I actually grew up in an impoverished area in Florida and just with my own financial circumstances and my family dynamics I was not able to attend TCU and cover the rest of the tuition. So, I went to Eastern Illinois University where I had a full ride offer and went there and played quarterback. I was actually backup for Jimmy Garoppolo, who is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers right now.”    On this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, we talk with Scott Kujak, Author of Underdog: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, Podcast Host of Underdog, and Territory Sales Executive at Beckman Coulter about his football experiences, and how his friend Phil Taylor, who died at age 25, was a huge inspiration when Scott was overcoming what he defined as the worst time of his life in 2016, when his ex-wife left him abruptly for good. “With Phil, he was also going through the worst time of his life. He was undergoing tremendous stomach pain and he didn't understand why. A couple of months later, he went to the doctor and they told him he had a large tumor blocking his large intestine. Although we were going through two separate scenarios, we experienced a lot of the same emotions of doubt and anger and ‘what the heck is going on?’ Yet, his reaction to those emotions was often much different than mine. He often looked at it in a way of positivity and optimism.”    What You Will Learn:   Scott Kujak talks about what he learned in terms of how to cope with adversity. “You can always make something good out of it. It doesn’t matter what you are going through. Cancer, someone dies in a car accident, you get walked out on, you have a devastating sports injury. No matter what the pain is that you face, whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual, you can respond in a way that makes a positive impact on the world.”    What did Scott’s friend Phil Taylor mean to him? “Phil is a perfect example of someone who touches your life and just had a profound impact that he knew during the last couple of years of his life. But he won’t know the huge impact because he passed away.”    Scott Kujak talks about how Phil Taylor helped inspire his podcast Underdog. “I thought, man, he has had such an immediate impact on his circle of friends and family. What if I got his message out there to the broader public. How do I do that? I thought of podcasts because I listen to a lot of podcasts, especially when I drive and I thought, I’m not just going to interview Phil and be done with it. Why don’t I interview people who have overcome many different types of adversity?”   What was it like having Chris Norton, who has also been a guest on Finding Your Summit Podcast, as a podcast guest on Scott’s show Underdog? “One of his PR people reached out to me and when I read about his story, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. Yeah. He has got to come on the show.’ Chris was playing football in college, just like you and I. He was at a D3 school in Iowa, and he was on a kickoff team and went to make a tackle and everything changed for him in a second. Bad tackle gone wrong. He was paralysized from the neck down, never to really walk or live on his own again.”   What about Scott Kujak’s podcast is therapeutic for him? “Common ground. I think it lays a nice foundation of common ground between us and whoever we interview across the world because we realise no matter how big or how small the name is, the person that we are interviewing, there are very common emotions that we all go through that no matter what the situation is, we can empathize with them. We realise, hey, what I went through, maybe compares or doesn’t compare at all to what another person went through. Like they had it way worse and yet they responded in a much more positive way and I can try to emulate that.”      Scott’s Fiancé Scott Kujak went from heartbreak with the end of his prior marriage to having his heart reunited with love thanks to his new fiancé. “She has been nothing short of amazing and just filled with grace and patience and love for me and for many, many others. She is without a doubt a Godsend and an angel to me. She has lifted me up at times when I felt down and she supports me and is confident in the person that I am today and the man that I will continue to become in the future. We are getting married in April 2020. We are really, really, pumped about it. I would do anything in the world for her”      The Power of Faith During this episode of Finding Your Summit Podcast, Scott Kujak also highlights other amazing people that he has interviewed, many of the gems of advice that he has received from his podcast guests, and the power of his faith in God. “I love being in nature. It’s a huge reminder to me about how small I am here on planet Earth and how much I need God. How much I need my faith to carry on in life and do the things that God has put on my heart that He has only given me unique abilities to do, whether it is serving others or saying the right thing at the right time.”    Links to Additional Resources: Scott's website: scottkujak.com Scott's Linkedin

Scott Kujak is the host of the Underdog Podcast and recently published his first book, Underdog – True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, which features 10 guest stories from the first 40 episodes of the podcast. Scott began his podcast after he witnessed his best friend from college battle stage 4 colon cancer, and now he interviews people who have overcome tremendous odds in many different areas of life from famous athletes to amputee war veterans. He currently resides in Austin, Texas and is the 2-time defending Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Boxing Champion of Austin. He hopes to inspire you in your own journey fighting against adversity.

Today our expert guest is Scott Kujak, host of the Underdog Podcast and author of Underdog: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity. He speaks to organizations, corporations, churches, and at events, inspiring those who fight against adversity one punch at a time.   Scott began his podcast after witnessing his best friend battle stage 4 colon cancer, and now he interviews people who have overcome tremendous odds, from famous athletes to amputee war veterans.   When Scott's friend Phil was diagnosed with cancer around the same time Scott had a relationship end abruptly, he witnessed the difference in the ways they handled adversity: Scott faced his with doubt, hopelessness, anger and depression, but Phil responded with positivity, optimism, and hope. This inspired Scott to respond to adversity even when life didn't make sense.   Scott wanted to capture Phil's story in depth in an interview and inspire others. After that, he decided to interview others who have overcome a spectrum of different circumstances so he could share that knowledge with others.   Phil sadly passed away in 2018, but Scott wanted to honor his legacy and his story. He was already halfway through writing his book based on his podcast, where Phil was the last story told, and he knew he had to kick into high gear to get it finished and honor his friend.   Over the course of his interviews, Scott pulled out a few common strategies people have used to overcome adversity: Forgiveness makes change about yourself and not the other person. It opens your heart and changes your perspective. Looking at taking life on day by day. When faced with incredible adversity, it can be hard to look at the next 5 years of your life, but if you can just tackle the next day, week, month, you will get there. What is your motivation? If you have a strong enough reason to keep going on, you can find the strength to go on.   Today, Scott has found several ways to make his own impact in the world. He's taken up boxing, where he is the two time golden glove super-heavyweight champion of Austin, Texas, which helps him with stress relief and exercise, but also serves as a powerful metaphor for the fights others have to go through. He even incorporates this into his speaking engagements.   Scott is serving in mentorship programs locally, partnering up one on one with kids and offering support. He is also involved in Big Love Cancer Care, providing much-needed assistance, items, and support to cancer patients and their families.   The Biggest Helping: Today's Most Important Takeaway   “Above anything else, the most important thing in life to be successful is to love others with every single thing that you have in your body. It's not enough to make a ton of money, it's not enough to be there for a friend in times of need. You have to be there for everybody, whether they want it or not, whether they like you or not, you like them or not. If you show love to other people, that's how the world changes.”   --   Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.   Resources: Learn more at scottkujak.com Read Underdog: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/underdogpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/underdog_podcast B.I.G. Love Cancer Care: https://biglovecancercare.org The Daily Helping is produced by Crate Media

I get asked a lot what the secret to motivation is and its importance.  The truth is, motivation is different for everyone, but there’s one common thread I’ve noticed most every successful individual ties to it.  Inspiration. Today on the show I’m joined by author and podcaster Scott Kujak. The subject of motivation comes up several times throughout our discussion and with good reason.  It’s the inspiration he’s gained by observing those he’s loved in the very trenches of adversity that fuels his own motivation today. By the end of our conversation, you’ll be challenged to look at your own experiences differently, as well as those around you.  By doing so, you’ll be able to harness this inspiration as fuel for your own personal growth.     Episode Highlights: Scott's experience growing up in an emotionally abusive household. (01:43) How Scott used team sports to cope with his childhood environment (02:43) How his college experience at TCU helped Scott social skills by recognizing both diversity and adversity. (05:48) How balancing playing football 40 hours a week, his pre-med program and working 2-3 jobs all at the same time taught him about perseverance. (07:11) Scott's secret on how to stay motivated (9:01) Scott shares about his friendship with Phil, including his battle with cancer and the incredible influence he had in his life (10:50) Scott shares his final moments with Phil and how his death impacted him (13:32) How Scott's inspiration from Phil's perseverance led him to create the Underdog Podcast. (16:02) The surprising reasons Scott took up boxing following his collegiate football career (18:10) How sports have always been Scott's outlet for maintaining his mental health and could be a good alternative for individuals who struggle with creativity. (21:27) The importance of using your adversity as an opportunity to help others. (27:55) The importance of allowing yourself to grieve (29:27) Don’t forget to stop by http://www.corrielogiudice.com/motivation-and-its-importance  where we answer questions you may have about the episode. If you enjoy this video, don’t forget to subscribe and get even more inspirational tips, resources, and interviews for leading a more emotionally fulfilling life at http://www.corrielo.com.   Like these interviews?  Watch even more of them here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?playnext=1&list=PL2iLLfzM7QKEU9_8o346wWKRSwofQdB4o&index=1.   Scott Kujak Bio: Scott Kujak is the host of the Underdog Podcast and recently published his first book, Underdog – True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, which features 10 guest stories from the first 40 episodes of the podcast. Scott began his podcast after he witnessed his best friend from college battle stage 4 colon cancer, and now he interviews people who have overcome tremendous odds in many different areas of life from famous athletes to amputee war veterans. He currently resides in Austin, Texas, and is the 2-time defending Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Boxing Champion of Austin. He hopes to inspire you in your own fight against adversity.

Scott Kujak, '15, stops by to talk about the many things he's involved with including his career as a medical salesman, while also finding time to be a podcaster, author and boxer. His book is entitled Underdog: True Stories of Overcoming Adversity.

Scott Kujak is the host of the Underdog Podcast and recently published his first book, Underdog - True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, which features 10 guest stories from the first 40 episodes of the podcast. Scott began his podcast after he witnessed his best friend from college battle stage 4 colon cancer, and now he interviews people who have overcome tremendous odds in many different areas of life from famous athletes to amputee war veterans. He currently resides in Austin, Texas and is the 2-time defending Golden Gloves Heavyweight Boxing Champion of Austin. He is pursuing a Texas state boxing title in March. He hopes to inspire you in your own journey fighting against adversity.   Follow Scott Kujak: Facebook: @scott.kujak.182 Instagram: @@scottkujak10   Purpose Chasers Podcast is designed to provide insights into personal development, spirituality, recovery, entrepreneurship and how to create an unstoppable mindset to empower individuals to break free from mediocrity and live extraordinarily.   Check out more information:https://markcrandall.net   Follow Mark Crandall: Facebook:@purposechaserspodcast Instagram:@purposechasers Linked In:@MarkCrandall

Mackenson Bonnell was born in Haiti and lost his parents as a teenager. He became the caretaker of his younger siblings, and eventually developed Type I Diabetes when he was living at an orphanage. He was adopted by US parents and together they formed Kay Mackenson which is a clinic in Haiti that provides treatment and education to Haitians regarding diabetes. Mackenson just finished his collegiate career in soccer and is hoping to attend physical therapy school in the near future. In this episode: Growing up in Haiti Losing his parents at a young age and becoming the caretaker of his siblings at 13 years old Having faith and trusting God throughout his loss Learning English at the orphanage Waiting 3 years to get adopted and live in the United States Diagnosed with Type I Diabetes at 17 Forming the Kay Mackenson Clinic – Providing healthcare and diabetes education to Haitians Overcoming the culture shock of transitioning to small town Texas Earning a position on a collegiate soccer team without playing high school soccer You can find out more information about Mackenson's clinic at https://www.kaymackenson.org/ and you can follow him on Instagram @mpbonnell You can grab a copy of my book, Underdog - True Stories of Overcoming Adversity, which features 10 stories from the first 40 episodes of the podcast at www.underdogpc.com/book, or on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.