Redefining Peak Performance: Steve Hess's Journey from NBA Innovator to Wellness Leader

On this episode of All Things Fitness and Wellness Krissy Vann  welcome Steve Hess, a legend  in sports science and wellness. Known for his groundbreaking work with the Denver Nuggets, Steve not only revolutionized their performance strategy through innovative training and nutrition plans but also left a lasting legacy with the weight room that now bears his name. 

Transitioning from his influential role in the NBA to leading as the Chief Performance Officer at Panorama Orthopedic and Spine, and spearheading the Panorama Wellness and Sports Institute, Steve continues to redefine the standards of excellence in the exercise and wellness industry. 

Join us as Steve takes us on an exhilarating journey through his career, sharing the adventurous paths he navigated to reach the pinnacle of sports science and wellness. This episode explores the deep into the essence of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, unveiling the valuable lessons Steve has learned throughout his remarkable journey. 

For professionals and entrepreneurs within the fitness industry and fitness business, this episode offers  insights that will motivate you to strive for continuous heights. Steve's passion for innovation and his commitment to excellence serve as a beacon for anyone looking to advance their career or business in fitness and wellness. 

It's an empowering narrative that promises to inspire and equip you to reach and redefine your own peaks of success.

Transcript

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If I start getting hyped about extrinsic things, it's a fucking rap. But as I've gone on this journey, every step where I'm like, Okay, now I've reached the pinnacle. Now I'm in it every frickin step. I'm like, oh my god, the next step, holy shit. Every time I'm like, I got it. I'm like, No, you don't. But this continual evolution, especially this last seven years, don't I honestly believe I'm 56 kind of found who I am. But the ship took 56 years. This is all things fitness and wellness hosted by Krissy Vann. Together we're uniting industry thought leaders and fit fluence errs on the mission to inspire innovation and encourage people to live a life fit and well. On today's episode, we welcome Steve Hess. Steve is a leader in sports science and wellness, who reshaped the Denver Nuggets Performance Strategy, overseeing their training and nutrition. He even designed their weight room which now carries his name. Moving from the NBA to leading panorama orthopedic and spine as Chief Performance Officer and operating the panorama wellness and Sports Institute. He's driving change in the exercise world and helping everyone reach their potential. On this episode, he shares his adventurous ride into the fitness industry. But most importantly, he elaborates on the valuable lessons he gathered along the way, and offers numerous takeaways for those seeking a path to not just strive for more, but appreciate the journey along the way. Before we get to it, be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry thought leaders and influencers. I'm your host, Krissy Vann, and this is at FW. Steve, I'm so thrilled to have you join me. First of all, when was the seed planted in you that you wanted to have a career in the fitness industry, it was everything I wanted to do. My entire life, you know, was considering being an orthopedic surgeon at I don't know if there was the exact thought at six. But that was kind of my view on the whole thing. But ultimately from from a very young age, I grew up in South Africa. I was out on data at around sports, physical activity, do you know Christian people like that was my calling on everything? It was my call it that's all I know. I really appreciate when people have such a deep understanding of that as a young age. And I can actually really relate to that. I always knew I wanted something in communication. It develops as you get older. I mean, I started as a child being like, I want to be an actor, and then eventually it evolved. And that's how I ended up in TV and doing this. And so I deeply understand where you're like, I don't know why, but it was my calling inside of me. And it's this inner knowing. It's another thing when you actually follow through with that. So talk to me a little bit about your relationship with physical activity as a kid because you say you rock sports. So what were the sports of choice? And how did that help shape you? Okay, Christy. So growing up in South Africa, I played cricket, rugby, soccer, softball, and a road horse. Did you sleep? So here's the thing like even that, look, this is a whole other conversation. But when it comes to the specifics of being able to function at a high level, I think a lot of times, if you're able to progress in the realm that you are, I think great thing happens. And both my mom and my father, allow me to do what I needed to do. And it wasn't always optimal. But I didn't spend a ton of time sleeping. I never have. But I do understand the importance of it's not like, oh my god, don't sleep. I just didn't spend a ton of time sleeping. Well, it's definitely served you well. So you have this inner knowing as a child, you're very athletic. So you understand the importance of movement, sport exercise. So when it came time to actually choose a career path, you were in South Africa, I know you didn't stay there. So what route did you go from an education perspective? What did that look like? Um, okay, so my parents got divorced when I was young. When I was six, and my father moved to London. And living in South Africa. There were definitely political issues that my family did not endorse. So he was 100% of the understanding that immediately when I graduated high school, he would move me out to London. And so when I graduated high school where I was actually a boarding school, I moved, I moved to London. Now, when I moved to London, it was kind of weird because it was a huge shift in my life. So my father had said to me, Look, this is the understanding there's mandatory military service in South Africa. We're not doing that as soon as you finish shooting your moon went to London. So I got to high school in South Africa, you write external exam. And you either pass you get a pass fail or university pass Cristea at school, I sucked. Like, I didn't go to class, hated class, I absolutely suck. So when I got a university pass, I was shocked. I'm like, Holy shit, I cannot believe I got a university pass. But I'm like, This is the coolest ever. So I moved to London. So when I landed in London, I'm staying with my pops. And he says to me, here's the deal. The minute you get into college, I'll take care of you. But up until that point, and I we grew, I grew up, we didn't have anything, but I never knew we didn't have anything. Which is really weird. But I wrote to London and my dad's like, here's the deal, my guy. When you get into college, I'll take care of you up until then get a job. I'm not giving you a sense. So I'm like, Cool. The do didn't give me a sense. Like, oh, Christy, if I want to go to the movies, he had an ashtray was changed. It was pennies. I'd have to take the pennies out of the ashtray. I go to the movie, I drop it in and be like, the lady at the movie, like what do you want me to do with this? Money, right? That's how weird sublime humor language were like, No, give it to me. I'm rockin I'm locking in. And I'm like, here we go. I applied to 22 universities, wow, what acceptance is to college. And they said to me, I could spend a semester in London. And then my GPA is above a three, five, and I do my SATs, they'll consider driving me into the physical education program. So at that point, and now you're going to understand I didn't know how to study, I had very little direction. But I'm like, I'm doing this. And I started my first semester in London, which I hated. I was doing macro economics. I'm like, pivoting Krissy the worst. So after my first year, I killed it. And then like, okay, you can get into the exercise department, which I applied to in upstate New York. Now understand this. Never been to upstate New York. Yo, I came from Cape Town in the middle of December. With my low suntan and my color backpack. My pulse drops me off in Ithaca. As that cooler scene in three months. I'm like, What have I done? I lived in the Hudson heights, which were like log cabins. My roommate was a senior. He was a music major. This dude and I did not talk the whole semester. I'm like, I hated every minute of my freshman year. I hate it every three minutes on my sophomore year, but I'm like, I got to stick it out. And by my junior year, I'm like, This is the coolest shit ever. So I got an undergraduate degree in cardiac rehabilitation. I did my internship at Tompkins Community Hospital with the cardiovascular rehab departments. Then, at the end of that, I'm like, Cool. I'm able to stay in the States for one year and do continuing education. So Senior Week, I met this girl I'm like Hell yeah, I'm very. I moved out to Boulder. Yo, I didn't even know boulder had mountains. He moved out for the gal for the girl a very small passes like yo, Steve. Earlier, like I got this moved out to Boulder. So the first night I go to bed, I wake up I'm like, Holy shit, this place is beautiful. That lasted two weeks. Something like okay, out of principle. I don't know what I'm going to do. But I'm going to find a spot. drove down to Denver. I got an apartment on Colfax on Vine Street. Okay, so there was a liquor store on one end, and there was a disco on the other end, right? I had, I got this apartment, one bedroom walk up apartment. I got a job at the Athletic Club at Denver place. The best thing I ever did 20 years later, I ended up owning the Athletic Club of Denver place and we named Forza and that's where I met my wife prior to that. So my wife line hung with me. And she's like, Okay, this this I'm like she's It was amazing. I went back to Ithaca to get my boss's degree in sports medicine. And then I came back to Colorado and so the journey continues cooler shit. I love stories like that because it's all these little idiosyncrasies that happen a like kudos to you to being young and actually sticking that out. And I imagine it's probably because you realized you grew up with nothing without really realizing it and then really facing the struggle once you move and deciding a lot of people will fall into like the victim mentality of that part. But instead you went fuck this I'm going to be something and I know this for certain starting school, not loving it, but then ultimately realizing this is Your passion and something that you're good at following the girl which granted to weak relationship but to land in Colorado, which we know is that is a mecca of people that are into physical fitness and tremendous opportunity to your point Chrissy is I have never ever, ever, ever saw. I've never ever quit a job. If I'm deciding to get me to direct certification or RTS certification, once I decide to do it, I'm never stopping, never stopping. I'm going to work for the Denver Nuggets. That was 21 years. If I'm going to work for federal both Pekin spine, that seven years I just don't quit. So to your point, it's not always ingenious. But when I commit to something, I'm never stopping. It's just who I am. Yeah, tenacity consistency, but then also having the energy behind it too. And the self belief because it seems like you just burst into somewhere and you're like, I'm doing this and there's no other option outside of that. And I think mentally when you really believe that it makes it so possible. So let's talk about Denver Nuggets, because obviously you have this incredible tenure, but how did that opportunity even come to life in the first place? Okay, so I'm rolling back now I understand. Yo, yo, this is crazy. So so I get my master's degree. Firstly, when I went to get my master's degree, I told you, I worked at the Athletic Club of Denver place. I was the highest earning trainer there at the Athletic Club, Denver place, I think I get my master's degree. I come back there, like it opened the doors and all my clients are going to roll back. It doesn't work like that. So I get my master's degree, I go back to the Athletic Club of Denver place. And they didn't hire me. And here's the cool thing. The general manager at that time, five 615 years later, came to me for a job at my new facility. Sounds like yeah, probably not. But anyway, it's not a carb. I don't believe in that. It's a CG lay. Some of the good teams grow. But anyway, so they're like, some, like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. You know, I leave here. I'm literally not even close. The highest earning trader there. And these dudes aren't happy with that back. So I'm like, What am I going to do? Gotta make money. So I started just like sneaking into 24 Hour Fitness to Colorado Boulevard, and take transit to there till I get kicked out of there. Then I'm like, Okay, there's a spike called the Greenwood Athletic Club. That is the top place in Colorado. So I go in there, they charging $20 A personal training session. So I walk in at my master's degree, I have a huge again, this is my time, I have so much faith in what I'm going to do. I'm like, I'm going in and I'm charging $50 an hour. Everyone's like Lucky to happen. It took me four months to get my first client I remember now buried some like holy shit for months. I rocked it after a year. Just didn't make it. But again, you know, people are like, well, it just happened. No, it did it. I was handing out water on the floor for months. They never see the Hutsul everyone always celebrates the wind, but rarely. And I think it's like that willingness to talk about the fact that it didn't just happen in an instant because it never rarely rarely does. And to be honest, if it did, I feel like you've never appreciate where he ended up anyways, because he's the same thing. What are your life have you done, where you have a busted your ass in the fall rewarding. So I look at people like, for fucking months, I'm there from five in the morning working out. I must have worked up eight times a day, until six at night, six days a week with it took me four months, then I got one clients. But I'm just like, I'm rocking into this. I'm gonna make it work. A year later. I'm working six days a week, you can't get in to see me which I'm so blessed about. And two years later, I'm the head trainer that some of the head trainer there. And all of a sudden, I get a call from the General General Manager of the Denver Nuggets out of Risto. Hey, look, we want to create a relationship with you guys. We got to hire a part time, strength coach to work under you. We want to create this relationship with Greenwood. So I'm like, fuck that I'm getting the job. So I go home to my wife. I'm gonna work for the Deb and she's like, see what? You don't know anything about basketball? Krissy I don't know where the free throw line is. I was like not a problem. Give me a book. It was basketball for dummies. Oh my gosh. Yes. So like I'm reading basketball for dummies. And I'm like, I got the I called the General Manager. And then Bristow. Then I call Bill Hanson, who was the coach and the athletic trainer Jim Gillen for four months, every single day. Eventually I think Allah Bristow has it was like Jim just hired this dude. It's like it like make it stop. The only way to do this is to just let him yo he's killing us. Please make it stop. I'm sorry, I get the I get the job. So now that I'm the head trainer agree with Athletic Club, and the owner, Mays guy, Jay, he's my boy feels like we'll support you in whatever you need. And I'm working part time for the Denver Nuggets, but it's not really part time. So these are like about 80 to 90 hour weeks, I get in from a road trip, and have to go right to work landfall go right to work, if I have, it was at the end of that season. You know, like, I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual. And I've gotten way more spiritual, huge believer in just vibrations and energy that are but again, like I'm driving over the one day, and I'm like, cause, like, this is just like, I'll give you a perfect example. They built an entire development over nine months, I didn't know, because I worked all the time. This, she likes even further. So I'm like, I just caught that day, I get a call from the general manager, hey, look, we want to hire you full time. So that's it says literally after my first year. So I'm like, Oh my gosh. So I have this meeting with him. That hired me full time for benefits, busted my off for about six years, that was considered an assistant coach, again, and the entire time this is all going down. Because you have to understand, I'm doing continued education. I'm upgrading my thought process. I'm looking for different ways to do it. And the brilliant thing about the whole perspective, is I used other people's advice, but I try to make everything my own. So if I'm looking at levels and how the resistance applies to the body, and that seven feet, how does it differ? What does it look like in basketball, how much time is board? How much is back how much is, but I taught this all to myself to every program I was able to develop? It was but it was dictated to by who I was working with, in the realm of the coach. So it was it was it was somewhat unique. Then after 15, I think probably 18 years, I became director of performance. And then literally at the 90 year mark, I was director of medicine and performance. So myself, I was pretty charged to run the entire thing. And that's when I decided it's time for me to make a change. And everyone's like, Steven, what do you think? And it's like, you know, I've got to, you know, I can't I've been locked into this so long, 21 years, you know, I want to make a change. And then this amazing opportunity came I came up with panorama, orthopedic and spine that last seven years. And now this is another change which which I've chosen to do. That's like my, that's my thing. It's like, I'm always looking, here's, here's what I believe within myself. And that's all I can say. If I continuously stay interested in what it is I'm trying to achieve. And here's what I also understand with a my life. Everything we achieve. It's intrinsically who it is that we all so so if you start getting motivated by extrinsic if let me say if I start getting hyped about extrinsic things, it's a fucking wrap. But as I've gone on this journey, every step where I'm like, Okay, now I've reached the pinnacle. Now I'm in it, every frickin step. I'm like, oh my god, the next step, holy shit. Every time I'm like, I got it. I'm like, No, you don't. But this continual evolution, especially this last seven years didn't I honestly believe and 56 kind of found who I am. But the ship took 56 years. And if I didn't go through the struggles that I went through, but didn't just so here's the thing, huge believer. Life doesn't come at us. It comes through us. Everything we all come through us, we are not victims. We create the existence we want to be in. And a lot of times if you can't sit with yourself, you've lost the plot. But again, it's been a 56 year project. And I kind of feel cool, David baseline. Well, and you highlight I, I think that you and I subscribe to a lot of similar philosophies. Maybe that's I'm like, Ah, the energy is so good. But what you're saying is so true. Because the whole world is also designed a little bit to detract us from that there are million ways to be distracted. There are a million ways to not sit with yourself. There are a million ways to not actually sit in stillness and do the listening. And it sounds like every single step that you took was just improving that relationship with that inner knowing and leaning into it. How did you cultivate that trust in yourself because I hear what you're saying especially So when you meet reach that pinnacle with Denver Nuggets, you have this great opportunity and then to all of a sudden turn around and say up. Yep, I'm gonna switch things up. How did you avoid getting swallowed by the naysayers? Because I do think when you make big decisions like that it reflects something in other people because of their unwillingness to change. And they try and kind of they want you to stay the same humans hate change. Krissy unbelievable. Question. Unbelievable question. So don't get swayed. There are times when I left the nuggets, where I'm sitting on the turf, on a fucking massage table, with no concept of plan ticking, what did I do? And those are like, I went to like, those times what not going to minute or day, those times were like three years, like literally three years, when I'm not making a comparison, the majority of people wouldn't be like, fuck this allowance. But once you start doing that, and here's the other thing too, within the realm of those times, like you start understanding the things that matter, your squad, your family, the essence of you, if you're not happy with yourself, it's gonna be a long, hard time. And if I'd stayed with the Denver Nuggets, and firstly, the Denver Nuggets, are an unbelievable organization. I respect that. Crikey, Josh crikey, every coach I've been with, and the players, those are my dogs. But if I had stayed there, here's what would have happened, I probably would have got divorced. And like the essence of my my boys, Jordan and Cory, I would never have had the ability to reignite this deep, intrinsic, highly brilliant relationship with them. Because I was so locked into Korea, Korea, not a bad thing. Because if I hadn't done that, I'm just saying, but if I stuck into this new endeavor, for three years, I wouldn't have got the lessons out of that. But it literally took like a three year transgression. Now the seven year mark, it's like, I literally wake up. And it's not always like this, but I do wake up, drop, and I get up at 250 in the morning, drop my legs to the side of the bed. And I'm like, fuck it, let's go, I'm gonna go hit my coffee, then it's done. And I am, I objected his way object. I have the ability to change the course of people's lives. They choose to spend time with me, I have this, this amazing ability to do that. Not for the basic things that happen when someone succeeds, but for their success. So everyone's like, like, what legacy Do you want to leave, I give a fuck about the legacy I leave, I want to be in the moment. Like, I want to be like, with Bob, or James or Sarah, I want to be like, Ah, god, that was sick. I can't wait for it. You know, it's like, that's what I want to be in. Because I'm starting to understand within my reality, here's what it looks like. It's based on the doubt, tomorrow does not exist. And no one gives a fuck about yesterday, including yourself. So you saw if I start getting excited about that, now, all of a sudden, it's like, it plays on each other. Then you go home, used to be like my wife will be how's your day. And because we talk a ton used to be like, I go through all the shifts and issues. Now I don't, because I was like, it was fucking great. Out of the 12 sessions. They were brilliant, like two, but it was like so but But what I'm saying is, it's an internal shift. And to make a change, you have to evolve your thought process. But then you have to follow it up. And it's taken me a lot of years to understand that. Well, and I think what you speak to there's so well is, it sounds like you understand the contrast is part of life as well. I think we get so disillusioned that we're supposed to always be in this land of contentment, happiness, however you want to verbalize it. And you're like that actually comes from the ying and yang of the things that don't go so well in a day and the things that do if you didn't have that you actually wouldn't be living your life. And truthfully, I feel those moments would make life awfully boring, as well speaking to the fact that we should keep our head where our feet is always being in the present. But that's way easier said than done for most. I'm curious when you open up about the fact and I'm glad that you said it. No one sees those times when we do get swallowed up by the self doubt or the anxiety of making a big bold decision and making a leap out of what was comfortable out of what was stable. So obviously fitness has always been a core of your life. But what tools did you use when you were swallowed by those moments of what the fuck did I just do? It Oh, god damn, that's a great question. Okay, so Wow. All right. So every one of the journeys have been slightly different. Okay. So while I'm getting my undergraduate degree, I go to London in the summer, and I'm like, This is my calling. Okay? That Stephen. Here's the thing, and this is where people get disillusioned. You cannot follow if you want to be different. If you want to be different, take a path. And it's not always gonna be right, but take a fucking path. So I go to London, and I'm like, Okay, I'm going to buy a bike. I'm going to buy a backpack, I'm gonna buy 10 pounds weights. I'm going to cycle to people's houses, and I'm going to train them. So firstly, going into this whole arena, both my mom and my dad are like, my dude, you're on crack, you're never gonna make any money. Like, what are you talking about? I'm like sock. So my first summer that had been at Ithaca, literally, one one year, and I did that start off with one by the end of the summer. I got 10 clients today, right? 10 pounds per client. So I'm making 100 pounds a day at that time was pretty close to $200. Right? So, so my, and I'm not paying any bills, and a busking machine. At the end of the summer. I have a fitness group that buys the goodwill of my clientele list for 10,000 pounds. And I'm like, What are you talking about? And right, then I knew that I was my own boss. So I was freaking loaded. I mean, I'm like, yo, I reached the pinnacle. Then everything I've done up until that point is like, the essence of what I do is I'm doing it. Now I've just got to realign my exact thought process because it's not fully aligned. So then I don't agree with Athletic Club where I'm a trader, by my third year agree would see crumbles, the general manager calls me and he's like, man, we got to talk about what are you talking about? That these numbers cannot be right. I was making close to what he was making by 30. And he's like, there has to be somebody out. I'm like, Oh, my God is not. But again, it took time. And now I'm working for five in the morning till seven at night. So through that process, you're kind of realigning the way you think. But that's all I do. I would take naps under the stairwell for 10 minutes. I drank so much caffeine. I mean, I'm gonna say at 1000 grams of caffeine. But I got through that. Then the whole thing with baguettes, more direction, Team content, you got to upgrade specifics of your certifications, the prehab the rehab, I upgraded the realm of that. But in the process of doing all of the stuff I felt on my journey. I lost the essence of who I am. Who is Steve, I'm so busy helping everyone else. That is like it on the phone 24/7 When you're in professional sports, one period of time we went 16 weeks without a day. It's just how it goes. You're not picking them up why Felipe who's the Director performance of the magazine when the championship three days later, they're doing draft workouts. So I lost the essence it was like, so once again, I get to kind of drama. I'm like PTSD, like I'm social because I don't know what to do. And I've never had a sick of myself. And when I did, I didn't really love myself at work. Like I didn't, you know, and my family are like, like, scared me because I'm like, this this is this is a everybody does. And I never stopped to think, what do they need? I never suffered. Here's a great example. I always had dogs. Dogs didn't want to hang out with me, I was never that guy. Now I am like, now I have because I understand my purpose. And I understand the essence of who I am. But the reason I can sit with me is because I know I fucking busted my loss. And it's always gonna work out. Because the one thing I won't do is I won't quit. And I will always find a way to upgrade myself to benefit others. So I feel like we live in the selfish world where we want accolades and we want money and we want I don't want that because I know what's going to come if I'm true to myself, and that people aren't around. So if we talking about vibrations, and I haven't done the study, I'm talking about how it pertains to my life. If you said to me, Steve, what do you think vibrates at the highest level? I would always say love because when I get that wishy like, I see my little do I see my wife and now I see tomorrow. That lover Oh my God, who was feeling it, but I'm trying to understand, maybe its authenticity. Because the more authentic. I am with myself around this whole environment, the better off I feel about myself, because I don't have to pretend to be anything else, I can still play the game. But it comes out of an authentic place. And I'm like, God, this feels good. And love that so much. And especially authenticity, I know is a word that's utilized, especially in social social spaces, so much to the point that it's almost become inauthentic, like people are like, I need to be my most authentic self. Instead of actually doing what you said there being like, I had to tear myself down, I had to do an audit, I had to look at things I didn't like about myself, to actually get really in there and be connected. And just be that it's like, we overthink the equation a million times over. And we continue to do so. And again, society as a whole is trying to mold us into a certain direction is honestly a big reason why I left my TV career because I felt like I absolutely couldn't be myself. And then you feel the resistance inside. When we do that, like you actually create your own misery. And somehow we marry that until eventually, you're just like, Fuck this, I don't want to do this anymore. And then the minute you let it go, all of a sudden, shoulders come down everything. It's like a sign you're in the right direction. And it's interesting, because even as you shared your story, those things that started to come into your sphere, every time you actually let go, it always worked out. And it's funny because as human beings, we seem to lack trust with that. And maybe it's like lack of trust within ourselves. I don't know. But I kind of love that you've had this journey of continuously realizing you're caught up like when you teach speak to the fact that building got built and not even seeing it before your eyes. That illustrates the whole story. How many people allow entire neighborhoods, countries, etc, to completely change around them before they realize their whole life they spent not stopping and looking around, I actually think most humans and I don't know, if you agree, tend to live that way. So Christy, firstly, they I've done a ton of interviews, I've done a ton of podcasts, and I'm blessed. And you're one of the first individuals that I've done anything with, that you actually do listen to me, and you do hear me, and I am doing the same. I'm thinking what to say next. But you have an open, honest energy, that you're not portraying to be anything you're not, which are 100% Love, and I'm in 1,000% agreement, where people feel like they have something to prove. So here's my thing. I feel like we all have to look within ourselves to obtain 100% of what we can give at that time. Now, if things aren't going right, or whatever it is just that 100. It's an effort based concept. And in the realm of that all it is York, my process is be against me. And I just want to continuously authentically improve the essence of who I am. To do that. I have to know who I am. And you're 100% right when I see everything. And the reason I can say when I see it, because I'll be there. When I see Instagram and the projection that people are rolling towards. It's an inauthentic projection because it all has to be scripted. And a lot of times I feel you get lost in the present time. So I went to Denver Health had this amazing gone on Saturday night. And normally I'm like listen pictures and who am I around and we were blessed to be around amazing, amazing people and, and I went with my my youngest son, Cory, and I remember my wife, Alicia, I said, You know what? Sit in the moment I'm going to enjoy tonight. I don't care I'm going to enjoy tonight. So I left my phone in my wife. I'm gonna and I'm just enjoying it. Wow. Wow. Like I'm rolling out of that. It's like holy shit. Like, I don't know, like, I just dropped acid. It was like this was the coolest, right? My eyes were open. Like I wanted to be around my son, my wife and no one irritated me because I'm like, This is so freakin cool. And I kind of feel we get lost. And again, I'm not judging because I'll be there. It's the same as like, what should I post? Okay, I will physically living this amazing frickin life. But it's not like they you say the not judging, because I'm like, it's the constant learning and unlearning, like the people that I don't believe the most are the ones that are like I figured it out. And this is the path you should go. It's like, as humans, we're constantly going to sometimes repeat the same pattern so to speak, but I think you probably catch yourself much earlier than you used to when you are getting caught up because you're like, Oh, I'm back here again. I know this feeling now i recalibrate. I think it's like we never quite recover from those patterns. But we do catch them a hell of a lot earlier to realign ourselves when that does happen. Again, Would you to a to an extent, but I, the reason why I disagree. When I've done this long enough, I've been able to step away from those patterns. So So, and again, they're so well, though his, and again, you know, like I started seeing a psychiatrist, she is freaking awesome. And she just opened up some doors, she didn't search to go down those doors. But she opened up those doors to allow me to forgive myself. So I have fully accountable. But there are certain aspects, that it was just, it was just amazing. Because I'm so gung ho, and I see life this way. I expect everyone to roll like me. And that more I've started to understand, I am the Chris Christy, you're you, we're all different. And as soon as I started to understand, just allow, Now does that mean? If someone's going to work with me in the realm of trying to optimize ultimate performance, I'm going to be like, Yo, we're just chilling. No, that's not what I'm saying. But the way they do it, I'm allowing their process. And if I've chosen this whole coaching realm, I will adapt more their process and less out of my eyes. So they can apply it. It's the application of the knowledge I'm providing to them. So they can grow in that specific field. But how it's changed the essence of who I am, I'm not an angry little dude all the time. Before I'm like, I can't believe he's not doing it this way. I don't give a shit. And in the realm of luck, it doesn't mean I don't give 200%. And I don't mean I don't push to everyone else giving 200%. But how you do it is different to how I do it. I accept the way you do it, as long as we're moving in the right direction. I love that. And it's really about, yeah, just doing those little life Hall audits. And I really appreciate that you do highlight, taking the time, like in your case, like I think that therapy is something that everybody should do. And that inner work is something we should not shy, be shy about. And it's so funny the minute we have, I mean, you just start recovering from surgery right now you went and saw doctor to get something rectified. And yet sometimes we don't do ourselves the same service to do that for our own minds. And I'm like, we have to live with our brain and our body. So we might as well get acquainted with all the things. And it's really important to have that person that you can bounce things off. And the the thing that I think gets misconstrued about going the therapy route is that they think that somebody's going to tell them what they should do or how they should live, were really what they do is help you already know, you already know. But it's just curiosity and the questions and eventually you tend to come up with your own answers. And just it allows you to shift those perspectives. So kudos to you to highlighting that because I know even when I was growing up, there was such a stigma against mental health and having that relationship and I think it's just fucking great that everybody is being way more open about that. So I just wanted to highlight that specifically for yourself. Now, obviously, you've spoke to the fact that your family, that's absolutely something that lights you up inside to a big, big way. But professionally, what's lighting you up right now at 56? I mean, you're still at it bringing the energy. So what is that thing when you get up at 250 in the morning, that's making you bounce out of bed? Again, I read, I really love your questions because they thought they pertinent to me. So here's the thing, I have purpose. So you say what makes me bounce out of bed, I have purpose. Every single individual I choose to see. I choose to see them. And I'm purposely going to change their lives that day. So if it's someone coming in, one of my guys is 82 years old. He's had three back surgeries. Y'all my guys moving like a rock star. He is one of the coolest dudes ever. But literally, I think it was probably maybe like six, five months ago, I couldn't walk. So like I get excited, like what do we get to do next, like, you know, within the realm of what I'm doing, what do we get to do next? Then if I have an athlete who has an inability to transfer strength to power so the mechanics off, then we work on the mechanics, I was just with a professional basketball player. Again, the JUCO run, but he is he is frickin amazing at it. Look, I'm keep it real. It was a two hour session. Listen to me today. I was about to slap the shit out of him. I'm like, Are you fucking kidding me? It's like you can't put your right foot in front of that. And I went over the grill I sweat 100 times, to the point where I'm like, I call this shit coming out of the mouth. At the end of the session, he gets it, his ability to check, break and change directions. I'm like, Oh my God, that and you could see, like, everything is like holy shit. But it's taken three months. And today it was like so. But that's No one wakes me up, just the ability to create impacted every single person, that gives me the ability, if I'm lifting at 4am, I'm gonna change my body, I'm gonna change my mindset that gives me every single day, I fully understand that it stays in steady state, homeostasis does not exist, you're either going up or you're going down. So I choose to do whatever I can to get better and everything I do. And if I have an ability to instill that in people, I'm good. So also this last transition. So you know, like, I have years left, you're amazing, amazing baseball field group. One day, I just said to my wife, I'm out. And I'm expecting my wife's to be like, my dude, you're 56 I'm out, starting again, ready to buy keep out with my boy, Joe, or even your business? No salary, none of that. And my wife's like, cool. Kids are like, cool, that's wrong. So it's like, I go into that. And at no point, did my boss get taught at no point. Because I just want to do it on my terms. So every morning I woke up, I wake up, I'm like, I've chosen this. No one put me in this in this situation. And then how fucking blessed Am I, I got guys, 14 years old, wanting to see me. I got I got my youngest son wants to hang out with me. I got an 82 year old, like, let's roll. I'm like, Oh my God, you hit the lotto. People actually want to hang with you. And it's not because I have a great accent, great sense of humor, all that good looking. They want to hang out with me, because they see the purpose I have in their lives. So it's meaningful. That's why I'm geek every single day. When you talk to that homeostasis, I kind of want to I always like to, I mean, you've given me so much motivational wisdom, even for myself, which are my favorite conversations when I've personally had a lot of takeaways. So thank you for that. Because I think it's always important to our mental diets are so important. I think that's why I like a podcast medium because what we fill our brains with is also a choice. So I really appreciate you adding so much richness to whomever's ears are on this. But when you say homeostasis, I agree. Everything's always changing and evolving. Thank God, how fucking boring would life be if it wasn't. But if it's somebody that's on the down, because the downs happened, the downs happened to every single one of us. What would be your overarching message to them? If they're the ones that are kind of sitting in that hole of confusion? Perhaps maybe leaning more toward a victim mentality? As a result? What would you say to reach out to them in that little moment of darkness? Okay, so his brilliant thing. My life, my life has absolutely not been perfect. And it's beyond the scope of what I'm prepared to put out there or any of that, for me to go into it. Suffice it to say, from literally from the age of six years old, out of no one's is none of that. But from from the age of six, I felt like I was the man in the house, I'll take care of my mom and my sister, it's just the way it is. And within that realm, you know, within my family, there's been issues with addiction, there's been a lot of shifts. So there have been times where I've gone into a hidden place. And again, like when, again, when you're leaving the constraints of an MBA position, where you're choosing to leave an organization that you live for, and you choose that you get out of that you've never opened the doors and stepped out and you waited 21 years, when you step out of that you like what the fuck does. And there's some other health anyway. So here's the thing, here's what I 100% 100% know, everything changes. And in my life, which is all I can talk about in my life, with time, everything, everything, not kind of everything, every single thing that I have been around, and I've incurred death to appear on that. It gets better. And it gets better in my life. Here's why. Because I learned to evolve through the process, and learn from it. I don't allow that to impact the essence of my spirit. So the essence of my spirit, learns from it and evolves out of it is always perfect. I don't know. But here's what I do know. Sometimes it takes a while, like a year, two years, three years, and it sucks. But as long as I've made that commitment to myself, what do I get from this? How do I get out of it? And I keep moving forward, keep moving forward. Sometimes it's a smoke pot. Like, all my life. I don't know how I'm getting out of this. I have no fucking idea. But I keep plugging. I always get out of it through my thought process, fully understanding our thoughts are the strongest things I have that primary movers words are extension of our thoughts. Sometimes if we talk it through, it rolls into existence, but I just don't say that. I actually believe it acted to the way in an ethical, moral way, with everything I have. Now, if I do that, I can't be wrong. Here's why. It's all I know. So my knowledge base because he sits here. So if I'm having a conversation with you right now, and I'm doing I'm not trying to impress you or the listeners, I'm legitimately saying, I will give you everything I've got at this point in time. How can I be wrong? My advice may not be good or bad, but it's mine. And in the realm of the stock, disaster, depression, Sanders, if you're a true leader within yourself, you have to find a way to use that to elevate yourself fully understanding and his his his key. It will never ever, never, ever, ever, ever, ever be perfect. At a level be the way you think is going to be. And if you're looking for easy that absolutely what happens. But if you're willing to like yo, give me the heart. So one of my boys got to work with his life. Crush the heart. If you say give me the heart of Crusher the heart. You changed everything. Steve has you're a gem of a human I'm so glad we got connected. Thank you so very much for joining me. Oh Christy I had the best time thank you so much for this amazing opportunity. You've just listened to the All Things fitness and wellness podcast hosted by Krissy Vann This episode was brought to you by fitness world your fitness your way. Be sure to hit like and subscribe. We have new podcast episodes weekly featuring industry insiders and influencers together we're on a mission for everyone to live a life fit and well