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A Heartfelt Conversation In the latest episode of the Dads with Daughters podcast, we welcome Gerard Gousman to explore the unique experiences and challenges he faces as a father of four sons. Gerard shares his heartfelt insights and practical advice, making this episode a must-listen for every dad striving to be the best parent they can be. Let's dive into the critical themes and topics discussed during their engaging conversation. Reflecting on the Initial Stages of Fatherhood Gerard Gousman opens up about his initial reactions to becoming a father. The mix of excitement, fear, and overwhelming responsibility is something many new dads can resonate with. "It's like stepping into a world where you have no previous experience," says Gerard, reflecting on the early days of fatherhood. As he navigated through sleepless nights and constant second-guessing, Gerard began to understand the profound and rewarding nature of being a dad. The Dynamics of Parenting at Different Stages Parenting isn't a 'one size fits all' journey, and Gerard underscores this by discussing the differences in parenting toddlers, preteens, and teenagers. He highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptation, learning to adjust his parenting style to each child's unique needs and communication preferences. By doing so, Gerard has been able to maintain close relationships with his kids, fostering an environment where they feel safe and understood. Embracing Technology and Remote Living With the shift to remote work and education, Gerard speaks on the challenges and opportunities this new dynamic brings. Living in a more remote setting has highlighted the importance of balancing screen time with physical activity and real-world interactions. Gerard emphasizes finding creative solutions to keep his children engaged and active, such as outdoor adventures and tech-free family time. The Pressures and Expectations of Fatherhood One of the most relatable aspects of Gerard's story is his fear of not meeting the high standards and expectations of modern fatherhood. "There's always this lingering worry—am I doing enough?" Gerard admits candidly. Over time, he learned that striving for perfection isn't sustainable. Instead, he focuses on being present and consistent, realizing that it's the simple, everyday moments that matter most. Creating Wins and Building a Cool Dad Reputation A shining light in Gerard's journey is his 'cool dad' win at the trampoline park. Taking his 7-year-old and a friend out for some jumping fun led to high praise from the friend, labeling Gerard as the "coolest dad at school." This moment encapsulates the joy of being an involved parent and solidifies Gerard's belief in the importance of participating in his children's interests. Finding Inspiration and Support Gerard draws inspiration from his children's growth and positivity and from other supportive dads who share their journeys. He emphasizes the importance of finding a community, whether through local groups or online platforms. These connections offer a sense of belonging and a wealth of shared knowledge, making the challenges of fatherhood feel less isolating. Advice for New Dads: Stay Happy and True to Yourself To new fathers, Gerard offers sage advice: "Don't lose yourself after becoming a father. Your happiness is crucial for your family's well-being." He encourages dads to pursue their interests and maintain their personal happiness, which in turn creates a more joyful and balanced family environment. Transitioning Careers for Family Gerard's decision to transition from a high-pressure career in the event management and music industry to being a stay-at-home dad speaks volumes about his commitment to his family. He discusses the fear of missing out (FOMO) and the challenges of shifting focus from an active social lifestyle to home life. Parenthood required him to reevaluate his priorities and embrace a new, fulfilling role. Navigating Family Dynamics and Individual Needs Understanding that each child is unique, Gerard keeps notes on his children's favorite things to use as points of connection when other communication methods fail. This personalized approach has helped him navigate tough conversations and strengthen his bond with each child. Advocating for At-Home Dads Gerard has become a vocal advocate for at-home dads, participating in a New York Times article to challenge stereotypes. His efforts have been met with positive responses from friends and other fathers, underscoring the value of representation and community. The Role of Community in Fatherhood Finding a supportive Fatherhood community, like the National At Home Dad Network and local dad groups, has been instrumental in Gerard's journey. He emphasizes the importance of reaching out and connecting with others who understand and appreciate the unique challenges and rewards of fatherhood. The Simple Joys of Fatherhood For Gerard, fatherhood in one word is "amazing." It's the little victories, the shared laughs, and the opportunity to watch his children grow that make the journey so rewarding. As he continues to adapt and learn, Gerard remains a beacon of positivity and strength for his family. In summary, Gerard Gousman's journey is a powerful reminder that fatherhood, with all its ups and downs, is an ever-evolving adventure. His insights and experiences provide invaluable lessons for dads at any stage, encouraging them to embrace the journey with an open heart and a flexible mindset.   TRANSCRIPT Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:05]: Welcome to dads with Daughters. In this show, we spotlight dads, resources, and more to help you be the best dad you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:16]: Welcome back to the dance with daughters podcast where we bring you guests to be active participants in your daughter's lives, raising them to be strong, independent women. You know, every week, I love being able to sit down and talk with you, to work with you, to help you on this journey that you're on. Each one of us is on a unique journey. And you have daughters, I have daughters, but we learn from each other. We learn from others. And the more that we're willing to step out and hear what others have to say, step out and take in that learning, take in what others have to say, the more that you're going to be able to be that engaged dad, and that father that you want to be to your children. And that's why every week I bring you different guests, different people with different perspectives and, and different from different walks of life that have gone through either fatherhood in a different way have different resources that they can share. And I love being able to do that. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:10]: Because, as I said, each one of us is on a unique journey, but we can learn from each other and we can help each other along the way. This week, we got another great guest with us. Gerard Guzman is with us today. Gerard is a father of 4 sons. And you might be saying, well, this is the dads with daughters podcast. Why are we having a father of sons here? Well, there's a reason and we're gonna be talking about that. Gerard went through his own journey as a working dad that made some choices, made some choices to be that active, engaged dad that he wanted to be and may have made some choices that you might have made or might not have made. We're gonna talk about that. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:47]: And I'm really excited to have him here, be able to share his story, learn a little bit more about him. Gerard, thanks so much for being here today. Gerard Gousman [00:01:53]: Thanks for having me.  Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:54]: It is my pleasure having you here today. Love being able to have you on and being able to learn more about you. 1st and foremost, I love being able to start the podcast with the opportunity to go back in time, get in the in that proverbial time machine. I want to go all the way back. I know you've got kids that range from 22 months all the way to 22 years. So I want to go back maybe 23 years, I want to go back to that first moment that you you found out that you were going to be a father. What was going through your head? Gerard Gousman [00:02:19]: For the first time, I was young. I was in college scared, excited, hopeful. It was there from was the experience of not knowing what was ahead of me, but, like, alright. Trying to figure out, alright. How can how do I do this? How do I be a dad? And I look at the examples of examples around me and okay. To figure out how long if I take a little piece of pieces of this from the different dads I know and trying to grab what I thought was right. And, of course, none of us do it right. It's from the start. So got that knocked myself off, knocked my dust myself off, and got back up and keep trying it again and again until some point in the next couple weeks. I think I may get it right. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:55]: I'll have to check back with you in that few weeks and see if you actually hit that point because I don't know if any of us do it right all the time. And we definitely stumble, fall, pick ourselves back up, as you said. And our kids are gonna be the first ones to point out when we make mistakes. So that's definitely the case. Now, as I said, you've got kids that range from 22 years to 22 months. And with each and every child, you have to parent in a little bit different way. And you've learned things along the way, but you've got a very young child and a child that's potentially out of the nest in regards to grown, flown, starting his adult life now. So talk to me about what you've learned along the way and how you're parenting your 22 month old now differently than you may have parented your 22 year old. Gerard Gousman [00:03:44]: Yeah. It's definitely a much different world now, physical world and just my immediate world where I'm coming from then being young and my experience, all things that come with being a young adult in a big city and trying to do that. And it was also at the time of really starting. I was in music and college and working in marketing. Just Just starting out working in marketing in events and just trying to navigate and figure out what I was gonna be and what I was gonna do. And some of the experiences I have always been of the mind is bring trying to do as much as you can to marry marry my worlds together. I was trying to bring the kids out into the events and never use that having kids excuse to not be able to do something that you probably could do with them. That's something I've always tried to maintain with of showing my kids as much of the world and as many different experiences as I can. Gerard Gousman [00:04:39]: And still to this day doing that, but a bit differently, plus the mix of technology, and we're a little more remote than we were then. And starting out, I was with in Chicago, it's so close to a lot of family. But now remote here in the on the West Coast, and most of my family is still Midwest and back east. So it's completely different raising the family, raising kids away from the family, and not having a strong of a communal family support. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:05:06]: Now you mentioned at the beginning when you first had your first child, you were definitely a little bit scared. And I think there's some fear that goes along with every father, Whether you have daughters, whether you have sons, in some aspect, when you bring a new child into the world, there's always some fear. What was your biggest fear in being a father? Gerard Gousman [00:05:22]: A lot. I think of not being able to hold up to the standards that I had, I guess, as a kid, like, what the ideal dad was. Like, when I grow up, when I have kids, I'm never gonna yell, and I'm gonna always be there, and I'm always gonna be smart, and I'm gonna trust my kids and know all the things that you wanted as a child from your parents. I'm like, I'm gonna be that parent. Like, how do I hold up to be that parent that I wanted as a kid? And then I realized, like, that's not realistic. You you quickly learn, like, oh, that's why they were always tired. That's why they were always yelling. Like, in retrospect, that was very dangerous. It's finding that out that I could try to bring in those parts of me that I wanted to mold and have my parenting style being able to live up to that standard. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:13]: Now with the fact that your children are at different points, different ages, different experience levels, and you look at that fear now in regard to what you've gone through. Is the fear that you have as a father different for your 22 month old in the life that he will have versus the fear that you have now for your adult son? Gerard Gousman [00:06:35]: Think of are you thinking in in time that learn to be a lot more flexible and not take not take the losses as hard. And sometimes, like, I take the stumbles as much. I mean, there's simply times where you do everything you can and things don't work out, but you say, alright. Didn't work out this time. How do I learn from this experience and use it to parent better down the road? So going back to things I thought of with now with my now 7 year old being the 1st grader and thinking back to when my oldest was in that age and trying not to put as much pressure, like, that pressure to be the best student and be the nicest kid and be perfect in public and be respectful. Be always be as respectful as possible and and to try to keep them as polished they could. And now being a point of letting them breathe and kinda learn their own way and instilling those the same principles in them, but not instilling the pressure as much. I wanna know that, yeah, it's okay to take those missteps and but being able to be open and and be able to come back to us as parents and know that we have that support level of support that I don't think I instilled in my kids, in my older kids when they were younger. Gerard Gousman [00:07:52]: It's kinda that these are your benchmarks. You gotta hit them. You gotta hit them. And now it's like, alright. If you don't, that's okay. We can find a way to make up the gap. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:08:00]: And kinda chuckling to myself because I think as you go through life as a parent, and I I could just imagine your oldest son saying to you, you were so much harder on me and you kept me to a different standard than than you're holding to my younger siblings. And you do. You know, it's not that you're favoring one than another, but you learn. And as you said, you become more laid back, I believe. The more fathers that I talk to, the more kids that they have, I think the more laid back they do become. Gerard Gousman [00:08:28]: Yeah. And then the thing of knowing how like, in the beginning, you don't know what the outcome or outcomes be, but outcomes will be. But as it goes on, you kinda you understand the patterns. You see the algorithm of life. And, like, okay. I know where before I had to make the 6 or 7 steps. I know that 2 or 3 of those steps weren't really important and kinda slowed things up. So now being able to have been able to more fine tune things in real time and just being more aware of those benchmarks that we like I said before about trying to hit those and not it's not always the most important thing. Sometimes the trying is enough. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:09:03]: Now I know that or you, as you said, you were a employee for many years, you worked out in the world, doing event management, Salt N Pepper, Cat Power. I mean, lots of artists that were out there. You were traveling a lot, and at some point, you made a decision. You made a decision that some changes need to be had, and you needed to be closer to home. You needed to be able to be more a part of the family. Talk to me about that internal conversation you had to have, the conversation you had to have with your wife as well to think about this in a different scenario that made you make some choices that were going to substantially change your life and change your family's life? Gerard Gousman [00:09:50]: Yeah. Well, I think into that point, it was sitting around the birth of my 3rd, and the 2nd one's went through, and it was kinda wandering in between, I guess, seasons. I guess the way the event seasons go, it's kinda like the tail end and starting I don't know. I wanted to be there and support my wife as much as I could that and doing the beginning of the maternity leave and school being able to really be a part of the moments, all of the pre visits and all that stuff and really having the excitement of the pregnancy. That's not that I missed out by. My other 2 was just, like, being out on the road and traveling and not being able to be there for the earliest moments. And once it got to that point of, like, seeing it, I knew I could be there. And one of the things made it a lot easier is is the decision to be able to support my wife in her career. Gerard Gousman [00:10:38]: And she she was on the upper trajectory. And Shrunkar Bennett really got into a point where she was really making strides and wanted to be able to support her in that and give that example for the kids as well. Like, I know I could do this and with cards on the table and look to see what our strengths were. It's like, yeah. I I can do this and give you that so you need to go back and focus on your career and or can I can hold it down here and still be able to do things that I needed to do for myself? And when it I think I've built a strong relationship with my wife, and we are to the point that we are very open communicators in regards to what our immediate needs are. Like, we tend to check-in with each other, and where it may not be something long gone or drawn out, we know when something's not right and, like, always we try to stay on the same page much as possible. And I think that helped make the transition a lot easier, just knowing that I can instill a system, and we have our routines in the house, and it makes us it could be able to flow. And we are able to still have a lot of the things that we loved about life before. Gerard Gousman [00:11:41]: Like, we're avid campers, and we like to travel. And being able to do that stuff with the kids while they're young, I think, has been great for me. Like, definitely a lot of those day to day, like, month to month, the growing things, like, being able to notice little height differences. Like, that arm's longer than it was a few weeks ago. And having full conversations with the baby, and actually, like, because I'm with because I'm with him, I understand what he's saying. And so you're having those things that priceless and suits so valuable, and, like, I know you never get that time. It's really knowing the value of the time. It's been more valuable than however much I would have made out there in the field. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:12:21]: So talk to me a little bit about that transition, that transition from work at work outside of the house, traveling, working in the industry, working with artists, you know, that high pressure, high paced life to transitioning to home and being that stay at home dad where you're running the household, keeping things running while your wife is working on her career. What was the hardest part for you in making that transition? And what were some of the things that you had to fundamentally change to be able to help you to make that transition? Gerard Gousman [00:12:52]: Honestly, coming from for being, very active and constantly out, going out 3, 4 nights a week even when I'm not wasn't working or I wasn't traveling. Still going home and being active in my local art and music event scene. There's no stand abreast. You gotta keep your faces in a place to be active. You're not around. You're not in. Right? So it's coming from making just that desire and having that FOMO was the big thing of man, I'm missing out on a lot of stuff, all those opportunities. And it's it's like the music festivals and concerts and stuff. Gerard Gousman [00:13:26]: It's that high energy. Always go, never knowing exactly what's gonna be next, which some days, that's what it's like around here. And, see, see, making that transition was not as hard as I thought it would be at first using a lot of the things that I learned on the day to day managing the field, the schedules, and having those routines, dealing with wrangling wild and unruly staff and artists. I'm like, it's pretty much what I'm doing here, keeping everything afloat. It's that mode of getting into not having that FOMO and finding what elements of that former life can I bring in? I guess the biggest thing is just that missing out on the activity of being around the my peers. I think that was the hardest part of the disconnect of the transition of not being having that peer relationship. As much as I could, we could go out and take kids to do stuff, but kinda hard to have that feel. Getting over that and finding supplements and finding community and that were more in tune with that part of my lifestyle. Gerard Gousman [00:14:30]: It has been good and just working with the National At Home Dad Network, and I that was a godsend for me, being able to find find the group. And, like, man, there's a whole community of dads out there. It kinda opened me up to me to see, like, yeah. I'm not as isolated in this as I believe I was in the beginning. That's that made things so much easier, designing was really being able to know that I could go out and find the communities if I look for them. And then once I found a couple of places to be able to places to commiserate or places to share what, for me, it would have been a big win. Like, hey. Today today was a no blowout day. Gerard Gousman [00:15:09]: First no blowout day. That's a big deal. My all working, partying event friends were like, no. That's they don't care about them. Like, so finding people that what are my constituted a big win in my current life, finding a community that understood those moments. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:15:25]: So talk to me about community because you mentioned that you got connected at the national level with the At Home Dad Network and how we've had some past guests from the At Home Debt Network on the show. Talk to me about finding that community, what you had to do to find that community, not only nationally through the work that you're doing on the board of the At Home Dad Network now, but but even locally of being able to find those peers or those other dads that were going through similar things that you could start to have a new community for yourself. What did you have to do to be able to initially find that community and then build, hone, and grow that community for yourself? Gerard Gousman [00:16:04]: Kinda funny. I use some of the things that I would use initially in, like, having events and finding the different event communities and nightlife sectors. They're just going going through and mining through Facebook and different like Facebook and Tumblr and Reddit and looking for those communities and realizing that there are thriving online communities of engaged, active fathers and really putting myself out there and, like, hey, this is what I'm looking for. This is this is what I'm struggling with. These are the problems I'm having. Anybody ever experienced this? And and then finding there's 100 guys like, yeah. Last week, that was me. Exactly that. Gerard Gousman [00:16:42]: Last week. We do that both finding that online community, but finding that those those guys were here in my state, in in my in town and going in, like, alright. Putting myself out there. Hey, you guys. Let's get together. Let's meet. Let's go out and do some media at the park or the toddler gym or we should get out and have a beer or something. And when I took it on myself to really throw myself into it, like, if I don't put myself out there and find it, it's not going it's not just gonna come to and knowing that I was struggling with that disconnect, with that FOMO, just like and having that having that backup. This is something that's not ideas off of with other dads. Once I found myself really being able to throw myself into it and reach out to other dads that I knew, like, a and ask them, like, hey. Are you suffering with the same stuff that I have? And, like, no. No. I'm good. Well, actually, yeah. I didn't wanna say anything, but, yeah, I feel that too in, like, of having friends that, like, man, you know what? Let me check on some of my mom check on my dad friends. And, like, I know how I'm feeling. Let me check up on them. And then once doing that, like, seeing it there like, yeah, a lot of us were having that same thing, but, like, not feeling that we had anybody to talk to. So I might try to invite them into different spaces or just always make make myself available to be a space for my immediate community of dads. Then I've gone on to, like, join my local PTA and try being more active in my kids' school and work with some of the dads there to have more of the fathers on campus and doing doing things and more active in the events. And that has helped. Definitely had comments from other dads in the school. Gerard Gousman [00:18:21]: And it's great to see you always there. Like, I was nervous about going because it's always just the moms, but seeing you in in it and active, like, made me feel okay. Alright? There'll at least be somebody another dad there to talk to. And and every time now I go out, go to pick up the kids, like, hey, man. I see some of the dads, like, hey, we doing this or something. Just checking in on how you doing. Like, not how you doing, but how are you? And checking in on the other day, that's when I see them at pick up and inviting them into the spaces in school and and know, like, hey, it's not a spady thing. They're not gonna load up on you. Gerard Gousman [00:18:48]: Be more active. You got to support. There's other guys here that get it. And we're starting to start to have more of the dads in our school community be more active and stepping up and taking a lead on things. So that's been great to see. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:05]: Yeah. It's so exciting to to hear that you're finding that community. I think that whether you're working or not, it's so important to find a community that you connect with and don't go through fatherhood feeling like you have to do everything by yourself because so many times men step into fatherhood thinking, I've got to know everything. I've got to be that expert. I've got to be the man per se. And you don't you don't have to be the man. You can be a man and know that there are so many other people right around your block or in your apartment complex. No matter where you live that are going through similar things, you just have to reach out and you have to talk to them and just kinda, Gerard, like you said, just say, how are you and truly be willing to ask the question and see and understand and connect on that deeper level. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:59]: So, Gerard, one of the things that I guess that I would ask is now you've got kids at different ages. They're involved in so many different things. The personalities are probably very different from one another. How do you keep that connection and build those unique relationships with each of your kids? Gerard Gousman [00:20:17]: That part definitely difficult, especially once the teenage years and they grow and get their independence, and they construct their own communities. I think I always tap in and let them know I relate to what's going on. I try to I'll let them know, like, I'm always available to talk. Especially for the older kids, like, we don't talk as much and maybe a like my 16 year old. Gerard Gousman [00:20:42]: Are you good? I'm cool. Alright. Tell me about your day. What's we gonna tell me about your week. Alright. Anything new? No. And I'm like, alright. So I'll check-in next month. They're going through and make it a point of having to go on to the, like, all the the school forums and following the the different school Facebook groups and different stuff. Like, I'm like, you got a key from the mayor? Why didn't you tell anybody? Like, it wasn't a big deal. What? The mayor came to send me a school and no. You didn't you didn't wanna tell anybody that that was happening. Like, that isn't a big deal. Well, at least put on a nice shirt that day. So things like that. Like, wanting to be open when I can. I know, not the hippest. They're definitely difficult across but they're totally different generations, I guess. If you ask them, they're totally different generations. What worked with the oldest, I mean, I know I could even work with the 16 year old and between the 16 and the 17 year old. Gerard Gousman [00:21:36]: The way I could communicate and relate with 1 to a totally different approach to the other. And so I'm going through and finding those personality points and being able to figure out, adjust, and tweak my parenting style for each of them. Just realizing that, alright, the way I can talk to one isn't the same as other. Like, one, I can go through and ask something, and they'll just ramble on and tell you all the detail. Another one, it puts pulling teeth. You're asking it's 50 questions. It's 50 questions together. How was your day? Just to get to that point. Gerard Gousman [00:22:08]: And so finding a way that it each communicates and how to research. I wanna watch videos and read articles and Internet snooping and going on to TikTok and Instagram and going through the trends, like, alright. What did I hear them mention? They're in, like, alright. And just trying to stay abreast of what's what's hip in their different areas. Like, alright. What's hip for the in this age group? What's hip in this age group? And how just using those little points I can to as a point of relation to open them up because I may ask a bunch of questions, but then I may mention something about this one artist. And that may be the thing that unlocks that that window that was shut in with blinds and locked and curtains across it. Now our sun's coming right on in now. Gerard Gousman [00:22:54]: It's like, oh, yeah. Gerard Gousman [00:22:55]: That's my favorite song. I was thinking about that. You know what? I was talking to my friends today. You know, we were thinking about going to Greece. I'm like, oh, I Gerard Gousman [00:23:01]: asked you, had you heard this song? All the information I've been trying to get out of you for a month has just come down because I asked you, had you heard this new song? So I'm interested in finding things like that, those little points of connection where I can. And I keep a little Google Keep note list of the things like favorite food and drink orders, and stuff like that. They mentioned this artist one time. Make sure I remember on that. And just jotting down little things for each kid that those bigger points of relation that I can come back to when that normal communication isn't working. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:33]: So this whole story of what we've been talking about was recently put out in front of the world through a New York Times article. And talk to me about that, and why you chose to be a part of that article, why you wanted your story out there, but also what has come from that story being shared? And what are you hearing not only from people around you, but people broader than in your local community. Gerard Gousman [00:24:02]: Yeah. So, so that was a great opportunity. I was definitely happy to be included. The writer, Kelly Coyne, reached out to me, and we had a great discussion about some of the some of this about my experiences as Gerard Gousman [00:24:15]: a father and just in the changing styles of fatherhood, and wanted to work with the org with that Home Dad Network. That's been one of our mission. Being able to help update that face of parenthood and kinda change the popular conception of at home dads. I wanted to have them be included because it's been an interesting journey for me and having more dads be open about the experience. And we we do we have a lot of that. I definitely have gotten that mister mom comment from strangers and friends alike as both an insult and as a compliment from it being termed as something endearing and something as a joke. And knowing that we'd be able to put to face a fatherhood that can be active in being at home and regularly engage fathers, not just done one way. There's not just one way to do that. Gerard Gousman [00:25:10]: So that's something I wanted to, I guess, give my perspective on, of the way that it works for us versus the way that some other dads mentioned the way that they came to this point of being at home dad and being a primary caregiver. So it was honor to be able to share that perspective. I think having some of the response I've gotten, really great all around, friends, family. But having other guys that I know that were dads reach out, I think that's been the best part of seeing, like, man, that's cool. Like, I really really wish I could do that. Like, I wanna do that, but I don't think I have it in me to be able to teach my kids on the day of having the patience or having a structure and being able to be open with them. It's like, hey. It's it's not all every day is not great. Gerard Gousman [00:25:56]: It's not all wins, but it's all positive. It's all necessary. Like, I am always happy at the end result. Right? And once I you have to have those points hitting those walls and having the end result, like, at the end of day, like, well, it's more worse circumstances we could be in and being happy that I am able to have the opportunity. Having the privilege to be able to be in a position that I can be here and make these mistakes and learn with my family and help my family grow. I guess, I haven't had it's negative. I did have, but I reached out for an interview, and it was kinda the the other side of it, they want it, bro. What's the negative response you've gotten? Like, there hasn't isn't any. Gerard Gousman [00:26:35]: Like, what was the bad part? It's not. It's been great as far as the experience. Of course, there's always small things, family things that happen, but it has been a majorly positive experience because that's what I make it. And it's like if in being able to relate that to other fathers. The experience is gonna be what you make. It's not gonna be easy. It's not gonna be as hard as you think it will be either. It definitely will be the days where you gotta sit in the emergency room after you but you get up early and think you're gonna go to bed early, and it's like next thing, you know, you're up till 3 AM, and you gotta get up at 7 AM the next day. Gerard Gousman [00:27:09]: It's like but you keep going, and you find the time to make your peace. And that's the biggest thing that has made this a positive and more eased experience for me, is the focus that my wife and I put on having our home be a place of peace. And I instillment with the kids. Like, I yell just like most dads, I'm sure, yell. Then circling back on that, circling back. Alright. Oh, bring that back. That's why I yelled. Gerard Gousman [00:27:38]: We need to stop yelling as a collective and learning how to quiet yell. This is something I've been working on with the baby, this quiet yelling with him. Like, you can be you can be mad. You can scream, but don't scream at me. I am so angry right now. Don't do that. Like, see? It still works. He reads the facial. Gerard Gousman [00:27:58]: I'm like, he can read the facial expressions. Okay. Okay. Gerard Gousman [00:28:02]: And so sometimes that he's gonna Gerard Gousman [00:28:04]: go into it, and I'm learning, seeing that he is learning that as well, He's screaming, and then he was I'm like, you're getting it. Okay? So I think I'm a you know, things of being able to share the learnings with so much the with the broader community of dads and parents. But just having that small community of dads that I've been friends with forever coming to me and be like, you know what? I've been struggling. I didn't think I could do this. But, you know, I I read your piece and seen your piece like, man, it's thank you. Thank you for putting on that face for us and know that it is hard and that we can do this. And I think that's been the best response for me was having dads that that I knew come to me and, like, that's it right there. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:28:48]: Now we always finish our interviews with what I like to call our fatherhood 5 where I ask you 5 more questions to delve deeper into you as a dad. Are you ready? Okay. In one word, what is fatherhood? Gerard Gousman [00:28:57]: Yes. What indeed? It's it is a constant what. Amazing. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:29:03]: When was the time that you finally felt like you succeeded at being a father? Gerard Gousman [00:29:07]: Sometime between 3 and 3:15. Last week, I figured a point to kinda catalog my wins so that on those bad days, those those days I'll take the l, I can draw back to them. So I had one last week. I took my 7 year old and one of his friends, one of his classmates. They were on spring break last week. Took him took him to trampoline par, and it's how seeing how happy they were and having the friend comment like, gee, I always knew you were the coolest dad at school. Gerard Gousman [00:29:36]: And I was like, you remember to tell all the other kids that when you go back to school next week. Okay? He's like, oh, they already know. Like, you alright. Now you're just messing with me. Get out of here. I'm like, what do you want? Gerard Gousman [00:29:46]: He's like, no. Really? We like you. It's like, okay. Maximus is that's my son. Like, Maximus is always he sure ain't always happy, and he seems to have a lot of fun. And you guys do cool things, and you always do cool stuff for us at school. So that's why, like, yeah. You're definitely the coolest dad at school. Gerard Gousman [00:30:03]: And I was like, alright. Gerard Gousman [00:30:04]: I'm gonna remember this. See how long this last. I'm gonna remember this. Bring this back up in a couple of months when you're making fun of me. Because last year in kindergarten, they were all making fun of me for being bald. So to know that I'm one of them thinks that I'm cool. That's not mine. That that I'm taking that weed. Gerard Gousman [00:30:20]: Yeah. Just knowing that it was cool like that. It seemed that not just because we do and giving them stuff, but it's like that. The other kids notice how happy my kids are and think that it's because of me. That that was a win for me. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:32]: Now if I was to talk to your kids, how would they describe you as a dad? Gerard Gousman [00:30:36]: Which one on which day? Open? Fun? Tired? A good cook? Positive. More often than not, I am positive and try to keep them focused on a positive trajectory. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:30:48]: Who inspires you to be a better dad? Gerard Gousman [00:30:50]: First off, my kids. They I feel like seeing the growth and seeing the smaller lessons. The things that I don't think that they all the things that you don't think they listened to that they didn't hear. And seeing them engage in the world as positivity and seeing them being kind and open and taking care of others, that generally is recharging to me. Like, alright. I'm doing something. I'm doing something right. How can I build on this? Right? So I have kinda curated a great great base of dads. Gerard Gousman [00:31:22]: So I'm getting lots of great dad content from different podcasts. The things that a lot of the dads in our network do, the way they interact with their kids, the risk that dads take, putting their selves out there to not only tackle their home and family stuff, but in going out and living their dreams. And guys like Matt Strain, who all the stuff for his family, but also as a triathlete and doing things like that. Like, man, I couldn't imagine running on a walker like myself. He's like, no, man. It's you just gotta get into it and and go and delve in and do it. Like, having dads who push the envelope and really put their stuff out there to be more than just dad. And try to remember that, a, we were once young, vibrant men with dreams and hopes and hobbies and try the the dads who find themselves and get back to that and are but are still fully active in in their debt. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:32:19]: Now you've given a lot of piece of advice today, things for all of us to think about and to consider for our own journeys as dads. As we leave today, as we finish up today, what's one piece of advice you'd wanna give to every dad? Gerard Gousman [00:32:32]: I'd say, in closing, the it tends to know that becoming a father doesn't have to mark the end of you being a man. You can find those avenues to be able to go out and maintain your happiness, maintain your peace, and be a person. Right? And don't lose yourself in that, that go to your kids to see that you are not just that, but that you are still vibrant and that you love your life and are living a life that makes you happy, not just living a life of service. So I think that would be the that's the biggest thing I would share is, like, to go out and make sure that your kids see you being happy with your life. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:17]: Well, Gerard, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for sharing your own journey today. If people people wanna find out more about you, where should they go? Gerard Gousman [00:33:24]: I am so boring, but join the National At Home Data Network. We are doing membership drive. If they come and join us, Come hang out with us at DadCon in Saint Louis this year. That's in October. And it's the only way you can find me in one of those forums if I'm not somewhere wrangling? Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:40]: Well, Gerard, just thank you. Thank you so much for being here, and I wish you all the best. Gerard Gousman [00:33:44]: Thank you very much for having me. Appreciate being on. Will be listening. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:33:48]: If you've enjoyed today's episode of the dads with daughters podcast, we invite you to check out the fatherhood insider. The fatherhood insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most dads are figuring it out as they go along, and the fatherhood insider is full of resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, interactive forum, step by step roadmaps, and more, you will engage and learn with experts, but more importantly dads like you. So check it out at fathering together dot org. If you are a father of a daughter and have not yet joined the dads with daughters Facebook community, there's a link in the notes today. Dads with Daughters is a program of fathering together. We look forward to having you back for another great guest next week, all geared to helping you raise strong empowered daughters and be the best dad that you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:34:47]: We're all in the same boat, And it's full of tiny screaming passengers. We spend the time. We give the lessons. We make the meals. We buy them presents and bring your AK. Because those kids are growing fast. The time goes by just like a dynamite blast. Calling astronauts and firemen, carpenters, and musclemen. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:27]: Get out and be the world to them. Be the best that you can be.

In Nakd Classics we bring back your favorite episodes from our early days that focus on mindset, confidence and holistic health.  Original Episode 185:  How can you feel like the best version of yourself - at work, in relationships and with your own well-being? The inspirational Hermione Olivia, CEO of JSHealth UK & Europe, joins the podcast to share how she's found balance professionally and personally. It's is a beautiful interview on balancing leadership with mental health, wellbeing and future motherhood.  This episode is part of our Female Leaders & Founders series - created to uplift and inspire you! SHOW NOTES 3 min 09 sec  - Creating Boundaries for Life & Health 13 min 24 sec - Self-Worth & Success & Imposter Syndrome 16 min 16 sec - What it means to CEO Yourself    To connect with Hermione Olivia go to: https://feelgoodnakd.com/balance-through-boundaries-with-hermione-olivia/ Listen to this next: Episode 164: Mental Skies  JOIN THE FGN Community: www.feelgoodnakd.com Podcast Mentorship : chardetryel.com Feel Good Nakd Book: feelgoodnakd.com/7 steps Host Instagram: @itschardet

How are you filling up your cup? Have you heard the saying, "you can't pour from an empty cup?" As much as it is a cliche, it is correct. Working Moms are juggling many obstacles, challenges, schedules, behaviors, and responsibilities for and of their families, careers, and communities; not to mention their own mental, physical, and spiritual health. Therefore, they must be able to refill themselves, on a consistent and regular basis. But how? In this episode of The Latika Vines Show, Latika provides the strategies working moms can use to create and begin to have time for themselves; having the Renewal and Revival needed to Respond to the juggling act! Identify the reason you need time for yourself Change your work schedule Start Off with 24 Hours Away Daily, Take Time for Yourself To schedule time with Latika to discuss how you can create time for yourself, go to HER CALENDER or https://visionaryinitiativesllc.hbportal.co/schedule/5ffcb5a162679d5bde9676a8 About Latika: Latika empowers working moms to get back to their Career Visions so they can feel fulfilled and live life abundantly by taking the initiative in having God bridge the gap between their balance and careers. Latika utilizes her coaching and training programs to empower working moms through Visionary Initiatives, LLC. Connect with Latika: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thank you for supporting The Latika Vines Show, a division of Visionary Initiatives, LLC #worklifebalance #timemanagement #empoweringtheworkingmom #visionaryinitiatives #thelatikavinesshow #workingmoms #worklifebalancepodcast #fillyourcup #thewholeworkingmom #season10 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/latika-vines/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/latika-vines/support

Today is a thought of the walk episode - a collection of short thoughts shared on a variety of topics. These thoughts are shared on Odysee every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, then produced as an audio podcast every other Friday. Today's Thoughts Include: Lessons from the Garden Something Has Changed What I Learned After Walking Each Morning for One Month Five Ways to Prepare Green Beans Decide and be Honest with Yourself To view the videos for Thought of the Walk Episode, go here: Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b They are also produced on Youtube as a playlist. Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce. It makes a great Christmas Gift! Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee  

Marcus Chan, Founder of Venli Consulting Group, joins Ashleigh and Sue to discuss being an Asian man in sales, why there aren't many Asian people in leadership roles, and how to advocate for yourself.SHOW NOTESHis Experience in Sales-Many Asian parents expect their children to work in a prestigious field. So, when he decided to work in sales, they weren't happy.-When he began, he was the only person of color on his team and within the region. Being different, he felt pressure to overdeliver, but he struggled at the beginning of his career.-He decided that because there were so few people that looked like him, he would try to be the best to be a good representation for his demographic.Asians in Leadership Roles-It's still common to see Asian people break into leadership roles in sales. One of the primary reasons is that many Asian people don't view sales as a viable career path.-In many Asian cultures, children are taught to listen and follow directions, and these aren't traits that typically lead to promotions. So, while there are great Asian sales professionals, few are seen because of the necessity of self-promotion to move upwards.Hiring Introverts or Extroverts-Top-performing sales professionals have excellent listening skills. They can focus on the customer, ask deep questions, and gain trust. Both introverts and extroverts can do this, but it's most often introverts who have this trait.-Possessing excellent listening skills is also rooted in culture. Both Marcus and Sue come from cultures that emphasize listening over speaking.Advocating for Yourself-To avoid coming across as if you are bragging, think of the skills you developed throughout the process to get a great result and how you can share those to help other people. Because when you help other people, it highlights that you know what you're talking about and builds your brand.Being Different and Making Friends-Marcus naturally wants to make other people happy, so developing relationships with co-workers has never been a scary task. Plus, having a community in sales is important because it can be very lonely.Resources-Anti-racism resources to support Asian American, Pacific Islander community-Rise of Anti-Asian Hate Crimes-Career Warfare by David D'Alessandro-The Psychology of Selling by Brian TracyConnect With Marcus-LinkedInSend in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/othersideofsales/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/othersideofsales/support

SHOW NOTESBackground-Galem was born and raised in Sweden, growing up in a town of about 7,000 people in which she became accustomed to being the only Black person in a room.-After 20 years of living in Sweden she moved to an area just outside of Boston and was shocked by the fact that she could be in a room with only Black people.-She spent 9 years in the Boston area before moving to London this past year to continue her role as an Account Executive at Flywire.Being the Only-Galem has frequently experienced the challenge of being not just the only Black person, but the only woman in a room as well.-The immediate challenge when it comes to being the only person of a particular ethnicity is the judgement and the perception of being a threat. When it comes to being the only woman it's often being dismissed.-Though you may not be able to draw a fully equivalent experience, Galem challenges you to put yourself in a situation in which you're the only and then reflect. This hopefully will give you a little bit more empathy.-You can also use your position as the only to create change in smaller communities by getting over the fear of uncomfortable conversations and allowing them to unfold.Community-Having only been raised with her biological family until the age of eight and then passed to two different foster families, Galem never felt she had a solid community or support system.-This is why she makes it a priority to create a community both at work and in her personal life so that she and others can share experiences and feel both belonging and acknowledgement.-Success often comes from this connection as well. Oftentimes it's not the most talented individual that's given the promotion, but the person that has created the best connections and white people have the advantage of having a base-level of connection right off the bat.Selling in the US vs the UK-Internally the corporate sales culture of Flywire varies vastly between the United States and United Kingdom. Galem has found that US sales teams are much more competitive and not as collaborative as sales teams in the UK.-While Flywire's London office is more diverse, she is still the only Black woman and one of only a handful of Black people in the company as a whole.Advocating for Yourself-To move up into leadership positions you need to take on more than just the tasks tied to salary or commission, but you also need to document everything. Find a method that works for you and keep track of the initiatives you implement and the impact they have.Motivation-One thing Galem wishes leadership better understood is that they should never make assumptions about motivation. Take the time to get to know your team members and what individually drives them.Resources-Gap Selling by KeenanConnect with Galem-TwitterSend in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/othersideofsales/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/othersideofsales/support

Michael Bernoff: President and Founder of the Human Communications Institute. Face it: Business and life, at least for now, have changed. Now that you have accepted and understand that the world is different, what is your game plan for the short and long term? As the media sells fear and negativity, what are you doing differently to add value to the marketplace? How are you marketing to YOURSELF? To be sure, Kent, Michael and many other business minded, successful entrepreneurs are hustling behind the scenes to adapt, grow and succeed. This is your shot. Now is the time to make your impact.

Mother’s Day is a national celebration enjoyed by many, but for others the day acts as a reminder of the lack of nurturing they received as a child. This often raises unjust feelings of shame and unworthiness in victims.  They can be bombarded with memories of the lack of motherly love and nurturing in their childhood. This can lead to sadness and isolation and in many cases negative self-talk.Our relationship with our own mother was at times very difficult. She was not available to us emotionally and because she held no value in her own worth, she demonstrated what she was taught culturally about the role of women and how they had nothing of value to contribute other than being selfless and put everyone’s need first. A Change in Perspective is Needed.Normally on days like this we provide suggested lists of how to mind yourself.  However, as this year women here in Ireland and across the world have shown such strength in speaking out against injustice, we think this might be a great time to make a stand and realise this is a day to be celebrated. Consider this, we are all here and without a mother that would not have happened.  A Walk in the ParkWe believe that if you have survived sexual abuse, this one-day challenge should be a walk in the park for you.  Celebrating your own life may be a challenge, but one you are more than capable of succeeding in.Enjoying watching others celebrate this day may in the past has been difficult but let’s change it around and make it YOUR DAY.  If you see this day as sad due to memories of an abusive mother or the loss of your mother, challenge yourself to see it differently with the focus on you as the mother to be celebrated.Do not let this day of celebration turn into a day of mourning and nostalgia but rather recognise that you deserve to feel really good about yourself. Regardless of how you feel or have felt about your mother, she brought a great gift into the world and that gift is you, so let the celebrations begin.  Even if it is only for one day let’s push ourselves to make that happen.  Use it as day one of acknowledging your own worth and the realisation of just how special you are. What Can You Do for Yourself?To help keep you focused try to answer the questions below.When is the last time I told me that I love me?What are the gifts/qualities I bring to this world?Do the people I surround myself with bring value to my life?Do I treat myself with the love and respect I deserve? If not, is that reflected in how others treat me?Where am I on my priority listDo I mind and respect my body?When is the last time I did something nice for myself?How do I feed my soul?Where am I not being honest with myself and why?Am I kind to myself? Answer these questions as honestly as you can, by answering them truthfully warts and all you will see what you know about yourself, what you like and want to keep and which of those beliefs you may need to let go of.Hopefully this will help you identify your thoughts be they negative or positive. It is only with awareness that we can decide to let go of things that no longer serve us and make the changes needed in our lives.The main thing to remember is that you deserve to be loved and the best person to do this is YOU.  In loving yourself you are setting a trend; you are relaying to others just how you expect to be treated and you learn how to truly respect yourself.Focus on yourself for this day, regardless of if or how many children you have, or whether you have pleasant or negative memories of your mother. Use this as a day to begin putting yourself first, recognising all the things you place of more importance before your needs. Let’s make Mother’s Day a day to remember positively. 

Have you ever felt like you're having a really hard time being yourself? Every time you try to be YOU, you feel trapped under layers you've built up over the last few decades that cover up your authenticity? In this episode, I will share with you my BIGGEST breakthrough that I've had in the last 3 years and how YOU can undo all the layers holding you back in order to reclaim your true self.   The questions from Tony Robbins: 1. Whose love did you crave the most growing up? 2. Who did you have to be for that person? 3. Who could you never be? (4. Who is someone you respect immensely and what are the qualities you respect? 5. Who is someone you dislike and what are the qualities you dislike the most?)     The 4 steps to reclaiming your true self: 1. Awareness of your layers 2. Affirm that it's safe to remove the layers. You are no longer a child! 3. Who must you be for YOURSELF? To win your own love? To win your own approval? To win your own respect? 4. BE THAT PERSON. Reclaim your true authentic self.    Important links:   Instagram: @manifestationbabe Facebook Group: Manifestation Babes Website: www.manifestationbabe.com  To see my current offers, please visit manifestationbabe.com/links

Click here for the show notes! Join our OSF Podcast Facebook Group Please leave us a review! Creating Structure for Your Schedule   "As an entrepreneur or a stay-at home parent, nothing gets done unless you plan it so why should your health and fitness be any different? - Rob Dionne   On today's episode, Devon and I are tackling the big question: How can you create a structure for your day when you work for yourself or have a crazy schedule? When we were children, our entire day was planned for once from the moment we woke up to when we had bedtime. As adults, it can be difficult to follow a set routine. From entrepreneurs to  stay-at-home parents to everyone else in between with crazy schedules, we're giving our top 11 tips on how to bring more structure to your life so that your health and fitness can improve and thrive. How can a structured lifestyle improve your day? By having a set plan, you can free up time so that you can focus on the important factors in your life. Our 11 ways to create structure for a crazy schedule are: Getting 1 to 2 hours for yourself in the morning Deciding what your main priorities are Eat the frog: Complete your biggest task for the day Rest and recovery Drink more water Get enough hours of sleep Ask for help when you need it Cut some things loose and make space Planning  is everything Listen to your body Don't self-medicate with caffeine when you need a pick-me-up   If you ever need extra help to improve your lifestyle to make time for you and your health, you can always turn to Devon and I or join our Open Sky Fitness Podcast group to connect with other people who are in the same scenario as you. BONUS! Get Rob's Open Sky Fitness Recipe at the end of this blog post!   Q&A with Yourself To get started on creating your own structured schedule to focus on health and fitness, you have to get to know yourself a little bit better. Asking yourself the following questions can give you some perspective: Where are you now? Are you making healthy decisions for you and if so, where did you learn them? Did you learn it by yourself or from your parents and observing their schedules? Are you following a similar structure to what your parents have or are you changing it to match your own?   Focus on Health and Fitness   "It's been proven that if you work out in the morning, you can think more clearly for the rest of the day. Not only that, but it's really satisfying to know that you've done your exercise for the day." - Devon and Rob Dionne   This might be easier to do if you don't have any kids, but try to take the first 1-2 hours out of your day to focus on you. Use that time to prepare and make sure you have all that you need: Have Breakfast Pack Food Meditation Workout Bring gym clothes for later Don't start your day by putting out fires i.e. checking your phone,  sending emails, or wasting time on Facebook. If you exercise in the morning, not only will it help energize you, but you'll also be able to get it out of the way before doing anything else. That in itself will  help you feel good about yourself . Next, you can focus on other important tasks at hand.   Setting Priorities   "How can you set a good example for your kids on how to take care of themselves if you can't even take care of yourself." - Devon Dionne   Get a better perspective on something by taking a break. Go out for a walk and take your mind off of things. Don't pressure yourself when you don't feel like you have enough time to really do what you need to do. Plan your day out to give yourself a break. If you going to have a good priority, you have to ask yourself, "What you want and why do you want it? Why is it so important to you?"   "For mental clarity, sleep should be number one on your list." - Rob Dionne   The Open Sky Fitness Coffee Start your day off on the right foot with some coffee that will last you all morning so that you don't feel like you need to keep drinking more and more of it to stay energized. Each morning, I blend the following ingredients with a blender such as the Magic Bullet or Nutri Bullet. Rob's Open Sky Fitness Coffee Recipe: 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil 1/4 tsp Turmeric 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 2 Cups Coffee   Join The Open Sky Fitness Podcast Group! That's right! We have a closed Open Sky Fitness Podcast group on Facebook where you and everyone have the opportunity to talk about your health and fitness goals in a safe environment. We post workouts and start discussions about how to be strategic around finding a healthier you. Check it out! Start Building Your Own Workouts and Meal Plan! Download Results Tracker here! Click To Download Home Workout Templates or text the word, "lifting," to 33444 to download the templates.  Download the OSF Food Journal Now! Have a Question or Review for Rob or Devon? We love answering questions and getting feedback from you, our listener! If you have any questions to ask us, want to share a review of the show, or tell us any suggestions for guests/topics that you think would be great to have on the show, just email Rob at rob@openskyfitness.com or Devon at devon@openskyfitness.com or you can also leave us a review at www.openskyfitness.com/review, ask a question in the closed Open Sky Fitness Facebook Group and even text OSFreview to 33444 to get the link.   What You'll Hear on This Episode 00:00 Open Sky Fitness Introduction 1:15  Opening comments with Rob and Devon 2:30  Check out last week's episode - OSF 163 - Dr. Michael Ruscio - Gut Health: Healing Autoimmune Disease 2:55  About today's episode: The strategies you can use to get your health and fitness in order when you have a busy schedule 4:20  Learn more about our Open Sky Fitness Facebook Group 5:40  Fill out an application for One-On-One Coaching Sessions with either Rob or Devon 7:30  How can you create a structure for your day when you work for yourself or have a crazy schedule? 13:00  Our daily life structure as children 17:10 Where are you now? Questions to ask yourself. 22:40  How to structure your morning. 31:00  Priorities are everything 39:00  Eat the frog: Completing the most difficult task or project on hand. 42:25  Recovery from constant productivity 48:30  Mental aspects of starting at a computer for long periods of time 53:00  Skip the caffeine and do something else! 56:10  Brain boosters for relaxation and happiness 58:15  The power of drinking lots of water 59:20  Pay attention to your body 59:00 Sleeping enough 1:02:10  Get help when you need it. 1:07:25  Planning is EVERYTHING! 1:10:00 Try to avoid having too much caffeine 1:11:30  Closing comments with Rob and Devon 1:13:30 Open Sky Fitness Closing   RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW: Leave us an iTunes review Join the The Open Sky Fitness Podcast Group on Facebook Contact Rob and Devon to apply for One-On-One Coaching Sessions Check out last week's episode for OSF 163 - Dr. Michael Ruscio - Gut Health: Healing Autoimmune Disease Learn more about Podcast Movement Listen to the Dear Mattie Show Podcast Structure your crazy schedule even more with these podcasts: Dr. Kelly Starrett: How to Prevent Injuries and Improve Performance - Ep. 87 Dr. Josh Davis: How to be Super Effective - Ep. 89 Cristina Curp: Heal Your Autoimmune Disease with the Paleo Diet - Ep. 144 Brett Hoebel: How to Create Your Own HIIT Workout - Ep. 150 Talkin' Sleep and Nutrition with Shawn Stevenson - Ep. 21   Get Fit with Free Downloads! To Download Rob’s FREE workout templates click below** Download Templates Ask Rob a Question or tell him what is working for you: Email Rob@OpenSkyFitness.com   Support This Podcast To leave a Review for Rob and the Open Sky Fitness Podcast CLICK NOW!  Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them. Contact our amazing sound engineer Ryan? Send him an e-mail here: info@stellarsoundsstudio.com Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of the post. Do you have any questions (and would like to hear yourself on the Open Sky Fitness Podcast)? Click on the link on the right side of any page on our website that says “Send Voicemail.” And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free! Thanks for listening/reading Episode 164 - 11 Ways to Create Structure for a Crazy Schedule! We hope you have gained more knowledge on how to be a healthier you.

In this episode I'm outlining why I believe Self-Care is a Spiritual Practice. My hope is that you will listen to this and feel inspired to invest in self-care, feel empowered about how to do that, give yourself permission to do things just for you, and deepen the personal connection you have with yourself. I specifically cover: What Nourishing Your Soul isWhy Self-Care is not the same as PamperingHow to Identify what Lights You Up and makes you feel AliveBeing honest about what Drains You at a Soul LevelChanging our Beliefs around Self-CareThe Importance of our Energy To get guidance on how to write your own Light You Up list, head over to this blog post: http://www.thrive.how/4-ways-identify-things-love/ To get on my mailing list to make sure you know about the next Free 21-Day Self-Care Challenge head here: www.thrive.how/miniguideMy Huffington Post article on How to Find the Time to Take Care of Yourself To contact me, or learn more about me, head to my website: www.thrive.how See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.