I haven’t been nervous about speaking in a long time. I’ve given nearly 1,500 speeches. But today, I got nervous. 😂 I just got off my TEDx speaker call and heard: “Your script is due in a couple of weeks. Once it’s locked, it’s locked.” Wait… WHAT?! 😂 (I thought I had more time it’s not until Nov 5th) Eight to fourteen minutes. Every word matters. No wandering. No reading the room and adding a story. This is a completely different game. And I LOVE IT. Because when was the last time you got to do something for the first time? There’s something special about a first, the nerves, uncertainty, excitement and that little voice asking, Can I actually pull this off? You only get that feeling once. I’ll never get to do my first one again. Jesse Itzler calls choosing one big challenge each year that pushes you beyond comfortable a Misogi. This is mine. Not because speaking is new to me. Because this format is and being a beginner again is. So instead of hiding the nerves or only showing you the polished talk at the end, I’m taking you with me. The writing. The cutting. The rehearsing. The doubt. The breakthroughs. The nerves. The lessons. The moments I want to change the whole damn thing. 😂 All of it. I spend my life asking high performers to get uncomfortable enough to grow. Now I get to practice what I coach. So maybe the question isn’t, What are you already great at? Maybe it’s: What are you willing to be a beginner at again? #tedtalk #tedxhws #nervous

Your talent matters. Your preparation matters. But if you walk into the moment in the wrong STATE, you’re already playing from behind. I coach some of the best athletes and leaders in the world, and one of the things we work on constantly is this: Don’t leave your state to chance. Because your state changes everything. How you think. How you lead. How you communicate. How you compete. How people experience you. And your energy? It transfers. That’s why I coach it and why I practice it myself. Every morning, I intentionally create the state I want to bring into my day. Sometimes one song is enough to flip the switch. (It’s been my wake up and walk out to speak song for months now) Because I refuse to let how I woke up, what happened yesterday, or what someone else brings into the room decide who I’m going to be today. You don’t have to match the energy in the room. You can SET it. That’s the difference. Stop asking, “How do I feel today?” Start asking: “What STATE does this moment require from me?” Then create it. Your state is your responsibility. And when you learn to own it, you become dangerous in the best possible way. #mindset

Alex Hormozi says, “Success and failure are often on the same road, failure is just an earlier exit” Often people exit too early because it can feel like it’s too much and you decide you’ve had enough. And I get it. I’ve gotten to that point many of times… but I didn’t give up and neither should you. Here’s the thing, sometimes the road gets LONG. There’s traffic. Detours. Delays. Moments when you’re doing everything right and still wondering, Why am I not there yet? That’s where most people get off. Not because they weren’t capable. Not because the dream wasn’t possible. But because they got tired of driving without seeing the destination. But please, stay on the road. Isn’t your dream, goal, purpose worth it? I’ve learned that some of the best things in life happen just beyond the point where you were convinced nothing was working. Messi lost many finals before he won. Rory lost 16 Masters before he won. Sugar the Cubs went 108 years before they won a World Series. So if you feel discouraged, impatient and are thinking of getting off the exit, can you just take a breath? Then Keep showing up. Keep adjusting. Keep believing. Keep going. You didn’t come this far just to take an early exit. The road may be hard. That doesn’t mean it’s the wrong road. #believe #keepgoing #resilience

Some people dream about the life they want. Others make the decisions that build it. I grew up with humble beginnings and while grateful knew I wasn’t going to stay there. As life went on I learned how to turn pain into power. Setbacks into fuel and dreams into decisions. Because the difference isn’t just talent. Sometimes it’s the willingness to keep showing up. To keep working when no one is watching. To keep raising your own standard. A lot of people dream about the life they want. At some point, you have to stop dreaming about it and start making the decisions that build it. I’m still building. Still becoming. Still reaching higher. The goal was never perfection. The goal was to see just how far I could go! Let’s go! Who’s in? #growth #pereseverance #mindset

Get back to being a starter in your own life! #keynotespeaker

I think we’ve reached a point in society where memes have become a love language. 😂 and I’m here for it. If I send you the most random memes with zero context, it’s because I immediately thought of you. That’s not spam… That’s inner circle status. That’s real real, lol Who’s the one person you send every meme to? Tag them below. 👇 #humor

Ever have a goal or a dream and think it’s never going to happen. I did too take a lesson. #dreamscometrue

There was only one person I wanted to ask. My mom. When I was asked, “If you could ask one departed loved one one question, what would it be?” my answer came instantly. “Mom… what dream did you leave this earth wishing you had pursued?” Not because I was curious. Because whatever her answer would have been, I would have done everything in my power to help her live it. She spent her life making mine better. I only wish I had been given more time to help make hers. That question reminded me of something I’ll never forget: Don’t wait to live the dream God placed on your heart. Don’t assume there will always be more time. Love deeply. Encourage boldly. Help the people you love chase what they’re made for. So that one day, when your story is told, it ends with… “I’m so glad I did.” …instead of… “I wish I had.” ❤️ #lifelessons

Everyone wants greatness but few are willing to pay its price. We celebrate Steve Jobs’ vision. Michael Jordan’s competitiveness. Kobe Bryant’s obsession. Serena Williams’ relentless discipline. But what we admire was built on thousands of unseen sacrifices. Freedom has a cost. Greatness does too. I’ve learned that lesson personally. At 25 years old, after my stroke, I was told I would never have children. For a long time, I grieved the life I thought I would never have. Eventually I realized something profound. My assignment wasn’t to raise children of my own. It was to help thousands of others become who they were created to be. GREAT! That became both the price of my calling… and the greatest blessing of my life. Over the years, I’ve also made another choice. I chose to sit out some dinners. Miss some gatherings. Say “not this time” more often than people probably understood. Not because I didn’t value the people. Because I valued the mission God had entrusted to me. The greatest performers understand something most people don’t. There are seasons when greatness asks for more of you. Not forever. But for a season. You won’t always have perfect balance. There will be moments when your work requires more. There will be moments when your family does. The goal isn’t perfect balance. It’s being fully present wherever your feet are. When you’re building, build with everything you have. When you’re with the people you love, give them the best of you not what’s left of you. Every level of greatness demands a different cost. The question isn’t whether greatness is worth it. The question is: Are you willing to pay the price for the life you say you want? Because every “yes” to greatness is also a “no” to something else. Choose your sacrifices wisely. Your future will be built on what you’re willing to give up today. #sacrifice #lifelessons #coaching

Where are your feet? Which is where are you mentally? You locked in? Present? Focused? Grounded? Or Scattered with your focus, energy, time? One of the first things one of the leaders opening up today’s national sales conference I am speaking at in Chicago was: “Be where your feet are.” It’s a phrase we use all the time in elite sports and business, but I wish more people understood what it really means. When I’m with a client, I’m with that client. When I’m speaking, I’m with that audience. When I’m having dinner with a friend, they have my full attention. When I’m training, I’m training. Because greatness requires presence. People sometimes wonder why I’m hard to reach during the day. The truth is, I’m not disconnected. I’m just completely connected to what’s in front of me. Elite performers learn to eliminate the mental noise, focus, be fully present, and conserve energy. They’re not constantly living in the next meeting, the next text, or the next notification. They understand that the highest level of performance comes from giving this moment everything you have. Here’s what I’ve learned: Quality beats quantity. The people in my life may not always get the most hours from me. But when they get me… They get all of me. That’s what creates trust. That’s what deepens relationships. That’s what elevates leadership. That’s what wins championships. The greatest gift you can give another person isn’t more of your time. It’s more of your presence. Be where your feet are. #lifelessons #championshipmindset #presence

Don’t confuse attention for authority! Take a listen

When I was in the hospital after my third stroke, I remember staring at the heart monitor. Watching the line go up. Watching it go down. Praying it wouldn’t go flat. And then a thought hit me. Why do so many of us spend our lives chasing a flat line? We want careers without setbacks. Relationships without conflict. Children without adversity. Faith without doubt. Growth without discomfort. But the very thing we ask God to remove is often the thing that makes us who we become. Strength is built in resistance. Character is forged in adversity. Faith grows when life doesn’t go according to plan. A healthy heart doesn’t beat in a straight line. It rises. It falls. That’s not a sign something is wrong. That’s a sign it’s alive. The same is true for you. If you’re in a lull right now, don’t assume your life is off track. Don’t quit. Don’t panic. Don’t lose hope. Hold on. The next beat is up. And it may be the one that changes everything. #resilience #mindsetmatters #persevere #hope

What if you were the blessing someone prayed for? What if we all looked for ways to pay it forward everyday? As I go around the country and world for that matter speaking I see so many people fighting the good fight but just needing a little kindness to help get them thru the day. What if that came from you? What if you are the one that heplps someone get thru one more day? What if you made one introduction that gave them a job or next client? What if you looked up to see who was in need right in front of you? I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have people help me out if the goodness of their heart. So look for how you can be the blessing in someone’s life today! Paying it forward is a way of life, join in! #payitforward #kindnessmatters

Sometimes we think fear is the warning sign to stop. But what if fear is actually the sign that your life is about to expand? When I look back at the moments that changed my life, almost every single one started the same way: with uncertainty, with doubt, with wondering if I was really capable, with the temptation to stay safe instead of stepping forward. Every great thing in my life came after a moment where I was scared to take the leap. Leaving what was familiar. Starting over. Walking into rooms I didn’t feel fully ready for. Betting on myself before there was proof it would work. Choosing growth over comfort. Choosing purpose over approval. And the truth is, none of those moments felt fearless. They felt uncomfortable. Messy. Vulnerable. Risky. But I’ve learned something: the life you want is usually on the other side of the decision you’re afraid to make. Most people don’t fail because they lack talent. They fail because they stay where it’s comfortable too long. They stay in unhealthy relationships longer than they should have. The career that drains them. The routine that keeps them small. The friend’s circle that is no longer in alignment. The identity they’ve already outgrown. And not because they can’t grow… but because fear convinces them that staying the same is safer. But staying the same has a cost too. Growth will stretch you before it strengthens you. Every new level asks for a version of you that you haven’t fully met yet. So if you’re in that space right now… the uncomfortable space… the uncertain space… the “what if this doesn’t work?” space… Maybe this is your SIGN. You do not need guarantees to begin. You just need enough courage to take the next step. Because one day you may look back and realize: the moment you were most afraid to leap was the moment your life was trying to change for the better. (I’m living proof of this) Send this to someone who needs the reminder: sometimes the real risk isn’t failing… it’s never giving yourself the chance to become who you were meant to be. #taketherisk #encouragement #mindset

The rooms that change the world are rarely built on ego or fame. They’re built on heart, humility, and people who genuinely care about others. And after years of working and doing life with those the world calls “famous” , I found family not because of fame but because of their hearts! The truly great ones have the greatest hearts. And Tonight was filled with many of my favorite humans… incredible leaders, athletes, visionaries, and people operating at the highest levels. But what stood out most about tonight wasn’t ego. It was kindness. Humility. Servant leadership. The way people genuinely cared about one another.

One of the most powerful skills you’ll ever develop is not reacting. People will test you. They’ll push buttons. They’ll send the message designed to pull you into chaos, arguments, and unnecessary energy leaks. But maturity is realizing: Not every invitation deserves your attendance. Not every opinion deserves your defense. Not every message deserves your response. Peaceful people protect their focus. You don’t have to match someone’s volume. You don’t have to prove your point. You don’t have to enter every arena you’re invited into. Sometimes the strongest response… is no response at all. Leave the drama on unread. Protect your energy. Protect your mission. Because the people doing big things in life don’t have time to argue with small chaos. 🔥 Save for the next time someone tries to bring you into their drama. #boundries #nodrama

Medaling isn’t just about standing on a podium. It’s about standing on thousands of unseen mornings. Early alarms. Lonely reps. Missed comfort. Quiet discipline. Years where no one was watching… until suddenly, the whole world is. The honor isn’t the medal. The honor is becoming the kind of person who could carry that moment with humility. To even make the Olympics is rare. To medal for your country at any level? That’s exceptional. That’s a lifetime of sacrifice condensed into seconds. And here’s the lesson for the rest of us: You don’t rise to big moments by luck. You earn them by how you live the small ones. Build your standard when no one’s clapping. Because the podium is just the echo of the work. If this hit you ask yourself: What standard are you building when no one is watching? Save this. Send it to someone in the unseen grind. And keep showing up. Your podium is being built long before anyone applauds. #olympics #greatness

Stop Explaining Your Worth to People Who Can’t Afford Your Wisdom They’ll question the price, the rate, the number on the invoice… Because they don’t see the 30 years behind the 30 minutes. Let them. Because this isn’t about time This is about transformation. I don’t charge for what I do in the moment. I charge for what it took to become the person who could deliver that moment. To anyone who’s mastered their craft Who’s paid in time, training, trials, tenacity, education, and sacrifice The kind of sacrifice that looks like missed events, late nights, early mornings… The years you stayed in training or working while others went out. The discipline when no one was watching. (That’s what builds a pro) You don’t owe anyone a discount on your destiny. Does a pro-level player negotiate down because of their skill? No. They get paid more because of their mastery. Stop explaining your worth to people who can’t afford your wisdom. You’ve earned this. Now own it. Tag someone who needs this reminder today 👇 #KnowYourWorth

Right now in the NFL, someone’s living their dream and someone else is watching theirs slip away. But both moments matter. For some, it’s the highest high. For others, it’s the end of the road. That’s the paradox of high performance: on any given day, one person’s best moment is another’s worst. Someone gets the win and someone has to walk away. But here’s the truth that I coach all year on…your value isn’t defined by the scoreboard. Whether you advance or don’t, the effort, the heart, and the growth you’ve shown matters. Believe me this is compound interest on your future! So if today was your win, honor it. And if today was your loss, embrace the suck, feel it, learn from it, but don’t let it define you. Instead, Let it refine you. Because championship mindsets aren’t just built on victories. They’re built on how you rise after the hardest moments. Let me leave you with this! Win with grace. Lose with grit. Either way, grow. #mentaltoughness #coachdar #NFLPlayoffs #superbowl #bounceback