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Welcome back to Not Alone.
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Today's guest is going to bridge so many industries together, from the beef industry, your health, family, life, and faith.
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I'm deeply honored to have Steve Polski here.
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He has been a friend, a mentor, guiding me through my first book, Just a Connection, through social media.
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And he has shared his stories with me.
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And since then, we've just connected back and forth.
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And it finally God put it on my heart to have an on, have him on as a guest because I know his message is very important today that will bridge all these industries together and debunk some of the myths out there.
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And so it is quite an honor.
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Steve Polski is the CEO of Permanent Farming.
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We're going to talk about regenerative agriculture and what is coming here, even in Arizona, and how the root cause of a lot of these industries is actually our soil and how we need nutrient-dense soil for our the animals to graze on.
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So then we are well-nourished as well.
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So welcome today, Steve Polski.
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I am so honored.
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Thank you very much, Melissa.
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Yeah, thank you.
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Now I feel like this is the first time we meet in person.
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And I know we've tried many times in between our schedules, it just wasn't aligning, but God kept on planting that seed.
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I need to meet with you.
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I need to share your story, your background, and where you're at today.
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So I know our audience don't know uh anything about you.
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So to start off, just um explaining a little bit what you do and your background.
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Sure.
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Uh I'm a native Minnesotan.
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I moved to Arizona seven years ago, or almost seven years ago.
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Um I've spent the last 20 years in really the food and agricultural space.
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Worked for uh um the world's largest uh commodity trader processor uh based in Minnesota, was blessed to have worked in many places throughout the uh uh the world, and um the world got bigger and smaller at the same time, but uh learned a lot about the uh current food food system and and how food is is produced, but also um started to understand the the gaps and in that system and what are those things that we could and should do better, which ultimately resulted in in uh my partners and I forming permanent farming uh four years ago.
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Four years ago.
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So what and so you said it you started that company because you started seeing that the system needs to change.
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And what were you seeing that wasn't aligning anymore?
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And you're like, I'm gonna change the structure of this industry.
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You know, there was a lot of things, and and uh it it's it's not that um the industry was doing anything wrong, but um one of my personal passions is is continuous improvement and eliminating waste.
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And uh prior to getting into food and agriculture, I worked for a company called Anderson Windows and Doors, where I learned um the manufacturing business and uh what I would call the discrete world where you take multiple things of lesser value to create something of greater value, whether it's an automobile, a window, a door, a cell phone, or you name it.
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And your um the success of your business is highly contingent on the success of your supply chain.
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And so we treated um you know our suppliers um as good as our customers.
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And in agriculture, uh in global commodity trading, um, you know, it there's a lot of wins and losses.
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You know, one part of the supply chain is making a lot of money, and other parts of the supply chain aren't making any money, in fact, losing money.
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And I believe there's a better way to where when times are good, everybody should be able to um, you know, uh re return their their you know, get a uh solid earnings or get a return on their invested capital versus it always being one person or the other person.
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So when times are good, you know, when when the water rises, it should float all boats, but you shouldn't have to sink.
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Any part of that shouldn't sink uh disproportionately to the other when times are tough.
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And so you're speaking more towards like the farmers then?
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Uh yeah.
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Well, in in the beef industry, there's uh, you know, there's more years where uh the farmer makes money and a processor loses money, and and vice versa than all of them making money collaboratively at the same time.
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Okay, so you're helping them just stay, you know, where it's evened out.
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That that is the vision.
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The vision.
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That is the vision.
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And in order to do that, um, we have to do things in the supply chain that are a little bit different as well.
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Um you know, we we don't say it's the cow, we say it's the how.
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And I like that.
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And and we can talk more about that uh in a little bit, I guess.
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Yeah, yeah.
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I'd love to.
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I'm just really curious about how I know we had talked before.
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I'm curious because I'm really picky in the type of beef.
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I do love eating beef.
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I feel it really nourishes my body.
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Everybody's different, but it it craves it.
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And but uh I usually buy grass-fed, organic, or even local.
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I try to find local farms and whatnot.
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But I know in our conversation, he's like, well, it all comes from the same, you know, there's only uh four, I think you said, industries and four four major players in in true beef cattle production, the processors that control about 85% of the market.
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So then is there when I go buy the grass-fed beef and compared to just the regular, is is it all coming from the same place?
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Is am I getting the quality out of it?
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Where uh yeah, maybe you can am I making the right choices?
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Is there a difference?
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Well, there's a lot of really good niche beef brands out there, but um, you know, we're trying to fe feed a global population, and so the ability to scale some of the smaller uh niche opportunities is very difficult and challenging because it it somebody's got to pay a premium for that, and not everyone, not every consumer can afford a you know a niche premium brand that's got what I'd say provenance and traceability all the way from the pasture through the processing of the animal.
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Right.
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So now do you tend to buy the m higher end beef knowing everything that you know in the beef industry, or do you um yeah, where where do you come from as a consumer?
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I I you know what as a consumer I love I love beef and and so um the USDA, um you know, the it's a governing and regulatory um arm of the United States.
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Um the USDA grades beef whether it's you know um uh prime choice select, and their grading system has embedded premiums, and the companies that are doing the processing, um cutting those stakes and making certain they're the right size and meeting specifications for retailers, they do a really good job.
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So I I can't really criticize um the industry for not putting quality product out there because they do on large scale as well as small scale, but I think it comes down to consumer preferences and and there's traceability in these supply chains are very difficult because they're very large supply chains.
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In order to invest in traceability and the technology to do it and and really understand the uh chain of custody and and so forth is really hard.
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Um, but I have I think we need it all.
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We need the large-scale guys, we need the medium guys, we need the niche brands, we need to provide whatever it is consumers are asking for.
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Asking for, yeah.
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I think there's a place for it all, is what I'm trying to say.
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Okay.
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Well, I like that because sometimes it is confusing.
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And it am I because I if I'm paying premium, am I just wasting money compared to this, you know, the other one.
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But it always feels good for me to.
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I'm like, okay, I put a premium on my health, so I my nutrition and absolutely.
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And so I I love that you are part though of changing the soil.
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So explain what because I've the the beef industry is a big proponent of emissions, right?
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And so with regenerative agriculture, it's gonna actually lower the emissions.
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Is that correct?
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Well, yes, um, absolutely it can.
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And so at permanent farming, we believe that um um beef cattle should be in two places on a regeneratively um managed ranch, so uh rotational regenerative grazing, like we talked about, and that's really um moving the animals and intentionally to create that biologically active status where um you're moving them before they eat all the roots uh from from the plants and move them onto a next pasture uh to eat until the plant gets down to a certain height, and then you rotate them to another pasture, and that movement and that biological activity is really what drives regenerative ranching and regenerative grazing practices.
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The other place we believe beef cattle should be is instead of an outdoor pen, you know, on dirt where the manure just drops and and uh can be used as compost material.
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Uh we we believe that they should be in a slatted floor-covered barn, uh a slatted floor with rubber matting on top for cattle comfort.
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But when we do that, we can collect all of that manure freshly daily and convert that into both renewable natural gas, methane, um, and and a high-quality soil fertility product, a soil amendment product that really acts as food for microbes in the soils, which drives uh improving those soils.
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And so the healthier the soil, the healthier the plant, the healthier for us as human beings.
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I love that.
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See, I love that.
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I want more of that.
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So now at this point, how can we spread that for more farmers, like integrate that?
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Like, you know, obviously there's probably a cost to changing the way they're do doing things.
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So are you providing some kind of is the government helping with incentives for farmers to be able to integrate regenerative agriculture or how how we can convert more people, more farmers to this kind of farming?
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Well, I do believe that um capitalism is one of our planet's greatest problem-solving mechanisms, and the reality is um, you know, the definition of insanity is expecting different results by doing things the same way.
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We have to do things a little bit differently.
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And so, um, like I had mentioned, rather than the conventional model or the historical model of going to ranch to feed yard to processor, um, we we need more regenerative uh ranching practices.
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We need to have uh more money available for ranchers to grow their herds.
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And right now, the United States is in its has its lowest herd population in the last 75 years.
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In order to have more animals born on these ranches, we we need to not only um uh it's not a matter of fighting over who gets the biggest piece of the pie.
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We got to make the pie bigger by creating new revenue streams.
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In our case, it happens to be through uh producing um renewable natural gas and soil fertility out of a waste product that exists today.
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Okay.
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And now are you finding that it has been lower just because the demand has been lower or just what's been out in the media saying, oh, we'll eat less red meat, or you know, and you know, there's controversy sometimes about that.
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Is that do you think that plays a role or a part in that?
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Well, I think the positive thing is people continue to buy beef.
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Yes, oh yeah, I love it.
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Um you know, it we do believe it, it's the most nutrient-dense animal protein uh that exists, and and uh everything's in a balance.
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Yes, you know.
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Um I love that you bring that up because I've been really curious.
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Uh, and in I'm always a science project with my own body and my health.
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And I have I've tried it at all.
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I've gone through raw diets, uh whole plant diets, and all these things just to see how my body reacts.
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Because I'm very much intuitively heal my body.
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I feel like my body will tell me what I need.
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That's where I'm at that part.
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I actually will sometimes pray on it, listen.
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It's like, oh, you need more magnesium, you need more.
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It will actually let me know, but it's also blending science, you know, what's out there with Eastern medicine and Western medicine as well.
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I'm not, you know, black and white on both, but what I have noticed is that I my body does crave beef and good quality beef.
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And so I started deep diving about as to what's in beef and what's um, I've taken many nutritional classes, I've talked with other doctors.
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In fact, I brought my son to a brain clinic here locally, and we did brain scans, and then they talk about nutrition and what to add and the amino acids, the omegas, and and uh as a woman in her 40s and 45, like just the creatine and all that, well, that's what beef has.
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All the top qualities.
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Actually, because I don't want to miss a thing, I have actually downloaded everything from uh, you know, other platforms, other doctors that actually really explain all and I and you've seen the new food food pyramid that was released recently.
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Yes, I I'm really, really excited about that.
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And I've noticed that with just my body.
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Actually, I went to um film uh documentary series, Writer's Island, and they have the most incredible food cooked for us every single day.
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Just farmed a table.
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But one thing they did not have for the whole week was beef.
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And I felt my energy and all that by the end of the week.
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I was really lacking, I was really craving it.
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So it's really interesting.
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They had everything else, like from fish, chicken, and whatnot.
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But it's it's something I definitely think, you know, depending on everybody, I'm not prescribing anything, but here's the benefits.
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Here's what I have that I definitely like it's a complete protein, all nine essential amino acids, creatine, which now that's being a big supplement, you know, especially they're saying for women, you know, I know for me, that's why I train and build muscle for bone strength, longevity, even, you know, just I do a lot of uh yoga and uh stretching and just more of longevity, you know, and um and keeping that muscle as well.
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So I know for my son as well, my after the brain scan, they had mentioned uh making sure they have all the aminos, also the omegas, which um iron, iron, which is huge for huge and beef, huge in beef for brain and body roles.
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They say for um uh hemoglobin formation, which is oxygen transport and energy metabolism, and for memory, attention, cognitive development.
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I mean, there's vitamin B12, which we need so much of.
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Actually, as a woman, maybe too much info, but you know, when you have it with your cycle, I actually boost up eating uh beef and I crave it because, you know, we need more iron during that time.
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We need more vitamin B12, uh, zinc for the immune system.
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Uh so it has all of that vitamin B C C6, choline.
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I remember I would take choline supplement when I was pregnant, and um selenium, huge for the thyroid, and uh, you know, i.e.
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the Brazilian nuts, but beef, that quality that's in there, the omega-3 fats, those are for the brain again, and the brain functions.
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So, all to say, all these micronutrients are in that dense uh stake, in that quality.
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So if we can have more quality beef out there, like change in the soil for our all of the food, really, all the food groups, right?
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I mean, I living in Alaska and I had chickens, so I would pay top-end chicken feed that did not have all the ingredients, the stuff that I didn't want in it.
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Sure.
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And but then I was like, oh my gosh, I'm paying so much for these chickens.
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I'm better off to go buy them maybe organic at the store.
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But it was just me putting in the work and the quality.
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And I would see when I would crack those eggs, the yolk was so orange, so vivid and so nutrient dense.
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I loved it.
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And you saw the difference when I'd travel and buy just the regular old eggs.
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So I'm that's why I was really excited to get you on here because I think there's misconceptions about, oh, I should really avoid uh red meats.
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And I'm I'm kind of like maybe revisit that, you know, and see how your body feels.
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Everybody's different.
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Everybody's different, everybody's different, but be curious.
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Just be curious and maybe start integrating it.
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I I feel for me, it provides so much strength and energy and and plus it tastes really good.
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Tastes really good.
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And as they say, beef, it's still what's for dinner.
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Yeah, that's I'm I'm going to the steakhouse tonight.
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So I I just feel like on a for brain-wise, for health-wise, muscle and and all that, I think this is an important industry that needs to be uh addressed.
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And I think regenerative farming definitely needs to be on the rise or spoken about, or even how we can help bring awareness to that industry and how we can support it as well.
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Is there ways that people can help and support this industry right now?
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Yeah, buy more beef and ask for more beef.
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But it it's not just, it's it's not just beef, but the entire supply chain.
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So um, corn, there's better ways to produce corn.
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There's been tremendous evolution in how we produce corn, but there's also tremendous opportunity to improve the soils in which that corn is grown to produce healthier corn, which is eaten by the animals which become healthier and ultimately consumed by human beings.
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So it is a virtuous cycle of continuous improvement.
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Improvement, yeah, it is soil-based.
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And I can't help but get curious as well because I'm always curious as like for the processing of the beef.
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So once you guys are either ready to be, you know, slaughtered and and you know, taking that process.
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Do you guys is there a different process to that compared to other processing systems that can provide, like, for example, I imagine if I went out and did my own hunting and whatnot, I would pray over that beef and say thank you for providing this nutritious food.
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You know, wouldn't that be wonderful if we can do that to the animal beforehand that, you know, I I think uh just uh changing that process, so then there's because they're they're a living being.
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Well, there's a lot of certifications that require um halal uh for the Islamic population.
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Um the Orthodox Union is a certification for the uh uh for the Jewish faith where um there there is certain ways in which you um uh disassemble the animal and things that you have to do that.
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Yeah, what is it called again?
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The meals that uh it was I remember that from when I was a fly tenant.
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You would order uh what was there's a name for it again, I forget, where it's prayed over and well you you've got halal, yes, and and um I forget.
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There's a lot of different uh I won't say certification schemes, but acknowledgments by by faith in which which the animal is processed.
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But it's uh all about how it's how it's disassembled um versus how it's produced.
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Okay.
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Okay.
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But I think we do a a a pretty good job overall in in our agricultural systems.
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We just need to do better.
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We need to get into that virtuous cycle of continuous improvement because we learn things, we learn.
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New things every day.
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And, you know, again, I mentioned before, we believe cattle should be either on a regenerative ranch, an active biological pasture, or in a slatted floor-covered barn, because it not only allows us to convert that waste and rumen into animals, meaning four stomach animals, like which cattle are dairy and in and beef cattle, they they waste about half the calories that they consume through their rare end.
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And so one pass through a rumen uh doesn't uh come close to optimizing the calories that they intake.
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And we use nature, the sun, we need sun, soil, and water.
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We have one integrated, beautiful biological system on this planet.
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And when we do things in balance, we optimize the biology and the production of all of it.
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Okay.
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And so now you're doing this in Arizona.
00:20:54.160 --> 00:21:00.880
And so how how big is your, you know, the acreage out here, how big are you do you have right now to do regenerative um?
00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:06.799
Well, there's uh you know, there we can um so that that's that's a load of question.
00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:13.200
We know we know that the Midwest has the most biologically active soils, the corn belt or the grain belt as we know it.
00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:25.599
Um most of the corn and in grains get, you know, if you just looked at the I states, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, um, well, Nebraska, North Dakota, and so forth, you have tremendous amount of row crop production.
00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:31.839
Out here, you don't have a whole lot of agricultural production unless it's irrigated, intentionally irrigated.
00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:36.480
Um, and that's heavy out in Yuma and and further out out west.
00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:46.160
But northern Arizona's got a lot of ranching, and so the the beauty of ruminant animals like cattle is they eat things that human beings can't.
00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:51.680
So they eat calories that we can't, we can't go out and eat the grasses that they eat.
00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:58.319
And so we need them on our lands, and we need them properly managed, and that requires human intervention.
00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.839
Intervention, okay.
00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:24.240
Well, yeah, this is very fascinating for me, and I'm just really excited to know that there's people like you working to change that uh for the animals, for us, and uh because I in my book, The God God Connection, nutrition is huge to bring in light in our bodies, our temple, to um keep it sacred, and actually uh to bring in uh scripture from the Bible, Solomon, right?
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:28.079
He's he's known as the wisest, the king, the strongest man.
00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:38.400
Well, he they do talk in the Bible what was his nutrition beef, uh chicken, bread, and cream, like dairy.
00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:44.880
So it's in even Jesus talks about the importance of this kind of nutrition.
00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:50.960
And I found I have to find the scripture name, but um I found it fascinating.
00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:58.160
So it was uh uh so in 1 King chapter 4, verses 22, 23, it was red meat, paltry, and bread.
00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:06.000
So iron and zinc, creatine for muscles, uh Job chapter 29, Solomon, richest man, king, wisest.
00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:09.599
So it's even in the Bible, right?
00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:17.839
So I think it's it's calling us back to protect our temple.
00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:18.880
What does it need?
00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:21.680
And I always say we're all not built the same.
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:32.160
What I need is not what you need, and we're uniquely created, but start listening and observing how you feel after you eat this kind of food, the quality of the food.
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:38.720
And I that's why I am really picky as to what I put in my body and to in balance too, you know.
00:23:38.799 --> 00:23:40.559
I enjoy French fries here and there.
00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:43.039
And you kind of have an indulgence every now and then.
00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.640
Yes, yes, exactly.
00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:53.920
But I I notice that some foods deplete me and some foods provide me with light and protection.
00:23:54.319 --> 00:24:11.599
And ultimately, that's what we need to protect ourselves and bring in more light to keep us strong with vitality, our minds staying sharp because too much toxins in the body, let's say the the animal is constantly grazing all these toxins and then we eat it, then we're overloaded.
00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:32.000
I've noticed, you know, once about, it seems like about around the 40s, you know, we've kind of played this lifestyle and the toxic load starts rising, and we start noticing that we're overloaded in these toxins, and we're starting to see uh brain fog, fatigue, and certain uh chronic illnesses to show up.
00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:45.359
And so this is why detoxing and noticing what you're eating to lower the load, the toxic load, and incorporating I do red light, you know, working out and things like that.
00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:54.799
And and uh and you I even had mentioned GLP1s, you know, helping with the glucose and and debunking the the debunking the mist.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:04.880
I actually have been really trying to get a doctor to talk about peptides and just being really clear about that, not not removing the fear and the misinformation out there.
00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:11.680
So uh this is why I think this is so important, because ultimately we want to stay in the light, right?
00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:19.680
And I know you on a personal level, you've shared with me some hard times in your life as well.
00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:40.160
And and I know you have children listening and all that, but I just for the audience to know, you know, as an entrepreneur, as a CEO, and and a man that's gone through some hard times through divorce and whatnot, and can you see what you see now?
00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:45.839
How the ego came in at one point in your life and it was a dark time.
00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:50.400
And just maybe shining, planting that seed.
00:25:50.480 --> 00:26:01.759
I'm always like, if I somebody hears that story and they see the strong man, the CEO, the entrepreneur, and who had gone through some dark times, but how to prevent almost prevent that, right?
00:26:01.839 --> 00:26:05.039
I for me, it's like don't wait till you get to that stage.
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:14.559
Start now with these small wins to create more light inside your body through nutrition, spiritual practices, to, you know, connection, community.
00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:18.559
So I just would love to share what you're comfortable in sharing.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:19.359
Sure.
00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:22.160
Um, thank you for the opportunity, Melissa.
00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.640
Um, one comment on the the GLP one.
00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:32.319
Um I I lost 70 pounds in less than a in less than a year, and my body only craved good whole foods.
00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.279
And so those were the only foods that I ate.
00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:37.440
And my doctor, um Dr.
00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:59.359
Richard Lee at the Mayo Clinic, he's a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic, um, said, if everybody that was clinically diagnosed as obese, and I'm not certain what that uh um body or that BMI number is, he goes, but if everybody that was clinically diagnosed as obese went on a GLP one, half the hospital beds would be empty and he'd be able to retire.
00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:08.079
Um But see, this is where because I I followed many uh doctors uh advocate for different peptides.
00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:16.319
You know, I know peptides is gonna be the new wave, but I think with the FDA and all that, you know, it's it's keeping it almost at bay for now.
00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:18.880
But this awareness, it's true.
00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.079
It wouldn't make less people sick, you know.
00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:27.519
I mean, I just you alone, you know, nobody can take away your story, right?
00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:32.559
Um, and how it's provided so much uh benefits for you.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:37.839
Yeah, so um I'm a um I I don't say I'm a recovering alcoholic.
00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:42.480
Um I prefer to say that I was an alcoholic and and and now I'm not.
00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:47.200
Um I'll I'll call out an organization called the Dunamis Initiative.
00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:51.119
Um I'm fortunate enough to serve on its board, but a local doctor, Dr.
00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:58.240
Don Middleton, um, who is uh I won't say he used to be an alcoholic.
00:27:58.480 --> 00:28:06.160
He he thought that um AA was a phenomenal 12-step program, but it fell short with calling the higher power the higher power.
00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:10.319
And he acknowledges Jesus Christ as the higher power.
00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:15.279
And um, I had tried AA and it it didn't resonate with me.
00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:22.480
Um, not that the 12 steps didn't, because they're fairly tried and true and have been since the mid-30s, I believe.
00:28:22.720 --> 00:28:29.279
But um acknowledging Jesus Christ as the higher power was really what kind of uh motivated me.
00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:38.000
And and I grew up you know in a in a Christian uh household, grew up in the Lutheran church, became Catholic in college, raised my kids in the Catholic Church.
00:28:38.160 --> 00:28:49.680
I would consider myself more of a non-denominational Christian now, but I was more concerned about other people looking at me as uh being a Christian versus actually being a Christian and living like one.
00:28:49.839 --> 00:28:52.319
Um kind of going through the motion sometimes.
00:28:52.640 --> 00:28:54.400
Okay, go to church and do do the motion.
00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:56.480
Sunday morning Christian, if uh if you will.
00:28:56.720 --> 00:29:00.480
Yet my actions and behaviors and my addiction didn't allow me to be.
00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:04.480
And every everybody uh that's uh got an addiction is a liar.
00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:09.680
In my case, alcohol was my addiction, and we're all liars, uh, narcissists and liars.
00:29:09.920 --> 00:29:14.400
Um, and and you can't be sober and thought while you're under the influence.
00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:26.079
And and so I spent several years seeing a therapist to address uh my own demons that I was using alcohol as a uh uh as self-medication for.
00:29:26.319 --> 00:29:26.559
Yeah.
00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:32.079
What so often what were you like what was oftentimes there's something we didn't want to see, right?
00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:36.960
Or something we didn't want to um in and what was that for you?
00:29:37.119 --> 00:29:41.519
What was that for you that it was so hard to loss?
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:55.359
Um I you know, uh, you know, I had a pretty good, pretty good upbringing, but um, you know, I I I lost my twin sister uh earlier in in life and probably never really learned to grieve and cook.
00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:58.720
Um well thirty thirty-four years old at the time.
00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:03.839
Yeah, but you have such a bond, especially what they say with twins, right?
00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:04.559
Like that.
00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:17.519
Yeah, it it um it it it it was hard, and and of course I had never lost anybody um prior to that that was that close, and I never really learned how to grieve through that, and I just got angry.
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:35.279
And um, you know, rather than dealing with it and and getting help and seeing a therapist, by the way, anybody that's going through a a trauma, whether it's um the loss of a close loved one or divorce, which uh to me was the toughest thing I've ever gone through in in my life, um, you can't do it alone.
00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:42.400
And I think in terms of my own um path to sobriety, realizing that uh um I'm powerless.
00:30:42.640 --> 00:30:44.319
And you and I and I was.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:54.079
I needed I needed help, not only through other people, but um this guy upstairs, Jesus Christ, God, they they either exist or they don't.
00:30:54.319 --> 00:31:03.200
And um I had a lot of things that that um happened to me personally that uh okay there's a sign, but I would ignore it.
00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:09.119
And and then something else would happen, I'd make a poor choice, and then God would have my back and and I'd ignore it.
00:31:09.200 --> 00:31:45.839
Um but but finally what what ended up um uh getting me sober and really taking it seriously was uh um and I I really don't want to go into the details, but I I should have been in jail um with drinking and driving, and um the policemen, and I won't say what uh uh and and that's what they were, and and I'm starting to you know doubt whether this event even happened or not because they prayed around me and gave me a ride home, and um that was the last time I ever touched a drop of alcohol.
00:31:46.079 --> 00:32:01.519
Wow, and uh so it took that because that that's where I'm always like because I I know people in this situation right now, you know, and everyone's outreaching and and whatnot, but it ultimately has to come from you being ready, you know, to see those signs.
00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:08.240
And I'm always curious as to what really got you to to pivot and ch and seek out help.
00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:15.759
Recognizing that uh God does exist because there's there there it wasn't just one thing, it it was a series of things.
00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:19.039
Okay, I meant I meant for more.
00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:19.359
Okay.
00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:25.839
Um and and I wanted to be a better um a better leader, a better partner, um, a better friend.
00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:29.839
You know, I was complicit in my divorce through my alcoholism.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.720
Um, you know, and you can't you can't you know claw back the hands of time.
00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:44.880
Um but what you can do is your past does not have to define your future, because the past is data, but the future is untold, it's not unraveled yet.
00:32:45.119 --> 00:32:59.440
And when you're not just abstinent from your addiction, but when you're sober in thought, um your mind is healthier, your faith life is healthy, healthier, your body is healthier, um, you you can do some amazing things.
00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:04.400
And uh God blessed me with some of the most amazing partners I could ever imagine.
00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:05.599
I couldn't have done it on my own.
00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:14.079
God had to intervene to have guys like Todd Churchill on my team, um, who is um one of the most knowledgeable beef cattle guys in in the country.
00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:19.200
Russ Conserv one of the most knowledgeable energy uh men, uh Bill Rubus.
00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:31.440
We've got a really uh amazing team that I couldn't have done randomly at uh we all came together at the right time for the right reasons, um, with the right common purpose of wanting to do what's right.
00:33:31.759 --> 00:33:32.400
What's right.
00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:38.960
So I so ultimately what I'm hearing is first become aware that there's a higher power.
00:33:39.119 --> 00:33:43.519
There's someone there knocking, it's knocking, sending you these little signs.
00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:50.240
And finally, when you're ready to accept that there's a higher power power, that God is there.
00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:51.839
He's like, let him in.
00:33:52.000 --> 00:33:53.519
Like he's knocking at the door.
00:33:53.759 --> 00:33:56.720
But like you said, you ignored him a couple of several times.
00:33:57.119 --> 00:33:57.920
Uh most of my life.
00:33:58.160 --> 00:33:58.720
Most of your life.
00:33:58.960 --> 00:33:59.519
Most of my life.
00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:05.119
And then finally, you know, something you know, hard and could have gone so many other ways.
00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:10.480
And you're like, wow, this only happened because there's a there's a higher, there's Jesus Christ.
00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:14.559
Like you said, you know, Christ was there with you and you sought.
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:24.320
And so then now, because you chose light in the right in the good path, the right path, more things aligned in the light.
00:34:24.639 --> 00:34:26.000
And they continue to do so.
00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:31.119
Um, I I think the you know, bad things happen to good people every day.
00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:40.880
It's not it's not a matter of if it's always gonna be when, but how you react to adversity, I don't know, I don't know how you can do it without um being a believer.
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:42.880
Oh yes, that I couldn't, I couldn't have.
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:43.599
I couldn't have.
00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:49.280
I mean that's why my group, I mean, I've always had faith, you know, that's what I was raised in with my mom and whatnot.
00:34:49.519 --> 00:34:55.039
But once my husband passed, oh my gosh, there was no doubt, no doubt, and there's no way.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:58.880
People, I look back to those that first year, they're like, How did you do it?
00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:00.639
Well, it was all God.
00:35:00.960 --> 00:35:09.360
God, along the way, gave me that strength, align me with the right people, but I also had to all it kind of choose light, you know?
00:35:09.599 --> 00:35:09.840
Yeah.
00:35:10.159 --> 00:35:16.239
Well, you I uh you know, unfortunately, it takes many of us to hit a rock bottom and lose everything that's important to us.
00:35:16.480 --> 00:35:25.599
I see that sometimes my marriage, the respect of my children, uh, you know, it it it it it doesn't have to be you have to lose everything.
00:35:25.920 --> 00:35:31.679
I know, but that's why I want you on there to say that, because I I see people on that path right now.
00:35:31.840 --> 00:35:34.000
I'm like, they're gonna have to lose everything.
00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:35.519
Yeah, because they're not seeing it.
00:35:35.679 --> 00:35:36.880
God's knocking.
00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:40.239
And I said, I know what's coming next because I've heard this story.
00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:42.400
And I was on the verge of suicide.
00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:47.519
Well, and uh, you know, I've shared the actual incident with with you, and I don't want to share that.
00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:50.400
Yeah, I know, I you did, and I I'm so honored.
00:35:50.480 --> 00:35:52.559
And honestly, because when did you reach out to me?
00:35:52.639 --> 00:36:04.559
I mean, it was on on social media, and you shared you shared with me, and this is why I started a podcast, because so many people share the and I was like, well, your story it will change so many other people right now.
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:05.519
They're listening.
00:36:05.599 --> 00:36:12.000
I know that because I don't want them to wait till they lose everything, they don't have to, they can start new.
00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:18.239
Well, they don't have to lose everything that's important to them, and and even more so they don't have to um take their own lives.
00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:19.599
Their own lives, yeah.
00:36:19.840 --> 00:36:24.159
Because I know you shared that with me, and you know you're here right now.
00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:25.679
God saved you that day.
00:36:25.760 --> 00:36:28.719
You know, it's like, nope, not your time, you know.
00:36:28.880 --> 00:36:33.519
And but it still you didn't, you know, you kind of kept going for a little bit.
00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:44.639
There was always signs, they just refused to look at them, and then it took uh, you know, that one final event, like a two by four slapped across my forehead that said, Okay, dummy.
00:36:44.880 --> 00:36:46.079
Um, what else?
00:36:46.239 --> 00:36:47.440
What more do you need?
00:36:47.679 --> 00:36:48.159
Wake up.
00:36:48.480 --> 00:37:00.239
So at that point you said you you kind of the divorce, and you said the relationship with your children was maybe uh straining, and uh so and and work related, was that affecting work as well?
00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:02.000
Or absolutely yeah, yeah.
00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:03.280
So everything was spiraling.
00:37:03.760 --> 00:37:04.719
Everything was spiraling.
00:37:04.800 --> 00:37:05.119
Yeah.
00:37:05.280 --> 00:37:23.440
And uh um, but there's always a better day, but you have to um humility is the hardest thing for people in addiction of any kind to um truly get humble and and and realize that they're powerless of being able to manage a life turnaround alone.
00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:34.960
And do you think it's speaking just for you, and I I know I could think of my husband, like he humility to really shine, because I and say, Oh yes, I need help.
00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:40.960
I am now at lost control of my uh, you know, my addiction to alcohol, to the you know, pain pills.
00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:43.039
I'm just talking towards my husband right now.
00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:57.519
And but because he was so afraid of what his identity, what everybody thought of him, he thought, oh, nobody's gonna think of me so highly anymore as that wonderful dentist, that wonderful husband, that wonderful friend.
00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:01.039
But everyone would have just accepted him just the same.
00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:03.920
It wouldn't have changed the story of who he is.
00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:07.920
But just like more than anything, people would have respected, like, wow, you need help.
00:38:08.000 --> 00:38:10.880
That was that took a lot of humility, right?
00:38:11.039 --> 00:38:12.079
But he couldn't face that.
00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:13.039
It's because of fear.
00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:13.519
Fear.
00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:14.239
Yeah, fear creeps.
00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:15.519
It all comes down to fear.
00:38:16.559 --> 00:38:19.280
And and I don't believe you can conquer fear without faith.
00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:26.320
Yes, without yes, that's what I say is gosh, when fear comes in in all aspects of your life.
00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:32.000
I always I always call in as like when my mind sometimes will fear off and spiral, because now I could observe it.
00:38:32.159 --> 00:38:42.159
I say, fill me with the Holy Spirit and feel me with light and take deep breath, because I know light, uh breath, excuse me, is a way to bring in bring in more light.
00:38:42.320 --> 00:38:45.360
So fill me with more of the Holy Spirit.
00:38:45.599 --> 00:39:05.599
And and I know sometimes when I speak of God and Holy Spirit and Jesus, it almost causes this barrier for some people, you know, this wall, because either they've been hurt by, you know, whatever, you know, and and a lot of people jump to church, and that's the organized uh side of faith.
00:39:05.679 --> 00:39:12.800
But if you really dive into scripture, that's not church, that's Jesus' calling, and and and and uh all inspired by God.
00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:19.039
And and every morning I've got a wonderful gentleman who was key in my sobriety, uh Dan Weed.
00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:25.360
He uh is a retired care pastor from CCV, Christ Church of the Valley, a local large church down here.
00:39:25.599 --> 00:39:26.320
Yes, I've heard great things.
00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:31.039
And um, and uh when I started meeting with him, um that's when he brought in Dr.
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:37.519
Don Middleton and the Dunamis Initiative, uh, that um really started getting me on on that path.
00:39:37.679 --> 00:39:45.519
But every morning he sends out a Bible verse, and every week we focus on a different uh chapter in in the Bible.
00:39:45.599 --> 00:39:51.679
And and so we don't get wrapped around um let's get one verse and and talk about it.
00:39:51.760 --> 00:39:54.000
What does that mean to us on a daily basis?
00:39:54.159 --> 00:39:59.679
How do we become uh better men, better friends, husbands, fathers, um, you know.
00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:04.159
Coworker, colleague, whatever you want to call it, uh, but keep it grounded in something.
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:17.360
It's not focused on your addiction, it's focused on how do you become a better man, um, whether it's a man of God or whether it's a better human being, and in regardless of what you know denomination or faith system that you have, how do you become better every day?
00:40:17.519 --> 00:40:20.320
And what are, you know, how does the Bible help support that?
00:40:20.480 --> 00:40:21.360
What does that look like?
00:40:21.599 --> 00:40:23.039
That's a daily discipline.
00:40:23.360 --> 00:40:23.760
It is.
00:40:24.159 --> 00:40:28.639
And and uh we get together every Sunday and we talk about every day's verse.
00:40:28.800 --> 00:40:38.719
We we go through Monday through Friday's verses, and the dialogue and conversation that it um um really sparks is quite amazing.
00:40:38.800 --> 00:40:44.639
And when I don't go on Sundays when I'm I'm traveling, it's really painful for me because it's my feel for the day.
00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:45.440
Yes, yeah.
00:40:45.599 --> 00:40:48.239
You know, Monday isn't the start of the week for me, it's it's Sunday.
00:40:48.559 --> 00:40:49.199
It's Sunday.
00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:49.840
I love that.
00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:50.639
It's so true.
00:40:50.719 --> 00:41:00.719
I I I have similar practices that I do as well, just to read the word to breathe it in and how it is so important.
00:41:00.880 --> 00:41:09.920
So now is that I'm just always curious because there's some people listening and they might be, you know, uh issues with alcohol or drug or whatever.
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:10.880
There's so many addictions.
00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:11.679
But absolutely.
00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:18.639
What other modalities you've done as far as you mentioned therapy, but you mentioned, of course, that faith.
00:41:18.880 --> 00:41:20.800
You know, this was the foundation.
00:41:20.960 --> 00:41:25.599
Did you try any other modalities as far as your for recovery?
00:41:26.000 --> 00:41:26.400
Oh yeah.
00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:31.599
I tried a uh taking a drug that uh would reduce the cravings for alcohol.
00:41:31.760 --> 00:41:41.360
And I I tried pretty much everything, but it it it took uh it took uh it took getting slapped across the head as that final.
00:41:41.760 --> 00:41:47.599
Did you ever go to like one of those like where it's like three months or uh you treat or anything?
00:41:47.920 --> 00:41:59.519
I I didn't go into a 30-day inpatient clinic, but I did do a uh during COVID, I went through a a online uh, you know, during COVID you couldn't go into these places.
00:42:00.079 --> 00:42:04.719
Um I I did that and and um that didn't didn't even work.
00:42:04.800 --> 00:42:09.760
And I don't think that uh any recovery program wasn't gonna was gonna work for me because I wasn't ready.
00:42:09.840 --> 00:42:16.800
I hadn't had that uh slap upside the head, and you think I would have because I, you know, had lost my marriage and so forth.
00:42:16.880 --> 00:42:18.559
And and I was totally complicit.
00:42:18.719 --> 00:42:19.760
It was all my fault.
00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:21.280
Um I don't blame her.
00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:32.800
I screwed up the the dream and and uh and I'm paying the price and I always will, but that doesn't mean that uh I can't go on building a productive, wonderful life.
00:42:32.960 --> 00:42:37.760
I've got uh amazing kids, I've got amazing friends, I've got an amazing career.
00:42:37.920 --> 00:42:41.760
And um Yeah, but look what you've learned from here on end, too.
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:58.320
So God only you know often gives you what you you know, that role that you have right now of spreading his word and how important that was in recovery and in your life on a daily basis, because if you keep not bringing in the Holy Spirit, then you can spiral.
00:42:58.639 --> 00:42:59.039
That's right.
00:42:59.199 --> 00:42:59.440
Right?
00:42:59.679 --> 00:43:02.159
You have to have a I don't know how you could do it without a faith.
00:43:02.400 --> 00:43:05.679
You had asked me, uh, you know, what do I what do I stand for in the past?
00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:20.960
And and I think um I think the worst piece of of advice or comment I ever heard in my life was a guy that I worked with many years ago said, you know, because he was causing me injury and and said, Hey, don't take it personal, it's just business.
00:43:21.119 --> 00:43:24.800
No, run away from those people because business is very personal.
00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:43.760
That's how we we spend most of our waking hours um in our careers or jobs to provide our livelihoods, they are important for providing for our families, so we can't eat, you know, you know, shelter ourselves and fuel our bodies and all of that with um without an income, without a livelihood.
00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:49.599
But I I I I personally stand for um faith, um, family, and fitness.
00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:53.920
I didn't always stand for those things, um, but I I do now.
00:43:54.159 --> 00:43:58.960
And and how am I different in the in the work environment, my work self?
00:43:59.119 --> 00:44:09.840
Well, those faith, family, fitness is very important in my work too, but we've kind of notched it up to food, um, fuel, and fertility in terms of what we do with permanent farming.
00:44:10.000 --> 00:44:12.000
So I'm a big fan of the letter F.
00:44:12.239 --> 00:44:13.280
Okay, I like that.
00:44:13.440 --> 00:44:13.840
I like that.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:14.880
And then look at that.
00:44:14.960 --> 00:44:20.239
You're even your work now follows the your value, your core value, so it aligns more.
00:44:20.320 --> 00:44:23.199
It's a healthier environment on a whole.
00:44:23.440 --> 00:44:29.840
And I think that's important for a lot of people that are kind of changing careers and finding a better kind of like home.
00:44:29.920 --> 00:44:31.440
Like you said, you spend more time.
00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:37.119
Like even my husband, you know, when we're in a dental office, this is like you're there more most of the time than at home.
00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:37.760
That's right.
00:44:37.920 --> 00:44:38.239
Right?
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:42.880
So it's important who you surround, your environment that you're constantly around.
00:44:43.280 --> 00:44:43.679
Absolutely.
00:44:44.400 --> 00:44:47.280
And um, all of my colleagues are believers too.
00:44:47.360 --> 00:44:48.239
So I like that.
00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:52.480
Well, that whoever I do business with, even the studio is a believer.
00:44:52.719 --> 00:45:07.599
You know, whoever I'm gonna connect with and do business with now, we've got to align on all platforms as well because they're gonna know my passion and my purpose for this as well, and help me integrate and understand their bigger picture, right?
00:45:07.679 --> 00:45:09.280
And because it does take community, right?
00:45:09.519 --> 00:45:10.000
It does.
00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:14.559
And uh to reach the masses, and that's where I I want takes a village.
00:45:14.800 --> 00:45:25.519
It does take a village, and I just honor you for coming here, uh, you know, and sharing your personal story, sharing what you're doing right now as well.
00:45:25.679 --> 00:45:34.239
Big It was you doing what you did and sharing your your story that uh really inspired me to want to connect with you to begin with, and that had to be hard.
00:45:34.559 --> 00:45:35.280
Yeah, thank you.
00:45:35.519 --> 00:45:35.840
Thank you.
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:46.480
I I really that's why I I don't I'm so grateful when people do, and I I'm like, wow, that you felt that you could share your darkest days with me.
00:45:46.639 --> 00:45:51.360
I I feel a true honor because sometimes I'm like, you have imposter syndrome and whatnot.
00:45:51.440 --> 00:45:52.639
And I'm like, wow, okay.
00:45:52.880 --> 00:46:05.039
And I think God has allowed me to have this story now, so I I can connect with so many other people, and I understand the depth of darkness and how it could kind of really take over.
00:46:05.199 --> 00:46:06.079
I saw that.
00:46:06.239 --> 00:46:10.159
I saw that with my husband, and he was not a believer.
00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:20.239
Uh, we I once we had children, because I my early 20s had kind of gone off the my circle of friends, nobody talked about God much and whatnot.
00:46:20.320 --> 00:46:24.480
So it kind of got got out of it, even though with me and my mom, we would talk about God.
00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:37.360
And then so when I married, it wasn't something that his foundation, but once I had kids, we had kids, I said, Oh, I really want to instill that in our children, so I'm gonna start going to church with them.
00:46:37.440 --> 00:46:40.159
And he would never want to join us.
00:46:40.320 --> 00:46:47.039
And I felt awful because sometimes our office was open six days a week, so our only day off together sometimes was Sunday.
00:46:47.280 --> 00:46:52.800
And I felt bad, but at the same time, I was craving it, was really craving it.
00:46:52.960 --> 00:47:04.320
I remember stepping back in church and after a long time, and whoa, the emotions that I felt, just crying, and it just felt like, oh, I really needed this.
00:47:04.639 --> 00:47:18.480
And, you know, and I just saw that that he would not allow it, even though he could play the guitar, and sometimes I was like, Oh, you can, it's church has changed now, you know, you can make it fun and you know, go play the guitar, at least come in to do that.
00:47:18.639 --> 00:47:24.960
And and it was always the no, and even his little girl, you know, would go up cute and the dad, dad, come with us.
00:47:25.440 --> 00:47:26.639
You know, because they enjoyed it.
00:47:26.719 --> 00:47:34.880
And so I do see the importance of that, of the higher power, because I then you spiral into more darkness, more darkness, more darkness.
00:47:35.119 --> 00:47:36.719
I saw it, I felt it.
00:47:37.199 --> 00:47:39.360
And then it's it creates such a wall.
00:47:39.440 --> 00:47:41.039
You don't see the love around you.
00:47:41.280 --> 00:47:41.760
That's right.
00:47:41.920 --> 00:47:43.519
You don't see the light anymore.
00:47:43.920 --> 00:47:54.320
I I would encourage uh people that are not comfortable going to uh a church to um search a uh a home group or uh a neighborhood Bible study.
00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:56.000
There's more than one way to worship.
00:47:56.159 --> 00:48:03.920
Yes, and and uh I know there's a lot of people that are uncomfortable with uh certain churches, but go on and shop for another church.
00:48:04.079 --> 00:48:16.320
You know, find the the vibe that you're comfortable with, and um there there's limitless opportunities to find a place to learn more about um evolving your faith.
00:48:16.400 --> 00:48:18.960
It's it's not just inside the four walls of a building.
00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:22.400
I like that you said that because yeah, that it is so true now.
00:48:22.559 --> 00:48:27.760
I mean, even in my community now, there's different little pop-up, you know, uh Bible studies.
00:48:27.840 --> 00:48:29.440
Actually, I was just messaging a friend.
00:48:29.599 --> 00:48:44.320
I said, I really feel called to, you know, with my breath work to incorporate prayer right before I kind of already do that with the breath, but let's semi Bible studies but breath work, you know, and then you incorporate both.
00:48:44.559 --> 00:48:50.239
And uh yeah, there's so many different kinds now in different groups, especially men's group and whatnot.
00:48:50.320 --> 00:48:54.559
And I love just going the word, speaking the word, which is so important.
00:48:54.719 --> 00:49:12.559
And instead of your thoughts spiraling in the past and the shame and the guilt of what's going on right now, just fill it with the word, you know, and um because I know even with the Bible, you know, we'll just read through and sometimes to correlate it to your own life, it's it could be confusing.
00:49:12.639 --> 00:49:14.079
Like, what does this mean truly?
00:49:14.239 --> 00:49:14.639
That's right.
00:49:14.800 --> 00:49:18.960
So to dive deeper, you know, I even sometimes chat GPT.
00:49:19.039 --> 00:49:30.719
I'm like put in this verse, and I'm like, okay, can you like just explain it more now in life right now, in my life, and how I can incorporate this better and get closer to Jesus?
00:49:31.039 --> 00:49:35.280
And there's there's so many different uh translations and Bibles.
00:49:35.519 --> 00:49:42.320
I I have a New Living Translation Bible that uh really breaks things down, and and I get to understand that.
00:49:42.400 --> 00:49:48.880
And and then in the group that I'm in on Sunday mornings, uh, you know, we cover all walks of life.
00:49:49.039 --> 00:49:51.679
Um, I mean, there's doctors, pastors.
00:49:52.000 --> 00:50:01.119
Um I mean, it it it you know, labor, it doesn't matter what you are, but we have one common bond of being men who want to do better for ourselves and our families.
00:50:01.360 --> 00:50:01.840
That's good.
00:50:01.920 --> 00:50:04.639
And it does start with better for ourselves.
00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:12.400
The more that you do for you get to know you, self-realization, then you can show up for everybody else around you much better, right?
00:50:12.480 --> 00:50:20.159
And spending time with you with the word and and the um focus on health allows you to feel better about yourself.
00:50:20.480 --> 00:50:22.960
Yes, more confidence, more confidence.
00:50:23.519 --> 00:50:41.760
But then that's where I like to blend science with, you know, uh, like you said, the GLP ones, or there's different, you know, uh different modalities that you can bridge to feel better because sometimes people are like, oh, I'm trying it all and I'm not getting to where I want.
00:50:41.920 --> 00:50:47.119
Well, it could be a deeper rooted, it could be, yeah, an imbalance of your the way you're processing glucose.
00:50:47.199 --> 00:50:50.159
And, you know, so there is a science to it as well.
00:50:50.320 --> 00:50:51.920
I say I'm always a science project.
00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:58.800
So start getting curious and how to find that clarity in your mind and um feel good in your body.
00:50:58.880 --> 00:51:01.519
Yeah, that's I exercise, yeah, because I feel good.00:51:01.599 --> 00:51:04.800
I notice it when I miss a couple days, you know, and I'm like, oh, I gotta go.00:51:04.880 --> 00:51:06.639
You know, I think it was Sunday, what is it?00:51:06.719 --> 00:51:07.119
Last Friday.00:51:07.199 --> 00:51:14.480
I'm like, oh, I had missed two days, and I'm like, okay, I'm going for our walk, and then I'm just jumping into this like fitness facility with 6 30 at night.00:51:14.639 --> 00:51:20.639
I'm like, I just my body craves it, you know, and it feels so much better, and there's so many benefits.00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:25.920
Those natural endorphins um, you know, what you get from working out are amazing.00:51:26.079 --> 00:51:30.239
Yeah, yeah, it improves your mind, your cognitive, your memory retention, everything.00:51:30.400 --> 00:51:32.239
And there's a lot of science that supports all that.00:51:32.559 --> 00:51:33.599
Absolutely, absolutely.00:51:33.760 --> 00:51:35.119
So I'm just uh deeply honest.00:51:35.199 --> 00:51:37.119
So what's your I'm curious, what's your favorite verse?00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:39.679
Do you have a favorite verse or something that stands out lately?00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:40.639
Yeah, you know what?00:51:40.800 --> 00:51:46.800
I got some um I I like Proverbs, I like um I like the book of James.00:51:46.960 --> 00:51:53.840
Um uh maybe not so much of a verse, but one of my favorite characters in the Bible is the Apostle Paul.00:51:54.079 --> 00:51:54.400
Okay.00:51:54.639 --> 00:51:58.559
Um used to be Saul, and he was a bad man.00:51:58.800 --> 00:52:01.039
And um he turned his life around for Christ.00:52:02.159 --> 00:52:18.559
And and so that's kind of my anchor in terms of uh my own you know personal journey of of uh um you know, thinking I was one man, but I was really through my actions and behaviors another man.00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:23.039
Um I I saw the movie The Apostle Paul.00:52:23.119 --> 00:52:41.840
I I I can't remember who produced it, but saw that um shortly after you know that two by four across the head that I uh um that that's when things really started to change and and uh um it it everybody has the capacity to transform where they're at.00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:42.239
Yes.00:52:42.480 --> 00:52:50.960
And um the the toughest thing for a lot of people is to truly believe and understand that the past does not define your future.00:52:51.199 --> 00:53:03.440
Yeah if you can get past that um and and it doesn't have to be a um you know Steep Polski with Melissa on a podcast, um you know, talking about it.00:53:03.519 --> 00:53:05.199
It it if believe it.00:53:05.760 --> 00:53:15.920
You know, for some people that would never go on a podcast or feel uncomfortable doing it, um hit your rock bottom and and only you can know what that rock bottom is.00:53:16.159 --> 00:53:20.960
But at some point in time, there's enough signs and enough poor choices and mistakes.00:53:21.119 --> 00:53:22.320
How can you go any lower?00:53:22.559 --> 00:53:22.800
Yeah.00:53:23.119 --> 00:53:24.559
Yeah, well, uh yeah, exactly.00:53:24.639 --> 00:53:26.960
Don't don't wait till what I see anymore.00:53:27.519 --> 00:53:37.519
Don't don't wait for you know uh a miracle or wait for some uh you know don't don't wait for it to be as clear as it was for me that I I hit my rock bottom.00:53:37.760 --> 00:53:38.719
Yeah, start believing it now.00:53:39.039 --> 00:53:39.679
Start believing it now.00:53:40.320 --> 00:53:41.440
Believing, yeah, believing.00:53:41.519 --> 00:53:41.920
I love that.00:53:42.000 --> 00:53:48.880
I think that's such an important message and uh it's such an honor and I hope this really reaches the people.00:53:49.039 --> 00:54:10.000
I always pray on it, I pray on every episode before we launch it to reach the people that's supposed to, even if I say it's just one, one person where they start to believe and incorporating these small wins every day and reaching out and how beautiful is that because if we change that for one person, they have a community around them.00:54:10.239 --> 00:54:13.280
This could be a then leave a legacy to their children.00:54:13.360 --> 00:54:16.000
I always say, What kind of legacy do you want to leave?00:54:16.239 --> 00:54:17.599
You know, for your kids.00:54:18.079 --> 00:54:37.360
If they saw you change just like your kids did, they're like, Wow, my dad was so strong to allow himself to to change, to choose to change, to believe it, to do the work because we were so worthy, you know, of him being healthy for us.00:54:37.519 --> 00:54:44.719
And now, you know, you'll be there for a long time seeing them grow and grandkids and oh, whatever happens, right?00:54:44.960 --> 00:54:47.039
And that is is so important.00:54:47.440 --> 00:54:54.719
No, I think faith is uh, you know, there's a lot of cliches out there, but uh, you know, how do you eat an elephant one bite at a time?00:54:54.880 --> 00:54:56.559
Um, how do you grow your faith?00:54:56.719 --> 00:54:57.679
Yeah, one day at a time.00:54:57.920 --> 00:54:58.480
One day at a time.00:54:58.559 --> 00:55:04.480
Oh, yeah, my faith has grown, you know, tremendously, and uh and every day I learn some more.00:55:04.559 --> 00:55:07.679
Like you said, you uh uh read different books of like the Bible.00:55:07.760 --> 00:55:23.119
For me right now, I've gotten the Gospel of Thomas, and uh, and then so is it's just dives even deeper and understanding it and the prayers and those foundations and seeing yeah, how how important that is on a daily basis.00:55:23.280 --> 00:55:39.920
I, you know, I read the prayer protection every day as I speak also more about God and um with my work and my book, I also see things sometimes uh darkness or things come under attack almost, right?00:55:40.000 --> 00:55:46.239
So I have to keep myself so protected that it just kind of deflects or I can stay calm.00:55:46.320 --> 00:55:49.199
Like you said, it things will always happen that are bad.00:55:49.360 --> 00:55:56.719
Like, for example, I park my cars in a parking lot and I'm walking to this appointment and I hear crash, you know.00:55:56.800 --> 00:56:00.400
I'm like, oh great, somebody backed into my car.00:56:00.880 --> 00:56:03.599
But I just like okay, whatever.00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:08.880
You know, I don't I didn't start screaming and yelling at the guy, just like walked him up very calmly.00:56:09.039 --> 00:56:14.400
He's like, okay, well, well, that's kind of unfortunate, but okay, let's just go through the motions.00:56:14.480 --> 00:56:16.880
He's like, wow, you're very calm.00:56:17.440 --> 00:56:18.960
Well, nobody demanded it.00:56:19.119 --> 00:56:20.000
Yeah, exactly.00:56:20.239 --> 00:56:22.639
Nobody demanded can it can it be?00:56:23.039 --> 00:56:26.480
And then the man is like, he's calling his wife to find out the information.00:56:26.559 --> 00:56:30.000
He's like, Well, I have a very nice lady here that I bounted in the car.00:56:30.239 --> 00:56:32.159
It's like, what do you want me to do, you know?00:56:32.320 --> 00:56:44.719
And he and it was really funny the process, and I said, Well, you know, there's there's gonna be bad thing, but it's how I'm gonna react, you know, and how I'm gonna show up for that day.00:56:44.800 --> 00:56:45.679
There's always a reason.00:56:45.760 --> 00:56:50.559
And I think God was telling me sometimes I'm not very patient on things to progress.00:56:50.639 --> 00:56:52.800
Like, I'm like, I want to want the book done, I want this done.00:56:52.880 --> 00:56:58.719
And and it was just like, it's a slow process once you get hit, you know, dealing with insurance, and I'm not very paid.00:56:59.360 --> 00:57:07.360
And he's like, okay, you're just gonna have to wait it out and get your car, you know, had to get my mom to drive me today.00:57:07.519 --> 00:57:14.480
So I'm just saying that yes, bad things are still gonna happen, even if you're living in that faith and in the light every day.00:57:14.639 --> 00:57:18.079
But when bad things are gonna happen, you're gonna be prepared and calm.00:57:18.719 --> 00:57:19.119
Absolutely.00:57:19.280 --> 00:57:21.679
Yeah, and I think that's just good advice in general.00:57:21.840 --> 00:57:24.239
When when things happen, don't react.00:57:24.559 --> 00:57:26.480
Think, breathe, pray.00:57:26.559 --> 00:57:34.079
Uh, don't and I've was always one to react and uh uh be be slow to make decisions sometimes.00:57:34.320 --> 00:57:34.880
Yes, slow.00:57:34.960 --> 00:57:37.039
I've had, yes, that was another lesson for me.00:57:37.119 --> 00:57:40.400
Sometimes I could I I in it was one way it's really good.00:57:40.559 --> 00:57:43.679
I can make really I'm decisive, I can make fast decisions.00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:45.119
When I'm ready to go, I go.00:57:45.280 --> 00:57:49.360
I go head first, and you know, but And there's a time and a place for that.00:57:49.679 --> 00:57:50.960
There's a time and place for that.00:57:51.039 --> 00:57:57.519
It's it's done really well, but sometimes I have to really pause, like, okay, where is that fast quiz decision?00:57:57.599 --> 00:57:59.840
Is it coming from my heart or out of fear?00:58:00.000 --> 00:58:02.639
So I have to really kind of pause for that.00:58:02.880 --> 00:58:08.639
You know, is this is this coming from God or is it coming out of fear that I'm wanting to move fast?00:58:08.800 --> 00:58:12.320
So that's where I um I really have to watch out for.00:58:12.639 --> 00:58:14.800
Fear is always the root of poor choices.00:58:15.119 --> 00:58:15.360
Yes.00:58:15.519 --> 00:58:16.079
Oh my gosh.00:58:16.239 --> 00:58:16.960
I'm still learning.00:58:17.039 --> 00:58:18.960
I've done a lot of those this year.00:58:19.199 --> 00:58:23.599
And I'm I'm very lucky that I have some patient people around me sometimes.00:58:23.920 --> 00:58:37.199
I I think the uh and I'm not gonna call it wisdom, although some might misconstrue it as that, but uh uh when you accumulate enough poor choices, um, you want to make less of them, call it wisdom or something, or just hard lessons learned.00:58:37.440 --> 00:58:45.039
But um you you always learn more through um through trial and tribulation than you do from success.00:58:45.199 --> 00:58:45.440
Yeah.00:58:45.760 --> 00:58:49.119
And uh always be humble in success because success is fleeting.00:58:50.000 --> 00:59:07.920
And also like the humility, once you maybe notice, okay, I made that decision out of fear and it wasn't the right one, showing up and communicating that in a calm manner, say, okay, I'm showing up, but here's what I'm doing now to repivot or realign myself.00:59:08.079 --> 00:59:10.480
And so I think that's just a lesson here.00:59:10.559 --> 00:59:16.320
And and um so is there a final message you'd like to share or anything that we didn't touch on?00:59:16.480 --> 00:59:41.199
Because I feel like I feel this we touched on it a lot, and I I know the Holy Spirit will work to bring this to the I I would just say for anybody that uh is going through a um a storm or a tough season in their life that uh um when when things seem hopeless, um, and I've been there more times than than than once, and there's always hope.00:59:41.840 --> 00:59:43.039
But you can't do it alone.00:59:43.360 --> 00:59:51.360
Um that that mindset that uh um you're a man or you're a strong woman, or you we can't do these things alone.00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:55.039
We have to bring um Christ into our lives.00:59:55.280 --> 00:59:58.960
At least that's what it took for me to to to really believe it.00:59:59.280 --> 01:00:04.239
And then And then, you know, be be choiceful who you surround yourself with.01:00:04.480 --> 01:00:04.800
Yes.01:00:04.960 --> 01:00:07.199
You know, select your friends wise wisely.01:00:07.679 --> 01:00:08.159
Absolutely.01:00:08.559 --> 01:00:09.360
I I've been blessed.01:00:09.440 --> 01:00:12.800
I've got some of the best people on the planet in my life.01:00:12.880 --> 01:00:23.519
And and for a long time, you know, the my college buddies that I played football with and had as roommates uh 43 years now were still thicker than than Thebes.01:00:23.760 --> 01:00:37.679
And and uh, you know, it goes comes down to faith, family, friends, and and uh and and again with an in alignment with the F's, it's kind of transcended and uh what I do for a living, but there's always a better way.01:00:37.760 --> 01:00:41.360
And so I I would say what what do I want to be recognized for?01:00:41.599 --> 01:00:43.360
Um continuous improvement.01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:47.760
I like both both my personal life and and uh that which I do to earn a living.01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:54.480
Yeah, and you will be successful, and you are, and we continue to because you're following all of those.01:00:54.719 --> 01:00:56.079
We can always be better every day.01:00:56.239 --> 01:00:56.480
Yeah.01:00:56.559 --> 01:00:58.480
Oh yeah, I work on it every day.01:00:58.719 --> 01:00:59.360
Absolutely.01:00:59.519 --> 01:01:00.800
Well, thank you so much, Steve.01:01:00.880 --> 01:01:01.679
It was such an honor.01:01:01.920 --> 01:01:02.559
Thank you, Melissa.01:01:02.719 --> 01:01:03.199
Yeah, thank you.
