Compete Every Day with Jake Thompson | A Show for Driven Leaders

In this episode, former pro boxer & current celebrity personal trainer Holly Lawson leads us through the difficulties that granted her the strength and ability to become a successful fighter. We emphasize the importance of introspective thinking and ensuring that after tough times we do everything in our power to support and grow from the experience. Holly’s in-depth look into her fighting journey is one of the most inspiring stories of the Better Than Yesterday podcast.

Landing the cover of Oxygen magazine, starting her own Canadian beauty pageant and coaching women around the world has taught Kimberly Castle one crucial lesson: consistency pays off.  She learned quickly that if she was consistent with her work outs and diet regime, the fitness results that she desired would come quickly. Using her newfound perspective, Kimberly took this life lesson to other aspects of her life. She realized that it didn’t take anybody particularly talented to attain this success, just somebody who was willing to put in the work. Using this profound knowledge, Kimberly decided it was time to help other women make the same realization.  Coaching women around the world between ages 25-50 years old, Kimberly’s focus is set on shattering her clients body shaming habits and opening their eyes to their beauty, capabilities and strengths. She gracefully balances her coaching business, a full time job as Vice President of Global Technology at Metlife, Mrs. Canada Globe Pageant and her personal fitness. 

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim MiLB Pitcher Nathan Smith shares his professional baseball journey & the importance of “The Midnight Rule” to succeeding at every level of his playing career - and personal life. Learn how you can apply this same rule to pursuing your career.

It's easy to be a dreamer. "Wouldn't it be nice if..." is usually how dreams start. There's zero risk, zero chance of failure, and zero chances of you getting hurt by just dreaming. And there is zero opportunity for you to ever reach that dream by simply dreaming about it. Like a marathoner – the only way you run a marathon is to actually run a marathon. You can think about running at work. You can imagine running at night while lying in bed. But unless you actually put your shoes on the pavement and start moving forward, you aren’t running. You’re still on the sidelines.   You just can’t do BIG things in sports - or life - from the sidelines. It’s not possible. In this episode, Jake explores the idea of "Dream big, live bigger" and why its crucial to being a Competitor.

We all get blindsided by something that hurls us into a life of completely different circumstances. If it limits our ability to function as we did before, the frustration alone can crush our drive and determination. As Jake watches full-body workouts from the sidelines with a torn achilles, his path to recovery is finding different ways to challenge him both physically and mentally. In this episode, Jake tells you about his journey dealing with a leg injury and how it’s impacted his motivation to pursue his goals. He also explains why slowing down and taking the long road leads to more success, plus the mindset shift to get your determination back on track in the midst of challenge.

Curt Steinhorst is on a mission to help us win the battle against distraction. Diagnosed with ADD as a child, he had to find ways to overcome the challenges of digital distraction once he became an entrepreneur. After years of studying the impact of technology on human behavior, he founded FocusWise, a company dedicated to helping professionals reduce distraction and maintain focus for bigger success. In this episode, Curt shares strategies you can use, both personally and professionally, to prevail over one of life’s toughest adversaries — distraction.

After spending nearly two decades in the industry as a whole and observing pros like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, Alan learned a few things about creating productive habits and cultivating the right mindset for success. The mental game is just as essential to your overall performance as the physical. Ultimately, it can be the one thing that separates the good from the legendary. In this episode, Alan Stein Jr. shares what he does to stay competitive, how he challenges himself to stay sharp, the importance of sports in school, and the winning mindset strategies he’s learned both on and off the court that you can use to be better than you were yesterday.

As a former athlete himself, Chris Smith saw the need to provide an online support structure to the athletic world. The constant push and challenge of an  “Athlete’s Mindset” (AM) can break you if not fueled in an environment of like-minded people. Chris’s determination to help athletes use the better edge of their double-edged sword is his commitment to helping the world be better than they were yesterday. One athlete at a time.

Ashley and Po Bronson’s book, Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing, discusses the science of competition and reveals why it’s important to experience defeat — on and off the field. Competition allows us to better gauge our abilities by identifying strengths and weaknesses, and reveals what needs improvement. Without the contrast of winning and losing, there’s no motivation to push to maximum potential. You can find growth and opportunity in every loss if you position your mindset to learn from your mistakes. Listen in as Ashley and Jake discuss some of those powerful mindset shifts and approaches that can help you to be better than you were yesterday.

Transition Coach Daron Roberts is an expert at helping people ‘jump off the ledge of their doubts’ but only after making some major life shifts of his own. Going from law school to the NFL, to author and lecturer at the University of Texas, Daron’s pivots taught him how to persevere through the hardships of change and take on the challenges of transition. Through Daron’s Amazon bestselling book, Call An Audible, his course, “A Gameplan Winning at Life,” and motivational Instagram videos, he knows no bounds when it comes to inspiring others to transition into being the best version of themselves.

It's easy to obsess over what everyone else is doing, and it’s even easier to use them as a gauge of where or what you should be. But how engaged are you in your own goals and life? Is it more than the time you spend playing the comparison game? More energy than you put into obsessively and anxiously checking your social media accounts? If you’re honest with yourself, the answers might reveal a truth… You’re the one getting in the way of your success. You have and always will be your biggest competitor. So how do you compete with yourself so you can make progress toward achieving your goals? All you have to do is be better than you were yesterday.

A true competitor is determined to excel, even in the face of adversity. But adversity is much more than upsets, unfortunate events, or other external obstacles. Sometimes it’s our own pride that presents the challenge and holds us back from experiencing true growth. No one wants to go backwards. It feels counterintuitive. Especially when so much effort goes into achieving greatness. But giving yourself the green light to put it in reverse could be exactly what you need to progress forward. Taking a step back isn’t accepting failure or admitting defeat. It’s a way to gain perspective and clarity on challenging situations in your life. A time to reevaluate where to invest your valuable time, effort, and energy. A way to create space so you can tend to what might’ve been overlooked while pursuing success. When stepping back might be the answer, fear and pride are the true adversities. Accept the challenge to overcome them so you can ultimately take ten steps forward toward your long-term success.

“Avoid stress, don’t do anything to physically exert yourself, and if you’re planning on having any children — don’t.” That’s the advice Susan Kovacs’ neurologist gave after diagnosing her with multiple sclerosis in 1985. Not something you want to hear when you’re in your mid-twenties, or at any point in your life at that. Anything she had planned for her future completely shifted. But just as easily as life can shift your plans, so can your mindset. In her mid-fifties, Susan's strength coach asked her to consider a triathlon. It was a dare that would take her well beyond her comfort zone and “the life doctors prescribed her.” Susan explored the true impact that mindset has on our lives and adopted the mantra "my body achieves what my mind believes." With that, she made the physical and mental transition to being actively involved in athletics. Combining her superpowers of research and personal experience, Susan has found her path as a performance mindset coach helping athletes, corporate leaders, sales professionals, and entrepreneurs optimize their performance through mindset mastery.  

Like so many Americans, Doc Wright wasn’t happy with his job. Fresh out of college, he transitioned into corporate America — spending years in a world he “didn’t really ever quite fit in.” To deal with the stress from work, Doc found relief in woodworking. After taking on a few small projects from friends and local businesses, others took notice of his unique style and creativity. It wasn’t long before he landed a bid with a large home builder company in Texas. Doc saw the opportunity to carve a different path for his future. And he took it. Two and a half months from his first table project, Doc quit his job to start his custom furniture company, The Wright Edge. The business narrowed its focus on crafting big slab live edge wood furniture after Doc noticed a serious gap in the market for it. He’s been fortunate enough not to rely on paid marketing or advertising to generate business. And less than a year out, Doc has already added a business partner and an intern to the roster to keep up with the growing clientele. Here’s Doc’s key insights on making a small business succeed:

As the founding pastor of Christian City Church, Rob Carman has captured the hearts of Christians everywhere with his leadership skills. By using the art of storytelling in his speeches, he has been able to grow a church from 35 people to 5,000 people, travel to 70 nations, and train over 50,000 national leaders. Join us in today’s episode as Dr. Rob breaks down the importance of storytelling and how to become a better leader.

Today features a LIVE recording of the Better Than Yesterday podcast. Ryan ‘Birdman’ Parrott, a Navy SEAL and Founder of Sons of the Flag, joined our June 10 "Smash Goals" workshop in Dallas. His determination and “don’t take no for an answer” attitude has helped him accomplish goal after ridiculous goal throughout his life. With a tough upbringing and little motivation, Ryan struggled in school as a child. Ryan finally found his spark at 18-years-old when 9/11 hit and he decided joined the military. His ambition drive took him all the way to the Navy SEALs. Ryan now runs a non-profit organization in Dallas called Sons of the Flag that is committed to supporting military, first responder, and civilian burn survivors. Find out how Ryan overcame the hard times and crushed every goal he put his heart and mind to in this episode.

Compete to be Mentally Tougher Coach Jen Rulon of San Antonio is joining us today. She’s an 11-time Ironman triathlete and coach helping triathletes get to the finish line with a smile. She has been an incredible supporter of Compete Everyday and an awesome member of the community since we met years ago. As a health and fitness expert, Jennifer “Jen” Rulon MS, has inspired, coached and motivated many athletes to get to their first sprint triathlon to their 3rd Ironman Triathlon. Jen guides her athletes to learn about themselves BEYOND the physical aspects of doing an Ironman Triathlon. Jen joined me to discuss what she’s created as a coach, her personal development as an athlete, and her TED talk on the mental side of performance. It’s a deep conversation, but I think it’s one you’re going to be enriched by.  

Combining Cancer and CrossFit Sami Mansfield is a Cancer Exercise Specialist and runs an incredible program she calls, Build. It’s a functional fitness program for cancer survivors designed to reduce both the physical and emotional side effects from cancer diagnosis and treatments. In the world of cancer fighters, competing daily is everything. Sami works on a clinical team during the day and runs Build in the evenings, devoting her life to the encouragement and rehabilitation of cancer patients. We talk about how Sami came to work with cancer survivors, her plans for growing the program, the community of cancer survivors she’s built, and why you have no excuse but t

Leave the World Better How do you leave the world a better place than you found it? That’s what we’re talking about on this episode with the great, Dr. Daren Martin. We were connected through a mutual friend, I’ve been a guest on his show, and now I’m excited to have him on Better Than Yesterday. Known as the Culture Architect, Dr. Daren Martin is author of the bestselling book, A Company of Owners and that’s only the beginning of his literary accomplishments. After 20 years of running his own company, Daren consulted for Fortune 500 companies on leadership, company culture, and sales psychology. Daren shares his perspective on grinding out new books, understanding how to leave the world a better place, why we must keep growing, and other thought-provoking points.

Side Hustle Fuel Compete Every Day Ambassador, Paige Martindell is joining us on the podcast today. I asked her on specifically to share her story of side hustling while working full time. Paige followed her passion into creative design and took a job at Fossil after college while she started building up her side hustle. She later left Fossil to join StudioHop, a startup in Dallas, and has continued to build her personal brand. Our discussion focuses on an alternative to the ‘burn all your bridges’ approach to entrepreneurship and how Paige instead hustled her way to develop a business. Paige goes into side hustling, pushing back perfectionism, finding creative inspiration, and so much more.

Pour into Your Passion Ben Kenyon from the Portland Trail Blazers and YOUnique Podcast joins us today. He’s an inspired leader and advocate of purposeful movement. From playing basketball to working as a performance coach, Ben has been on an incredible journey. In this episode, he shares what it was like to go from athlete to desiring to be the best trainer he could be. Ben shares his thoughts on how to get to the highest level of success, finding satisfaction in your career and passion, and life.

Taking on New Challenges Today, I’m joined by former NFL cornerback Terrence Wheatley. Terrence works as a Camp Director with the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Cowboys Academy camps. Terrence knows how easy it is to get our identities wrapped up in our performance. As an NFL player who transitioned out of the league, he has advice for anyone going through a similar transition whether it be having to retire from competition or a chaotic career. Terrance shares his wisdom on moving into a new chapter with us. In this episode we talk about how Terrence got to where he is today, what he teaches kids at the Dallas Cowboys Academy, and preparing for a transition.

Steph Gaudreau was a high school teacher for 12 years before she started her blog, Stupid Easy Paleo. It began as a way to share her recipes and soon took off as she taught people to modify their diets and implement strength training. Today, Steph goes by strength trainer, nutritionist and zombie slayer. She hosts the Harder to Kill Radio podcast and leads the Women’s Strength Summit which runs this year from May 15-21. Steph shares what inspired her to create the Women’s Strength Summit and what she wants for women around the world. We talk about finding your own way to health and happiness, body image, and how we show up in the world.

What’s it going to be? Too often our words and actions speak of "one day," when things are better or timing is perfect. In today's episode, Jake Thompson talks about the idea of "one day" and the downfalls that thinking can lead to. You'll be encouraged in your journey and challenged to consider making today "Day One," and start taking action now. One day or Day One. You choose.

The Long Game James Fitzgerald is the Founder of OPEX and The International Center For Fitness. When not coaching, he’s a full time husband, father and fitness athlete. He was crowned the “Fittest on Earth” when he won the CrossFit Games in 2007. His 20+ years of experience and service as a strength coach/technician, tireless practice on refining energy system work, nutritional and lifestyle balancing techniques and training of other coaches has made OPEX a sought after method of bringing fitness to a Higher Order. We talk about enjoying the process when the goal is down the road, his philosophy for coaching, and what the winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games does to be better than yesterday.  

The Right Frame of Mind When Ed Molitor published an article about competing every day, it immediately caught my attention. I was impressed with him and his business and I’m excited to have him on the show. Ed is the Founder of the Molitor Group, a leadership development and personal growth organization. Ed’s leadership skills, traits and behaviors are the reasons he has realized such great success as a college basketball coach, Chicago mortgage broker, motivational speaker who talked about the invaluable life lessons provided in competitive athletics and as VP of Operations for a successful recruiting firm. In this episode, Ed shares his career story and how we might be losing focus of the right perspective on competition. He gives his insight into mindset, abundance, and success as a team.

Shama Hyder is a thought leader and one of the leading individuals in the online space. She is a web and TV personality, a bestselling author, and the award-winning CEO of The Marketing Zen Group – a global online marketing and digital PR company. I met Shama at Social Media Marketing World and I was impressed by how she built both her business and her brand. Shama has not let any factor in her life stop her from achieving success. She uses no excuses and goes after what she wants. In this episode, we get into how Shama runs her business from managing growth to branding. She also shares her perspective on being a woman in business, balancing a busy life, and getting ahead in your career.

LOVE WHAT YOU DO Christine Reppa is the longest standing team member at Compete Every Day. She’s one of the first people who really joined in and ran with the message and I’m excited to have her here. It’s been great to see Christine grow on the team and as an entrepreneur in her own journey. We talk about how she’s been able to start and grow a yoga-focused brand while working at Compete Every Day. Christine also shares how she spends time as a marketing agent for an olympic swimmer. We talk about Christine’s journey to Compete, what she’s working on now, and tips she has for balancing multiple projects and building a side hustle. If you’re interested in starting or growing your side business, you’ll find this really helpful.

Be All In Web Smith is the Director of eCommerce at Gear Patrol. He runs an awesome eCommerce newsletter called 2 PM Links that I wholeheartedly recommend. If you do anything in eCommerce, marketing, branding Web is the guy for you. Prior to joining Gear Patrol, Web spent time at Uncrate, Rogue Fitness, and was the co-founding CMO at Mizzen + Main. He has a wealth of experience in his professional and personal life that he was gracious enough to share. We get into a little of Web’s history and career path. We spend a lot of time talking about personal development and how Web has grown. He shares his best tips from working with thriving brands and balancing family and work. I think you’re going to get a ton of value out of this conversation.

Gut and Execution Wayne McCullough and I have had the opportunity to know each other for a few years now through different relationships. He’s been a great resource and mentor for me. Wayne is the President and Managing Partner at Benchmark Private Wealth Management where he helps clients work through difficult financial situations and take care of their money. The conversations we get into today are all about having an impact on your fellow man. We talk about how Wayne has such a heart for his community and how he helps those men be better husbands, fathers and leaders in their city. There’s so much great stuff in this episode you can apply to your own life. Enjoy!

“No regrets.” I get to welcome Keith Yackey on the show today. We connected in an entrepreneurship group that we both belong to and I’m thrilled to introduce him to you. I love this guy’s passion to help people find their passion. I was blown away at Keith’s live event, Amplify Live Experience, in Las Vegas. It was an incredible event from speakers you know to the individuals he called up on stage. Keith is an expert at applying principles and foundations to passion. He loves to discover what people are passionate about and how they can build a career around it. We dive into Keith’s journey of discovering his passion, what went into creating his amazing live event, and why it’s important to find your ‘why’.

Embrace the Edge Matt served for over 25 years as an Infantryman in the U.S. army. He is a really awesome guy I’ve had the pleasure of knowing over the past months. I think you’ll get a lot out of his story transitioning from a career in the military to civilian life and how he’s been able to bring that approach and that discipline to his everyday life. When Matt was struggling to find who he was, the actions he took and the discipline he had before he went through this challenge made all the difference. In times of war and peace, Matt has led organizations of every size, including small units, as a platoon leader, up to a three-year post as Garrison Commander at Fort Hood, Texas. He shares with us how he brings military practices into the corporate world to motivate others and share a strong vision.

Balancing Family and LifeAID I’m excited to welcome Aaron Hinde of LifeAID Beverage Co. on the Better Than Yesterday podcast. You may be familiar with his brands which include FitAID, GolferAID, and PartyAID. This company has exploded over years and it’s been thrilling to watch. Aaron and I talk about the success of LifeAID, what’s made them successful, and how he balances an exploding company with a growing family. We get so overwhelmed trying to balance friendships, family, careers, while trying to get in a workout routine. Aaron gives great insight into how he prioritize things and stays present in the moment.

Competing for Longer Lives Today I’m sitting down with the Founders and Board of the Be The Difference Foundation based in Dallas. The organization was formed by four ovarian cancer survivors in different phases of survivorship, but they all have passion for life and ending the fight against ovarian cancer. More than half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer pass away within five years of the diagnosis. Be The Difference gives women hope for a longer survivorship by supporting cure research, clinical trials, and more. Be The Difference is hosting a Wheel to Survive event in Dallas February 26th to raise funds that will support women fighting ovarian cancer. This is a fun opportunity to give back, interact with the community, and be the difference. Wheel to Survive will also be hosted in cities throughout Texas, South Florida, and San Francisco. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like getting diagnosed with ovarian cancer and fighting to extend life. These women teach incredible lessons about the power of choosing your attitude and helping other people who are facing challenges you have faced.

Do It in Excellence and Obedience In this episode I’m joined by Jeremy Thiel. In 2005, Jeremy was introduced to CrossFit. Immediately, he knew he had discovered the path he’d been seeking since he first started training. This was not just a game he was going to play, but something he was going take part in that would effect positive change on a large scale. Naturally he dove in head first. Jeremy felt the best way to learn was through action. Action, hard work, dedication, and discipline were the tools he utilized to take $500 and build a million dollar garage gym facility, CrossFit Central, in less than three years. In 2005, Jeremy along with his sister Carey started by running boot camps in parks all around Austin. He worked from his one bedroom apartment day in and day out blogging, emailing and programming; strong relationships sprouted out of his emphasis on the importance of being heavily involved in the Austin fitness community. We talk about Jeremy’s journey to CrossFit and starting a gym, how he manages all his projects including a new podcast, and what’s coming up for him in 2017.

Age is a Number, Not a Limit I’m joined this week by Robert McDaniel, a certified Spartan training coach. Bob isn’t your ordinary Spartan racer. He didn’t actually start running until his 40s. Bob has finished multiple events in first place in his division, and now trains a number of inspiring Spartan racers in the DFW. Bob’s journey is incredible. He shares that in just one year he ran 15 marathons. That’s with hardly any history of running throughout his life. You’ll hear how Bob found Spartan racing and committed to the race, who inspires him to quit complaining, and how dedicated he is to training his clients and helping them overcome their fears.

Heart of a Champion Our special guest today is part of the Compete community. Karen lives in Austin, TX and has competed in the Crossfit Games. She’s done amazing things in her life, including kicking cancer’s ass. In this episode, we talk about what it was like for a woman in her 30s and athlete in a rising sport to battle cervical cancer. Karen shares what she went through to even get a diagnosis, processing what her diagnosis meant for having a family, and giving hope to people who fight challenges like her. Karen is an inspirational leader. I admire her for who she is as a woman and the fight that’s in her spirit.

Success is a Mixture of Hard Work, Preparation, and Luck. Alicia and I have known each other for years through Twitter and I know you’ll enjoy getting to know more about her. Alicia is a lawyer, professor, and blogger who built an incredible career in the sport’s industry. In July 2011, Alicia founded RulingSports.com, a website dedicated to analyzing legal issues in the world of sports. Launching RulingSports.com gave Alicia the springboard she needed to find an international platform to discuss her passion for sports.  Since launching RulingSports.com, Alicia has been a featured guest on hundreds of sports radio shows nationwide. She’s also written for Forbes, Sport’s Illustrated, and Huffington Post. We talk about how Alicia started a successful blog, what inspired her mission work in Haiti, and how to actually start pursuing your dreams.

Transformation Shifts Your DNA Salt Freedom and I connected this summer in Las Vegas at Amplify. As soon as I met her, I knew I needed to get her on the show and introduce her to the Compete community. After winning her own 13 year battle with an eating disorder, SALT combined her insider knowledge and her training in holistic health to create SALT ED FREEDOM - a radically empowering and holistic eating disorder treatment method that challenges the status-quo recovery goals and treatment standards. SALT ED FREEDOM was created specifically for brave, rebellious woman, who don’t just want to recover. They want freedom. Salt and I talk about her story and what went into starting her business. We talk about what’s behind addiction, how we need to transform ourselves before we help others, and getting past imposter syndrome.

What is Your Pathway to Success? We’ve got the one and only Julian Placino on Better than Yesterday. As host of the Pathways to Success Podcast, Julian has had over 100 interviews with successful individuals to uncover the common thread of success. What is success? What does success look like? We dive deep into these topics and how you can become successful yourself by learning from the things that successful people have done. Julian’s Journey 3:03 Being very entrepreneurial for the sole purpose of making a buck 3:30 Starting an endeavor to NOT make money, but to help other people 4:36 Working as a recruiter professionally and looking for a creative outlet 9:17 Knowing nothing about podcasting and finding a successful podcaster to befriend Julian Getting Motivated 12:17 Writing a book about the lessons he’s learned in his life and from guests 14:18 Finding a mentor by making it public and buying someone lunch 16:00 Setting big dreams for his podcast and himself in 2017 Competitive Insights 13:20 Everyone has some kind of unique ability they can do better than others. 18:10 There’s purpose in the things that we do and when you combine that with what you love, you’ll be unstoppable. Better Than Yesterday Quotes “Creating consistent content develops a personal brand.” “It’s so easy to play small.” “Success comes down to being fulfilled.”

Sharpen Your Wintality We’re welcoming in Baylor Barbee to Better Than Yesterday. Baylor is a successful motivational speaker, author, and tri-athlete. He’s the world's biggest triathlete and his goals for 2017 are going to blow you away. His book Wintality teaches the keys to unlocking the success in your DNA. In this conversation, we go into the ‘wintality’ mindset and how you can use that to win in your own life. Baylor’s story of playing football at Baylor to becoming a triathlete is one full of inspiration. The actions he took to transform his life into one that’s more positive and motivating to others are actions that we can all take. Baylor’s Journey 2:33 Playing football his entire life to not doing anything 3:28 Looking for something fun to do to get in shape and finding triathlons 10:38 Making a conscious decision to be a positive person Baylor Getting Motivated 7:10 Focusing forward to keep moving forward through tough challenges 8:49 Finding the discipline to do things he doesn’t like to enjoy things more 14:00 Reminding himself that he’s getting to do what he loves to do 16:30 Getting inspiration for Wintality by studying lions Competitive Insights 19:10 The later you do anything in the day, the smaller the chance of getting it done. 24:32 If you really want to be something, don’t wait until a designated day like New Year’s to do it.   26:31 Keep track of everything. If you say you want to get better, act and analyze your progress. Better Than Yesterday Quotes “How blessed am I that the worst thing I’m going through my life right now is figuring out how to race people on the streets?” “I am professional mistake maker. I make mistakes, but if I can pass them along, they’re speaking points and not mistakes.” “Inside each and every one of us is the DNA of success.”  

Fried chicken – and fitness? Dallas fitness blogger & founder of both Deep Fried Fit blog & the Dallas Fitness Ambassadors joins the Better Than Yesterday Podcast this week. At the time we recorded this, Mai Lyn had just left her corporate job to focus on her blog. Mai Lyn shares her journey from being a part-time blogger about food & fitness, to a full-time one running a successful regional blog & creating the Dallas Fitness Ambassadors community. There’s a lot of gold in this episode. We talk about productivity tips and the daily habits that help Mai Lyn get after the day.

Don’t fall for the movie trailers. I love movies. I love actually going to the movies. The fresh popcorn, the brand-new trailers, and the fact that I can just escape for two hours. But you know the one thing about movie trailers that gets me – the actual trailer. It always gets me to the movie. And think about it, how many bad movie trailers have you seen? Probably none. Maybe one in your lifetime? For the most part, the movie trailers are great. And then you go to the movie, and the movie sucks. Now, how does that relate to you today? I dive into the trap of “movie trailers” and how we can bypass the trap in our lives.  

How important is it to have a positive mental image of ourselves? CrossFit. Olympic Weightlifting. Body image issues, what? That’s the story Salt Lake City CrossFit athlete Cassidy Duffield shares in this week’s episode. Growing up as a gymnast, Cassidy has always been a more muscular woman. That led to special attention when she was younger, including being called “manly” as a teen. She spent years at a mainstream gym trying to be “skinny” and lose the muscle and weight she had built as a gymnast. As she grew older, Cassidy learned to love her body and the strength she had after joining the CrossFit community. In this conversation, you’ll hear Cassidy’s incredible story, the way she overcame body image challenges, and how to create a compelling vision of your future self.

This is Going to Be a Raw Conversation That’s the warning Kyle Cermak gave me when we talked about sharing his story on the podcast. Kyle struggled with alcoholism for years before one fateful night changed his life – and almost destroyed it. We dive into his story, what led to his alcoholism, and how he has maintained sobriety for over seven years and restored his family. Kyle’s story has something for everyone – and his approach to his day to day life has created a world of positive success that just eight years ago, never seemed possible. There’s incredible value in this episode. With Kyle’s perspective of coming from addition, he’s realized how mental and physical strength contribute to overall wellbeing in a unique way. Kyle shares what he does to stay fit after years of abusing his body and how he focuses on his priorities. Kyle Cermak’s Journey 4:05 Being in a band, travelling the country, and transitioning into a new phase 5:15 Growing up with a lot of alone time and craving the lifestyle he saw on TV 9:05 Turning to alcohol every day for 15 years and what life was like for Kyle 14:00 Hitting a low point with drinking and reaching a turning point 20:40 Deciding to change his life after a heart-wrenching court hearing Kyle Getting Motivated 24:15 Getting sober through rehabilitation and recognizing his patterns 26:58 Changing his behavior to receive love by giving love 28:39 Developing a spiritual base to turn to instead of alcohol 30:02 Becoming physically healthy so that his heart and mind function well, Working with the “Fit to Recover” program Competitive Insights 33:40 Connect spiritually or meditate in the morning to remember the bigger picture of life. 37:40 Making it a point to be of service to someone every single day. 39:05 The mindset for success in your 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. Better Than Yesterday Quotes “The only things that I can control are my behaviors and actions.” “The world is a bigger place than yourself, but you’re also connected to that bigger picture of the world.” “I take a lot of pleasure in doing the dishes because I’m excited to be able to contribute to the betterment of our family.”

How does one build mental toughness? That's the question I dive into this week with Dawn Fletcher, owner of Fletcher Fitness & MentalityWOD.com. Dawn is physical & mental performance coach that works with athletes in a number of sports to help them get the results they want. Dawn was named “1 of the Top 30 Most Influential Health Bloggers" and has been a great member of the Compete community since we first connected at the 2011 CrossFit Games. We dive into building mental toughness, her daily routines for positive mindset & success, and her entrepreneurial journey.

What does it mean to be Better Than Yesterday? Show host, and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day, Jake Thompson shares his heart behind this podcast series & what you can expect from the upcoming first season. Our goal is to help you compete and be better than yesterday in all of your pursuits.