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Eric A. Clayton is a born storyteller. Writing fiction as a child, his grandmother would edit Eric's fantastical stories about elves and dragons, teaching him the skills of imaginary world-building.
It is no wonder, then, that as an adult, Eric loves borrowing from the colorful St. Ignatius, who helped Eric find his spirituality as a writer, first for Catholic Relief Services and now as the deputy director of communications at the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, here in Baltimore.
As Eric explains in this week's podcast, St. Ignatius of Loyola was a soldier and minor noble who "was all about winning wars and wooing women" until he was hit by a cannonball during the Battle of Pamplona. The ordeal led him to put down his sword, become a pilgrim, and found the Jesuit order of priests.
"We're talking about these trajectory-changing instances in our lives," he said. "And they can be pretty brutal, pretty tragic and traumatic."
Eric draws from the inspirational type of prayer that Ignatius taught the Jesuits to pursue — imaginative, contemplative, and most of all experiential.
"He's really big on getting out into the world," Eric said. "The Jesuits, founded in the mid 1500s, were different than other religious orders because they lived in the world. They didn't live in monasteries."
The story of St. Ignatius' self-discovery is where the phrase Cannonball Moments, the title of Eric's second book, comes from.
"It's kind of a flippant term that folks use in the wider Ignatian community," he said.
Aside from Cannonball Moments: Telling Your Story, Deepening Your Faith, Eric also has written My Life With the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars. His third book, Finding Peace Here and Now: How Ignatian Spirituality Leads Us to Healing and Wholeness, is due out in 2025.
Meanwhile, he also writes the award-winning weekly column, "Now Discern This," and has a Substack channel with some very entertaining headlines. It may be trite, Eric says, but for him writing is a form of prayer.
Eric is not only a gifted writer — and you can learn more about his work on his website — but he is also an engaging conversationalist who will have you instantly tuned in when you listen to this week's episode of Chiseled. Enjoy. -
It's funny. When I reflected on my conversation with Carol Foderick, this week's guest on Chiseled, I was amused that she is known as "the hardest working woman in realestate," yet she prioritizes her life outside the office.
And then it made sense to me. Working hard at a career is one thing, but creating work-life balance is a whole other level of effort. As you will learn this week, Carol is the epitome of discovering the balance between leadershipand friendship, mothering and managing, and reflection and action.
Carol started out in real estate working as a front deskreceptionist while finishing college. Now, her real estate group has 32 people and closes 354 transactions in a year. She has invested in recreational, rental, and multi-unit real estate, owns a renovation company and a staging company,and 90 percent of her business comes from repeat customers and direct referrals.
"It truly takes a community effort of a lot of like-minded individuals coming together," she said.
Carol is also one of the Buffini White Hats, which, if you regularly listen to this program, you know is part of the elite coaching group I have been connected to for 25 years.
"I always tell people the first check that I write of the year is to my Buffini coach and for my Buffini system because they have gotten me here. They are going to be the absolute last thing I abandon," she said.
That's a business decision. Personally, Carol is even more committed to her family. As a woman, it is a constant juggle to be successful in the workplace while also putting family first. But as she explains in a very poignant story, being the hardest working woman in real estate isn't going to make it on herepitaph.
"My tombstone is (not) going to say 'Ran a team of 32,'" she said.
Carol has a lot on her plate, and being a fast talker with an entrepreneurial mindset she gives listeners a lot to digest this week. I am sure you will gain many valuable insights from her. You can connect with Carol at her email address:[email protected] -
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When we hear the word "intimacy," most of us thinkabout sex. But in reality, intimacy refers to honest connections with others,whether they be with a partner, child, friend, or even God.
Dr. Stormy Hill, whom I met while working on my book chapter for NextLevel Your Life, takes a broad approach to enhancing intimacy.An occupational therapist, mental health and substance abuse specialist, andintimacy coach, Dr. Stormy dove into studies on intimacy while navigating thewaters of raising an autistic son.
"It was interesting, sort of a mom-world collision with aprofessional-world collision," she said.
Dr. Stormy, who is one of the celebrity authors of The Transformational Journey: Lessons from Business, Life,and Happiness, now helps individuals and couples explore how to buildintimacy through self-confidence, self-love, bliss, and pleasure in and outsidethe bedroom. Dr. Stormy says having a growth mindset for life, love, and sexteaches us how to develop relationships for maximum satisfaction and spiritualfulfillment.
"The only thing about emotions is that they will change,which is why I don't think love is an emotion, it's a force," she told me.
In this week's Chiseled podcast, Dr. Stormyshares effective tools to connect with your partner, children, friends, andGod, and to overcome the challenges that confront us every day withpsychological and physical mastery. If you're interested in how your brain andbody work together, you must hear her insights.
Once you listen to this podcast, which is full of tips andexercises for building intimacy, you will probably want to learn more. On her website, Dr. Stormy offers a free"Compassionate Self-Care Guide," which is full of practices, videos,guided mediations and links to additional resources for developing intimacymore deeply. I'm betting you will want to check it out.
If you have questions or want even more of her incredibleguidance, you can reach Dr. Stormy by email or follow her on Instagram. Meanwhile, I hope you hope thisenlightening episode of Chiseled. -
It's our 100th episode of Chiseled and I'm so excited to have Paul Hutchinson join me for this milestone. You may have heard of Paul, the executive producer and inspiration for the movie, The Sound of Freedom.
Paul was living the high life building a multi-billion dollar company, Bridge Investment Group. He had a house with 10 bathrooms, seven fireplaces, three kitchens, and a closet larger than most people's apartments. A basketball court and a full-on DJ booth with light structures and a stage were set up in his basement.
He was also on his way to his second divorce, his kids wouldn't talk to him, and he had lost his relationship with God.
The parties every other weekend with NBA players and half-naked women kept him busy, but his soul wasn't fulfilled. However, his reputation as a flashy playboy with a disarming charm made him the kind of recruit that spy agencies look for.
Paul turned down the CIA's overtures, but when he got a call from the attorney general asking him to insinuate himself into a child trafficking ring, the challenge motivated him to action.
"I didn't want to put my life in danger for some white-collar crime guys in Dubai, but when it came to kids, if there was something I could do to help, great," he said.
Two days after a follow-up chat with a homeland security agent stationed in Cartagena, Paul was in Colombia making a deal to "purchase" young virgins.
"Then things became really real. I mean these guys knew who I was, and I realized the depth of darkness that they were engulfed in, and I realized how dangerous it really was, but I said to myself, 'If that was my child, if that 11-year-old was my daughter, I would take a bullet to get her out. I would give everything I have to destroy the lives of whoever tried to take her,'" he said.
The successful mission saving a group of children from a sex trafficker profoundly moved Paul. But it still hadn't quite renewed his soul. That would take another two years engaging in some mind-bending experiences with the operators who helped him save so many lives.
"I had what I call an 'ego death' and that ego death was absolutely necessary for 'Paul Effing Hutchinson' to go away," he said. "That's what brought me back to God."
Paul completed 70 missions in 15 countries during his 10 years undercover. He has earned the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and the International Medal of Freedom. He has been knighted three times, earned 12 honorary doctorate degrees, is the founder of Child Liberation Foundation, and personally donates millions of dollars to rescue children from enslavement.
As if his story needed any more drama, it has been brought to life on the big screen. The Sound of Freedom, starring Jim Caviezel and Eduardo Verástegui, who plays Paul's character is a must-watch. In fact, watching the film moved me to call Paul up and ask him to be my guest on this 100th episode of Chiseled.
I could not be more honored, he agreed. When you hear Paul's story, when you hear how bad human trafficking still is, particularly in the United States, you won't believe that Paul could remain as humble as he is. But as he says, "a piece of coal doesn't become a diamond if it's just sitting out there in the sun. It's gotta go through some pressure, it's gotta go through some heat."
You can learn more about Paul and the efforts to end human trafficking at Liberating- humanity.com, ChildLiberation.org, and the SoundofFreedombook.com. You can also follow him on his Instagram and Facebook pages.
But first, hear him on this week's episode share some of his darkest nights and most dangerous missions. Afterward, let me know if you were able to get through this episode without crying. I wasn't. -
Pastors Don and Ethel Rucker both heard the voice of God when they first laid eyes on each other. Meeting in a church — she was there because church was always her "safe haven" and he was there because he wanted to "appease" his sister — the word reached them as a whisper in their hearts acknowledging they had met their life partner.
It wasn't long afterward that they married. But even though they were destined for each other, they admit the first three years of marriage were lousy.
"I had no positive role models on how to submit to men, how to respect them, how to honor them. What was that?" Pastor Ethel said.
"I didn't have any tools. And neither did he because his father walked away as well."
But the glue they shared was commitment and faith.
"The turning point for us was that we realized this is not God's will. He did not bring us together for us to be miserable," Don said.
The two set out investigating what they needed to build a strong marriage, and with God's help, developed 10 principles that laid the foundation for their union.
"If you look at your marriage as a business, you have towork that thing. That means there's got to be policies ... to govern that relationship," Don said. "It can failproof your relationship, the principles that God gave us."
Now, 41 years married, Ethel and Don teach these principles in couples' workshops. They have also written a book about their journey, From Misery to Marital Bliss.
That's not all they achieved. Through a program called "Reach One, Teach One, and Grow One," they are building on God's messages of transformation. In 2014, they founded the Christian Development Center in Montclair, California, and now feed and clothe 600 families monthly. They conductparenting and other educational classes and collaborate with local businesses to serve the greater San Bernadino County. They've even started down the path of investment to build affordable housing that can serve neighbors based ontheir income levels, rather than market value.
"(God) said, 'You will always have the poor. You will not always have me.' So, from Ethel and our perspective, what we're doing in the community is really doing what He would be doing if He was here," Don said.
I met Ethel and Don through Kyle Wilson's Inner Circle group, and I am struck by their ministry and their amazing accomplishments. I do believe they are transforming behaviors and outcomes in the lives of many, helping to build the kingdom of God.
You can learn more about them on their website, Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, I hope you click the button below to learn about their journey and enjoy this inspirational episode of Chiseled. -
In this week's episode of Chiseled, I welcome Kyle Wilson to share his story. But he does much more than that. Kyle is one of the people helping to chisel me, and once you hear him, you are going to want him to do the same for you.
A self-made entrepreneur who effectively made personal growth guru Jim Rohn into a household name, Kyle is the creator of his very own Inner Circle. If you know me, you knowhow important this impactful, loving, and growing group of people is to my life. Several are co-authors with me of the book Next Level Your Life, which Kyle published.
Kyle rose from an aimless boy to the largest service station owner on his stretch of highway in small-town Texas. After hearing a "God whisper," he picked himself up and moved his family to Dallas. There, he went from being a seminar organizer making cold calls to a public speaker to amarketing strategist who persuaded Jim Rohn to become his exclusive client. From there, Kyle founded Jim Rohn International, where he partnered with Jim Rohn for 18 years.
I don't want to get too deep here about what motivates Kyle. He shares some of his values in the podcast. Instead, I want to emphasize how this episode of Chiseled is a master class for business owners — or anyone who has a story to tell or a vision to live.
This episode is so full of details on the HOW to succeed that you need to listen to every word. And when you're done, you're going to want more. Fortunately, Kyle has much, much more to offer.Here are just a fewmarketing tips Kyle shares in this week's episode:
— How to empower your advocates to tell your story.
— How to fish instead of hunt (meaning how to attract instead of pursue).
— How to not seek assurance and instead bring overwhelming value.
— How to select the one thing that will move the needle most in your journey.
— How to avoid short-term distractions while on the pursuit of long-termsuccess.
— How to skip the marketing funnel and use a marketing wheel.The conversation is 50 minutes, but Kyle is so expansive and so abundant-minded that he's offering to give Chiseled listeners a box full of marketing tools for free. You just have to listen to the end of the podcast to hear all that he is giving away, including books, recordings, and access to his Inner Circle. He will explain HOW to claim it(Hint: the only rule is you have to mention Chiseled!).
I'm so blessed by Kyle's generosity. He has been extremely impactful to my journey. I am thrilled that he has offered to share so much with my audience.
You're going to love these insights so don't hesitate. Click the play button to listen to this week's Chiseled. -
Jim Keyes has an outstanding resume. A former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster, former head of planning at Citgo, a pilot, a sculptor, and a published author, Keyes learned from a challenging childhood that curiosity is the key not merely to get through life, but to grab the reins and run with it.
Jim's start wasn't easy. One of six kids, he grew up in a three-room shack with no running water in Grafton, Mass. Overwhelmed by it all, his mother walked out on the family when he was a child, and according to Jim, the family faced crisis after crisis. But these crises never deterred Jim from wanting to discover his place in the world.
"I didn't see myself as a victim, and said I will get through this and there's going to be another opportunity on the other side of this crisis, and there always was," he said.
Born to a Baptist father and a Catholic mother, at an early age Jim was swept away by the "uniqueness" of the Catholic Church, despite its familiar lessons.
"I learned the Bible verse James 1:12, 'Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial,' and I kind of own that," he said.
That verse would pop up in Jim's life repeatedly. But on the Christmas morning right after he was appointed CEO of 7-Eleven, Jim had a dream in which he successfully conquered three trials, and he knew that embodying change, confidence, and clarity would lead him wherever he wanted to go.
Jim has taken his classical education and faith lessons and put them in a book called, Education is Freedom: The Future is in Your Hands. He has gone on an international speaking tour with the book, and with the help of social media giant Mr. Beast, has created scholarship opportunities for children around the world.
Jim said that freedom has taught him to enjoy the richness of life and the beauty and peace of nature. But freedom can mean something different to everyone.
"Every day is literally a new adventure if you're open to it," he said.
A self-avowed "space geek," Jim is also a lover of the Star Wars franchise, which "preaches" about "the antidote to darkness." So, if you understand Yoda-speak or want to tap into the words of Pope John Paul II, you're going to love the conversation on this week's podcast.
You can learn more about James Keyes at his website, JamesWKeyes.com, or reach out to him on his Instagram. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled. -
The "King of Sales," Jeffrey Gitomer, is the author of 17 bestselling books on sales and personal development, including How to Make Sales Forever and The Little Red Book of Selling. He is an icon in the personal growth and development industry so when he said he would cut out some of his time to record a podcast with me, I was all in.
Having written 16 e-books and thousands of columns, blogposts, and articles in addition to his bestsellers, Jeffrey has produced a ton of content over the decades. His materials can help anyone become a better salesperson.
You still have got to do the work, and if you don't love whatyou do, using artificial intelligence programs like ChatGPT, Microsoft's Co-Pilot, or X's Grok won't improve your mastery of your profession. It can't close a sale. That's going to be on you.
That's why Jeffrey created his own AI program out of the mass of materials that he has written.
"I created my own AI platform based on observing andrealizing that ChatGPT is just a large hole," he said.
If you haven't tried AI yet, I can tell you, it is great foraccessing information quickly. But you have to know what to ask it and you have to understand the answer that it gives back to you. And be forewarned: The answers may sound authentic, but they may be nonsensical. The programseven admit that the information may not be useful.
That's not the case with Jeffrey's AI program because he andhis team input all of the information themselves. He even suggested it could come in handy right in the middle of a sales call.
"The value of my AI Is you don't have to read my bookanymore. Just ask me and I will tell you in 10 seconds or less," he said. "I will guarantee that it's accurate."
Jeffrey said he gets asked all the time whether AI willreplace salespeople in the future. Short answer, no. But the right platform may be what separates you from your competition.
With his Philly accent and accompanying charm, Jeffrey shares how AI can make you great at what you do — as long as you love what you do.
Want to check out more about Jeffrey or his program? You can get additional information on his website, gitomer.ai.Meantime, I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled. -
I have a question for all the business owners out there: Is your 2025 business plan ready? It's nearly Christmas. You should be done with your list and checked it twice.
Wherever you are in your plan, I want to give you and anyone else who is ready to wrap up 2024 a Christmas gift: a true story about faith and the cascade of abundance that comes with it.
For Chiseled listeners in my Buffini and Company coaching group, you may already know this week's guest, Greg Chaplain.
Raised Catholic in Massachusetts, Greg's family always had a relationship with God. Yet, it wasn't until he was 23, when he met a businessman at an Amway convention, that he accepted the Gospel and Christ as his savior. Thecommitment to walk in faith would guide him well over the next 35+ years.
Fast forward 16 years to 2004, Greg was working in the wine industry as a regional leader with a $100 million budget at his fingertips. He managed his company through eight acquisitions, but after a final $1.6 billion deal, he was let go.
For many people, losing a high-powered job at 39 years old with a new mortgage, a homemaker wife, and two children in private school would have been a terrifying blow. Not for Greg. He was calm and cool — so much so that a friendin his Christian fellowship expressed surprise by Greg's reticent response to this career broadside.
"That was the moment that I went, 'Oh yeah, I really do have faith. It's a real thing. I can actually feel it. My heart's at peace. I am not worried. I know we're going to be fine,'" he said.
While confidently interviewing for one of many corporate positions over the next three months, Greg started taking real estate classes on the side. The week that he passed his real estate exam, four hot job prospects, any of whichcould have been perfect for him, all dried up. The message was obvious.
"I looked at the sky and said, 'Really? This is what you want me to do?'" he recounted.
Greg joined a real estate company where he would hone his skills and empower himself to start his own team. In 2009, he opened the Real Estate Home Team in Norfolk, Virginia. The team kept hitting higher and higher peaks — until it fell apart.Undeterred, Greg rebooted, and his new team grew and grew — to more than 365 transactions a year. That's more than one a day!
Then the bottom fell out again.
I'll let Greg tell the rest of the story, but as his longtimefriend and a true believer myself, I can tell you that Greg is my Rocky — it's not how hard he falls, it's how many times he gets back up.
Greg's resiliency is a great story in faith. I am happy to share it with you this Christmas season and hope your holidays, whatever you celebrate, are meaningful and joyous. I can't wait to see and hear from you in 2025.
By the way, if you want to talk to Greg about buying and selling in Norfolk, becoming an agent, or how your faith walk is going, he shares how to reach him at the end of this week's podcast. Happy listening. -
Steven Cericola was a bit of a wild child. One of six siblings, he was labeled by classmates as the "guy most likely to be dead at 25." But even in his heady youth, he was athletic. He started swimming in the ocean at age 10. He was a competitive distance swimmer in high school.
Eventually, Steve got serious about his life, attending Johns Hopkins University part-time to earn a degree in mechanicalengineering, and settling down with his wife Robyn.
So, it was quite ironic that he would have a near-death experience while swimming during a family vacation in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
"I body-surfed in on one of the waves ... I heard all this screaming and commotion so when I turned around to see what was happening, the wave was crashing, was pretty much almost up to my face level," he said. "I was tumbling around in the wave like you were a load of laundry in a dryer."
Steve was slammed into the ground with a force so hard, he thought he hit a rock. That's when he had an other-worldly experience.
"I was face down in that water, in that warm, serene pocket for, it felt like a long time, that's all I can tell you. And then the next thing I know I felt like it was this kind of like a nudge, like a nudge like, 'You can't stay, you have to go,'" he said.
Steve estimates he was under water for maybe a minute, but he doesn't know for sure. He does know that when he was about to let go of his remaining breath, his nephew pulled him to the surface.
Steve was badly injured, his body radiating with severe nerve pain. Taken to the hospital, he had spinal surgery the next day followed by a long period of rehab. The arduous journey back to health has had its highs and lows, and Steve says he still feels residual pain and numbness. But one thing he is sure of — he was being protected that day.
"I feel like sharing this story with people just to let them know there's something more out there," he said. "There's something way better than here. No one can convince me otherwise."
Steve has been a friend of mine since high school. He has been blessed with a close family, a good career, and a deep faith. I am thankful he's still with us today, and I am grateful that he shared his story with me.
If you want to talk to Steve about his experience, you can reach him on his Facebook or LinkedIn page. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy hearing his story on this week's episode of Chiseled. -
Eberhard Samlowski, a devout Christian and retired surgeon, knew before the doctors told him in 2022 that he had esophageal cancer. They suggested a three-part treatment — chemotherapy, radiation, and a risky surgery. Eberhard knew the odds were not good. He also had a trip scheduled to Saudi Arabia, a pilgrimage he had been waiting 30 years to take. He was headed to the concealed potential site that many locals and several archeological and biblical scholars believe is Mt. Sinai.
The doctors told Eberhard that it was unwise for him to make the trek, and that he had a limited chance of survival withoutsurgery. But as a man of faith and science, and with an irresistible zest for life, Eberhard wasn't about to abandon his dream.
"They basically said that ... I was pointing a gun to my head, and they can't stop me, but they strongly advised againstgoing. But I said I'm climbing Mt. Sinai," Eberhard, a former extreme athlete, said. "I wasn't willing to give up my lifestyle."
Before he left, Eberhard investigated medical options that might increase the 5 percent odds the doctors gave him ofsurvival. An Ivermectin and Fenbendazole cocktail later, Eberhard started healing even while on his journey. His lifelong devotion to God was also magnified and reaffirmed.
"Everything has just been solidified in my mind that the Bible is actually true, that the things that are talked about in the Bible, including miracles, all happened, so I've just accepted all that," he said.
Two and a half years later and having never had theesophagectomy, Eberhard has gone from thinking of himself as a "dead man walking" to planning for his future — even after a new diagnosis of kidney cancer. He is now teaching people not only about the convincing evidence of the Bible's literal truth but also alternative therapies that traditional Western medicine does not yet fully embrace.
Are you interested in finding out how Eberhard ismanaging his cancer or want to learn more about the many ways God has intervened in his life? You can reach out to him on Facebook. He is also available at the email address he shares at the end of this week's episode of Chiseled. -
They say dynamite comes in small packages, andAlice Tang, all five feet of her, is full of spark. An immigrant from China, she arrived in the United States 30 years ago with her husband, who had been hired by a U.S. tech company. But with no work visa or her own, Alice started to languish.
"I was truly struggling as a stay-at-home wife with no status to work here," said the self-described extrovert. "I didn't feel good about myself. My behavior wasn't good, and it impacted my relationship, my marriage."
Alice, ever the problem-solver, asked her husband if the company would sponsor a family Green Card, which would enable her to work as well. The firm said yes,and Alice got a second chance. She registered in college and acclimated with others trying to launch a career for themselves.
"It gave me the curiosity and the possibility," she said. "You forget about feeling pity for yourself."
Flash forward to today: Alice has been a financial advisor for 23 years, working for the last 18 years with BPG Wealth Management in Portland, Oregon. She specializes in helping women find their "financial confidence" and self-esteem.
"A lot of times women are told that we're not enough. Either we're told that or it's implied," she said. "My goal is to have people have confidence in their finances (so) that they are resilient, they don't need to worry."
Alice, who says she's always been a Christian, but became a "woman of faith" after she entered the United States, said God is always there, ready to guide. That's where she gets her motivation to help others.
"The goal is one woman at a time," she said. "We're in aministry. It's not about money, it's about what is the ministry behind the work that you and I do."
If you would like to contact Alice to discuss your financial situation or gain financial confidence, she shares her email address during the podcast. She can also be reached on LinkedIn. Meanwhile, enjoy this week's short, sweet, and explosive episode of Chiseled.Securities offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc.member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Wealth is separately owned and other entities and/or marketing names, products or services referenced here are independent of Osaic Wealth.
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When a cruel prank during a drunken rager turnedinto a stop in the local hospital psych ward, then-20-year-old Lindsey Hanson knew something had to change. Released to her parents' custody, she returnedhome and decided to start right then.
"I looked (my mom) in the eye, and said 'I need help,'" Lindsey said. "I was ready."
Rather than go to a program, Lindsey stayed home to detox in her parents' care, a decision that she said enabled her to start over.
"I went through four weeks of detoxing, which was absolutely horrid, but on the other side of that is when I started to be able to start feeling human again and working on myself again."
After 10 years teetotaling, Lindsey now occasionally indulges in a libation, not because she needs it, but because she has turned her experiences into a self-care program that relies on "intentional effortlessness."
For Lindsey, that means a lot of therapy, journaling, gratitude, planning, and self-care, which includes a dedicated effort to focus on one's own behavior anddecision-making, as she explains in the podcast.
Lindsey has found that using an array of tools available, she is able to "make sure I'm regulating that temperature inside me" so that she doesn't overheat, relapse, or lose focus on the future.
She says the routine will be different for everyone, and she can't make decisions for others, but she can empower people with the tools they need to make their own choices.
"If you make a mistake your story is not over," she said. "Itdoesn't matter where you've been, who you've been. Grit and determination are the No. 1 things that make sure you never fail."
Lindsey, former operations manager for "Legendary" Tommy Breedlove, is now helping others achieve their success through her podcast, “Productivitywith Peace of Mind.” She is willing to help anyone who finds themselves struggling with behaviors they can't seem to control.
For those who want to give her a buzz or seek out her assistance, feel free to email her at [email protected]. In the meantime, I encourage you to sit back and listen to her incredible story on this week's Chiseled. -
The worst thing imaginable happened to Bob Arnold and his wife Jeanne in 2002. They were getting ready for bed and a coroner calls. Their 23-year-old daughter Marciewas found dead in her apartment nearly 500 miles away.
Marcie, a vibrant young woman who was just getting established in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., was talking with a friend on the phone when the conversation went silent. She had suffered QT prolongation, sudden death from cardiac arrest, a rare occurrence that afflicts people with arrythmia, or irregular heartbeat.
It is a tragedy that no parent should have to endure. But rather than get angry or go into denial, Bob and Jeanne chose another route to confront their suffering.
"I knew one thing that had to happen in order to do that ... is to really be honest about what's going on," Bob said. "Trying to think of all the ways to try to rationalize this or deal with this, I knew none of those were reality."
Bob started journaling. In the first three years after Marcie's death, he wrote 1,300 pages to help him "sort through the depths of despair" he was feeling.
Those reflections turned into a book authored by Bob and Jeanne called When the Circle is Broken:Our Journey Through Deep Sorrow and Surprising Joy in the Loss of Our Daughter.
The suffering also led Bob to ministry. The Arnolds now have a 70-acre farm in Western Maryland named Marcie's Meadow, which serves the ministry. They help people who are facing illness, death, divorce, or family difficulties find the joyous hand of God in their sorrow.
"God doesn't take away the pain, but the paincontinually became a healing agent," he said. "It (keeps) shaping and reforming and reforming, and in the process, we meet this compassionate and caring God."
Bob's spirituality is evident in this week's episode of Chiseled. He tells a profound story of sorrow and joy and shares a path to healing that we can all follow.
Bob's ministry is available to anyone who needs a lift. Hecan be reached at his email or phone number, which he shares at the end of the episode. Meanwhile, you can check out his ministry at his website, meadow4.org. -
The doctor who let Paul Hunter know he had back of throat and neck cancer did not have much of a bedside manner. According to Paul, he came in and said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this. You have cancer and your life is changed forever." Then he handed him a reference for an oncologist and sent him out the door.
Paul could have let that curt diagnosis impact his reaction. But after he and his wife drove a bit, pulled over to pray, and then went home to be with their kids, they knew they were going to get through it.
Paul moved forward with the monthslong "hell" of treatment, but he never let it get the better of him. In fact, he says a lot of joy came from it.
"Nobody wishes to go through suffering but there's good there," he said. "Throughout the process you recognize how unbelievably great people are."
Paul, who is a devout Catholic and a very good friend of mine, said the experience brought him closer than ever to God. Part of the reason for that was the intense kindness he experienced from countless people, including many he barely knew.
"Humanity doesn't look so great a lot of times, but when something bad happens, people rally and they come to you and they lift you up and that it a phenomenal thing," he said.
It's now a way of life for Paul, who is cancer-free. He is never short of giving a kindness to others suffering an affliction. He also encourages others to offer a gesture, even if feels awkward or nosy.
"People want to (help) because not only they want to do it for me, but it makes them feel good," he said. "It was a gift to them to say 'yes' so I let people help me."
Paul has always had an attitude of gratitude, but if you really want to experience gratitude in action, I urge you to listen to this week's Chiseled podcast. Paul shares his email at the end in case you need help while going through a cancer diagnosis. -
Many people who are treated for cancer follow a routine — home, treatment, work, home. Rinse and repeat. That was the case for Florida Atlantic University (FAU)baseball coach John McCormack when he was getting treatment for a neuroendocrine tumor — until one day when he could not get a ride home.
John lost weight, had no energy, and was unable to drive a car during his cancer treatment. He was feeling useless, unengaged, and completely dependent on others. His wife, also an FAU employee, had been unable to pickhim up that Friday in January when practice had been cut short due to rain.
Drained of strength, John nonetheless responded to the team's call to offer some thoughts during its weekly post-practice workshop. John started talking and the players rallied around, reminding him why he was a coach.
"I felt really good about it," he said of the discussion. "Onthe way home, I called my mom and said, 'Mom, I found my purpose again.'"
Having worked with players since becoming a recruiter and assistant coach for FAU in 1991, and then FAU's head baseball coach in 2009, John remembered that his job is not only to teach fundamentals of America's favorite pastime, but also to help young men get through college and have a good life.
"Baseball is the easy part," he said. "Life is the hardpart."
John's story is personal to me. I've known him since we were competitors on the diamond when I played for FAU and he played for nearby, what was then the College of Boca Raton, and is now Lynn University. We have been friends since our final year at school. We share the philosophy that whether in real estate or sports or something else, everything we do is relational, not transactional.
John is extending his mentorship to Chiseled listeners.So, after you're done listening to this week's episode, if you're looking for more information about cancer treatment or if you have a talented athlete at home, feel free to reach out to John at FAU. He says if he can help, hewill. You can find his information on the school's website. -
Real estate agents — and anyone who may be struggling with self-esteem — are really going to enjoy this week's guest on Chiseled.
For years, Janell Schmittling seemingly had the tools to become a successful real estate agent — but she lacked the biggest one — self-esteem. Why? Perhaps due to a lack of support from her brokerage, a lot of spinning wheels without getting results, and a husband who was suffering from alcoholism, which she blamed on herself.
"I was really struggling," she said.
Dealing with her husband's addiction, trying to raise young children, and not closing enough deals, Janell debated whether to leave real estate altogether. But something changed that turned everything around.
"When things finally started shifting for me was when I finally started praying for myself, instead of (my husband). And that might sound selfish, but I started praying to God that he would change how I reacted to him. And I asked God to change me instead of him," she said. "I started focusing on myself ... and then because I made changes in myself, that actually helped my husband hit his rock bottom and realize he needed help for himself. So, it was kind of amazing."
That's also when Janell discovered Buffini and Company. After watching a series of Buffini success stories on the Internet, she jumped all in. That was more than eight years ago. Janell started learning the systems she needed to succeed, got a great coach, and started meetinglike-minded individuals.
"The people I surround myself are growth-minded and they know that we are always a work in progress," Janellsaid.
Janell now runs an all-female real estate companyin O'Fallon, Illinois. They sold 200 homes and achieved $50 million in sales last year. By the way, her husband has been sober for eight years.
Janell still suffers bouts of self-doubt, but she knows now, as she describes in the clip above, that she's not alone.
And neither are you. Janell is paying it forward,especially by hiring and training women to be the real estate success she has shown they can be. Want to talk to Janell about lifting your own self-esteem? You can reach her on her email, through her company website, or call her at the number she shares at the endof this week's episode of Chiseled. -
Patrick Lewis started working at Superior Rigging and Erecting Company, his dad's place of employment, at the tender age of 10. By the time he was 16, he knew he wanted to own the company. By age 27, in 2001, Patrick and his partners bought it.
You would think someone with that kind of focus and drive would be strutting his stuff, but Patrick, while appearing confident on the outside, was plagued by insecurity.
Patrick was suffering an identity crisis. His need for approval prevented him from having meaningful connections because, he said, he worried that people would find out he's not that smart a guy.
"When you're constantly worried of what someone's thoughts are of what you're doing, how you look, do you have enough money, are you making the right decisions, everything in your mind is insecure. Every thought that creeps in is a doubt," he said.
While having been a follower of Jesus his whole life, it was not until Patrick's mid-40s — with the help of NFL player Aaron Walker, a therapist, and lots of prayer — that he broke free of his imposter syndrome. That was the day that when God "verbally" spoke to him. But the conversation did not start quietly, as he describes in the clip above.
"I started by talking to God," he said. "He talked back to me, and he let me know that he loved me."
Since then, Patrick has not had a bad day since. He has established authentic relationships with family and friends, coached the Georgia Impact girls' softball team to a 2018 PGF National Championship and .883 winning percentage over 13 years, and was named one of the top five coaches in the nation. He also grew his company fourfold.
Patrick attributes his success to the peace he has achieved in having a relationship with God.
"Anybody that knew me during this whole journey would tell you that 'all Patrick ever wanted in his life was peace,' and that's all I ever have now."
I was one of the first people Patrick met at a Tommy Breedlove Legendary Mastermind event almost two years ago. I am fortunate since in the old days, Patrick confesses that he would never have joined one of those meetings for fear of being vulnerable. Now, he's out sharing the word.
Want to learn more about Patrick's journey? You can DM him on Instagram or reach him through his company website. -
Randy Wilson spent most of his life wondering what he was going to do with himself. An average student who wanted to play pro basketball but lacked the height, he debated entering the military before going to a hometown university and eventually dropping out. In his early 30s and pleased to be a chain retail store manager who could afford to raise his family, his life was upended when the company filed for bankruptcy and his store was shut down.
Plagued by self-doubt and unequipped with the education or family support he needed, Randy started searching for some answers on what to do next. He ended up at the local library, where he picked up Robert Kiyosaki's book, Retire Young, Retire Rich. From there, he realized that financial education is key to a better life.
"I was mad at my dad for not teaching me. I thought he was holding it from me," Randy said. "What I realized was that the reason why he wasn't sharing with me is because he didn't know."
Randy became a voracious reader, gaining financial literacy as well as inspiration through personal development. He is now paying it forward with his The Rich Mind podcast, helping others to discover what they can do to build their security, and better yet, regain control over their time.
I met Randy while in Dallas, Texas, at a Kyle Wilson retreat. As many of you know, Kyle has helped me to build my brand and my personal development program. He has also helped Randy, who is a co-author of Think Big!, a great read about self-discovery and the power of a mentor.
While Randy says he is still early on in his journey, the lessons of those who come before us teach us the value of perspective. The journey must start somewhere and it's usually with the desire to take control of our path. I hope Randy's story reinforces your belief that we are all better than we think.
Want to hear more from Randy? You can tune into The Rich Mind podcast or go to randywilsononline.com. He is also available by email, which he shares at the end of this episode of Chiseled. -
When you hear someone say Jesus was a hustler, you probably think that person doesn't like Jesus. But what if the disconnect isn't the name but the definition of a"hustler"?
Erin Harrigan says that's the mistake most people make. The word "hustle" doesn't mean someone who's deceptive, aggressive, or pushy. To hustle actual means to do something with intention.
"First of all, Jesus is never in a hurry," she said. "He washere to see his mission through."
About 10 years ago, Erin decided to emulate the Jesus hustle. She left her corporate job to focus on molding herself in His image. After a few years, she heard the calling to help other Christian women align their business principles to the Bible.
"I just really felt Him saying, 'Now that I've told you how to follow this map, go show my ambitious daughters how to do this," Erin told me.
Since then, Erin has opened a business coaching program solely for Christian women. She has written the book, Pursuing Success God's Way; The Practical Guide to Hustle With Heart and hosts the podcast RedefiningHustle: Navigating Success as a Christian Woman.
"I love teaching women how they can redefine hustle and experience a level of success and fulfillment without doing what I call business as usual," she said.
Erin is extremely committed to her faith as well as her career, and you can tell by her enthusiasm and high-speed conversation that she is hustling. She offers a lot of wisdom and career advice, which I'm happy to be able to share with you on this week's episode of Chiseled.
Want to learn more about the alignment of Christian ideals to business? Listen to this week's Chiseled andthen check out Erin's website or connect with her on LinkedIn. - Visa fler
