In Pursuit With Joseph Mencel

What do you do when confronted with challenges? How do you approach seemingly insurmountable tasks? Does other people's success intimidate or inspire you? In this episode, Joseph Mencel sits down with Jamie Skippen to discuss how to cultivate a growth mindset. Jamie's story is one of highs & lows, of using setbacks as set ups for comebacks, and of tackling mammoth tasks by breaking them down into small, bite sized steps. By sharing his experiences, Jamie demonstrates how he has developed an ironclad growth mindset, before Joseph & Jamie provide practical & strategic advice on how you can develop your own. An interesting & intriguing episode that you are sure to enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to balance a growing business with your relationship with your significant other, the best way to make a strong impression in the workplace, how to identify and work through limiting beliefs, and how to use a divorce or the breakdown of a long term personal relationship to grow and develop into a better person.

"It's nothing personal. It's just business." Ever been on the receiving end this phrase? Or perhaps you've even dished it out a few times yourself. In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss why "it's just business" is a phrase that has absolutely no business being used anymore. By exploring the history of the phrase, they discuss its origin, its role in pop culture, and what effect it actually has as a type of moral escape clause. Joseph & Leah then provide personal examples of when they have been on the receiving end, and also delivered, the "it's just business" phrase, before discussing how the associated decisions played out over the medium to long term. They close out the episode by offering practical & strategic advice on how to work through situations where difficult decisions have to be made that involve opposing business and personal interests. This episode is sure to provoke some serious food for thought. Enjoy!

Ever committed to the journey of achieving a particular goal only to find that as you've progressed, the journey has deviated from what you expected? Ever felt confused, demotivated or disheartened by the process of working towards achieving a particular goal? In this episode, Joseph Mencel discusses the problem with the conventional wisdom of committing to the journey instead of the destination, and focusing on the process instead the product. By sharing experiences from his business, fitness and personal life, Joseph provides examples of when the journey he committed to has taken a turn that he didn't foresee. He then takes a deep dive into the personal strategy he deploys of just taking one more step, and explains how you can apply the same technique to all areas of your life. A short, sharp & potent episode that you are sure to enjoy!

What's holding you back from living the life you truly want to live? What's preventing you from fully comitting to pursuing your dreams? What barriers stand between who you are and who you are trying to become? In this episode, Joseph Mencel talks openly & honestly with IFBB Bikini Pro Nicole Tan about what it takes to breakthrough the barriers that stand in between you and your best self. Nicole's story is one of ups & downs, of triumphs & struggles, of pursuing the path less traveled and having the courage to keep going without any guarantee of success. After detailing her journey thus far, Nicole & Joseph dive deep into the relationship between the fear of failure & the fear of regret, how to use setbacks as stepping stones, seeking inspiration from the success of others while staying super competitive, and the importance of ensuring your lifestyle supports your dreams. This is an episode you'll want to listen to more than once!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss what to do when you experience value misalignment with your employer, how best to get back into working out after a long period of time off, how to become a better leader within the workplace, and what books & people have inspired them the most.

The seasons will come & go... they always have and they always will. So you have a choice. You can choose to work with the seasons, or you can choose to work against them. You can choose to accept & align with that which you cannot control, or you can choose to fight it. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explores the analogy of farming when applied to both fitness & business. By detailing what crop farmers focus on during each of the four seasons, he lays out a blueprint for how your efforts are going to be best spent in the summer, autumn, winter & spring of your fitness & business journeys. An interesting way of framing how to approach your controllables - this is one episode that is sure to provide some food for thought.

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss the demands of running a business, explain the meaning of "micro obsession, macro balance", dive into building belief through putting in work, and provide advice on pursuing your passion.

Ever experienced a significant life event and immediately been bombarded with the question "What's Next?" Or perhaps you've found your own inner voice asking "What's Next?" very quickly after enjoying the highest of highs or enduring the lowest of lows. In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss the importance of embracing the present, in particular celebrating your wins and weathering your struggles. They begin by considering the different circumstances in which future plans & thoughts can be thrust upon us, before explaining why consciously living in the now is so valuable. They then take a deep dive into practical & strategic advice that you can start implementing right away to ensure that you are not letting life's most important moments pass you by. A super valuable episode that you will want to share with the people you care most about. Enjoy!

Each of us has a King, a Warrior, a Magician and a Lover that lives within us. But very few of us know how to harness the energy of each of them as required to meet the expectations of our external circumstances at any given time. In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Corey Boutwell detail the King, Warrior, Magician & Lover that live within and provide practical & strategic advice on how we can lean into each of them to become our best selves. Joseph & Corey begin with a discussion on the modern hierarchy of needs, before explaining the power of archetypal mythology and how it can be applied to today's day and age. They then take a deep dive into accountability, before closing out the episode by detailing the different elements required to achieve balance across all areas of life. One of the most strategic episodes we have seen thus far! This is one you'll want to listen to more than once with a notepad handy. Enjoy!

Next time you catch yourself saying “I don’t have time”, pause for a second, and instead say “It’s not a priority”... because that’s the truth. We all have the same number of hours in each day, and in this episode Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel provide practical & strategic advice on how you can most the most of your 24. They begin by identifying how you can improve your awareness of how you currently spend your time, before diving into some tips & tricks on how to prioritize the things that are most important to you. Joseph & Leah then discuss the multitasking dichotomy and identify situations where monotasking, rather than multitasking, is beneficial, before considering how to navigate the unforeseeables that inevitably interrupt your daily plans. A jam packed episode full of practical gems you can start implementing right away! Enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to focus on the positives in any situation rather than becoming consumed by the negatives, how to approach a bodybuilding contest prep with a modern mindset, the most important traits to master in the management of people, and how balance workplace culture & relationships with high performance.

It's been a tough couple of years. So many of us have lost jobs, lost businesses, lost loved ones... lost so much over the course of the pandemic. It wasn't our fault, but it certainly is our responsibility to figure out what to do next. In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Stu Shannon discuss how to stand back up following failure and how to harness post-traumatic growth. With over 15 years experience in the fitness industry, Stu has seen it all; from personal training, to coaching, to supplement retail & distribution, to gym ownership - his story is one of rapid rise, followed by devastating demise, followed by rebuild & restoration. Stu doesn't pull any punches as he details his journey, before Joseph & Stu take some deep dives into coming back from failure, capitalizing on post-traumatic growth, confronting risk, and building a business from the ground up. They then switch gears and give some practical advice on how to compete in business in a saturated market, before closing the episode out with a discussion on how to maintain balance across all areas of life. An incredible, inspiring and eye-opening episode that you are sure to enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to lean into vulnerability to become a better leader, why playing finite games within the infinite game is unavoidable, why it's lonely in the middle as you try to level up your life, and how to trust the process while seeking out opportunity.

Are you trying to perform at the highest level? Are you trying to become truly world class in all areas of your life? You best believe that the 1 percenters are going to make all the difference. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explores how the way you do one thing is reflected in the way you do everything. Joseph opens the episode by discussing the 3 reasons why all of the small things matter more than you may think they do, before diving into real life examples in fitness, business, career and relationships that illustrate why if you compromise on the 1 percenters, you have no chance of executing on the big, important things. He then provides some practical advice on how to recalibrate and refocus on the small things, before explaining how the different areas of your life interact with each other to either support or undermine high performance. If you're serious about levelling up, this is one episode you don't want to miss. Enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to get out of a negative mindset and find motivation, how to deal with an unsupportive partner in an unsupportive relationship, the meaning of "Beast Mentality" and what to do if you feel like you aren't measuring up, and what do when find yourself wanting to help others who are taking advantage of you.

It's almost so obvious that it goes without saying. Execution drives progress. Execution drives skill development. Execution is everything. So if we all know why execution is so important, why do we so often sit on our hands and procrastinate? In this episode, Joseph Mencel takes a deep dive into execution, paying particular attention to the 5 barriers that so often prevent us from doing what we know needs to be done to work towards our goals. Through considering fear of failure, discomfort, overthinking, other people's opinions and lack of urgency, he illustrates how these 5 barriers often operate in both fitness & business pursuits. Joseph then provides practical and strategic advice on how to overcome each barrier, before considering the two main drivers of execution; pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain. A short episode that is packed full of advice that is sure to resonate with you on a number of different levels. Enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to manage employees who keep making mistakes, what to be aware of when going into business with friends or family, why sharing your secrets for success shouldn't concern you, and how to deal with mental health struggles in the workplace.

Do you feel like you are using social media platforms to your benefit? Or are the platforms using you to your detriment? Does social media have a little too much control over you? In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss common situations where you can often find yourself being used by social media, before taking a deep dive into practical strategies you can implement to wrestle back control. They talk about both social media consumption and social media publication, and then consider how powerful social media can be for business. An incredibly timely and highly relevant episode that you will extract a lot of value from. Enjoy!

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss what to do when you feel like you're being used by your boss, how to balance self improvement with finding a life partner, how to deal with toxic co-workers, and the best way to ask for a salary increase that you feel you have earned.

Feel like a lot of what's happening in the world right now is out of your control? That's probably because it is. But no matter what happens, you can always choose to control your actions, your reponses, your effort & your attitude. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explains why it's important to have the serenity to accept what you cannot control, and the courage to choose to change what you can control. He then takes a deep dive into your controllables and provides practical advice supported by examples of how you can change your actions, your reponses, your effort & your attitude. Joseph closes out the show by exploring what happens when you decide not to own your choices and the consequences that flow from them. This is a hard hitting episode that may strike a nerve, but will get you thinking about your controllables in a very practical way nevertheless.

In this episode of Your 4, Joseph & Caleb discuss how to shut off from work when at home, whether you should take the easy road or the hard road when you have people depending on you, how to coach & motivate underperforming staff members, and how to deal with changing plans in the face of obstacles.

It's one thing to set goals for the New Year, it's another thing to implement the habits & routines to back them up. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explains why switching out old habits that don't align with who you are trying to become with new ones that do is so important. He then takes a deep dive into 5 old habits that most of us will get benefits out of replacing with 5 new habits that you can start implementing immediately. This is an episode jam packed with practical & strategic advice that will help you level up in all areas of your life. Enjoy!

Ever felt like an imposter? Ever experienced self-doubt around your accomplishments or abilities? Ever written off your successes to good timing & luck? The chances are, you have, or you will, with recent studies indicating that over 60% of us will experience Imposter Syndrome at some point in our lives. So how do you deal with it? And how do you prevent it from occurring on a regular basis as you strive to achieve bigger & more ambitious goals? In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel deconstruct Imposter Syndrome, explaining what it is, how it manifests in different areas of our lives, and what it feels like when it's got you in its grip. They then detail strategies on how to deal with Imposter Syndrome when it creeps up on you, before providing practical advice on how to fend it off ahead of time. This is an episode that you need to share with your friends, family and colleagues. Enjoy!

There is no denying that COVID-19 has had a catastrophic effect on the fitness industry - from gym closures, to cancelled bodybuilding shows & expos, to border restrictions, it has been an incredibly challenging 2 years for our community. In this episode Joseph Mencel & Logan Robson discuss the reality of the effect of the pandemic on all aspects of the fitness industry. From personal training, to coaching, to competing, to retail, Joseph & Logan share their first-hand experiences about the flow on effects that lockdowns and travel restrictions have had. They then switch gears and give some practical advice on how to maintain focus in both fitness & business amidst so much uncertainty, before taking a deep dive into competing in physique based sports and how to decide which division suits you best. They then close out the episode with some strategic advice on how to achieve and maintain success in the fitness industry over the long term. An interesting and eye-opening episode that you are sure to enjoy!

It's easy to talk the talk... to say what you're going to do and who you're going to become... but are you actually willing to do the work to get there In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss why backing up your words with actions is so important. They begin with a discussion of the power of spoken word, and why when you chose to "let your actions do the talking" without firstly speaking your intentions into existence you could be missing out on harnessing that power. They then point out why actions carry so much more weight than words alone, and provide practical & strategic advice on how you can ensure you put yourself in the best possible position to follow through on your spoken intentions. Joseph & Leah then close the episode out by considering what happens when you change your mind and pivot in a different direction, and why there is no shame in doing so when you take responsibility for your decisions. An interesting episode that dives deep into a common expression that we all use so often... this one will get your mind ticking.

We all know why it’s important to keep the promises we make to ourselves. We all know why it’s important to do what we say we’re going to do when nobody is watching. We understand that it builds trust within ourselves, builds confidence in our abilities, and builds resilience that will pull us through when life gets hard. So why do we so often break the promises we make to ourselves? Why do we so often drop the ball when nobody is there to hold us accountable? In this episode, Joseph Mencel breaks down the reasons why we find it so difficult to keep the promises we make to ourselves, and what the long term consequences of doing so are. Joseph then provides a 6 step strategy to ensure that you begin to keep the promises you make to yourself, before providing some practical advice on how to take advantage of promise stacking and how to ignore that voice in the back of your head that will try to sabotage your momentum. A super strategic episode that is jam packed full of tips & tricks that you can start applying right away. This is an episode you'll want to share!

The temptation to "fake it till you make it" is very real. Why develop the skills & experience required to achieve your goals when you can just fake them and get the same result? Why go through the struggle and the sacrifice when you just take a shortcut and avoid all of the challenges along the way? In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss the very real problems that arise when you try to "fake it till you make it". They begin by identifying the common situations where you may often be tempted to fake it, and discuss why faking skills & experience, and skipping struggle & sacrifice, ultimately lead to serious failure. They then flip the script, and take a different approach to "faking it", focusing on consciously developing the mindset that leads to the behaviours that leads to the end results in fitness, business and relationships. Joseph & Leah then close out the episode with a discussion of finite and infinite mindset. An episode that comes out of the gates super strong and will leave you with a whole bunch of practical & strategic advice that you can start applying right away.

Life can often feel like a giant game of snakes & ladders. Every now and again you'll score a lucky break and climb a ladder to advance in a particular area of your life. And of course, you’ll often step on snakes that force you to take a few steps backwards before you can regroup and start moving forward again. In this episode Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss the Snakes & Ladders analogy for life. By sharing their own life experiences, Joseph & Leah provide examples of ladders they have climbed and snakes they have slid down while working towards goals in different areas of their lives. They then provide practical & strategic advice on how to deal with both the snakes & the ladders you will inevitably encounter on your life's journey. An insightful episode that will provide you with a tonne of food for thought along with some laughs along the way.

There are no points for “busy”. Everyone is busy. Nobody cares. What matters, what you get points for, what people care about, is productivity. Is all of your busy-ness producing valuable outcomes? Or are you just spinning your wheels? In this episode, Joseph Mencel details his top 5 techniques to ensure you are maximising your productivity. From practical tips around removing distractions, to strategies to ensure you are being proactive instead of reactive, to ways to exert discipline around productive momentum, this episode is jam packed with advice you can start applying right away to boost productivity. You'll want to be ready to take notes during this one.

Self-Love is the act of taking care of your own needs and putting your own well-being & mental health first. When applied correctly, Self-Love can lead to intense happiness & fulfilment. But when abused it can be used as a cop out for not doing anything that pushes you outside of your comfort zone, which ironically, hinders self-development. In this episode Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel unpack "Real Self-Love". By firstly identifying what Self-Love does not look like, Joseph & Leah dismantle situations where Self-Love is used a veil to hide behind, providing examples from their own experiences where they have been guilty of abusing Self-Love. They then flip Self-Love on its head and uncover what Real Self-Love looks like, while providing practical strategies that you can use to ensure you are on the right side of the Self-Love Movement. There are a whole heap of hidden gems in this episode! It's one you'll want to listen to more than once! Enjoy!

You can't completely walk through the door of a new opportunity in front of you without first closing the door of an old one behind you. In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel explore leaving parts of our lives behind in order to grow and level up. By sharing their own life experiences, Joseph & Leah firstly unpack the process around making the decision to close a door behind you. They then consider why, once the decision has been made to completely move on from people or things that no longer bring us happiness & fulfilment, it takes so much courage to follow it through. They then close out the episode by exploring why closing doors behind us is so important, and why completely committing to new opportunities when they arise is a crucial factor of success. An insightful episode that packs some seriously valuable punches. This is one that you'll want to share with your friends, family & loved ones.

How do you cultivate self-belief? How do you build confidence? And how do you protect it when it is being eroded? Joseph Mencel & Ethan Gohari discuss self-belief, confidence, and how to persevere in the face of difficulty. A personal trainer, a coach, and an IFBB Classic Physique Pro Athlete, Ethan's story is one of starting from the bottom and building everything from the ground up. Born and raised in Iran, Ethan moved to Australia at 19 in search of opportunity... and opportunity he grasped, building his own personal training business from the ground up, and building a world class physique at the same time. Ethan opens up about the struggles he encountered along the way and how he used setbacks to build his self-belief and confidence, rather than let them drag him down. Joseph & Ethan then switch gears and share their top 3 tips for building a world class physique. An episode that is going to have you feeling inspired, make you think, laugh, and leave with a huge dose of motivation to go out and chase your goals.

How do you start your day? Are you reactive to your thoughts and your environment? Do you just "go with flow" and hope for the best? Or do you approach each day proactively with intention & purpose? In this episode, Joseph Mencel details his 10 step morning routine, explaining how & why he performs each part of it. From inspecting his dreams, to tracking his sleep, to reading, journaling, and diving into each day with direction, Joseph lays it all out for you. A short, sharp and direct episode that is sure to deliver a tonne of value. Enjoy!

Joseph Mencel & Jacinda Sharkey discuss the pursuit of positivity in the face of adversity, and how to make the best out of difficult situations. A personal trainer, a coach, a businesswoman, and Australia's first ever IFBB Wellness Pro Athlete, Jacinda's story is one of turning challenges inside out and using difficulties as fuel to drive success. Growing up in a broken family, Jacinda went through a rebel phase as a young teenager before finding fitness in her late teens. But her fitness interest quickly turned into a negative obsession, consuming her life and leading to unhealthy eating habits. Jacinda used an unfortunate injury as the catalyst to turn her life around, pursuing positivity in the face of adversity. Under the guidance of her coach, she implemented healthy lifestyle habits around her fitness and began competing in bikini shows while also starting her own personal training business. Her competing journey led to her first IFBB National Title in 2019 followed by her IFFB Pro Card in 2020, while her business journey has resulted in her becoming one of the most sought after trainers in the country. A story that is sure to inspire, and a discussion that is guaranteed to provide some food for thought around how you deal with your own difficulties in your life. Enjoy!

Joseph Mencel & Will Warren-Davey discuss the reality of business in the context of the supplement industry. Owner of renowned supplement brand, Primabolics, Will's story is one of pursuing your passion in the face of adversity. Having found his passion in his early twenties, Will juggled full time & casual work with bootstrapping his own business for half a decade, while making almost every business mistake in the book, and learning valuable business lessons along the way. Will shares his experiences openly and without omission, giving you an unfiltered insight into the reality of business. Joseph & Will then switch gears to close out the episode with a discussion of hormone optimization hacks to help you level up in fitness, business, your career, your relationships & your life. A powerful, insightful and entertaining episode that you'll want to share. Enjoy!

You've set your S.M.A.R.T. Goals. They're big. They're beautiful. And it's time to start working towards them. But there's a problem. They're a little too big. They're overwhelmingly big. In fact, they're so big, you don't even know where to start. So instead of working towards them, you freeze, and never even take the first step. Sound familiar? You're not alone. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explains how to break big goals down into bite sized pieces so that you can work towards them each & every day. By detailing his own experiences in achieving big fitness and business goals, Joseph lays down the blueprint for what he calls "Micro Execution". He then dives into the less obvious reasons why executing day after day on a micro level is so important when it comes to achieving big goals, before explaining why eating elephants is a skill you'll want to develop as you level up in all areas of your live. A short, sharp and direct episode that is sure to hit home. Enjoy!

When you haven’t achieved the outcome you were hoping to achieve by a certain period of time do you refocus & keep moving forward? Or do you pivot & try something else? When you come up against setbacks that knock you down do you stand back up & figure out how to fight through them? Or do you throw the towel in and give up? In this episode, Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss persistence in the face of slower than anticipated progress, and perseverance in the face of obstacles & setbacks. By sharing their own personal experiences in fitness & business, Joseph & Leah talk about times when they have exerted persistence & perseverance in pursuit of their goals. They then discuss why persistence & perseverance are crucial elements of long term success in all areas of life, before identifying the common traps of instant gratification & fear of failure that so many of us fall into. They round the episode out with practical & strategic advice on how you can consciously exert more persistence & perseverance along your life’s journey. An interesting episode that is sure to provide you with some serious food for thought.

You don't have to lose for someone else to win. So often we fall into the trap of thinking that someone else's success is coming out of our pocket. Paralysed by a zero sum, fixed mindset, we find ourselves experiencing feelings of envy and jealousy when we see other people winning, particularly when they are succeeding at the very thing we are trying to accomplish. But we don't have to. There is another way. By adopting an infinite, growth mindset, we can find inspiration in other people's success. We can be happy when we see someone else winning and know for certain that their success is not coming out of our own pocket. In this episode, Joseph Mencel explains why adopting an infinite, growth mindset is so crucial to your own success in all areas of your life, and why you have to be cautious about the energy, thoughts and words you put into the universe when it comes to other people's success. An episode packed with practical advice that is sure to hit home. You'll want to listen to this one more than once. Enjoy!

Joseph Mencel & Robert Ferrante discuss the pursuit of happiness in business, relationships and life. Owner of world famous barbershop, Robbie's Chop Shop, Robert's story is one of ups, downs, forward steps, backward steps, true courage, and invaluable lessons on business, relationships and life. From humble beginnings sweeping floors in a barbershop as a young boy, Robert pursued his passion with intent & purpose, ultimately building a world class barbershop brand and culture. Robert shares his experiences with scaling a business up, scaling it back down, hiring staff and building company culture. He then takes a deep dive into how he dealt with the breakdown of his marriage, his separation & his divorce while juggling the demands of a growing business. Joseph & Robert close out the episode with a discussion of mental health, in particular how to work through psychological trauma, and why seeking counsel should be encouraged instead of criticized. An entertaining, inspiring and uplifting episode that you'll want to share. Enjoy!

Criticism. We all receive it. Most of us have given it from time to time. So why does something that is so common make us so uncomfortable? In this episode Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel decode criticism, providing practical & strategic advice on how to properly receive criticism, how to discern what type of criticism is useful & constructive, and why actively seeking the right type of criticism from the right people is to crucial to helping you level up. They close out the episode with a discussion on why giving constructive criticism is so important, and how it should be delivered to ensure it is properly received. An intriguing episode packed with advice that you can start applying right away.

Your goals are set. Your plan to achieve them is in place. You've started executing and had a great first week or two and then all of a sudden, it's get HARD. Really, really hard. What just happened? Why did it happen? And how do you fight through it to keep moving forward? In this episode, Joseph Mencel explains why replacing old habits & routines with new ones is so difficult. Joseph provides some tips on how to prepare for the extreme gravitational pull of your old habits & routines, before throwing down practical & strategic advice on how to fight against them. An episode sure to resonate with your own experiences. Enjoy!

There's no denying that 2020 has been an extraordinary year. A year that, for many reasons, many of us are happy to see the end of. And yet, 2020 has taught so many of us so many valuable lessons that we otherwise would not have had the opportunity to learn. In this episode, Joseph Mencel details the top 5 lessons he has learned throughout 2020, exploring the events that led to each lesson, deciphering the meaning of each lesson, and explaining how you can apply each lesson to your own journey in fitness, business, your career, and your relationships. A memoir of sorts that is sure to resonate on many levels. An incredibly insightful episode that will challenge your perspective on the year that has been.

Joseph Mencel & Mike Hulusi discuss how to overcome the adversities that arise in life. Mike's story is one of true grit. Raised in a broken family, Mike took on the role of big brother to his 7 siblings before facing his first near death experience at just 16 years of age. By the age of 19, he'd faced his second. Deciding to make the most of his second and third chances at life, Mike threw himself into business, launching and running 2 separate multi million dollar enterprises by the time he was 26. But the Universe wasn't quite done with testing Mike, throwing another set of challenges his way that forced him back to square one. Discovering and falling in love with bodybuilding helped him find even more inner strength and by the start of 2020 he had won multiple overall state titles and started his own coaching team. A life so far lived with more ups and downs that most will experience in an entire lifetime, this episode will have you inspired from start to finish, with practical advice on how you can overcome your own adversities weaved throughout. Enjoy!

We've all done it... let the basics slide because we've been distracted by something more exciting, new and fancy. In this episode, Joseph Mencel takes a deep dive into why executing the basics perfectly & consistently is so important. By identifying the fundamentals in dieting, training, business and career and then contrasting them with some common exciting distractions, Joseph discusses the familiar trap that most of us have found ourselves falling into from time to time. He then explains exactly why recalibrating and getting back to basics is so important by exploring the downfalls that often occur when the fundamentals are overlooked, before demonstrating how having a strong foundation actually allows us to capitalise on exciting opportunities when they are presented. Joseph closes out the episode by providing a 4 step practical guide to ensuring you make the basics your b*tch. Short, sharp and to the point. An insightful episode that you'll want to share.

How do you make the most of what's left of this extraordinary year? What do you need to do in these last few weeks to make sure you close out 2020 on a high and head into 2021 ready to dominate? Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel lay it all out for you, presenting a simple 3 step practical strategy to help you close out 2020. Calibration, S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting and Execution are all covered in this episode along with tips & tricks to help you get past the last few roadblocks you're likely to come up against. You'll want to listen to this one more than once. Enjoy!

Ever been in a tricky situation and caught yourself saying "I didn't sign up for this shit?" At some point, we're all guilty of this type of negative self talk. In this episode, Joseph Mencel discusses different times in his life when he has caught his self talk spiralling into the negative in business, career and fitness. Joseph explores what causes the negative self talk in the first place and then provides a simple 3 step process to break the cycle. He focuses particularly on the choices you get to make when confronting fear and discomfort, before closing out the episode with a discussion on recalibrating realistic expectations. An episode that is sure to spark some interesting thoughts of your own, while giving you the blueprint to transform your own thoughts from negative to positive.

Joseph Mencel & Leah Mencel discuss the relationship between fault & responsibility, and why the common default position of trying to find who is at fault for something based on the assumption that responsibility follows is misguided. By examining different scenarios in business, career, fitness, relationships and mental health, Joseph & Leah demonstrate why spending time, effort and energy on finding somebody to blame for something bad that has happened is always time, effort and energy wasted. They then illustrate why adopting a mindset of extreme ownership and taking responsibility for everything that happens in your life is a far superior default position. They close out the episode by considering that just as responsibility does not follow fault, taking responsibility for something does not imply that you are the one to blame for it. An episode that is sure to resonate with multiple areas of your life, provide a tonne of food for thought and spark positive action. Enjoy!

How often have you put off doing something because it hasn't been "the right time" to do it? Probably, more often than you'd like to admit. In this episode Joseph Mencel discusses the dilemma of waiting for "the right time" to do something and why identifying and avoiding “the wrong time” is far more useful. Using examples from business, career and fitness, Joseph illustrates the difference between legitimate wrong times, and perceived "right times", and recalls his own personal experiences with both. Joseph then explores the practical problems created by continuously procrastinating on account of it not being "the right time" to do something, before closing out the episode with a 3 step process that you can apply to any situation where you find yourself putting something off because it’s not "the right time" An insightful and entertaining episode. Enjoy!

Joseph Mencel discusses the technique of prioritizing & executing to help increase your daily productivity. By exploring the problems with the commonly used statement "I Don't Have Time" Joseph proposes that we all have the same amount of time, but some of us are better at using it than others. Joseph explores the difference between being busy and being productive, and how each scenario generally plays out in both fitness and business. He then discusses the difference between starting and finishing, and why getting to the end of any journey in both fitness and business is so important. Joseph closes out the episode with some practical strategies that you can implement every day to ensure you are prioritizing your tasks, executing them and continuously increasing your productivity in all areas of your life. A short, sharp and to the point episode that you'll want to listen to more than once. Enjoy!