The IronMind Mentality: Beating Burnout & Reclaiming Control

Dealing with personal struggles builds resilience, empathy, and focus. These traits drive better decision-making, innovation, and team leadership, turning challenges into fuel for sustainable business growth.

In this episode, I had a discussion with Kenny Stoddart, founder of IronMind Advisors and creator of the IronMind Mentality, a framework for building mental resilience, strategic clarity, and performance under pressure. Drawing from decades coaching leaders in business and sport, plus his own recovery journey, he blends neuroscience with practical tools. Now pursuing a Master’s in Addiction Counseling, Ken helps high-performers transform chaos into clarity and stress into strength.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenstoddart/
https://www.ironmindadvisors.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Iron Mind Advisors
02:59 Kenny's Journey in Cybersecurity
05:54 The Impact of Burnout and Alcoholism
08:59 The Transition to Mental Health Counseling
11:53 Identifying and Overcoming Burnout
14:49 The Importance of Seeking Help
18:02 Challenges Faced by High Achievers
20:57 The Iron Mind Mentality
23:52 The Role of Leaders in Mental Health
27:00 Practical Steps to Seek Help
30:02 Future Plans and Advocacy

Transcript

Introduction to Iron Mind Advisors

SPEAKER_01 0:00

At the point where I decided to reach out and take my Superman cape off because I thought I knew everything and I thought I had all of the answers, but I didn't. And I uh let my ego slide and um reach out and say, I can't do this on my own anymore. Uh my life changed. High achieving people know who they are. Everybody says, Well, how do you define a high achiever? And they're I I can define it, but the people that are listening to this, for example, likely have uh an ambition to do amazing things, whatever it is they're doing. That's a high achiever, and but they know who they are. We have a responsibility to recognize when you know our top performers on our team are not, you know, are something's off or you know, they're losing their edge. And stepping in there as a leader just to nudge and see if they're okay. I want to tell these executives like who does the CEO call when he needs help, right? Because he's usually the person that everybody calls. Oftentimes, these executives, these high performers, don't know who to call because they're not sure what's the issue.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

And that is where Welcome to Business Leadership Podcast. In this episode, I had a discussion with Ken Storert. Ken is a founder of Iron Mind Advisors and a creator of Iron Mind Mentality, a framework for building mental resilience, strategic clarity, and performance under pressure. Drawing from decades coaching leaders in a business and sports, plus his own recovery journey, he blends neuroscience with the practical tools. Now pursuing masters in addiction counseling Ken helps high performers transform child into clarity and stress into strength. This was a very interesting discussion. Ken talks about his experience in a corporate world, then he talks about his challenges with the addictions and some lot of personal health challenges, and he drew a lot of lessons learned out of this experience and shared that with the business leaders to help them to uh avoid some of the mistakes that he's gone through and also how to get uh, you know, if he's dealing with some challenges, how to get over some of those challenges. Hope you find that value in this discussion as much as I did and enjoy Ken's journey and and his uh you know all the lessons learned and his experience. Uh, if you find a value in this discussion, don't forget to send us your feedback, share with your friends, and subscribe to this channel. Your feedback is very important to us. Allow us to focus on our right direct uh uh discussions on a weekly basis to help you grow and scale your business. Until next time, please welcome Ken Storter. Hi, guys. Welcome to Business Leadership Podcast. Uh, today our guest is Kenny Stardard. Kenny, uh, you know, interesting journey, what you gone through. Uh I'm looking forward to learning from you, looking forward to a discussion. Thank you so much for time and welcome to the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Well, I'm looking forward to it as well. Thank you for having me. It's been I've been looking forward to it.

Kenny's Journey in Cybersecurity

SPEAKER_00 2:54

So, if you walk us our audience through Kenny, what is Iron Man Advisors about and and what do we do there and how do we help our people?

SPEAKER_01 3:03

Well, Ironmind Advisors is is the company that I started about nine months ago. Now it's an executive coaching business that I focus on working with high performers, similar to the way I was for 27 years on the cybersecurity space, but I've since pivoted and uh focused on the mental health side of things. I'm becoming a mental health counselor, a licensed mental health counselor as we speak, but really working from an identity level, working with executives who are looking at that next phase of their career who may have suffered a setback in some form or fashion. I'm looking to really advance themselves. The Ironmind philosophy is uh, you know, it's not an out-of-the-box coaching package. It's a it's a strategic working process relationship that gets the best out of uh high performer. So it's been an incredible past nine months getting into this space and working with high achievers and watching them do amazing things.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Got it, got it. So is this simply working on a mindset? Uh is it a of the body as well? You know, uh, you know, any area, any specific area that you guys focus on, or is it just a general mindset that we try to get across?

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Well, the mindset, you know, is certainly something that, but you know, no, it incorporates a lot of levels of discipline. You know, we peel back the layers, we understand what our goals are, we set realistic expectations. Um, we're looking at some of the things that have hindered us in the past and setting boundaries around them, taking an overall look at our wellness and making sure that we're taking care of ourselves both mentally and physically and spiritually, making sure that we're making time for our families, our friends, what's really important in our lives, applying life lessons from my 27-year career of many ups and downs and learning through important lessons along the way. And then, you know, applying that to my own transformation, which was once at, you know, I approached my own rock bottom two years ago and since have been rebuilding myself using this iron mind blueprint that you know really asks more of ourselves as high achievers to really go above and beyond to be the best version of ourselves. And, you know, I'm living proof of that. I'm the testimony, if you will, and I walk with the walk. So that's what I do with my high achievers is we we we push hard, but we do amazing things. So that's that's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

So so so let's step back, uh Kenny. Let's talk about your journey. It looks like your story is very important. You know, you've gone through a lot of struggles. So if you mind, let's share your story with the audience and then we can tie dissect it from there. Because this is I I think that's very important for for you to live as an example.

The Impact of Burnout and Alcoholism

The Transition to Mental Health Counseling

SPEAKER_01 5:42

It really is. The story is incredibly important to understand where I'm coming from. You know, the the iron mind mentality, like I said, you know, I spent 27 years in cybersecurity. I came out of the gates from I graduated from the Citadel in 1997. I went to a very, you know, intense military school, got out of there with the intent of, you know, whatever the path was, my future in the military or not. I ended up going into the dot-com era, moving to Atlanta, Georgia, and stepping right into the uh newly uh minted internet security industry back in the day, literally. Now, what that transformed into was, you know, you know, I was wealthy right out of the gates, right place, right time, instant millionaires. There was many of us at a very young age. So that was a lot to adjust to. But more so than the money, it was you know, the rise through the ranks of leadership onto this incredible career of working with some of the best and brightest people and leaders in the world, traveling the world doing global sales for companies like Varisign and Symantec, and you know, multi multi-million dollar relationships across the globe, South America, Asia, all over Europe. And it was fat, it was fabulous, and it was high pressure and it was intense. And my goal was always to overachieve. And I was a classic, you know, swing for the fences, do all the, you know, always wanted to be at President's Club, always wanted to be crushing my quotas, making money. And that, you know, that comes with a lot of stress and intensity. And, you know, as the years piled up, you know, into my 20 as I got into my 40s as an age, but you know, into 20 plus years into that industry and doing that, it's it's a grind, it's a lot of hard work. And the signs started to show and it started to take a toll on my health and my wellness and what I was the decisions I was making for myself. Within that 27 years, there's a ton of lessons that I've learned from some of the most incredible leaders, and that's what I do. I pass it on. But you know, during that process, there was a downfall where I, you know, I struggled with alcoholism and I I hit my rock bottom. And my story is about what happened from that point, and at the point where I decided to reach out and take my Superman cape off because I thought I knew everything and I thought I had all of the answers, but I didn't. And I asked for help. And that date uh changed my life forever because the moment I asked for help, the moment I let my ego slide and reach out and say, I can't do this on my own anymore, my life changed in in such a massive way. And now here I am, a year and a half, almost two years later, I'm about to be a licensed mental health counselor. I'm graduating from Liberty University. I've started my own business. I'm working with executives all over the world. And I my goal is to help people not struggle with some of the things that I struggled with along the way. Not just the alcoholism piece, but what I'm describing to you is a is is corporate burnout at its very finest level. I was I was run to ragged for so long trying to chase these goals and and and be this Superman character where everything looked great on the outside, but inside I was I was hurting badly, and I had to fix it. And that's that's what I did, and that's what I do with Iron Mind Advisors. So it's my story, it's my passion, it's my dream come true, it's my prayers answered. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_00 9:19

Yeah, to to uh you know, the good to thank you so much for sharing your story here, Kenny. To your to your point that you know you guys were in a cybersecurity, you know, that was late 90s, right? Uh Kenny?

SPEAKER_01 9:29

I mean That's exactly right. 1997, 1998. I started with a great company out of Atlanta, Norcross, Georgia, Secure IT. We got acquired by VeriSign, Verasign to Geotrust, which acquired by Verasign again to Symantec. I mean, just an incredible journey along the way of acquisitions and IPOs and going public and venture capital and being parts of acquisitions and back into you know, and it was it was amazing, but it was intense. I mean, it was a lot, it was, you know, I was a quota carrying.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

Yeah, but that time, Kenny, in the late 90s, the reason I pointed out is is uh security field was very new in in the district, it was not very, very sorted out, it was very new. A lot of stuff was learning. You guys were probably pioneer in that area, so money was not an issue, probably, right? As long as you the skill set is there, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

It was a different buying time, exactly. It was a different buying time. The internet was going crazy, and then there was few people that were learning how to secure it. I recalled companies like obviously RSA and Checkpoint and Nokia back in the day that were pioneers, and you know, we sold firewalls. I mean, that's how long ago that was, and firewall training. And yes, we call it, I say a 27-year career in cybersecurity, but but the cybersecurity wasn't a thing in 1997. We called it internet security or securing the web's the web. And we obviously had transformed in so many fashions over the years, but yeah, a life in encryption and PKI, and that's what I really did. And I I don't want to go down that hole. I mean, that's for a whole separate discussion about what you know in a life in encryption.

SPEAKER_00 11:12

But you know, what I want to make sure the audience understand is simply you know, this was not sorted out field. You guys were sorting out as you guys were selling, so that there was a shortage of skill set for for that uh for the area, and there was a lot of money involved because simply that there were not many people doing that. So definitely the tempt temptation to produce more sale, produce more of that stuff, you know, that that that's what you you fell for. So that is very hard to control when you have so much money and so it's such a shortage of the skill set in a marketplace.

Identifying and Overcoming Burnout

SPEAKER_01 11:44

It was an amazing time to be a part of, to be a sales leader during that phase. Yes, money was, as I mentioned, in the buying process was much different. New customers were always a thing, you know, enterprises, major enterprises. I've done business with all of them because security was in such demand. It's much different than it, you know. Obviously, competition was introducing uh being introduced every single day, but we were the first to the market with some of these solutions, and it was amazing. So, yes, we had to perform. And then, you know, obviously there was we went public, and so you had to answer to the Wall Street. And yes, it that these are the things that if you don't take care of yourself and listen to the signs over the years, they end up catching up with you like they did with me. And that's part, you know, obviously the main point of my story as I you know prepare for the next phase of my journey.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Yeah. So if you can uh you know, look back, Kenny, if you point pinpoint a couple of things, what what drove that burnout? Uh, was that was that chasing quota all the time on from a sales, or was it simply just being the best at what you were doing, or or was there money that was driving it? So, what are some of those things? I'm sure a lot of people listening to us, they you know, C-level or or uh you know sales executives that they all probably go through the same thing. So I want to share a couple of things that you can pinpoint that these were the the element that drove that that that burnout.

SPEAKER_01 13:07

Yeah, so as I mentioned being uh wealthy at a at a young age like that, you know, it's it's everybody's dream come true. Is well, I shouldn't say that. I dreamed of being wealthy. Many people be rich, you know, entrepreneurs. I was 24 years old. There was there were many of us, I wasn't alone. You know, we be we this the stock market was going crazy. It was a dot-com boom. It was I was part of it, it was amazing. We we were so fortunate in so many ways. So I don't ever want to underestimate that. But being wealthy at that age comes with a cost because it, you know, trying to keep up with that over the years, over a 25 plus year career, making that kind of money is almost unheard of. And it it takes a toll. So we it's keeping up with the Joneses, it's not wanting to go backwards. I always wanted to move the finish line further, the quota I wanted it, the biggest one I wanted to chase it. I wanted to overachieve. So money was a factor. It was the idea of making the the accolades of presidents club. It's my drive. I'm addicted to success, I love it. But I also didn't put boundaries in place to control some of that that aggression towards success. And when I look back, that was a critical mistake for me because I could have been equally as successful, if not more, had I taken a better look at how I was going about my my business.

The Importance of Seeking Help

SPEAKER_00 14:31

So got it, what are you trusting? So you know, you've gone through you know your challenges, whether it's with the struggle with the cancer or with the addiction, Kenny. When you are down like that, you know, anybody I know business owners who built the businesses, they go through rough time as well. There's a time that nobody around you, you simply just I'm not struggling with that. You're just dealing with the whether it's addiction, or you're trying to build a company. I'm not comparing those two, but the struggle is still it's a mental struggle. It's it's uh, you know, you struggle off your faith, your belief system. How did you find strength for yourself to to get over these challenges, Kenny?

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Well, there's several uh you know, I like I said, I I was not being the best version of myself. I think that that's the best way to, you know, alcohol was a symptom of per my burnout. I don't deny the fact that I had an issue. It it did take over in a way that it's very capable of doing. And you know, I I not being the best version of myself was something that ate at me very badly on a daily basis. With that comes shame and if that just builds and it compounded with me. That's the burnout leading up to the the the bottom, if you will. And you know, I hit a point where I just, like I said, I could not do it anymore. I I did not have the strength to be that superpower that I thought I was. So as I mentioned, my story is I asked for help and my life immediately changed because you know, I knew I wanted to be this version of myself, the one you're seeing now. This this version of me 18 months later is what I always strived to be, but I was not there. And so I had to make changes. I had to, you know, swallow my pride, if you will. I had to, I call it put a stake in the ground and say, today's, you know, we're this is day zero and we are moving forward. And that's how I operate today. I've still that's the iron mines mentality. No is not an option. Success is um, you know, we are, but I have boundaries now. I'm still you can hear my passion. My passion's there. I never want to take my foot off the gas. I would never ask my clients or my high achievers to say, don't work so hard. We talk about working smart. I know that's a everybody knows that terminology, but putting in boundaries, real-world examples like I have done now to make you know my life and my work fabulous. And there's ways to do it. I shifted careers. I went from that 27-year career in cybersecurity to mental health, you know, at 50 years old. It's wow, you know, huge risk. I'm scared, still am, but it's part of the process. I feel it as a calling, it's amazing. And with the iron minds mentality, you know, I had no there's no other option for me but to be successful. What success looks like is different than it used to be.

Challenges Faced by High Achievers

SPEAKER_00 17:16

Yeah. You know, I don't know if we watched a number recently, Akani. You know, a lot of kids, you know, especially uh in what have we gone through with the COVID numbers in Canada is one in every uh five, you know, either kids or or adults are dealing with the mental health challenges or they know somebody in a family who's struggling with it. So I'm hoping that we can give them tools. So what you know, a lot of people have that struggle, they they start the journey and they fall apart. So what kept you going? You know, was it enough that you did you visualize yourself? Did you use any techniques that listen? This is where I want to be uh that kept you on a track, or was it some other techniques that you use that I listened? Uh this is how I see myself in a in a in a year or so. So if you can share some, you know, what kept you going and it kept you on a track when you're dealing with those challenges?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Yeah, did I visualize? You're absolutely right. I'm a dreamer, you know, and what I was visualizing and what was happening when I was struggling was not, and so those dreams were not coming true, if you will. I was what the visual what I visualized was not happening, and boy, did that come with a price because that's the that's the that's the burnout happening. That's the what's happening with me, why am I not being the person? And and the way that eats at a high achieving person is is tremendous, it's terrible. So for me, yes, visualization and dreaming, getting, you know, obviously you have to in and I had to get help, I had to be more disciplined than I already had been. I had to say that, you know, I had to deploy the iron mind mentality. That's what I'm teaching people, is like when we're doing this, you know, whatever it is you do, whether it's a degree or a new career change or a job or a bar exam or a master's, whatever it is, I'm ready for it. I'm ready to have because I know that if we deploy the techniques that I'm referring to, visualization being a huge piece of it, if you don't believe in it, we're not gonna get there. But so that's the visualization, but then putting the steps in place to actually do it. And it starts with that mental health number that you referenced is just startling number one. I hate it. It's too much, it's so I'm I hope to help as many as I possibly can. I obviously can't touch everybody, but that number needs to decrease. And you know what I tell people if there's one thing, just have a conversation, right? It's the most easy thing. Like hopefully you have someone to talk to and say, hey, I'm not doing great. And there's such a great campaign across the North America about I'm fine or are you really fine? But that's a good question to check on your friends or your loved ones and make sure. But if they're not, there's people out there that are willing to help you, me being one, but that's there are people everywhere. And what it did for me was absolutely life-changing, honestly. And I that's why I'm such such a proponent for people seeking help, whatever it is, mentorship, guidance, friendship, coaching, whatever. Because sometimes that's what you need to get across that hump or hurdle or finish line.

The Iron Mind Mentality

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Yeah, especially uh when we are talking on a on a, you know, these days we work in a decentralized environment, you know, whether it's a sales team, whether it's a C-level executive, you know, we don't know what's going on with somebody other side of the camera. You know, just checking in and and and and uh paying that attention, you know, sometimes is a great help, right? So because and then sometimes the person sitting in front of you on a camera, maybe it's fine on a Zoom call, but how about their family? Maybe they're struggling with something, right? So understanding all that, being sensitive to all that stuff and and understanding, I think uh, you know, that is the only way to like so let's talk about your experience. So you've been working with a business leader, you've been helping them with the RN mindset. Where do you see some of the challenges and are uh what what the what the struggle is about?

SPEAKER_01 21:03

Well, the biggest challenge is is is taking off the cape, as as I mentioned. You know, the focus with the high achieving people know who they are. Everybody says, Well, how do you define a high achiever? And they're I I can define it, but the people that are listening to this, for example, likely have uh an ambition to do amazing things, whatever it is they're do. That's a high achiever, and the but they know who they are, right? So it it's getting into that mindset. We're going to set some goals, we're gonna you and getting into the the the iron mind mentality is what I'm trying to you know encourage with my clients, and it it it has been very effective. Can you repeat your question more specifically, please? I I lost my train of thought there for one second.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

I was trying to understand, you know, when you work with uh this you know C level executives, what do you see what some of the struggles are they up against? You know, what what what are the Struggling with are they struggling with the diagnosed part, or are they simply struggling with uh how to how to get back with the RN mindset? Or what's some of the struggles that you see that with these uh these people?

The Role of Leaders in Mental Health

SPEAKER_01 22:12

That's the struggle is you know, they've been in high pressure situations for a long time, right? That the they've been operating at such a high level for such a long time. No, it doesn't always involve alcohol or the burnout or symptoms of burnout. But what I'm seeing is, you know, what does that next phase look like? You know, as I looked at it as a 49 or 50 year old, what does my next 20, 30 years look like as I approached a career moment? So executives are struggling with, you know, what does that next phase look like? Can the trajectory that I'm currently on, can I can I maintain it? And many people are very good at it. They really are. They maintain their health, their wellness, they check in. And then there's some that aren't. And you know, that's what I would like to focus on is there are solutions. And I I would like to say that I'm a walking example of that. You know, my health was obviously very deteriorated to a point where I made these changes, implemented what I've done to become, you know, the healthiest version of myself, quite frankly, in a long time. And, you know, thriving on so many different levels. But it is, you know, it's just looking, taking a look and peeling back the layers. What are the signs of, you know, are you going through the motions? Are you are you not happy doing the things that used to make you excited? Things like that. Are you bringing it home from work? Those are the things that we don't need to do. And I used to do them quite, and and now it's so nice not to have to do that because I've implemented this iron mind way of thinking where we we process that and put it in its place, and and that's one of the components. And it comes through a lot of ups and downs over the years of learning the right way to do things and perhaps the wrong way, and and putting in some best practices to fix it.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Yeah. Well, especially the business leaders are when they have to make decisions, right? When you make a decision, it's nobody around you, it's all you. And uh, if we if we're not at you 100%, if you don't have that kind of right a mindset, you know, the room to make a wrong decision, a right decision, there's no there's very fine line. I I think that's where the struggle is that you know the decisions we make on a daily basis, you gotta be have a right mindset to make a decision. And especially when you're making decisions to help out your team. If you help, you know, if you got a team of 100, 200 people, you need to make decisions for all these people. It it that's where the challenge, I think. If you not taking care of yourself, how do you make the right decisions?

SPEAKER_01 24:38

Right. And there's two great points there, first and foremost. And those executives who have those large teams, you know, I think that they we have a responsibility to recognize when you know our top performers on our team are not, you know, are something's off or you know, they're losing their edge. And stepping in there as a leader just to to nudge and see if they're okay, so important to do, right? As a leader. I I I kind of wish I had that back, but I again, my issues were my own issues, but there are signs that my trajectory was not heading in the right direction, and I I wish I would have got smacks a little earlier than I did. So, but yes, I agree.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Yeah, and impact on the people around you as well, right? So when you uh struggling with your own challenges, I can people people get that energy, people feel that as well, right? So they gotta they they need to overcome those challenges as well because because if you're a leader, you you're not 100 doing 100, they have to compensate for that to to to do the jobs.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

So recognizable too. Leaders when they're on, they're on, and when they're off, people know it. And you know, it's it's I was the same way when I'm on, and I knew when I was off too, but and my story was you know, we builds upon that, but I tried to get myself back and finally, but I also like to, you know, I did not know what the right help was for me, quite frankly. And I I I want to tell these executives like who does the CEO call when he needs help, right? Because he's usually the person that everybody calls. That's just an example that you know there's always that that example. But who does who did I go to when or who should I call when I needed help? It was a tough road to navigate, and it gets dangerous because when I needed help, I really wanted it, didn't know what finally I my amazing friends stepped in with the right solutions for me and I started in the right direction. But oftentimes these executives, these high performers don't know who to call because they're not sure what's the issue. And that is where I I love to help because I can oftentimes point them in the right direction based on my trying all of the things over the years, right?

Practical Steps to Seek Help

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Yeah, yeah. And and and I think other part of that can you is they don't want to be vulnerable, right? They don't want to come across as a weak leader's, you know, they they they have that mindset. I don't want to come across weak, I don't want to look like that, you know. I'm the bottleneck. So they they come across with that that mindset that in, you know, they try to cover everything uh with with that persona that listen, I need to be stronger because I'm a leader in a company.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

And I'm trying to change that, that systemic failure right there. I was that person, I I knew it all, I was strong, I had it all under control. I don't need help. Are you kidding me? I can do this forever. Boy, was I wrong. But not only that, when I asked for help, whatever it was, coaching therapy, I had a lot of it, but wow, the changes that were made, amazing. That's what I'm saying. Like it's not asking for help is a sign of strength in my book. That's that's the especially for these people that are you know in those high pressure environments for so long. I think it is an absolute sign of strength. I am out on a mission to change that persona 100% because I saw what it did for me. I was the person that said, I don't need any help. Who are you to tell me what I, you know, and now I'm preaching that it is one of the most amazing things to do.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

And and plus, I, you know, we it's a gender specific too, right? Many generally, you know, the guys, you know, they want to look tough. They want to come across as a, you know, they got everything under control. No, so that's the last thing they want is uh is uh asking for help, uh where that's the first thing they need to talk to somebody.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Yeah, there's there's there's tough, tough personalities and all with women, with physicians, with uh salespeople like myself, with founders, with you know, these people that we think we know it all, and I get it, I understand. Smart, smart people, and oftentimes they know a lot, but sometimes they don't know that they need help or where to go when they need it, and that's something that I'm trying to change.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

What could they do? What would be the first step, Kenny? If uh somebody's uh you know feeling that listen, I I need to talk to somebody, what could they start without you know dealing with all the personality issue, you know, challenges and all that stuff? That that takes a long time to overcome. That I don't need a help to understand, okay, I need help, right? Something they can do small to start recognizing some of those, some of some of those items and start working towards it.

Future Plans and Advocacy

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Yeah. Yeah, there's I mean, starting as small as it gets, there's there's so many resources available. Obviously, it is difficult to find. It's an it's navigating through what you actually need is is is challenging. I've tried to minimize that with my messaging. So my my website, I at Iron Mind Advisors, I have a discrete text line. So if people a lot of a lot of these things are, you know, I take that very, very seriously, obviously. The the confidentiality, the discretion. The people that I work with don't want to be on web pages, they don't want to do testimonials. They this is quiet stuff behind the scenes, and it's I respect that. So however people find me, you know, it's it's easy to do if you need to find me. But my website is ironmindadvisors.com and there is a discrete text line there. But even beyond that, you know, there's I put out messages on TikTok, Iron Mind Kenny, every day about small tips that you can implement into your daily routine that I call Iron Mind tips of the day. But there's also, you know, I encourage anybody that if they're having that thought process, the moment to do something is sooner than later. Because as I mentioned in some of my talks, that high-functioning danger zone of well, I think I need help, but I don't know what to do to the point where you actually do. That's a that's a dangerous period. I call it the high-functioning danger zone because you're essentially giving yourself a pass. I did it for nine months. I'm grateful that I lived through it quite, you know. And so I want people to know that there are places to go to where you there it's non-judgment judgment zone, if you will, but very high confidence, uh confidentiality, discretion, non-sales, real-world discussion, ironmindadvisors.com. I'm grateful to help, and that's that's what I love to do.

SPEAKER_00 30:50

Yeah. So is that spreading awareness, Kenya? Just you work a one-on-one with the business leaders and and and the coaching environment and and you work with them ongoing basis and and help them.

SPEAKER_01 31:00

Yeah, awareness is awareness is the best way I can help as many people as I possibly can. But yes, I also am an executive coach because I I have a lot to offer when it comes to helping people navigate that next huge phase, right? That next huge promotion, that next huge job change degree. I've been there, done that athleticism, Iron Man races. Like I'm not going to be able to teach you how to run faster necessarily, but I love to work with the mental side of things and getting across that finish line where Noah's not an option, as I've said in my many times. And as a 10-time Iron Man finisher, I've never missed one. So that's that's how we do it when we get serious.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

How long was that? How long was the race guy, Kenny? How how many how many miles were that iron mile race?

SPEAKER_01 31:47

Well, an Iron Man race is is is a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike and then a marathon. So it took me my fastest Iron Man was in the 12 hour and 20-minute range, I think. That's not great by any stretch, it's not horrible. I've also been up there in the 1430s, but yes, it's an incredible daunting task. It was it taught me a lot and a lot about boundaries and not having them in place because it is a time-consuming event that challenges you in many ways. I'm so glad I did it because I've learned my mental fitness is as strong as anybody's, I would go against for sure.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

So that is such an interesting point, Kenny. You know, I'm I'm an avid runner. I I just do small marathons here in Canada.

SPEAKER_01 32:35

Small marathons, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:37

Uh it's like a 26 kilometer, 27 kilometer. That's just uh, you know, that that not a very long one. So, but my daughter's always pushing me, Daddy should do Iron Man. You know, she I'll be here, she pushes me. So I, you know, I can't haven't done it. But just by doing the marathon, I know I understand going through these physical challenges has nothing to do with a physic physical body, it's all mental health. You know, it's it's uh how well you prepare mentally, because when you your body gives up, you need the mental strength to push through it. So I think I think I'm glad you mentioned that.

SPEAKER_01 33:09

So you know exactly what I'm talking about. This is the Iron Man mentality. Without it, you don't you're at the last four kilometers of that long race that you're running, and your legs are yeah destroyed, you can't breathe, you're hot, you want to quit. It's the I never doing this again, and then something else clicks in and says, Oh yeah, watch me. And then you go finish that race. That's the Iron Mind's mentality at its core. It got me across every finish line because I wasn't physically, I was probably as gone as it gets on most of mine, but I was not not accomplishing that goal, and that is what it takes. Some people decide that they uh want to take the afternoon off. Not not this guy, and it's it sounds like you know what it's like as well.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

When you when I go for a run, I you know, I try to do a couple of times a week beside a gym. And you know, what I find is what worked for me over the years is if I need to make a decision in a business or if I have to decide something tough I have to deal with. I deal with the last couple of kilometers that my run is. The first couple of you know, couple few kilometers we're just dealing with the day-to-day kind of stuff is going on in your mind. But the last four or five kilometers, that's what your mental uh your mental state is totally different, and you all your chemicals are working, and and you're very strong in your mental health. So that's I make a lot of my decision in the last three, four kilometers, and I find all that decision I'm making, that those few kilometers, those are the best decisions I ever made.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

It's an amazing feeling when you look when you get there, when that runner's those endorphins, the decision making, the clarity that comes from feeling good on a run, accomplishing that, you know, checking that box for the day, getting them that fitness in the physical side, but you've also you get into a great place mentally from it, you feel great. So that's yes, we I love that as well. And I make some of my I have a lot of meetings with myself when I'm running or biking for sure.

SPEAKER_00 35:06

Yeah, yeah. I tell my wife is so for me, that's a meditation. We don't we don't want to you know being on the same page. She thinks the meditation is different than this, but for me, that is a meditation. Uh, when I'm out there and I've gone through 20 kilometers, the last few kilometers, that is a form of meditation for me. I'm not sure if it's wrong or right, but that's how I feel.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Well, it's right then. That's what I say, because that's it works.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Okay, so what's next for Kenny? Uh I understand you're working with a lot of business leaders, uh Kenny. You are you you're going a lot of events as well. So what's what's uh what's the plan for for Arrest Lab 2026 or further?

SPEAKER_01 35:45

Well, I have uh some serious responsibilities to finish up my degree here with my practicum and internship, getting licensed. Uh so it this is gonna take the rest of the year, if not into next year. Not rushing it because well, I am rushing it, but I'm also not I have boundaries. See, in the past I would have said I'm gonna get no, so we've I'm gonna let it run its course because I'm also running my business. My I do keynote speaking. I talk I love being on the stage and talking about my story in one form or fashion because it appeals to executives, it appeals to sales teams. It's called Grace in the Mirror. It it can get pretty deep, but it's also incredibly inspirational. So I love sharing that. And then I will, you know, my executive coaching business is fantastic because it's very strategic. It's it's beyond any coaching that I've received in the past, which is a lot. I've worked with the best coaches, and honestly, it's a combination of a lot of things that I've learned as well. But so I love doing the coaching, and I'm gonna continue to work on you know, spreading being an advocate for early detection for for uh prostate cancer awareness. That was a struggle that I encountered last year, and and thank goodness that I was able to use early detection to find my cancer soon enough to treat it and eliminate it. And I want to let others know that there's ways to do that as well. And then also helping this crisis, which I call the the executive burnout crisis in America, which is damaging a lot of very, very smart people in multiple fields because of the grind that they're going through consistently with this expectation to succeed. And we love that. We love we need those people and those mindsets and that mentality, but we have to learn to take care of the all the supporting things, not only the physical and the mental, but the family, social life. And that's the Ironmind mentality. I just love working with people because executing it is the results are amazing. The way it transforms into an overall well-being and happiness is is it's just been a dream come true for me, like I said. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Well, you know, exactly was working in the business, business owners are trying to build their companies. You know, there's so many blind spots, and one of the blind spots is a burnout. You know, the health is you another burn us a blind spot, and that's where we need a people like you to spot those blind spots before it's too late, before you see the same symptoms on your health. If you can spot those blind spots a lot earlier, definitely it's good for your business. What are we trying to do? You can achieve them a lot more, and plus you're gonna take care of yourself and and the family um through this journey. So I think that's that's what yes, and your team.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

Your hot your team, people, our leaders have teams, and you know, I want to erase this this stigmatism that burnout is you know, it's like it gets laughed at. Oh, burnout, like get a you know work harder, you got this, get a good night's sleep. No, that's that's tired, that's exhaustion, whatever. Burnout is a real thing that that ultimately ends in some very negative health issues. And I'm I'm an example of that. So that's the message. Burnout is a serious thing, and there's ways ways to prevent it and to be cognizant of it and be aware of it, and to take some pretty simple steps to stop it before it gets too far.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

Very interesting. Where can people find you? How can they connect with you, Kenny?

SPEAKER_01 39:10

Well, I love people to visit my website at ironmindadvisors.com because that's where I love to share the same message that I'm talking about today. I do the Iron Mind tips of the day on TikTok at IronmindKenny. I have a LinkedIn which is at case or case. At the end of the LinkedIn, there's there's a lot of great information. I try to put out as much content as possible. Sometimes people would say it's too much, but my message is getting out there, and that's very important to me. So I will continue to do that, and some people will pause it, that's fine. Some people will see it, and that's great. And yeah, so there's that way.

SPEAKER_00 39:47

And yeah, no, I will include a link to all the website, a LinkedIn page, and all that stuff below this video. I'm gonna encourage people to click about it and I reach out to you. You know, there's so much to learn from people like you. You've gone through your journey, and and definitely give it give me perspective, you know, how to consider some of these areas, not only for myself, also for my team as well. If they're struggling with something, how to how to diagnose that problem, how to help them out. So I'm business owner, uh, owner or business leaders who are listening to us, watching us, I'll definitely encourage them to listen to reach out to you for conversation, click a button below, reach out to for a discussion. Who knows where the discussion is gonna go, but at least reach out to you for a quick conversation and and see uh you know what happens from those conversations.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Yeah, I love those conversations. Uh talking business, talking what's giving a little perspective from my angle. I I love it. Thank you. That's a great option.

SPEAKER_00 40:40

Perfect. Thank you so much for time, Kenny. Enjoy our discussion. Thank you so much. We'll talk soon.

SPEAKER_01 40:48

Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

Okay, thank you.