Strength Is Built When You Decide To Change | Mike Ruppert

One of the hardest moments in life is realizing you are not ready when it matters most. Palmetto Bluff member Michael Ruppert takes us back to being a 5'8", 129-pound teenager in EMT and firefighter training, struggling to lift patients and operate heavy rescue tools while seconds counted. That experience was not just humbling, it was clarifying. He made a decision to stop going through the motions and build real strength, the kind that shows up under pressure.

We dig into what actually worked: strength training built on progressive overload, cleaner calories, more protein, and the patience to let results compound over years. Mike breaks down the mindset shift from “I hope I change” to “I’m committed,” plus the practical routines that keep him consistent as a husband, dad, and senior national sales manager at Stryker. A big theme is accountability, including how a true training partner becomes a friend who sharpens you spiritually and mentally, not just someone who counts reps.

We also connect the dots to leadership and wellness. Michael shares how discipline in the gym transfers to discipline at work, why authentic relationships matter more than buzzwords, and how leaving your ego at the door helps you train smarter and lead better. If you care about strength training, nutrition as fuel, consistency, and whole-person wellness, this conversation will give you a clear next step.

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Transcript

Welcome And Why Strength Matters

SPEAKER_02 0:14

Are you ready to live an active lifestyle? Welcome to Behind the Bluff, where we believe every moment of your life is an opportunity to participate in life on your terms. I'm your host, Jeff Ford, and today's conversation is about something we all say we want: strength, but maybe not in the way that you think about it. I'm joined by Palmetto Bluff member Michael Rubert, senior national sales manager at Stryker. He spent nearly two decades leading at a high level while also building a life grounded in faith, family, and discipline. But what stood out to me most in having Michael on today is his journey to strength didn't start from a place of confidence. It started from a moment where it wasn't there when it mattered most. And what he's built since isn't just physical, it's a way of living. Our plan today is to get into what it really means to go from small to strong, why how you live matters than what you lift, and why there's no shortcuts in the gym or and life. Michael, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Thanks so much, Jeff. And thank you so much for uh just putting this podcast on. I've listened to a few of them, and man, you've done a great job with you and your team. So thank you. Appreciate that.

Meet Michael And Life At Home

SPEAKER_02 1:39

It's all in the name of building our community and uh having like-minded people sharing their stories. So, Mike, let's let's dive in. For those who may not know you, give us a quick snapshot, work, family, and what what life looks like right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

I have a wife named Crystal and two awesome daughters that keep me moving, Eliana, who just turned 10, and Lily, who's four. We moved from Westport, Connecticut about four years ago. So this has been uh a journey for us, both physically physically moving from the tri-state area all the way down here, but also developing relationships and we're we're loving it, we're thriving with in that role. Um, currently work at Stryker and I oversee the U.S. Ambulance Channels, as you said, and also our national accounts. And so, what's awesome about that is I get to see all different uh sides of the business when it comes to emergency care, which that's just one of the divisions of Stryker. So, and when we talk about life, life is busy. Can you imagine? I mean, I've got a four-year-old that keeps me running at a lateral motion on a regular basis. We've got uh Eliana who's involved in the American Heritage Girls and some other dance recitals and different uh events. So, yeah, bottom line, I would say life is busy.

Why Palmetto Bluff Feels Like Home

SPEAKER_02 3:02

Yeah, you are in a season of getting your kids into more activities, work. You've essentially gone from the ground floor position to now a leadership position. And I'm excited to dive into all you've learned there. But first, what do you enjoy most about living here at Palmetto Bluff and no longer in Connecticut?

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Well, I I we gotta start with the weather, right? So a little different. I mean, six months out of the year, it's gray and cold. Uh, don't get me wrong, Westport Summers, it's hard to beat those, but uh I would say weather first. But then number two is the people, man. I I gotta say, the people are incredible, they've got great stories, and you can feel their heart when you're talking to them, especially down here in the south. And so we feel like we're actually truly home. And so that's where I would go with that one.

The Moment Strength Failed On Duty

SPEAKER_02 3:55

Yeah, yeah. Pum at a buff. Once once you get here, it's definitely a place that you feel like you're meant to be. Right. I I can say that from a professional standpoint as well. Let's jump into small to strong. You have an incredible story, you weighed 129 pounds, you're you're only 5'8. So, well, 5'8 is actually pretty tall. So being 129 pounds at that size, there's been a huge transition because for those members out there who know you, you are a completely different person now. Take me back to when you realized your strength wasn't where it needed to be, and what happened?

SPEAKER_00 4:37

Yeah, I was uh I was a little guy. Um, but if so, if we go back there, it would be about 16 years old. Um, I actually got my EMT. So for those that aren't familiar with that, you actually can get your EMT at 16. So I did that, and then at 18, I went to the PA State Fire Academy and got my Firefighter 1. So this was uh part of the journey, and that was still at that 5'8, 129 pounds, soaking wet, by the way. What we had to do though is lift patience, and patient weight shifts. So if you think about an ambulance stretcher, now we have power stretchers, shameless plug the striker, but you actually had to lift patience in and out of an ambulance, and that was a really difficult thing, which is essentially a deadlift with actual motion. So that was really, really difficult for me. I always had to have somebody help me, and even with help, it was very hard. And so I didn't do the greatest with that at all. And I will say that we also, part of our rescue company, we used um these big spreaders, they're about a hundred pounds, they're hearse tools. You guys probably know them as jaws of life.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Yeah, so this is what firefighters will use in a horrific car accident to get people out of the car, correct, to get the extrication of the patient.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

And that's that was really difficult too. So I could barely get those uh to even my chest level, and to spread out an A post or a B post to actually remove a patient, it's it's a lot of work, and those hydraulic tools, they have to build up the hydraulic pressure, and eventually what happens is it snaps, and that's how you break through those doors. So, again, not the greatest with that. I had to have two people to help me with that, and so when seconds count and patients' lives matter, that was a problem.

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Yeah, Mike, I hear you almost being upset with yourself during that season of your life. How did it feel to require the assistance of two teammates for a one-person job?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, it was it was tough, man, because the bottom line is a lot of people are probably their own worst critic, and I certainly am. And so when you're trying to do everything perfect, you just can't, and physically you're going as hard as you can, and you just can't get it done. And so I on top of that, I was also playing tennis, right? And so endurance was a big issue. So I had all this cardio, so it wasn't packing on any kind of weight, any kind of mass, and it just wasn't working out.

No Shortcuts Calories Training Community

SPEAKER_02 7:23

Yeah, so your performance and modality of primarily cardio was making it difficult for you to keep muscle and strength on the body. 100%. Now, mentally, there was this struggle here. What did you do about it?

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Yeah, so well, first of all, I didn't want to let anyone down. Like that was such a big thing for me. I always felt like I had something to prove because I just couldn't get it done. So I started lifting, I was guessing fast forward a little bit in college. And so, first thing is you surround yourself with people that are like-minded, that want to work out, right? So that's that was really important. Making sure that you increase your protein intake, your calorie intake, muscle overlide um overloading exercises. I even tried back in the day this thing called Weight Gainer 40,000 and all these other gimmicks, mask supplements, and it wasn't a lot of success. But weight gainer 40,000? Weight gainer 40,000.

SPEAKER_01 8:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:24

It sounds like that's gonna put weight on the body. Oh my gosh. Think of like uh 10 Big Macs all at one time. So it was great on the gut, too. Not kidding. That was terrible. Um, so these are all the kind of things that it's amazing what you'll try when you know you need to fix something. I mean, they have back in the day the hydroxy cut, and they have all these other supplements that yeah, some people may it may work for some, may not work for others. But it was all these you wanted to find something, that magic pill, and there was no magic pill.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Mike, that is such a great point because even if it's not someone trying to increase their strength and muscle mass, what you said there in regards to when you want something so bad or you see something that you can do better, there's this feeling that I need to do anything possible to make this improvement. And I think we can use that powerfully in our lives. We can also use that negatively, though.

SPEAKER_00 9:24

Totally agree, man. And and when you look at so what kind of stuck and actually helped a lot was getting the calorie intake up, but cleaner calories. And so I started doing things like obviously peanut butter is a great way to boost calories, but also protein. So what I would eat peanut butter sandwiches at night on top of all my normal meals. So that what that did is increase those calories. And while I was sleeping, I was actually building muscle too. So it was burning, but also building. Um, and workouts, they weren't optional anymore, they were essential. At this point, this was not a hobby. This was, hey, I'm going to take this by the reins and I'm gonna find a way to build mass. And so it was high protein. You know, when you get full after that chicken breast, you gotta go for another bite or two. You know, you gotta stretch the stomach a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

If you're going for muscle building, you got you got to push it and get your body used to the extra calories.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

100%. Like we're not talking Joey Chestnut, like throwing down hot dogs at a time competition, but we're talking about little situations where you can increase your your stomach, but at the same time do it in the right way. That was really important. And then it it specifically in college, I actually even started to do two workouts a day. So strength, strength-based workouts, absolutely. We call them two a days. So you would essentially do, let's say, chest in the morning, but then I also wanted to make sure that I wasn't hitting chest, but something else. So I would either do legs or I would do arms, something else.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

You do an opposing muscle group in the evening or something. Correct. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yep, yep, yep, yep. So yeah, that was uh that was essential to just getting some calorie uh overload and ultimately getting more mass on the body.

SPEAKER_02 11:17

Yeah, the calorie overload, and then just pausing on something you said, it started to become a habit almost part of your identity. 100%. And so I'm wondering, when did you feel like you wanted to go to the gym? That deep desire that like I want to be in there, when did that happen for you?

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Yeah, so it's funny when you uh when you start to do something and you start to slowly see results, you start to say, Hey, I want to do more of this. And the more you do it, the more it becomes a passion. And then you start to think, how could I actually do something in my life as far as food, fitness, together with other people, and you're starting to surround yourself with a fitness community. And when you start really integrating in that, it all starts to really flow.

SPEAKER_02 12:10

Yeah, that's great perspective. It's it's kind of that trickle effect, the wow, I'm I'm noticing the progress. And I would say for many of our members who have recently gotten involved in fitness classes here or worked with a trainer, very similar. They start to uh get that hit, that dopamine effect from the progress. Absolutely. And it just leads, and in my opinion, trickles over to other areas of our life, which I know we're gonna dive into. Now, Mike, we spent a lot of time on food, so I want to talk about that a bit more here, but through this college era, you're also playing college tennis. You're uh correct, yeah, and and balancing all of this. Yeah. When did you get to a point where you were no longer 128 pounds? Could you share with us kind of like the the additional evolution from here?

SPEAKER_00 13:02

Right. So, well, and also height, right? I it was like overnight, man. My ribs were separating, and I I felt that all the stretches. Um, but I think where it really started happening is again, it was a daily grind, but slowly it was like a pound here and a pound here and a pound here. But also what I've noticed is I'm getting stronger. So going from a bench press, and I'm not talking about bench presses, but you know, going from let's say, you know, 135 to 185. Well, as you're getting stronger, you're building muscle mass, which is actually making you heavier, but it also helping with bone density. And that's a big part of what's happening. So your tendons are increasing, your bone density is increasing, and ultimately you're gonna get bigger and you're gonna weigh more. And so that's so I would say over the course of probably two to three years, the jump was pretty dramatic and it just continued to grow.

SPEAKER_02 13:57

So it was at that three-year mark where family members, friends, they started to know notice a difference in just how you looked and and probably just how you behave too, since that became a part of your life.

SPEAKER_00 14:08

Absolutely. And I mean mentally too, because you know that this is now a consistent habit where it's but it's a good one and it's something that you can really uh become passionate about.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

What does it mean to you to have achieved this? Man, it it means a lot, but it's not everything. I mean, the bottom line is it's a part of life. When when you look at uh say the the totality of life, it for me it starts as the foundation uh, you know, I'm a man of faith. And so Jesus is number one, right? And then it's my family, and then it's work, then fitness. So it's there, but it's certainly not my end all be all.

unknown 14:52

Yeah.

Food As Fuel And Accountability

SPEAKER_02 14:53

That's outstanding. So good, Mike. I I heard recently we have to remember that work is only one twelfth of our life. There you go. And you know, depending on how we look at the different dimensions of our life. Sometimes I think for a lot of our members, our listeners out there, that work life account impedes on the fitness or impedes on the family. And so I I really appreciate you pointing that out uh in this conversation today. So let's get into how you live today. You you mentioned a little bit about the additional peanut butter sandwiches in the evening time to get to where you are today. That's right. And you've said food is fuel just when we've had conversations outside the studio and in passing. What does your nutrition actually look like day to day? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

So, well, number one is you gotta have fuel, right? If you're gonna have hard workouts, you gotta have fuel. And so today, when I wake up, I mean, essentially I uh I'd say no day's ever typical. And if anybody says it's typical, then I don't know. But I, you know, it starts again with my quiet time with God. I think that's really important. Um, and then I do my standard egg white sandwich and coffee, and don't ask me more about that, but that's just my thing. Uh, I make sure that you know I have my workout set. And so I think that's really important too.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

When you say workout set, do you mean the time you're gonna go and the routine?

SPEAKER_00 16:29

Uh both. So understanding, and I I'll dive into this. Probably the most important part beyond fuel is an accountability partner. And so um, mine is Kevin, so you guys probably see us around. If you don't, you can't miss us. Uh, but his name's Kevin Terrio, and I met him four years ago, literally, as I was moving here. You guys both kind of moved here at the same time. We did, yeah. And I actually, I mean, talk about uh coincidence. I mean, literally was renting the house while they were building our house right next to each other. And we had so many things in common that it made a lot of sense. And when you have an accountability partner, I mean, you have a growth mentality, both physically, spiritually. And when they say iron sharpens iron, I mean it truly does. And so, first thing I do when I wake up after, you know, saying good morning to my wife, and then eating my egg white sandwich and having my coffee is I text Kevin, hey, are we doing 8 a.m. or are we doing 12 o'clock? And so that's based on schedules because we're not retired. We actually have to work, and it's really important. So that being said, um, we also understand what that workout should look like because your workout shouldn't be uh, we'll say, dictated as soon as you walk in the door. You should already know mentally and prepare yourself mentally for what you're about to put your body through. Yeah, that's so good.

SPEAKER_02 17:56

And depending on how you wake up, you may talk yourself out of it and change something when in reality you can handle it if you've pre-planned and committed to this is what I'm doing today.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

100%. And and there's gonna be so many things that you don't want to do. Like I hate Bulgarian split squats, and if anybody likes them, hey, you know, more power to you, but I hate them. But you gotta do them. You gotta do them. Top five exercise, man. Right, right. It's terrible. I mean, these are the kind of things that when when it gets hard, you gotta push through it. And I think that that bleeds into not only physically, but mentally and in your life.

SPEAKER_02 18:33

Yeah, what a parallel to life. Uh, Mike, I want to go back to this concept of an accountability partner. Yeah. What really struck me is Kevin isn't just a workout buddy, he's he's a friend.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

And one of the things that I'm working on in my life is just getting more of those like-minded people in my foxhole. That's right, and deepening those relationships. What has it meant to you in your time here at Palmetto Bluff to have Kevin?

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Man, I can't even put that into words. It's that's God given. That's my brother in Christ right there, man. And I talk about foxhole. I I'd go to war with that guy any day without even a question. Um, and that's that's a brotherhood. And it's something that um, I mean, he goes to Bible study. We actually have a Bible study here on Friday, shameless plug to Patrick Bowen. He's doing a great job with that. Is uh Friday at 8 a.m. We have uh a group of guys that we actually do Bible study with, and it's just it's it's awesome to be raw and authentic with people who are truly brothers that you know you can be safe with, and that's that's that's that's him.

Consistency Beyond Going Through Motions

SPEAKER_02 19:44

So well, thanks for your reflection there. I I'm always after helping out the person who takes the time to tune into the conversation, but you emulate consistency, complete humility aside, and and I think here's a good point. We all have dialed in consistency in certain areas of our life. We know fitness, faith, you know, you've talked about this family. We're probably all working on some level of consistency. So, what I'd love for you to share is where do people get consistency wrong when it comes to fitness and taking care of their health?

SPEAKER_00 20:24

They can just go through the motions. Like, hey, I went to the gym and I got my reps in, I did my 10 reps and my three sets, and uh, that was good enough.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

I was on the elliptical for 20 minutes.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Exactly, right, right. Reading my little book and going at a speed of uh 0.005. No, that that's nuts that's not gonna work. And so I think uh consistency, while great, is only a part of the equation. Where it really matters is what you actually do. It working out is not gonna be easy. You should need you gotta walk in there knowing that it's it's supposed to be hard. And if it's easy, then you need to challenge yourself further. And so that's something that I actually uh somewhat enjoy with Kevin is we think about ways to make it worse. So, I mean, seriously, maybe all of a sudden he's like popping these uh you know bench presses. I mean, I gotta, you know, uh shameless uh I'll say um brag on Kevin. I mean, he I guess he wouldn't mind this, but when he first came here, he was probably doing 135, 145-pound bench. Now he's benching over 275. And this is again one of those things where it's like, how do we take it another step further?

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

You know, can you get two reps? Can you get a a half a rep? Let's say you can get a pull up in, great. On that second pull up, you only get halfway. Fine, go the halfway. So that's the other part, too, is to make sure that you're really you're getting true muscle failure.

SPEAKER_02 21:56

Yeah, there's always another level in It could be, you know, through through my own walk or just what what I'm working on right now as well. We have to stay unsettled. Exactly. And and in the gym, it's especially important to be unsettled because I'm a I'm a huge advocate. Like, don't waste your time. That's right. You know, we've we've only been given, we've been given a shot at this for a reason. That's right. And so we have to have a sense of urgency in life, but a sense of calm within that urgency with how we go about things. So it's it's not like urgent, urgent, urgent. But if getting better and stronger in the gym is important to you, make sure you're taking yourself to that that half pull-up that Mike has referred to here today.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:47

Now, what I what I I've also found just in you know our interactions, Mike, you know, I've gotten to know you a little bit better. I I I love seeing you in a PB strong class on a Saturday. You can tell you're pushing it, and I can tell, you know, in in in one small way, we're able to impact your program a little bit in a positive way, get you the cardio a little more. Um, but you're also great at leaving the ego at the door. And there's a famous book out there called Ego is the the enemy by Ryan Holliday. Highly suggest it to everyone out there. How do you remove the ego with the gym and and even in life, since we've stumbled into that? Yeah, it's very humbling to hear that, man.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Um I think it's got to be worked on every day. I think you have to be intentional about what you do and what you say. Uh, character is what happens when no one's watching. And I think that's something that you know goes back to the faith foundation, man. I mean, the bottom line is um the only one perfect person is, you know, our creator. And that's not me. And so um we can chase perfection, but ultimately uh everybody just wants to uh be treated a certain way. And I I think it's so important just to um to always lean in and to be very authentic with the people that you're around because we all have stories, we all came from something, and it there's absolutely no reason to have an ego when it comes to the gym. I mean, oftentimes you know, you hear about ego lifters in the gym. I mean, this is not muscle beach, this is palmetal bluff. Uh resistance is more important than weights. And what I mean by that is, I mean, whether you're using bandwork, whether you're using you know lighter weights, that muscle mind connection is more important than any of that. So, yeah, you can add weight, that's one thing. But at the same time, if you're you're ego lifting and you get yourself hurt, then you're down for the count for could be weeks, even months. And so being smart about how you work out is just as important as working out.

SPEAKER_02 25:02

Yeah. How have you changed your routines to focus more on technique and to be more aware of how you're doing things in the gym?

SPEAKER_00 25:18

Yeah, that's a great question. I I would say, first of all, is you got to keep your body guessing, right? So it's not gonna be one of those things where it's like, okay, we're gonna do chest day on Monday and we're gonna do flat bench, then incline, then flies, right? That that could happen on one day, but it's not gonna happen every day. I mean, so I often look at uh podcasts, I look at videos, uh, but I'm also learning from also fitness trainers. I'm gonna give you a plug here. Uh, I mean, Nadir has been fantastic, has given me some really good ideas, same with Maria and others. And and I will tell you that you should always be learning, always be learning in the gym. When you even when you think you've got it down, you've got a routine, that's where uh growth happens, is when you learn something new. Maybe it's uh a lateral shoulder exercise where you're going for a deficit, or maybe it's uh uh some kind of drop set that you've never done before. Those are the things that ultimately shock your body and create growth.

SPEAKER_02 26:20

That's so good. Yeah, always be changing things up. And we often people are learners in other areas of their life, and sometimes they just haven't applied it to their health.

SPEAKER_00 26:32

That's right. 100%.

SPEAKER_02 26:34

Now, selfishly, getting towards the end of our time, I want to talk to you from a leadership perspective. You lead a huge team, and I always find it very inspiring to see someone grow within an organization. So as I was preparing for our time together, I was like, wow, this is really cool. Mike has had all these different positions at Striker. How has your approach to fitness shaped how you show up as a leader at Striker?

SPEAKER_00 27:06

Dramatically. Uh, first of all, it's discipline, consistency, and growth. I would say those are my top three. But I think the other part, too, is also working through tough situations. I mean, think about those situations that happen in Stryker. Now we're in emergency care, right? So everything has to do with usually life or death in patient situations. So they can get stressful and they can stretch you. And so what happens in the gym? Things get stressful and it's going to stretch you. But you overcome them. And by doing that, it makes a huge difference. But also, we're talking about accountability, but the camaraderie was also really important. So when I think about my leadership uh style would be friendship with accountability, and what that really means is truly knowing your team and loving on your team. And this isn't just, hey, great job. You should know their spouses, their dogs, what motivates them, uh, what are their passions, what are their hobbies. I mean, I learned about literally uh sewing at one point, just so I could understand and connect with one of my teammates. I mean, it's even things that you wouldn't normally think about because it's passion for them. So connecting on that level makes harder conversations a little bit easier because there's a trust and there's a heartfelt love for that other person. And I think that's that ultimately uh comes through not only in the positivity, and you'll see that even when uh Kevin and I are lifting, we're almost cheerleaders for each other. That that bleeds into life and that bleeds into your family, that bleeds into work, and so I certainly bled into Stryker.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

Yeah, the belief in other human beings, the care for them as a human versus just someone who's working for you. You know, I I make this big distinction from a leadership perspective, we versus I, and then teammates versus employees. Because that language and the way you've described it is just it's just on point. We when you care about humans in any setting and you're after shepherding them, just changes the game. It changes the energy, and we we all live uh to a word you used earlier very authentically and positively, and and we're there for one another.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

And and you the best part too is you got to get rid of the buzzwords too. It's like we all say that we want to do this and we want to be partners and all I mean, you got a lot of corporate words there, but uh, you got to drop that. And so what's important is getting rid of that autopilot, getting rid of the robotic nature of things. So uh just going off script. I mean, even interviewing people, I I often take the resume and throw it to the side. I could care less about their accomplishments, whether they're, you know, Yale grads or Harvard and they got all these Ivy League, great. I'm glad you did all that. But I want to know you as a person. I want to know what are you most proud of? What are some things that that really shaped your life? What are defining moments in your life? Because then when you get to know somebody on that level, you can tell are they gonna perform or are they not? And so that that's been a really big part of what I do and how I do it.

Fitness Discipline As A Leadership Edge

SPEAKER_02 30:31

Building teams to you is way less about the resume and more about the person and the character that they're gonna bring to your team. 100%. You mentioned discipline, consistency, growth. It I look at those as it's almost like your personal values. Maybe they're not, but I'm I'm hearing that today. Where do you see the connection between discipline in the gym, discipline in life and work, and how does your faith influence that?

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Well, we start at the the faith part. I mean, that's everything. So it's uh I would say even a prism that I see everything through. So when you talk about discipline, I mean it's also I always said I start the day with my quiet time with with the Lord. And I think that's that is a consistent theme. I mean, it's not just going to church on Sunday, it's it's a relationship and not a religion. And that's that's a big thing, and I don't want to get too preachy, but that's that's really one of the most important aspects. So you have that discipline and that consistency, and then you've got to work out, right? Your your body is a temple, and I truly believe that. And so, in a way, you know, I'm also making sure that I'm physically able to take care of my family. I'm physically able to show up at my job while also simultaneously simultaneously mentally doing all of those things as well. So the discipline has to be in there because there's gonna be times where you just don't want to go to the gym, right? We've all driven on the way to the gym, you're thinking, man, I just don't want to go to the gym right now. I really don't, especially PB Strong, man. Cardio is not my strongest suit. And anybody who knows me knows that, but I'm working on it. Um, but you gotta push through it. And if you do, think about how that feels on the other side of it. After I finish PB Strong, after I wipe the gallons of sweat laying on the floor, I I immediately think about how great that feels. And you can take that euphoria and that dopamine as you were uh describing and and apply it throughout the day. And it's just it's really awesome because uh when I don't work out, this the other thing happens, right? Where it's like, man, why am I just I'm not I feel like I'm not quite jiving the way I used to. Something's just off. But after working out, man, it it does clear your mind and gets everything well, so it gets the evil out.

Practical Steps Wellness And Closing

SPEAKER_02 33:03

So yeah, total difference maker for the day. Sure. We're at that point in the conversation where it's time to get practical with our listener. Yeah. And what that means is helping those out there live strong, the way that you've transitioned and you continue to work on this. We're we're all works in progress, right? Amen. What are the two to three practical things they can start doing today?

unknown 33:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

So first you got to make a decision. I mean, how many people waiver on decisions like, oh, I'm gonna do that this day, or I'll get to it, or yeah, there's no procrastination here. This is I'm making a decision today. I I'm done with what I've been doing. I'm not happy. I'm gonna make a decision, right? So make a decision, number one. And then close second is set goals. If you're not striving for anything, then you're not going anywhere. But they have to be achievable. They cannot be these lofty goals that are not achievable because then you'll just get discouraged. So you're not gonna look like the uh fitness model uh in 30 days. I'm sorry, you're just not. Um, but what you can do is to put one foot in front of the other. So let's say you make the decision, great, what are you doing today? Are you getting an accountability partner? Are you what are you eating for lunch? You know, are you going to McDonald's and getting a Big Mac? Probably not. You know, maybe it's gonna be something small. But as you do it, it's it's you're creating wins in that win column every single day. And as you do this, this becomes a passion. And when the passion starts to happen, then it doesn't feel like work anymore because truly you're passionate about it and it's happening, you're gonna start to see results, then it's gonna become addicting. And next thing you know, you're like, oh, this is actually really cool. I love it. So that's that's really the the how I would start.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Commit, set goals, make sure they're small, and then create that domino effect in your life. Well, bringing this all back together, taking a step back here. Final question that we have the privilege of asking all of our guests who come on the on the Behind the Bluff podcast. What does wellness mean to you?

SPEAKER_00 35:31

Yeah, so I think it's it's several things. And it starts again with spiritual, mental, and physical. I mean, it just all three have to be in place. When you are missing one, I feel like it really does kind of fall apart. And so making sure that you are well spiritually, and that means obviously um digging into the word and making sure you surround yourself with people that are going to build you up mentally, making sure that you understand how to challenge yourself. You were talking about reading books I read No Ego by um Cy, and that was a great book too. But making sure that you're filling your mind with things that are helping you grow and then physically challenging yourself. We're not going through the motions anymore. We we're we're gonna if if you guys wanna wanna build strength, then it's gonna hurt. And it's but that's what is that's what should happen. When you're ripping that muscle and it builds stronger, that's what it's all about. So, yep, that would be my my uh triad would be spiritually, mentally, and physically. Thank you, Mike.

SPEAKER_02 36:41

You know, sharing your story from small to strong, giving details to how you live today and and just how this is all impacting your leadership. Very much appreciate your perspective. And I know uh those who took the time to tune in today are gonna experience some big impact in their own lives from this conversation. Awesome. It's an honor. Thanks, Jeff. Listeners, feel free to hang out with me for a few more minutes and get some healthy momentum for the rest of your week. The biggest takeaway I had from my conversation with Mike was this idea that real change starts with a decision. Not your interest, not your awareness, but an actual decision. Mike shared a moment where he realized that he wasn't physically capable of responding the way he wanted to in an emergency situation for his job. And instead of brushing it off or continuing to go through the motions, he decided to become stronger and more capable. That decision changed the trajectory of how he trained, how he lived, and how he showed up. And I could make a strong case that that decision changed the trajectory of his life. I think a lot of us can relate to that in different ways. Maybe it's our health, our relationships, our leadership, or simply the way we move through life day to day. Sometimes we know we want to be better, but we stay stuck in routines that are comfortable, familiar, and honestly passive. We go through the motions. And what stood out to me is that momentum doesn't begin when everything is perfectly planned or when motivation magically appears. This whole concept of healthy momentum begins when we decide that the current version of ourselves is no longer enough for where we want to go. Not from shame, not from guilt, but from ownership. I also think there's an important connection here to leadership. How we live eventually shows up in how we lead. Discipline, consistency, accountability, intentionality, those things transfer. The habits we build in private shape the way that we show up publicly. So maybe the question coming out of today's episode is simple. Where in your life have you been going through the motions? And what decision do you need to make? Because strength, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, it's rarely built through one giant moment. It's built through small decisions repeated consistently over time.

SPEAKER_01 40:00

That's what creates momentum.

SPEAKER_02 40:04

We have made it to the end of this week's episode. I want to thank you so much for joining the conversation. And remember to actively participate in life on your terms!