Chiseled with Rob Commodari: Recent Episodes

Robert Commodari

Chiseled is the podcast to help you create awareness in your life to become the person you were created to be. Through the personal experiences of host Rob Commodari and his guests, listeners gain insights into how they are continually being chiseled away to live their fullest life. We are all a work in progress! Hosted by Rob Commodari - speaker, author, and small business owner.

When COVID-19 hit, Laura Di Franco immediately had to shut down her physical therapy business. She took that opportunity to focus on another project she had beenworking on since 2015 — Brave Healing Productions, a publishing company for health practitioners who use holistic approaches to physical healing.

It was a leap of faith that Laura didn't mind taking because she already had a highly developed sense of awareness a tool that she uses to help entrepreneurs in health-based practices achieve their professional goals of sharing their story, building their business, and changing their world.

"With awareness you have a choice, awareness is everything," she said. "Awareness is the practice of healing."

Like everyone who experiences self-doubt, usually fromlistening to the little devil who sits on our shoulder, Laura is occasionally tinged with uncertainty about her next steps. But as someone who has published more than 67 collaborations and written 13 bestselling books onAmazon, Laura's perspective and guidance offer something valuable to everyone who listens.

In this episode of Chiseled, Laura speaks about how to build a purpose-driven life, how to knock out fearand self-sabotage, and how to recognize when your discernment and intuition are working for you.

There are times in our lives when we meet kindred spirits. Laura is one of those for me. She has one of the clearest senses of mission and purpose as I have ever seen, and her capacity to help people overcome their self-limitingthoughts is a gift on display in this week's podcast.

Want to find out how to connect with Laura? You can reach out to her on her website LauraDiFranco.com or on LinkedIn. She is happy to talk about book ideas and publishing, or just to have a brain-picking session.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-native Dan Armstrong was born with a cleft palate, a congenital abnormality during fetal development that leaves a hole in the roof of themouth. While today this is frequently surgically fixed during infancy, Dan, 60, had a prosthesis put in his mouth to enable him to speak. As you can imagine, as a result of this condition, he was mercilessly bullied by neighborhood kids and classmates.

While his parents always encouraged him to believein himself, even featuring him as lead on a song recorded by his family's musical act, The Armstrong Family, Dan was angry — so angry that at age 10, he nearly killed a childhood friend for making fun of the way he spoke.

"I remember putting my knee next to his head and pushing until I heard a crack. I remember hearing that crack and realizing I came this close to taking someone's life," he said.

Dan knew he had to work on his anger, andchanneled his energy into writing stories and songs, working on his speech and singing, and even acting in school plays. With guiding love from his parentsand practice to build his throat, palate, and lung strength, Dan ended up touring and recording with a band.

But he was also working a day job as a cable guy,which turned out to be an unexpected love. It enabled him to develop his affinity for connecting with people.

"I'm like a rolling bartender. I walk into someone's house, and they immediately open up," he said.

Dan turned many unbelievable stories from his career into a book, The Adventures of a Real-Life Cable Guy. Since its release, he has written or co-authored four more books with another on the way. He is also on the speaking circuit, turning his story into life lessons that others can follow.

"Right now, I'm very passionate about what Ido. When I speak to audiences, I swear I see people crying," he said.

Dan is an overwhelmingly positive guy with a loveof discovery, a genuine compassion for others, and a complete lack of judgment. His insights on the way to treat people are inspirational and ingenious.

I'm sure you will enjoy his easy-going nature inthis week's episode of Chiseled. Want to connect with Dan? You can check him out on his website, contact him on Facebook or listen to the end of the episode to hear him share his email address.

You would never know it talking to mild-mannered Jamie Krakofsky that he grew up a hard partier in Ft. Lauderdale. Immersed in drugs, alcohol, women, and gangviolence, he was thrown out of his dad's house at age 17. He tried living on his own but couldn't keep a job or an apartment.

Exasperated, his mom challenged him to change his life. She put him on a plane to Bangor, Maine, with a bunch of camping gear and told him to hike the length of the 2,193-mile-long Appalachian Trail. Whatever he did, he was not to return to Florida.

"She said, 'This is something that you need,'" Jamie recalled.

But Jamie didn't realize how right his mom was until he reached the top of Mount Katahdin, the northern point of the Appalachian Trail, on his first day of the journey.

"I just remember being up at the top of the mountain and just truly started having a conversation with God," Jamie said.

The conversation lasted overnight and by time he was done with it, Jamie was feeling detoxed and refreshed. But he still had a long way to go.

He didn't make it. Three and a half months into his adventure, he got injured. Obeying his mom's wish for him to keep out of Florida, he went to Colorado to stay with his mom's friends. The first week there, they decided to go camping. While up on Greenhorn Mountain, Jamie met his future wife, Bianca.

Together, the two of them forged a new path.Jamie went into the military but had to take a medical discharge after eight years. He started in real estate and succeeded beyond his imagination.

They also had three children — and they fostered16 or 17 more. When their youngest child was 20 years old, the couple adopted a baby.

"I'd like to think I've had an impact on a lot of people's lives," Jamie said.

Jamie shared his incredible story in this week's episode of Chiseled. Usually, I am familiar with the facts of my guests' stories before they come on the show, butJamie surprised me. I didn't know about all the parenting he has done, and I am truly inspired by the details he shared. If you're like me, his story will warm your heart and give you a spiritual lift.

Want to talk to Jamie? You can find him anywhere on social media @jamie.krakofsky or go to the end of the episode to hear him share his phone number.

Now, let's go get chiseled!

At a tender age, Craig Moody moved with hisfamily to a new town. His educator mother and a businessman father wanted the best for their son, but while going to stay with family friends during thetransition, Craig felt unwelcome and unliked. Later, at school, he was bullied and had trouble making friends despite his best efforts.

Flash forward two decades and Craig was stillfeeling uprooted. With no job prospects and trouble making fraternal and romantic relationships, a nasty look from a clerk in a grocery store pushed Craig to the brink.

"I went home that night and just thoughtabout that stare I got and was like 'I'm done,'" he said.

And he nearly did himself in save for the beseeching voice of his father. As it turned out, however, Craig's dad wasnowhere near the house.

"It was God's voice," Craig said with certainty. "It was a defining moment in my life."

From there, Craig decided to turn his life around.He joined a local church, connected with an old friend who never gave up on him, and jumped into personal growth, studying the works of John Maxwell andothers. It wasn't long before Craig was flush — starting his own home restoration business, getting married, and having kids. He later started several other businesses and has gone from despondent "loser" tosuccessful business coach.

The co-author of the books Think Big and Next Level YourLife, in which, Craig tells a story about getting outof your own way and avoiding self-sabotage, lessons that we all need to learn some time in our lives.

"I acknowledge the imposter in me. It creeps up and I don't let him in," he said.

Craig's story may sound familiar to you; it even may sound like your own, and that's okay — because we all can learn from each other's versions of our own stories. I know after sharing my own stories with Craig, we will stay connected in the future.

Want to talk to Craig? Look him up on craigmoody.co or reach out to him at the email address he shares at the end of this week's episode of Chiseled.

For Amy Somerville, life happens in the transitions. Amy was in the real estate business for 18 years with RE/MAX — as a realtor, broker, team leader, franchise consultant, and coach. She readily admits that throughout it all, she was not a public speaker.
But after nearly two decades in business, Amy needed to help her young family transition to the next stage of their lives. She chose to "take one for the team” and begin a very public-facing position running the professional development department. Within two years, she transitioned from senior vice president at RE/MAX to an independent consultant to an employee with Buffini and Company, whom she lovingly describes as "monsters" in the high-end real estate coaching space (I agree).
Just a year later, while attending a real estate conference in New York, she was approached by eXp Realty CEO Glenn Sanford, a fan of Jim Collins, whose Good to Great book series offers incredible organizational management principles. One of Colins’ principles says you may not know your "what" or your "why," but you are better positioned to take a leap in business when you find your "who."
Sanford, who owns Success Enterprises, which happens to publish Amy's favorite magazine, SUCCESS, told her that she may be his "who."
And shortly thereafter she transitioned again, becoming the new CEO of Success Enterprises.
“It's heavy to carry a brand that has such a reputation and such an impact on so many people, and me included, so it's wild," she said.
With its reputation for excellence, Amy is energized by the challenge of carrying the 127-year-old media group to its next level — by pursuing her own mission to LIVE — lead, inspire, provide value, and empathize.
With her energy, focus, faith, and fortitude, I have no doubt that SUCCESS is in good hands. I was honored to interview her and believe you will feel the positivity and intention in everything she says during this Chiseled podcast.
Amy is a source of strength and inspiration, with which I am sure you will agree after listening to this week's episode. Want to contact Amy? Listen to the end to get her email address so you can give her a buzz.

Justin Breen was an enterprising journalist in a Midwest media market when his bosses started slashing staff salaries in 2017. With a wife and two young children, Justin knew it was time to take his next step.
It wasn't nearly as challenging for Justin as you'd think it might be. Tapping into his visionary mindset, Justin reached out to his 5,000-plus social media fanbase. Just six weeks later, he had started a public relations company from scratch.
"Someone either can get back into a plane after another one's been shot down without a parachute or they make an excuse. At the highest level, there are no excuses. You just do it," he said of launching a new venture.
From there, the sky was the limit for Justin. During COVID, Justin really started discovering that he could achieve success by living with gratitude, recognizing a higher power, and developing a great networking community. In 2022, he started his next company.
"That's when I went fully global," he said. "The trauma creates the triumph."
Working with entrepreneurs, Justin has turned BrEpic Communications into a global PR firm and runs the exclusive connectivity platform BrEpic Network. His first book, Epic Business, was a bestseller in six countries and No. 1 for entrepreneurship in the U.S. He followed up with Epic Life, which teaches, as the subtitle says, "how to build collaborative global companies while putting your loved ones first."
Justin has a lot on his mind and you can almost hear the wheels spinning in his brain in this clip from this week's Chiseled. He offers so many insights about visionary traits, you need to listen closely to unlock all the tips for discovering your true potential. I encourage you to buckle your seatbelt for this week's episode.

Want to talk to Justin? Find him on LinkedIn or his website.

I had a really fun time with Ken Walls, my guest on this week's episode of Chiseled, and I'm sure you will too. The author of the No. 1 bestselling book Walls of Wisdom, and creator of "Grow Live Academy," an online program that is part Mastermind part family, Ken has one of the most positive and energetic attitudes of anyoneI've ever met.

Growing up in a "poor family" with "a lot of violence, drugs and alcohol in the house," Ken was a successful entrepreneur from a young age, having started work at 8 years old. But by the time he was 34, his successcould not keep him from hitting rock bottom.

"I had no business trying to run a business of any kind in the state of mind that I was in constantly, which was drunken at all times," he said.

When he finally surrendered, through the "grace of God" and a lot of Alcholics Anonymous meetings, Ken knew it was time to pay it forward. And so he did, setting out to help any person he could.

"If you help enough other people get what they want out of life, you will have way more than you could ever possibly imagine having in your own life," he said.

Ken has had incredible success in business, with perseverance, focus, and a little help from some of the biggest names in the fields of personal growth andsales. It's no surprise. He is energetic, positive, forceful, and so funny. I'm certain you're going to be wound up listening to him and will leave this episode of Chiseled buzzing with motivation and ready to act.

Want to talk to Ken? You can reach him at kenwalls.com, kensbizcard.com, or on his podcast's website, BreakthroughWalls.tv.

Will Heaven be boring? During a trip to the Grand Canyon a couple years ago, I looked out at the vastness of it all and thought, if this is Heaven, I can't wait.

One step closer to the edge and I may have found it. But I'm not ready yet. I have a lot of life left in me, plus I really don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I get there.

Apparently, I'm not the only one. Many years ago, D. Scott Smith's five-year-old son asked him a similar question. In fact, seemsthat a lot of people are wondering about the afterlife when they haven't yet figured out what to do with themselves right here on earth. Scott began pondering questions about time, space, and how we maneuver through them, and he came up with some amazing ideas about how to best live our lives in the moment.

Scott noted that age matters. At five years old, time feels like it's moving six times more slowly than it does for an older person. So, when he tells his son, it will be an hour until dinner, it's nosurprise his son starts questioning whether he is going to be bored in Heaven.

But the questions don't stop as we age.

"We're notoriously dissatisfied," he said.

On this week's episode of Chiseled, Scott offers his "octodecim" or rule of 18. In short, we live through seasons of life, which are designed for growing, learning, establishing, reaping, and benefiting, not to mention enjoying a little bonus time at the very end. But in Scott's theory, most of us aren't living the experience appropriate for their octodecim and are instead spending too much time evaluating the past or anticipating the future.

From the first minute of this week's episode of Chiseled, I'm certain you will be pleased with how you're spending yourtime. This was a fun, logical, metaphysical discussion (if such a thing is possible) and a great conversation no matter what age you are.
Want to reach Scott? You can catch up with him onhis website or follow him on YouTube, LinkedIn, or X (Twitter). Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy thisweek's Chiseled.

When Chad Kneller was in his 20s, he “was all about sex, drugs, and rock and roll.” Laser-focused on being a singer in a rock band, Kneller figured life ends at age 27, just as it did for a host of famous musicians who burned hot and diedyoung.

Through the lens of that existentialism, Chad drank too much, partied too hard, and ignored basic rules of society. Eventually, the warrants piled up and Chad found himself doing a coupletwo-week stints in jail. During one of those sojourns, he picked up a Bible and read it cover to cover. He then approached the prison minister.

“I said, ‘Hey, I got some questions,’ and he didn't know I have three hours’ worth of questions. He answered them all. Andthat was the beginning of a new life for me,” he said.

Upon his release, Chad returned to his new girlfriend and the two set upon a path of finding their future together. A marriage, two military stints, and three kids later, Chad and his wife are nowserial entrepreneurs.

Chad has also published a book called Finding Happy, which seeks to help people, especially young people, getbeyond the intensity of their emotions and gain context to get through the most difficult seasons of their lives.

“I feel like if someone would have given me a booklike that when I was in my early 20s I could have saved a whole lot of time. I wouldn't have wasted almost a decade after that.”

Finding Happy has received great reviews and Chad says he’s even been told it saved one person’s life, a true win if ever there was one.

It was a pleasure talking to Chad and I know his chiseling is going to continue to help others. If you want to reach Chad, hisemail is findinghappy1@gmail.com or you can check him out on all his social media channels @chadkneller or on his website.

Many of you have been listening to Chiseled since I started podcasting in 2021. I love interviewing new people and hearing what they have to say. I hope you have found some useful insights from my guests on personal and professional growth.
Most of all, I hope the podcast has entertained you.

Turns out podcasting has brought me closer to an already strongband of brothers. In this week's Chiseled, I talk to four of my buddies in real estate who also have a taste for the mic and have launched their own shows.

We're not making a lot of money from these labors of love, butthe return on investment has been enormous. Not only have we found our voices, but we've learned several profound lessons.

"Your compensation is directly impacted to how well youserve people and how many people you serve," said Louisville, Kentucky's Mike Gandolfo, who co-hosts the Horse Racing Happy Hour.

"If I can help other people win, I'm winning," saidBrad Noll, who explains how to become a great communicator.

The five of us had several laughs discussing our adventures inpodcasting. Hopefully, the conversation will make you laugh too and perhaps even help you eliminate any hesitation that may be holding you back from pursuing a creative outlet of your own.

Interested in checking out my friends' podcasts? You can findthem here:

The Horse Racing Happy Hourhosted by Mike Gandolfo.
Student of the Game hostedby Brad Noll.
Inspire Campfirehosted by Scott Wurtzbacher.
The Karl Miller Show hosted by Karl Miller.

Meantime, enjoy the five guys (not the burger joint) on thisweek's episode of Chiseled.

Real estate agent Garrett Maroon has never made a cold call,hosted an open house, or bought a lead. He started in real estate in 2014 with just 40 people in his referral database and has since built a business on relationships and referrals only, doing very well selling 550 homes in under nine years.
But about seven years after starting his career, Garrett felt that he was dancing around a subject he really wanted to discuss — his faith. So the Newport News, Virginia-based agent began talking about it with other realtors and even clients, and found that connecting his faith to his work could be wildly successful.

Garrett turned his faith into a successful business model. He operates the "Faithful Agent," a real estate business and a coaching company of the same name. He hosts a podcast with his buddy Tyler Wilson, runs a large Facebook community, and last year began holding faith-based business conferences for agents. He is also publishing a book on his faithful agent strategy.

"We want to be a place ... where a Christian can say, 'I need to gettrained in my business but I want it to come from someone who has the same mentality as I do with this eternal perspective, with Christ in mind,'" he said.

Garrett told me that he wants to make sure that people understand he's not using his faith to try to make a buck.

"At the end of the day, for me, as a Christian, my job is to first andforemost honor the Lord."

I recorded my interview with Garrett a while back. He is afast-talker and extremely animated about his goals, which he is rapidly achieving. I firmly believe that Garrett, a husband and father of four young children, is going to have great success in his endeavors, and after you hear this week's episode of Chiseled, you will too.

Interested in learning more about Garrett? You can check out his website or email him at garrett@faithfulagent.com.

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If you know anything about me, you know I love words. I'm an avid reader, a public speaker, and a burgeoning author. Mybook, Better Than You Think, is a study of some of my favorite words and how they shape us and our relationships.
I am not alone in this love of language, which is why I really enjoyed my interview with Kevin Eastman for this week's episode of Chiseled.
Eastman is the former assistant coach of the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics. He is also the former assistant coach and vice president of operations for the L.A. Clippers. He has worked with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Paul Pierce, and many others.
You may know Kevin as the Amazon best-selling author of Whythe Best Are the Best: 25 Powerful Words That Impact, Inspire, and Define Champions. This was one of my favorite reads over the last year.
In this week's podcast, Kevin describes some of the words that motivate him, among them "truth" and "preparation." He offers great insight into the meaning of "humility" and "curiosity." These words are just a few of the many that champion athletes internalize and live by. They are also guideposts for us to use to live with purpose.
Kevin packs a ton of incredible insights into our fast-paced discussion. This episode is dripping with remarkable stories of how successful athletes, coaches, and others learn and succeed. It's no accident that he found so many of the people he interviewed use the same vocabulary repeatedly.
I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to interview Kevin and I really appreciate all he shared. As a professional speaker, Kevin can be booked at kevineastman.net. You can also discover moregreat bits of wisdom from Kevin on his X (Twitter) handle, @kevineastman.

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"I do not fit into a box. I'm certainly not a typical attorney."

Brandy Wilson Edwards was experiencing hardcore burnout.Working as an attorney for many years, she wondered where her passion went. She loved speaking, writing, and helping people live better lives, all activities she did as an attorney. But it wasn't fueling her own sense of fulfillment.

So Brandy took a "pause" to figure out what drove her happiness. She realized that she didn't have to choose between professional and personal goals. She could have it all — if she knew how to pursue it.

Now working as a motivational speaker, author, yoga and mindfulness instructor — and attorney, Brandy turned her passion for personal wellbeing into a mission to empower the legal community and other professionals to become zealousadvocates for themselves, not just their clients. You could say it's not even work at all for Brandy.

"I turned burnout into a blessing," she said.

In his week's episode of Chiseled, Brandy shares the difference between contentment and complacency, and gifts and skills, and shares how to "PAUSE," her five step method for setting priorities, taking action, understanding the consequences of your choices, self-care, and existing with intention to "live with more courage and less regret."

Brandy is a bundle of energy and I can see why sitting at a desk is not the greatest use of her talents. I am blessed to have met her and look forward to seeing what she does next to craft memorable messages and spread her contagious spirit.

Interested in hearing more from Brandy? You can take a look at her website or email her

at brandy@brandywilsonedwards.com.

This week's episode of Chiseled is intense. If you're exploring your faith or are hard-core religious — whatever your religion — Rob Foy has some deep thoughts about having a "real" relationship with God.
Rob is a long-time friend of mine and a real estate agent in central Maryland. He grew up in an Irish Catholic household, but his family stopped attending weekly services around the time he was nine.
Flash forward 20+ years, and Rob and his brother found themselves one weekend abandoning a golf vacation in Myrtle Beach with a bunch of their buddies to check out rumors of Virgin Mary sightings in Conyers,Georgia.
It changed his life.
"So much grace was put on me at once that Ididn't know which way to go," Rob said of the experience.
The event, which he describes in detail on this week's show, triggered a spiritual journey that has taken many ups and downs,including an incredible physical challenge that he explains in this episode. But through it all, Rob persisted, and has reached a level of faith that few of us can imagine.
This week's episode of Chiseled isn't just for the Catholics among us. It's for anyone who wants to hear another person's spiritual awakening and the incredible impacts that it has had on his life. Rob is extremely knowledgeable about his faith and discusses it in emotional and intellectual terms that you will find deeply engaging.
I promise, you're going to be intrigued by thisweek's episode of Chiseled. It may even inspire you to explore your own relationship with God. If you do, Rob's happy to discuss your journey with you. You can reach himat robfoy3@me.com. Or if you want to reach out to me, I am curious to hear what you think.

One day business and health coach Kelli Calabrese thought she had the perfect life — a successful career, a beautiful home, a 25-year marriage, and two great kids. But the next day, her husband came home and told her the marriage was over. He walked out, filed for divorce, and soon after married someone else.
It was a huge shock to Kelli, who had spent her marriage trying to be a great wife.
"It took me to my knees, it emptied me out," she said.
After three years of doing a deep dive and peeling back the layers of her trauma, Kelli emerged a new woman.
You might have thought there were five stages of grief, but Kelli says it's more like 14. And she knows because she went through all of them and now teaches them as a divorce and mental health care coach.
Kelli explains the stages of grief concisely and powerfully in this week's episode of Chiseled. But her story isn't just one of turning lemons into lemonade. It's one of personal discovery, finding joy, and falling "madly in love" with God.
Her journey is also not the only one she's offering. Kelli is making available to Chiseled listeners an e-copy of her latest bestselling book, Success Habits of Super Achievers, which shares the stories of 80 people who had something "unreasonably difficult" happen to them and made something great out of it. Just go to her website to download a copy or email her at kelli@kellicalabrese.com. You can also find Kelli on Facebook or LinkedIn.

Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled.

When we hear the word "intimacy," most of us thinkabout sex. But in reality, intimacy refers to honest connections with others,whether they be with a partner, child, friend, or even God.

Dr. Stormy Hill, whom I met while working on my book chapter for NextLevel Your Life, takes a broad approach to enhancing intimacy.An occupational therapist, mental health and substance abuse specialist, andintimacy coach, Dr. Stormy dove into studies on intimacy while navigating thewaters of raising an autistic son.

"It was interesting, sort of a mom-world collision with aprofessional-world collision," she said.

Dr. Stormy, who is one of the celebrity authors of The Transformational Journey: Lessons from Business, Life,and Happiness, now helps individuals and couples explore how to buildintimacy through self-confidence, self-love, bliss, and pleasure in and outsidethe bedroom. Dr. Stormy says having a growth mindset for life, love, and sexteaches us how to develop relationships for maximum satisfaction and spiritualfulfillment.

"The only thing about emotions is that they will change,which is why I don't think love is an emotion, it's a force," she told me.

In this week's Chiseled podcast, Dr. Stormyshares effective tools to connect with your partner, children, friends, andGod, and to overcome the challenges that confront us every day withpsychological and physical mastery. If you're interested in how your brain andbody work together, you must hear her insights.

Once you listen to this podcast, which is full of tips andexercises for building intimacy, you will probably want to learn more. On her website, Dr. Stormy offers a free"Compassionate Self-Care Guide," which is full of practices, videos,guided mediations and links to additional resources for developing intimacymore deeply. I'm betting you will want to check it out.

If you have questions or want even more of her incredibleguidance, you can reach Dr. Stormy by email or follow her on Instagram. Meanwhile, I hope you hope thisenlightening episode of Chiseled.

Well, this is going to be a little awkward. Dan Faulkner, Jr. should be sending you this message since he is my guest host this week and interviewed none other than ... me. 😉
If you've been following my journey for a while, you probably know that I have dedicated my life to learning. My love for personal development began when I first read Og Mandino's classic, The Greatest Salesman in the World, while working as a penny stock broker in Boca Raton, Fl.
After reading Salesman in one night, I went the next day to Barnes and Noble and bought all of Mandino's books. Since then, I have read more than 1,000 books, and my interest in self-help and personal growth has become a passion for helping others discover the best in themselves.
Even after all that reading, I still had doubts about my worthiness to write my own personal growth book. Nonetheless, and despite my hesitation, I published Better Than You Think in 2020.The book focuses on 16 principles of awareness to build a more fulfilling life. With its release came a workbook, a website, and several personal appearances.
You already know how to reach me (just reply to this email) but I would be grateful for you to visit RobCommodariauthor.com where you can learn more about Better Than You Think, order a copy for yourself or a friend, and download the accompanying workbook.
Better Than You Think turned out to be a beginning, not an end, to my efforts to share stories of impact and growth. As I describe in this week's episode of Chiseled, I had an epiphany before starting this podcast. I do believe it's part of a larger plan. At the very least, it has been hugely rewarding and I learn something new from every guest.
After more than two years of episodes, Chiseled has spawned a new project -- a 16-module course with stories, lessons, and exercises to help people realize that we all are a work in progress, and each of us is a work worth pursuing. I will be introducing it shortly.
Meanwhile, I have recently embarked on a related project. Next month, I will be hosting Living the Chiseled Life: An Introspective Look Inside live at Gramercy Mansion in Stevenson, Md. We will be bringing stories to life in an evening to remember. I am confident this will not be a one-night-only event.
I sincerely hope that you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled, in which Dan asks some great questions about my getting started on this journey, stories I shared in Better Than You Think, and intense conversations between me and God.

If you're a business professional who believes in the notionthat "givers gain," you're probably familiar with Bob Burg.

Bob, an entrepreneur and leadership trainer, isknown for his "Endless Referrals" sales training classes. He alsoco-authored the book TheGo-Giver with John David Mann. The Go-Giver has sold 1 million copies and has been translated into 30languages. It is listed by Inc.Magazine as No. 10 of the most motivational booksever written.

Motivate is what Bob does. He teaches salesprofessionals and leaders how to communicate their value to acceleratetheir business growth. He is an "unapologetic" believer in the freemarket system and says the amount of money one makes is directly proportionalto how many people one serves.

"The people who are most successful in sales,most sustainably successfully, (are) always the ones who (are) more focused ongiving value to others," Bob told me.

In this episode of Chiseled, Bob shares the principles behind The Go-Giver, which draws on storytelling and parables to teach the fivelaws of stratospheric success. These are defined as the laws of value,compensation, influence, authenticity, and receptivity.

I'm not going to give the whole podcast away and Icouldn't possibly tell you all the valuable nuggets in the book, so you'll justhave to listen to Bob's summary. Bob is full of wisdom, which he relays soclearly that you may instantly want to go out and buy his books. It was myhonor to interview Bob in one of my shortest but most jam-packed podcasts yet.

If you'd like to reach Bob and get a copy of hisDaily Impact email, you can sign up at burg.com. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episodeof Chiseled.

Robert Taylor Jr. will never forget 12/1/21 and not just because the date reads the same backward and forward. That's the night that Coach Taylor survived a massive cardiac event thanks to "everybody (doing) what they were supposed to do that night perfectly."
Rob is a physical trainer who has worked with Olympians and NFL sports teams as well as youth and college athletes. You'd expect him to be tough.
But when he woke up that December night to the feeling of a "singular 18-wheeler" hitting him in the chest and running down his right arm, he wasn't sure what was going on. Moments later, a "highway of 18 wheelers" went through his chest and he was thrown to the floor from the pain.
"I'm 240 pounds. I'm not normally knocked on my rear end," he said.
Unsure about whether he was having a heart attack since the pain was in his right arm, not his left, his wife got him into the car to drive to Baltimore's St. Joseph's hospital.
They never made it.
Through a series of wild events that he describes in this week's episode of Chiseled, Rob shares through laughter and tears the details of that night, how it has affected his life and business, and what he does with the knowledge he gained from the experience.
You may want to grab a tissue for this episode. It's an emotional roller coaster in the best kind of way.
I've known Rob for about eight years. Our friendship dates back to the days he trained my soccer-playing daughter while she attended Maryvale High School in Baltimore (she also played soccer for four years while studying at Salisbury University on the Eastern Shore). He is a tough but lovable coach and his philosophy and skills have changed the lives of countless athletes. My family is fortunate to have had him come into our lives and we're glad he's still in them.
If you'd like to reach Rob, you can download his ebusiness card from callcoachtaylor.com. His information will be entered directly into your phone's contact list. You will also receive great coaching videos and other information about Smarter Team Training. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this week's episode of Chiseled

Michael Schiff admits he could have been in thecriminal Hall of Fame by the time he was in 8th grade. Arrested six timesbefore age 16 on drug possession, shoplifting, destruction of property, andother charges, he ended up in a juvenile detention center followed by a rehabcenter followed by a state-run military school.
It was there, in 11th grade, that Mike found hisfirst mentor, a football coach who taught him and his teammates their firstlessons in self-respect.
"He was a father figure to me. He was afather figure to many other guys. He really taught me that relationship betweencoach and coachee," Mike said.
Mike rose in the ranks, becoming captain of thefootball team and a battalion commander in charge of 250 corps cadets. Butafter 19 months clean, he fell backward again when he started taking medicineto manage the pain of a root canal.
"I thought it would be a good idea to doubleup on my meds — what the nurse would dispense out — and save them all for aFriday night, and by doing so ... I released my addiction all over again,"he said.
After a second attempt at recovery, Mike wasaccepted to the University of Florida in Gainesville. There, he relapsed oncemore and started down another dangerous path. Arrested again, he was sentencedto one year and one day in prison. As an imprisoned senior fearful for hisfuture, that was the final straw. Mike has been in recovery, clean and sobersince Nov. 18, 2003.
Mike eventually graduated college, a day he callsone of the top five of his life. He also succeeded in getting his recordexpunged. He considers himself extremely lucky and tries to pay it forwardevery day.
Mike is someone whom I call a friend, and I aminspired by his leadership. Earning his real estate license in 2004, he now owns a real estateteam that sells $100 million in real estate and 350 homes a year. He works to find recovery housing space in the Baltimoremetro market for others dealing with addiction, and he runs a private Facebookgroup for real estate professionals who are active in recovery.
Mike has faced setbacks, but he says they are no longer atrigger for relapse. Even so, he says when he thinks he's got it allfigured out, he knows he, like all of us, is still a work in progress. That'sone reason why I am so happy Mike is my guest this week on Chiseled.

If you'd like to reach Mike, you can find him on Instagram or through his closed Facebook page REPAIR: Real Estate Professionals Activein Recovery.

Jim DeCarlo has had a very full life. He is the proud son of Art DeCarlo, a champion Baltimore Colts defensive back and end. He lived in Australia for 24 years, lured by the offer to play indoor lacrosse professionally. After 22 years of success in the financial services industry down under, a $19 billion buyout of the firm where he worked as a senior executive proved to be a transformative opportunity. He decided to quit the firm and move his family of six back to Baltimore.
"I told my kids and my wife, we have two choices, we either sell the house and move to Sydney or we sell the house and move to Baltimore and everyone voted feet and hands, Baltimore," he said.
Upon his return, Jim discovered that transitions in the financial services industry in the United States were taking root more slowly than in Australia. It was another opportunity for transformation.
"It was a gift to see around the corner a little bit," he said.
Jim started working with large financial services firms, but decided his mission in the U.S. would be more than technological transformation. It would also be a chance to build an environment where capitalism stands by its original promise to help employees reap the rewards of their commitments.
In this episode of Chiseled, Jim shares when he realized the move back to Baltimore was a leap of faith, why he's energized to change the organizational culture of financial firms, and what we all can do to find more joy, purpose, and value while we still have time on this Earth.
It was a pleasure to speak to Jim for this episode of Chiseled, and I am really moved by the insights, perspectives, and honesty he brought to the conversation. If you would like to contact Jim you can find him on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Greg Kettner got started in comedy on a dare. After watching hockey with his buddies one night, on their way home they passed a pub that was holding an open mic night. After a couple drinks, he got the courage to stand up and tell some stories. The rush was so big, he returned the next week, and kept up the weekly routine until he got a call to become a comedy club emcee.
From there, Greg hit the comedy circuit. For almost a decade, he toured North America, opening for no less the likes of Robin Williams, Jim Gaffigan, Norm MacDonald, and Gilbert Gottfried.
But it was a lonely and financially unsatisfying place.
"The downside was I wasn't getting paid that much so it took me about six years to figure out that I like money more than I like standup," he said. "But now I've been able to combine the two."
About four years ago, Greg founded WorkHappy, a coaching program that teaches corporate leaders how to communicate, remember where they want to go, how they want to get there, and how to blow off steam rather than "bottling it up and just blowing a gasket."
"We spend two-thirds of our day, a lot of us working, and when we're not happy, it's a grind," he said.
Working in suicide prevention and mental wellness, Greg also founded Men in the Middle, a fellowship program in his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington. The program enables bonding experiences and teaches men how to care for themselves and talk openly about mental health.
"If we take care of each other, take care of ourselves, the world's a much better place," he said.
I met Greg through a mutual friend and I'm so glad I did. He made me laugh throughout this interview, and I'm sure you will too listening to his stories and natural timing. I'm sure I will be following his mantra to "laugh every day. Put it on your calendar."
Greg also runs the Facebook group, The Humor Lab, which he launched during the pandemic lockdown. Nonpolitical and PG-13-rated, the group now has more than 38,000 members. I encourage you to look it up when you need a laugh. If you'd like to reach Greg, you can do so on LinkedIn or on his website, GregKettner.com.
I hope you get a bellyfull of laughs from this week's podcast.

As a 9-year-old, Missouri native John O'Leary was nearly killed while playing with fire. Burned on 100 percent of his body with 89 percent covered in third-degree burns, John was not expected to live the first night.

But then something happened, call it a miracle. Through the power of countless people all striving to keep John alive, not to mention the well wishes from near and far, including President Ronald Reagan, Pope John Paul II, sports announcer Jack Buck, NHL star Gino Cavallini and the entire St. Louis Blues hockey team, John pulled through.

But that's just John's origin story. John survived, but he felt lost trying to fit in. Throughout his youth, he would try to be like everyone else by taking big risks, whether physical feats, drinking, or other extreme behavior.

"Anything someone else would do I would do even bigger and better to prove that I was ordinary," he said. "I wasn't chiseled, I was bandaged. I was just raft with lies and a mask."

At age 28 while working construction, John was asked to share the story of how he was burned — and he said "yes" for the first time. So, he spoke to a Girl Scout troop of three.

"I did a lousy job. I was not even paid with a box of Samoas," he joked.

But one of the girl's fathers asked John to speak at his Rotary Club. That grew to another speaking gig and then more and more speaking engagements, not to mention two books, including the Number 1 bestseller, "On Fire, The Seven Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life," which has sold 250,000 copies and been translated into 12 languages.

"I'm not afraid of the scars anymore," John said. "By saying 'yes' to others, I began to realize the dignity of my own story."

Over the years, John has spoken publicly 2,500 times and reached several million people to reveal "what happens when we allow ourselves to be used for something bigger than ourselves."

I am so inspired by John, not only because of the great baseball stories he shares about Jack Buck and the dozens of signed baseballs he received, but also because John embodies the principles of faith, healing, and dedication to purpose.

John shares his story and the lessons he's learned in this week's episode of Chiseled. If you'd like to reach John, you can do so on one of his two websites, JohnOLearyInspires.com and readinawe.com, which will also give you the opportunity to take the 21-day challenge to spark inspiration, meaning, and joy. Check it out and enjoy this week's podcast.

A.J. Yager's grandfather had a lot to do with where A.J. is today — a highly successful hypnotherapist, emotion and performance coach based out of Eden, Utah.

"My grandfather was a mentor early in my life," he said. "He challenged me to have a self-study course outside of school or sports."

When A.J. was a boy and wanted to achieve a goal, his grandfather would make him read a book, watch a video or listen to an audiotape by Tony Robbins, Napolean Hill, Dennis Waitley, and others. His granddad told A.J. to study these and other self-development leaders for 45 minutes per day and write down his thoughts. At the end of the week, A.J. and his grandfather would review what he learned.

"All these different self-development topics that he wanted to start ingraining into my unconscious mind at a young age," A.J. recalls of his studies. "Basically, that got me into a place where I wanted to help other people."

A.J. started his career path when he was just 10 years old. By age 17, he owned a computer maintenance business and was attending development seminars with his grandfather. He has been professionally coaching since he was 18 years old.

Now 42, A.J. helps people recode their unconscious mind and move out of unhealthy patterns of suppression into healthier patterns of connections. He also helps business owners translate their data into growth.

I had the pleasure of interviewing A.J. a few months back and am glad to finally get this episode of Chiseled out to you. A.J.'s knowledge of how the mind works and how to surface the unconscious to achieve what you are set out to do is the true meaning of chiseling. If you're like me, you will be fascinated by what he had to tell me.

Want to reach A.J. and learn more about how your mind can affect your physical and mental wellbeing and what you can do to evoke the incredible amounts of potential in your brain? You can reach him on his website and connect for a complimentary introductory call. I'm sure you will immediately tap into some new insights about yourself and your relationship to the world around you.

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You may remember David Sidoni from the 1990s. He was the Pat Sajak of the tween set (were they called 'tweens' back then?). David had a brief but successful career on TV and in music videos, most notably on the sketch comedy show Roundhouse and as host of Wheel 2000, the kids' version of the game show Wheel of Fortune.

But David decided to put his acting career behind him and go into real estate.

"As I got into real estate, everyone said, 'Oh, you're going to be great in real estate (because) you're an actor.' Eh. You're more a stage manager. You put out fires all the time," he said.

Nonetheless, David was happy getting chiseled into the 'David' he wanted to become. But after years in the business, he started noticing a trend that unsettled him and he realized he wanted to focus on the parts of the job that he loved.

From there he launched his podcast, How to Buy a Home, now in its fourth year. It focuses primarily on first-time homebuyers, a third of the market but a segment that David says most real estate companies ignore.

"Go to all the big ones, I don't care who it is — Keller, eXp, Compass, Coldwell, Sotheby’s. It's listings, listings, listings. What other business totally ignores one third of the customer base? It blows me away."

I met David not long ago and I am trying on my unicorn horn as one of his referral partners. It seems to fit nicely. More so, I'm happy to have a "guy" on the show with boundless energy and true passion for what he does. I am sure you will feel his energy and joy in this week's episode of Chiseled.

If you would like to get in touch with David, all of his contact information can be found on HowtoBuyaHome.com.

Mary Lou Kayser is a best-selling author of seven books, a podcaster, educator, writer, and mother of two. She is also a listener of the universe. And when it sends her a message, she's ready to receive it. But at no time did she expect a message to tell her that she needed to write a book of poems.

However, when her father unexpectedly passed away and a new person came into her life who had a profound influence on her, she was tuned in for the signs. And she got one.

"I started getting downloads from a higher source and they were coming to me as poems," she said. "So I just started collecting and writing them down."

Months later, she found she had a collection that hit on four themes: leaving, grieving, loving, and being. She put them together and published the set in her new book The Far Unlit Unknown, which she describes as a take on "non-obvious leadership development."

Mary Lou calls her newest book a gift to herself and an opportunity to move toward her next calling, whatever that may be. Indeed, Mary Lou teaches that resistance or preventing yourself from going after new goals is the enemy of a fulfilled life.

"At the end of the day you're the only person who stops you," she said. "It's up to us to say 'yes' to ideas."

I was fortunate to meet May Lou through our mutual connection Tommy Breedlove. She has amazing insights and I'm happy to be able to share some of them with you in this week's episode of Chiseled, the podcast for those of us who are still a work in progress.

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At age 21, Ty Nichols was "cooking" as Comcast's top Mid-Atlantic region salesman for 19 months in a row. He was looking to buy property in Panama and create a successful life and career — until he ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hanging out with friends he had known since preschool, Ty found himself caught in a massive brawl. Though a bystander, he was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and second-degree murder.

"I'm staring down a million-dollar bond and I didn't even do anything," he said. Ty ended up getting sentenced to 15 years, which was suspended to five. He served three years in a state penitentiary.

A former Catholic school student, Ty turned to the Bible on his first night in jail. He opened up to a random page and landed on Psalm 1, whose first line starts with "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked." Ty knew that he had to steer clear of troublemakers and eliminate from his life the people who got him into his mess.

"Those that you surround yourself with do have a massive impact on your life," he said.

After his release, Ty did everything he could to say on the straight and narrow path. After several attempts to find work, Target finally gave Ty a chance. He worked his way up, eventually becoming a store manager, team leadership trainer, and recruiter. After 14 years at Target, Ty moved on and opened up his own business. He now teaches professionals and leaders how to be more productive, more impactful, and more influential through behavior design and habit formation.

To get to his success Ty needed motivation, skills, and the will to succeed. It wasn't easy, but thanks to a little help from new friends, a supportive wife, lots of dedication, and a clear vision, Ty is a public speaker, a behavioralist, and the "habit strategist," who helps individuals reach the mindset they need to achieve their goals.

I was fortunate to be introduced to Ty by our mutual Toastmaster friends, Karen and Frank Story. Ty really teaches us that anything is possible — both good and bad — and how we use the lessons from our experiences will determine how our futures will progress. I'm pleased to share Ty's engaging story and insights on this week's episode of Chiseled.

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Lots of people love their pets, but few turn the loss oftheir dog into a life mission. But that's what Cindy Aronstam did after herbeloved English bulldog Winston passed away.
Cindy, a real estate agent in San Diego, hadalways been a dog lover. Her parents had a dog before she was born. She grew upwith them. When she got her first dog of her own, she picked an English bulldogwhom she named Winston.
Winston lived well beyond the 8–10-year lifespanof most bulldogs to almost 14 years old. His passing was so sorrowful to Cindythat she would take walks with her husband and stand behind him so that shewould be protected from seeing other people's pets.
Two days after her beloved bulldog Winston passed,Cindy spotted a golden retriever with a gray beard and soulful eyes. She pulledaway from her husband Jim and asked the owner if she could pet the animal. Asshe bent down to touch the dog, the owner told her, "This isWinston." And she knew that the loss of her pup wouldn't be in vain.
Fast forward and Cindy and Jim now have Harry, a"foster fail" that they were supposed to temporarily care for untilhe found a home. Turned out that Harry already was home, and Cindy foundrenewed purpose in helping not only her new pup, but all dogs.
Soon after, Cindy and Jim started The WinstonProject, which aims to raise funds for shelters and rescues so they can do thework of saving animals. She says, hopefully, one day, the need for shelterswill be eliminated altogether.
If you haven't heard the story of how my familygot our current dog, I share it in this week's episode of Chiseled. If you're adog lover, this episode with Cindy may well bring you to happy or sad tears,but it's a joyous and purposeful journey.
Cindy and Jim's Winston Project, which is now officiallya 501 c(3) nonprofit, is having its first annual gala in San Diego on June 8,2023. If you can't make it, you can donate. And you'll probably feel the urgeafter hearing Cindy describe her relationship with Winston, the WinstonProject's goals, and her passion for saving animals.
You can find more about the gala and the WinstonProject on Cindy's website as well as on Facebook and Instagram. And if you're looking for Cindy for real estatein the San Diego market, you only need to look up "the bulldog realtor." Appropriate, don't you think?

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Noelle Banks knew when she was 12 years old the life she was going to lead. Attendinga non-denominational church for the first time in her family's adopted townoutside Atlanta, Ga., she found herself in a personal relationship with JesusChrist. From that point on, she found a relationship with Him as well as acommunity of people that would model her lifelong relationships.

It certainly came in handy years later, in 2017, when Noelle found herselffacing a breast cancer diagnosis, which resulted in a bilateral mastectomy andreconstruction.
"I've always been very intentional about who I surround myself withand I think it has made a huge difference in my life."
The people who stepped up for Noelle in her time of distress included notonly fellow congregants and friends but also strangers among the membership ofBuffini and Company, the coaching company for real estate agents that shejoined in 2004.
"We are designed to be around people and it's really important whoyou choose to surround yourself with on a consistent basis, which is one of thereasons why I so very much value our White Hat community in Buffini andCompany," she said.
Brian Buffini's podcast also ended up having a big role to play in her recovery.
In this week's episode of Chiseled, Noelle shares the storyof her evolution toward Jesus, her surprise diagnosis, and the support shereceived from the Buffini community. I'm proud to call myself a member of thisamazing group of real estate agents.

I couldn't be more excited to introduce you to this week's guest on Chiseled!

If you have never heard of Bob Beaudine, you're in for some high-energy inspiration! The president and CEO of Eastman-Beaudine, Bob got started in brand management for Carnation (Nestlé) before joining his father in the executive search industry.

Executive recruiting may be familiar to you now, but it was a new industry when Bob got started and he took it to a whole other level. How?
"(My dad) wanted to know where I was going, and I said, 'When I do a search for a president of a manufacturing company, at the end of the search I get a tour of the plant. If I did the head of marketing for the NBA, we'd get an All-Star weekend."

Bob's first executive placement was Bud Selig as commissioner of Major League Baseball. Since then, his hunt to find the one special person to fire up an executive team has led him to interview generals, U.S. presidents, college presidents, and of course, professional athletes, and team managers.
Today, Bob is recognized as a pioneer in the professional sports industry, being the top recruiting firm in college sports, according to the Wall Street Journal. Sports Illustrated dubbed him "the most influential man in sports you've never heard of." He has held private speaking engagements for the likes of Nike, AIG, Madison Square Garden, NBC, and the L.A. Lakers.

But Bob is more than just an executive recruiter. He is also an entrepreneur, an author, and a man of faith. He has published two amazing books that I love: "The Power of Who," which describes how to harness your friends and family to help you succeed in life, and "Two Chairs: The Secret That Changes Everything," which teaches readers how to have an out-loud conversation with God, who will give you the best advice you could ever want.
In this week's episode of Chiseled, Bob describes how writing “Two Chairs” prepared him for the personal tragedy that laid ahead; he shares a conversation that business coach Tom Ziglar had sitting in one of those chairs; and he offers valuable lessons on finding the right job and relying on friends.

Andrew Paul grew up in a military family. His grandfather enlisted in World War II at age17 and flew B-17 bombers in Europe. Other family members were submariners,pilots, a master chief, and a vice commander. As a boy, Andrew remembers thefamily sitting in the living room watching military documentaries together andtelling stories about their own experiences.

"At a pretty young age, I got it in my headI was going to go in the military one day," he said.

Despite people trying to discourage Andrew, whowas 5'7" and 155 pounds, he was dead set on becoming a Navy SEAL. AtVanderbilt University, he joined ROTC, the reserve officers training program.He learned there that the SEALs only take 16 candidates each year. Determinedto become one, he won a slot to go to the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado.

Then 9/11 happened.

"All of a sudden, the tone of everythingchanges. No longer was I like, 'This is going to be training. I'm going tobe a SEAL.' We knew that if we got through training we were going to war,"he said.
Andrew underwent rigorous training meant todiscourage and dissuade the heartiest of souls. It included physicalpreparation, dive training, small unit tactics, ambushes and raids, explosives,patrolling, sleep deprivation, mission planning, and finally SEALqualification training. Making his way through the whole program, he was thenassigned to a SEAL team.

"After all that, you're in a SEAL team andyou have zero experience," Andrew said.

Andrew was deployed several times and he hasfaced extreme challenges that I can't imagine. In this episode ofChiseled, he shares what it was like becoming a member of the SEALs,rising through the ranks, and deciding when and why it was time to leave.

Speaking of endurance training, Andrew went frombeing in the military at the start of America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq tobecoming a mortgage lender at the start of the 2008 housing crash. As expected,he hustled his way through the financial crisis and ended up on top. He nowhelps veterans and others become homeowners in his adopted state of California.

If you have questions about his experience orwant to talk about mortgage lending, you can reach Andrew at teamandrew@benchmark.us or call him at619-964-9404. You can also find him at www. theveteranadvocate.com.

Kyle grew up in a small town. He never went to college, got into drugs at young age, "probably" so that he could make some money, and found himself hanging out with the wrong people at age 19.
Then he had a "significant emotional experience" that changed his life. Going clean, he opened a detail shop that turned into a service station. By age 26, the ambitious Kyle got a "God whisper" to leave town so he moved to Dallas, where he started attending sales seminars. Realizing he had a natural talent, he got out of his comfort zone and started cold calling people to attend his events.
Business began growing and after a few years, he was gathering 2,000 people at a time to his seminars. He called up the likes of personal growth gurus like Jim Rohn, Og Mandino, and Zig Ziglar to be his guest speakers.
"Rarely does a good idea interrupt you," he said. "Whatever possessed me, I did it, and I'm so glad I did."
He had great success with all, but he felt a special affinity for Rohn. In no time, Kyle had tripled Rohn's fees and increased Rohn's appearances from 20 dates to 110 per year. Kyle then made Rohn an offer he couldn't refuse. Rohn signed an exclusivity contract with Kyle and, as they say, the rest is history.
Kyle founded Jim Rohn International and together they helped Rohn become the godfather of personal growth and development.
Kyle has represented hundreds of big names since then, including Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Darren Hardy, Dennis Waitley, Mark Victor Hansen, even Def Leppard's Phil Colleen. He is the founder of Your Success Store, hosts the Success Habits of Super Achievers Podcast, and has published multiple books and 100s of hours of programming.
"My best advice is figure out how to bring value to the marketplace, and depending on who that provides value for, you attract people rather than pursue them," he said.
In this episode of Chiseled, Kyle shares his story about his youth to putting together eight-figure deals, why Jim Rohn was his favorite guru, and how he approaches coaching high achievers.

Kyle Wilson is giving everyone who listens to the Chiseled podcast a digital copy of his book, Success Habits of Super Achievers! Just send him an email at info@kylewilson.com and mention that you heard about his offer on Chiseled, and he'll send you the downloadable file, and not just for Success Habits for Super Achievers!

You will also receive Kyle's other books plus a two-hour interview with Darren Hardy that offers hard core business strategies you don't want to miss. Plus, download other interviews from Kyle with Brian Tracy, Glenn Morshower, and more!

Email Kyle today!

Carole Souza is a top-ranked real estate agent from Omaha, Nebraska, a business coach, and a woman with a huge heart. She has a genuine love for "discovering how awesome people are" and her favorite part about coaching is helping people to "figure out how really cool they are and what greatness they have about them."

But Carole wasn't always forthcoming about how great she is, especially when as a young mother her husband divorced her and told her she would never amount to anything.

Carole took the admonishment as her marching orders and by age 27 she owned her first business. By age 30, she was president of a corporation. She eventually moved into the mortgage credit industry where she became a senior vice president at Fidelity Corporation before retiring and becoming a real estate agent.

Yet, it took Carole until her mother's death — when Carole was in her late 40s — to take the biggest shot of her life — announcing to her family that she is gay.

Funny thing is, her family already knew. They were just waiting for her to share her truth.

Whether gay or not, many of us feel like we are living two lives — a passion to do something and a fear about what other people will think. In this episode of Chiseled, Carole and I delve into living our best lives by doing the thing God wants us for us — being our true and authentic selves.

Heidi-Marie Ferren is a Los Angeles-based writer, producer, actress, and the last and longest-reigning Miss USO. She's also the product of a rape and a survivor of an abusive foster care experience.

But even when she was alone as a small child and uncertain of whether she would ever get to see her mom again, Heidi-Marie was comforted by her relationship with God and her love of helping others.

"That is the most alone that you could feel, to be a four-year-old child not knowing when you're going to come home again or if you can go home or what's going to happen tomorrow, or why you have no one," she said. "God is all you have, and I had that foundation even as a child in a very personal way."

From testifying in court against her father to feeling rejection from her mother's family because of the circumstances of her birth, Heidi-Marie found comfort in performance, storytelling, and empathy for others. She channeled her energy into becoming a child actress, a helper at her mom's non-profit, a rape crisis center volunteer, a scholarship-winning college student, and eventually Miss USO.

"Much like a Marvel character, your biggest scars can be your greatest superpowers," she said.

Now a storyteller and producer, Heidi-Marie is standing up for victims through the power of the written and spoken word. She also advocates for victims of sex-trafficking in the United States, 80 percent of whom have a history of being in the child welfare or foster care systems.

Mother of two and grandmother of four, Diane Halfman is a consultant, trainer, and host of the podcast Live Your SPAlife, which teaches people how to "seek power always."

She is also a former police officer who worked undercover as a prostitute to hunt down a serial killer. She found that the skills she learned from 10 years on the job, much of it "in character," translated into lessons she could share with business leaders looking to move through crises, manage boundaries, and not second-guess themselves.

"I learned, particularly undercover, about having to trust myself in stressful situations to be able to make quicker decisions, to really be able to move through stress no matter what's going on. These are the exact skills that our leaders need," she said.

Diane also found that her success in police work came from a strong habit of listening to the guidance God was giving her to go along with her police training.

"We've got to listen enough to where, you know, that intuition comes," she said. "That was really helpful in police work; that in trusting myself, I am trusting God that whatever happens I am going to make the right decision, that I am going to help people stay safe, I am going to keep myself safe, I'm going to come home to my two daughters."

Diane is a great example of gentle strength and I'm sure you will enjoy hearing her share some of her stories in this week's episode of Chiseled.

Bill Hampton is not from the south, but he got there as fast as he could. At age 24, while moving from Atlanta to Nashville to build his music management and concert promotion business, he tuned into a radio station and heard a "hillbilly" talking about money. And Bill understood every word he was saying.

As someone who was making money but never had any, when Bill arrived at his new apartment complex, he immediately went upstairs and called the show. And that's how he became a lifelong friend and a longtime business colleague of Dave Ramsey.

"I got through because he had no listeners back then. He was probably just happy to talk to somebody," Bill recalled.

Bill signed up for Dave's Financial Peace University class and started applying the principles. Three years later, Dave asked Bill to teach the class. From there, they built an empire.

During their 13 years together, Bill helped Dave sign book deals, build the marketing and digital business, design high school and college curricula, and launch a new radio show, one that today is heard by 4.5 million listeners each week on 500 stations.

Dave Ramsey's company rose from a $2 million to a $70 million business by the time Bill left. But Bill had to leave. Gobs of money, private jets, and living on his achievements left him in search of a new challenge.

In this week's episode of Chiseled Bill shares the journey from joining Dave Ramsey to founding Hampton Strategies, a consulting firm that helps businesses grow. He tells how he built a multimillion-dollar peach business from the back of a truck and engineered an Amish shed company, and he discusses the guiding principles and spiritual forces behind every decision along the way.

Josh Forster has a pretty good life. Married with three kids, he has been in real estate for more than 18 years. He owns his own company and lives in beautiful Ft. Collins, Colorado.

Josh has always been a champion of the underdog, but it wasn't until 2012 that he and his wife discovered their purpose in life. Sitting at a fundraising dinner for a Christian organization that helps stop human trafficking of children from Southeast Asia, Josh said he felt sheltered and shocked by what he heard. Hundreds of thousands of children are sold to or kidnapped by traffickers each year. The age of the average child who is trafficked for labor, sex, or organ harvesting is between 7 and 9 years old.

"You go home and you look at your little two and a half year old sleeping in bed and it's that personification of just how sick of an issue it is," he said.

Josh and his wife committed to supporting the organization in any way they could. So he tied his mission to his business and made it a motivating factor for almost everything he does. Through the "one home, one child" initiative, with every home he sells, Josh has donated the necessary funds to rescue one child.

So far, he has donated more than $200,000 to the nonprofit Life of the Innocent, where he is now a board member, and he has funded the rescue of more than 130 children. He has also set out to help others discover their purpose with his book, "Discovering Why."

We live in a world where we frequently take for granted conveniences of modern life. With the touch of a button, we can order goods and products and have them delivered to our door. Even during a pandemic lockdown, we could fire up our phones and computers and see the people we couldn't be near.

But what would happen if that all stopped instantly?

It did for Lauren Donahue, this week's guest on Chiseled. Growing up, Lauren always had an outlet. And I'm not talking about a pastime like co-ed softball, which she competitively played, but an actual outlet where she could plug in her phone, her smoothie maker, her curling iron, and all the other products that most of us take for granted everyday.

Lauren lost that outlet in 2014 after joining a reality TV show. Not knowing the game show's rules, she found herself living in a cave with a group of strangers with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Forced into survival mode, including flossing with a piece of hay and using a squirrel skin for a facial, Lauren found that "it's in the spaces that we're uncomfortable that we grow the most."

Lauren came out of the cave with huge new life lessons, which she has built into a brand centered around taking time to unplug. In this episode of Chiseled, Lauren describes how she ended up on the show, what she was expecting (or not) from her experience, and how she used it to create a legacy for her grandfather and to teach others how to "fill up your cup first so you can help others with the overflow."

It's nearly Christmas and I want to share a very uplifting conversation with you this week on Chiseled.

Jeff Bennett is a friend of mine dating back 30+ years from our time playing baseball at Florida Atlantic University. Jeff doesn't share any terrifying or traumatic stories this week — unless you count the fact he has EIGHT children! But he calls them "the greatest blessing" he could have so it sounds all good.

Jeff is a "salt of the earth" type of guy. He says he and his wife started their family a little later in life. They didn't decide how many kids they wanted to have. As he puts it, they just didn't like the word (birth) "control."

"I am asked all the time are you Mormon or are you Catholic. The list goes on and on, and I say no, I just really like her. I like her a lot," he says.

Jeff's been a commercial airline pilot since 1994, and started flying professionally in 1991. As you can imagine, being up in the front seat at 40,000 feet, you get to see some miraculous creations — the shifting of light between day and night, meteor showers, comets, bright stars, sunsets and moon rises.

Jeff knew his whole life that he was going to be a pilot, just as he knew at age 10 that he was resolute in his faith and accepted Jesus as his king and savior.

In this Christmas episode, Jeff gracefully shares his convictions. His commitment, calm, and the purity of how he lives and loves the Lord are a beautiful testament this holiday season. Whether you're a Christian or not, I encourage you to tune in and feel the power of Jeff's faith wash over you.

Bo Parfet is one of a small group of climbers who has climbed the highest summit on all seven continents. He has stared death in the face on numerous occasions on his climbs and his other adventures. Fear is something we all face in one form or another in our lives. What is on the other side of fear is an amazing feeling of joy, accomplishment, and fulfillment. When Bo made climbing the seven summits more about a cause and not about himself, that is when his determination to overcome fear rose to higher levels.

Bo Parfet didn't start out his life with high expectations. As a second grader with a speech impediment and dyslexia, he overheard his teacher tell his parents that he would never graduate high school. He went home crying, and spent years dreading going to school every day.

But he didn't give up. By 7th grade, his teacher told his parents that he would graduate high school, but he would never graduate college. Long story short: two masters degrees later, Bo found that college not only proved that he could overcome obstacles, but also it fueled his quest to climb mountains.

Bo has now climbed the highest summits on all seven continents. You will be captivated by his story! He describes his journey up the peaks in his book, "Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits."

I met Bo at the "Legendary" conference hosted by Tommy Breedlove. I was so stunned by his generosity toward a stranger that it brought tears to my eyes. You can hear the story of our meeting in this week's episode of Chiseled. I've been a fan of Bo ever since that meeting, and I hope that we remain friends for decades to come.

In this episode Bo shares a bit more about what you can achieve when you overcome fear. You will also hear Bo talk about how to conquer fears and how his desire to achieve something for himself indirectly saved 10,000 lives.

Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits

Karl Miller lost four of the fingers on his right hand in a farm machinery accident when he was just 2 years old. Despite the early setback, he never saw the amputation as a hindrance. Instead, he adapted and grew, internalizing the belief that the unchangeable facts of his life make him unique and inspirational. If you ever meet Karl and ask him how he’s doing, he will likely respond, “I’m blessed!”

So, it was a shock when as a teenager, Karl visited a ministry camp at the far reaches of Ontario, Canada, and found that the young people there viewed suicide as a way to avoid their hardships and get the attention they badly craved.

In this episode of Chiseled, Karl describes a conversation he had about suicide with one of those young campers. Karl also shares how he was called to grow; how becoming a counselor at summer work camp for teens in South Carolina challenged him more than anything else in his life; and how he turned his lessons in determination and faith into major success as a world-class real estate agent in Lynchburg, Va. He also shares the monumental emotion he felt reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Karl is someone I deeply admire and through his stories and experiences, he offers great insights about challenging oneself, building tenacity, and enjoying the road ahead.

The youngest of four siblings, Tim Reeder's parents divorced when he was a child. He went to live with his mother, who remarried, and where Tim witnessed lots of mental and physical abuse toward his mom and sisters.

At age 14, his father came around with a new wife. Unfortunately, she had also suffered massive trauma and was not capable of being a parent. Tim suffered alternating experiences of emotional abuse and massive neglect.

Tim turned inward to learn how to cope. He became what is called a "firefighter" in coaching and organizational psychology circles. It means that Tim is a peacemaker and a problem-solver.

Tim ran with the role, and after coming out as gay by age 18, he had to learn that being a "firefighter" didn't mean he had to pacify, patronize, or placate anyone.

When Tim decided to go into real estate, he discovered that through his empathy and fix-it attitude, he could genuinely and fearlessly serve others. It turned his job as an agent into a massively successful business in Omaha, Neb., one founded on passion, authenticity, and inclusion.

You will hear Tim explain how he took beliefs and turned them into actions. This is one of the liveliest debates I've had on Chiseled when it comes to the role of God in our lives and how best to worship Him.

The grandson of a Holocaust survivor who taught him how to rebuild after someone tries to destroy you, David Shar started working as a child scooping poop. He didn't see it as a "dirty job," he saw it as an opportunity to create a safe and healthy environment for suffering animals.

As an adult, he turned an ice cream parlor into a mission for inner city kids in Baltimore. Now, David teaches business organizations how to bring meaning and purpose to the workplace without turning work into the sole identity of their employees.

David is one of the smartest and funniest people I know and this episode is so chockful of wisdom and insight. It's one that will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end!

Dan Faulkner came from a middle class background in Kenmore, Washington. His was the kind of existence that appeared normal on the outside.

But Dan's mom suffered from addiction and volatile mental health issues and his father was a "conspiracy theorist before it was cool."

That led to early troubles for Dan, who looked for acceptance at age 15 from a group of friends who used drugs and drinking to find community. By age 17, Dan was smoking speed out of a hollowed out light bulb.

Fortunately, his parents provided him help when he really needed them, and got him into an in-house treatment program. After a few false starts, Dan began his long-term recovery.

Dan graduated college and started a successful real estate career. Twenty years of personal work later, Dan is now a husband and father of two who credits his sobriety and happiness to "being tired of not having hope" and committing to living a life of surrender.

Deanna Bone is living her best life and says it all started at age 8 when her neighbor gave her her first Bible. And did she use it!

Not only did Deanna carry the bible her grandfather gave her while walking down the aisle at her wedding but she held it close when she went bankrupt and lost her house during the housing crash of 2008. That good book became a resource again in 2012 when she faced cancer and the prospect of losing her life.

Both events could have spelled the end for Deanna, professionally and personally, but with the help of coaches, oncologists, and an insistent husband, as well as some of her favorite Bible passages, Deanna recovered and returned to the market stronger than ever.

Yet back in action, Deanna said she still felt unworthy and unwelcome among the top tier of realtors in the country. It wasn't until a coach taught her to reframe the way she listens to her voice inside that she discovered that the barriers to the life she wanted came from within and a certain old book she had previously relied on contained new words about building hope and a future.

Listen to the whole Chiseled episode to hear how Deanna discovered that self-care comes in many forms and how she used these tools, and her original source of inspiration, not only to recover but also to succeed beyond her dreams.

Aaron West used to have a horrible relationship with money. He has always been in sales but even when he was making $125,000 a year, he was just as broke as when he earned $13,000 a year. When he found himself $60,000 in debt, he knew he needed to make a change in his relationship with money.

With counseling and a change in mindset to one of abundance, Aaron soon discovered that the only people talking about money were those with it — not because they had it, but because they weren't afraid of talking about it and the decision that they were making involving money.

Aaron started making disciplined financial decisions, stopped judging himself by his net worth, and broke his family toxic fear of wealth.

Aaron is now a convert for financial stewardship. The transformation has increased his faith in family, religion, business, and body. In this episode, Aaron discusses how he helps people with financial challenges, which advice to take from people with and without money, and how to recognize the difference between being rich and being wealthy.

Have you ever encouraged another person through a tough time only to find out the same words you used to encourage someone were some of the same words you needed to hear yourself? The giver in an act of kindness often receives the same if not more than the recipient.

As a nonsmoker Shelly Slocum was shocked to learn she was facing a diagnosis of lung cancer. But her health scare didn't defeat her because Shelly had already discovered how to face life's challenges. "It's okay to dip your toe in the pity pool, just don't go swimming."

Helping her older daughter — a Navy pediatrician — recover from a breakdown following a traumatic experience, Shelly shared inspirational messages with her daughter every day for months. Her daughter emerged happier and healthier than she had been before and was so transformed by the experience, she encouraged her mother to write a book. Out poured "Love and Inspiration from Mom."

Shelly's book isn't just a list of inspirational quotes. She offers lessons on how to apply these bits of inspiration in the face of any obstacle. To her surprise, she benefited from her own wisdom when she needed it most.

JM Ryerson has built three financial services companies from the ground up. A successful business coach, international speaker, best-selling author, and host of the Let's Go Win podcast, JM shared with me how he gets people to the win. In short, it all comes down to mindset.

In this episode of Chiseled, JM talks about the best ways to show empathy and to support people who are discovering their passion, plus he shares a bit about letting your own light shine even when others want to dim your bulb.

JM's strategies aren't just useful for building successful businesses. They are tools to successfully navigate every relationship of your life. And when you master them, you will find how much easier it is to fulfill goals you didn't know you had.

We all experience pain in our lives! When we experience pain do we look for the silver lining? Do we play the victim role? Can we find purpose in that pain?

Marybeth Henderson has overcome some awful and bizarre challenges in her life, including losing her dad while still a teen, surviving a mystery contagion that left her in isolation in a hospital basement, facing down a rare cancer that was accidentally discovered, and preventing her house from trying to kill her.

Throughout it all, she has been working on a mantra that includes the reminders to "never leave anything unspoken," "look for the blessings," "encourage others," and "bring purpose to the pain."

Thankfully, much has worked out well for Marybeth as well. She found her husband in an unexpected place, runs an extremely successful real estate brokerage, and has started a new service to help people discover and recover from unusual illnesses.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Marybeth for over a decade, and she is one of the most positive people I know. She also has another contagion: a laugh that sounds like tinkling bells. And you know what happens when you hear a bell ring!

In the latest episode of Chiseled, Marybeth shares how all of the challenges she surmounted and all of the success she achieved were possible through a help from her friends, the kindness of strangers, and unyielding faith in her creator.

Do you have the intestinal fortitude to keep going after you’ve been knocked down? Are you resilient? From one of my favorite “Rocky” quotes: “But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

Sean Hackney’s story is a story about resilience and fortitude. An 11-time Ironman triathlete and a 20+ time half Ironman finisher, he did it all on a leg that defies medical explanation.

When Sean was a running back in college, his leg was destroyed when he was hit by multiple players during a football game. His kneecap was dislocated, his ACL tore, his quadricep hyperextended down to his shin, and his artery was severed. He should have lost the whole leg.

After multiple surgeries, doctors were able to take a vein from his thigh and move it behind his knee to act as a conduit for circulation to his lower leg. That graft was expected to last five-10 years and doctors were unsure what to expect next.

Then something inexplicable happened. Twenty-seven years later, the graft was still holding steady — and the vein mapping didn't just work, but one vessel had grown 2-3 times its size and started functioning as an artery.

Listen in as Sean tells his remarkable story of resilience and perseverance.

Brian White grew up without "expectations." A New Jersey boy with no real vision of his future, he never imagined life beyond minimum wage. Then at 19, his girlfriend told him she was pregnant, and he had a choice — to be a part of his baby's life or to get lost.

Ten years later, Brian became one of the youngest presidents ever to run a hospital. Chasing prestige and winning titles, Brian eventually ended up running a health system of 27,000 people and a $4 billion budget. Yet he never stopped to celebrate any of his success. He just kept searching for the next win.

Still married to his teen sweetheart — and four children later — Brian found himself facing the biggest challenge of his life — and suddenly winning took a back seat to surviving, forcing Brian to change his entire perspective on life.

Growing up in California in the late 60's, Larry Underhill's motto was "better living through chemistry." His experimentation with drugs almost beat him. Years later, Larry decided to trade in drugs for Jesus. He committed to a relationship with Christ and over the last 50 years he has seen his share of hardships and humility. Through his strong faith and his discipline Larry say's he is confident that his personal relationship with Christ will last "after his earth suit goes away."

In this episode, you will hear how Larry has applied his commitment to Christ it in all areas of his life; as a business owner, as a father and grandfather, as an addiction treatment specialist, and as a friend. His far-reaching studies and efforts to walk the path of God are the epitome of selflessness in the conduct of service. I hope you enjoy this episode and Larry's many pearls of wisdom and powerful insights.

Gary Adornato has had a passion for sports since he was a kid. Realizing that he never was going to go pro (especially for wrestling), Gary decided to do the next best thing: he built Varsity Sports Network, a Maryland-based media company focused solely on high school sports.

It wasn't easy. As you can imagine, high school sports coverage isn't the best-paying or highest profile gig but Gary says it's the best job he could ever have, especially because he runs his operation focused only on positive coverage.

The company's trajectory has taken a lot of dips and turns over the past 30 years but that doesn't matter to Gary. He's doing what he loves and he did it by putting his faith in his guardian angel — St. Anthony, patron saint of lost items, who Gary says has helped him every step of the way.

Mike Gandolfo grew up in a Catholic home and went to Catholic schools his whole life. He was so used to going through the motions that after college, he became an instructor at the very school where he graduated.

But as Mike admits, he was only going through the motions, not living a truly Catholic life. He didn't gain a deeper appreciation of his faith until he started talking to people of other faiths.

Gaining knowledge about the differences between his and other religions, Mike felt an intense connection to God and the Catholic liturgy emerge. It changed the way he led his life, the way he did business, and the way he looked at destiny.

Mike, a top real estate agent in Louisville, Ky., shares his message of faith and how it has made him a better boss, a better dad, and a better servant of the people. Mike is our 27th guest on Chiseled, the podcast to help you build awareness in your life to become the person you were created to be.

JoAnn Zebrowski has attended a few schools of hard knocks but came out shining on the other side. The daughter of an abusive, alcoholic father who died when she was a child, JoAnn faced bullying at school because of a stutter. The persistent harassment led her daily to a quiet place — a church pew — and on a journey that proved that God only gives you what you can handle.

Raising two children on her own following a failed marriage and a years-long IRS pursuit, JoAnn says she is grateful every day for the hardships. Without them, she wouldn't be where she is today — a top producing real estate agent and mother of two successful young women.

In this latest episode of Chiseled, JoAnn describes how she witnessed God's plan and never gave up getting chiseled.

Ron Saharyan and Mike Michalowicz started working out of Mike's family's garage in 2014 while they were devising the "Profit First" method. Profit First is their ingenious approach to cash flow management that helps entrepreneurs grow their business while also living their best lives instead of slaving away at the company register. It is a proven success in increasing businesses' growth and more importantly business owners' financial freedom. Even better, you can use it to run your household as well.

For every business owner who's heard that they have to get out of working in their business so they can work on their business, here's a key tip: you're not profitable until you get out of debt. But cash is not king, cash flow is.

In this latest episode of Chiseled, Ron offers a spiritual twist on some key concepts of the Profit First method and discusses how to use the system to fulfill your mission and purpose in life.

Talk about getting chiseled! Imagine being so disciplined that you can complete your goals for the next year in just 12 weeks! It can be done! Husband-wife team Michael Lennington, best-selling author of "The 12-Week Year," and Kristin Tabbert, a nationally recognized executive coach, say it all comes down to the way we perceive and treat time. We know. Easier said than done. We humans can find ways of wasting time all day long!

But, my guests warn, we don't have an infinite amount of time. We all get the same amount as everyone else. By knowing how to use ours to prioritize and focus on our most impactful tasks, we can lower stress, improve results, and turn our lost hours into powerful productivity. Plus, managing our time well creates another benefit: It raises our awareness of the paths God is putting before us and leads us down the ones that chisel us into the person we're meant to be.

By age 19, Heather Roxburgh had two children and a years-long addiction to methamphetamine. And she knew she had to be clean before her boyfriend got out of prison. It wasn't an easy thing to do, especially with a sister sharing her addiction and her childcare responsibilities.

But one day, Heather had an epiphany, an awakening of such clarity that she said it had to have come from above. That day, she set a timetable to change her life. And she met it. Heather shares her story of growing up in southern Utah, the pressure of family, the grace of God, and the turnaround story that gave her a second chance to raise her family and put her at the top of her professional game.

Tommy Breedlove spent his 19th birthday in prison — serving a two-year term that got knocked from seven. Just three years later, he was working for financial advisor Deloitte Touche. After years of massive success and a trajectory toward becoming the wealthiest partner in his firm, Tommy quit. Tommy said he wasn't feeling the calling and he wasn't making a difference in the lives of others. Now, Tommy is becoming legendary for another reason — helping individuals and couples replace fear with love so that they can live with the grace, confidence, courage, and power to become masters of their own destinies and live their true calling.

Rob Wallace Jr. shares his story of huge success in the solar panel installation business and how feeling an urge to give back, he opened an educational program that now annually trains 1,000 disadvantaged, veteran, and minority students in green engineering. Each of these students is taught Rob's 52 Principles to Power using God-centered principles for personal and professional success.

Have you ever followed the advice of others as to what you should do in your life and resisted the calling from your heart? It happens to all of us at some point in our lives. Dallas Dance's story is an example of this. Dallas became an exceptional and charismatic leader at a young age. He was appointed the superintendent of the Baltimore County public school system at the age of 30. Following the misguidance of his professional relationships, colleagues and others, Dallas' desire to move up the proverbial ladder as fast as he could to help as many people as he could led him down a dark road. Faced with the prospect of jail time, Dallas would soon discover his mother was given a prognosis of two years to live. It forced Dallas to reflect on what was really important in life. And that's when he had an epiphany about love. In this episode of Chiseled Dallas shares his story of the lesson he learned regarding how to love and be loved.

All parents push their kids to do their best but imagine having a dad who is constantly working on his own self-improvement and pushing his kids to do the same! Well, Robbie Commodari, Rob's son, knows the feeling.

Robbie faced a lot of demands from his dad — to the point that it depleted his energy, wore him out, and caused serious anxiety. Still, the values he picked up — working to be his best, looking for solutions to big challenges, and finding ways to communicate with others — penetrated! And Robbie used those values — and his own passion — to tell Rob what was important to him and how he wanted to live his life. Despite butting heads with Rob along the way, Robbie ended up going above and beyond his parents' — and his own — expectations.

Years ago Brad Noll was an all state high school basketball player. Out of high school he decided to attend a Division II basketball program where his father coached. He was a starter and a big-time player. Entering his second year of college his school made a transition to Division II. To compete at that level his father needed to recruit stronger, more talented athletes. Brad was 5'12" as many ball players his height like to admit. He would be competing against players much taller than him and more stronger. One day his father approached Brad and they had to have a tough conversation. There was a point in the conversation that Brad's dad told him he wasn't "good enough" to start at this level. Have often do you hear those words "You're not good enough?" How often do you tell yourself that story? In this episode of Chiseled you will hear how Brad handled that conversation and how it made him a better person, father, husband, and coach.

After experiencing a failed business, Brent Gove was down to living on frozen bread and jelly for his family of four while living in a room at his brother's house. Brent was humiliated and bankrupt, wondering how it all happened. However, he never waivered in his faith or his ability to get through the tough times. Brent knew he had to put in his time. He knew he had to do the work and put in the reps. Like a baseball player taking ground balls everyday and basketball player taking hundreds of shots a day, Brent knew what he had to do. Now Brent is one of the largest revenue share producing agents at eXp Realty. He has a podcast and has authored a book. His willingness to help others live the good life is inspiring. If you are looking for energy and encouragement, look no further.

Ben Andrews has been a runner most of his life. In fact, Ben is one of a small group of people who have completed a mile run in under four minutes. He had an opportunity to train and possibly compete in the Olympics years ago but as they say, life happens. In high school Ben was accused of a crime he didn't commit. He didn't run from this challenge, in fact, Ben ran right through it. It was a trying time for Ben, however with the love and support of his family and his faith in God, Ben was eventually cleared. It was one of the many miracles he experienced through this journey.

Now a successful real esate agent, track athlete, a budding author, and a founder of a charitable foundation, Ben shares incredible stories about his life and the interventions--both human and spiritual. Be inspired by Ben's journey!

Joell Mower's son was murdered in 2012 in a drug deal gone bad. It was in an instant that Joell was able to forgive the murderer. She credits her faith and the Devine Mercy Chaplet that was given to her months earlier to be able to offer forgiveness. The immediate forgiveness she experienced for the murderer, who is serving a 64-years-to-life sentence, kept Joell's family from falling apart. It also enabled the perpetrator to change his life while behind bars. Joell will never be able to forget what happen but her courage to forgive is an inspiring story for all of us.

Charles K. Hopkins was convicted of armed robbery and murder almost 50 years ago at the age of 20. He was incarcerated for 48 years and was released in December 2019. His first 30 years in prison, Charles was rebellious and spent a years of his sentence in solidary confinement. When he was granted the opportunity to move to a county prison in anticipation of a retrial, he felt the Holy Spirit nudging him. Charles has since committed his life to Christ and has been chiseled into the human being that he says he is happy with today. He feels his purpose is to serve God and plans on doing so the rest of his life. Not only does Charles share his story and reveal the incredible obstacles to survival in a system that he says is not interested in rehabilitation but merely confinement, but also he gives us incredible nuggets of wisdom that we can use in our lives no matter how successful we've been.

Austin Cheviron shares with us how he went from a wild teenager, owning his first house at 18 years of age, basically being broke at age 26 to a successful business professional at age 37. He shares with us the turning point in his life and how God is chiseling him into who he is becoming. Austin had a moment of awareness when he realized he had to step up to succeed in this game of life. He is a real estate professional and an owner of a highly successful real estate team in Indiana.

Karen Storey has been a Toastmaster for over 25 years and she has inspired thousands of people during time with Toastmasters. Toastmasters is known as a forum where people go to learn to become better speakers. What's just as important, when you attend a Toastmasters meeting you learn to become a better listener as well. Whether you are a stay at home parent, a business professional or no matter what your occupation is, Toastmasters is for you. Karen is a business owner, a brilliant public speaker, and she's a mentor of many people who have traveled the road of learning to become a better communicator. Karen is also known for starting a Toastmasters club in the Jessup prison in Maryland (The New Genesis Club) where she has mentored hundreds of inmates to become more confident in their communication skills as they approach their release date from prison. In this episode Karen Storey shares with listeners the impact Toastmaster's has had on her life and on the lives of others.

In this episode Sheila Fejeran shares with us her spiritual journey and how God has worked in her life! After being in twenty car accidents, being hit by a bus, rolling a car down a hill, having whiplash four times and being struck while walking in a parking lot, Sheila realizes life is a gift and every day truly is a blessing. Sheila is a realtor, speaker, and an author of seven books and has a passion for studying and teaching the Bible.

You will be inspired by her story and how Sheila learned to allow God to work in her life and develop her into the person she is to become. Sheila partners with Realtors that want to Grow & Develop Passive Income by implementing Duplicatable & Sustainable systems.

Over the past 29 years, Sheila has been a sales trainer in the media, pharmaceutical and real estate industries. She loves spending time with her family and friends while encouraging her sons to follow their dreams and passions. Sheila loves to travel, exercise and read. She has her own real estate group and resides in Mckinney, TX.

Do you want to listen to how a deep thinker thinks? Listen to Scott Wurtzbacher as he shares his journey of self-awareness and personal growth. Scott discusses the importance of "me" time in the morning and what impact that has on him to start the day. He starts his day in prayer and meditation then the bell rings for work. We all have things to do and fires to put out during the course of our days. When this happens we can find ourselves in a state of tension and unease. The goal is to be the "me" time Scott all the time. Scott is a father of 2 and has been married for 21 years now and lives in Charlotte, N.C.

Pat Kilner discusses how faith and disruption show up in our lives in various ways. He shares with us how he leans into his faith to work through the many disruptions in his life and how you can do the same. We have disruption in our lives all the time. How do you handle it? Do you choose to adapt through faith? In this episode of Chiseled, Patrick Kilner shares with us some of the significant disruptions he has had in his life and how he leaned into his faith to work through them. He is also the author of the book, Find Your Six, which goes live Oct 2nd.

In this episode Fr. Michael Martin, the Director of the Duke Catholic Center at Duke University, discusses quiet time also known as contemplative prayer, how to start and what the benefits are of this consistent practice.

In this episode Dan O'Dell, a real estate agent in Oakland Park, KS shares with us the importance of building relationships in business and in life. More important than negotiating real estate deals, Dan discusses the importance of negotiating relationships.

In this episode, my guest, Curtis Oakes makes us aware there is a voice inside all of us speaking to us all the time. Are you hearing it at all? Are you hearing and not taking action? Are you hearing it and taking action?

Listen to James Sharp revisit the three house fires he's been through and how that has set his heart on fire to help others. James discusses how he feels God has more in store for him as he is constantly being chiseled into being the best version of himself. Allow your self to be inspired by his message. We may not have been through a house fire, however, we all have fires to put out on a daily basis.

In this episode you will hear Pete Kohlasch discuss the importance of being committed in all areas of his life and how God a has played a role in his success.

by Rob Commodari

by Rob Commodari

In this episode you will here how Mark Brodinsky overcame his speech impediment and now has become a fantastic speaker. Overcoming setbacks is essential to becoming the best version of yourself. As you chisel away one piece at a time, eventually you will evolve into the person you were meant to be.

Lovesipline, n: A dedication to helping and serving others by committing to give one's undivided focus and attention so that the receiver feels that their concerns are seen, heard, and addressed.

by Rob Commodari

In this episode you may discover what is holding you back from living the life you were designed to live.

This episode is an overview of what the Chiseled podcast is all about.