Vigor Life Podcast

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EP016: Lessons From Richard Branson and How To Create An Environment For Success Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

Last April I visited Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands and got the chance to spend time with Richard Branson, Yanik Silver and the Maverick group of entrepreneurs. This trip was made possible by an Evolved Enterprise Award that I received for Vigor Ground Fitness — an award that is given to individuals who have built a business that is helping change things in their community in creative charitable ways, while influencing other small businesses to do the same. The trip was not only motivating, but also inspirational because it helped me realize that I can do so much more when it comes to supporting others in my community. In this episode I explain how/why our environment shapes us, and how you can mold your environment to help you succeed. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: How environments trigger behaviors and what that means for your success, or lack of it What Richard Branson did with Necker Island to create an environment that helps him do meaningful work and lead a fulfilled life How you can make small changes that create big results in transforming your own environment, even when you can’t buy your own island — I’ve had to deal with that reality too Why you need to imagine the people and places that trigger you to take actions towards your goals The importance of writing out where you are currently at, and why the difference is “the gap” How to assess and make a change to your environment if it isn’t serving you and/or keeping you from reaching your goals Why people are drowning in information and thirsty for transformation RESOURCES AND LINKS: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance Coaching Vigor Life Podcast [SUBSCRIBE HERE] Vigor Ground Fitness Business Coaching Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP015: 17 Lessons and Rules To Building Phenomenal Relationships That Enhance Your Life Feb 01, 2017

Show notes

There's few things that make life more fulfilling than relationships and experiences. When you combine the two it really makes for the best life. In the last three years of speaking I kept getting asked the following question: “Luka, how did you create so many meaningful, powerful relationships in your life?” To answer this question I decided to look back and share my thoughts, experiences and 17 lessons that I have learned over the years that will help you build phenomenal relationships in your life – whether they be in your business or personal life. I also go into how you can create things that help people and do meaningful things in business with your friends – which is one of my favorite things. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: Two things that your life will suck without – and how most people don’t pay attention to them A little secret I figured out to help connect me to just about anyone – that will also work for you The #1 rule — when it comes to building relationships – and how if you break it How this tactic and 10 minutes of your time can make you stand out in a crowd and supercharge your business relationship building Why looking someone in the eye can tell them about your self confidence and create trust Why taking risks is a rule when building powerful relationships and the reason why most people don’t take them What the “Like Formula” is and how knowing and mastering this can change your relationships, business, and life Why focusing on the motive to meet with someone can be the recipe for failure Why the best business relationships are with people who you respect, enjoy and have a great personal relationship with – and how to create these sorts of relationships Why the higher up the ladder you go the more cautious people will be about your advances, and the steps you need to take to build trust fast One of the most important rules when it comes to creating relationships and building trust – and the proven way to bring that rule to life without making any mistakes The strategy I use to to add remarkable value to other people using a 4 x 6 card – this has become the secret to supercharge my networks How my experience with a hair stylist (I know I have no hair but hear me out) in Santa Monica can get you to build better relationships and bring happiness to people's lives RESOURCES AND LINKS: Book: Little Black Book of Connections - 6.5 Assets For Networking Your Way to RICH Relationships (Jeffrey Gitomer) Book: Never Eat Alone; And Other Secrets To Success, One Relationship at a Time (Keith Ferrazzi) Book: Choose Yourself - Be Happy, Make Millions, Live The Dream (James Altucher) Book: The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F@*k - A Counterintuitive Approach To Living A good Life (Mark Mason) TED Talks Wake Up Warrior Jason Ferruggia Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP014: 5 Things To Help You Live A Better Life and Achieve Coaching Greatness with Martin Rooney Jan 24, 2017

Show notes

The originator of the fitness system Training For Warriors and my good friend, Martin Rooney drops by to talk about his new book, "The 5 Things" and how he has traveled the world and accumulated lessons, ideas, and action steps through his journeys. Discover and learn how you can lead a fulfilled life, and get a better body, better relationships, a better career, business and finances by following Martin’s system. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: How Martin traveled the world, learned lessons and ideas and broke them down into 5 actionable steps you can take today Why fitness is making things confusing and how it's what's stopping people from taking action and getting results Martin's 5 BIG things to live a better life and how you can start taking action on them today How Martin wrote a chapter of a book while driving in the passenger seat in Slovenia, and how it applies to your life and getting results The 5 F's to living a better life and how missing any one of these can break down all the others What "the line” is and how you are walking past that line every day to achieve all the things you want in your life The power of doing small things consistently (that are not overwhelming) and how it can create a snowball effect of results in your life Why asking yourself the right questions and "watching" is the first step to awareness, and how it can be the kick in the pants you need to motivate you to change The rituals that Martin and I do while on the road, and how your rituals determine your day and life What to look for on a resume that will predict that person's success < this is crucial to any business owner Why you shouldn't listen to things that help you just once and instead should repeat them over and over again The 3 forms of happiness that make up your life and how you can create an endless amount of "colors" to your life's experience through this philosophy < this episode is worth the listen just for this! RESOURCES AND LINKS: Book: The Book Of The Five Things - Powerful Lessons For A Happier, Healthier and Richer Life (Martin Rooney) The Training For Warriors System That Is Changing Fitness Book: Resilience - Hard Won Wisdom For Living A Better Life (Eric Greitens) Vigor Life Podcast (SUBSCRIBE HERE) Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP013: The Sword In The Stone and What’s Stopping You From Getting What You Want Jan 17, 2017

Show notes

After one of my quarterly mastermind events, that I attend in Laguna Beach, I had a revelation while listening to a friend talk about the full story of King Arthur and the sword in the stone. It’s a story that most people never hear that made me realize why I sometimes get stuck in certain areas in my life. It also gave me insight into why a lot of people never get what they want. When it comes to reaching any goal, it’s not only important that you surround yourself with people who have achieved what you want to attain. But also equally important to surround yourself with people who you trust and will point out the things you may not see or want to hear. By doing so you will be able to learn from your mistakes then apply change moving forward. Without this type of environment it’s easy to get stuck in a “cup de sac” – spinning circles and wondering why things never change for you. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: How you can learn from the military “hot wash” – which will teach you how to learn from your mistakes so that failure becomes a stepping stone, and not a roadblock What the story of King Arthur and the sword in the stone has to do with breaking through your limitations and ultimately seeing success The truth about HOW you get what you want, and why you may be struggling to pull the trigger and take action on the things that you want How to avoid living a life of quiet desperation and live up to your standards RESOURCES AND LINKS: Book: Extreme Ownership - How US Navy Seals Lead and Win (Jocko Willink) Book: Choose Yourself - Be Happy, Make Millions, Live The Dream (James Altucher) Vigor Life Podcast (SUBSCRIBE HERE) Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP012: Nutrition For Real World Results w/ Real People (That Are Busy, Stressed, Overwhelmed and Ready To Change) Jan 10, 2017

Show notes

I invite one of our Vigor Ground coaches, Cody McBroom to talk shop about nutrition. Not the nutrition that you hear about in trendy magazines and in the thousands of diet books that push "the _______ diet that will finally help you get results." But rather the type of nutrition that is backed by science and teaches you how to make sensible (sustainable) changes. Over the last decade I've studied countless nutritional approaches, (trying and testing many of them on myself and with my clients) been taught by some of the world’s best minds, made many mistakes, learned from those mistakes, and have continued to study and apply everyday to help Vigor clients achieve the best results. In other words, results that stick while allowing them to live a fulfilled life where nutrition changes become a part of their life NOT a source of stress in their life. We consider nutrition changes a success with our clients when we affect body composition, health, and performance. If we don’t make a positive change to all three of those areas we know that there is a piece missing in our nutrition plan that’s creating a bottleneck. So if you’re currently following a diet or nutrition plan that’s changing your body but hindering your performance, or maybe making you feel really healthy but not making you feel confident in the way that you look that should be a sign that you’re not following the right nutrition plan for you. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: How most nutrition programs affect one, or at most two aspects of the holy trinity (body composition, health, performance) and why not focusing on all three will eventually lead to a bottleneck in your results The top 3 roadblocks in most people's nutrition approach and how to fix them Why you get cravings and a simple approach that will help you start getting rid of them while also helping you up your energy level and achieve a body composition change The truth about superfoods Why diets are a vehicle fuelling the obesity epidemic and why the philosophies of Amazon 1-click buy, Netflix, food delivery, etc. don't transfer over to results with nutrition Why the X's and O's of nutrition and fat/weight loss are less important when it comes to nutrition coaching The cost of becoming lean and ripped and why you have to ask yourself, “is it worth it to me?” if that’s the transformation goal you are working towards What "metabolic adaptation” is and how it could be causing you to fall into a yo-yo diet cycle The magic question that determines whether you should take on a new habit (or habits) to succeed **This question can revolutionize your transformation (and can be applied to any area of your life) How you can help clients become aware and have them help you coach them **This is far more effective than telling them what to do The secret to stopping emotional eating cycles and how this could be the key to your breakthrough How hitting the wall in my personal life was the best thing that could have ever happened to me and how it affected my nutrition and lifestyle The reason why men are statistically more stuck when it comes to lifestyle and nutrition changes, and why women typically see a shift faster How environment trigger behaviors and why the fastest way to change your behavior is to asses your environment and change it to one that supports your goals and dreams The nutrition path that YOU should take And much more… RESOURCES AND LINKS: Precision Nutrition Boom Boom Performance Vigor Life Podcast on iTunes (subscribe) Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance Onnit - Total Human Optimization Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP011: The 12 Principles Of Coaching Excellence And How To Use Them In Training, Business And Life Jan 03, 2017

Show notes

Do you think that you are a coach in the line of work that you do? I'd have you consider that we are all coaches in certain areas of our life, or at particular times in our life. Most people view a coach as someone who is in charge of a sports team, and don't really see themselves as having (or needing) the skill-set. But when you dig into the "assets" of top professionals in any industry, especially one that is service-oriented, you will find that these individuals have a lot of the same abilities found in the job description of a coach. A dad is a coach. A friend is a coach at times. A leader is a coach. A sales person is a coach. A ______ is a coach. We are all coaches in one way or another, and one of the most critical abilities that we can learn to improve our life is self-coaching;, which also leads to helping others at home, at work, and in life. Here are the 12 principle of coaching excellence I cover that are crucial to your self-development: Know, Do, and Coach Teach and Communicate Effectively Control Information Transfer (aka Keep It Simple) Being a Motivator - Unlocking Motivation and Potential Asking Good Questions Leading by Example Displaying Commitment Coach Excellence Crediting (Shining A Light) On Success Taking Responsibility Challenge The Process Inspire Shared Vision Apply these principles into your life and business day in and day out (start with just one or two daily practices then build the skill- sets) and you will not only excel in your career, but also build better, stronger, and deeper relationships in all areas of your life. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: How coaching principles can improve your business, your family, and your relationships and why you're shooting yourself in the foot not improving these most valuable skill-sets What "been there, done that and still doing it" means and how it applies to hiring coaches or being a coach yourself (this is the key to not falling out of integrity with yourself or the marketplace) Why less is more when it comes to communication and how studying under the world's best coaches made me realize that I needed to shut my mouth more – discover how to up your coaching game by saying less How trying to sound smart can make the client feel dumb, and why your ego will ruin the results they are getting – and the simple solution to get clients better results Why you can't create motivation for someone but you can unlock with the "secret” to knowing what that person’s driving forces are How the science and art of storytelling is a skill-set that that can skyrocket your influence and will be a critical factor that makes or breaks your coaching and business in the next 10 years How asking the RIGHT questions can help people solve their own problems and why most coaches suck at it (and a great example of how to get better at this) A critical principle that if not followed can instantly destroy your integrity in any field (skip this and it will be hard to recover trust) Why emotions are overrated and the 3 steps to true commitment while shaping your identity (discover what most people do that is turned on its head) Why you're wrong about everything (and so am I) and how it's the best thing that could ever happen to you What I learned from Richard Branson that helped me find new ways of innovating for my clients and the Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance gym How solving a problem including a frail old lady, your best friend, and a girl of yours dreams can determine how well you will find solutions in your business Why sharing your story can be the catalyst for clients to choose your business, inspire them to follow their own dreams and be more compliant with their actions (this goes for your team in business too) LINKS AND RESOURCES: Book - Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives (Henry Kimsey-House) Book - Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change Behavior ...

EP010: Lessons From A World Class Coach, World Champion And Owner Of A Respected And Successful Dojo w/ James Foster Dec 27, 2016

Show notes

Not only is James Foster a well respected coach in the BJJ community with one of the biggest BJJ schools in Washington, he is also the Super Heavy Weight World Champion and a inspirational leader who serves the local community in many ways. Coincidentally he is also the coach that has beat me up during training sessions to teach me life lessons. We sat down to talk about the challenges of succeeding both as a coach, a champion and a business owner while being able to keep integrity and living your values; and how that is crucial if you want to avoid losing yourself and being able to maintain your pace in the long game. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: Why you should train with your competition and how it is the key to gaining the edge How James started his academy out of circumstance (to not have to continue to drive 4 hours to practice) rather than a goal which led to his long-term career and passion and the lessons he gained from it The momentum of the MMA craze and how it helped James grow his dojo and business, as well as how he dealt with the tides turning and having to shift and make changes to keep his business running How becoming a black belt is the beginning of this journey and how it can help you with your life and business How the secret to success with coaching and working with teams is communication, and the question that makes it clear what the other person is hearing (this will help you tremendously with any relationship, personal and business) How what you believe to be your strength is actually your weakness, and how you can change it and open up a world of possibilities in your life How not aggressively seeking feedback, taking constructive criticism and thinking you know it all is a guaranteed way to stall your progress in any career or relationship How the fear of the unknown is what's holding you back from breaking through to the next level; and how 5 minutes can save your months (or even years) of being stuck in a rut The exercise that will help you find your blind spots in your game, and how you can speed up your progress by identifying them How tapping out and failure are the steps to success, and how changing your perspective on these can change the speed of your growth Why video game bosses teach you the secret of success The "secret sauce" that helped James go from 2nd in the world, to losing in the first round, to finally winning the World Championship in 2015 The power of rituals and routines and how they can help you in anything you do in life How the mental side of any game can make or break you and how to supercharge your results by spending more time on the mental side How to discover if you're tying your identity to your accomplishments or whether you're tying it to your character – one leads to a more fulfilled life, while the other leads to unhappiness LINKS AND RESOURCES: Foster BJJ James Foster's YouTube Channel Book - Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When Stakes Are High (Kerry Patterson) Book - Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children (Po Bronson) Book - Originals: How Non Conformists Change The World (Adam Grant) Book - Give And Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success (Adam Grant) Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP09: How I Ended Up Achieving More By Doing Less – The ONE Thing Dec 27, 2016

Show notes

Do you find yourself having too much on your plate and are you feeling overwhelmed by it? If you believe that you are not good at multi-tasking and need to get better at it, I'd have you consider the possibility of doing the exact opposite. What I mean is doing more of less. Despite the fact that I read books about multi-tasking and it's skill that we teach our clients here at Vigor (with great success) I always thought that I had it all figured out – and could get away with doing a lot of things at once. Until I couldn't. And so life forced me to look at the alternatives and really start working on the concept of "the one thing." Once I really committed to implementing this in different areas of my life I could see why it was so powerful and effective. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: Why the majority of people fail when it comes to New Year's Resolutions, or any other life-changing commitment when they do not follow this simple guideline The truth about how much you will achieve if you take on too much (the stats don't lie) What a "keystone habit" is and why it can be the key to changing your results when it comes to your body transformation (or any other important lifestyle shift you want to make) How changing just one thing every 2-3 weeks can be the missing link in your strategy – it's not overwhelming and yet very effective, especially if you've been struggling with change What my morning ritual is and how it buys me extra time and focus throughout my day, while putting me in a place of power... I only invest 30 minutes into it Finding your most effective time to work and how this can prevent you from spinning your wheels and being frustrated with having "brain freeze" The one thing I did to improve nutrition and get hours more study time every week – and how you can create a similar shift for yourself The secret strategy I used to make sure money gets saved and compounded and not used up just "because it's there" How accountability can bring all these actions to life and enhance any commitment that you make LINKS AND RESOURCES: Book - The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business (Charles Duhig) Book - Loving What Is: The Four Questions That Can Change Your Life (Byron Katie) Luka's YouTube Channel - SUBSCRIBE HERE Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP08: The Three P’s That Are Essential To Your Success With Your Body and Business Dec 20, 2016

Show notes

You’ve heard it before, “just do what you’re passionate about and everything will fall into place.” I disagree. Although passion is important, if it’s not combined with the two factors that I get into in this episode you’ll be spinning your wheels never really finding what you love to do on a daily basis; which will transfer into every area of your life. If you find yourself asking the following questions, this podcast is for you: Why can’t I stick to a workout program? Why do I keep changing jobs and never feeling like I’m getting close to finding “the one”? Why are my relationships short and unfulfilled? IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN What the real secret to success is **This is something that Steve Martin said and had a whole book written about, and why I have this quote in my office so that I see it every day The “Passion Trap” and how the search for your life’s work is making your working life miserable, and how to change that Why skills trump passion in the quest for the work you love Why I was not passionate about basketball and how the anger from being rejected fuelled me to practice more which led to more ________. And why you should create passion, not search for it The one question we always ask our clients that you must also continually ask yourself if you are to peel the layers back and find purpose in the things you do. Without it you may find yourself constantly falling off from your commitments What is the "5, 6 and 7” strategy when it comes to finding your true purpose How you overestimate what you can do in the short-term and underestimate what you can do in the long-term and why it's stopping you from achieving your full potential How I discovered that “never quit” is B.S. and why you SHOULD quit on certain things Discover the combination of the Three P’s and look at things through a different lens to find out how you can break through plateaus in work, training, relationships or anything else for that matters in your life. LINKS AND RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE: Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance Traffic and Conversion Summit Book - Scaling Up: How A Few Companies Make It And The Rest Don’t (Vern Harnish) Book - So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion In The Quest For The Work You Love (Cal Newton) Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share? Leave me a review on iTunes.

EP07: Moving, Feeling and Performing Better With A 5-10 Minute Daily Investment with Max Shank Dec 14, 2016

Show notes

Max Shank's simple yet effective training and life philosophy caught my eye a while back, but it wasn’t until I started applying it that I really noticed its power – especially when it comes to movement, strength and performance. Instead of starting my day with my usual morning routine, I started plugging in his “5 Minutes of Flow” and found myself feeling better because of it. I also hit a number of lifting PR’s 3 weeks later. The core of Max's philosophy is creating a foundation where you can safely build strength, power and endurance without breaking down your body. In other words, the name of the game improvement, durability and longevity. Many of us pursue improving our body and performance at the expense of our health. But what if you can build muscle, lose fat, and increase performance without having to sacrifice your life, sanity or body? In this episode Max explains his philosophy to training through the lens of economics, and simplifies how you can get great results doing the right things for you – strategies that will not only make you fit, but also make you happier and healthier. IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN: How Max’s frustration with the fitness industry inspired him to start a movement that seems too simple to work, but gets results backed by science and real-world case studies (including one from myself) The one trick that gets you to do things you don’t want to do, but gets you results (every time) **This is so simple you’ll wonder why you haven’t been using it all along How something completely different, like playing the guitar can actually help you with your body, getting your workout in, or even getting a project done that you’ve been stuck with The secret Leonardo Da Vinci figured out that will help you carry over skill-sets from one things to another, and how to apply it in your life What the “amateur's gift” is and how you can excel at something (in a fraction of the time) following these rules How “5-Minutes of Flow” can help create options in your life and help you figure out what you want to do Why both Max and I are fans of Zumba for the majority of people when it comes starting their fitness journey, and how many people in the industry discourage people from starting (even though they are trying to help) The program that will help build a foundation so that you’re able to answer “YES” to questions like, “Hey, do you want to do [insert any sport or activity]?” How Max created programs that get serious results through the lens of economics, and why you should consider learning economics if you want to improve your time management, fitness performance, relationships and career The two things that are missing in schools that could change your future and why it’s important to build these skill-sets The “Marshmallow Experiment” and how it determines your chances of success in the future Why modern fitness marketing is a hoax that creates unreal expectations and a cycle that hurts your health, life and mindset The myth of the “before and after” picture and why it isn’t helping convince people that you (and your gym) can help them achieve their body transformation goals, and the one strategy you can use (right now) to help people believe in you AND themselves Why small daily actions are the “secret” to getting you all the BIG things you want in your life How one small action can amplify the rest of your day (just like throwing a snowball down a hill can create an avalanche) LINKS AND RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE: Max Shank - Better Every Day Ultimate Athleticism - Zero To Hero Guide To Strength, Health and Flexibility Book - Education of Millionaires: Everything You Don’t Learn In College in How To Be Successful (Michael Ellsberg) Book - The Power of Habit - Why We Do What We Do In Life And Business (Charles Duhhig) 5 Minute Flow Thanks so much for joining me this week. If you have some feedback that you’d like to share?

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