Leading with Faith, Purpose & Courage | Todd Durkin

On this episode of Hunting Bravery, host Amy Siewe sits down with Todd Durkin, trainer, coach, author, keynote speaker, and life-transformer who has dedicated his life to helping people rise physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Todd has trained and coached elite athletes across the NFL, MLB, and UFC. Trainer of the Year and recipient of the Jack LaLanne Award for Lifetime Achievement, Todd understands that true greatness isn’t just built in the gym—it’s forged in mindset, discipline, and belief. They discuss leadership, resilience, faith and personal growth. Durkin also shares powerful lessons from decades of coaching elite athletes and entrepreneurs while inspiring listeners to embrace purpose, create impact and live courageously every day. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Quick question: What would you do if fear wasn't allowed to vote? Today, we're gonna find out. Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it's the decision to move anyway. Welcome to Hunting Bravery. I'm Amy Stewey, and this show is about the moment that changes, the quiet decision, the uncomfortable truth, and the courage it takes to step into a life that actually feels like yours. Here, we talk to people who've taken the lead, sometimes boldly, sometimes trembling, but always easily. Because bravery doesn't always look heroic. Sometimes it looks like saying yes. Sometimes it looks like walking away. Today, we're hunting at a different kind of predator with thoughts, fears, and beliefs they defensive. Today's guest is Todd Durkin, a trainer, coach, author, keynote speaker, and a life transformer who has dedicated his life to helping people rise physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Todd is a CEO and co-founder of Impact X Performance, a fitness recovery and life coaching franchise built on faith, purpose, and performance. He lives by a simple but powerful mission: be the light and create impact, a philosophy that shows up in everything that he does. As the original founder of Fitness Quest X in San Diego, Todd has trained and coached elite athletes across the NFL, MLB, and UFC while also working with everyday people searching for strength, clarity, and confidence. A two-time personal trainer of the year and recipient of the Jack Willane Award for Lifetime Achievement, Todd understands that true greatness isn't just built in the gym, it's forged in mindset, discipline, and belief. Todd is also the author of multiple books, host of the Todd Durkin Impact Show podcast, and creator of coaching and certification programs that have helped thousands of entrepreneurs, coaches, and leaders step into their next level of success and significance. At the heart of Todd's work is service. Through the Durkin Impact Foundation, he and his wife Melanie support student athletes and youth mental health and suicide prevention initiatives. Because for Todd, bravery means giving back and lifting others up. In this conversation, we explore what it means to lead with faith, energy, and intention and how courage shows up when you commit to becoming the best version of yourself no matter the stage in your life. So we are fired up to welcome Todd Durkin to Hunting Bravery. Woohoo! Hey me.

SPEAKER_03 2:22

Hey me, it's great to be here. Great to be here. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Yes, of course. It's my pleasure and my honor. And I tell you what, Todd, you have helped so many people, so many thousands of people. You've inspired and motivated through so many different avenues, whether it's your seminars, your books, your podcasts, and I just feel like everything that you say is gold. And so I'm gonna like hold on to all of this, but I'm just I'm literally just gonna dive into this head first. Like I feel like you'd want me to do, right? Awesome. So, question, question. How does physical strength translate into emotional courage? And why is emotional courage so hard for people to find?

SPEAKER_03 3:05

Great question. And it's an honor to be here, Amy. Thanks for having me on the show and everything that you're doing. Speaking of courage, is uh it's awesome. But uh listen, physical strength, I've spent the better uh part of my career in the training space in health and fitness and in running and owning gyms and training high-level athletes. When you look at physical strength, I always change say this if you want to change your psychological state, you must change your physiological state. And when you change your physiological state, then you change your psychological state. So if physically and mentally you're strong, that is also going to then enhance affect the emotional state, our emotional state of well-being, our how positive we feel about ourselves or even the world in which we live, which is full of pessimism and hate and negativity. It's like, how do we rise above that and operate at one where, hey, she's different, he's different? And I've always committed myself to habits that will ensure like the emotional side, the physical and the mental side, and the spiritual side for that matter, is gonna uh be at the forefront of everything that I do and and for the better part of 25 years, that's how I've lived my life.

SPEAKER_00 4:15

So, how does that how how do you start to do that? I mean, if how do you even recognize if you need to do it, if if you feel like, oh, hey, I'm pretty good? I mean, how does that even look?

SPEAKER_03 4:26

Well, I think it's a choice. I think it's a choice, Amy, that um listen, I always say everyone's got something. Everyone's got something deep down inside of them, whether they're battling, they're they're struggling with some aspect of their life, or it's a spouse's life or a kid's life. Um, everyone's got something. And to me, uh you wake up one day and you're like, you know what? I'm made for more. I've got more gifts in me, and I feel like they're not really being completely used or exposed. Um and to me, it's that day uh when you say there's something else out there, there's something that I'm made for, but I haven't stepped into my full destiny and purpose. That that's where it all starts is that awareness. And then it's uh a choice to say, I'm gonna go on this journey, I'm gonna go on this path to really find fulfillment and uh one where you can step into your full potential. And to me, that's really stacking a lot of habits, being around the right people, reading the right books, learning. And I mean, this journey we're on of perpetual personal growth, I think is one that ultimately allows us to see are we living life to the fullest?

SPEAKER_00 5:37

It's interesting that you talk about, you know, am I am I living my life to the fullest? Am I on purpose? Because this is something that happened way back before when I was still in real estate, before I even started the Python thing. And I I went to a Jack Canfeld seminar, right? Love him.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Yeah. Legend.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yeah, in in Arizona. And it was, yes, I had a CD in my in my car, CD player. And it was his affirmation CD. And for whatever reason, I'm just driving along and I've got it playing. And, you know, at this point in my in my life, I'm happy. I love real estate. I have no plans to switch careers whatsoever. And all of my goals revolved around growing my business and my team. And so I'm listening to it. And then all of a sudden, he says, um, what was it? I am on purpose with what I'm supposed to be doing. And a brick hit me, like my stomach fell through. I and I was like, wait, what? And he said, I am living my best life. And of course, I'm supposed to be repeating all this. And I the same thing happened. And I said, Whoa, what was that? Why did I my stomach just drop out of the bottom? I thought that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. And so after that, but but I the problem is, and I think this might be where you come in too, is that I didn't know what my purpose was. I didn't know, okay, maybe I'm not on purpose, maybe I'm not living my best life, but I don't even know what that looks like. I don't even have a a way to tell. And so I, and I'm gonna stop before you answer that. I will say that mine hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn't even know Python hunting was a thing until I knew it was a thing. But it's like, oh yes, that's it. That's what it is, right? But how how would you say to people, how do they figure out what that is?

SPEAKER_03 7:35

Yeah. Well, that's that's the million-dollar question because there's a lot of people who will ask themselves the question Am I on point? Am I on my North Star? Am I my am I following my divine purpose, whatever you know your language is? Um, how do you find your purpose? And one of the ways you find your purpose is by a lot of risk and failure, by a lot of times taking risk and failing, like this isn't what I want to do, or I'm not happy doing exactly what I'm doing. I need to tweak it, I need to edit it, or I need to make a massive change. I need to go down to the Everglades and start wrestling pythons, like all these things that like like you're a great example, Amy. But for me, I I have this thing I say all the time, it's on my shirts. It's called Live a Life Worth Telling a Story About What's Your Story. Live a life worth telling a story about what's your story. Because all of us have a story. And the stories help us with where we're at today. So for me, I'm the youngest of eight kids. My mom and dad got divorced when I was five years old. I have five sisters. All of that was important growing up because it it helped my story to who I am today in my profession of like how I still think and operate. But that being said, when it comes to like your purpose, I didn't know my purpose until I made a lot of, I don't want to say mistakes, but decisions in life to try things. I said, no, I don't want to be an athletic trainer. Or no, I don't want to continue to train Hollywood stars in Hollywood because I don't like LA and I'm gonna move to San Diego and and and open a gym. And I I'm gonna and then life sometimes throw you curveballs. Um, I blew up my back when I was 25 years old playing professional football. Um that detoured me to that was no longer my dream or quote purpose. I had to find a new purpose, and it's through people and it's through a lot of introspection and through listening to CDs or DVDs or streaming or podcasts today like this, um, that you are on a journey to go deeper and deeper on your best self because when you find that your your purpose of today and how you live, you look back and it often makes sense when you look back, but when you're going through it, you're like, I don't know if I can keep going. I mean, I I don't know if this is if this is really what I'm cut out for, or man, there's a lot of energy or a lot of a lot of mistakes that have been made, or it's a lot of money. I don't know if I can make that move. I don't know if I can give this up because I'm forfeiting the salary that I'm making now and I'm I'm safe and I'm secure. But what if, what if I was to make this big move and go into the unknown? Only one can make that decision, but through a lot of introspection, prayer, journaling, meditation, call it whatever you want, um, then you can make those decisions based on what you at the end of the day, we only get one life, and that life is designed to hopefully impact people and to uh step into your your true full potential.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

I think that's really interesting too, that you say, you know, a lot of this figuring that out has to come from failure and and not necessarily failure, but but doing something that you're just like, oh, this is not what I thought it was gonna be. You know, let's do something else. How do you, for the people that are afraid to take that, you know, that step that might be a big step or a little step, but to to move in that direction and they don't want to give up their comfort zone, what do you say to them? How do you how do you help get them to that next step?

SPEAKER_03 11:17

Be around people like you, Amy. Be around people who are have taken this step before and listen to your inside. One of the lessons I learned as a young man was to trust your gut. Trust your gut. And your gut is like, what is your gut, your intuition telling you that you need to do? And um I learned that when I was trying to way back many moons ago when I was in college, trying to decide should I be a uh a government major, a business major, or a kinesiology major? And my my mind said, well, business, you're gonna make money. And at the time, I think a government major, I was like, I could be the president of the United States, which at then it was a good thing. I'm like, ah, hey, I'll be the president. Right. Or I could be a kinesiology major. I really loved that anatomy class, but my gut told me that I needed to follow the route that wasn't popular, the kinesiology route. And back then it's like you're gonna do one thing, you're gonna be a teacher and a coach. Nothing wrong with being a teacher coach, but that was like only one option. And I chose that option. And um, I think when you're going through this, your gut and intuition is really important. Um, one of the books I wrote called Get Your Mind Right, chapter nine of Get Your Mind Right, I talk about um uh tapping into the whispers. Tapping into the whispers is because many times when you're doing this soul searching about like what's the right move, and you create your paper, like the pluses and minuses of which, you know, if I if I move here or I do this or I give up this job, you got your pluses and minuses. Tapping into the whispers is something that I've I've used now for many, many years about making big decisions is when you're getting quiet time, in my language, in in prayer time, whether you're meditating, praying, but um when I when I think about tapping into the whispers, what I always say is this in prayer world, it used to be where you'd think that, oh dear God, can you please give me direction and and clarity on my direct purpose and where I'm gonna end up? And all you do is talk and talk and talk. That's not really prayer. Prayer is listening, and prayer is actually listening to the whispers because God doesn't shout, he whispers. So it's ego that shouts. Ego often says, do this because it's you're gonna get a lot of money or you're gonna get a lot of fame, or ultimately things that could bring you down if you listen to the egos more than the whispers, because whispers are going to, again, go into your intuition, your divine smartness uh of that. So to me, I learned and I wrote about this is tap into the whispers, tap into the the words. And if you keep hearing the same thing week after week, month after month, maybe even year after year, and the whispers are saying, Shh, hey, Todd, make that move. Do what I'm saying. And if you hear those whispers and you continue to write those whispers out, then that's when ultimately your whispers become so strong and the voice becomes so clear that there's no longer a choice. You must do this. It becomes almost like your mission, Amy, that what you're doing with you know the Python huntress, like everything you're doing to help people with courage and bravery and and that. It's no different for anyone else. For me, when you tap into the whispers, it's scary making big moves. It's scary. I don't care who you are on the outside, like, oh, that's easy for you. Are you kidding me? Like some of the moves I've made are scary, downright scary. But when they become something that is part of your mission, then that you have to do, then you have to do it.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

You know, it's funny because I never thought that it was scary to make this move. And I don't know if it's because, you know, that day of Jack Canfield, and I was like, there's something else. I don't know what it is, but I didn't try very hard to find it because it's not like I was unhappy with what I was doing or anything. It wasn't, you know, anything like that. It was just, I was, I was on point, I guess, you know, I was just aware, more aware. And then when I found out there were pythons in Florida, I was like, wait a minute. Uh instead of catching a six-foot black rat snake in Indian, I can catch a 20-foot python, sign me up. Like, sign me up. And so I went down there and I'm literally I'm riding on the top of this truck with this lady that I just found online to, because this is way before python hunting was even a thing. And I said, I'm gonna be in Florida, I'm gonna go python hunting. And she said, All right. So we go, and I'm telling you, we were out there for probably eight hours just riding around slowly on this truck, right? And it was winter. It was back when we didn't know they didn't really know how to hunt properly. And I'm on the back of this truck and I'm going through the middle of the Everglades, and I'm like, wow, this is crazy. So I'm imagining myself, okay, I'm at this party, and you know, I'm it's a you know, big event, and I'm rubbing elbows with all these important people, and I'm talking to them about real estate. Like, how boring is that? Nobody wants to talk about real estate. And then I was like, or I'm trying to figure out a solution to this problem here in the Everglades about Pythons. So I'm going around and I'm trying to figure out who I need to know. We're talking about all this, and I'm getting excited just like I am now. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is it. This is it. You know, it's just it was that easy for me.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

Yeah, yeah, no, 100%. I I get that completely on that. I think when when you're going through that and trying to make that decision, a big part of this is identity. Identity. Because, for example, and maybe you didn't deal with it, but I dealt with it when I a recent transition I made in 2020, um, where I had built up my gym, my first gym in 20 years into it. I I sold a big portion of my gym because of some major health issues I had, uh, second knee replacement, my back went out, I was burnt out to the crisp after the pandemic. I'm like, I'm done. I'm burnt out. But my identity was as a trainer and a coach, and giving that up was a major identity crisis. Like, like, wait a second, if I give this up, who am I? Because at least as a male, many times what we do, we think is that's who we are, because that's our title, or I got known as you know, a certain professional athlete's trainer or coach, or that was my success. So you hold on to that. Nothing wrong with that unless, unless you're like being rooted in that. So I for three and a half years went through a very deep, dark struggle trying to really say, okay, what's my deeper mission here? What why would I make these transitions to go to an even deeper place to ultimately impact more people on that? Similar to you, Amy, if that was ever you, someone it might not have been you, but it'd be like, well, I'm a successful real estate agent. I can't give this up to go hunt pythons. What are they gonna think? They'll think I'm crazy. Because part of my um things that could has hampered me in the past is worrying too much about what other people think. Like, if I worry about what other people think, I think, I'm not making that move, I'll just stay where I'm at. Life is good, it's good. But when I'd have my one-on-one talks with myself, I'm like, there's more to life than just doing what I'm doing for the next decade. I'd rather try and fail than not try. I'd rather go for it and see what I'm trying to scratch. Are we going to, you know, really step into that? Or nothing wrong with staying where you're at unless that tickle becomes way too big. And every day you're waking up and saying, Man, am I missing out on something that I really should be trying that that I'm being called to do? So that's where I think the identity thing is it's a very complex relationship. But I went through it for three and a half years until I came out on the other side with really clear uh with where I was going, what moves I was gonna make. And I'm now doing that again with what my calling uh has always been.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

So that's really interesting for me to hear that from you, Todd. That you know, it took three and a half years for you to get to that place when you have been coaching people and inspiring people and motivating people to do that for a very long time. So, how that's that's very interesting to me. And it kind of makes me feel like a normal person when I talk to you.

SPEAKER_03 19:52

No one would know. No one would have known it. Because again, it's a lonely world sometimes when you're doing your thing and people think you're at the top, and you're like, I ain't at the top. They think I'm at the top, but there's a I'm I feel like I'm just like halfway up the ladder. Like, I feel like I'm just kind of like getting to where I'm supposed to be, and I got a long way to go. But they're like, oh man, you've reached these pinnacles and these awards and all this stuff. And I'm like, those are awards. That's not really just who I am. So it's like sometimes it's a lonely world. And when we have open, vulnerable conversations like this, Amy, you realize, again, everyone's got something. How do you make those big moves that ultimately you step in at the end of the day saying, you know what, I've lived my life to the fullest. And for me, as my mission has gone deeper and deeper and deeper, now I'm like, hey, I want to impact 100 million people in my lifetime through books, through podcasts, and through speaking events and everything that I do, it becomes part of like, that's my mission. And it's grown bigger. But let me tell you what, three and a half years, it was hell. It was hell because you got to go online and do your thing. And uh and during that time, be like, man, you're on fire, you're changing a lot of lives. And I was, but deep down, there was like this really almost um uh emptiness of trying to go to that next level and feeling like you're hitting the ceiling and you can't break through the ceiling, or what I often equate it to like you're a trapeze artist and you're you're swinging. You hold on, but you don't want to hold on. You want you don't want to let go of the one rung, but you want to go to the second rung, but you don't want to let go of that first one and swing to the next one. And I'm like, I'm stuck. I'm stuck, I gotta let go completely to step into that next iteration of who I am as a man, as a father, as a husband, as a leader, as a coach. And I just acknowledge anyone who's going through that today because you're not alone. And I think a lot of times when you're making these big moves, you're like, man, how do I be more brave? How do I be more crazy? How do I let go of this? Those are some of the most difficult decisions, but when you are real and Honest with yourself and others. When I shared this stuff on I Have a Podcast, I shared it when I was finishing up the end of it. It was the most not only aligned that I've ever been with my listenership, but there was almost like this sense of relief, like I was telling the truth, or I was, I was almost confessing. And people are like, oh my gosh, I'm the same boat. I used to be successful and I feel like I've lost my mojo, but now I feel like I'm getting my mojo back. But I didn't want to ever admit that I had lost my mojo because no one wants to look, you know, admit they they lost their mojo or they were in search mode and they didn't have life all figured out. And I laugh. I'm like, none of us have life figured out. We're always figuring it out. We're figuring out as we go along and and as we as we meet great people, um, and we uh the the worlds and doors keep opening up. So it's just a it's an interesting deep uh conversation, Amy.

SPEAKER_00 22:56

Wow, that that is that is pretty wild. So it sounds like for for you and and going through that journey, is that something that you would say is like one of the things that you had to pull courage or bravery through to get through that? Man, I'm giving you the easy questions. Come on.

SPEAKER_03 23:20

I think it'd be more courage.

SPEAKER_00 23:22

Okay, and why is that?

SPEAKER_03 23:26

Because if I was coaching myself, and I always ask as a coach, I say, if you were coaching yourself, what would you tell yourself you need to do? Is looking back, um, and this goes went from 2020 to 2023 and a half, 2020 to 23 and a half, um, is looking back. It took a lot of courage to go through some of the things I had to go through to get to where I'm at. No one would have known that, but I gotta tell you, there were some really, I'll almost say depressing times and days, and I'm like the least depressive person, but I was in many ways, I had very depressing moments or thoughts of like I felt like the world was against me. And while they didn't go out and say that, I I just kept, I felt like I was in a in a boxing match or a uh a UFC match and getting just knocked around. And when you're going through it, it's one thing to say it on a podcast, like we're just talking, but when you're going through it for months and months or years and years, that gets really fatiguing physically. So we talk about earlier on, like physically, I start getting every, you know, every three months my blood work check. I'm like, holy shees, I am messed up. Like, I all of a sudden I'm looking at my numbers. I'm like, I'm a healthy guy, I'm a coach, I'm a fitness guy, I work out. But I I was jacked up with because again, stress and and all the things that you're going through when you're physically in pain, it takes a lot of energy and healing when you're in pain on the body. So I got very, very specific with my numbers and how I was taking care of myself and a lot of the you know, quote, longevity, or you know, you look at some of the uh you know things that you can do. I was I was studying this like mad, just trying to take care of my own health because I felt like garbage. And here I am, I'm taking care of some of the world's best athletes, and I'm like, man, I gotta take care of myself, otherwise I'm gonna die. Like, literally, I'm gonna die.

SPEAKER_00 25:30

Well, yeah, yeah. Number one comes first. If you're not good, you can't help other people.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

Preach. Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_00 25:36

Well, so I'm gonna kind of go back your um your the book, uh, get your mind right. I'm gonna kind of make this a little lighter, but it was interesting because I'm reading that and I was thinking, okay, what do I need to get my mind right about? You know, I mean, I'm not afraid to jump into the swamp with these pythons. Like, I'm not afraid to, you know, do all this. Other people think that it's scary. I don't. Um, but I was like, what what do I have to get my right? You know what came to my head and what I really have to work on, and you're gonna probably think this is so silly, but it's social media and it's the social media aspect that I go on there, and if I'm and I'm kind of such a jerk, but if I'm not catching as many pythons as I think I should be catching, I don't want to see all of my, you know, colleagues and other people catching pythons. And I get pissed, and I'm like, ugh, and then I don't even want to look at it because I don't want to feel like I'm missing out or I'm not the best or something like that. It's so bad. So that's what I'm dealing with.

SPEAKER_03 26:50

I'm gonna hold you accountable because you're telling me you're willing to jump into a swamp with alligators and pythons, and you're not scared, but you're scared to do a social media post. Amy, I'm gonna make sure that I am holding you accountable because I'm like, I wouldn't jump into a swamp in the Everglades if for anything. I'm like, that's I'm petrified of that. Now, social media, I could give two rats butts what people say or like what they think of me because I'm done with that. Like, they can hate me, they can love me, whatever. Like, I just want to put good out in the world, whatever. But what you do, I'm like, not a chance, I'm gonna do it. That's why I'm always intrigued. I look at the social media, like, oh my god, Melanie, my wife, I'm like, she's catching a python. Like, oh my, this is crazy, right? And then you're like, oh my gosh, I'm not gonna do a uh Instagram or Facebook or whatever.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

I know, I know. So, so let me ask you this then, Todd. So if somebody is afraid to jump into the swamp or something like that, are you saying that they would have to be, you know, get be brave to go on a hunt with me?

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Don't don't go there, Amy. Oh, I'm going there, Todd.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

Oh, I'm going there.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Don't go there with me. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

So how about this? How about you come out on a hunt with me and tell everybody how brave you are?

SPEAKER_03 28:12

Not a chance I will do them in that thing. Not a chance. Oh my gosh. Now you're scaring me. Now you're scaring me.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Um wait, I have the power to do this to the almighty Todd Durkin.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

But here's my point again. Everyone's got something.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

They do.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Like, people like, oh my gosh, Amy, she's crazy. She jumps in with snakes and alligators and all this stuff. No, not a way. And then like, everyone's got something. Like, I'm not posting that, I might be judged or whatever. Um, to me, it's facing those fears, whatever they are, how big they are, and and facing them and being able to deal with them. And whether it's changing a career, starting a new career, starting over, hey, getting into a relationship or getting out of a relationship. Like, like, whatever it is, like sometimes we're afraid to give up comfort or um things that are good but not really great, or serving our higher power or serving us in our best interest. So um, to me, these are just deep, soulful uh questions that we ask ourselves on a daily of like, hey, how do I live my best life? How do I go for it? How what do I do? And listen, I asked my pro athletes, I asked Drew Brees this one time. When you're going out into a stadium, this was like 20, one of his last seasons, I said, you're going out in the stadium, there's 80,000 people, you're in the tunnel. I said, Are you scared that you might get like killed because guys are coming to take your head off? He said, Absolutely, 100%. When I'm in the tunnel and I'm realizing, oh my God, there's 11, 300-pound men practically coming after me that want to take my head off. Yeah, I there's a bit of fear there, but the fear is what propels me to play at my best. Because when you play a little scared, when you play scared, that's actually a good thing. If I was so content and easy that life's easy, then I'm not really at my best because I'm not being challenged to tap into that fear a little bit. I say, that's actually pretty good. Because sometimes when we get too cushy, too plush, we become fat cats. Things too good. Money's good. Nothing wrong with being good. Matter of fact, we should we should enjoy those moments. But that being said, I do think there's got to be something in our lives that scares us just a little bit to step into a zone that keeps us sharp, that keeps us a one percenter, that's gonna keep us really focused on the price and not just getting so like just soft, if you will.

SPEAKER_00 30:40

I think that for you know the high achievers, once you get to a point and you're like, okay, so this is good, and you can like take a second and be like, all right, I'm gonna, I'm gonna sit here for a minute and just enjoy this for a hot minute. But then as a high achiever, you're like, all right, I'm over it. I need to go to the next level. I need to do something different. And I think that that's really what sets a lot of people apart is that some people are just like, I'm good. I'm good, and I'm gonna just ride good for as long as I can. But other people are like, wait a minute, mm-mm, this isn't good enough.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

100%. No, it's and again, that's a mentality, that's a mindset, and there's nothing wrong with good. Sometimes good is good enough. Um, but I do believe, and to me, it's more of a divine calling if you're being called to do even more, whatever more means, stepping into service, stepping into uh a different career, stepping into a relationship, whatever you're being called to do, how do you respond to that calling? And do you respond to that calling? If that calling becomes clear enough that you must step into that, ultimately it's your responsibility to do that, right? And to say yes to that. Um, because again, we got one life, and um it'll it'll it'll drive you insane if you go years and don't ever make that move that you're willing to to to you know that you want to possibly make if you don't take the action.

SPEAKER_00 32:12

Oh, for sure, for sure. Tell me about the lily pads.

SPEAKER_03 32:17

Well, I I I liken life like a uh a bunch of lily pads, meaning when you reflect back on your life and how did you get to where you are today, there's all these lily pad moments that we have, and you start to connect the dots. So, you know, in my world, okay, when I was growing up, youngest vague kids, I was the lunch ticket kid. We had no money. So my first lily pad moment was I got a scholarship to play college football. I went to Women Mary. So it was a lily pad moment. I jumped to a good school, got a great education, uh, played football there, and then I might jump to my next lily pad. I played professionally overseas in Europe, and that was a lily pad moment. I started connecting these dots, and that one dot led to the next dot, which led to ultimately meeting a Hollywood uh producer, started training in Hollywood and all that. And I'm like, this isn't really my scene. I don't really like Hollywood and all that. I love training, I love coaching, but then I felt like more like an elbow piece than I did a uh an actual coach or trainer helping somebody. So it's like, okay, I I moved to San Diego, was there, I met my wife. And you start to like put these lily pads together, and let's say there's 10 or 20 or 30 lily pads that you've jumped to. What's the next lily pad? What's the next lily pad that we're going to jump to? What is that? Is it writing a book? Is it crafting a speech that you're going to deliver to your local community? Is it a career change or is there a relationship that you're um currently in that you might want to take to the next level? Is it your health? Like, is it is it your health? And you're like, you know what, I've got to amp up my health, and I'm going to get my blood work and I am going to see um you know where I'm at and what can I do to take my health from a six or a seven to like an eight, nine, or even even ten, so my health feels good because I always say he or she who has her health has a thousand dreams, he or she who doesn't has one. Get your health back. So to me, these lily pad moments are these jumping points. But to get to the jumping point often takes a lot of work and a lot of experience in that. But you look back and you're reflecting, you're like, okay. So my question would be: what's your next lily pad? What's that next thing that you're going to do that is going to help you get to ultimately where your divine uniqueness takes you? For example, right now as we speak and do this live, um, I'm going to be uh opening my new Impact Text Performance Gym in San Diego here in March of 2026, right? So depending on when people listen to this, but March 26, that's a lily pad moment for me because that's my that's the name of my franchise, but that's a big deal. A lot of time, energy, money is going into this, and it's going to help create the next lily pad. I don't know what that is. We don't know what it is, but these lily pad moments, it takes a lot of trust, it takes a lot of courage and bravery to say, you know what, I'm putting it all on the line. I could fail flat on my face, but I'm going to believe in me, I'm going to believe in who's around me and my team, and we're going for this. And then that lily pad helps catapult you to that next step, right? So I liken life to like a series of lily pads, jump, oh, it's safe there for a while. You ever notice, Amy, sometimes when you get like it feels too comfortable or too safe, it's uncomfortable. You're like, it's this is it's like this is I feel like I need a little bit of juice. I need something to like give me a little spice. So then you make moves that are gonna help, you know, propel you forward. So that's my lily pad analogy I like to make about life.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

Well, I think that's great because it really does. I mean, if you think about the lily pad, you're like, okay, you know, it like you said, courage, bravery, you need to be able to jump. You need to have the strength to be able to jump onto that lily pad. And then you don't know, hey, you know, is that lily pad, am I gonna like clear it? Am I gonna fall short? Okay, I can swim if I miss, but hey, how many gators are swimming underneath there that are gonna snag me up? You know, I mean, you don't know. So it's a great analogy.

SPEAKER_03 36:28

Well, here's what I find. Amy, we don't know the future, right? But let's say for you, let's say in six months from now, from when when this comes out and people listen, in six months from the time this comes out, let's just say you have this podcast, like all your guests, this thing goes off the charts and has hundreds of thousands of followers. You get you get signed to a deal on Netflix or some TV show, and and and next thing you know, all the next thing like, hey, I want to talk with Amy, I want to interview Amy. And then people are like, Amy's like the luckiest girl. She's got all this success. And man, look at her. She's on TV and she's got a T a podcast, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And and all they hear you, man, you got lucky. You're like, are you kidding me? I gave up a successful real estate career. I went down and wrestled pythons in the Everglades, and it took me a long time. And by the way, I wasn't making much money doing this. It was like a passion that I like want to do it. I didn't know what the end result was going to be. But you made these moves that connected the dots. Some one person might listen to this exact podcast that's a producer and say, Hey, Amy, by the way, I've got a uh uh a show and I'd like to uh talk to you about that. That relationship by you putting yourself out there leads to the next thing. And I mean, that's how the universe works. That's how life works, is it's these connections and relationships. Like, oh my gosh, this girl is incredible. Like, she needs to be a role model for male and female people who are looking for more bravery, courage, and taking risks in life, and even when you're comfortable, how to get outside your comfort zone. No, you don't have to go wrestle pythons to do that. But it's the same principles. And I say that because you don't know, and I don't know in six months from now, when this comes out, what's gonna happen. But what you'll hear is, man, how did you make all that happen? And we got so lucky. Like, if you only knew, if you only knew the three and a half years of hell I went through and the diagnosis I went through and the surgery I went through, there was nothing lucky about it. It wasn't luck, it was a lot of heartache and pain, physical pain, mental pain, anguish, all these things. And yes, ultimately, you look back like, yeah, I guess it did take some bravery and courage to go through whatever you go through, but it's always in retrospect that it's 2020 vision.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Yep. Oh, absolutely. 100%. 100%. Um okay, I have to, I have to ask you one question that when I was reading your book, it um you put off your your knee surgery for a really long time. And it kind of changed, you know, like you, and I'm just gonna probably butcher this, but I mean it it really hindered you from doing a lot of things and living your life the way that you should have. Why, why did you put it off so long?

SPEAKER_03 39:10

My mindset was I'm too young. I was like, I was like 48 when I had my first knee replacement, and I'm like my entire 40s, like from 38 to 48. I I didn't rust out, I wore out. Like I wore my body down from years of always being an athlete, and I never stopped working out hard, and and I think I just uh wore my body out. But by age 40, I needed a knee replacement, and I like I'm like, I'm too young. By the time I was 44, I went on this TV show um called Strong. It was on NBC Primetime, and like I loved it, but I couldn't like I had to I had to suck it up with some stuff that I I I couldn't perform the way I wanted to because of my knee bone on bone, but I kept putting it off and off and off and off. Why? Mindset because I'm like, I'm too young for this, I'm too young for this. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have. I would have been like, I would have got it a few years earlier, but like I feel like a million bucks to this day. I have now have two knee replacements. I'm like, I feel like a new man. Someone said, Yeah, but what about when you're 70? I'm like, are you kidding me? When I'm 70 someday, I I want to live good now. I want these next two decades to be like, I don't want to be like, oh, I'll put it off and be in pain for five years so I can who knows when make it to 70, right? That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Like quality of life now.

SPEAKER_03 40:30

Now and and now meaning the next 15 years, and who knows how technology evolves. Like, here's one thing if any any of your listeners have this, and something I learned from my doctor, I give him a lot of credit, Dr. Jenkowitz. He said this, and this is like people always ask me. He said, I had to get a partial knee replacement at first. He said, a new knee is gonna last you about 15 years. But if you get a partial knee replacement, he goes, and by the way, after your first full knee replacement, you're gonna feel 100% better. If you need a second one, you're gonna feel about 80% better. But if you get a partial knee replacement, it doesn't count as your first knee replacement. So if I can buy you 10 or 15 years and at 48, you get a partial, which I got, and it buys you, let's say it buys me 12 years, I'm 60, and I'm 60, and I have another knee replacement on that knee. Now that is my quote, first knee replacement, which would last 10, 15 plus years, and it'd be 100%. That takes me 70, 75 years old. By that point, I'm not gonna be doing crazy things other than hiking mountains and jumping in the Everglades after snakes. Oh no, I'm not really gonna do that. But that's some good, like again, going through that adversity, if you will. I learned a lot about surgeries and knees and backs. And, you know, again, I come from that background, but I invested a lot of time in my own healing and uh and right decisions about knees and backs and everything else.

SPEAKER_00 42:02

How interesting. Yeah, I have I had my ACL and meniscus torn um last summer. And so, and I uh you can appreciate this. I have to tell you this quick story of um so it so I I tore it, which is a whole different story, but I had to wait two months to get the surgery because I had so many people scheduled for hunts and I had contracts with two TV shows that I had to be able to catch pythons. And even though I tore it, you know, I could still do things, you know. I mean, I wasn't totally, you know, in incapacitated. So finally, that, you know, it's the night before the surgery. Now, our hunts in the summer are night hunts. So we start at dusk and go until like two or three in the morning or something, right? So so I'm sitting there, so so I've got clients, we've already caught, it's the night before my surgery. I have to be at the hospital at like 6:45 in the morning. And we've already caught one python, and it's about two o'clock in the morning. And we're on our way back. Well, there's another one. And it, this python was in the it was in water, but it was only like six inches deep, probably. So it wasn't, you know, that big of a deal. Well, they're like, eh, we don't want to catch it. So I'm like, all right, cool, because I love to catch the python. So I love when my clients are like, no, I don't want to catch it because I get to do it. Well, this thing's in the water, and the problem with the water is that, man, if they're gone, they're gone. And of course, you know, I'm I'm aware of my knee. And the proper way to grab a python is behind its head. But if I had to get go up to behind its head, there's a risk that it could take off. And again, I'm I'm aware of my knee. So I said, whatever. And so I grab it and I pull it up, like, and I hold it against my chest for leverage because it's very slick because it's wet, and I'm pulling, it's about a 10 footer, and I'm pulling it up onto the To the um, you know, the the land and it goes around and it bites my leg and it bit me like probably twice, but who cares? Like it always happens. I mean, it's not fun, and I don't recommend it, don't get me wrong, but you know, it's just part of the part of what you do. And so we get the python all handled and all of that. So I'm, you know, four hours later, I'm getting prepped for surgery, and the nurse is like, Oh, you're a python hunter. I said, Yeah, yeah, funny thing. You know, I just had a hunt and I got bitten on my leg. And she was like, Oh. And I was like, Oh no, what did I just say? And she said, Well, which leg? And I was like, Oh, I don't know. I think it was my my good one. And she said, she's like, Well, let me look. So I had to turn over so she could look for bite marks on my leg. And by the grace of God, she did not find them because it was on my the leg that I was about to have surgery on. And I was like, if if I couldn't have surgery because I opened my big mouth, I was gonna be so mad. But nope, it was it was all good. And I don't know how she didn't see them. I mean, I've got I love the sun, so I've got, you know, moles and spots all over me. So I think they just blended in, but oh, yeah. So that was my night before surgery.

SPEAKER_01 45:20

So you you literally got that snake right by your chest?

SPEAKER_00 45:24

Yeah, I mean, I had I had to get leverage. It was so so snakes aren't slimy or anything. They're they're dry. I mean, but when they're wet, those pythons are really slick, like really, really slick. So yeah, well, and on the night that I did this, I actually got thrown off the back of the truck. It's a long story, but I had people with me. And, you know, when when you first tear it, it's like searing pain for two minutes.

SPEAKER_02 45:50

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:50

And then it kind of goes away, and you're like, all right, that's that's all right. And again, we'd already caught one Python. So we see another one, and they didn't want to catch that one. So I'm going in, I'm hobbling, you know, I catch this thing, I got it, no problem. And I get home and my knee is like this big. And I was like, well, hey, it was worth it, you know. But wow, I also did the next day, the very next night, we didn't have a hunt, but I and I think I'd already I had I did go in for my MRI that day, but we I just got new lights for my truck because I've got the snake deck that you can like stand on top of when we're hunting, and you know, we've got lights going down the road. It's it's pretty cool. And so we're on the road, like outside my house for about 30 seconds because I just need to see if these lights are gonna work. There's an eight-footer in the middle of the road. So, what do I do? I hobble down, get it, grab it in my jean shorts and flip-flops. You know, I'm not even hunting. So yeah, you just you never know where these silly pythons are gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 46:58

Amy, did you always have an infatuation with snakes? I did, yes.

SPEAKER_00 47:02

Yes, my dad put me in a creek when I was little and taught me how to catch all kinds of critters, and I just I had this fascination with snakes. You know? Wow. Yeah, like why wasn't it kittens or puppies or something normal? You know, I don't know. But anyway, so yeah. So any this, so that is fun for me. That from jumping into the swamp, grabbing these things, getting bitten by them, that is doesn't take courage. That doesn't, I don't need to be brave to do that. That's fun, that's fun for me. I know it takes courage and bravery for other things in my life, but that is not one of them.

SPEAKER_03 47:43

Right, right. For you to do social media posts with the bravery and courage.

SPEAKER_00 47:47

Yeah. Well, and it's and it's not only that, it's just like I don't want to see if I'm not catching as many as I think I should be catching. I don't want to see. I don't want to feel like I'm missing out or that I've somebody's better than me, that I'm not the best at this because I'm highly competitive. And it just it, you know, and that's very it's very petty. I know it's incredibly petty, but that's just it's how it is.

SPEAKER_02 48:10

That's awesome. I I I applaud you for it because I man, that's all right.

SPEAKER_00 48:14

Well, now I have to come up with all these awesome posts just so I can be like, hey, Todd, look, I'm not afraid.

SPEAKER_03 48:21

Yeah, I'll and I'm gonna comment back about I don't know if I'm jumping into a swamp and gonna be hugging some python.

SPEAKER_00 48:29

I really, I really think you should. I think that you need to show all of your clients, your listeners, your fans, that even though you are deathly afraid to go into the swamp, that you will do it because you are brave and you have courage.

SPEAKER_03 48:49

I think I jumped out of an airplane before I get went and kissed.

SPEAKER_00 48:52

Oh, come on! This is way safer. I won't let you get eating.

SPEAKER_03 48:57

That's why I couldn't wait to meet you because I'm like, this is crazy stuff here. This is but again, you look at the principles. I I everyone's got something, and you think about you, like, no, no problem jumping into a swamp with gators and and snakes. I'm like, who would do that? And you're like, oh yeah, no problem. I love it. Like don't be pointing at me either.

SPEAKER_00 49:21

Maybe one of these days I'll be able to talk you into uh coming down for a hunt.

SPEAKER_03 49:26

Man, I'm gonna do it. That would be you'd see, I I don't know if I man, I'd be afraid to be in the boat.

SPEAKER_00 49:38

You know what? You wouldn't even I wouldn't even take you, you could be in the truck, on the truck, and you wouldn't even have to be down there because I have a way I swing right out whenever there's a python. You wouldn't even have to catch it if you didn't want to. I would do it. Wow, you could you could take the pictures at the end of the day, you know, like you could hold it. I'm I'm just saying you need to think about it, or get you and all of your you know pro athlete friends to all go on a python hunt with me and see who is the bravest.

SPEAKER_01 50:08

You'd be shocked at how babies we are.

SPEAKER_03 50:13

We'd be running the other way. Oh my gosh, I love it. That's a great idea.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Well, a lot of people would pay to see that for sure.

SPEAKER_03 50:20

Oh, yeah. I'm gonna challenge them. I'll see what they say.

SPEAKER_00 50:23

All right. Well, Todd, thank you so much. This has been such a fun conversation that I've had with you. Is there anything else you want to add to this before we get off here?

SPEAKER_03 50:34

No, uh, thank you. Thanks for having me on. I uh I'm honored. Um, I think the topics of what you represent, Amy, with you know, bravery and courage and and going for it. I mean, just that mentality and mindset uh to live out your best life is is everything. And um, if anyone like to connect, uh I am on social media. Uh I do like to post. So it's just it's my name at Todd Durkin. I have a podcast as well, it's in the Todd Durkin Impact Show. Um that's more around um living your best life on in both physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. Um, so no, hit hit me up, reach out to me, and Amy, I look forward to connecting with you. I'll have to have you on on the impact show sometime because what you what you represent on all levels certainly is uh impactful, if if you will.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

Well, thank you, Todd. This has been so much fun. Looking forward to it. Thanks, Amy. All right, take care. Tales from the Field, presented by Ken DeTire. I was in Florida for six weeks when I caught my first Python. I mean, I moved to Florida thinking that I was gonna be walking through that swamp and slinging them out left and right, and it does not work like that whatsoever. So, anyways, I'm driving down this two-lane highway. It's at night. I'm not even really hunting. I mean, I have my workout clothes on and flip-flops. And it was raining, it was like misty, it was so gross, and there were dead like snakes and lizards and frogs and turtles all over the roads. It was the weirdest thing that I'd ever seen. And I'm actually on the phone with Dave, my fiance, saying, Oh my gosh, I hate this. I'm never gonna come back to this road. All of a sudden, there's a python that's coming up through the guardrail. And I was like, Oh my god, there's a python. So I throw my phone on the floor. I didn't even have a flashlight with me. So there was, I don't even know how this happened, but there was a driveway, kind of like a half drive right there. So I go around the python and I kind of flipped a UI so I could have headlights on it since I didn't even have a flashlight with me. And there is a car coming down the middle of the road. Now, this is a two-lane highway. It's at night, so there's not a ton of traffic. But I went out and I jump in front of this white van, like flagging it down, saying, you know, stop. Don't come any closer because I didn't want them to hit the python because I wanted to catch it. So they slow down. It's like this van full of workers or something, and they're all hanging out the window. So I go and I grab the tail because this python's taking off. So I grab the tail and I grab it behind the head. It's a 10-foot python, and so I'm holding it up, and I'm so excited. And these guys had turned around to come back, and now they're all hanging out the window, tearing for me and everything, because I caught this python. But it was, it was the coolest first solo catch that I had. And um you never forget the first one. Bravery doesn't end when the episode does. If something you heard today stirred you, sit with it. Ask yourself where you've been choosing comfort over courage, and where one small brave step might change everything. Remember, bravery isn't about being fearless, it's about being honest and moving anyway. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who might need it. And if you're ready to keep hunting your best life of purpose, I'll meet you right back here next time. This is Hunting Bravery. Stay curious, stay courageous.