How to Stop Making Excuses W/ Chris Joseph

What are the keys to becoming a stronger leader and protector for your family?
How can faith, fitness, and accountability help men unlock their full potential?
What practical steps can men take to lead their families with confidence and purpose?

This week on the MOI Podcast, we dive deep into purpose-driven leadership and personal growth with Chris Joseph. From his military background to his current role in holistic leadership at Warfel, Chris shares how disciplined fitness, resilient faith, and intentional community can build a foundation for men who want to impact their families and legacy.

Chris opens up about his journey—overcoming complacency, embracing discomfort, and building resilience through faith and fitness. You’ll hear stories of transformation, including the powerful effect of men's retreats, the importance of brotherhood, and practical tips for making fitness and faith central to your life as a husband, father, and leader.

Whether you’re just beginning your journey or searching for motivation to take the next step, this conversation is for men hungry to lead with courage, protect their families, and raise up the next generation.

If you’re ready to step up and create lasting change, connect with Men of Iron for retreats, coaching, and powerful resources.

Take the Core5 Assessment:
See where you stand in Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness, and Finances—and identify your next step. Complete it and receive a small thank-you from Men of Iron.
👉  https://menofiron.org/score-your-core5/

Keep growing:
🧗 Basecamp (Start Here)
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🏔 Ridgeline (Grow with Others)
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👉 https://menofiron.org/resources/small-group-resources/

👥 Summit (Go Deeper)
One-on-one mentorship and coaching for long-term growth
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#menshealth #christianleadership #strongfamilies #fatherhood #faithandfitness #menofiron #mentorship

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

It leaks into every other aspect of my life. If if I don't get that workout in, if I don't stay disciplined, at the end of the day, I'm like, man, did I fail today? Was I not the best that I can be today?

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Welcome back to the Men of Iron Podcast. And this month we're jumping into fitness, you're jumping into faith. And it's super exciting because I have Chris with here with me today. And we met not too long ago. Um, I think it was last summer now. It's almost been a year. Um, but in that time, we were on EQ together, and I got to learn a little about his story and even his fitness and all these different aspects of his life. And he's really over the last year, I would say like dove head first. I mean, I think that's the best way to describe it. Absolutely. Um, into your faith and into um fitness has always been a part, even from military, even into now. Um, but just want to thank you for being on the pod. Yeah, thanks, man. I appreciate you having me on. Yeah, absolutely. So let's just talk through who Chris is. I know you a little bit more from EQ and those different things, but tell the audience who you are, what you're up to, a little bit of life story.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Awesome. So Chris Joseph, uh working here in the Lancaster area at Worfel in a new position uh on the people side of things, uh, which you know, Warfel didn't have before, which is awesome. Um, with that, I get to, you know, meet with all of our different people, talk about holistic development, which, you know, includes fitness, includes faith and and everything. Um, you know, on the on the home front, uh I'm a husband, uh, first and foremost. I'm uh a father to three, uh, three children. Our newest is about seven months now. Uh, so we are tired. Uh yeah. Um we talked a little bit about uh military background. So I was in the Navy for six years. Um my fitness journey started before that, but I definitely had uh some growth there uh in that. Um and then honestly, you know, most importantly, uh, you know, believer um, you know, in in Jesus and uh, you know, really diving into that uh the last year, year and a half. Um, and a big portion of that was EQ. Yeah. So yeah, really excited to talk through that.

SPEAKER_02 2:11

I love it. So when we met on the EQ, I just want to put this out there. I got there, I'm like, okay, Garrett is bringing me on this EQ. I don't know a single one of these guys who they are, but it was so great as the weekend went on. We started to, I know so much about these guys that were is in this room, where we're struggling, where we're winning, and how we can help one another. I don't, I know we're not talking about EQ on this, on this pod, but I want to touch on it really quick. And you said that was really a turning kind of turning point on that weekend. With the EQ, what was so impactful about it and what actually made that switch happen? Um, and kind of the light switch really for you to be like, okay, I gotta, I gotta get after this.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Yeah. So I think uh just intentionality, um, you know, before all five of the, you know, the five Fs, uh, it was something that I always focused on. Uh, but a lot of it was, it was just happening. It wasn't intentional. Um, and just putting it down on paper, you know, getting around a group of men who really also wanted to get after it, you know, in in their lives as well. It it lit a fire. Um, and having that accountability, having, you know, that that group that we can continue on for that next year and just really continue to talk to each other, each other and just grow together. Um, you know, it just it it lit a fire. You know, it yeah, it made me want to get after it. Um, you know, faith, uh, you know, that that was a big journey for me. Um, you know, my my wife and I have been on a faith journey the last, you know, couple years, especially. Um, and just uh huge growth in that area. And that is impactful. Uh, if you could set that foundation, uh, it just leaks into every other aspect of your life. Um, and fitness is one of those areas. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

When you think of faith, I want to hit on that because that I mean, faith is the number one. That's our that's our foundation for where we build these core five and all the other areas out of. During that journey, what was like a high and a low of that journey as you were navigating that? Cause I'm sure it wasn't always pretty. No. Right? Like a journey, when even you go like going a hike, you always get to that hill and you're like, dang, like I got to go up there, but you know what the view is gonna be. Yeah. Right. So describe like a high and a low in that journey and what you saw through that time. Yeah, I think uh I'm gonna start with the low.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

Uh, I think that really we were at a point where um, you know, been married for a couple of years, you know, had a couple kids, and you know, anytime uh you kind of get complacent. And faith became that. Uh, you know, I I grew up Catholic, um, you know, and so it felt like I was becoming a checkbox in a lot of different ways. Um, not just with my faith, but then it it leaked into my marriage and being a husband and a father and and everything. Um, and so that was a low for sure. Um, it it felt like I was just going through the motions uh on a lot of things. And then it came to a high. My wife, huge support system. Um, you know, her pushing me and just getting uncomfortable, uh, which is it's it's a theme, I would say. Uh, you know, in in the military, we used to say like embrace the suck um and just being comfortable with with being uncomfortable. Um, and so she pushed me into that faith journey. And the high is just, you know, EQ, getting to be around other biblical men, um, you know, and then even further, Garrett, you mentioned, he's been a huge, huge proponent of of my faith journey. Um, and just, you know, getting around other people that that are like-minded. Um, we actually just this weekend we are gonna be members in uh in our local church. Uh they just accepted us. So um yeah, in Quarryville, uh Providence Church over there in Quarryville.

SPEAKER_02 5:55

So yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. I think it's so important because guys will set out on a faith journey, fitness journey, you name the journey that they're trying, and they're always like, always like the highs, but they never like the valleys or the lows. And we with the journey, both of those are gonna happen. Yeah. And to be able to continue to push through, I think my favorite word, I you always talk about being strong or ri, but I love the word resilience. Yeah, like you gotta be resilient. Like it can't just be like one bad thing happens, then that's a wrap for me. Yeah. And or this happened in my that's our that this this marriage is a rap. Or we have to be resilient through all those things and keep pushing on and keep making it, keep pushing through, really. Um, when you talk through, you know, family, you're talking about being a leader, a husband, and you're talking about these things that from my faith, it's all trickling into that. Talk to me about that, of how it trickles into your family, how it's into fitness, fine, all the core five. Yeah. But how the faith actually goes into all those other areas.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Yeah. So uh it's funny. We actually, I I was in a meeting with with Garrett and and another one of our um you know team members at Warfall this morning, and we were talking about how, you know, Jesus is the perfect example of of all of these things, right? He is the protector, he is the provider. Um, you know, and and it's not all sunshine and rainbows by any means. Um, but having that as my true north um has really turned me into, you know, more of the husband, the father, the protector, the leader that I want to be. It's I'm not finished yet by any means. Uh it work in progress. Um, but just having, you know, that as my my true north, right? My my North Star, that is where it leaks into everything else. Um, you know, he gave us the playbook. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:41

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SPEAKER_02 8:12

That's good, man. When we think through, you know, the the five F's that we're talking about, and we think about fitness, and you were talking about how it was even before the military. Talk to me about your fitness, what it looks like, the different pieces, how it was before, how it was in the military, and how it is now, because I know it continues on. You're not a small dude. You're not a small dude. So you're you're doing something. So, how has it trickled throughout the years from before the military, in the military, and now even out of it, how you're still kind of getting after it and why it's important for you?

SPEAKER_01 8:42

Yeah, absolutely. So, growing up, I played sports. Um, my family is just active, uh, you know, just a big sports family growing up. My, you know, my dad, my uncles, um, they all played basketball. So I've been playing basketball ever since I was young. And then I got into soccer. That was my sport that I played. Um, one of the first in my family to do that. So um, I was just saying it this morning. My dad, you know, knew nothing about soccer, my mom nothing about soccer, but they were at every game. They, you know, they supported. So, you know, that was the start of my my kind of fitness journey. Um, you know, went into college and and did the typical lifting thing, you know, that everyone does. You do your bro splits of everything. Um, and then after after college, went into the military in in the Navy. Um, that was a big difference for me. Um, you know, I had to do a fitness test uh twice a year. Uh, and you kind of started to work out for that fitness test. Um, and again, it was like everything else. It was becoming a checkbox item. Um, you know, I yeah, I was big, um, you know, and I could run a mile and I could do a hundred and some push-ups in a row and all that kind of stuff. But like, I wasn't really fit, um, especially not from a holistic standpoint. My faith wasn't there, my fitness really wasn't where I wanted it to be. Um, and then getting out, uh, getting to to Wharfle, um, truly that was a big turning point for me. Um, you know, Conlin, the president of Warf, he's one of the most fit people that I've ever met. Uh, and that as a leader, to see that as someone that you look up to, um, you know, it it has an effect on you. Um, and so that started it. But then um about a year and a half ago, two years ago now, I always did uh a Murph, okay, for Memorial Day. It's a workout that I always uh love to do. Um so for anyone that doesn't know what Murph is, uh so it is a military-inspired workout. Okay, so Lieutenant Michael Murphy um was in charge of the lone survivor um, you know, mission. Um he died on that mission and he did a workout when he was in that he would be fully kitted up, about 20 some pounds of gear, and he would do a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another mile run. And so after his wife and and um, you know, others, they created a foundation. And so they do that, the Murph workout, every year for Memorial Day. So I started doing that because Conlon actually pushed us uh and you know, came up with the idea to do lunch workouts on Fridays, and he beat us bad at that workout. Um, I was just hanging, no pull-ups were happening to at a certain point. And two years ago, I made it like uh a goal. I was like, I'm never gonna get beat that bad at this workout. And so every single Monday for the last two years, I've done a MERF uh and then continued that. Um, you know, you talk about resilience. That's what that workout is. Uh it's not fun, it's not pretty, it doesn't matter how long I've been doing it, it's awful every single week. But resilience is is what comes into play.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

When you talk through that fitness piece and you talk how it's been a part of your life, what we talked through like discipline, resiliency, all these things. Why have you stayed so committed to it? Why has it has it been a part, whether it was in sports, whether it was in the military, you know, you were checking boxes, but why why has it gone beyond that now? Why is it a part of like your life as like when I look at you, I'm like, yeah, this dude works out, even just by looking at you, or even just knowing from the EQ of like this is a part of his life, way more than it's should it should be more in my life than it is. But why is it such a big part and why have you stayed so disciplined to it?

SPEAKER_01 12:25

Yeah. So uh talked about being a husband, being a father. Um, you know, your goals change over the years. Uh, you know, at some points in in life, you want to just look a certain way or lift a certain weight. I'm at the point in life where protector is what I care about. Um, you know, I appreciate you saying uh, you know, that uh, but that's what I want. I want to, you know, be able to walk down an aisle with my kids and my wife. And, you know, there's there's people out there that want to do harm. And I want them to look at me and say, I'm gonna pick another aisle, right? Uh, you know, that's my goal at this point. I want to be able to, you know, protect my family. I need to be able to, you know, lift them. And then also I want to be able to show, you know, not only my, you know, my wife that I can be a protector and a provider, but I want my kids to see, you know, the the strength and everything in dad. I want my my sons to look up and say, you know, and I want to be big like dad one day or strong like dad. And I want my daughter to see that level of discipline so that hopefully she looks for that in her husband in the future. Right. So 100%.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

When you think, when I think of those things you just said, the trickle effect, the ripple effect, whatever you want to call it, that goes down to them. Why is that important to you? Yeah. Like you're talking about it, and I can tell there's passion in all of that, what you're saying. Why is that so important to you? Because sometimes I think we think of fitness and guys are like, well, I I I gotta figure it out. Like, I don't have the time, I don't have this, I don't have that, or I don't know where to start. Like, why are those things so important? Because there's a ripple effect that happens because you're taking it seriously, your faith seriously, your fitness seriously, all the Fs, we're taking them seriously. Why is it so important to you?

SPEAKER_01 14:05

Yeah, I think at the end of the day, it's uh, I want to raise that next generation, right? I have three kids right now, and I want to raise them to be, you know, that next generation of, you know, strong, faithful, disciplined Christ followers. Um, and that at the end of the day is what really pushes me. Um, you know, it definitely has a mental health aspect for me as well. Uh, you know, I could my wife knows if I didn't work out in a day, uh, it it gets to me. Uh, it does. Um, you know, having that discipline, having that regiment is so important. Um, it's that trickle, right? It leaks into every other aspect of my life. If if I don't get that workout in, if I don't stay disciplined, at the end of the day, I'm like, man, did I did I fail today? Was I not the best that I can be today? Um, and I don't ever want to, you know, lay down at night and think that, right? And the kids and that that next generation is so, so important.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

Yeah. When you when you say, like you've been disciplined for so long and it, you're talking about the trickle effect that it has and these all all these other Fs in your life, and you're talking protector, provider, all these different things. When you think of fitness for a guy that's like, I don't have the time. And I know, and I know your schedule, I know you're a busy dude, and you, you, you're doing workouts at lunchtime to get it in and get the like, what are you saying to that guy that's like, I don't have the time to do it? You got three kids, you got some dogs too, right? You got the whole and you're working full time, you're being this for your family. Like, what do what do you say to guys that are like, man, I don't got the time to do that, or I can't fit it in.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

So I think that uh at the end of the day, it's what what's your goal, right? Um, you know, do you want to just be where you're at right now? Because we're we're we're having a conversation, obviously. There's a want uh in in you to maybe want to make a change. Um, it's sacrifice, right? It is. Uh, you know, I used to wake up early, you know, get a four o'clock workout in. Um that's not for me. I'd rather get to the office, you know, and then get home to be with my family at the end of the day. My kids go to bed pretty early. Um, you know, for me, it's lunch. I I just I won't eat lunch. I'll take that, you know, that hour that I have and I work out instead. Um, not everyone wants to do that. Not, you know, they'd rather go get a burger or something like that. Um, so at the end of the day, I'd I'd look at them and I'd say, hey, what do you want to be? Like, if you want to maintain and you want to stay where you're at, that's fine, right? You do you. But if you want to make a sacrifice and you want to better yourself, how about you come down for half hour of my workout, right? The invitation's always open. I'm actually gonna be going back to work here. Uh, we got some interns starting, and I got one of them to join Murph this afternoon. So we're gonna get a workout in.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

That's good. When you when you say those different pieces of, you know, the time, what you're the what you're trying to show your kids, show your family, guys saying I don't have the time. Well, you take over lunch and do it. And you talk about fitness is still a part, but you can still be dad as well. You know what I mean? And how do you find the balance in that? Because some guys are like, I gotta sacrifice this to have that, or I gotta sacrifice my family so I can go to the gym. Like, you found the little secret sauce of going over lunchtime. What about other guys and how you keep that balance and why is it so important for you?

SPEAKER_01 17:19

Yeah, it's it's difficult. I will say that uh first and foremost, sacrifice is a word that comes to mind. Um, you know, you're sacrificing something. There's only so many hours in the day. Um, and at the end of the day, you got to make sure what your priority is. Dad, you know, dad comes before fitness, all right? Um, but at the same time, maybe I didn't get that lunch workout in. Hey, do you guys want to go for a walk as a family? Right? Do you want to go, you know, play with the dog? Do you want to wrestle? My my son, Luca, he's my middle child. The second I get home in the door, he wants to fight. Uh, and he's getting to the point now where he's got some weight to him. Uh, he, you know, he's gonna be five here. So, you know, we might go on the trampoline and we're we're working up a sweat, you know, fighting. So um you got to make it fun. You know, the kids, they, they look up to that. I never want them to say, you know, me just sitting around or anything like that. Um, but it's it's about priorities and it's about sacrifice.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

Yeah, that's good, man. So when you talk through, we talked about, you know, the trickle-down effect, we talk about family being the protector, we talk about all these other Fs. What are some other F's that you've seen from your faith? Because we're I'm gonna dip back into EQ because I know there's been growth there and I'm and I love this. But from EQ, you you know, taking the faith seriously, you know, I know you've been taking fitness. You talk about family being that protector, but in throughout those, you're seeing that trickle effect happen. What have you seen just as an overall when we say about creating that balance? We talked about the fitness balance, but creating that balance across the board. What kind of foundation has it begin to build in yourself that allowed you to be like, oh shoot, like we're growing here, baby? Like that there's something happening, like it's beyond just even a weekend or no, going to one Bible study, like the compound effect. Talk to me about that a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

Yeah. Uh it's funny, just the last two weeks, um, again, we had some interns starting. Um, you know, Bible study is something that we we do every week. Uh that's newer to me, right? We talked about that faith journey. I'm I'm young in my my faith journey. Um, but that Bible study has really set the foundation for me, um, you know, in that faith journey. I've had two people reach out that they weren't going to be able to make Bible study on Friday, and they asked if I could do a one-on-one the day before. That's humbling, man. Like for someone to look at me and say, you know what, Chris has got it figured out enough that I want to, I want to have a conversation with him about this. I, I texted Garrett. I was like, listen, man, I don't, I'm not equipped for this. Okay. I'm not ready for this. It's humbling. I appreciate it. Um, you know, what's the advice? And he said, they see something, you know, uh, you're not gonna be the most maybe biblical, uh, biblically sound. Um, I can't, you know, cite verses or anything like that, but there's something there that people at least feel comfortable with. They see growth and everything. My wife, again, has said, you know, there's a lot of growth that's happened. Um, for those people to see that in me, that's where it is exciting. Uh, you know, it makes me want to work harder at all of the the five F's to maintain and grow. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

What's so contagious about that growth? Because I can I can even tell in your voice. Yeah, I can tell, like sometimes I think guys, we can be fearful, right? Like, oh, they're asking me, like, what are they seeing in me? But what gets so contagious that other people start to see it, right? Because you can say, like, oh, like I don't even know. I can't recite a verse to you. If you ask me what, you know, John 3, 6, maybe maybe I can put it together. I know you probably know that verse, but but maybe I could put it together, maybe I couldn't. Or like, what do you say to a guy that's like thinking, like, oh, they're seeing something in me fitness-wise, maybe it's faith-wise, maybe it's any of those F's, and they're looking, okay, I can go be a light somewhere. And maybe I don't have all the things to make it happen, but God, you're calling me to this. I'm ready. Yeah, I'm gonna be resilient in it.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

I think the biggest thing for me is just being upfront and honest. Right. So, you know, we sit down and I, you know, I'm like, guys, I am, I am much more like Peter than I am like Jesus. All right, I'm here to tell you. I have failed, all right. I continue to fail. Um, but I think that that's also what some people are drawn to. You know, it it's really difficult when you look at someone who does have it all figured out or it seems like they have all it all figured out. It's almost intimidating. Um, I don't think anyone's intimidated by me because they can see there's failure there, right? Uh, but I think that failure is what drives us. Um, and and that is what pushes us. That's what's contagious. When you see someone who is willing to get Back on the horse, right? Back in the saddle, um, after failing or, you know, continuing to grow and get better, that is what is really contagious. That's a fire that people can really get behind. I got one more question for you. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 22:14

I will land this plane. All right. And when I think through what I've seen, the growth over the last year, it's been amazing. Just so you just so you know, it's been amazing to watch it happen from EQ, to watch us in those meetings, to watch us, even when hearing from Garrett, all these different things. It's up you don't even know this being said, it's being said. Um, what do you want your legacy to be at the end of the day? Right. We talked through, you know, it hasn't been a long journey for you. And there's guys listening to the pod right now that this might be the first podcast I've ever heard. Yeah. And it hit, it's it hit a chord for them, or they're new and they're like, man, what do I do? And when you think of that piece and you think of your legacy, those two things together, what would you tell the guy number one that's just like starting out? Same boat you were in, right? Like what would you tell that guy? And then out of that, you think of what do you want to leave behind for your kids, the next generation?

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Yeah. I think that my first, you know, to to the guy who maybe this is their first podcast, maybe they're beginning their journey. Um, you're not alone, right? Um, you know, I think especially for men, you can feel alone, right? Uh for a long time, you know, like the lone wolf. It's a cool thing, right? It sounds great, but that's not what we're called to be, right? We're called to be in a pack, we're called to be, you know, like more a lion than a wolf, right? Um, and so you're not alone would be, you know, my my words of encouragement to to the that man. Um and then also just, you know, reach out, you know, reach out, look for others, right? Like-minded, create that, you know, that king's table, that pack, whatever you want to call it. Um, that'd be my encouragement for them. And then legacy, man. I look at my my family, my kids, um, you know, and just I want to be someone that they're proud of, uh, you know, first and foremost. Um, and then with that, with that pride, with that growth, I want them to do better than I am, right? At the end of the day. Um, you know, if if I did better than, you know, my my parents' generation, I just want that for my kids and and their kids and and so on and so forth. So I just I want to leave it better than what I found it. And I want them to pick it up and just take it that next step. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Man, I love it. Well, thanks for coming on the pod. Yeah. Thanks for coming in just uh chop it up on faith fitness and talking about EQ and all the cool things. And I just want to encourage you, like, continue, man. Yeah. Like get after it. Yeah. Because I can tell you, just watching your life and watching men all over the country really taking their faith seriously, taking the core five seriously. You can see the ripple effect happen. So I just again, thanks for coming on the pod. I really appreciate it. Yeah, man. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. Awesome. Well, thanks so much for joining us on the Men of Iron Podcast. We're super hyped about this session on faith and fitness. And maybe you want to get connected with us. There'll be links down below to be able to do so. Maybe you want to go on an EQ retreat and see what can happen over that time and that connection, getting around a group of guys. Please reach out to us. Get the links below, and thanks for joining us on the Men of Iron Podcast. Thanks for listening to the Men of Iron Podcast. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share. At Men of Iron, we exist to change a culture one man at a time, and we'd love to have you partner with us. So go to menoviron.org to see how you can get involved or donate at menoviron.org forward slash donate.