BeTempered
BeTempered
BeTempered Episode 51 - Flipping the Script: Dan and Ben Get Real with Guest Host Matty Ledgerwood
BeTempered Episode 51: Tables Turned – Dan and Ben in the Hot Seat
In this milestone 51st episode of BeTempered, things get flipped—literally. Instead of leading the conversation, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr find themselves on the other side of the mic, interviewed by their good friend Matty Ledgerwood. The result? A refreshingly raw and deeply personal look at what it really means to live with intention, lean into discomfort, and commit to lifelong growth.
Dan opens up about a pivotal moment in 2022 when he realized he was just... too comfortable. On the surface, life looked good—successful career, stability, routine. But deep down, he knew he had more to give, more to explore, more to become. That awareness didn’t just spark a few journal entries—it lit the fire that would become this very podcast. His story is a reminder that growth isn’t always born from crisis; sometimes, it’s born from a quiet nudge that says, “You’re not done yet.”
Ben shares his journey of overcoming self-doubt and stepping into his own potential. He credits key mentors who believed in him before he believed in himself, and he speaks candidly about the pressures of being a role model—not just in public, but at home. “What are my kids seeing? What example am I setting for them?” he asks. For Ben, growth isn’t a personal pursuit—it’s generational. His reflections underscore the truth that how we grow directly impacts those we love most.
The conversation gets real about the fear of failure and the voice of imposter syndrome that so many of us hear but rarely admit. Instead of avoiding these uncomfortable topics, they lean in. “Failure only exists if you quit growing,” Matty says, a line that resonates deeply with both hosts. They emphasize that growth isn’t about perfection or speed—it’s about consistency, honesty, and showing up for yourself every single day.
One of the most powerful takeaways from this episode is that growth doesn’t have to be flashy. It might start with something simple—like going for a walk, being honest in a tough conversation, or choosing to reflect instead of react. Dan and Ben’s willingness to be vulnerable in this episode reminds us that personal development is messy, nonlinear, and absolutely worth it.
So—how are you choosing to grow today?
Tune in, reflect, and join the conversation. Dan and Ben want to hear how their journey is impacting yours.
Visit www.betempered.com to listen and connect.
Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt. This is my dad, dan. He owns Catron's Glass. Thanks, allie. Things like doors and windows go into making a house, but when it's your home, you expect more like the great service and selection you'll get from Catron's Glass. Final replacement windows from Catron's come with a lifetime warranty, including accidental glass breakage replacement. Also ask for custom shower doors and many other products and services. Call 962-1636. Locally owned, with local employees for nearly 30 years, kitchen's best, the clear choice.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we explore the art of finding balance in a chaotic world.
Speaker 3:Join us as we delve into insightful conversations, practical tips and inspiring stories to help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace and resilience.
Speaker 2:We're your hosts, Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr. Let's embark on a journey to live our best lives.
Speaker 3:This is Be Tempered.
Speaker 4:Good morning. Welcome to the Be Tempered podcast. I am your host today, matty Ledgerwood. This is episode number 51. We got the 51. Nailed it. That's impressive. So you get to look at my ugly mug today. I'm sorry about your luck there. I'm going to tell you why, though. We're all playing musical chairs today. I'm hosting, and I have two fabulous guests by the name of Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, and we just thought that you guys needed a chance to sit in the hot seat for once. Dan said he's very nervous about this, so we're going to. So yeah, dan and Ben, welcome to your own podcast.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thank you for having us, Matty. Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 4:Appreciate that. By the way, dan, this is still your bill, not mine, but okay. So I think one of the reasons that your podcast has gained some traction is because, uh, you're telling stories about people who are going through lots of different seasons of life and, um, your listeners like we're attracted to that because we're living out some of those same stories every single day. And you know, we've got our own set of struggles and disappointments, our own set of fear, and so it's super helpful when we get to hear how someone has kind of worked through that and their perspective in it and some of the tough times that they have faced. And the other thing that I think that is helpful with that is that it kind of reminds us that we're not alone. You know that there's other people out there that are. It's okay to be hard a little bit, and, at least for me, it gives me confidence that, hey, I'm not the only guy out here who's on the struggle bus some days. I'm not the only guy out here who's on the struggle bus some days.
Speaker 4:And so my opinion is that the reason that those are the stories that we keep hearing on the podcast is because you two guys in particular, you know, this struggle is real here, and your own growth journey has brought you to a point that you've got a podcast now. I mean, this podcast is a direct result of Dan. Your own growth journey has brought you to a point that you've got a podcast now. I mean, this podcast is a direct result of Dan your own growth journey, and so that idea of personal growth working through the struggle, it really is one of the foundational tenants of this podcast, and so who better to discuss growth mindset with than you two guys? So our theme today will be cultivating a growth mindset, and I'm gonna bring some questions. They don't even know what these are yet. They wanted to fly blind.
Speaker 3:So, dan, wanted to fly blind.
Speaker 4:Dan wanted to fly blind. Ben would have preferred some preparation. So I don't know what I'm doing. They don't know what they're doing, so I'm not sure what you're going to get. But here we go. So I don't know that. I've ever seen growth to be unintentional. Nobody accidentally grows, nobody accidentally loses a bunch of weight. Nobody accidentally has a great marriage. Nobody accidentally builds a great life. So growth happens on purpose. Growth is intentional. So if you're going to grow, you have to be able to realize that I need to grow. Dan, can you tell us about a moment in your life where you're like man? Something's got to change.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, first off, thanks for stepping into this position. Yeah, of course you know it was an idea that we had with uh coming to almost to episode 52, our first full year. Um, you know, we wanted to do something different and actually this was kind of your suggestion. So, uh, I said, well, thanks.
Speaker 4:Maddie, this is, this is the role that you can fill. But back to your said well, thanks, matty. This is the role. I shouldn't have opened my mouth, because here I am doing it.
Speaker 2:The role that you can fill. But back to your question, yeah, there was a specific time when I knew that it was time for me to make a change and I've always tried to live my life as a good man, as a good husband, as a good father, as a good role model to other people, and I think for the most part, I did. But I knew deep down that I, I, I didn't feel like I was in, that there was a lot more for me, and so I, I started. It was. It was in middle of of 2022 when I just started to have these feelings like man, I'm just.
Speaker 2:You know, we came out of COVID and I was comfortable. Business was good, family was good, everybody was healthy. Um, covid, for us, was a, was a, was a, family was a, was a very good time. I mean, we, we grew closer together cause we got to spend a lot of time together. We had a pond on a farm where we did a lot of fishing and swimming and just just a lot of family time. So it was great.
Speaker 2:But I was comfortable and I knew it and I just felt like I was slipping into an abyss, of being too comfortable, and I started having dreams and I've told some of this story before, but I started having dreams at night about being diabetic, about not you know, about something. Something was about to happen, or I felt like something was about to happen in my life where I was either going to get sick, health wise, I just, I don't know. I just had this feeling. I just had this feeling, and you know it. It came about when I went to um.
Speaker 2:The tipping point was when I went to my good friend Brad's son's football game and and I've told the story about learning about 75 hard uh from my good friend Jeff Swanson that was what I needed to do right then, not for my health, but more so for my mindset, just because I knew that I was just. I just felt like I was just spiraling out of control mentally. The food that I was eating, just the, you know, it was just comfort and it and it. It didn't feel good, though, and so that was the moment for me where that was when the light switch went off and I told myself it's time for the change and this is the change that I need. So that was where my growth more recently happened here in the past two to three years.
Speaker 4:Okay, and would you say that you know this idea of a growth mindset. Is that something that really originated two, three, four years ago, or was there elements of that earlier on?
Speaker 2:No, I mean you know from from childhood, growing up on a farm and watching my dad you know, who was raised in the in the family funeral home, um, go into farming when no one else in his family had been a farmer. You know, start with basically, I think, 150 acres raising pigs, uh, splitting it all 50, 50 with the landowner, um, and watching him grow to, you know, raising 500 head of cattle to to farming over 2000 acres, and and watching that, watching him work hard to continue to grow. And that's that's where it started. So I've always had that in my mind. I had it when I was in high school and I knew I wanted to play college football. You know, watching the people I aspired to be like in sports and in that there's always things that have pushed me to be better.
Speaker 2:But looking back there, two to three years ago, I just knew I was in a bad spot. I knew and nobody else probably would have known, but I just, I just had this feeling that there is more for me out there to do. There are people that I can help and I certainly can't help with where I was mentally at that time. So that was, that was the switch that I need, but I but I had a great foundation growing up and watching my parents, you know, build that farm and work hard, and I think, for me, you know if, if anyone asks me, you know how can I get to.
Speaker 2:You know, build that farm and work hard, and I think, for me, you know, if anyone asks me, you know how can I get to. You know, here's where I'm at, how can I get to here. It's consistency, it's being consistent every single day and what you do to try to reach that goal or to try to accomplish whatever it is that you're reaching, you're you're reaching for. So um had that foundation early on as a kid and um, I just got to that point in 2022 where I knew that it was. It was time for a big change for me to make the impact that I wanted to make.
Speaker 4:I don't think that. That, uh, I think most people would say that you know, if they adopt this mindset of continual growth in their life, it does seem like there's a tipping point, you know, somewhere along the line where they're like man, it's it's time to move. Um, and so I that that seems rather common. Uh, in in these types of conversations. Would you say up to that point that there was a certain limiting belief that maybe would have kept you from getting there sooner? Or do you think that that the bread just hadn't cooked long enough in the oven yet?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it probably hadn't cooked long enough.
Speaker 2:I, I again, I, I knew, um, I don't know, I just had this tug, and maybe it was, maybe it was from God just saying hey, you're not doing what I want you to do.
Speaker 2:You know, it's time for you to be the man that I, I made you out to be, and so I just think that was, that was the pivotal moment in my life at 43 years old, where it was time to take that, uh, that leap of faith, to be a better father to my children, to give them something to look at and to say holy cow, dad went from 300 pounds to 200 pounds. He went from, you know, falling asleep on Sunday afternoon, taking a nap for two hours, to, you know, grind and work, and you know, spending time with us, being at all of our sporting events, pushing us in the mornings to go and work out, and all these things you know to be that positive influence that you know. Maybe I was a positive influence before, but I just didn't feel like it. I feel like I, I, there was just that time where I just had so much more to give, and that was the, that was the push that I needed.
Speaker 4:I do like my Sunday afternoon naps.
Speaker 3:I guess I haven't grown quite enough yet?
Speaker 4:I guess I haven't grown quite enough yet, ben. I think that you know, when it comes to growth, we deal with so much humanity along the way, there's so much of ourselves that are past that it limits us, feels like it stops us from growing, and I think that usually there's people that you know God will place in your life that see something in you me that we don't even see in ourselves. You know, because we tend to always look at ourselves through all of the insecurity. Can you identify someone in your past who was like man, this guy, this lady, whatever, believed in me and that really has made a difference in my life today?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think you know I can think of multiple and different stages of your life, right? So in high school you know Coach Etter I talk about Coach Etter, coach Miller a lot, who you know I didn't believe in myself quite a lot. I was always my sport was a lot. I was always my sport was football. Like that was always my, my biggest sport. I just love hitting people and stuff like that.
Speaker 3:But then, um, you know my sophomore year, I figured you know, we, they kept the freshman together our freshman year. They wanted that group to, to gain, you know, traction together. And then our sophomore year, I figured we kind of all just be on the jv together. That was when Coach Hedder pulled me up and he saw something in me that I didn't because I was never a basketball player, like it's not my sport, but he saw my work ethic and him telling me about like seeing my work ethic, the way I worked on the field and stuff like that. It's kind of he basically what I thought was a sport trait, right, he told me, taught me that it was actually a human trait. Like he's like you know, ben, like your motor and everything like that is what is. You know that's what's going to drive you in this world. And so from that it helped me grow, you know, on the basketball court, because that year I played varsity and would guard like their bigs and stuff like that. But looking back, like that set my whole entire life like work ethic, like that's what I want to be known for, you know. And so, you know, looking back then and then you move on and I've always had like insecurities, like you're talking about, with like self-esteem whether it's. You know, I always joke with Dan about being smart, but where do you always, you know, get those insecurities from? It's from a real place. I even when you joke around about it.
Speaker 3:So, um, you know, the first part was, um, my faith, which I feel like is a big part of my life now. Uh, you know, I would never consider myself to go on a mission trip. There's a guy named Nick lamb. He was, he'd been six years older than me in school and we went to CLC, had Jude and all this, and then I would never have thought of going on a mission trip At CLC. We've kind of felt like we, you know, lisa and I, my wife, we would talk about going to. They go to Swaziland, africa, and they would do missions over there, and we're like I'm not qualified to go over there, you know.
Speaker 3:Well, then, you know, things happened at CLC. We switched church to First Baptist, which I think was a God thing, and then Nick, because he knew me, was able to call me out on that, and so he was like well, you are good enough, think about all the things that you can do over there. We go over there and I realize God has a place for everybody, even if you're not the smartest or sharpest tool in the shed, and so I feel like that helped me with my insecurities there. And then, um, you know, here recently I would never have thought to be in the position I am and, dan, you know I don't, I still don't know why at the pebble edge, you came up and talked to me about 75 hard, but you know, from there, just him stepping out and doing that.
Speaker 3:Then now I'm in a position where I'm having a podcast or I or well, I co-host a podcast and you know talking to people about growth and then the position I am in, like project managing and stuff like that. You know all that belief. So Dan is a big, huge part in that as well.
Speaker 4:Yeah, there's no doubt that we need people in our life to continue to help us to grow and to inspire us.
Speaker 4:For sure, um, I, I completely agree that, uh, uh, that, uh, the Lord doesn't need skill, uh, from anyone, he just needs willingness and half the battles, becoming willing, uh, for sure, um, can you think of your, maybe, dan, can you think of something in your life where you're like, okay, I, there's this decision in front of me to make and, uh, this is, this is a risk, this is bold, this is big, and maybe even a lot of people around you were like no, I don't know that that's really, uh, really, uh, a good one. And you're like and you, you're like, no, this is what I got to do, I need to do it. And then you end up making that decision and it ends up really working out or changing things. Can you do, you have something like that? Can you talk about a moment where you know your, your desire to grow and to improve pushed you to a point to risk something that many other people wouldn't be willing to risk?
Speaker 2:This podcast. Sure, you know, when I hired Ben and brought him onto the team and we started having conversations and you know I was already, you know, a year and a half, two years into my you know my mind shift, change and my journey, you know, to to get better and to improve myself, you know that was the next step that I, I I'd seen in my mind. You know I I had listened to many different podcasts and you know just inspirational people like Ed Milet and John Gordon and Brendan Brouchard and, um, you know all these, these men and and some women that are just super inspirational and I knew what it did for me to help my mind and to help me to cultivate better leadership and to be a better man and a better person. And Ben and I started to have a conversation about doing a podcast and it was in the back of my mind but I was just so insecure about what do I have to offer that people would actually listen. One, I hated to hear my voice I mean, most people do. And then, for two, you know just that fear of being judged and what people were going to say and what people were going to think. And you know, I specifically remember us having that conversation, ben and I having the conversation, deciding, okay, we're going to do this. And, uh, you know, start recording in the basement.
Speaker 2:And then you were our first interview, episode two, um, and you know, when we made the shift to go to put it out on social media, that was a very, very nerve wracking time for for me, because that was in my eyes, that was when it became real. That was when, you know, we had already recorded I don't know how many different podcasts, maybe three or four, I don't remember exactly what the number was, but I felt pretty good about it, but I was just anxious and nervous and you know, oh boy, here we go, Um, but I, I just kept having this feeling in my mind and and I'd have these dreams of you know how this could impact that one person that we set out to help, and so that was a big challenge for me to get over mentally and be like, all right, I'm going to take that step, to do this, to put this out there. And then there were multiple things throughout this past year which is so hard for me to believe that this is this is episode number 51. We're about to record episode 52.
Speaker 2:And, to think back, it seems like decades ago that we did this, you know and um, but I look at what it's done for for me, for Ben, for all the guests that we've had on the show, and what it's, what it's helped do for my business, um, and I mean, it was just one of the scariest things I've ever done, but has been one of the most rewarding things that I've ever done is is this podcast, and so I'm I'm excited to see where it goes. That's awesome.
Speaker 4:Talk about the. You know you take a big risk. Okay, this is everyone's listening. They're they're. You know they're calculating risks right now in their life. Do I take that risk or not? You take the risk. Um, what kind of growth have you seen come from this risk of starting the podcast?
Speaker 2:Confidence. Um, I feel like for me. You know I was never Confidence. I feel like for me. You know, I was never.
Speaker 2:I may have seemed like I was a confident person, but until we've actually got into the meat and potatoes, you know, say halfway through doing these podcasts, I was never confident in my abilities. I was always questioning why me? Why, you know, I'm not qualified to do this, I'm not qualified to interview these people, and so I would set different benchmarks for myself. I said, okay, um, dan, let's see if you can get Bill Courtney, let's see if you can get John O'Leary these names that these people that we've interviewed, um, you know that are are famous people, that that you know do public speaking and motivational speaking all over the country and the world. And we did, and I was like, ok, I can do that.
Speaker 2:So I proved to myself that we could get these people and interview these people and share their stories and have these conversations. From that it just, you know, it's slowly helped to build my confidence, um, that we are on the right path and that that I am the right person for the be tempered podcast and that Ben is the right person for the be tempered podcast and that everyone that that comes and sits at this table and that we are fortunate enough to interview and to have them share their stories, they're the right person for for this podcast. So, um, yeah, that's been, that's been. The biggest thing for me is just help help my confidence in myself.
Speaker 4:Uh, I don't think people understand how much growth comes from that risk, when you take it, and that what that does for you as a person. Person. It changes so many things in your life. But just the willingness to say, hey, I'm going to take a risk, and if you're willing to, if you're like me, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know if I can do it. And usually the risk revolves around our insecurities we're not good enough, we're not smart enough, we're not, we can't communicate well enough, I don't have the right words to say, I don't have the right background, I don't have the right experiences. But you are who God created you to be and that capacity that you have is valuable and if you're willing to take that risk, the amount of growth that comes from that is incalculable 100% yeah 100% incalculable.
Speaker 4:My opinion a hundred percent. Yeah, a hundred percent. Um, benny boy, tell me about a moment in your life where you're like option a, option B, maybe even C, or no options at all, but it ain't working where I'm at and I've got to move. Yeah, tell me about that moment.
Speaker 3:Well, first one that pops to mind is obviously coming to Catrons. That'd be probably option number one. Um, so you know I I started in sales. Uh, let's see, it'd been about 15 years ago is when I started in sales and and grew up, the company and, um, you know, the company that I worked for filed bankruptcy and then I go work for another company that the vice president, um, from my old company came and found me and was like hey, you come here, you work from home. You know, you talk about comfort and growth. So you know, when I, when we came to patrons, it was kind of big God thing.
Speaker 3:Um, cause, you know, Dan and I were coaching at the time, coaching together, and he made a couple comments and it just kind of was sitting on my heart, sitting on my heart. And then, you know, dan kind of felt the same thing. So we had a conversation. So, you know, there was that option of okay, so you've been doing something for 15 years, like you're good at it. You know, um, there was never a chance, like I wasn't going to lose my job there. Like you know, I was very comfortable. I uh had my customer base that I built for a long time. But then there was this, this new opportunity, right, option B, which would have been Catrons, and at that time there was no B tempered it was. It was just, you know, it was, uh, just Catrons.
Speaker 3:And you know, dan and I talked and and just feeling that chance for growth. Like you know, one thing that really led me there was iron sharpens iron. We've been coaching together, we've been, um, you know, talking a lot of practice and then we had similar, you know, I think we talked about similar things, like where Dan lost a whole bunch of weight, I lost a whole bunch of weight and all these things and and growth and faith and all that. And it's just like, okay, I have no idea where this could lead. I don't know.
Speaker 3:Um, you know, I I think I'd be better off, but I'm not a hundred percent sure. Or I could stay at home, where you know it's pretty easy, rolling out of bed and just doesn't matter what you have on, just hop on the computer and find inventory and you know we're living comfortably and it's just. That would be probably my best. You know, my best comparison there and what drew me was, like I said, the growth, right, iron sharpens iron. It's something I extremely believe in. And then, something that we talk about all the time we actually had a shirt that said it was, you know, uncomfortable. Or you know comfort does not come for, or your growth does not come from being comfortable. You know you have to be uncomfortable for growth, and so that's one of the big reasons.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I, I mean I I say it a lot, you know you've got to become comfortable being uncomfortable and say you can't.
Speaker 4:you can't grow without it, thinking about comfort and discomfort and stuff like that. If growth is uncomfortable and I want you both to answer this what then motivates you to grow? Because we are naturally wired to seek out comfort and relaxation. We're naturally wired to put ourselves in a position where we've given ourself the easiest way possible. And so if the real growth, if the stuff in that requires risk, that's massive discomfort, what's motivating the growth then?
Speaker 2:for me. I I always again, I go back to listening to someone like Ed Milet he is the most inspirational man that I listened to him and John Maxwell. They're the best at what they do as far as motivation, leadership, discipline. When I look at my fitness, I look at Navy SEALs and I know that that's painful and I know as a as a podcaster with Be Tempered Podcast, I know I got a long way to go. Long way to go. I'm okay with that. That's part of the growth process.
Speaker 2:I know that come the end of June, when I go down to Georgia and I hike for 24 hours in the mountains with a bunch of Navy SEALs, that's going to hurt.
Speaker 2:That's going to be growth. But that for me and this was not me three years ago, this was not me four years ago I would have never done anything like this. But as I've gone, you know, from 2022 to, you know, 51 episodes ago with the podcast to bringing Ben on and and and having um again, that iron sharpens iron I I just strive now and I, I want to be better and I know I can be better. I feel like there's so much more for me, even though I am so much further ahead than I was this time last year, this time two years ago, three years ago, 20 years ago. I feel like there's so much more. So I am always constantly looking at people who I feel are way better than me and I'm going to try to get there. I'm going to do everything that I can to get there, and I know it's going to hurt and I'm okay with that. So that's what it is for me.
Speaker 1:You have an answer there bud.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I, first off, I agree a hundred percent with what Dan said. You know, like we just talked about iron sharpens iron. The second thing, I think, is when you're in that uncomfortable, or when you're uncomfortable and you're feeling that discomfort, I think the big thing is to look ahead. Right, don't look back to where you came from. You know what I came from there like that's pretty good job. I think the big thing is you look at the goal, you look at where you're trying to go and I feel like that's what drives me to keep going, like that's what drives me to keep going and no matter, no matter what phase I've been in where I'm struggling, if I just keep looking at that goal and being like do I want to get there? Is that who you want to be? And I just think you know you look in the mirror where you're at and ask yourself is that where the goal is? And I think that's what drives me.
Speaker 3:The other thing that drives me is, you know, having three boys. What are they going to do? What are they looking at? What kind of father am I being for them when they see me? Are they seeing, you know, a dad that just wakes up, hates his job, goes in 9 to 5, comes back home he's so tired and physically and mentally exhausted from the day that he doesn't have time to spend with them. Is that what I want them to see? Is what you know a father, what a man is. No, like I want my boys to wake up and be like, oh, dad's still at the gym, or, you know, come home from work and you know I had a great day at the office or no matter what.
Speaker 3:Like my mindset back home is I want to be a great dad and I want to have the energy to do whatever their dreams are. I want them to start chasing it now, and I just feel like that's why I keep trying to teach them and what you know, why I coach all these kids in different sports. I feel like as soon as one season ends, we're in another one. Why do I do that? It's because I want those kids to understand like we're not looking at where we are right now. We're looking at where we're going to be in a year. We're looking where you want to get at in life. What do you want? And so that's that's what I feel like, if I can show them what discomfort, looks like with me, or being uncomfortable and I continue to keep growing, then that's what I want them to see is you keep going for that goal and you remind them that's what you're going for, is the goal, and just keep looking down, keep looking forward, don't look behind.
Speaker 4:What would you say to? I think the start is what is so hard it's getting moving. Um, so what do you say to someone that says, man, I got, I've got dreams, and I just like, like, how do I manufacture the motivation? Like I don't feel, like, you know, I, I'd like to change, but the but, the heart of the change, feels to be too big, and so I'm not sure that the juice is worth the squeeze. What do we say to that person?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm going to tell you it's actually a lot easier than you think, and your mind will play tricks on you, right? Your mind is constantly going to be telling you you can't, you can't, you can't, you can't, you're, you can't get better. You shouldn't do this. There's always going to be that, that negative pull on you. You want the simple truth. Go outside and go for a walk. Don't put your earbuds in, just go outside and go for it, whether it's down your road, whether it's at a local park, wherever it might be, go for a walk. Take 30 minutes, take an hour and just walk. Be with your thoughts, be, be with where you're at and talk to yourself. Talk to yourself as you're going. I'm telling you, I've talked to so many people and it's been such a huge impact on my life, whether it's at the beginning of the day, whether it's the end of the day, just go outside, breathe in that fresh air, walk, listen.
Speaker 2:If you're a person of faith, like we are, ask God, say hey, here I am, be with me right now. Give me that guidance that I need. You know what I'm thinking about. You know what I'm wanting to do. Give me some guidance and just walk. It is really that simple. You don't have to go run, you don't have to go to the gym and work out, just go for a walk and be with your thoughts, be with your mind and have a little faith that, um, you know you're going to get the direction that you need. Because I'm telling you, you know, you might not that first walk, but if you go for a week, you know you go every couple of days and you take that walk, you're going to figure things out and that's been really the biggest thing for me. That's helped to push me and to give me, you know, all these different ideas and direction that I pray for every day. It's just a simple walk.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I did mine early this morning and I spend most of the time talking to God and with my thoughts and I need his help, I need his grace, I need his wisdom and he does do that. I like that. You said it doesn't have to be hard. That's really what I wanted you to say Good job, uh, because I think that we we, we look at growth as being so difficult. And it doesn't have to be difficult. It just needs a little movement.
Speaker 4:And if you can start small and get a little movement, you can then build momentum. And, uh, you know where Dan and Ben are at growing. You know they're gaining momentum now, and so he's going to do something this summer. That, I think is crazy. That's probably cause I haven't grown enough yet, uh, to get to that point. Or you're smart're smart, but but that growth builds momentum, yeah, and it doesn't have to be huge growth. And so you know, to someone who's listening, he's feeling like man. I feel like my life is stuck. Don't feel stuck. Just take a little baby step and, little by little by little, a little turns into a lot.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think that is truly the key is just being consistent. If you can be consistent, whether it's in your work, whether it's in your fitness, your family. Be consistent, do it every day. If you do that, you will start stacking those wins, and again, it doesn't have to be hard.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely. And the last podcast, I think you had a Brian honor. That was a couple of podcasts ago, um, and you guys got into a discussion on success and you know when it's so hard to define what success is, because we were going to look at it through an American mindset of you know house and vehicles and vacation, some kind of money, and you know what kind of people respect me, or you know something like that, and those are all wrong. That is not success. If you can learn to define success as growth, you're off to the races. That's right. So talk about that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, we talked about it with Brian is, you know I? I, I was one of those people who always thought it was. You know when, when I look at someone successful, I again I'll go back to Ed Milet. He owns an Island, he's got every vehicle known to man, he lives in a house on the ocean. I mean, he's got anything and everything where you would look at him and you would think that's success. But it's really not.
Speaker 2:Success again goes back to getting out of bed. When your alarm clock goes off, it goes. Goes back to spending time with your quality time with your kids and your family and your wife. Um, spending those those times with you know where, where we'll have breakfast together and we'll just sit and have a conversation man to man about business, about life, about what's you know, what's going on. That that's you know, um, you know, affecting you in a positive or negative way. Uh, success is just showing up. If you're going to do something for someone, if you're going to be there for someone, if you're going to go to work, go to work when you're supposed to be there on time, that's success. And just doing it daily, it's just the little things.
Speaker 2:I think we get caught in this society with social media again, where everybody lives this perfect, lavish lifestyle and that's not true. You know what is? What is success for you? Success is getting out of bed. Maybe it's going for that walk, you know. Maybe maybe your, your health is not good and and you keep saying why me? Why are all these things happening to me? Why am I sick? Why am I hurt? Why am I not having the success and I'm not moving up in in my job when you know this guy is, or this this lady is? Are you doing the little things? Are you? Are you being consistent in what you do or are you just making excuses? I mean, that's success to me is just being consistent.
Speaker 4:I think it's a Craig or shell who says, um, the difference between the life you have and the life you want is all of the little habits you have in place, um, or something similar to that, and it that is so true. Yeah, it's the little stuff. Um, ben, most of the important things in life are not big. Um, you know, you're going to have very few opportunities where it's like a actually a life changing moment. Big, you know, from one thing to the next, just massive. So talk to me about a small moment, a quiet moment, a something that would not be dramatic, not flashy, not impressive, but something that deeply changed you as a person.
Speaker 3:Um, I well. So I think one of the big things is when the mind, when my mindset, actually shifted. Um, you know, when you're struggling, paycheck to paycheck at a young age, you know you view success as having money. You know, man, I just want to be successful, I just want to be able to. You know, have you know any? You know, you see somebody drive a new car. I just want that new car. But then, you know, I think when my mindset really started shifting was having a kid.
Speaker 3:You know, having your son. You know, when he was young, he was in the NICU for a while. So he was like, I think, just about two weeks old when I was first able to hold him, because he was plugged in and all that stuff, and I think that was the moment, like just that little moment of you know, he still had a wire in, uh, like a feeding tube, um, but that first moment that I hold, uh, I held him and it was just like. You know, this is success, like having a family, having my boys, and it's still reminded of constantly.
Speaker 3:I mean, um, you know, the other day I got home from work and Ev's been just dying to go fishing, right, I mean just been dying and Evie's four now, and uh, so we went and we caught one fish. The whole entire time but he's sitting there and when he caught that one fish, he started dancing. And you know, we get back in the truck and he just looks at me and he's like dad, this is the greatest day in his life because he just got to spend time with his dad.
Speaker 4:So I think it's those little moments I often tell people that I I aged a decade overnight, from from going to the hospital that morning to holding my boy at night, callan, when they, when he finally was there, 10 years different. I mean it's, it's remarkable what parenting will do for you in that regard. It's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is yeah.
Speaker 4:Pretty cool. So growth is messy, it's hard work and you know we just spent time talking about success. Is that you're growing? Let's talk about failure, because how often, when you're growing, are you always getting it right? Not very often. Not very often. Exactly. Can you think of a time when you say, man, I failed big but, boy, I grew a lot from it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's failure every day for me. I mean I, whether it's, um, you know, just struggling to do the right thing, struggling to, um, say the right thing, man, I don't know, Failure is one of those things I fear. I don't, I don't, I don't know how to say this, but you know, I, I fear the failure of, of financial failure, I fear the failure of not being a good father, I fear the failure of not being a good father, I fear the failure of not being a good husband, and so everything I do is to offset that that fear of failure. Um, and there's, there's numerous times in my life where, um, you know, I can, I can think back to early instances with the business, where, you know, we had some projects that we failed to bid properly, that I failed to bid properly, and they could have very easily, and I'm, uh, the good Lord was watching out for us um, that we didn't sink the ship, and so that failure made me a better estimator. That failure made me a better estimator. It made me a better business owner. Uh, it made me, you know, hone in on my skills of of what I was doing to, to get better at those things.
Speaker 2:Um, but it is. It is my probably my biggest fear is is to fail, and you know what failure to me might be completely different to failure to somebody else. But, um, you know what failure to me might be completely different failure to somebody else. But you know, I want to be the best man that I can be for my family, for my employees, for my community, and my fear of failure motivates me to keep going, to keep moving forward, because I, I don't want to fail. So I didn't really answer your question, but, uh, I'm going through my mind on really specific instances and, um, there's a lot. I mean, I, I failed a lot in athletics. I failed a lot, Um, you know, in school I wasn't the greatest student, Um, but I think from all those little failures I I was able to stack some wins to learn from those.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So I I think back to my first field, or fear of, not fear of failure. Dan's got me on another question.
Speaker 3:My first, my first growth from failure, I feel like, is, um, you know, the first time in high school, um, high school, having that fear of failure or not fear of failure. Jeez, louise, that failure I don't know if it was really considered a failure, but I was scared to death to actually try, right, like to go, so football. I had a bunch of different letters, college visits and stuff like that, but I was scared to take off Like I would not. I never really been away from my parents and that was just extreme, something that just I couldn't leave my comfort zone and so, looking back on that, I view that as a failure, though it was the first time that I set that bar of being too scared to try, you know, and being scared of failure there, and so now it's like if I fail, I'm going to grow from it, right? So I think saying yes to situations is where I feel like I've gotten the best growth from failure, because how many times have I looked back and I've said no to things because of failure, like you're scared to death of it. And when you fail and you fail and you fail, just make sure you grow from it.
Speaker 3:Right, I view failure as a loss. Right, when you lose, you know that's a chance for growth. Why did I lose? How did I lose? How can I make up for it?
Speaker 4:You know, I'm trying to think of it Well as you're talking, it's given me since we're doing this on the fly, kind of caught me off guard, but that was your decision.
Speaker 2:I know, um, I go back to. You know, prior to 2022,. You know, throughout my whole life, um, you know, being in sports and then being in football and college and then coming out. You know I was always a big guy, defensive lineman in college, and so being big was just who I was.
Speaker 2:And you know I would always, I would always say, all right, hey, Monday, I'm going to start Monday, I'm going to start working out, I'm going to be healthy, I'm going to lose weight, I'm going to eat better and do all those things. And then, you know, maybe two weeks would go by, maybe four months would go by and I would have a little bit of success, but then I would fail. You know, I w I would go back into those old habits, into those old routines and I would do that constantly. For you know, a better part of 20 years of my life, just a constant. You know I'm going to do it on Monday and I'd start it and then I would fail. And so you know, for me, you know those, those 20 years prior to 2022 was finally when.
Speaker 2:You know, in 2022 was finally when that light switch, light switch went off and I said I'm not going to fail at this again. I recognize that I can't look weeks, months, years out. I need to look at today. I'm not going to go back to that failure that I had the prior 20 years. I'm going to focus on today. It goes again, goes back to success. I'm going to be successful today. I'm going to go to bed tonight, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and I'm going to do it again, but my focus is on that day, and so that was probably the the where I I took all those failures from the prior 20 years of making those promises to myself that I didn't keep to pushing forward and saying I am not going to fail again, I'm going to be successful today. So that was that's probably the biggest thing for me that I learned from in my failures.
Speaker 4:So if we I appreciate you guys sharing that stuff, I I'm, you know, probing for vulnerability and I appreciate that you go there If we can define success as growth, and then we fail and we grow from the failure as growth, and then we fail and we grow from the failure, was it actually failure? That's deep Cause. We grew, right, right. So it was a success and and and you know, let's get into fear of failure, because that is such a that that's a showstopper for most people we will literally cap our capacity, our God-given potential, because of our fears, so much so that we're paralyzed, we can't move, and so the fear is worse than the failing is, because at least from the failing I can learn. And so I think, if we're going to define success as we're growing, we can't define failure as failure, if I grow eventually grow from it.
Speaker 4:It's just another opportunity to move forward.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is. And you know I talk about fear of failure and maybe it's not a fear. I just I am just determined to be successful again on that specific day. So maybe it's not a fear. I'm just I. I'm just not going to fail, but if I do, I know that I'm going to be okay and I'm going to rebound from that and I'm going to learn from it. But I but, but today, today I'm going to be successful. But if something knocks me off that horse and I have a stumble and I have a failure, I'm going to get better because of it. So I know I talk about. I said that. You know I have a massive fear of failure. I guess I'm not afraid of it because I know it's going to happen. I'm not perfect. None of us are perfect. We're not Jesus.
Speaker 4:So yes, it's definitely motivating you a hundred percent.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, A hundred percent motivating me, which I you know. Then you got to turn that into discipline to just keep going and get through those, those failures and those tough times.
Speaker 3:So yeah, and that might be one of the reasons. I feel like it's it's hard to sit here and think of failures because I can think of a million things that I've done wrong. Right, like you sit here and you're like, well, what have you done wrong this week? And it's like, well, let me get the list out. But I feel like maybe it's just the mindset of it's not failure, like it's just, yeah, you messed up, but how do we correct it? And how do we go from there and think of failures? And I feel like when I think of failure, I think of an utter catastrophe, like just something that just absolutely. And yeah, there's moments that wrecked me and tore me up, but you know, how do I move forward from it? Could I've got to where I am because of it? No, so I don't really consider that failure.
Speaker 4:You know so.
Speaker 4:I don't really consider that failure, you know, and I, you know I bring that up for the sake of people who listen, who feel like yeah, but, but, but failure is is the end, all be all, and really the only failure is when you don't keep growing. That's it. And so you know, you are going to have to employ some courage. You are going to have to, you know, find some motivation. You are going to have to get up and do the little things, yes, but just because you miss a morning doesn't mean you're a failure. It makes you a human and it's okay to be a human.
Speaker 4:But we put so much pressure on that word failure and then, conversely, put so much pressure on that word failure and then, conversely, put so much pressure on the word success, and so we're striving for something that is really not achievable and we're petrified of something that is our humanity, that we can't get away from. And I think the result is is that most people live the middle of their life in an insignificant fashion, stuck, and so growth pushes us through some of that that insignificance. So I screw up, I don't get it right. I miss a workout, I, I, I have a fight with my wife, I, I, I screw up. Okay, I'm a human. At that point, for me, all these thoughts start going through my head You're a fraud, you're a fraud, you're a fraud, you're a fake, you're a fake, you're a fake. And there's all this self-doubt that comes because I'm a human. Okay, my sinful nature pouring out of me. How do we deal with self-doubt when we don't always get it right?
Speaker 2:Man, you're coming with a thunder. Um, you just have to recognize that there's there's good and there's evil in this world. Again, whether you are a person of faith or not, there there is there's good and there's bad, and the bad is the self doubt, right? The good is the confidence that that that you know, tells you to keep going, to keep doing this. The bad is saying what the heck are you doing? You suck at this. You know why. Why are you continuing to do a podcast? Nobody's listening to you.
Speaker 2:The other side saying hey, you just got a call the other day from someone who was so impacted that they're bawling their eyes out on their phone on the phone telling you the story about how, you know, sam Flutterjohn story impacted them because their husband, who died tragically in a farm accident all of his, you know he was able to give his organs to people as far away as Africa. So that's the good. The bad is saying stop. You're spending this money to produce this podcast. You're spending this money to produce this podcast. Why so? How do we get through that? You just keep going. You don't stop. You recognize that there's always going to be those naysayers and most of the time it's yourself, it's not other people.
Speaker 4:Biggest naysayers yourself. Yeah.
Speaker 2:You are always going to be your biggest critic, people, biggest naysayers yourself. Yeah, you are always going to be your biggest critic and that's something for me that I battle with every single day is hearing this guy on my left side saying you're an idiot. The guy on the right side saying, no, you're not. Just keep going, and so that that's what I do. Is I just? I just keep my head down and recognize that, uh, I'm going to hear both those voices every day, but I'm going to keep going.
Speaker 3:I think that's the moment that you know, maybe not when you first wake up and you, you know you sleep in. You know not in those, but I think that's when the walk comes in big for me. You know, whenever I feel down on myself or I feel like a big imposter, I pray about it. You know, I feel like that's kind of centers me in everything, because you know you you're getting mad at yourself because you missed a workout and you're letting you, letting that define you. And then you go out and you pray and you're just like God, like you know. I know I didn't, you know you wouldn't ask God for forgiveness for sleeping in right from this in your workout. But what you do is, you know, when you're talking to him, you realize how much grace he gives you. Well, if God loves you and giving you that kind of grace, shouldn't you give yourself grace too? You know, and I feel like that's that's why I kind of fall back on and you know I just you gotta give yourself grace. We're going to mess up.
Speaker 3:There's probably a reason. Maybe you slept in. You know there's days where you might hit it hard for 10 days in a row but all of a sudden, you know you had a late night with your kids or work. Your body might have needed it. Okay, let's move on. Get the next wind. Once you get the next wind, stack another wind.
Speaker 4:And that's how you get back on track. Yeah, that self-doubt is a powerful thing, because it will it'll rob you of your future, it'll rob you of your ability to be significant, it'll it'll rob you of everything that you're supposed to be doing in life, because it just is always there. It's that voice just speaking to you, and so, yeah, I agree. I mean, I have to go back and say what does God say? That I am? Does he say that I am? You know, I'm redeemed because of his son? Well, that's, that's awesome. You know, all of a sudden it's like, okay, well, I don't have to be perfect. Jesus was perfect, he's good enough for me, and then that helps me center myself. Let's keep moving forward. I don't want to operate with a mindset of fear, that that I'm paralyzed to move forward because of my fear. And so you know, we're going to move forward with boldness and courage, because ultimately, it's not even me anyway, that's right.
Speaker 4:Ultimately, god's working through me, and so that self-doubt is addressed, not through my own strength of can I hold on tight enough, but can I just be who God made me to be and be okay with that. And then you know, as the fears come, does God say that I am? Does God say that I am?
Speaker 3:I go back to you know God, when he's on that cliff and Satan's tempting him with all that stuff. Right, like you know, you can jump off here and survive. Like test God, keep testing God. And Jesus was able to say like, well, it might not be true. But like in myself, like I always feel like whenever something's poking at me telling me I'm not good enough, telling me all this stuff. Like I always feel like whenever something's poking at me telling me I'm not good enough, telling me all this stuff, like I viewed as Satan doing the kind of the same thing you know and, like you said, I've remind yourself. Who does God say you are. I feel like that's what gets me through a lot of times.
Speaker 4:That's awesome. Um, um. Since we're on the failure and the self doubt side, let's just keep hitting it. Talk about rejection. How does rejection play a role in growth?
Speaker 2:Oh man, um, you know it just continues to to shape you and you know when you're rejected.
Speaker 2:You know I, when I hear rejection, I think of like being rejected by a girl as a young as a young man, you know and you when you finally get the gumption to um to ask that girl out and she says no, oh boy, you know that's a slap in the face, as as a young man, but I think that's part of growing as a man as well. Um, you know, rejection is similar to failure. You know we get rejected every day in business. You know we have jobs we get and we have jobs we don't get.
Speaker 2:And again, those are just again learning moments, learning moments to get better, and sometimes rejection catches you off guard and other times, you know it, it may not, may not as much, but, um, rejection is again one of those, one of those moments that I use to grow and say, okay, I was rejected for whatever reason you know, for this job or or or with this person, or whatever it might be. So what did I do to get rejected and how can I learn from that to? Um, you know, to move past that and to get better because of it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I think you said it in previous podcasts rejection is God's protection.
Speaker 2:That's right. Yeah, absolutely true.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I, you know I view that. And then on the on the the flip side, you know that's rejections Well, I use for motivation. A lot of times you know, um, motivate you and, like Dan said, you figure out why and then you move on from it. But sometimes you got to get back to that rejection to keep fuel on that fire, just to keep you going. And I feel like a lot of times that's that's great motivation.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know do I want to be rejected again? How motivation? Yeah, you know do I want to be rejected again? How did I get rejected? What did we do wrong? How can we grow from it? And then you know the other things in life that are a lot bigger than you know. You're able to control it. Sometimes you're not, might not be able to control that rejection, you know. Just trust. That's not the path for me. We're going to move on. We're going to find the right path.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely, I like that rejection is God's protection. That's so true. I, you know, if we can't trust his sovereignty and all of the situations in our life that are difficult and hard, and it you know, like, like that's where the trust is built with him and us is is when it's difficult and we choose to trust him. You know, through those situations, ultimately our good is his design and so he's going to, you know, put us in a spot where that really is helpful for us. I deal with that side of it because when we're talking about growth guys, it it's people listen to growth and it's easy to talk about success stories, but the real growth is happening when it's messy and dirty and hard and difficult.
Speaker 4:And again, I'm just trying to give you know, your listeners like perspective that you guys are the real deal and you're normal, normal guys like everyone else. And you know what you're doing is not remarkable in the sense that you're more skilled than anyone else, You're not smarter than someone else, you don't have a, you didn't get a special ace up your sleeve that someone else didn't get. But if you're willing to work through failure and rejection, if you're willing to redefine success to not be what, you know, Americans define success as all of a sudden now can define success as all of a sudden now. Hey, there's some significance here. There's, there's something. There's something here that God's doing with my life that is different and better and more meaningful and more impactful and more powerful than anything that I've experienced in the past. So you're growing.
Speaker 4:Talk about the tension between where you are and where you want to get, because you're normal, You're human, You've got self-doubt, You're dealing with failure, You're dealing with rejection, You're your own worst critic. You can see where I'm at and you can see the future. Talk about it. I know how to get there. We're going to go step by step, day by day. We're going to grow, but the tension, the tension of can I be content today and yet still change and grow for tomorrow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's where we're at. Right now is, you know, a year into this with the podcast and you know, obviously, being contacted by all different walks of life friends, family. You know people who have been impacted by our show. Thankfully we have, we have grander visions ahead to do more. But man is that stressful, and it's not because I don't think we can get there, because I really, truly do think that we'll get to where we want to go beyond our small area and continue to grow this thing. But it's how do we get there? Who is in the car ride with us to get there and what's that look like? Because this isn't the only thing that we do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's exactly right, and that's the bigger challenge that I face is trying to manage everything else while feeling this pull and this push to just keep going, keep going, keep going. But I, every day, when I'm able to take my walk in the afternoon, at the end of the day, I all I keep hearing, and maybe it's God telling me just be consistent, just be consistent, just just like you're taking every step on this walk today. Just be consistent with everything that you do and I will show you the way. And that's probably been the biggest thing for me is just trying to lean more on my faith. That I I, you know I've always, I've always been a man of Christ. I've always been faithful in my life, but never to where I'm at right now, never to where I have.
Speaker 2:I have changed in the past, really in the past year, just having that trust, um, trying to give up some of that control that I I, you know you try to control everything as an entrepreneur and as a as a father, as a man, you know, keep everything in the box. As a man, you know, keep everything in the box and just to take a deep breath, let it go, and to take that step. So how are we going to get there? I don't know how we're going to get there, but I'm not as concerned about about it as I was six months ago. I'm just saying, hey, you know, the right person's going to come to me today to be on the podcast in a couple months. Um, the right situations are going to present themselves where maybe we go into a school, maybe we we do something with a father and a son at a camp. I don't know what all this stuff looks like. We've got all these visions, um, and we'll get there with the right people, but by taking that step every day.
Speaker 4:Yeah, absolutely. You can't grow without seeing a perspective for the future. But to get to that perspective of the future you just have to love the process, the process of every day just showing up and ultimately God's going to lead and guide and direct in. Whatever that future is, as long as we stay, yield and submitted to him for sure, and that process is the hardest part. Yes.
Speaker 2:That's the hardest part because that's the growth.
Speaker 4:That's what we're talking about.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because everybody wants that instant gratification, and I do too, but you just, you just got to follow the process.
Speaker 3:Currently taking that step with our boys right now in basketball, trusting the process. Currently taking that step with our boys right now in basketball, trusting the process.
Speaker 4:That's right. So success starts to grow, Momentum starts to take off. It's easy to get lax and lazy and then feel like, yeah, you, you touched on this at the beginning. I can kind of rest on. I can rest on what I've done. Maybe it was Ben talk about how you stay grounded as you grow. Here's the reality. If you have a growth mindset and you are consistent, your life does improve. Period 100%. It's going to happen. Okay, it's, it's, it's a certifiable facts. So you are going to create margin in your life and you're going to create significance in your life. How do you stay grounded so that you don't lose your ability to to be significant, because now you feel like I've done it, I'm good, I've. You know what? What got me here was all this, and now I don't really need that for the future. How do you stay grounded?
Speaker 2:My family, okay, yeah, my kids. They keep me grounded. You know they're.
Speaker 2:They're the ones that are constantly saying you haven't done anything to have, you know, they, they keep me grounded, but they also keep me motivated, yeah and uh, you know. So, for me that's, it's my family. It's again showing up every day so that those kids, you know, see what their dad's doing, to see what, what, kim, what my wife does every day, not just in, you know, our physical health, not in just what we eat, but in how we interact with, uh, with people at our church.
Speaker 2:you know, getting involved in, uh, helping the homeless and, uh, you know, providing to those in need, just setting that example for them, because I want them to do the same thing, I want them to do more, I want them to have a bigger impact than than I can have, and so my family keeps me grounded, okay, yeah, I think the other thing, like kind of part of that question, is, you know, if you're taking one step at a time and stacking those little wins and you just keep looking forward, I feel like you don't really have time to look back.
Speaker 3:You know what I mean. Like you look at the end of the day, you're exhausted, You're not paying attention, but you're, you just feel that you have that feeling. And I feel like there's days where you know you might be late, a little bit more lazy, but if you've been on that path for you know, six months a year, that keeps you grounded. I don't, I don't want to keep doing this Like I feel right now, like it's motivating, it's it just you have that fire that's in you that just wants you to keep going one day after another. And if you keep taking those little steps and just keep stacking those wins, I feel like that momentum is going to carry you and keep you grounded on top of your family Cause kids ground you all the time.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, and I think you know we're all aware enough of our humanity to to be like, yeah, I screw up all the time, it's still going to happen. Uh, you can't get too big a head when you realize that you're, you still stink.
Speaker 4:So uh and there's nothing wrong with that, um, I, I'd say for me, you know, and I again I'm, I'm coming from a you know a spot where my faith is the most important thing about my life, that you know, there's coming a day, you know, at some point my life ends and I do, you know, I'm going to have the opportunity to stand before God, I'm going to give him a count of my life, and that day drives me, it grounds me, it motivates me because, man, I don't want to, I don't want to displease my savior, and so, um, that's a whole nother, you know, that's, that's his own topic in and of itself, but it's a level of motivation and grounding that's like man, that's that's way more important in the future. That's coming, that's a, that's a guaranteed date at some point in my future. And, and, man, I, I don't want to show up and be like I wasted your life, right, I wasted the time you gave me, I wasted the significance you gave me, I wasted the skills you gave me, the opportunities you gave me. If I look at it like that, man, every day is, it is an opportunity to do more, to grow more, to continue to, uh, to, to challenge myself and and others, because ultimately that day's coming for them too. So, um, going from the the deep to the insignificant, we got just a few minutes here.
Speaker 4:This is rapid fire. We want a little uh personality here. Uh, coffee or tea, coffee, coffee, coffee. I don't drink either.
Speaker 4:Uh water, only um early bird or night owl early bird early, early, same um book you recommend uh, I wouldn't say the most, but give me a book you recommend that you've read in the last few years that you're like man, this is, this is, this is great, high road leadership.
Speaker 2:John Maxwell.
Speaker 4:That's on my list because of your recommendation. That's next Play the man. Play the man. I don't know that one, mark Batterson. Okay, awesome, okay, look those up, guys. Um, if someone's texting you, what is the most used emoji that you use, uh, to communicate? Do you use emojis when you text yeah, thumbs up. Oh they're so boring I do the fire.
Speaker 2:Fire. Oh, I like that one.
Speaker 4:Yeah, be tempered, there you go. Does pineapple belong on pizza?
Speaker 2:No, yeah, I don't eat pizza. But yeah, you don't eat.
Speaker 3:You're such a. What's your answer on that one, maddie?
Speaker 4:Um, okay, Up to a year ago I would have died on the hill that you never put pineapple pizza in your mouth. And I have a friend her name is Pam and she said that I wasn't living until I tried pineapple pizza. It wasn't horrible, Was it with ham? It was Canadian bacon and pineapple. So I wouldn't say I'm a believer, but I did try it. Favorite way to spend a day off.
Speaker 2:Just being with the family hanging out. You know, being outside when the weather's nice, throwing a ball around and playing pickleball Cool.
Speaker 3:Fishing with my family.
Speaker 4:Fishing with your family. That's awesome. If your younger self could see you now, what would they be most proud of?
Speaker 2:Just taking that step, yeah, taking that step of, uh, you know, just trying to be the best version of myself, cool.
Speaker 3:I think my family, that's what my I'd be proud of, the father that I am, I think, at least I hope so.
Speaker 4:That's awesome, I would, I would. I grew up with a ton of fear, tons and tons of fear. It still plagues me to this day. And so, um, having done things in my life that pushed me through my fears, I would, I, I would never have expected that as a eight year old kid. So, um, so, to kind of wrap up here, I want to do something. Uh, everyone needs a little encouragement on their growth journey. Uh and uh, you know, what these guys are doing for all of us as listeners is encouraging us every day to keep after it.
Speaker 4:And so, if you're, if you've listened to the episode and you've made it all the way to the end, I want you to do something. I want you to hop on and, in the comment section, I want you just to leave a little sentence, a phrase, a thought, something that tells Ben and Dan that they're killing it, they're doing a great job and that we appreciate the work they're putting in. They would never ask for this. Okay, they're probably embarrassed that I'm saying it, but, hey, they made me the host today, so it's their own dang fault. Um, so, if you've made it to the end, uh, drop something in the comments of this episode and to say, guys, we appreciate what you're doing, keep up the good work. Um, I'm grateful for these guys. I'm grateful that they want to grow. I'm better for it, you're better for it, we're all better for it. Um, um, just tell them that. So we don't have to be perfect, but we do have to grow. So let's go grow a little bit every week. Thoughts, finish it up.
Speaker 2:No, thank you for doing this. Uh, it was great, definitely challenged me a little bit. Uh, you know, in my thinking with not not, uh, you know I'd like to be prepared and I already told you I had a whole list of stuff here anticipating your questions and, um, you know, I wasn't prepared.
Speaker 2:So, but I but I think that's part of it is is just, you know, we try to be authentic and who we are and what we do, and and again, everybody's got a story and you can't you can't see 90% of them and so, um, you know, for anybody out there who has a story, who knows someone who has a story, please reach out. Um, we've got some amazing guests coming up. We've had amazing guests. If you haven't listened to all the episodes, you know just really appreciate, um, the love and the support and and all the messages and the phone calls that that we've received, because it, you know it it gives us that confidence that we are on the right path and that we are on the right journey. So, you know, we thank you.
Speaker 3:Yeah, um, just one thought that I had was cause. This whole thing's been about growth and one of the big spiritual things for me that, um, it's not, it's not a phrase or anything, but it's a prayer that I prayed. Uh, one sermon it was. If you want God to really use you, then when you pray, you know, pray intentionally. And one of the biggest prayers that I prayed was, uh, you know, asking God to use me as his tool, right, and when he does, give me that that little earning inside of me of when it's time, like I know that this is why God's wanting to use me. And you, would you want to grow spiritually? Ask God to be his tool, be his hands, be his feet, and your life will change.
Speaker 4:Absolutely true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you reminded me of something. We'll try to wrap this up here. We're an hour and 15 minutes cranking along, but one of the one of the biggest things for me that I prayed before we even started doing the podcast a year ago was I had a very big problem of being present, being in the moment. We could have a conversation and I would be listening to you, make an eye contact, but my mind was somewhere else because there's so many other things going on. And so you know, my prayer was God help me to be in that moment, to when I'm talking to someone or I'm doing something, to be in the moment. You know we're we're all looking to multitask and to do all these different things at once because we think the more that we can do, the more we'll get done, the more successful we'll be, and so I think that was one of the biggest things for me, that that God put me on that path.
Speaker 2:To be present, to be in the moment when I'm interviewing someone. I don't want to look like an idiot and if I'm not listening to you and I'm not seeing your facial expressions and I'm not understanding what you're saying, to be prepared to ask the next question, I'm not being present. I think this was his way of showing me that you want to be present. Here you go, and so that that you know, as, as you talked about, you know that prayer, um, you know, for me the, the, the podcast started because God said and he want to be present, here's your opportunity. So, everybody, we thank you again for listening. We thank Maddie for coming out and taking time out of his busy schedule to give us some great questions and to give you some insight on Ben and I. And again, please continue to like and to share and to give us the support that you can and go out and be tempered.
Speaker 1:Hi, my name is Allie Schmidt. This is my dad, dan. He owns Catron's Glass. Thanks, allie. Things like doors and windows go into making a house, but when it's your home, you expect more like the great service and selection you'll get from Catron's Glass. Final replacement windows from Catron's come with a lifetime warranty, including accidental glass breakage replacement. Also ask for custom shower doors and many other products and services. Call 962-1636. Locally owned, with local employees for nearly 30 years, catron's Glass the clear choice.