From Adversity to Ownership: Denny Giamazzo on Mindset and Purpose

In this episode, host Daniel Fielding sits down with Denny Giamazzo, a former infantry soldier, professional speaker, and host of the Be The Standard podcast to explore how mindset, discipline, and purpose drive personal transformation. Denny shares how his rough upbringing, love for sports, and focus on fitness and nutrition shaped his resilience. Together, they break down the difference between bosses and true leaders, the power of mentorship, and what it really means to take ownership of your life. 

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Transcript

Framing The Asset Mindset

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Welcome to the Asset Mindset Podcast, where we don't wait for opportunities, we create them. I'm your host, Daniel Fielding. In each episode, we dive deep into the mindset, habits, and mission-driven thinking that turn everyday people to high performers. This isn't just about motivation, it's about transformation. Today's special guest, Denny Giamazzo. Welcome to the Asset Mindset.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

Yeah, brother, I appreciate you having me on. I've been uh following up on the things that you've been doing. I've I've checked out your page, I've checked out your content, it's it's good stuff, man. I appreciate you having me on. Thank you.

Denny’s Early-Life Wake Up Call

SPEAKER_01 0:41

It's a pleasure to have you here. And I like having people with the asset mindset philosophy. They may deem it a little something else, but when you're doing positive work, focusing on mindset, habits, taking ownership of your life, which so many people don't. All right, Denny, so let's get started here. When was the first time you really realized that your mindset was more in control of your life circumstances? Or when did you have that epiphany where having a positive mindset or taking ownership of your life changed you? When did you realize that?

SPEAKER_00 1:13

I think for me it was it happened at a very young age. Uh I was exposed to a lot of different things as a kid, between, you know, seeing my mom abusing drugs and uh, you know, kind of being abandoned and left in the house for several hours at a time and days actually but by myself. Um and just seeing violence and and drug use and different things, you know, that really exposed me to what I knew I didn't want and what didn't feel right. Um, you know, I know as a kid you don't really know a lot that's going on, but um, I never allowed that type of thing to feel normal to me. So I think at a very young age, I was able to identify, you know, what didn't seem right, what didn't feel right. And, you know, I I knew very early on that um I didn't want to be like the people that I was seeing as examples of my life. And uh I just always kind of had this mindset that um I can be better, I can be different. Um and just again, it was early on where I just had that shift in how I thought about just the world. And I kind of knew that even at a young age that it was kind of gonna be on me to make things happen in life. Um, you know, I didn't have the family who had the resources to pay for college or send me here or there or you know, provide me all these things or give me all these things and these advantages. Uh I I knew very early on that I was gonna have to, you know, do it myself. And obviously it takes a particular mindset to embrace that and then, you know, take actions on those on those objectives to kind of get the things you want.

Sports, Michael Jordan, And Avoiding Traps

SPEAKER_01 2:50

So how old were you when all this was going on where you started to have that realization that you were on your early.

SPEAKER_00 2:56

I mean, I I like I said, I was four, three, four, five when my mom was a prostitute and she was leaving me alone in our one-bedroom apartment by myself. Um and yeah, I was I was alone for several days at a time, and I ate what we had, which was, you know, maybe peanut butter in a jar. I could remember scraping peanut butter with my hands to eat and just eating crackers. And, you know, when I needed water, I would just drag the chair to the sink and drink out of the faucet.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Man, that's that's tough on a young kid. I mean, we all have tough experiences, but to start that young, you know, that's hard, man. And good on you for uh changing, I guess, the pattern. Because a lot of people get stuck in that poverty or drug pattern or addiction pattern, because I've seen that, you know, in my life too, with people around me and different hardships. So I want to kind of get into your head too, so you know this, you realize this, you're growing up, you're on your own in a lot of ways, aspects. What did you do that started to make a difference in your life? Was it sports? Was it community school? Like what what did you focus your energy on?

Escapes, Alcohol, And Healthier Replacements

SPEAKER_00 4:10

Yeah, as a kid for me, it was all about sports. I was I was always hyper competitive. Um, I was always, you know, I I never I hated losing. I always wanted to win. I always played, you know, baseball, basketball. Uh, but you know, I always embraced kind of the sports culture of, you know, being part of a team. And um, you know, my biggest idol growing up was Michael Jordan. Um, and you know, obviously the way he played basketball was incredible, but the things he would say about like just having to be mentally tough and you know fight through adversity, and you know, from a sports context, I was able to translate that into like a life context to being like, okay, well, this might work about you know, never quitting, never giving up, hitting a hard shot or missing a shot and then succeeding. Um, you know, that might all play out in the context of sports, but in the context of life, it's the same thing, just different tasks, right? I might not be shooting a jump shot, I might just be going to school and trying to get good grades or whatever. Uh, not that I got the best grades, but you know, I just always had, you know, that type of a mentality that, you know, if I just at least stayed on the right path and just, you know, didn't go with the crowd and didn't, you know, like I've never tried a drug and I've always been afraid to, you know, hang around with the wrong people and get with the wrong crowd. Um and I always knew what the consequences of poor actions looked like because my mom was a prostitute who eventually died from AIDS. Um so I knew that if I didn't make the right decisions and, you know, surround myself with the right people, that I could potentially end up in bad places.

SPEAKER_01 5:52

Oh, that's so important. And I I share that in my philosophy with the asset mindset is surround yourself with good people. You need to be in positive environments. And if you're in a negative environment, it can be really toxic and it's gonna suck you down and you gotta fight that much harder to get out. So if you've never, you know, done drugs or things like that, which is awesome and commendable because a lot of people that grow up in and around that, they they do look for an escape and it will turn into an addiction or whatnot. So, what did you use for an escape from that?

Non‑Negotiable Habits And Faith

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Yeah, I mean, as a kid, I didn't really use much. I I think I would just go outside. I played a lot of basketball, shot around a lot. I spent a lot of time alone. Um just outside. I would just go outside, go for walks, I'd go ride my bike several miles and just do that. I'd go in the woods by myself and just, you know, break sticks and hit trees with sticks and you know, climb trees and just do whatever. Um I just spent a lot of time outside and just within myself and thinking a lot. And um, you know, then as I got older, you know, I certainly did use alcohol as an escape during certain moments, um, you know, whether it was in college, um, thinking about like how I grew up and, you know, kind of feeling sorry for myself at times and wondering, you know, what my purpose was and different things. Uh then again, you know, when I got back from Afghanistan, I struggled with alcohol uh for about eight months or so. Um then I'd say the last time I I struggled with alcohol was was when I got divorced about four years ago. Um, same thing. So I I've definitely used that as an escape. Um, but you know, having healthier habits like the gym and going for walks with my dog and you know, other things, um, I I try to lean on those a lot more now. I don't I don't drink nearly as much and um and that. But but those have kind of been my escapes to kind of reval reassess and recalibrate like where I'm at in life and where I want to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Well, that's great. So let's talk about these habits then and what good habits you have that you've seen actual positive results from by being like, wow, you know, doing this is changing my life. What what do you have that you can share?

SPEAKER_00 8:14

For me, there's two that I do every single day now that are you know imperative to to me just staying on track and you know, kind of getting uh what I want out of life. And that's I go to the gym six days a week, sometimes seven. Um that's a non-negotiable. Five days is a non-negotiable. Uh I try to get six. If my body feels good, I'll do seven. I mean, I just keep going until I can't anymore. So I rest when my body tells me to. I don't have a rest day. Um, I don't believe in that. Um so that's one. And then two, I read the Bible. I read different parts of the Bible every single day. And um, I'm not the most religious guy in the world, but uh I am a believer and it is something that's you know very important to me.

Nutrition, Programming, And Fasting Debate

SPEAKER_01 8:57

So with being into the gym and all that, do you have any special diets or things you avoid or that you do eat, or what do you do for nutrition? Because it's huge.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

Yeah, that that's that's huge. That's the biggest part, probably. And I have a buddy who he's actually retired, Green Beret also. Um he does all of my programming, he puts that together, he does all of my nutrition. Uh his name's Terry Wilson. Um he's become a good friend of mine over the last year or so. And um, so he puts together all my programming, he does, you know, tells me what to eat, and so I do that. But it's a lot of it's a lot of just protein. Uh so chicken, beef, steak, uh, ground beef, um, and then rice again. Um protein shakes, bars. Uh so I try to take in as much protein every day as I can, uh, which is usually around 250 grams, and then um moderate carbs and then low fat. Um that's it. Uh it's that's the toughest part, though, is because I love food. I'm Italian.

SPEAKER_01 10:02

Yeah, it can be hard. I've been doing the carnivore diet for the case. No kidding how you like that. I I get what you're uh honestly, I love it. And I just recently started fasting. And um let me tell you, the fasting, it was good. I liked it. I did intermediate um fasting. And all of a sudden, I was like, you know what? Somebody actually came on the show and was like, oh, you gotta try a seven day if you've done it. And I'm like, man, seven days without eating. And I went seven days, and I gotta tell you, I felt the best I've felt in a long time. Whatever it does with the stem cells, autophagy, HGH, all those things that happen metabolically when you're in a fast that's over 72 hours and your body starts getting in that transition spot. Man, incredible. Inflammation, my shoulder wasn't hurting as much, my back's not hurting as much, blown away. I was out on day six. I'm building retaining wall here in my house with large boulders in my attract. I mean, I moved tons of food. So you don't eat for an entire week. Literally. Uh yeah, I did an entire week no food. Water? Water and salt. Yep. I got a Redmond real salt, and believe it or not, after the first 24 hours, hunger is pretty much gone. And you're just burning your visceral fat and you run. It's extreme ketosis. So it's like the keto diet, um, carnivore diet, which is all ketosis, and then when you fast, you're just in that ketosis state, but your digestive system isn't working, so it allows the energy in your body to take care of other things instead of, oh, I gotta take care of this food. So it's it's incredible the science behind it. And I also think it's incredible that it's you know, in the Bible they talk about fasting and Jesus fasted and other but like so interesting. Now the science is catching up with the Bible.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

So I it's I've done the intermittent power before, but I've never done anything as aggressive as that.

Mentors, Service, And Impact

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, yeah, it was it was wild. I I thought that I'd be sucking a lot more than I was. I was out taking care of my cows in the sunlight here in Nashville heat 90 something degrees and not eating, you know, and for days and you know, moving those rocks and boulders. I mean, some of those boulders were probably four, five hundred pounds. Like I got big pry bars on them, you know, and I I I got a huge John Deere tractor with a cab and everything to take care of the farm here. And yeah, it was it was wild. I I never would have believed it. I would not have believed it at all that my body would feel better, I'd have more energy and all the things. Now, obviously, you can't not eat forever, right? But that seven day that cleanse and what it did, it it was incredible, you know. Because I'm I'm turning 50 here soon, so I'm I'm like, I gotta be 50 and fit. Like, what can I do and how do I take care of myself? And you know, I gotta get all the the tests done, so I'm making sure hormones and things are balanced right, and I want to be 50 and fit. So we'll see, that's my new goal. I just shared and I put it out there for the world so you can all hold me accountable. But uh, so yeah, let's get into um some stuff now. With when did you first get like a mentor or somebody? Because I know you're working with Nick um a little bit. I see you have the machine hat on and whatnot. He's a great guy. Um, I've had the privilege of uh being in his office down at the press and talking to him. Yeah, and uh I'm gonna have it on the super impressed. I'm not buddy buddy. Oh, you're gonna be in there. All right, so you're gonna meet my buddy Leo then, too. Because I do uh um the owner of that building I work with and his foundation, the Mian Foundation, um, quite a bit. And I've gone to Guatemala with them a couple times. Amazing people, good people, and that's why Nick's in there, and you surround yourself with good people. So you'll be in there. You you'll actually be driving by my house.

SPEAKER_00 14:02

I texted him a couple weeks ago when I signed the lease, and he's like, Oh shit, I'll get an office ready for you. I was like, All right. Cool.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

Nice, very cool. That's that's good stuff, man. Uh you're gonna be in my neck of the woods, so we'll definitely have to get together. There's a lot of good things happening here. And uh I love what George is doing, Nick's doing, you're doing, and that's why you're on here, you know. Because you also have a positive mindset, Dean, you having the asset mindset as well, because you're like wired for action, your habits, trying to be positive in the world and help people. So when did you get this desire to help people?

Leader Vs Boss: What Real Leadership Is

SPEAKER_00 14:41

Man, well, I I think it's been there for a long time. I mean, I think it's one of the things that, you know, ultimately drove me in the service. Um, but yeah, I mean, I I've always had just like a soft spot for people who might just be less fortunate than me or might just need to be pulled out of a dark place. Uh, you know, because I've been in obviously very dark places, and you know, there were times where, many times where I pulled myself out, and it would have been great to have, you know, somebody like to like myself or like Nick or like you know, yourself or George or whoever to be there to lean on or to uh reference when you know times are difficult. You know, like I said, as a kid, I I would seek out Michael Jordan videos just to see what I could watch of his that might just light a spark for me and something I could relate to. And you know, it didn't usually take very long. It was I I loved his stuff and I loved the way he he his meant his mentality and that competitive uh mindset that he had, I just thought was just unbreakable. And um I always figured if I could you know harness that even just 50% of that, that I'd be pretty good at the things that I attempt in this life, right? Uh I could be pretty successful if I could just get half of that competitive spirit in um that killer instinct to just take action and you know go after what it is that I want. Um but you know, a few years ago, uh two almost two years ago now, I decided that I wanted to do a podcast and use that as kind of the vehicle to uh share my story with other people. And at that time I was thinking about maybe writing a book, maybe not. Um I actually reached out to you know who Andy Frisella is. So I reached out to him and I would kind of he he was talking with me, he followed me on Instagram, and I was kind of telling him my ideas, you know, maybe I want to do a podcast, maybe I want to just uh write a book or whatever, and he was very candid in his response, and he just said, No. Oh yeah, he goes, Look, man, nobody knows who the fuck you are. So it doesn't really make sense to do a book. Um do the podcast, build a following, you know, then release a book later. Um so that's kind of what I'm doing. I've I've had the podcast now a year and a half, a little more than that. And uh I mean it's been great. And I've kind of just used that as a tool to open up the discussion about a lot of different things from fitness to trauma to tragedy to combat, you know, to PTSD and mental health. Um but yeah, man, uh I'm trying to be just a resource and um to as many people as I possibly can through the podcast. Hopefully I can touch a lot of people with with the book and I get a reach uh from that. But you know, I'm also you know, you mentioned all the work that I do with Nick, but one of the things I do predominantly with Nick is I'm one of his speakers, his his engagement speakers. So I go to different venues, I go to different um places, and I speak to um different entities about leadership and resilience. Uh those are kind of my two, that's kind of my silo. And um I did an engagement back in March with Team USA, and that was for Nick's company, and uh that went really well. But you know, one of the things we say, not to get off topic, but one of the things we say often is, you know, we're in the impact business. That's what we do. Um, so that's really all we're trying to do, and really all I'm trying to do is have a positive impact on as many people as I possibly can, and just be a resource where I can and help as many people as possible. Um, because I know that there are plenty of times where I needed it and it wasn't available, and you know, um, if I can help people, then you know, I I think that's that's good work.

SPEAKER_01 18:38

It is, it's great work, and you are having an impact, and that's why you're on here. And for everybody watching or listening, hit pause right now, and you need to go in the description and learn more about Denny and be the standard podcast. You'll find all the details there. Check them out, what he's doing, and share it with other people that need to hear it because there's a lot of people making an impact right now that are changing things, that are taking the world by the balls and going out there and really making a difference. And Denny is one of them, Nick, George, others, we could go on and on. It's incredible this awakening that I think is happening right now. People are getting sick of the victim mentality and oh, woe is me. And people are getting hungry for more. And I think you're able to help them with that, and that's why you're on here now. But definitely give Denny a follow. And of course, give us a like and a follow as well because it costs you nothing. It just helps the algorithm. This is a positive show. Denny's positive person on here. Let's do this. Get out there and spread positivity. And you can start by doing that now with a like and a share. So now that we're here in this moment in time, who do you think looking back was your first mentor? And really, I mean, I know you're talking Michael Jordan a lot, so maybe it's him. But in person, whether it was in the military, school, or sport or something, but somebody that you got to interact with that really helped you.

Be The Standard: Process And Accountability

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Yeah, no, and that that one I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it, because my first real mentor, uh, somebody I truly looked up to and admired and wanted to, you know, replicate was uh my best friend Mike, uh, who I who I do the podcast with. Um he's still in the in the Army National Guard in Massachusetts here. He's deployed right now to Djibouti, Africa. Um, but he was my first uh squad leader. And you know, then right before Afghanistan, I got promoted to be a team leader. So I was one of his team leaders when we were overseas together and worked directly for him. But I got to work for him for more than three years. Three, four years. He's just the best. Nobody sets the example better, nobody lives uh their values better. Um he really is just a tremendous guy, and he was probably uh without a doubt my first mentor. Uh he taught me how to lead, he taught me how to follow. Um he taught me just how to be a good soldier. Um, and you know, that's translated now into you know 15, 16 years of friendship that I'm grateful for.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

That's amazing, brother. I'm glad you glad you have him. So what were the characteristics and values that really stood out to you? Or what what should people be looking for?

SPEAKER_00 21:32

Yeah, one of the things I always liked about him and respected about him was his uh his command presence. Um he walked into a room, you knew it. Uh he didn't have to say a word. He doesn't ever talk about his own accomplishments. He's very humble, uh, he's very genuine in his intent to develop soldiers and um you know make the people around them him better. Um I've never met anybody with more integrity um than him. He just he just lives those values of you know honesty, integrity, um, and just yeah, just the the best guy I know. That's the best way I could put it. Literally the best guy I know, um, best example, uh has been a great friend and just a tremendous leader again. So that's great to have someone like that.

SPEAKER_01 22:21

So what do you think is rubbed off on you the most about him? Yeah, because you know how that works. You hang around with somebody, you pick up some of their characteristics.

Setbacks, Values, And Intentional Dating

SPEAKER_00 22:31

No, and that's a that's that's a great question. It's it gives me a little bit of it gives me a chance here to kind of reflect, right? Um I think you know, when I first became one of his team leaders, um at that point in his career, he was he was kind of an intense guy. Uh he still had all those characteristics, but he was a little more intense than he is now. He's kind of he's kind of settled down a little bit in his older age. Um not that he's that old. Um but I think uh initially, you know, I kind of came out of the gate as a team leader um as a bulldog, right? Hyper aggressive. I I I wouldn't say hyper-aggressive, but I was pretty direct, I was pretty forward, I was basically mimicking a lot of that. Um and then almost at that very same point, he was kind of starting to do this a little bit and like you know, kind of harness his his leadership skill set skill set a little bit more and bring it down a little. And I was kind of doing this, and so at one point they were calling me Minnie Burns, like Minnie Mike, um, because our leadership styles were just very similar. Um, and that makes sense because I had been working for him for several years. Um and you know, I had leadership before him that was just terrible. Um so it was it was a breath of fresh air to to work for a guy who was genuinely all about the soldiers and development. But um if if there's one thing I hope I took from him and was able to um you know exemplify through my own example and my own leadership is that you know being humble and being genuine and giving everything I had to you know just leading and developing soldiers, I I hope that rubbed off on the guys that work for me.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

No, that's great. Because that's what it's all about, helping your fellow brothers, sisters in the world, you know, giving you a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

And I think that's what's lost in the corporate world, you know, not to get off topic, but I think that's what's lost in the corporate world and outside of the military is no guys don't, you know, live those same team first values or my guys' first values. It's like, well, oh, the numbers don't look good. That's my guy's fault. It's not me. You know, lead there's no accountability uh in the corporate world I've I've found, generally speaking. Uh but yeah, I uh that's something I've always embraced is that as a leader, your your guys come first and their health and welfare and everything comes before your own.

Coaching First Steps And Purpose

SPEAKER_01 25:00

Absolutely. And that's what real leadership is. And we learn that in the military. In the corporate world, they don't teach that. That's why they need guys like you, guys like me, guys like Nick, people that are gonna come in and be like, hey, listen, this is how you really lead. You know, just because you have the title of a boss doesn't mean you're the leader. You know, it could be the senior salesperson that's not the boss, he's not a manager, district manager, or whatever in the corporate world, and they go to him because he's mature, he's level-headed, he's a problem solver, he's not just barking orders or complaining. That is the real leadership that people need. You need to be there, like, all right, how can I help you be better? What are you struggling with? Let me show you how. Or how many people give someone a task and they don't help them if they've never done that task before? You know, like, hey, this is what I need from you. You know, you got to do this marketing thing. All right, give them some guidelines, give them left and right limits. Don't just expect someone to read your mind, you know, don't micromanage. You know, you want to teach people and then let them go.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

Yeah, and and something I've said in speaking engagements when I spoke to CEOs and business owners is there's a huge difference between a leader and a boss. Right? A boss is gonna sit there and use phrases like, you know, do what I say, and because I said so, and you know, shit like that, when a leader, they don't use phrases like that. Um, leaders say, How can I help? How can I get in the trenches with you? What do you need from me to be better? You know, that's what leaders do. You know, we try to differentiate, you know, what a real leader means and what it means to just have a title. And I think that's what you see outside of the military and in in the corporate structure more often than not is a lot of people with titles who couldn't, you know, leading to the city.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

I see you wearing the shirt, be the standard. Let's let's share that. What what's that represent? Where's it coming from? How do you want people to take and relate that?

SPEAKER_00 26:58

Yeah, so you know, be the standard. A lot of people think that it means that, you know, you just have it all together, you're perfect, you set the standard in every aspect of your life, and you're just good to go, right? You just you're on it. Um, I like to say that that's not the case. I I think being the standard is really just working towards the best version of yourself and having a process in place to fall back on in order to, you know, reach whatever objective it is that you have. And if you're slipping in one area of your life, you have that process to you know, kind of fall back on, to reinstate and re-engage to move forward with the mission. And that's just generally being the best version of yourself that you can be.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

So holding the standard of pushing forward and being the best you can, building good habits.

Taking Risks, Moving, And Building

SPEAKER_00 27:46

So um habits is the biggest thing, right? Um, you know, create setting standards for yourself, creating habits, and then executing on those things, and then lastly holding yourself accountable to the previous three initiatives, right? Um, you have to do all of those things in order to get where you want to be. And, you know, whether it's you know, personal relationships or work or business or the gym or whatever, you know, at some point you're gonna fall off and you're gonna take a step back or fall back. And it's gonna be time to implement that process back into your daily routine in your regiment. Um and that's what being the standard really is all about. And I gotta give my buddy Mike credit for coming up with the name. Uh, when we decided to do the podcast together, we were trying to come up with you know a name that made sense. And uh he texted me one day and I was like, Yep, that's the name, man. He nailed it. Um, so but that's where that comes from. And yeah, that that's kind of what we're about. That's cool.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

And I I do like that you acknowledge, you know, everybody struggles. You're gonna fall off, you're gonna have a bad day. Not every day is perfect. We're all human beings, we all fail at times. But to get back up on your feet, to get up and be like, nope, yeah, yesterday sucked, I missed this, or I didn't do that, but today I'm gonna change, I'm gonna make a difference. And I think that's so important. Can you share something as far as you know, when you did struggle or you felt like you were falling off any of the events, and then getting back at it? Like what would you get back at? How'd you do that? Yeah, man.

Wired For Action And Closing Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 29:23

I've I've it's probably even just been more recently, just as a single guy. Like sometimes I I'll fall off and I'll get into the dating scene, and you know, I'm just out there, you know, genuinely just trying to find someone, and then it turns into like, uh, dating sucks, right? Like I'm just gonna be a single guy forever and just have my fun and do my thing. But, you know, in my my values, you know, I I don't that's not the way so that's one of those areas I've struggled a lot in just generally in my whole life. And it's it's the biggest one. I mean, everything else I pretty much stay pretty dialed in. Right. Like I I don't miss on the gym. I don't miss on work or business or other things. I I'm generally, you know, fully intact in every other aspect. It's just that one that I need to be more aware of and give a little extra attention to to make sure that ultimately I get what I want out of life, right? Like I always say that. You got to take actions on your objectives to get what you want out of life. And if I'm not dating with intent and I'm not trying to find the right person, I'm not going to get what I want out of life, which ultimately is a family, right?

SPEAKER_01 30:35

Well, I think what you're hitting on right now, and it's going to happen for you, God's got a plan and you have intent. And your intent is now like, hey, I want to date with integrity or quality. Like I know the qualities I want. You know, and if you're for anybody out there, a younger listener, heck, you don't even need to be a young, young listener. You could be someone that's divorced. If you're just going to a club and drinking, then guess what? That's probably the only type of person you're going to meet. If you want to meet good people, get involved in the community. Get involved with somebody that's doing something with a nonprofit or things that you have passionates about. That's who you need to be involved with. Those are the environments you need to be to meet that. So yeah, having the right person there as a partner and spouse is so important. And God's got a plan for you, brother. I'm sure it's going to happen. It'll come together. And if you're looking in the right spots and you're doing positive things, you're going to meet a woman that's doing positive things. If you're going out in the clubs and that's the only place you're going, well, that's the type of person you're going to meet. So, you know, as we grow and mature, I think we learn a lot. And just hearing your story, you've been learning for a long time and been on the road for learning and growth. And you know how that works from the gym. You know, sometimes you got to put in extra effort and you'll get the gain. So you will do it. So do you do anything with reframing? Like changing the thoughts or reframing words like, oh, I can't, to how do I, or anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 32:10

Um no. I I don't really I I I've never really played around with anything like that, or I think my attitude is just always like, you know, what's what's the problem and why can't we get it done? Like, let's just get it done. Or um just the self-belief in myself is always there. So I never really I don't think I really need to ever do that. Um it's it's you know, I've I struggle from time to time with like feeling just value in myself. I don't know if that answers your question, but I don't really do any work with like, you know, kind of what you what you were talking about there with reframing.

SPEAKER_01 32:52

Okay. Because you already have that can-do mindset. You believe you set a goal, you're like, hey, I work hard enough. I may not get there tomorrow, I may not get there next week, but damn it, I'm gonna get there type deal. Yeah. That's what I mean.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

I mean, I always I mean, the my if I I know that if my goals are realistic, then there's really not much that's gonna stop me from accomplishing them, right? Like I'm I'm you know, I'm never gonna dunk a basketball, right? I'm not gonna be able to do that. Uh there are certain physical limitations and even intellectual limitations that I know just aren't for me, that I can't just do things. Uh, but I know if my goals are realistic or not. And I know that if they are realistic, that you know, I have, you know, the the attitude and the the aptitude and the drive to just get it done.

SPEAKER_01 33:38

Nice. So when you're working with people, what's the first thing you start to work on with them? Like if you're gonna talk or give a coaching thing, like what what is what's your like, hey, this is where we start. What's your start point?

SPEAKER_00 33:53

Yeah, I mean, my start point, uh, wherever I can and wherever it makes sense, I like to tell people to start moving with their body, um, start pressing their body physically, and you know, that turns into you know mentally challenging yourself. Um, because you start to push through these mental barriers when you start putting your body through certain things. And you know, that doesn't mean they need to go do an Iron Man or uh or you know, go to do a CrossFit class or anything like that. But you know, each and every day try to push yourself physically because I think that just generally translates to uh a stronger mindset and you know a development of perhaps some mental toughness that didn't exist before. Um and then just start doing self-assessments as to like what your goals look like. Um, you want coaching, but like what's the end state? Uh do you want a better marriage? Do you want a better relationship with your son? Do you want a new job? Like what are you working toward? And you know, kind of what's the attitude you need to possess and the skill sets you need to acquire in order to get whatever you want, again, out of life, right? Because we're taking action. We're taking action active ac action towards our objectives. So what do those skill sets need to look like to reach those objectives and then break through them?

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Yeah. I think you gotta have purpose and passion. If you don't have purpose and passion in your life, man, it makes life hard, or you're lost, or you're a couch potato, and you're just watching Netflix and you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing or what God's plan is for you. You need to have that passion. And if you don't have it yet, it's okay. You can figure it out. You know, you gotta take that time to yourself, and it can be difficult.

SPEAKER_00 35:43

Yeah, and there are certain things you can do that you love that are your passion. Like, right? I I go play golf. I love to play golf, right? Um, but purpose, like for me, is what's the impact that can have on other people? And I think that's generally where you're gonna find your purpose. And you know, for a lot of guys, that might be my purpose is to provide for my family. I'm gonna put my kids through college, I'm gonna, you know, make sure my wife and I are set, you know, we can retire early or whatever the case may be, right? Uh your purpose needs to be grounded in the value you provide to other people as opposed to, you know, these self-fulfilling um you know avenues that you know ultimately aren't going to fill your soul and provide you with that purpose, right? I think those are two very different things. And you know, it's okay to do things that you love and that you enjoy, um, but you know, your purpose needs to be, you know, kind of the center of your universe and what it is that you're striving towards uh in, you know, again, getting what you getting what you want out of life. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

And that's where I I like when people can take their purpose and turn it into a passion. I like what you said, you know, golf, hey, go have fun, go fishing, do whatever. But if you can, like, hey, I like helping people and you get passionate with that purpose, oh man, the sky's the limit. Like, God's gonna open doors for you, like you're moving, things are happening, like that there is so much that can happen when you start living with purpose and then you have passion for that purpose. You know, I talk about ownership a lot. One of the analogies I love to use is you know, everybody says, Oh, I've got to take ownership. You need to own your power, you need to take owner. All right, do people really know what ownership is? They throw that word around, but you have a dog to be an owner, right? A dog owner and take ownership. What are you doing every day? You're feeding it, you're watering it, you're letting it out, you're cleaning up after it every single day. Do you do that with your goals, your dreams? That's not trying to like people wake up. Like to really be an owner of your life, you need to every day work on it. Now, I'm not saying you gotta go psycho, but every day you need to step up and do something. So, what what do you think with all the stuff you going on, you know, going on, you're moving now and whatnot. What is your um ownership that you're taking? Where are you going with your life? I'm excited about this.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Yeah, man, it's uh it's it's definitely just a huge, you know, I'm taking risks. I'm chasing after, you know, you know, I'm still not even sure. Like I know I have obviously the podcast going on. I get the book coming out. I'm doing a lot of cool stuff with Nick that we're especially in 2026, we have some really cool stuff taken off. Um but yeah, no, it it's a huge risk to to pick up and move from a place I've been my entire life. And um, you know, not necessarily just financial, but it's it's just risky emotionally and uncomfortable. But I know that by going down there and spending more time with Nick and George and being around guys that I know uh will make me better and continue to make me better, uh, you know, I I know that only good things can come from that. And, you know, I tell everybody else it's it's important to get out of your comfort zone, right? So now I have an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and go do something that perhaps is you know a little bit scary for me. Uh, but you know, the risk-reward factor is something that we all need to embrace when we're doing things that are unfamiliar. And that's where I'm at. And that's what I'm trying to do right now. Love it.

SPEAKER_01 39:38

And getting out of the comfort zone. And you're leading through action. Like people are like, hey, I'm not just preaching it, I'm living it. Like you're living the lifestyle. And that's what I think.

SPEAKER_00 39:46

And that's the most important thing. When if you're gonna be out there, you're gonna be online, you're gonna be telling people, you know, kinda, you know, not necessarily how they should live, but if you're gonna be offering up advice and, you know, how to enhance certain skill sets, you know, you should probably be doing those things yourself, right? Um and yeah, man, it's it's I'm excited for it. I really am. Um, I'm I'm going after it head on and um just really excited to see what happens with, you know, again, the podcast, the book, and you know, those initiatives I have working with Nick uh going into next year. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 40:23

And I tell you right now, you keep saying the book, but I'm gonna put it out there, wired for action, right? Coming out in November of this year, correct? Yeah, sir.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

Uh Veterans Day.

SPEAKER_01 40:32

Nice, nice. I lost, uh, launched my book around the same time. I did uh November 23rd was my release date for the mindset when I first did it. So uh same time frame, but that was 2020, COVID times. So really, yeah, no kidding. And then uh a couple years later, Simon and Schuster never would have imagined it. So this is kind of for you too, to give you hope or just wow, things can change by putting yourself out there. They ended up approaching me and bought the rights to my book, and I sold it to gallery books from Simon and Schuster. So you never know where things can go. Yeah. So uh that's outstanding, dude. You're wired for action. Let's get it out there, let's share it, and you know, it's gonna do things and you're gonna help people. You already know you are in the podcast, but I'm proud of you, man, for willing to take the risks and be the standard and put yourself out there, you know, because people need that. They need to see other people doing it because a lot of people are scared, and I'm sure you run into that or you see that out in the world, oh, I can't, or oh, it's too hard. And you're like, hey, I've always lived here my entire life. I'm gonna uproot and I'm going somewhere else, and I'm planting roots, and I'm gonna make some shit happen. So I can't wait to see you on your journey and how this goes. And uh, you're gonna be in the area, hit me up, you know. I can take you around, show you some places, or grab lunch with George or Nay or whatever. Dude, 100%.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Um, we'll definitely we'll definitely gonna have to hang out and and get together as soon as I'm down there.

SPEAKER_01 42:04

Three weeks from today, man. Yeah. That's really cool, man. So um anything else you want to give the audience? Because I know, you know, we got time, only limited time for both of us. We're busy guys. Yeah. What would you like uh the audience to know about Denny and what he's doing? Or do you want to talk about the book a little more? Wired for action, what it is? Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

I just want to first off, yeah. No, I just want to first off just say thanks for having me, man. It's it's this has been a pretty cool talk. Um, you asked questions that I don't think I've had before that I liked. Um, so I really appreciate you having me on. Um, you know, and embracing my, you know, my my endeavors as well. Uh be the standard podcast. Uh if you if you guys want to check me out there, I I put out content pretty much every week, but I appreciate uh any support there. Uh and then again, the book coming out November 11th, Veterans Day, Wired for Action. Uh tell you my entire life story, man, the good, the bad, the ugly, and the importance of taking action on your objectives to get what you want out of life. So uh very appreciative again for for having me on and uh don't forget Team Machine as well. Uh just I I love those guys. I love my team and um excited to make that move to Nashville uh to be around guys like yourself, man. Super excited. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

Fantastic. I can't wait to see you in person. And uh like I say, number one, take ownership of your life. You're your greatest asset. Number two, surround yourself with good people in positive environments. You're doing it. And then number three, you be an asset to others, and you're gonna change your life. You can change the world. Who knows what you can do? The limits are just sky high. And of course, thank you for being here today. Please like, follow, subscribe, and share. It costs nothing to hit a like, and it really helps us out spread some positivity in the world. And more than anything, don't forget, own your power.