Issuu

The Outlier Project Retreat No. 02

“Living with Legends” HISTORIC SEASIDE INN | RELAIS & CHATEAUX | FORBES 5-STAR | TRAVEL + LEISURE WORLD’S BEST

The Weekapaug Inn

Jackie Summers Robert Hamilton Owens Megan Reilly

OUTLIER

GRATITUDE.

This issue is focused on that powerful emotion that makes us feel happy and content. I could fill these pages with “Thank God for…” and I would still probably need a few more issues to document everything I’m thankful for before I ran out

As an outlier I’m eternally grateful for the people in these pages who inspire me to dare to think that audacious things are achievable As you flip through these pages I hope you find wisdom, strength, inspiration, awe and encouragement from the lives of these amazing outliers who have carved remarkable paths that show us what is possible on the other side of ordinary.

An extraordinary life is a choice we all can make It’s possible if we choose to seek out gratitude Many times it’s hiding in plain sight like the sun on our face, the grass under our feet, the warm coffee mug in our hand or the roof over our head.

I’m grateful for you, my fellow outliers who invest the time to read this magazine to learn and grow. I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue.

Scott MacGregorPublisherandEditor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Good Witch of LinkedIn

Former Vice President of Product Development with Ralph Lauren

Left behind a corporate fashion career to launch her own sourcing and product development consultancy during the pandemic

Pivoted again to follow her calling in helping others to love LinkedIn as much as she does Works with personal branding and thought leadership clients individually as well as through the community at DIY Influence.

Recognized in January 2024 as a Linkedin Top Voice

Board member of Her Move Next, a 501(C)3 charity dedicated to empowering girls and young women through chess, community and competition.

Co-author of the Amazon Bestselling book, Your Career Resilience Blueprint: A Tactical Guide to Navigate Change, Overcome Obstacles, and Design Your Future.

Get the book!

What do you do for Outlier Magazine and what do you love about it?

I am the Copy Editor for Outlier Magazine I would always jokingly tell people that I was a frustrated copy editor I was that person who always saw the typos in emails Now I get to proofread and edit to my heart’s content. What I really love about working on Outlier Magazine is twofold. One, I get to work with the best team in the world - Scott, Kathy, and Victoria. Two, I get to read the amazing stories and content that we put into the magazine before everyone else I always feel like I have the best secret until the date we release the issue!

FUNFACT:

Fittinglyforthisautumn season,myveryfavorite flavoroficecreamis pumpkinpie Itisabsolutely delicious;ifyouhavenever triedit,Ihighlyrecommend it.

What makes you an Outlier?

I believe that everyone has an inner Outlier For me, it was completely reinventing myself at age 54; starting an entirely new career journey that brings me joy and forces me to be more visible than I had ever felt comfortable being. I have a public social media presence, I speak on podcasts and on live streams, and I recently published a book with a good friend That is a bit of an Outlier situation in itself; she and I will have just met in real life for the very first time shortly before this issue of OM is released! We wrote a book together completely over Zoom and GoogleDocs.

A DERBY TO REMEMBER: GIDEON KOTKOWSKI’S MONGOLIAN ODYSSEY

An interview with Gideon Kotkowski

Gideon's recent journey through the harsh Mongolian steppe is more than just a thrilling adventure It's a testament to human resilience, determination, and the power of the outlier spirit

In this exclusive interview, we delve into his experiences, challenges, and the profound lessons he learned from

conquering the world's toughest horse race.

As Gideon shares his tales of the Mongolian wilderness, we're captivated by his unwavering spirit and his ability to push beyond his limits His journey offers a unique perspective on the human capacity for endurance and the transformative power of challenging yourself.

Join us as we explore Gideon's extraordinary adventure and discover the lessons that can inspire us all to embrace our inner outliers

Scott MacGregor

Gideon, you just spent two weeks in a country that most people will never visit. Tell us why you were there. What were you doing?

Gideon: Yeah, so I went to Mongolia for the 2024 Mongol Derby, which is a 1,000 kilometer horseback race. It's officially the longest horse race in the world. Ripley's Believe It Or Not says that it is, and so it has to be true. It's also considered the toughest horse race in the world because it spans across ten days over unforgiving wilderness in the Mongolian steppe, where it's really hot in the day, and really cold at night.

You're competing with typically about 40 to 50 other folks in Mongolia So ‘just to finish was to win’ was my motto going into it. But to compete in this Mongol Derby and experience it was a once in a lifetime adventure that I definitely will not be participating in again anytime soon.

So that was actually going to be my next question. Because most people have never been to Mongolia and will never go to Mongolia, what was it like? What's Mongolia like?

Gideon: Mongolia is an interesting country, and the reason I say this is because geographically, it's not located in the best place in the world. It's in between Russia and China It has no access to the ocean, so it has no seaport It's landlocked, and in the south of Mongolia is the Gobi Desert, and to the north, it's Siberia

So the winters are really, really cold The summers can get really, really hot But if the wind blows from the north down to Mongolia, you know, it can snow in July. So from that perspective on the weather, Mongolia is really interesting. And the reason I give you that context is because that plays into what it's like.

Mongolia has 4 million people across the population of the entire country, and about 3 million of those live in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar So when you take that into account, and the giant space that Mongolia occupies in the world, it is the largest country, with the least amount of population, in the world

So you have 4 million people. About 3 million live in the capital city. And then, basically, let's call it half a million to three quarters of a million people live in two other cities, that are near the east side of Mongolia and then the rest are all nomadic.

And so Mongolia is a very nomadic

culture It's centered around the nomadic way of living, even in the city You can kind of sense that everybody has this nomadic culture inside of them in a lot of ways. The same way that Americans might have this diverse culture inside of them.

So when you land in this city, it feels like any other big city. It's just like, you know, a big city in a developing country. But when you get out to the countryside, it's almost like Kansas, I imagine I don't know But it's just land as far as you can see, rolling hills as far as you can see

It's super green And there's no fences, there's just no fences There are herds of horses, there's herds of sheep, there's herds of goats, just living in this ecosystem. And then you see all these little, they're called gers which is basically a Mongolian teepee that nomadic families use to live in.

They're easy to pack up and they're easy to build and so they have their summer spot, they have their spring spot, fall and winter And so they'll move around depending on where the grass is available for their herds But you go out to the countryside and you just see these little white gers, miles apart, but also it's really interesting

I spent most of my time in Mongolia out in the countryside, living amongst nomadic families. And one thing that I definitely took away from it is this culture of hospitality and culture of taking people in who are wandering, because when you go out to the Mongolian steppe to do this ten-day race, in a lot of ways we're also a little bit nomadic.

We're trying to get to the next station, find a place to sleep at night when we need to, and you can just roll up to a Mongolian family, knock on their door, kind of speak a little broken Mongolian and say something along the lines of, “I'm doing this crazy thing It's a race I need a place to sleep Can I sleep in here in your ger?”, which is small, it fits two or three beds at most

I never had a bad experience. Matter of fact, every single one of my experiences, when I went out to ask for a roof to sleep under, they would always take me in, make some noodles for us, and a soup or something along those lines. Give us some fermented mare's milk, and try to figure out how to have a conversation with this foreigner who's in the countryside of Mongolia with a horse So, anyway, long answer to a short question, but it's an interesting country

Love it. What surprised you? You

know, we all go into things

with preconceived notions,

and

then we experience reality, and we walk away with, typically, a surprise or two. What surprised you?

Gideon: I think what surprised me the most was just how hard it was I knew I was going into an event that's known to be really hard, but maybe I underestimated how hard it was, mentally and physically. Generally speaking, I'm in good physical shape, but this race really tests your boundaries and in areas that I didn't even expect. My ankles are really sore, my knees are still a

little sore. And, you're not running. You're riding a horse, so you think, if you just maintain physical shape, you'll be alright. But it really drained me physically, and then mentally, it's really tough

So I tried to prepare mentally as best I could, but nothing could prepare you for just the sheer amount of grit and perseverance you really need to wake up in the morning and ride another 100km, and do it all over again the next morning.

When you're not feeling great, when you're eating foods that are not familiar to you, you're drinking water that's been boiled, all of these things combined kind of make it a really difficult experience. Oh, and the semi wild Mongolian horses don't make it any easier So all of that combined, I think I was quite surprised with how difficult it actually ended up being

Did you ever consider quitting? You must have. What prevented you from quitting?

Gideon: Yeah, the thoughts came in for sure I don't think I ever got to the point where I was ready to pull the trigger on quitting, but nighttime, day three, and all of day four, I was seriously contemplating what it would look like to drop out of the race class and go into an adventure class where I had maybe a few hours to just take a break without the pressure of continuing.

But I think what kept me going is a lot of pride, and the expectations that I set on myself But more importantly, I kept visualizing the two outcomes; the

the outcome where I did finish, and the outcome where I didn't. And I kept telling myself, that plane ride back in the outcome that I would quit and go into an adventure class and not finish would be painful It would have been the worst And you know, the pain I was feeling that day or the pain I was feeling during the week or the entire race, I knew would be temporary Even if something relatively catastrophic happened, if I broke my shoulder or if I broke an arm or whatever, that would take me out of the race, but it would still be temporary.

And finishing the Mongol Derby and coming back home and being able to tell the story that I completed and being able to, you know, hold my chin a little higher because of that, that'll last forever So that thought of ‘the pain is temporary, but finishing is forever’ kind of really motivated me those days

What did you learn, maybe even about yourself, from doing something that 40 people out of seven, eight billion get an opportunity to do?

Gideon: You know, it's not as profound as I'd hoped. But the reality is, what you learn from doing something like this and completing it is that we are capable of doing hard things and you're capable of pushing past the point of failure. I was really hurting day three and day four, my, you know, my butt was chafed.

It was raw, there were open wounds My ankles were really sore My knees hurt every time I got on a horse And just knowing that I have the discipline to put my boots back on and get on top of the horse and keep going and get to the next station, that was really profound for me

I'd never done something so hard And so having the confidence, just owning that confidence, like, hey, I did that, I can do anything, you know, is profound, The biggest takeaway for me was I can do hard things and I'm not afraid to do hard things.

What was the scariest moment you had, basically out in the middle of nowhere?

Gideon: There were kind of two moments where the first fear set in And that happens when you're riding by yourself all day and you don't see any other racers. So you're out in the steppe by yourself.

You have a GPS, a little Garmin GPS, and a little tracker on your shoulder, a satellite tracker But when you're riding out, you're on this wild horse that spooks at a bird, you know, a hundred yards out and it makes a weird move and you realize, oh, crap, if I fall and lose consciousness, there's no one around

So that was one, the first fear that set in. But the scariest moment that happened was the last day I jumped off my horse It was this beautiful palomino stallion with a long mane– super strong horse He took me from one station to the end of the next or close to the end of the next, just without a problem

He was just an awesome horse. But as I hopped off, I guess I was so stiff in the last few days that I scooped it somehow and I had the reins tied around my hand because these horses are so wild, when you hop off, you're trying to mitigate these horses from escaping, or spooking and leaving. So I had the reins tied to my hand, I jumped off the horse And I don't know, I guess I moved a little stiff or made a little move that he didn't appreciate He freaked out So I was holding on to the reins, and slammed my face to the ground

I ate a face full of dirt And as I was holding on, trying to get back up, he kicked me right in the chest and I let go

And at that moment, I was coming in the top twelve-ish place and, you know, I was slow to get up and that's always a scary moment when you get kicked by a horse The adrenaline's going, you know, and I've lost my horse

My horse is now a couple miles away I can see because it's a beautiful color. But now I have to walk over there and grab it. I don't know what's happening. I don't know if I'm gonna make it to the station at the end of the day that I was hoping to make it at. And so those moments really were for me, the scary moment. It's like, shit, I got kicked by a horse. I lost it.

Now, what was your favorite part?

Gideon: So outside of getting to the finish line and having my mom waiting for me there with a cold, ice cold beer, my favorite part was getting on these Mongolian ponies. And when you get on a good horse, and just go flat out. Mongolians have a rich race horse racing culture, but it's not horse racing

It’s not like the Kentucky Derby, they do long distance, like 15 to 20 kilometer horse races And so when you get on one of those horses that are used to these 20 kilometer horse races, they just go flat out for, you know, an hour I almost forgot. I was in so much pain.

I was having so much fun. You just look around and you feel the air blowing through your face, and the horse is going flat out. You're just enjoying it. You know, you're riding through the Mongolian steppe, looking around, you see other and it took the breath out of me for a few seconds.

wild horses. Maybe if you're lucky, you get to see a couple herds of camels and sheep and goats and stuff like that.

And so for me, the most fun moments for me were those when I got to hop on those race horses and just run

I'm sure you met a lot of interesting people in your couple of weeks in Mongolia. Who is the most interesting person you met?

Gideon: So immediately, two people came to mind The first one is Tom Morgan He's the founder of The Equestrianists, which is the group that puts on this race, and he's a crazy individual I'm going to have him on my podcast to talk about the race and how he came up with it

But he's so interesting. He started the Mongol derby about a decade ago, but has had other races where you drive a car from, like, London to Mongolia or in India. He has different kinds of races, so he's super interesting.

And then the other guy that won the most interesting guy award is Cowboy Josh So at least that's what we called him Cowboy Josh is a retired PBR rodeo pickup man that has his entrepreneurial side Hustles, owns a few hair cutting places, owns a couple of oil service places, has property that he manages

And so I just found that really interesting, how a rodeo professional also can do all these other different things and then also crushed it at the derby. He got third place. So a really awesome guy and won the hearts of many.

You've cemented your place in history as a true outlier by doing something that nearly no one does. Would you ever consider doing it again?

Gideon: If you would have asked me that the week after the race, I would have said no. And even now, I'm like, not anytime soon. But you never know. I think if I ever need a reminder that I can do hard things, I'll definitely think about it a little harder.

Or twenty or thirty years from now, if I have a kid who's interested in doing it, then I might have to throw my hat in the ring and try to see if I still have what it takes But, you know, I'm not an endurance rider, Scott It's not my strength in the horse world I can ride a horse for an hour really fast, seven different horses for an hour really fast, if I need to But riding 1000 km, navigating through mountains and rivers and bridge crossings, really put me to the test.

So I don't know, I don't think I'll do it anytime soon. So the answer is no.

You won two national championships in polo and were the captain of the last team that won. Where does this rank in terms of comparing it to winning and being the captain of a national championship polo team?

Gideon: That's an awesome question Winning the national championship is such a team effort and you need to have such strong team chemistry that the pride that I feel from winning the

national championship isn't necessarily, you know, ‘I scored the winning goal’ or ‘I did the thing that made us win that day’. What I'm proud of is building the team and the culture on that team that made it that far, and was able to bring the W home

And what I'm proud about this race in particular is my ability to continue, no matter the setbacks that I was given each day. And so when I compare them in my head, because I've never heard this question before, it's hard to even put into the same category, but I think they both fall under, those experiences, a memory that I won't forget, ever And I'm in the business of collecting those types of memories, so I think I'm just going to continue to look for those

So I don't know, between the two, Mongol Derby holds a little more clout for me specifically, but the polo championship holds a little more clout within the polo world. So, I don't know. That's such a hard question. I can't compare. It's like comparing your two babies. I love them both so much.

Gideon, so while you didn't win the Mongol Derby, you did win a very prestigious award, called The Spirit of the Derby. Tell us about that. And what did that mean to you?

Gideon: Yeah, first of all, I think there's at least ten other people who could have won this award. A lot of folks in the Derby are there to learn about the culture and to assimilate a little bit with the Mongolian people

But I was super stoked to have received this honor and be recognized for the effort and intentionality that I put into this, because winning the race, everybody runs their own race, and if you want to win, you have to sacrifice a lot. And so if you want to get first place, you sacrifice a lot of time spent with Mongolian herders. You sacrifice time spent at night just hanging out and learning about Mongolian culture, and drinking fermented mare's milk with the herders.

Photocredit:wwwroberthamiltonowenscom

You sacrifice a lot of quality time and intentionality with the people, because you're just going, you spend five, you get your water, you grab your next horse, you grab your water, you grab your next horse, you camp out every single night, and you're just trying to get to the finish line. Whereas the race that I rode, I wasn't focused necessarily on winning.

To me, to finish was to win. And I kept telling myself that because I knew this was going to be a really difficult thing and I wasn't prioritizing first place. I was prioritizing building a relationship with the Mongolian herders I was prioritizing being really present with everybody that I interacted with

Because the first thing you said is true, this is something that, you know, only 40 people do out of seven or eight billion And so many people will never visit Mongolia and have the experience that I was able to have. And so I went into this race with that mindset, with that idea

that I wanted to learn as much Mongolian as I could and interact with as many herders as I can and be super respectful of their culture, and learn about their culture and do all these different things

And I think that at the end of the day, getting that recognition of Spirit of the Derby means that I won my race And it meant to me that I did get first place, even though not in the placings I didn't, but in the spirit of the race, I did win, and it feels almost like one of my most proud accomplishments ever.

Photocredit:wwwroberthamiltonowenscom Photocredit:wwwroberthamiltonowenscom

"I wasn't prioritizing first place. I was prioritizing building a relationship with the Mongolian herders.”

MONA SHARMA with...

Celebrity Nutritionist and Wellness Advocate, Speaker, Founder of XICAMA™, Host of Rooted In Wellness Podcast

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Byhelpingothersshifttheirstateof beingwheninneed,fromimbalanceto balance,byadoptingheartcoherence. Whenwe'reincoherencetogether,we canchangetheworldforthebetter.

Photocredit:https://wwwmonasharmacom/

Q:Youarethepictureofhealth, sopeoplemaynotbeawareof yourheartsurgeries.Howdid theychangeyourperspective onhealthandwell-being?

Growingup,Ispentmysummersat theSivanandaAshraminMontreal withmymomanddad,andthose experiencesprofoundlyshapedmy

“MY MISSION IS TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TAKE CHARGE OF THEIR HEALTH BY RECONNECTING WITH NATURE, THEIR BODIES, AND THEIR INNER WISDOM TO HEAL.”

-MONASHARMA

perspective on health and wellbeing. I saw firsthand how Ayurvedic practices at the ashram transformed my parents' energy and mood, especially my mom, who used Ayurveda to soothe her Rheumatoid autoimmune disease. Those early lessons in holistic health became even more meaningful to me after my heart surgeries Being told I may have to wear a pace-maker on a surgery table during heart surgery in my 20's was a wake-up call. In that moment I knew I had to go back to my roots to heal and listen to my body, nourish it from the inside out, and honor the mind-body connection that Ayurveda and Yoga taught me so well Today, I carry those lessons forward, not just for myself, but to inspire others to find balance and healing through these ancient practices.

Q:Whatisimportanttorealize whenitcomestomerging ancienthealingpracticeswith modernmedicine?

Whenitcomestomergingancient healingpracticeswithmodern medicine,it'simportanttorecognize thatbothhavevaluableinsightsto offer AncientpracticeslikeAyurveda andTraditionalChineseMedicine provideaholisticapproachtohealth, focusingonbalance,prevention,and treatingtherootcauseofissues Modernmedicine,ontheotherhand, excelsinacutecareandadvanced diagnostics,whichisagifttoday.The keyistointegratethewisdomofboth, usingancientpracticestosupport

overall well-being, and modern medicine for targeted interventions By combining the best of both worlds, we can achieve a more comprehensive and personalized approach to health and healing This has been my experience healing from my heart surgeries and witnessing my clients over the past decade.

Q:Whydidyoucreateyour functionalfoodandbeverage companyXicama?

IcreatedXicama™tosharethe incrediblehealingbenefitsofjicama,a superfoodIgrewupwithandhave usedinmynutritionpracticeforyears. Jicamaisrichinprebioticsandfiber, supportingguthealth,digestion,and overallwellness.Iwantedtobringthis powerfulingredienttoawider audienceinawaythat'sdelicious, convenient,andaccessible.With Xicama™,mygoalistohelppeople nourishtheirbodiesfromtheinside out,makingiteasiertoincorporate functional,plant-basednutritioninto everydaylifewithoutsacrificingfunand

flavor! It's also an amazing replacement for sugary sodas out there With the rise of functional foods and beverages, I hope we send a message to big food companies to stop creating products that are making us sick

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Mybiggestmentorsinlifehavebeen myparentsandthespiritualteachers attheashramwhereIgrewupand continuetovisittoday.Mymom,in particular,hasbeenaprofound influence herjourneytohealfrom autoimmunediseaseusingEastern holisticpractices,andherstrength taughtmethepowerofnatural healingandtheimportanceof listeningtoourbodiesandavoiding fakeprocessedfoods Thewisdomand guidanceIreceivedfromtheashram, combinedwiththeresilienceand determinationIsawinmyparents, haveshapedmyapproachtohealth andwellness,inspiringmetohelp othersfindbalanceandhealingin theirlives.

PhotoCredit:MondaSharmaFacebook

Q:Whatisanareaofyourown healthandwellnessthatyou sometimesstillstrugglewith?

Foryears,stressandanxietyfeltlike theblueprintofmylife(insertheart palpitations!).Butnow,whenInotice myselfcontractingunderpressure,I remindmyselftooffergrace.Lifeis hard,andI'mdoingmybest.Whenit feelsoverwhelming,Irecognizethat mymindiseitherdwellingonthe past,worryingaboutthefuture,or holdingontoemotionsthatneedto bereleased.Inthosemoments,yoga andtheguidanceofmyincredible therapistbecomemylifeline,helping mereturntothepresentandfind

balance. When I feel good, I make healthier choices, and I model healthy practices to my kids.

Q:You’veworkedwith everyonefromWillSmith, JulianneHough,JayShettyand manymorepeopleinthe spotlight.Doestheguidance youprovidethemdiffermuch fromtheguidanceyouprovide tothepublicwhenyou’reon TheTodayShoworTheDoctor’s Television?

Idon'ttreatcelebritiesanydifferently whenitcomestohealth Ifeelblessed toworkwithpeoplewhowanttoheal, feeltheirbestdailyandplanforalong lifeofvitality.ThefoundationofhowI guidepeopleisthesame tailoredto theiruniqueconstitution,background, andlifestyle.There'snoone-size-fits-all protocolorperfectdiet;optimizing healthisaboutremovingsourcesof stressandinflammationratherthan justaddingnewthingsin Ifocusonall areasoflife nutrition,currentblood labs,movement,sleep,energy, fulfillment,andmore toidentify what’scausingthemostimbalance. Wheninthepubliceye,Iaimtoshare simple,effectivetoolstohelpeveryone thriveinourmodernworld.

Q:Whatexcitesyouthemost aboutthenext12months?

MywordforthisyearasbeenGrowth, whichhasbeenaccuratefor2024so far.Whatexcitesmemostaboutthe

next 12 months is the chance to deepen the impact of my work and embrace the awe and wonder that comes with creation and expansion. I'm thrilled to connect with more people through my podcast, speaking events, and fun brand collaborations, and to explore new ways of merging ancient healing with modern wellness. The growth of Xicama™ and our product expansion also energizes me

My upcoming work trips fill me with inspiration traveling, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures reignites my love for life, fueling the energy I’m eager to share with the world, one deep mindful breath at a time.

Q:Yourpodcast,“Rootedin Wellness”hasreallytakenoff. Whatdoyouhopeto accomplishthroughthis platform?

My mission is to help as many people as possible take charge of their health by reconnecting with nature, their bodies, and their inner wisdom to heal. The goal of the podcast is to empower listeners to merge the best of modern diagnostic tools with holistic practices, mindful living, and the integration of wellness into every aspect of life. True wellness is within reach for everyone, and by making conscious choices like supporting local farmers, avoiding ultra-processed, sugary foods, and questioning where our food comes from we can drive positive change.

As more Western doctors embrace functional medicine, recognizing the power of nutrition, our environment, and ancient healing practices, I’m committed to bringing experts to the table to guide us back to the simplicity of healing, amongst the stressors of modern day living.

1. My Heart for Healing: For guiding me to love myself and nurture others.

2. My Body: For bringing my children into this world and for carrying me through life.

3 My Courage: For pushing me beyond fear to make a difference in others' lives

4 My Husband and Kids: For giving me the loving, joyful home I’ve always dreamed of.

5. The Interconnectedness of Life: When I stop and tap into the deep connection we share with each other and the earth, there is so much beauty to be felt as a human - we just have to turn down the noise of media and judgement and come back into our hearts to feel it

DICK VERMEIL with...

NFL Head Coach, Super Bowl Champion, College

Football Hall of Famer, Broadcaster, Motivational Speaker, and Napa Valley winemaker.

Photocredit:VermeilWinesInstagram

Photocredit:https://wwwvermeilwinescom/

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Usingmywinecompanytoputon fundraisingwinedinnersthatsupport childrenwithspecialneedsandboys andgirlsclubs.

Q:Wheredoesyourpassionfor makingfinewinecomefrom?

MygrandfatherAlbertVermeilmadeall ourfamilywines.Asayoungster,my brotherandIwouldhelphimdoso whenneeded.Hisinterest,alongwith myfather'sinterestinwines,stimulated mine.

“MY FATHER INGRAINED IN ME HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO BE HONEST AND TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF INTEGRITY.”

-DICKVERMEIL

Q:Youareoneoftheonly coachesevertosucceedat everylevelfromhighschoolto juniorcollege,tocollegeand thepros.Didyouhavetomake significantadjustmentsateach level,orwerethecore fundamentalsthesame?

Ibelievemyincreasedexperiencein workingwitheachgroupalongwith mylearningmoreaboutthegame itself,fundamentallyandtechnically, improvedoneachlevel.Each experienceprovidedmewithanability tobetterunderstandwhatIneededto dotobuildthetrustrequiredto connectwitheachageIwascoaching, whileatthesametime,Ihadtobe whoIwasasaperson!The compassionthatIhadhadforeach agegroupneverreallyvaried!

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Mynumberonementorwasmy father.Hetaughtmethathardwork wasnotaformofpunishment.Healso ingrainedinmehowimportantitwas tobehonestandtomaintainahigh levelofintegrity Myhighschoolcoach, BillWood,wasthefirstpersonthat toldmehethoughtIcouldplay collegefootball.Followinghislead,I enteredacommunitycollegetoplay thegameandcatchupacademically, withthethoughtofeventually becomingoneofhisassistantcoaches. WhileatSanJoseState,BobBronzan wastheonethatsawthingsinmethat

motivated him to move toward a coaching career From there, coaches such as John Ralston, Bill Walsh, George Allen, Tommy Prothro, and Chuck Knox were always positive influences in directing my career I will always be in debt to these men.

Q:Howimportantwasittobe enshrinedinCantonatthePro FootballHallofFame?

Itisnotamatterofhowimportantit wastobeinductedintothePro FootballHallofFame.Tomeit’sall aboutbeinggratefulforthosethat contributedtothisunbelievable personalrecognition.Iactuallyfeela littleguiltinthatIbelievetherearea numberofcoachesthatshould’ve goneinbeforeme.Iwillfeelmuch betteraboutmyinductionwhenthese menIbelieveinarewearingthesame goldjacketthatIam.NeverdidIever

think I would end up in the Hall of Fame It was not a goal, it ended up being a product of the contribution of so many wonderful people.

Q:Whatarethekeysto sustainingyouryouthfulness wellintoyour80’s?

IbelievemykeyisthatIalwaysremain physicallyactive Ireallybelievein resistancetraining,soI’venever stopped.IhaveaHoistmultiple stationweightmachinethatIuse threedaysaweek,andI’vetriedto maintaintheliftingprograminterms ofweightresistanceandrepetitions thatIstartedwhenIcamehomefrom theKansasCityChiefsin2006!Ialso includetheuseofanOctane incumbentbike Ittakesrealselfdiscipline,whichI’mpleasedwas ingrainedinmebymyfather!

Photocredit:https://wwwchefpalakpatelcom

PhotoCredit:KirbyLee-USATODAYSports

Q:Haveyourmorningand eveningroutinechangedmuch overtheyears?

Obviously,mymorningandevening routineschangedalotsinceIretired fromcoaching.Nothingcompares withmorningandeveningcoaching experiences.Iamfortunatetoliveon alargepieceofgroundthatalways allowsmetheopportunitytofind somethingtodo.Overtheyears,I’ve investedalotoftimeinstudying leadershipstyles,aswellasinvesting timeindoingspeakingengagements Theseexperiencesgivemeateamto coachandstimulatemetokeep evaluatingeverythingIbelievein!My winebusiness,whichwasahobby thatfriendsandIturnedintoa

business in 2008, has also helped me keep my mind and my communication skills active

Q:Howimportantareshowing andsharingemotionstobeing aneffectiveleader?

Idon’tknowhowimportantitisto shareyouremotions,butIdorealize howimportantitistobeyourself.If beingemotionalispartofyourprofile, thenbeemotional,ifnot,bewhatyou areanyway Idobelieve,becauseI’ve beentoldbymany,theemotionalside ofmypersonalityhashelpedme connectmoresincerelywithpeople thanIwouldhaveotherwise!

What are five things you are grateful for?

#1, My wife, Carolyn Vermeil and my family #2, The people in my life that have molded me into what I am today. # 3, The opportunities people provide me with to do what I wanted to do. # 4, The assistant coaches that helped me be the best I could be. #5, The players I coached that took my coaching and leadership to a level I never dreamed of achieving.

Second female to fly solo for the Thunderbirds, Author, Fighter Pilot, Combat Veteran

Photocredit:wwwfacebookcom/TikiBarber

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Myfavoritewaytogivebackisto dedicatetimetohelpinggirlsand youngwomenfindtheirconfidence andchasetheirbigdreams.Thismeans beinguncomfortablyvulnerablewith myownstruggleswithselfdoubtinthe past,butI'vefoundthat'sthebestway toconnectwiththemandhavethe biggestimpact.

Q:Despitesubstantialsuccessin manydifferentdomainswhatdo youstillhopetoaccomplish?

Ihopetobringmymessagetoawider audienceandnormalizeeveryday peopledoingbadassthingssothat theyfeelliketheyarelivingoutdreams theyneverthoughtwerepossible.

“CONFIDENCE IS ESSENTIAL, BUT YOU ARE PART OF A TEAM, AND EVERYONE FOCUSES ON THE MISSION OVER THEMSELVES.”

-MACECURRAN

Q:Howdotheemotions comparebeforeaperformance withtheThunderbirdsand beforetakingabigstagefora keynote?Whatdoyoudoto remainfocusedandexcited versusnervous?

Thephysiologicalfeelingofnerveshas beenthesame.Onenoticeable differencenowisthatIcansayto myself,"What'stheworstthatcould happen?"beforeIgoonstage.Before flying,thatanswerdidn'tcalmany nerves.Stayingfocusedonallthe preparationIputin,thepositive impactI'mabouttohave,and rememberinghowmuchfunIhave doingitallowsmetogetupthere regardlessofthatslightlyanxious feelingbeforehand.

Q:Areyouafanofthemovies

TopGun&Maverick?Whatdid theygetrightandwrong?

Yes,they'reiconicandhavegiven morepeoplealookintotheworldof fighterpilotsthananythingelsehas. Maverickdidanamazingjobwiththe flyingfootagebeingshotinactual aircraft Thethingthatismost noticeablywrongtomeisthearrogant personalityofsomeofthepilots.In reality,confidenceisessential,butyou arepartofateam,andeveryone focusesonthemissionover themselves.

Q:Whatareyoumostproudof accomplishinginthemilitary andnowasanentrepreneur?

Surprisingly,it'snotthehighstakes flyingorbecomingaThunderbird Pilot Thosewerebothvehiclesthat allowedmetodothethingIammost proudof,bothinthemilitaryandasan entrepreneur.Thatistoimpactother peopleinapositiveandinspiringway.

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Myparentshavealwaysbeen steadfastintheirbeliefinwhatI'm capableof.Thathasbeencriticalfor metoaccomplishwhatIhave Otherwise,it'schangedthroughout mycareer,butit'salwaysbeen someonejustafewstepsaheadofme whoisforgingapathIwanttofollow.

Q:Howimportantwasitfor youtobreakboundariesasa femalefighterpilot?

Atfirstitwasn'taboutthatatall anditwassomethingIstruggled with Itfeltlikeaburdenandan extraresponsibilitythatIdidn't want.However,myviewonthat changedandIeventuallysawitas anopportunitytoshiftwhat womenandgirlsseeaspossiblefor themselvesandtoslowlychange genderbiasforthebetter.It's somethingI'mverymotivatedby now.

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Q:Whatroutineshaveyou foundtohavethebiggest impactonyourprofessional success?

Makingpersonalcareapriorityhas allowedmetooperateinademanding environmentforlongperiods.Eating healthy,7+hoursofsleep,andworking outseveraltimesaweekhelpsme dealwithstressmuchbetter.Outside ofthat,usinglistsandcreating processeslikeIhadinthecockpithas helpedkeepmeontrackinmy currentendeavor.

Q:Whatisthesignificanceof yourcallsign“MACE”?

Fighterpilotcallsignsoftencome fromamistakethatyoumadeasa youngpilot.Mineinvolvedbreaking thespeedofsoundwhenI shouldn'thave,pulling9Gs(9xthe forceofgravity)forwaylongerthan isrecommended,andinadvertently puttingmyselfindangerbecause ofit.It'sanacronymandIliketo shareexactlywhatitstandsforonly inperson IfyouseemeI'lltellyou thewholestory!

What are five things you are grateful for?

My healthy and fit body, the freedom I have as an entrepreneur, the platform I have to help others, my family, and the amazing support network of people who continue to show up for me

JON GORDON with...

Author of 28 books, Top 10

Keynote Speakers in the World, #1 consultant to CEOs, NFL, NBA, MLB, Coaches, Championship Teams and High Performers

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Iloveencouragingpeople.It'smy caringtrademark.Ioftentalkto teenagersorcollegestudentswhoare strugglingwiththeirmindsetand mentalhealth.I'lltalktothemonthe phoneandteachthemlessonsfrom TheOneTruth.Afteronetalk,they

completely change their thinking, see the world and themselves differently, and make a big shift. There's no better feeling than seeing this happen and watching them become empowered.

"DON'T COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER. COMPETE FOR EACH OTHER. MAKE EACH OTHER BETTER.”

-JONGORDON

Photocredit:JonGordonFacebook/

Q:Wheredoesyourpassionfor writingcomefrom?

It'smycalling.Ididn'tchooseit.It choseme.Atthepeakofmymisery afterlosingmyjobduringthedotcom crashin2001,Ilookeduptothe heavensandasked,"WhatwasIborn todo?"Ikidyounot,writingand speakingcametome,andinthat momentIdecidedthisiswhatIwas goingtodo.Ibeganwritingafterthat andhaven'tstopped.Eachbooktakes about31/2weekstowrite.Ilove writingandmakingadifference.Ilove encouragingothersthroughwords, spokenandwritten.

Q:AsaformerD1lacrosse playeratCornell,sportshave beensomethingyoustillseem drawnto.Whatmakessports socompellingtoyou?

Sportsareagreatlaboratoryfor principles,strategiesandapplication. WhenIworkwithacoachorspeakto ateam,youcanseewhetherthey embracetheprinciplesandstrategies duringtheseason.Youcanseea team'scultureonthefieldorcourt. Youcanseeiftheymaintainapositive mindset Ilovewatchingateamunite togetherandbecomeONEteam.Ilove watchingathletesovercometheir challengesandfeartotriumph.This wasmyjourneyasanathleteandI lovehowcompetingmakesusbetter I tellteamsallthetime,"Don'tcompete againsteachother.Competeforeach other.Makeeachotherbetter.”

Q:Aftersomanybestsellers howtoyoumaintainthesame levelofenthusiasmforeach newbook?

I'm creating that we will be launching that I'm excited about But really it's about continuing to do this work and impact more people, and help others do this work so we impact even more people

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

KenBlanchardwasandismymentor HewaswhoIwantedtobelikewhenI firstgotstarted.Wedidanevent togetherwhenhewas79yearsold andhewasstillshowingmewhatis possibleinthefuture

Q:Whatpersonalor professionalmountainshave youstillyettoclimb?

TherearestillbooksIwanttowrite andafewconferencesIwouldstilllike tospeakat.Therearealsoafewevents

It'stheideaIgetexcitedabout It'sthe storythatcomestome It'sthe unknown.Ioftendon'tknowwhatthe bookisfullygoingtobeabout.Ihave ageneralideaandsomeprinciples butthenthebookbeginstowrite itself It'susuallypainfulatfirst I'mnot usuallyenthusiasticatfirst.ButasIget goingandtheideasbegintoflowthen Igetexcited. PhotoCredit:JonGordon’sFacebook

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Q:Whatareyoumostproudof accomplishinginthepast12 months? I'mproudofthecertificationprogram wehaveputtogetherwherepeople

can now get certified to deliver workshops and keynotes based on The Energy Bus, Power of Positive Leadership and Power of a Positive Team. We are giving people the ability to make a big impact and even a living with my books, tools, principles and programs. It's been fun to watch people get certified and do this work in their organizations or other organizations People grow so much doing this work and I love seeing them grow.

Q:Youknowwhatittakestobe eliteandsuccessfulinthe hypercompetitiveworldof speakingandcoaching.It seemslikeapathyour daughterJadeislookingto makehermarkon.What advicedoyougiveher?

ItellJadetolovespeakingandlove theaudience.Itellhertonotworry aboutwhattheaudiencethinksof

you, but to just focus on making a difference and encouraging them We also talk about stories she can share and messages she wants to give. She really is a natural and it's been fun to watch her gain confidence and make a difference A client just reached out and shared how powerful her talk was and the impact she had. I loved hearing that.

Q:Haveyourmorningand eveningroutineschanged muchovertheyears?

Forthepast20yearsIwalkinthe morningandpracticegratitudeand pray It'srewiredmybrainfrom negativetopositiveandfueledmy soul.It'sthebestthingI'vedone.Every ideaforbookscomesonthosewalks. Sodopeaceandpower Thelastfew yearsIstartedliftingweightsagain andthathasbeenagamechanger.I feelsomuchstrongerandyounger.

CHAUNTÉ LOWE with...

TEDx Speaker, 4-Time Olympian, Speaker/Trainer, Medalist, American Record Holder, Breast Cancer Survivor

Photocredit:ChauntéLoweInstagram

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Myfavoritewaytogivebackisby pouringintopeople,lovingthem deeply,andshowingcompassion towardstheirneeds Ibelievethat investinginothersandoffering genuinesupportcanprofoundly impacttheirlives,fosteringpositive changeforallofus

Q:Youwereknownforyour celebratorydancemovesafter agreatjump.Ifyouwere invitedon“DancingWiththe Stars,”wouldyouaccept?

Thisistheeasiestquestionyet 100 percentyes ImustadmitIamvery rustynow,butlovedancingandwould welcometheopportunity.

“PERSEVERANCE AND DETERMINATION ARE KEY TO ACHIEVING SUCCESS, AND GIVING UP ENSURES THAT VICTORY REMAINS OUT OF REACH.”

-CHAUNTÉLOWE

Photocredit:MarcioJoseSanchez-TheAssociatedPress/

Q:Despitebattlingbreast cancer,youcontinuedtotrain inhopesofmakingyour5th Olympicteam.Howdidyoufind thestrengthanddetermination todothat?

WhenIwasdiagnosedwithbreast cancer,Icontinuedtotrainformyfifth OlympicsbecauseIwasmovedwith compassionforanyonefacinga similar,horriblediagnosis Duringthat time,Ilearnedthatearlydetectionwas ourgreatestresource.Ifeltthatby gettingbackinfrontofthecameras onthebiggestsportingstage,Icould sharemystoryandraiseawareness abouttheimportanceofearly detection.Forthefirsttime,Ididn’t careaboutmedalsbutinsteadcared aboutinspiringmaybeonewomanor mantogetcheckedandmaybe savingalife.Thishopegotmeoutof bedeachandeverydayandgaveme thestrengthtotrain.

Q:Whatareyoumostproudof accomplishinginthepastyear?

IammostproudofthewayIservemy clients.I’veworkedhardtobuildan excellentreputationofpeoplefirst withmyclients,andthefeedbackI’ve receivedletsmeknowit'sworking.So manyofthelessonslearnedasa4timeOlympian,andMedalist,while alsobeingamotherofthree,have translatedverywellintothebusiness world.Theyhaveprovedtobeof monumentalvaluetothe organizationsthatIgettoworkwith.

Photocredit:ChauntéLoweInstagram

Q:Wheredoesyourresiliency comefrom?

Myresiliencycomesfromalways hopingforabetterfutureforusalland mydeepfaithinChrist.This unwaveringhopeandspiritual foundationprovidethestrengthto overcomechallengesandstay groundedindifficulttimes.I consistentlysetgoalsandthosegoals bringmelife Itismyjoytowork towardsthe“unreachable”everyday. Mybeliefisthattheonlywayto guaranteefailuretowardthosegoalsis togiveupbeforeIreachthefinishline. Perseveranceanddeterminationare keytoachievingsuccess,andgivingup ensuresthatvictoryremainsoutof reach.

Q:You’vebecomeavery accomplishedandsoughtafter publicspeaker.Arethere similaritiesbetweenbeing greatintrackandfieldand takingbigstages?

IlovetoperformandIloveengaging audiences!Inthoseways,speakingis thesame.However,Iloveteaching, makingpeoplelaugh,andcausing themtofeeldeeply.Thisiswhere speakinghelpsmeexpressadditional passionsthatIwasnotabletoutilize whilecompeting.Iamsoinlovewith mynewcareerandlookforwardtoall oftheaudiencesthatIwillgettomeet inthefuture!

Q:Doyoureflectbackmuchon yourmajoraccomplishments likeyourOlympicmedal performanceoryourUShigh jumprecordperformance?

Everyonceinawhile,Ithinkbackto the“glorydays”oftrackandfield,but notinawaythatIamlookingto recapturethatfeeling,butwitha gratefulnessforallthatIwasblessed toexperience Igrewupinpovertyand neverthoughtIwouldrideonaplane, letalonetraveltheworld.Iamso thankfulthattrackandfieldwasthe vehicletoopensomanybeautiful doorsinmylife Iamalsogratefulfor thelessonsinmentalfortitude developedfromadversityand overcoming.Iammuchstronger becauseIlearnedhowtocompetein sportsatsuchahighlevel

Q:Nowthatyourathletic careerisover,hasyour morningandeveningroutine changedmuch?

Whatmakesyouthinkmyathletic careerisover(Wink,wink)?!Iamsure Iwillbeanathletemyentirelife.I’ve learnedthatIamhappiestwhenIam strongandfitandcansetandachieve challengingfitnessgoals.Withthat said,Iamcurrentlyweighingmy optionsofwhatisnextandwhat fitnessover40canlooklike!

Q:Whatunfinishedbusiness keepsyoumotivated?

Rightnow,successformykidsiswhat keepsmemotivated.Tomeajobwell doneasamotherincludeschildren thatarethrivingmentally,emotionally, athletically,physicallyandspiritually. It’sprobablymyhardestandmost ambitiousgoal,buttheonethat meansthemosttomyhusbandand me!

What are five things you are grateful for?

My family, my friendships, my faith, my health, and the platform to share hope!

Green Beret Veteran, Former Texas Longhorn, Former Seattle Seahawk, Speaker, Actor

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Myfavoritewayofgivingbackis definitelysomethingpersonalthatIcan tangiblyseeortouch.Ithinktimeisthe mostimportantoneorthebestone, becausethat'sthehardestone,tobe completelyhonest Ilikespendingtime withthepeoplethatImeantohelp So whetherthat'swithMVPorWaterboys orwhateverorganizationoreventthat isgoingon,Idefinitelywanttobeable tospendtimewiththepeopleorwith thesituationthatthey'reworkingon

Q:DecoratedGreenBeret,walkonatoneofthemoststoried collegiatefootballteamsofall time,NFLentrepreneur, successfulactor.Youseemlike yougravitatetowardssituations thatarestressful.Mostpeople runawayfromthat,butyourun intothefire.Whydoyouthink thatis?

It'sexciting.It'swheretheneedmost oftenis.Iwanttobeutilized,andIam

“FEAR DRIVES ME TO NOT ALLOW REGRET TO CREEP IN. I THINK THAT IS WHAT PROPELS ME ON A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING.”

-NATEBOYER

definitely one of those people where, if I know there are others out there putting themselves on the line in some way, I want to be right there with them. And so when there is an opportunity to serve or fight for something and you can be on the front lines and you're of sound body and mind, and your skills wouldn't diminish the mission in some way, then I want to be there I want to be at the forefront and doing the dirty work.

Q:Whatarethoseprofessional andpersonalmountainsthat youstillwanttoclimb?

Idowanttohaveafamilyoneday.I'm 43,andI'mnotreallygettingcloseto that,whichiscrazy,butIdowanttodo that So,youknow,that'sgoingtotake showingup,that'sgoingtotakesome changesanddecisionsandsacrifices, moresacrificesthanI'veevermadeifI wanttodothatright.Personally,that's abigone Andprofessionally,atleast asofnow,IfeellikeI'vereallysettled intothisstorytellingpartofmylife.

Sobuildingonthestorytellingpartof myjourney,becauseIstillknowso littleaboutit.Ilookatsomeofthe projectsI'mworkingon,thepeopleI’m gettingtoworkwith,andI'mjustin aweofwhat'soutthereandwhat's possible

Photocredit:wwwnateboyerorg Photocredit:wwwnateboyerorg

Q:Howhasyourmindset playedaroleinyoursuccessin allthedifferentdomainsthat youplayedin,frombeingan actor,tomilitary,tofootball?

Talkaboutthatalittlebit,ifyou can.

Ialwayslookbackattheageof23 becausethatwaswhenmymindset startedtochange Alotofthatwas justmeshowingup,andputting myselfoutthere,sortofgoingafter andleaningintothethingsthatwere ofinteresttomeorthatwere challengesthatIwouldgravitate towardsforwhateverreason Itstarted withmytriptoDarfuranddoingrelief workoverthere,whichledmetothe military.Youknow,911happenedafew yearsbeforethatanddefinitelygotme thinkingaboutit

IfeltlikeIwouldbealiability,andthat theywouldn'twantmethere,untilI wentonthattrip IwenttoAfricaand did60daysofreliefwork WhatIwas doingwasverysimple.Iwasplaying withkidsandhelpingpassoutfood rations.

Iwashelpingrebuildsomeofthetent structuresoutthereintheregion.And somuchofthisisshowingup.Ithelps tohaveagoodattitudeandithelpsto beprepared;allofthesethings Do yourresearch,doyourhomework, train.Forwhetherit'sphysical,mental, whateverthatis.Butreally,ifyoujust

Q:Whatmotivatesyouto constantlystrivetohelpothers andreallymaketheworlda betterplace?

Ithinkalotofthatcomesfrom knowingthatIneedhelp,thatIcan't dothingsalone Ineedpeople AndI lovewhensomebodyIlookupto reachesoutorshowsupfor somethingthatI'vegotgoingon,or offersahandorwhateverthatlooks like,becauseweallneedit

showup,thingsoftenstarttokindof fallintoplace,andyoustarttobuild thisbeliefthatyoucandoit. Photocredit:wwwnateboyerorg

Photocredit:https://wwwchefpalakpatelcom/

We all need help. We cannot do this life thing alone. We can do some things alone, and some things we should do alone, but not everything That's an opportunity for me to do the same thing and just kind of give some of that love back that I've been blessed with

Q:Whohavebeenthebiggest mentorsinyourlife?

Myparents,andthat'sprobablyavery genericanswer,buttheyreallyhave Andithasn'talwaysbeenwithwords Iamsoluckytohavetheparents,and honestlythesiblings(whoareboth youngerthanme),thatIhave, becausethey'reincrediblepeople

Mymomwasoneofthefirst,ifnotthe first,womaninherPhDprogramat CalBerkeley.She'sanenvironmental engineer Sheworkedveryhardtoget tothatplace Andmydadwasa racehorseveterinarianandworkedat thesametrackforabout40years,ten to12hourdays,sevendaysaweek.

Helovedhisjob,andhelovedhis familymore.Hewouldalwaysfinda waytojustsomehowmake everythingwork.

Q:Whatscaresyou?

Deathscaresme,tobecompletely honest.Andit'snottheactofdying, butIthinkjusttheunknownceasing toexist Andeternity,youknow,if that'swherewego,Godwilling, whateverthatlookslike.Justthe thoughtofitjustending,anditjust beingover,beingforgotten,those kindsofthingswhichfeelselfish

Andsowiththatfear,itdrivesmeto notallowregrettocreepin.AndI thinkthatiswhatpropelsmeonalot ofthethingsthatI'mdoing

Q:Whatroutineshaveyou foundtohavethebiggest impactonyourlife,personally, professionally,thatyou'vegot thathelpgetyouthroughthe day?

IhavetopushmyselfphysicallyorI willeasilyfallintoakindofamental rut;sometimesanemotionalrut,too. Andsomedaysyouneedtorest,of course ButifI'mable,everydaypart ofmyroutineistofindawaytogo sweat;togoexerciseandgokindof pushmyself.It'snotatacertaintime, I'lladjustitoffof,youknow,meetings orprojectsorwhateverI’vegotgoing

Q:Whatareyoumostproudof accomplishinginthelast twelvemonths? That'sagreatquestion.Probablythis D-Daydocumentary. Gettingoutto Normandyforthe80thanniversaryof D-Day,andspendingtimewithsome oftheselegendsandhavingthe opportunitytohelpcarrytheirlegacy forward,that'sareallyspecialthing forme I'mveryproudtobeapartof theteamthat'sdoingthat

What are five things you are grateful for?

I'm definitely grateful for my family. I'm grateful for my country, as complicated as it is and imperfect as it is. I really am. I'm grateful for my health, both physical and mental, as well as emotional and spiritual. I spend a lot of time with people who don't have those things, and I'm very grateful to have them. Those are the obvious ones. So one small one; my coffee in the morning.

You know what else I am grateful for? Football, and football season is upon us. But if there is time to expand on that at all, it's just sports in general. They bring people together. They're so powerful. I’m grateful for those that sacrifice, whatever that looks like; people that are willing to sacrifice everything for others. But those people really inspire me to keep going; that selflessness So I am grateful for the sacrifice of others on,butIhavetofindawaytogo sweat,youknow,togoexerciseand gokindofpushmyself

CEO of JoClub, Podcast Host, Travel Host

Photocredit:https://jofrancoworld/

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Iloveaskingdeepquestionsoutofpure curiosity.

Ifindthatpeopledon'tlistentoeach otherasmuchastheyshouldorcould. It'sreallyhealingtofeelseenina conversationbyboththequestionaskerandthereceiver Photocredit:https://jofrancoworld/

In daily interactions, we can "give back" by showing our genuine care and curiosity about how others are doing, which includes empathizing with what they're going through and trying our best to understand them. I do this with JoClub sessions, live journaling through my company, JoClub, and the tiny everyday exchanges with people I pass throughout the day.

“THERE'S NOTHING LIKE WRITING WITH PAPER AND PEN TO SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHEN IT'S TIME TO LET GO, MOVE ON, AND TRY NEW THINGS.”

-JOFRANCO

Q:Travelissuchabigpartof yourlife.Formany,travel(from planningtopacking)canbe verystressful.Whatshould peopledotoenjoytheentire processoftravel?

Travelisagreatpatterninterrupt.It'sa timetoaskyourself,whatdoIreally love?What'sworthmegoingoutof mywaytoexperience,eat,see,and connectwith?Travelisalsothebest educationforstreetsmarts,which you'dneverlearninaclassroomor textbook.Embracingthatlearner's mindsetistheonlywaytomaketravel "lessstressful"

Weallknowwedon'tlearnincomfort, andtravelteststhistheorytimeand timeagain.Agoodlaughalsonever hurts Whenyou'reoverwhelmed,find thesmallestandeasiestwaytoturn yoursituationintocomedy.And rememberthatyourfutureselfwill alwaysthankyouforpushingyourself outofyourcomfortzone

Q:JoClubisacommunity dedicatedtojournaling.Why hasjournalingbeenso importanttoyou?

Ididn'tknowthiswhenIstartedwhen Iwasaroundeightyearsold,but journalingislikeacheatcodeto buildingabetterrelationshipwith yourself.Itboostsyourself-confidence becauseyoustartseeingthatyou,in fact,dokeepyourword,evenifthe projecttakesafewyears.

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And in the words of Anne Frank, "paper is more patient than people" Journaling is an amazing tool to vent in a safe space. But it's especially useful for expressing positive aspects of life It teaches you how to look at small details and see their beauty and meaning.

When I first started journaling, it was to waste ink writing about boys who didn't "like me," but as I grew into an entrepreneur and struggled to find my talents and voice in the world, my journal always reminded me that I did have a voice even if it didn't fit into any boxes I had seen before.

Writing proved that my voice mattered enough to make a practice of sitting quietly and giving it time to express itself.

Before I knew it, I had created a guidebook for myself Today, I have journals and journals of experiences that I want to preserve forever. I learn daily what I love, what I don't like, who is no longer positive for me to invest in relationships with, and the kinds of people I want to attract into my life.

And the best part? I take action. There's nothing like writing with paper and pen to show you exactly when it's time to let go, move on, and try new things.

Q:Learninganewlanguageis dauntingformanypeople. Whatarethestepspeople shouldtaketostartthe process?

Startbyunderstandingthiswillbe incrediblyhard.It'sjustlikegoingto thegymwhenyou'recompletelyout ofshape.Youmightfeelashamed,but ifyoukeepgoing,you'llprogressover time Learningalanguageisalsosuch ahumansuperpower.Itshowsyou "secretlevels"tolifethatyou'dnever getaccesstootherwise.

Some easy steps to get you started:

1. Take inventory of what you do naturally and translate it For instance, if you love podcasts, find an easy language podcast. If you're into yoga, search for a yoga class in that language on YouTube. Are you a series binger? Find a show in your target language and watch it with subtitles.

Photocredit:https://wwwchefpalakpatelcom PhotoCredit:https://joclubworld/

2. Expose yourself to daily input. There's a belief that you have to be in the place where it's spoken to learn the language, but I disagree with that. While yes it's faster, it's still possible to learn wherever you are in the world The key is daily input My Flemish dramatically increased in Connecticut because I watched four seasons of a show in Dutch, with Dutch subtitles.

3. Find accountability partners. Whether you schedule sessions with a tutor or join a community (like JoClub Fluent), it's extremely important to create an accountability loop for yourself. It's too easy to fall off. That's why finding accountability buddies makes all the difference.

Q:Whatare3ofyourfavorite traveldestinationsandwhat madethemsomemorable?

1 RiodasOstras,Brazil Thisisthe beachtownIgrewupinasakid It justfeelsandsmellslikehome.

2.Naxos,Greece.It'samagicalisland intheMediterranean.Greatpeople, greatfood,andIfoundapinkcastle whereIhostretreatswithaGreek mamawhotreatsmelikeher daughter.

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Mymomstruggledsomuchtogive usopportunitieshereintheUSA,and watchingherfightchangedmeasa kid.Becauseofhertenacity,I'mnot afraidofachallenge.Mygrandparents taughtmeconsistencyandhowto buildalegacy.Mysiblingstaughtme howtopracticemytalentsasoftenas possible.

I'vealsohadgreatmentorswhohave stayedinmylifeforoveradecade. Thedeanofthebusinessschool initiallyshotdownmyideaasan entrepreneurandthentookbackhis words.Apsychologistwhobecame

3 Alaskainsummer There'snothing likethemidnightsuntomakeyou feelthisplanetisextraordinary. PhotoCredit:https://jofrancoworld//

like a sister to me when I was a freshman in college after I randomly asked to treat her to coffee to learn what she did. And, of course, authors of books that have shaped me to take action on my finances and business goals and to value life's finitude as often as possible.

Mentors are everywhere and are key to evolving beyond where you could go on your own.

Q:What’sonyourtravelbucket list?

SouthKorea,Vietnam,Bolivia,and placesIdon'tevenknowaboutyet. I'malwayshappytogotoaplace whereIspeaksomeofthelanguage becauseitgivesyouanentirely differentexperience So,it'stimeto brushuponmyKorean.

Q:Whatareyoumostproudof accomplishinginthepast12 months?

GrowingmyteaminJoCluband supportingthemtobeleadersand growthiscompanybeyondanythingI couldbuildalone.It'sreallyinsaneto thinkyoucanturnapassionintoa businessandfindsuperstarswhonot onlybelieveinthemissionbutcare enoughtoputrealeffortintomaking itbetter.

I'vealsomovedtoBelgiumwitha professionalvisaandamopeninga companyhere I'malsoshockedthat I'lltrulybe"aninternational businesswoman."Thetaxesarea nightmare,butlittleJowouldn'thave believedmeifItoldherwedidthis, especiallyinacountryknowntohave aninsanebarriertoentryfor entrepreneurs.ANDinFlemish!I'm mind-blownatwhat'spossibleinone lifetime.

Q:Howdidthewayyougrew upcontributetothelifeyou livetoday?

ThegritIhadtolearnasakidgrowing upintheUSA,havingtolearnEnglish asasix-year-old,havingtoclean houseswithmymomonthe weekendswhileotherkidswatched cartoons...Itallshapedme.Ilearned whathardworkcouldgetyouand whatitwascapableofbuilding,but onlyifyouworkedconsistently.Isaw whattakingriskscouldcreateand whatmovingabroadandstepping intoascarynewworldgaveyou accessto

Eventually, through the fog of discomfort, I saw time and time again how much more beauty and progress was on the other side

You can't see past uncertainty. But if deep down, you crave more, living in what you know because it's safe is not truly living And even when you miss the bus, make that language error, or get your heart broken, it's all still part of the journey to move you toward your wildest dreams

They come true. Take it from me.

College Football Hall of Fame 2015, Legendary Kansas State Coach, Mentor, Leader, and Community Servant

Photocredit:MarkJ Rebillas-USATodaySports

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Kindness Offertohelp Assistwithout beingasked.Findsolutionstoproblems ofothers.Seekoutdifficultiesofothers andhelpthem.Bringspecialpeople intotheirlives

Q:Wheredoesyourpassionfor givingbackcomefrom?

Mymother Sheisthemostcaringand compassionatepersonI'veeverknown.

“SEEK OUT DIFFICULTIES OF OTHERS AND HELP THEM.”

-BILLSNYDER

Q:Whatisthemostimportant elementtoturningalosing teamintoawinningteam?

Havingapassionatedesiretosucceed andtohelponeanother.

Q:Whataccomplishmentare youmostproudof?

Helpingraise5amazingchildren

Q:Howimportantwasittobe enshrinedintheCollege FootballHallofFame?

Itwasatrulyspecialandmeaningful honor.

Q:Whowereyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Mymother,mygrandfather,andmy collegefootballcoach.

Q:Whatarethekeysto sustainingyouryouthfulness wellintoyour80’s?

Continuingmycareer--andhavingan engagingwife!

Photocredit:APPhoto/CharlieRiedel

Q:Whatarethemostimportant attributestobeinganeffective leader?

Honesty,caring,hardwork, enthusiasm,16wildcatgoalsfor success

Q:Haveyourmorningand eveningroutineschanged muchovertheyears?

No,theyhavestayedpretty consistent.

What are five things you are grateful for?

Family, friends, faith, career, and players

RILEY TEJCEK with...

United States Marine Corps Captain, Team USA

Bobsled Pilot, Ms. Military 2024

Q:Whatisyourfavoritewayto giveback?

Ilovetogivemytime,lessonslearned andresourcestoasmanypeopleasI can!Iwholeheartedlybelievethattime isthegreatestgiftyoucangive,and theabilitytomentoryounger generationsofwomenismyfavorite thingtodo.EspeciallywhenIsee youngergenerationshavequestions aboutenteringthemilitary,Iloveto schedulecallsormeetinpersonto breakdowntheprocess,provide resources,andansweranyquestions theyhave

Q:Whatmadeyouwanttojoin theUnitedStatesMarineCorp.? Iwantedtojointhenation’sbest,and theUSMChasthehighestphysical standardsandtheleastamountof womenserving.Iwantedtojointhe bestandtopaveawayformore womentojoin Ineversawafemale officergrowingupandmygoalistobe afacefortheyouthtoseethatthe militaryisanincredibleplacefor everyone,butespeciallywomen,tobe successful.

“I HAVE TO SHARPEN MY MIND CONSTANTLY TO CREATE POSITIVE SELF-TALK AS A HABIT AND DISMISS THE FEAR AND NEGATIVITY.” -RILEYTEJCEK

Q:Howdidyouchoosethe sportofbobsleddingandhow doyoutrainfortheOlympicsin awintersportwhenyou’rein 110degreeheatinBaghdad?

IwasaD1collegiatesoftballplayerand loveliftingheavyweightsand sprinting IwasintroducedtoBobsled fromaformerGeorgeWashington softballalumniwhoisanOlympian andfellinlovewithit!Ilovethespeed, adrenaline,andtheprecisionittakes todriveabobsled90mph Itisnot idealconditionstrainingin110-120 degreetemperaturesbutitcalledfor 0500morningsprintandweightlifting sessionstomadesureIstayedtrained andreadyformysportduring deployment.

Q:YouwerenamedMs.Military, howdidthatcomeaboutand whathaveyoulearned?

Thiswasanotherexampleofgoing afterthingsIhadneverdonebefore.I wasreachedouttothroughsocial mediaabouttheMs Militarypageant I learnedthatregardlessofyour backgroundandnomatterhow unqualifiedyoufeel,towalkintothe roomlikeyouownitwithconfidence andportrayyourmessage authenticallyanditwillresonatewith people.Ihavebeensoblessedtohave wornthecrownandtohaveseenthe looksonlittlegirls’faceswhena femalecanlookbeautifulinacrown whilealsowearingauniform

Q:You’veaccomplishedmore inyour20’sthanmany peopledoinalifetime.What areyouexcitedabouttaking oninthefuture?

IhavesomuchmoreIplanon doinginthefuture!Inthecoming months,myfirstchildren’sbookwill bepublishedandIamalready workingonmysecond!Inaddition, Iwanttofindwaystoincorporate motivationalspeakingwithfitness, sostaytunedforaspeaking engagementtourhopefullyinthe nextseveralyears.Lastly,Iamso excitedtoraiseafamilyand pouringintotheyouth.

Q:Whohavebeenyourbiggest mentorsinlife?

Asclicheasitmightsound,my parentshavebeenmybiggest mentors Myfatherwasaprofessional baseballplayerandintherealmof sportsandmilitaryhasmentoredme inthementalandphysicalsideof pushingtomylimits.Mymotherisa self-madeverysuccessfulbusiness womanwhocamefromnothing.She mentoredmeontheimportanceof academicsanddemonstratedwhat womenarecapableofinmale dominatedindustries Inaddition,I havereliedheavilyonmypastorsat churchasmymoralcompass throughoutlife.

Photocredit:https://wwwchefpalakpatelcom/

Q:Whatscaresyou?

Mybiggestfearislettingothersdown

Mygoalistobethefirstfemale MarineintheOlympicsandIhaveso manypeoplesupportingmealong theway.MakingtheGamesisgoing tobeextremelychallengingasthe USAhasamazingBobsledathletes Myfeariseveryonewhopouredso muchintomemightnotseeme makeit.However,IhavesaidIwill neverlivebyfearbutinsteadbebold andcourageous,soIdonotletthat fearpreventmefrompursingthis dream.

Q:Whatareyournonnegotiableseveryday?

Rent’sdueeveryday Whatthat meansiseveryday,Ihavetobetter myselfandpaymydueswhich includephysicalfitnesstraining, complimentingothersandreading

my Bible. I will stay physically, mentally and spiritually disciplined every day!

Q:Howimportantismindsetto doingallofthethingsyoudo andhowdoyoumaintaina positivemindsetdespitethe intensestressesyoufaceon thedaily?

Thementalsideoflifeisthemost importanttome.Whatyoutell yourself,youwillquicklybelieve.I havetosharpenmymindconstantly tocreatepositiveself-talkasahabit anddismissthefearandnegativity.I worktomaintainthisbysurrounding myselfwithmytribeofpeoplewho pourintomeandliftmeup,reading inspiringstories,beingpluggedinto mychurchandfaith,andreflectingon allthegifts,regardlessofhowsmall theyare,thatIamaffordeddaily.

What are five things you are grateful for?

My faith in Jesus, the ability to compete and represent my country in the military and sport, the wealth of friendship and love from family, the ability to share my story to impact others, and lastly all the hardships I have gone through because they have made me who I am today.

"Life is short. And we know that that can sound cliche, right? But it really goes by so fast, and all the time spent worrying about what other people think is wasted time."

-Laila Ali

Forget the mold Laila Ali has always defied expectations. Described as "feisty" by some, her rebellious streak sets her apart from her siblings. But where did this fire come from? We delve into her upbringing and discover the spark that ignited her independent spirit and drive to succeed on her own terms

Unlike most, Laila was born with a strong sense of self. It wasn't just about wanting things done her way; it was about a deep conviction in her own feelings and a willingness to stand up for them Growing up, questioning everything with a relentless "Why?" shaped her into a passionate and outspoken child. All these elements collided to create the feisty spirit that would propel her forward.

We'll explore how this fire fueled her rise to boxing champion and continues to drive her entrepreneurial ventures today. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

- Scott MacGregor

You grew up a bit of a rebel, some would say an outlier. You describe yourself as feisty. Your siblings, from what I heard, are not quite like that. Where did that feistiness come from?

Laila: It's hard to say exactly where my feistiness came from And you're correct, all of my siblings are not like me But I think that we're all born with a certain temperament. And you know, I also had that rebel without a cause kind of thing going on when I was a kid. I think that came from me just having really strong feelings about how I wanted to do things, how I thought things should be done, and I was just willing to stand up for myself That didn't always go over well with adults, you know, coming from a kid, because as a kid, people expect you to kind of always listen regardless of whether you agree or not Right? And I wasn't that kid at all I had a lot of questions But why? But why? But why? And all of this kind of just came together into one feisty child.

You have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, from starting a nail salon when you were in your late teens to building your lifestyle brand today. What made entrepreneurship appealing back then and what makes it appealing today? What do you find most challenging about being an entrepreneur?

Laila: I like to be in control of my destiny. I like to feel like, you know, I'm going to get out whatever it is that I put in, and I wouldn't have been able to express that as a child When I look back

and think, it was that control, that independence, that promise-- because I could always bet on me, right? I always felt like I'm gonna get it done and if I don't know how to do it, I'm gonna find somebody who does. I'm gonna get the answers, I'm gonna keep getting better, I'm gonna learn I was willing to put in the work from a very young age And I did start the nail salon, but even before then, my very first business was when I was twelve and I started a housekeeping service in the neighborhood, where I made flyers And I was like, you know what, I'm going to pass these flyers out. It's like $20. I'll clean your house. Now, mind you, I'm a kid and I'm not thinking, who's going to actually hire a kid to clean their house? But, hey, I got one phone call. I remember showing up, and the guy opened his door, and he saw that I was a kid, I guess, and was like, "just wipe down the counters " And he gave me my $20 and sent me on my way So that business didn't last long, but just this idea of, I want to be independent I want to make money how can I do it? And I just devised a plan, and that's pretty much how it all started

What makes it appealing today? Because that gave you independence back then; maybe an independence that you no longer need. But what makes that, so many years later, still an appealing road for me to go down? I have ideas and I have goals, and those come together. Right now, it's products. My real mission is to help people live a healthier lifestyle, to be the best version that they can be That's my passion The entrepreneur in me is like, how can I turn this into a business? Because I know that what I want to do in my life is focus on the things that make me happy, focus on my gifts and my passions So if I can parlay that into a business, then

Even though people may not realize it, it takes a tremendous amount of pressure off when you can just say to yourself, I have good intentions, I'm a good person, and I'm going to do my best. That's it. Win, lose, draw, it doesn't matter.

all the better. There's obviously a lot to be learned along the way, a lot of work, but that's just the basis of it right there. Just that mindset that I can create something and I can make it stand out from what anybody else is doing in my own way And that's really something that's always stayed with me after I started boxing and retired from boxing, that's when I was like, okay, what am I going to do now? What am I going to do that really gets that fire going again? And then I realized that I'm always helping my family and friends behind the scenes with meal plans and giving them health advice and all these things. So, how can I turn this into a business? And that's how Laila Ali Lifestyle came about.

What do I find most challenging about being an entrepreneur? That, you know, at the end of the day, no matter how confident you are, there is no real promise that something's going to be successful That's a challenge overall But at the same time, I would say one of my personal biggest challenges is being able to filter out the opportunities, because as an entrepreneur, you're like, oh, I can do this and I can do that, and that'll work. And people come with different ideas, or you have your own ideas, but you can't take hold of all of them. And sometimes there's an order in which things need to be done, or you can spread yourself too thin, so you have to be able to say no, or put things on hold, or have your priorities in order. But sometimes you just get so excited, right, that you go start something new, and then it takes energy away from other areas, of course So that's my challenge I'm not saying that's everyone's challenge, but that's my particular challenge

Early in your boxing career, you became the super middleweight champion of the world. And I'm curious if it was a relief, a celebratory moment, something you knew that was going to happen, or all of the above.

Laila: All of the above, except relief. I knew it was going to happen, so it wasn't like, oh, God, thank God it happened I knew it was going to happen It was just a matter of time When I first entered into the sport, I realized that this was going to be a big deal, right? Muhammad Ali's daughter I never wanted to live my life publicly That was inner turmoil, figuring that out. And I got past that. And then, of course, I just kind

of assessed the situation. I was watching all these other fighters, and I was like, oh, yeah, I can get her I can get her, right? But I had to actually do the work that it would take So I knew who I was coming for I knew I was going to end up taking their titles And my goal in boxing was to stay undefeated, and just be a winner and just win Every single time And that's something that I was able to do So I actually have five titles. Funny story. You're one of the first people I've actually said this to. I realized, you know what? I'm actually a five time champion because I have a belt at light heavyweight as well, but because I didn't really fight at that weight class I just kind of never really acknowledged it much, but I have it. That's when you just got too many belts. You look at my Boxing Hall of Fame records, everybody just keeps saying, four times, four times, four times I'm not going to go back and try to change it now, but I actually have five

So, you became a boxer after seeing Christy Martin fight and in your eight-year professional career with five world titles, you finished your career 24-0, 21 knockouts. You're enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Many people consider you the greatest female boxer of all time. When you look back, what do you think?

Photocredit:https://lailaalicom/

Laila: I set out, literally, and I'm sure I could find interviews, footage, something, somewhere even in my book, which I see behind you– thank you, to be the best in my weight class and to be undefeated I never sought to be the greatest, and it might be because my dad is the greatest, and I see my dad as the greatest, and that's just not my thing. I just don't have a desire for people

Photocredit:https://lailaalicom/

to call me the greatest I don't I think that everyone has an opinion, which will change with time as more fighters come along You see that now Everyone's the goat, the goat, the goat Everybody's the goat now It's like, you can't Everybody can't be the goat. Everyone can't be the greatest. You're watering it down by saying it so much. But forget that rant. But back to what I was saying. For me, it was being the best and being unbeatable. So I was definitely the best at my time, in my weight class. I'm undefeated. I'm a world champion, and I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish in the sport That's what's important to me Not everybody's opinion of who they think is the best

Your competence, your work ethic, and just your presence, I think, are legendary. Where did that, where did that come from?

Laila: That's just something within me that came from God, you know, came from a higher place. I think that, and I recognize that, I have a presence. And I recognize, I mean, everyone does to some extent, right? Whatever vibe you're giving off, it may not be a good one, it may not be a confident one Everybody has some sort of presence; some of them are just forgettable, right? But I think that me being able to prove to myself over the years; that I've been able to accomplish the things that I set out to do is what has given me this tremendous pride and this feeling of invincibility against the challenges of life. Because I feel like we never know what's coming around that corner, but I'm going to go into everything with good intentions, and knowing that I'm going to do my best, no matter what. That's all I have to be responsible for And that takes a tremendous amount of pressure off Even though people may not realize it, it takes a tremendous amount of pressure off when you can just say to yourself, I have good intentions, I'm a good person, and I'm going to do my best That's it Win, lose, draw, it doesn't matter. I'm going to do my best. You just have to be 100% sure of that every single day.

You wrote about finding strength, spirit, and personal power when you were 23. So 23 years later what are the most valuable lessons that you've learned?

Laila: Thanks for doing the math. I'm horrible at it. I think one of the most

valuable lessons that I've learned in my life is that life is short And we know that that can sound cliche, right? But it really goes by so fast, and all the time spent worrying about what other people think is wasted time. But so many people do that. And I'm not necessarily saying this from my own experience, because I think we all care what people think to some extent, right? It doesn't matter what you think or what you admit Shall I say we all care to some extent And I didn't I didn't care as much as most people growing up But I would say that I see in my life that so many people hold themselves back, and I can learn from them Like, oh, man I don't want to do that I hear people who are older than me, and they have all these regrets. So that's my thing, I don't want to have regrets. I don't want to have regrets when it comes to raising my children and being present in their lives, because I had a certain experience when your dad's the greatest of all time, traveling around the world freeing hostages and shaking hands and kissing babies, you miss out on some things growing up, you know, and that's just not something I complain about, because there are sacrifices that have to be made for the greater good But I personally want to be there for my children, and I want to be able to pursue my passions To sum it up, life is short You really need to focus on your passions, your goals, and not care about what other people think, because that's just wasted time. And the time goes by so quickly. And now being that I'm looking back, it feels like just yesterday I was in the gym training, but then I wake up and my body's aching, and I’ve got pains I never had before, and I'm like, oh, wait, yeah, you're 46

You're a very accomplished cook. You've appeared on Chopped AllStar twice and walked away a winner both times. You wrote a beautiful book called Food for Life. You won an Emmy for your show Home Made Simple. In addition, you created a wildly popular spice blend line that's won rave reviews. So I'm curious, what is your favorite meal to cook for yourself, and then what's your favorite meal to cook for family and friends?

Laila: That is such a hard question for someone who cooks every day. What I love to do is just take ingredients that I have and make a meal out of it. That's something I've been doing for many, many years. So, I am a real cook, meaning that I don't need recipes Nothing's wrong with recipes A lot of times when I have a recipe, I'll think, how do they make that? Okay, then I make my own version I don't really follow recipes unless it's baking That's a little different But for just cooking, I like to put my own twist

So for me, I love cooking vegetables, and flavoring them up. And for my family, I love cooking comforting foods that the kids love, whether it's chicken tenders, mac and cheese, spaghetti, but making them healthier. So, for spaghetti or mac and cheese, I'll take some zucchini and take the skin off and puree it and then add it to the sauce So just little things like that, just so they can get their vegetables and their fiber in Those are the things that really make me happy

What was more difficult, the mental and physical training and performing in the ring, or Dancing With the Stars?

Laila: Well, if we start from the beginning of boxing, when I first went to it, then it was definitely physically harder than dancing But Dancing With The Stars was definitely one of the hardest things that I've ever done because it was just kind of not natural for me to come out of my comfort zone to do it And I've never had to rely on a partner to win So, as an athlete with my athlete mindset, I'm a champion. I'm here, I'm in shape. I'm fit, and now I have to go do this live with a partner that I have to let lead me. That was very hard, mentally. Physically, it wasn't that hard. I mean, it's hard because you're doing something different with your body that you hadn't before, but the mental side of it is really hard. And week after week after week after week and learning these new dances and dealing with production and all that But, again, what I saw was the vision of how having that platform was going to help me with the goals that I had And that's what kept me going So, for me, I always kind of envisioned the end, envisioned the end result, and it kept me going. It wasn't, “Oh, this is so fun. I just want to dance” It was, “I'm here for a purpose, and my goal is to make it to the last show, to get all that air time and be in that final three.” And I was, so mission accomplished.

“Out of all the millions and billions of people in the world, there's only one you. So embrace who you are.”

I read that for almost 30 years, your father held the Guinness world record as the most written about person in history, which is crazy. But despite that, what's something that people might overlook or maybe not know?

Laila: There are so many things I think that people don't realize that it’s hard because he was such an open book, but I will say that seriously my dad really did believe in heaven and hell. I remember growing up and him sitting around, always lecturing us. I mean, I got lectured to death. Oh, my gosh. And, his religion was big in his life, as you know. This is not something I agree with, but this is what my dad thought What he taught us is that God keeps a list of the good that you do and the bad that you do, and whatever side has more, that's what's going to make you That's your fate at the end I grew up with that mindset, that God is always watching So even when you're in the dark, you should just do right, just because. But he really believed that. I just remember, even up until late, late age, he really believed that. This man has done all these amazing things, and he really still thinks that someone's keeping a list and he still has more work to do. Like, gosh, this must be a horrible feeling. But the other funny thing is that my dad used to joke about making a comeback up until he was probably 70 “I'm gonna make a comeback I'm gonna shock the world ” He'd always say that And we're like, “Okay, dad ”

What traits do you think you share with your dad, and how are you different?

Laila: Definitely authenticity and confidence, and I think we just have some of that same energy when we walk into a room. And we're very different in that my father was more welcoming and friendly than I am to strangers. I have really strong boundaries. I believe there's a time and a place for everything, and some of that probably comes from me watching him and me growing up as his daughter. And also the world we live in has changed And I'm a woman, I'm not a man, so I'm not going to be, hey, everybody, come stand around me You know, because you've had some weirdos

over the years that have made you put up more boundaries. But that really is the difference between the two of us. If fans were to meet us, they'd probably say, “He's more friendly than she is ” I'm actually a nice person It's just that I'm always paying attention to my surroundings because I'm not a big 250 pound man world champion I'm still a female So you have to protect yourself in that way, but, yeah, the confidence is, I think, apparent to anybody who meets the both of us.

Who's prettier, Laila, you or your dad?

Laila: I give it to my dad Yeah, I think that relatively speaking, okay, him

Photocredit:https://lailaalicom/

compared to men and me compared to women, all the women that are out there, and him, all the men I think he's got the guys There aren't as many men out there who can really hold up to Muhammad But I have a lot of competition with these ladies because, ladies, you know, we got eyelashes, fake hair. We're getting work done. You know, now if we’re talking about waking up all natural, I win.

You're still so young. What mountains are you still excited to climb?

Laila: I'm embracing this next part of my life of not feeling like I have to do so much just because of the way I grew up, and the relationship I had with my mom, and my parents and me being very independent people

If you read my book Reach, you'll learn more about that. I've always had this… it's like I've always been running a marathon, doing more and more and more and more and more and having to accomplish more and more So now I kind of want to refine the things that I'm already doing and take time to smell the roses Because I can You can look up Like I said, life passes by so quickly So what is the least that I can do and make it really successful so that I can spend more time doing what's most important to me, which right now is parenting. Parenting. And a lot of people, particularly women, might be afraid to say that. I enjoy being a mom. I enjoy being a wife. I enjoy being a homemaker. I enjoy preparing meals for my family. I enjoy putting my husband's plate on the table But I still enjoy coming to my office and doing work And, you know, every once in a while, I kick some ass I can do it All right? So I'm very comfortable doing all those things And I don't want that to get lost I don't want that to get lost with entrepreneurship or being a woman in business, that you can't still be feminine. You can still do the things that come natural to us as women and be nurturers, because that's what the world needs more of. We need to keep that balance, right? I'm just saying this because those are the things that are important to me. I think that's what society needs. We need that nurturing in the home from both parents, you know? But we already know mom is so important Mom wears so many hats So I just want to be the best person and be the best mom that I can be And that just comes with being able to slow down and not feel like I have to keep coming up with more to do

Do you think about your legacy and what you'd want it to be?

Laila: I think about it because I get asked that question a lot I think I will be happy and very content if people thought of me as someone who made the people around her better, and who gave back in a way that made this world a better place. Being that my dad is Muhammad Ali, even though I've created my own lane, that's another thing that I would love to be said about me in his shadow. Which is fine, because I've always been really comfortable It's like being out in the garden and having this big, beautiful tree giving you a little shade, but you still gotta grow and do your own thing I feel very comfortable there

Photocredit:https://lailaalicom/

But I have been able to create my own lane. I can think back now and think, man, that was a tremendous amount of pressure on me. A lot of children of famous people can't get out of their own head about it, you know? I just thank God that I was so strong, even though I made a lot of mistakes I was so strong, I was able to say, no, I'm gonna do things my way No, I'm not gonna do the rope a dope Because you can imagine all of the PR and all the things like, are you gonna do the rope dope? Are you gonna call out rounds? Everyone wanted to make me like Muhammad Ali. And I'm not Muhammad Ali. I'm Laila Ali. So I had to be very firm in that. But nobody told me to do that. That's something I figured out on my own, and I fought that for a long time. But now that it's all done and I was able to reach my goals, I'm more comfortable now embracing the things about me that are like my father, because he's such a big part of who I am I can feel comfortable in that I'm still my own person So, you know, we're very, very, very different Very different But I have a lot of the good qualities, and some of the hard headed, bad ones, too. My dad was very hard headed. We're both Capricorns, for people who are into astrology.

Why is it important to not be afraid to be an outlier, and show up differently and take the road less traveled?

Laila: We only have this one life to live And there's only a couple of things that are promised in this life, and it's going to end. There's nothing we can do about that. At some point, life is going to end,

and the promise is that there's only one you There's only one unique you Out of all the millions and billions and billions and billions and billions of people in the world, there's only one you So embrace who you are Embrace if you don't know, then find your talent, find your passion, and really cultivate that, develop that and stop I say it so often because we just compare ourselves to other people so much, and it holds us back in so many different ways. So don't be afraid to be you. Believe in you and just be ready, of course, to do the work that it takes to have good intentions, to have your values and your principles and all those things in place.

And that will really create a foundation for you to just go forward in life Once you have all that set and you're on the right side of things, meaning the positive side of things, then that's it And then that's all you're responsible for You're not responsible for what your parents did, or what the next person did You're only responsible for what you do and showing up the best that you possibly can. Sometimes that takes being an outlier, doing things a little differently. So don't be a soldier on the line. You know what I mean? Do your thing. Don't be afraid to step off.

I don't want that to get lost in entrepreneurship or in being a woman in business, that you can't still be feminine. You can still do the things that come natural to us as women and be nurturers, because that's what the world needs more of. We need to keep that balance, right?

Photocredit:https://lailaalicom/

FUELFOR YOUR OUTLIER MINDSET

HAND-SELECTED NUGGETS FOR YOUR NOGGIN

HOW WILL YOU MEASURE YOUR LIFE?

KAREN DILLON, CLAYTON M. CHRISTENSEN, AND JAMES ALLWORTH

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on an artist who never compromises and is an unapologetic rebel.”

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JOE MULLICH

Athletic Brewing Co is the outlier of them all in N/A beer game and they just keep hitting grand slams by defying conventional wisdom.

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CLARENCE AVANT, ‘GODFATHER OF BLACK MUSIC,’ DIES AT 94

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Meet a raw, real hero. Not surprising this book about Navy SEAL Jason Redman was a New York Times bestseller.”

CASEY NEISTAT: WHAT'S THE SECRET RULES FOR SUCCESS?

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“Rise is a children’s book… but it’s not ”

OM Staff Pick- Victoria

“Love this rare insightful interview showcasing the icon that is Dylan.”

OM Staff Pick-Melissa

On my 24th birthday, August 31, 2011, I moved to New York City with no job, no college degree, one suitcase, and a dream of living in the big city The transition from the calm, sunny beaches of Hilton Head to the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets of NYC was overwhelming. The city seemed to pulse with an energy that was both thrilling and intimidating. I had started a video production company in Hilton Head and thought, “Why don’t I try a little bit of the same here?” Those first couple of weeks, I coldcalled hundreds of boat captains in Sheepshead Bay, retail stores, young business owners anyone who might need a marketing video. But nobody said yes. Nobody returned my calls.

The city seemed vast and unyielding, but I was determined to find my place in it

“Thecityseemedvast andunyielding,butIwas determinedtofindmy placeinit.”

One day, while bicycling through Times Square, surrounded by the chaotic beauty of neon lights and bustling crowds, I decided I wanted to be an actor. I called my dad and asked for advice, and although he didn’t quite know how to process that, he called me back a few days later with a lead. He had Tony Lo Bianco’s business card from meeting him at the Thurman Munson Awards charity dinner years prior He suggested I give Tony a call to ask questions about the business of acting Googling Tony Lo Bianco, I saw his legendary career and felt a mix of awe and intimidation. Nervously, I dialed his number.

I was stunned when Tony answered and invited me

over So, on Friday, September 30, 2011, I biked from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, over the Williamsburg Bridge, up to Tony’s penthouse on Central Park West, dressed in a pink polo, khaki shorts, and rainbow sandals; fresh off the boat from Hilton Head Island. The grandeur of his penthouse, with its panoramic view of the Jackie Kennedy Reservoir, was overwhelming The walls were adorned with memorabilia from his storied career, each item telling a story of its own Tony welcomed me in, saw the piece of paper I had brought with hundreds of questions about acting, and said, “Don’t be silly. Put that piece of paper away. We don’t need those.”

I was taken aback but intrigued by his casual dismissal of my meticulously prepared questions Quickly, I realized he was a man that valued depth over formality

Tony picked up a rock from the window sill and handed it to me as we sat on the couch. He said, “Ask this rock a question.” Perplexed, I asked, “Hey, rock, how’d you get here?” “How old are you, rock?” He replied, “What do you imagine this rock has seen in its lifetime?”

We went back and forth, asking the rock questions for a very long time, Tony teaching me to inquire deeper and deeper.

Tony was observing and learning about me by the way I asked questions to that rock He saw my curiosity, creativity, and thought processes through this simple, yet profound exercise.

We ended up hanging out for eight hours that day, drinking two bottles of wine, having two separate servings of pasta, and missing six phone calls from my dad. (Dad was anxious that he sent his only child to hang out with someone the Hollywood Reporter said, “oozed criminal charm” Hah)

Tony and I didn’t talk about acting once We just talked about life. He shared stories

from his childhood in Brooklyn, his rise in the acting world, and the lessons he learned along the way Each story was a piece of wisdom, a glimpse into a world I was eager to understand

As I was leaving, Tony asked, “Chris, what are you doing for money next week?” I had been striking out with my video production efforts and didn’t have a good answer. Tony offered me some odd jobs around the house. That next Monday, I started my first job in New York City, doing simple tasks like cleaning script closets, organizing his phone book, getting email addresses from people, and driving him to charity events

Tony didn’t need the work done; he was looking for connection and so was I. These humble tasks were a pretext for the real work: building a profound, intergenerational friendship and becoming wonderful producing partners.

We’d go on to spend 12-14 hours together every day, six days a week, for the next five years, traveling around the country and putting on wonderful theatrical productions Through countless hours of shared activities and experiences

we created a bond that transcended age and background.

Tony, a 74-year-old legend, saw part of himself in me, a 24-year-old newcomer just beginning

Through our time together, he poured a lifetime of wisdom, perspective, pressure, and challenge into me. He saw potential in me and took it upon himself to mold that potential into something extraordinary.

By the time I stopped working for Tony five years later, I was a different man, both professionally and personally I learned how to walk, talk, think, and negotiate like a New Yorker, directly from a Brooklyn tough guy and star of Academy Award-winning films. Tony’s commitment to his craft became my own as I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey, taking his energy and pursuit of excellence with me. From a naive young man with big dreams, I grew into a confident, driven individual, ready to take on the challenges of the city Tony’s mentorship was not just about professional development; it was about becoming a better, more authentic version of myself.

The world needs more of this type of mentorship and connection lessons from the past that continue to inspire and transform lives Tony’s vehicle was acting; mine is speaking and facilitating, but our goals are the same: to bring people together and create a genuine sense of belonging

It’s unclear who got more out of the relationship, him or me.

But what is clear is the positive impact we obsessed over bringing to the world, each and every day. Together.

Our story is a testament to the power of inquiry, the importance of human connection, and the transformative potential of intergenerational mentorship It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most impactful relationships are the ones we least expect, but they shape us in ways we could never have imagined.

For all of you amazing leaders out there reading this article, I invite you to pursue the same: Seek and offer mentorship

Cultivate curiosity

Live authentically and passionately

Tony Lo Bianco taught us how to dream big, and act with courage

He lived his life with a motto that we all owe something tremendous to our ancestors, to our communities, and, most importantly, to each other.

And when you go home tonight, think of one thing that someone said in this magazine and if you agree with them, act on it, stand up and do something.

Project holds dear, and make this world, your world, a better place

So today, I urge you all, as Tony would have wanted, to look around you

Wherever you are in your office, in your home, at the country club Look left, look right Look at your fellow man with respect, understanding, kindness, and love.

And know you are completing the dream.

Go out into your great city with patience and fortitude, carry forward the mission that everyone in the Outlier

I thank you, Tony, for your dreams, your fights, and your unwavering belief in all of us. We promise to carry forward your legacy not just today, but forever.

Tony Lo Bianco: October 18th, 1936 - June 11th, 2024

Fawn Weaver

‘emout(liers)...

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