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2015 Chicago Marathon. Mile 13. I’m flying—feeling like I could run forever. Heart surgery, back surgery, barely able to stand a decade before, and here I am crushing it. Then I see the sign: NOT ALMOST THERE.
Everything changed. Heavy legs. Cramping. Mental breakdown. I barely finished what started as my best race ever.
That sign broke me, but it also built me. Southside Chicago kid who studied for 15 seconds between building cars on the assembly line. Graduated in 5 years. Built companies. Sold two. 800 employees. Young father at 20 who figured it out as I went.
I’ve spent 50+ episodes of Not Almost There interviewing experts, and now my cohost and I are diving deeper into the conversations that matter most. We dig into what it really takes—in business, branding, health, life. No fluff. Real talk about building something that matters while the clock’s ticking.
Whether you’re running your first mile or your hundredth company, we’re here to help you go the distance.
Because almost there isn’t good enough.
Episodes
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
Sunday Nov 14, 2021
Lucas Rockwood is the founder of Absolute Yoga Academy and Yogabody Fitness. With a formal yoga training background in Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Gravity Yoga, and the Yoga Trapeze, Lucas has studied with some of the most well-respected teachers on the planet. Lucas founded Absolute Yoga Academy in 2006, one of the top 10 yoga teacher training schools in the world with 2,000 certified teachers (and counting) and courses in Thailand, Holland, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines. In 2013, Lucas founded Yogabody Fitness, a revolutionary new yoga studio business model that pays teachers a living wage and demystifies yoga by making the mind-body healing benefits of the practice accessible to everyone. He is also a highly acclaimed writer, radio show host, TV personality, business consultant, weight loss expert, and health coach.
IN THIS EPISODE...Lucas explains to Joe how he found himself in an unhealthy spiral in his early twenties and had a health scare most people don’t experience until late in life. Lucas and Joe talk about his ability to find new paths and how he has been able to keep himself open to all opportunities that came his way. Lucas radically changed his lifestyle after meeting someone shortly after his health scare who introduced him to yoga and good nutrition. He also talks about opening up a business in a different country and the stresses that come with it.
🔍 Breakdown with Lucas Rockwood:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Lucas and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (2:09): Lucas’ back story
Lucas was in his early 20’s and found himself taking pills to normalize his energy level and stress levels. He didn’t realize how unhealthy he actually was until looking at an ID
Chapter 3 (8:49): Getting sober
When Lucas had to look at an ID badge for work he was embarrassed by the picture he saw that he kept it flipped around. He decided to stop the pills cold turkey.
Chapter 4 (13:16): Finding Yoga
As soon as he started yoga he started losing weight, he also quit smoking and started feeling so much better. The yoga community was so welcoming and encouraging.
Chapter 5 (17:20): Recovery and being healthy
Lucas was able to meet a couple that really inspired him and made him more interested in concentrating on healthy eating and spreading the word about yoga.
Chapter 6 (22:16): Falling off course
Alcohol was something Lucas struggled with at different points in his life, but the pivotal moment which made Lucas completely stop drinking was an interaction with his son.
Chapter 7 (26:21): Starting a business in Spain
Becoming an entrepreneur was something that happened to Lucas. It was a slippery slope of opportunity. Lucas took advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves
Chapter 8 (38:11): Difficulties of entrepreneurship
Starting your own business can often be glamorized, but the reality is that you have to worry about making ends meet for your family and employees.
Chapter 9 (46:08): Homelife now
Now Lucas is at home in Spain with his wife and kids. He has gone through periods of time trying other fitness avenues, but yoga is still his passion.
Chapter 10 (50:22): Closing Remarks
Joe wraps up the episode and shares his final thoughts
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.yogabody.com/
→https://www.yogabody.com/about/
📞 Connect with Lucas
→https://www.instagram.com/lucasrockwood
→https://www.facebook.com/lucas.rockwood.yogabody
→https://twitter.com/LucasRockwood
→https://www.tiktok.com/@lucasrockwood?
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
Saturday Nov 13, 2021
Heather Parillo is the 20th woman in history to complete the Kokoro crucible; she is the CEO of IFLY Integrative Leadership and Unbeatable Mind Coach. Bringing more than 20 years of experience in the Service, Fitness, and Hospitality industries, she is a multifaceted visionary senior executive, integrator, coach, trainer, facilitator, relationship expert, and turnaround artist with a solid track record of leading individuals, teams, and companies to their stated goals. Heather held previous positions as Chief Experience Officer of The Live Well Brand, a vacation rental, concierge service, and lifestyle brand with headquarters in Florida. She is seasoned at leading transformation through a range of personal and business experiences as well as facilitating at the Middle East Leadership Academy (MELA) and Central Eurasia Leadership Academy (CELA), and Society Of International Fellows Leadership Academy (SIBFLA).
IN THIS EPISODE...Heather shares her story with Joe; how she found sealift and Unbeatable Mind, she read David Goggin’s book, “Can’t Hurt Me, and these were her lightbulb moments. Of course, she shares her experience training and preparing for Kokoro, and explains how she failed the first time she tried, what quitting meant to her, and through the process of having to tap out the first time, she was able to use that to fuel her to complete Kokoro during her second attempt. The most notable part of Heather’s story is how she started training - It is something that can’t be stressed enough - she found an unbelievable accountability partner and that can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Heather shares her experience and lessons that all stem from her incredible mental fortitude.
🔍 Breakdown with Heather Parillo:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Heather and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (2:09): Heather’s Kokora experience
Kokora is a 50-hour seal team training simulation that is one of the hardest challenges in the world. Heather shares her experience and she signed up.
Chapter 3 (10:30): Reckoning with quitting
No one would call Heather a quitter when she couldn’t complete Kokoro on her first attempt, but that is what she called herself and what fueled her focus to prepare for attempt number 2.
Chapter 4 (16:25): Starting your journey with accountability
You just need to start. That’s number one. Sign up for a challenge or a race or some goal and just get yourself started. The next step is finding an accountability partner or community.
Chapter 5 (20:38): Attempting and crushing Kokoro for the 2nd time
There were many variables working against Heather during her first attempt at Kokora and that just made her train harder and be even more prepared for the second time around.
Chapter 6 (27:43): Finding inspiration with a positive and open mind
You need to keep an open mind about your potential and what is possible. Positivity follows activity, just like Rich Roll says, mood follows action.
Chapter 7 (37:57): Work-life balance
This word is used so much in our lives for a reason. It is easy to give ourselves to everyone else around you and forget about the importance of focusing on yourself.
Chapter 8 (42:05): Advice for training
Training doesn’t start out coming easy. It is something you need to start pushing yourself to do in order to develop a habit.
Chapter 9 (46:08): Breathing exercises
Breathing is crucial when accomplishing so many of our mental emotional and physical tasks. Its the most important aspect in even doing a pull up.
Chapter 10 (55:23): Just say yes
There are so many reasons your mind can come up with not to do something that can get in your way. Heather shares the positivity that will come when you open up to YES.
Chapter 11 (63:58): Closing Remarks
Joe wraps up the episode and shares his final thoughts
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://sealfit.com/KOKORO/
→Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
→https://sealfit.com/
→Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine
→https://unbeatablemind.com/
📞 Connect with Heather
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-parillo-298b66113
→https://www.instagram.com/heather_parillo
→https://www.facebook.com/heatherparillocoach
→https://twitter.com/HeatherParillo
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Monday Nov 01, 2021
Monday Nov 01, 2021
JIM KWIK is a New York Times Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and International Speaker. After suffering a brain injury at the age of 5, he thought he was useless and a worthless person. But one day when he met the father of a friend, he found out that he was not worthless and then he started reading what he loves and kept focusing on the concept of “how to learn something”, and he started investing his focus in learning. After years of slowly investing, he learned how to become an expert in speed-reading, brain performance, memory improvement, and accelerated learning. He is now a well-known brain coach. He has trained CEOs, celebrities, and many big companies such as Virgin, SpaceX, Fox Studios, Naik, Japon, and Harvard University. He also wrote the book, Limitless, and he donates the proceeds to charities advancing the studies in Alzheimer's and underdeveloped countries providing schools and opportunities for learning.
IN THIS EPISODE...Joe sits down with Jim in his home to talk about the concepts from his life and book, Limitless.
🔍 Breakdown with Jim Kwik:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Jim Kwik and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (1:35): Jim tells his story
From a young age, Jim suffered an accident that left him feeling inept at learning and unconfident in his cognitive abilities
Chapter 3 (10:30): Starting his path toward meta-learning
Going to college was something Jim didn’t feel he would be able to do, and yet he found himself in school and finding a mentor that helped him find confidence in his abilities.
Chapter 4 (20:17): Pushing through adversity
There was a path Jim had to take between where Jim is today and his origin story. Jim shares how he was able to do this and Joe gives him truth bumps along the way.
Chapter 5 (28:13): Living in a digital era
We are in a world that offers so many distractions, so Jim offers his insights into being proactive versus reactive and how we can take those tips into our parenting skills.
Chapter 6 (42:13): Leading by example
Consistency compounds is a two-word phrase that Jim encourages us to think about when setting up our daily routines.
Chapter 7 (49:50): Digital villains
Jim identifies three digital villains that drain our time and our mental capacity. It is what to look out for and make sure to overcome.
Chapter 8 (55:05): Top ten skills to train your brain
There are 10 important skills Jim identifies and has in his book people should follow to make sure their brains are performing optimally.
Chapter 9 (63:43): Daily Routine
Jim has a daily routine that helps fortify his ideals around meta-learning.
Chapter 10 (72:55): How to retain and recall
Jim Shares how he is able to retain and recall information for all of the countless books he has read and continues to read.
Chapter 11 (83:22): Closing Remarks
Joe wraps up the episode and shares his final thoughts
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.limitless.com
→Limitless by Jim Kwik
→Atomic Habits by Tony Hsieh
→How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
→Limitless by Jim Kwik
📞 Connect with Jim
→https://www.instagram.com/jimkwik
→https://www.facebook.com/jimkwikofficial
→https://twitter.com/jimkwik
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkwik
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Sunday Oct 24, 2021
Lucy Westlake is the youngest person to climb all 50 high points in the United States, she is an adventurer, explorer, endurance athlete, runner, triathlete, mountaineer, and motivational speaker; she dreams big, sets goals, and works hard to accomplish them. Lucy has been climbing mountains since she could walk. She has a deep love for the outdoors and pushes her physical and mental limits to new heights. Lucy began her high-pointing adventure, climbing to the top of every state’s highest mountain, at the age of seven when she and her family visited Black Mountain in Kentucky. Looking at the US geological survey marker on top of the mountain, Lucy and her family began to wonder where other state highpoints were located. They spent the next four hours while driving home looking up and reading about state highpoints. For the next five years, Lucy and her family traveled throughout the United States climbing each state’s highest mountain.
IN THIS EPISODE … Joe talks to Lucy Westlake about her climbing adventures. It is unusual for a young person to be so determined and focused from such a young age. Not only has Lucy accomplished hiking all high points in the US, but several difficult mountains in the world including Elbrus, in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. She doesn’t stop with her physical goals and challenging herself, she also has a huge heart and humanitarian side. Lucy is wise beyond her years and partnered with Waterstep to make sure there is safe water for people to drink in underserved areas.
🔍 Breakdown with Lucy Westlake:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Lucy Westlake and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (1:07): Hiking all 50 high points
Lucy and her dad set out on a mission to climb all the highest points in the 50 states. She shares with us how they were able to do that.
Chapter 3 (2:07): Starting at a young age
At the age of 4, Lucy completed her first 5K with her family and they didn’t look back from there. As a family they traveled and began hiking.
Chapter 4 (10:54 ): Difficulties and dangers of climbing
Climbing is not something you can just decide to do and scale some of the hardest terrains. There is a lot of planning and training that surrounds a safe experience.
Chapter 5 (12:48): Techniques for climbing and running
Lucy has had breathing coaches and various trainers that have helped with her speed in running at the high school level competitively as well as on her climbs.
Chapter 6 (18:56): The complete Denali story
The first time Lucy and her father tried to scale Denali they failed. They had to turn around. They came face to face with the reality of just how dangerous this expedition was.
Chapter 7 (33:40): Lessons learned from these experiences
Lucy has learned so many life lessons along the way from training and hiking the states and mountains.
Chapter 8 (34:47): Training for climbing
There are many ways to train for an intense climb. Lucy shares what she does to get ready and the importance of breathing.
Chapter 9 (40:07): Partnership with Waterstep
WaterStep manufactures and provides products that make water safe to drink. They’re available for sale to mission teams, humanitarians, disaster relief agencies, and survivalists
Chapter 10 (54:35): What is next for Lucy
The explorer’s grand slam is Lucy’s next goal. There are only 5 women who have accomplished this goal, and the youngest is 20 years old.
Chapter 11 (1:06:16): Wrapping Up
Joe wraps up the episode with Lucy
Material Referenced in this interview:
→Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
→https://highpointers.org/
→https://www.sevensummits.com/
→5 Week Leadership Challenge by Patrick Leddin
📞 Connect with Lucy
→https://www.instagram.com/climbyourhighpoint
→https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100015661451642
→https://twitter.com/lucy_westlake
→https://lucywestlake.com/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Tuesday Oct 19, 2021
Kevin Hekmat started his career working with IN-Q, Cal Fussman, and Alex Banayan to name a few. He has helped sell out theaters and produce global events. During the pandemic, even though he has a love and deep friendships with his performers, Kevin also looked inward and focused on his passion for wellness, and his ability to help others shift how we respond to stress – and bring more happiness, productivity, and communication to teams around the world. Kevin began studying with the HeartMath Institute where he became certified. He uses over 30 years of research from the Institute to share a new understanding of how we can manage the stress response through simple, evidence-based techniques, and create a happier and healthier work and life.
IN THIS EPISODE … Joe talks to his friend Kevin Hekmat about the benefits of deep breathing, meditation, and the intentions of focus. Kevin shares his unknowing journey into meditation, which started with an incredible story, a 10-day silent meditation experience. From never meditating to jumping into a retreat that is hard for the most seasoned meditation enthusiasts. They start digging into understanding setting boundaries in your life and setting time for your intentions and focus. Most importantly for you, Kevin does some incredible deep breathing exercises that you can use during this episode and moving forward, which will aid in your path to self-discovery.
🔍 Breakdown with Kevin Hekmat:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Kevin Hekmat, and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (2:00): Deep Breathing Exercise
Kevin starts the conversation with an exercise you can do to help center yourself.
Chapter 3 (8:26): Deep breathing versus meditation
There are some differences between meditation and deep breathing. Also, keep in mind that all people have different styles of practice.
Chapter 4 (15:02): Understanding Heart Math
Heart Math is an institute that studies the science of the heart. What your heart rate tells you about not only your physical but your emotional health as well.
Chapter 5 (29:40): Meditation retreat experience
Kevin started his journey in mediation by attending a 10-day silent retreat, which is truly incredible. He shared lessons he learned and what the overall experience was like.
Chapter 6 (36:39): Transcendental meditation
This technique promotes a state of relaxed awareness, stress relief, and access to higher states of consciousness, as well as reducing the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Chapter 7 (44:57): Creating boundaries to be present
We wear so many hats in our lives that it is hard to make sure we are setting boundaries in our lives to ensure we are getting time to be present with ourselves.
Chapter 8 (56:57): Living with purpose
What are you doing today to ensure your life is being lived for yourself. This is something that we all need to focus on to make sure we don’t look back with regret.
Chapter 9 (1:10:53): Quick Coherence Technique
Coherence allows us to move easily from one idea to the next, from one thought to the next, and from one mind meld to the next.
Chapter 10 (53:50): Wrapping Up
Joe wraps up the episode with Kevin!
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.heartmath.org/
→”I AM” documentary by Tom Shadyac
→The Headspace Guide to Meditation by Andy Puddicombe
→Against All Odds by Chuck Norris
📞 Connect with Kevin
→https://www.instagram.com/kevinhekmat/
→https://www.facebook.com/kevin.hekmat
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhekmat/
→https://kevinhekmat.com/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Jenn Lim is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer (CHO) of Delivering Happiness (DH), a company she and Tony Hsieh co-founded to show how you can prioritize purpose, people, and profits to make an impact on the world. In 2010, Jenn led the launch and management of Tony’s first book, Delivering Happiness, which sold over 1 million copies, and hit #1 on The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. It was also voted one of the best business books by NPR, Amazon, and Inc. Magazine. With the book’s success, DH evolved into the world’s first coach|sulting® company to help businesses, governments, and health care systems actualize their own sustainable organizations with people and purpose for a positive ROI. Since then, DH has inspired and helped over 400 organizations around the world create systemic change to ready them for growth, adaptability, and resiliency. Over her 20+ years of experience with DH and Zappos, she’s developed scientific frameworks for workplace happiness and modern org design, showing how — no matter what title or role — we can live more meaningful lives through the work we do every day. Jenn also sits on the Global Happiness Council of Work and Wellbeing, loves spontaneous meditations and dance parties, and is working on the launch of another book in October 2021.
IN THIS EPISODE… Jenn and Joe unpack this last year. They go into the impact the pandemic has made from a work landscape perspective, but more importantly, they talked about Jenn’s experience of massive loss with the passing of Tony Hsieh this past November 2020. This caused an understandable set back completing her book, Jenn was authentic to what she advocates for and focused on her journey and completed her new book, “Beyond Happiness”, and even though this isn’t a part two to Delivering Happiness, this is equally as important for business owners, people leaders, and even within your own family dynamics. Jenn shares a few great exercises you can do today, which will be linked in the show notes along with her book
🔍 Breakdown with Jenn Lim:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Jenn Lim, and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (2:00): Writing Delivering Happyness
Tony Sheih and Jenn Lim wrote 80% of Delivering Happiness in a cabin in Tahoe, and Jenn shares the magic of developing it.
Chapter 3 (6:30): Playbook for startup companies
The incredible following and impact the principles of scientific happiness has on employees is something that Jenn explains
Chapter 4 (15:28): Looking at the good and the bad within your organization
Unpacking what is going on within your company. Making sure purpose and value is the stronghold to ensure employee adaptability.
Chapter 5 (22:40): The great resignation
In the month of April alone there were 4 million people who left their jobs. We could look at this more like the great awakening and Jen explains why.
Chapter 6 (32:39): Work-life balance possibilities
An exercise Jenn had created, the wheel of wholeness, helps to focus on where they are in all areas of their lives. As a leader, you need to understand where people are in their lives.
Chapter 7 (40:47): Greenhouse exercise
This goes with the “me to we” concept. We want to make sure we are not only self-actualized but we help others find their purpose also. This greenhouse task helps accomplish this.
Chapter 8 (45:49): Work happy means the stock’s happy
It should be simple, but often companies forget that their team member’s happiness is not a frivolous focus, but actually helps the bottom line also.
Chapter 9 (53:50): Wrapping Up
Joe wraps up the episode with Jenn and encourages you to buy her book!
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.deliveringhappiness.com/
→Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
→Beyond Happiness by Jenn Lim
→https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
📞 Connect with Jenn
→https://www.instagram.com/byjennlim/
→https://www.facebook.com/byJennLim
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/byjennlim/
→https://twitter.com/byjennlim
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
IN THIS EPISODE… Joe sits down with his wife Heather Chura, and two of his friends, Jon Rieckmann (first-place finisher in his age division & eighth overall), and Bruce Etzcorn. These are a couple of the people from his crew that competed in the Spartan Ultra and Spartan Beast challenges in Lake Tahoe. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this event, the Spartan Ultra merges the sport of obstacle course racing along with 50K courses and 60 obstacles to create a truly unique and brutal challenge. This is a serious ultra-distance athletic challenge. This incredible group of athletes shares their highs and lows. They also talk about what they had to do physically and mentally to compete at this level. AND they aren't done challenging themselves yet. They talk about what's next for themselves in the race/run/challenge world.
🔍 Breakdown with the Spartan Crew:
Chapter 1 (0:00) - Intro
Joe introduces his wife and friends and sets up the episode
Chapter 2 (3:10) How we got started
Heather explains how she got Joe to sign up for the Spartan Ultra, and the magic behind having a goal to work towards.
Chapter 3 (7:25) - Spartan race tourist
Bruce shares his physical struggles with trying to finish the spartan ultra. He wasn’t able to finish and he explains what happened
Chapter 4 (20:20) - Heather’s mental toolbox
It was her second time doing the sandbag challenge on a steep incline, but Heather was able to get to a meditative state and focus on the struggles of others to get perspective.
Chapter 5 (24:16) - Training for the ultra
Preparation is so crucial for an experience like this. The obstacles, the altitude, the heat, and the inclines are something you need to train for in order to have a successful outcome.
Chapter 6 (26:47) - Jon wins his age group
Winning his age group was not easy. Jon talks about his highs and lows from the race.
Chapter 7 (33:02) - Joe’s racing hurdles
What the start of the race was like for Joe, and an injury he sustained during the course. He was able to use his mental toolbox to cross the finish line.
Chapter 8 (45:08) - Whats next
The group shares their biggest takeaways, what’s next for each of them, and the importance of setting your next goal to keep your momentum going.
Chapter 9 (52:00) - Half dome experience
Rising nearly 5,000 feet above Yosemite Valley and 8,800 feet above sea level, Half Dome is a Yosemite icon and a great challenge to many hikers, and Heather shares her adventure.
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://race.spartan.com/en/race/ultra
→https://race.spartan.com/en/race/beast
→Spartan: Exit Strategy - Cal Fussman
→https://www.spartan.com/pages/fit-app
📞 Connect with Jon, Heather, Bruce and Joe
→https://www.instagram.com/jrieckmann2/
→https://www.facebook.com/hchura
→https://www.instagram.com/bruceetzcorn/
→https://www.instagram.com/jchura/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/notalmostthere/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Friday Oct 01, 2021
Friday Oct 01, 2021
Kristi Hedges is a senior leadership coach with a specialty in executive communications, and the author of the Amazon bestseller The Power of Presence and The Inspiration Code. Her workshops and coaching programs have been utilized by CEOs and teams in organizations from the Fortune 10 to entrepreneurial ventures to nonprofits. She runs her own coaching practice, The Hedges Company, and is a founding partner in the leadership development firm, Element North. Kristi delivers keynotes to audiences around the world on topics at the intersection of communication and leadership. Kristi writes about leadership for Harvard Business Review and Forbes and is regularly featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Entrepreneur, BBC, Chief Learning Officer, and CNBC. She is an ICF-certified leadership coach and a teaching faculty member of the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership. The Hedges Company offers a range of leadership development services, including individual leadership coaching, workshops, vision setting, team facilitation, and customized training.
IN THIS EPISODE… Joe and Kristi really dig into the covid work environment with a hyper-focus on communication; specifically delving into adapting your skills, and how our interactions don’t have to be the same now that we are out of an office or meeting room. The great aspect about Kristi, and her coaching content, is that you don’t need to be a CEO, or a people leader to grow from what she has researched. Kristi shares with Joe her findings from conducting numerous interviews for her latest book, The Inspiration Code, and spoiler alert; it's about listening to those around you and actually paying attention to what they're saying, which Joe confesses to Kristi that his wife calls him out on occasion for that.
🔍 Breakdown with Kristi Hedges:
Chapter 1 (0:00): Introduction
Joe introduces Kristi Hedges and sets up the episode.
Chapter 2 (2:00): The importance of presence
How you present yourself and allow others to perceive yourself
Chapter 3 (13:48): Being an active listener
It is important not only to listen but to show those you are speaking with that you are listening by responding with what you are hearing.
Chapter 4 (17:17): Different ways to communicate
Now that we have entered a remote world, we need to adapt and find new ways to communicate. This can be doing walking meetings to help with mental health as well.
Chapter 5 (20:40): Changing your way of work thinking
Zoom fatigue and connecting while apart have a series of difficulties while leading your team. It is important to adapt to ensure we still can have a positive culture.
Chapter 6 (24:19): Leading with Authenticity and Presence
Authenticity is so important, and your presence will come from being your authentic self.
Chapter 7 (37:10): Autonomy in the workplace
The majority of the world’s workspace/ideals have permanently changed since covid. As a leader, it is crucial to not only empower your employees but to lead by example as well.
Chapter 8 (42:12): Top takeaways from the book
While interviewing people for Kristi’s book, her top two takeaways were focusing on listening and attention.
Chapter 9 (46:27): Self Awareness is so important
While trying to be the best leader you can be, your first step needs to be self-awareness. Make sure you are looking inward.
Chapter 10 (53:50): Wrapping Up
Joe wraps up the episode with Kristi and she shares her first impressions of Joe
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.thehedgescompany.com/
→The Power of Presence
→The Inspiration Code
→Vienna by Billy Joel
📞 Connect with Kristi
→https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristihedges/
→https://www.facebook.com/powerofpresence
→https://twitter.com/kristihedges
→https://www.thehedgescompany.com/meet-kristi/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Sunday Sep 19, 2021
Ben Mollin's story is incredible. From life-long medical impairments to dealing with depression and attempted suicide to becoming a rockstar hairdresser on a reality tv show. He has broken down every barrier put in his way, and fear is no longer in his vocabulary.
Ben Mollin is an award-winning speaker, 2-time Ironman finisher, ultramarathon runner, an internationally recognized hairdresser, and an internationally recognized leader in personal development and peak performance strategies. He has been teaching entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders, and people from all walks of life how to create the life they desire. In 2007, Ben made his television debut on "Shear Genius," Bravo TV's reality competition for hairdressers, finishing second. Show judges Sally Hershberger and Vidal Sassoon commended Ben for his raw talent and his growth over the course of the competition. Ben is an international guest artist for hair cutting classes, personal appearances, and video projects, is on the hit TV show “The Look All-Stars” and in "50 Hairstylists," a book featuring the fifty most influential hairdressers in the country.
→IN THIS EPISODE… Joe sits down with Ben Mollin, a friend he knew in high school and recently reconnected with over the last two years. What Joe remembered about Ben was how he appeared to have everything; charisma, confidence, and a born leader. BUT Ben was actually suffering from depression and had attempted suicide in front of his parents at the age of 14 due to what he thought was an insurmountable health setback. He was able to get help find music and then he started an incredible career, from his success on a Reality Show, Sheer Genius, to starting the Ben Mollin Project, where he shares his story and empowers those around him. Ben’s story has an incredible arc; from depression to suicidal thoughts to burning it all down to start over and not being afraid of anything.
🔍 Breakdown with Ben Mollin:
Chapter 1 (0:00) Joe Introduces Ben
Joe sets up the episode and welcomes Ben Mollin to the show
Chapter 2 (2:00) 14 years old and attempting suicide
Ben found himself struggling after getting a medical diagnosis which made him wear a helmet to school at 14 when appearance is a big aspect of your identity.
Chapter 3 (11:58) Finding music as an outlet
Nirvana came out and Ben really started being influenced by music
Chapter 4 (16:32) Getting started in the hair business
After graduating high school Ben went to beauty school. He worked at supercuts, and then a spa in Lansing. Soon after he bought his first salon.
Chapter 5 (20:22) How do you find joy
To Ben joy is constant. He realized early on that success to him is fun when there is consistency and stability.
Chapter 6 (24:08) Getting on a reality show
Finding himself 100K in debt, he was approached by someone from the bravo network to be a part of a new reality hairdresser competition and the prize amount was… exactly 100K.
Chapter 7 (36:40) Vidal Sassoon and lessons from Reality-TV
Vidal got Ben on his path to teaching. He shared some wisdom about what his career path should be that sent Ben in a pivotal direction.
Chapter 8 (40:54) Bad habits turned positive
Ben realized he was having a negative relationship with alcohol. It wasn’t affecting him professionally, but he realized he needed to lead by example.
Chapter 9 (44:32) Suicidal thoughts coming back
Ben was dealing with suicidal thoughts; reached out to a counselor for help. That counselor helped him identify what the real problem was, and suggested relief that changed everything.
Chapter 10 (51:30) Fatherhood and family
Having his son was an experience in itself. Ben’s son was born with a heart condition, so once again he was given a life lesson that he is forever grateful for.
Chapter 11 (58:00) Joe Wraps up the Episode
Joe concludes the episode with Ben praising him for being his authentic self, and celebrating his life’s journey.
DEALING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS:
→National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Hours: Available 24 hours. Languages: English, Spanish. Learn more
800-273-8255
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
→Crisis Text Line
Text TALK to 741-741 to text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line for free, 24/7
https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources
Material Referenced in this interview:
→Gummo - Drama/Indie film
→https://youtu.be/APdmX6ch60U Haircuts in the Summer
→https://www.bravotv.com/shear-genius
→https://www.ironcowboy.com/
📞 Connect with Ben
→https://www.instagram.com/benmollin/
→https://www.facebook.com/ben.mollin
→https://twitter.com/FnMollin
→https://www.benmollinproject.com/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura
Monday Sep 13, 2021
Monday Sep 13, 2021
🤼♂️John Brooks is a Certified Sports Nutritionist with the International Society of Sports Nutrition (CISSN) and Precision Nutrition (level 1) certified and has a B.S. in Biology from DePaul University and an M.S. in Nutrition & Wellness from Benedictine University. He has over 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. Much of that time was spent in the supplement industry, and as a result, John has a vast knowledge about supplements and the evidence for and against using various ones. John is the founder of Nutrition 361, which is based in suburban Chicago and works with people all over the world. When John is not coaching clients, he trains and competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and holds the rank of black belt.
→IN THIS EPISODE… Joe asks John a series of questions about diet and lifestyle questions. 42% of Americans have said they have had undesired weight gain during the covid shit show we are dealing with and it is an average of 29 pounds. John breaks down some simple guidelines on the best way to live an active healthy life. He explains nutrient density and how to figure out what your goals should be. Joe also gets into the benefits of reducing or eliminating alcohol as well as prioritizing a good night's sleep so you can perform at your best. Joe and John wrap the episode by letting you know about a 30-day challenge we can all do together.
🔍 Breakdown with John Brooks:
Chapter 1 (0:00) Introducing John Brooks
Not Almost There’s friend John Brooks is back to answer your questions!
Chapter 2 (3:02) How can I get started making my health a priority again?
Take inventory of your barriers, what is preventing you from making good hab its. Also make sure you are in a good food environment as well as a good support system
Chapter 3 (3:15) How long does it take to notice a difference once you start?
Short term is more psychological, and you are noticing how you are feeling once you start eating healthy and purposeful.
Chapter 4 (15:03) Are cheat days okay?
As long as you are tracking your calories, you are able to plan accordingly to allow for a high calories intake over the weekend.
Chapter 5 (22:39) How does alcohol consumption and effect your health?
Having a limited amount of alcohol can go along with a healthy lifestyle. Also, try a non-alcoholic beer as a great alternative to drinking too much and suffering the negative side effects.
Chapter 6 (28:35) How do you balance the importance of diet versus exercise?
There is an 80/20 rule that a lot of people follow, where 80 is from what you eat and 20 is the exercise you do. A simple plan is to understand what your nutrition goals are and do 3 days of exercise a week
Chapter 7 (33:23) What is the right amount of sleep?
Getting 8 hours of sleep a night is a game-changer. You might be getting by on less than that, but your body is not performing at its best.
Chapter 8 (40:42) How does your age affect achieving your fitness goals?
Biologically your metabolism doesn’t slow as some people think with age, but the factors that need to be considered are mental and emotional. The older we get, typically the less active we are.
Chapter 9 (48:45) How do you balance body positivity with your health goals?
It is important to be kind to yourself and love yourself and at the same time set good health goals.
Chapter 10 (50:25) We need the hell yea people
There are three types of people listening, and we need the people that are pumped and ready to start our 30-day challenge incorporating good nutrition and 30 min workouts 3 times a week.
Chapter 11 (37:30) Wrap Up
Joe wraps up the episode with John and encourages you to be a part of the 30-day challenge
Material Referenced in this interview:
→https://www.notalmostthere.com/challenge
→Calorie and Macro Calculator (Make a Copy)
→https://www.nutrition361.com/contact/ (to get in touch with John)
→My Fitness Pal (calorie tracking app)
→How to Get Ripped in your 40’s
→Show Notes/Stats
📞 Connect with John
→https://www.nutrition361.com/
→https://www.facebook.com/dexter.brooks.731
→https://www.instagram.com/nutrition361/
👊 To learn more about Not Almost There by visiting this link
→ Not Almost There http://notalmostthere.com/
Connect with Joe on social here:
→Instagram https://www.instagram.com/joe_chura/
→Facebook https://www.facebook.com/notalmostthere/
→Twitter http://twitter.com/joechura