#143: Escaping Poverty, Beating Cancer (2x), & Living the Dream with Alwyn Cosgrove

If you're lucky you have one or two great mentors, teachers or coaches who change your life forever. I've been fortunate enough to have a handful of them. But, perhaps none have been as impactful as my great friend, Alwyn Cosgrove. Alwyn grew up poor in Glasgow, Scotland. Fighting was essential for survival, so he got a black belt and became a nation champion in Tae Kwon Do. He later became a strength coach and moved to the US, which is how we met at a training workshop in 1996. For the 20 years since he's been one of my closest friends, biggest supporters and most trusted advisers. Whenever I have a tough decision to make he's one of the first people I call. I value his opinion and insight that much. He's helped me get through many tough times, even during his two battles with Stage 4 cancer. When you listen to today's episode I hope you'll understand why I hold this man in the highest regard. Topics discussed include: The Sugar Ray Leonard attitude [8:08]. Growing up in the 80's and 90's [12:09]. How one tiny decision can change the course of your life [15:47]. A ridiculous game of "would you rather?" [21:57]. Moving from Glasgow to NY to Cali [28:01]. How to navigate through anxiety and depression [38:09]. Why being on the show made him so uncomfortable [43:33 & 1:42:50]. His unique approach to goal setting [46:30]. His insightful take on making decisions [59:57]. How to manage and deal with staff [1:02:12]. The "is she hot?" story about meeting his wife [1:04:27]. Opening and running one of the top gyms in the US [1:05:44]. How to break into the fitness industry [1:06:20]. The mindset involved in beating cancer… twice [1:08:57]. How your perspective changes after beating cancer [1:15:50]. The importance of having mentors and mentoring others [1:25:46]. How to manage a successful fitness business [1:30:44]. How to recognize talent and help it flourish [1:34:55]. Listen to Renegade Radio: To listen, you can either hit the flash audio player below, or browse the links to find your preferred format … Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to listen on SoundCloud Click here to subscribe via Stitcher Click here for the Renegade Radio RSS Feed (non-iTunes) Right click here and choose "Save As"to download this episode   This episode is brought to you by Athletic Greens. With 75 ingredients working together to help with eleven different areas of health. You never know what's going to come up in your day; however, with just one scoop of Athletic Greens when you wake up or add it to your morning smoothie, you know you have all of your bases covered. It's easy, and it taste great. Head over to athleticgreens.com/jay and get yours. ******* This episode is also brought to you by BiOptimizers. Crank your muscle gains to new heights by flooding your muscles with maximum amino acids without increasing your protein intake by a single gram. That's what the powerful 1-2 punch of Masszymes digestive enzymes, and P3OM probiotics can help you do. In addition they boost your immune system and help you avoid illness. Go to http://www.masszymes.com/renegade to get 10% off your order by using the coupon code "Jay10" at checkout. Thanks for listening, Jay Ferruggia