The HP Lyf Podcast

Joanna Connor was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Massachusetts only to be drawn to the Chicago blues scene in the 1980's.  Connor benefitted from her mother's huge collection of blues and jazz recordings, and got her first guitar at age seven. When she was 16, she began singing in Worcester-area bands, and when she was 22, she moved to Chicago. Soon after her arrival in 1984, she began sitting in with Chicago regulars like James Cotton, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and A.C. Reed. She hooked up with Johnny Littlejohn's group for a short time before being asked by Dion Payton to join his 43rd Street Blues Band. She performed with Payton at the 1987 Chicago Blues Festival. Later that year, she was ready to put her own band together. Her 1989 debut for the Blind Pig label, Believe It!, got her out of Chicago clubs and into clubs and festivals around the U.S., Canada and Europe. Her other albums include 1992's Fightfor Blind Pig (the title track a Luther Allison tune), Living on the Road (1993) and Rock and Roll Gypsy (1995), the latter two for the Ruf Records label.  Slidetime on Blind Pig followed in 1998 and Nothing But the Blues, a live recording of a 1999 show in Germany, appeared on the German Inakustik label in 2001.  Connor left Blind Pig and signed to small indie label M.C. in 2002. Her first release for her new label, The Joanna Connor Band, finds Connor expanding her sound a bit in an attempt to reach a more mainstream audience. Her songwriting talents coupled with her iconic playing skills and style have landed her a regular spot at Chicago's famous Kingston Mines.  Today Connor continues to take thousands of fans through a magical experience many nights a week and her significant following will ensure that she stays in the blues spotlight for years to come. For more information on Joanna and her blues career, check out http://joannaconnor.com/

Paul Lee is the President of McLeod Racing as well as an NHRA Nitro Funny Car Driver. Born and raised in Southern New Jersey, Lee has always focused on drag racing cars, building businesses, and following his passions since the age of 13. As part of his storied academic career, Lee went to school and graduated – Summa Cum Laude – from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Lee then went the extra mile to obtain a Master of Business Administration degree and a Juris Doctor law degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey. With his schooling completed, Lee got into the thickest of work at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX). Working for various securities companies including Ashton Technology Group and Hudson Knight Securities, he was not only a lawyer but also an investment banker and trader, putting all of his schooling to work for him. Later, Lee decided to leave the stock exchange and continue to work as a private business consultant.   While working with one of his clients, Lee noticed McLeod Racing was struggling, and he subsequently made an offer to purchase the company, which in the past ten years, he's more than quadrupled McLeod's business." For more information on Paul, his race team and McLeod Engineering, check out their website at https://www.mcleodracing.com/

Shea Vaughn is a lifestyle pioneer and nationally recognized health and wellness authority and the Co-Founder/CEO of WBTVN (the Women's Broadcast Television Network).  WBTVN, is the first OTT online TV network with original content created for women. Its hosts reach an audience of over 30 million through OTT partners Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Google Play and more.  Ms. Vaughn is the Creator of SheaNetics®; a values-based doctor-endorsed lifestyle practice.  Shea's innovative work with corporate leaders, celebrities, entrepreneurs and athletes around the country has earned her the affectionate title of "America's Queen of Wellness" and the endorsement of the City of Chicago and the Department of Public Health.  Ms. Vaughn is the author of the best seller, BREAKTHROUGH – The 5 Living Principles to Defeat Stress, Look Great & Find Total Well-Being and a frequent speaker and contributor to media and TV.  Her philanthropy is reflected in her work as Founder of the Healthy Initiative Foundation and its acclaimed healthy ambassador program, the 90-Day Lifestyle Makeover. For more information on Shea and her ventures, please visit https://sheavaughn.com/

As President and CEO of Weistec Engineering in Orange County, CA, Michael Weiss is a highly successful entrepreneur and business owner. Mike's company has designed, fabricated, serviced and tuned after-market racing products to create many of the world's fastest automobiles, including the world's fastest Mercedes. Weistec's dealer network and brand has grown to be known worldwide. Clients include numerous 'Hollywood A-Listers', Professional Sports stars, Motorsports Champions and Business titans. At the young age of 33, Mike has only begun his journey of professional and personal success and fulfillment – only a few years after he created his first product in his kitchen. To learn more about Michael and his company, please visit www.weistec.com

John Soderberg circled the world eight times and visited more than 60 countries before graduating high school in Bangkok, Thailand. Born in 1950, John spent his first four years in Afghanistan, after which the family moved to India for five years, and then Thailand for eight years. His parents loving art, John was exposed to the world's great art in museums, galleries, cathedrals and temples, from the time he could walk. In Rome, when John was five, his mother Betty held him up so he could touch the foot of Michelangelo's Moses. He experienced his first epiphany and was amazed at the ability of sculpture to move people, centuries after the artist was gone. He dedicated himself to art, started painting in oils at age four in Afghanistan, played with British clay in India at age 6, and studied teakwood carving with Thailand's leading master, a Buddhist monk, from age 12. After high school in Thailand, John came to America for college, in Washington State. Due to extreme culture shock, he dropped out and painted on the street in Berkeley, California, in the middle of the riots of the late 60s. In 1970, for a life-change, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years. After receiving his Honorable Discharge, he worked as a machinist days and painted and made jewelry nights. Among others works, he completed a commission for a bracelet for Elvis Presley, then moved his family to Flagstaff, Arizona, to work in a bronze foundry to learn the art and craft of sculpture. After numerous and interesting starving artist years, John began selling his art professionally, and served as Artist in Residence at Northern Arizona University. He later received his Ph.D. in Humane Letters from that institution. He has since completed monumental bronze commissions for private parties, corporations, churches, and organizations across the country, including Amnesty International, the Crystal Cathedral, the Sedona Synagogue, Rancho Feliz Charitable Group, Free The Slaves organization, Pepsico Corporation, Texas Winery Products, Jacmar Foods, the Honeywell Foundation, Wilden Pump and Engineering, and others. Along with his other works, he has sculpted numerous influential figures including Christ, Steve Biko, Al Stein, Moses, Merlin, Billy Graham, Norman Vincent Peale, Sacajawea, Mark Honeywell, Bill and Vieve Gore, Robert Schuller, Jim Wilden, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, St. Catherine of Siena, Gil Gillenwater, and others. John became involved with service-work in the military and has since donated a large portion of his time and work to others, focusing on children and women in need. He has worked with domestic abuse shelters, Amnesty International, Free The Slaves, Rancho Feliz, Big brothers, Big Sisters, and many other groups and causes. In the late 90s, John was Knighted by Ulf Hamilton, a Swedish Count, for his service. John lives and works in the Sedona, Arizona area. His daughters, Heather and Misty, both noted professional sculptors, worked with him on his earlier monuments, then left home to establish their own professional studios and careers. They each began spontaneously sculpting at age one, turned professional at age two, (at their own choice,) and were featured on Paul Harvey News, People Magazine, National Geographic World, That's Incredible T.V., and other media, and showed their work in galleries in Scottsdale and Houston, all before seven years of age, and all before their father achieved any professional success, whatever. For more information on John and his world of exciting adventures, please visit  https://www.johnsoderberg.com/

Wei Houng, CEO and co-founder of HumanOp Technologies, Inc. and The 6 Figure Academy has made it his passion, purpose, and goal to help people uncover and optimize their unique vehicle of self to achieve financial AND lifestyle success. For over 20 years, he has worked with celebrities, industry thought leaders, and thousands of entrepreneurs to redefine their unique path of happiness and success.  As a serial entrepreneur himself that has experienced the struggle of simply surviving while pursuing one's dreams, Wei serves his students and clients with a deep understanding of what it takes that goes beyond just theory. "As an entrepreneur, true success can only be achieved when one unlocks the potential within by knowing, understanding, and optimizing SELF before developing strategies in the world outside of us." With a background in Computer Science & Engineering from UCLA, Wei infuses a holistic approach with rapid engineer-like problem-solving strategies to create dynamic breakthrough results for clients and audiences worldwide. Through a unique combination of NLP, Mental and Emotional Release® Therapy, and a patented human assessment algorithm, Wei helps people uncover, leverage, and optimize their key performance drivers so that they can be free to fully actualize their impact in the world. Their results? A purposeful, fulfilling, AND financially stress-free lifestyle. For more information about Wei, please check out his website at the6figureacademy.com/

As Founder and President of BBI Autosport of Hunting Beach, CA, Betim Berisha is a highly successful entrepreneur and business owner, husband and dad to a 3 year old.  In addition to being accomplished off track, Betim has also accumulated quite a track record of winning as a Racing Champion driver and team owner. Betim's company manufactures, fabricates, services and tunes some of the world's fastest Porches while taking what the factory has perfected and making them even better.  In his 30's, Betim has followed his passion and created his American Dream while always keeping his eye on what brings the greatest success and happiness in life. To learn more about Betim and BBI Autosport, please visit www.bbiautosport.com

Jim McIlvaine is a tower of a man.  At 7'1", he was a shot blocking specialist in 7 seasons in the NBA, where he stared at center for the Washington Bullets, Seattle Supersonics and New jersey Nets. In addition to his storied professional basketball career, Jim was featured in the 2001 movie 'Shallow Hal' and is now a successful E-Care Manager for Optima Batteries, where he runs the social media and web-presence for the industry leading automotive accessory company – which keeps him in touch with one of his largest passions – cars. As an avid fan and supporter of his alma mater, Marquette University, Jim shared his time and energy as a radio announcer for the team and retired after 13 seasons of Marquette radio after the 2017-18 season.  Above all else, Jim is a wonderful husband and father of 6 (3 daughters and 3 sons) and spends his time between his home state of Wisconsin and chosen home of Florida. For more information on Jim's favorite organization, Camp Anokijig, please visit https://www.anokijig.com/

Regarded as the most accomplished American Grappler of his generation, Robert Drysdale is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a former ADCC open weight champion. After being born in America, Drysdale grew up in Brazil, training in one of the most talented teams of the 2000's era where he became the 2nd US national to win an IBJJF black belt World title.  Drysdale also competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) reaching the pinnacle of the cage fighting, the UFC. In 2007, Drysdale returned to the USA, running grappling classes at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas, and later moving on to open his own grappling academy. On October 2008 Drysdale ventured in the MMA world, fighting at an Amateur competition named TUFF-N-UFF. He defeated his opponent by Armbar in the first round. To learn more about Robert Drysdale and his world renowned academy, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Drysdale and https://drysdalejiujitsu.com/

Cam Douglass is the Director of Product Development and Marketing for Johnson Controls, a global Fortune 500 diversified technology and multi industrial leader serving a wide range of customers in more than 150 countries. In his significant role, Cam oversees the global product and brand development, sales program development and marketing program development and implementation for the Optima Batteries brand. In addition to his duties running a global brand, Cam's passion for the art of automobiles has driven him to collect some of the world's most interesting and exotic cars while taking his interests to experience iconic motorsports events and exhibitions throughout the world. For more information on Optima Batteries, please visit https://www.optimabatteries.com/en-us

Doug Kalitta is an American auto racing driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan and owner of airline Kalitta Charters. Kalitta formerly raced in USAC events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint competitions. In 1998 he joined the NHRA, becoming a top fuel drag racer. Kalitta finished second in the top fuel points race in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2016. He is fifth on the all-time top fuel wins list;the most recent of his 43 victories (Kalitta also has 88 career final round appearances) came in winning at the World Finals in Pomona in 2016.

Darren Long is the Founder and CEO of Food For Athletes (FFA) and creator of its cornerstone product BlackMP Living Water. As a former NFL and USFL Tight End and 3x All American, he is no stranger to both the glories and challenges of competing at a prominent level. In addition, with a BS Degree in Bio-Chemistry and Nutrition from Long Beach State University and over 25 years of experience in the Agricultural Industry, he knows first-hand what it takes to be healthy and stay that way. It is the combination of these influences that led to his development of the BlackMP product line. In addition to founding FFA, Darren is an author and frequent celebrity guest health expert in media, and a dynamic speaker for athletic programs, corporations and small businesses. His central message is a call to action around the simple fact that eating what nutritionists call a "balanced diet" with the "right foods" is no longer sufficient to maintain good health. Today's conventional farming methods have resulted in mineral soil depletion, coupled with food additives consisting of chemicals, dyes, sweeteners and preservatives, are producing foods containing marginal nutritional value. Darren's answer is BlackMP. As a former professional athlete, Darren knows what it takes to be and stay at the "top of your game". Personally and for many of his former NFL colleagues, Darren has also had the opportunity to observe what chronic and debilitating diseases can do to individual quality of life. From this has grown a passion to help people find natural solutions that really work. His quest has included work with a notable natural soil scientist and microbiologist. Together they are bringing back the best, and rarest, deep earth products to help people get their lives back.   Don't forget to claim your exclusive discount for Black Living Water Powders and Concentrates for listeners of The HP Lyf Podcast. Use code "Meta50" at checkout --> https://blackmp.tech/

In this episode of the HP Lyf Podcast, we interviewed Shawn Reed, whose verve for life is just as contagious as his laugh. Shawn is not only a 4x world champion in drag boat racing, but he is also a business owner, and now - top fuel dragster driver - something that was once just a dream for Reed.  We hope you enjoy this inspiring episode!

Buck Hujabre is truly a jack of all trades, but also a master of many. As a true multipotentialite who has various interests across the board, Buck has managed to create success in multiple ways in his life. He has created a great acting career, most recently participating in the Broadway hit musical "Jersey Boys" as well as the show "Looming Tower" co-starring with Alec Baldwin.  We hope you enjoy this interview full of jokes, laughter, and great wisdom. 

Born in France and educated overseas, Eveline was mostly homeschooled growing up. Her interests and studies took her to the humanities, philosophies and the arts. She studied and practiced commercial interior design in the United States. Eventually, Eveline found the value of words and began to write. Her readers find French influencing her poetic prose. Published in journals and magazines, her books find their readership globally.  When not writing, Eveline can be found teaching English to refugees as well as serving as a Palliative care and 11th hour volunteer to stand by those in their last hours of life. This interview is pure magic; like nourishment for the soul. Her life stories touched my heart deeply and inspired me to tears while editing it! I know this is a long one, but it is definitely worth it to stay tuned all the way to the very last sentence. Enjoy!

Boasting 10 NHRA National Event Championship wins, 20 IHRA National Event Championship wins, and 4 Top Fuel World Championship wins, Doug Herbert (@DougHerbert) is widely known for his domination of the drag racing world. Herbert also owns Herbert Cams, which is the only high performance auto parts distributor owned by a Top Fuel driver that sells to NASCAR, professional race teams, and Top Fuel teams. While Herbert keeps his finger on the pulse of everything racing, the project dearest to his heart is his non-profit B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe). Doug started it in 2008 after his two songs, Jon (17) and James (12), were tragically killed in a car accident. B.R.A.K.E.S. is a free, pro-active teen driving school that teaches defensive driving techniques to young drivers in an effort to prevent other families from experiencing a tragedy like this.  An impressive athlete and selfless person, Doug Herbert embodies the spirit and tenacity of drag racing. You can catch Herbert's radio show The Straight Line every Thursday from 12:00-1:00pm EST on The Motor Racing Network. 

Dick Simon is one of the oldest men to ever have raced in the Indianapolis 500. He was 55 years old during his final Indy 500 start in 1988. A multiple starter and top-ten finisher in the race, he also became a car owner, founding Dick Simon Racing helping to begin the IndyCar careers of Stéphan Grégoire, Arie Luyendyk, Raul Boesel, and others. Simon also fielded cars for racecar driver Lyn St. James. Dick's accomplishments also include being the alternate to the 1960 Olympic Ski Team, National Champion Parachute Jumper, an expert scuba diver and a multi-engine pilot. As one writer from Vintage Sport Magazine put it "Having a phone conversation with Dick Simon is like reading a really good book; you just sit back and let it roll. At age [85], Dick has lost none of the optimism and unbridled verve that made him one of the more accomplished drivers and team owners in postwar Indy-car racing." We found this to be nothing but the truth ourselves when we sat down for this interview with Dick. His vigor for life and pursuing his dream of racing is contagious, just as much as his optimistic outlook. Now Dick is the owner of Dick Simon Yachts based out of Dana Point, California, which is where we sat down for him for this interview. We hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with the legendary Dick Simon.

Brian Marshall is a successful entrepreneur and business coach with three decades of experience producing dramatic business results for start-ups as well as small and mid-size companies in the manufacturing, professional services, high-technology and financial service industries. He founded Transformational Growth Partners (TGP) in 2014 based on his desire to help others experience life beyond business and financial success to achieve significance in their world. In 2011, Brian co-founded Chicago-based professional services and advanced planning firm Momentum Strategic Advisors, and in 2006, he and a partner started Alliance for Strategic Advantage, a sales training and management consultancy. Throughout his work in business, Brian has held leadership positions responsible for all aspects of business operations in roles ranging from CEO, CIO, VP of Operations, and Sales Leadership.  He currently serves on several boards for companies in the Chicago area. As Chief Information Officer of a publicly traded company, Brian received an AITP Chicago "CIO of the Year" Award in 2000. Brian and Tawnya, his wife of 32 years, live on a private lake in a rural town, 70 miles southwest of Chicago where they spend time with their kids, grandkids, family and friends. Click here to learn more about one of Brian's passions, The Crucible Project.

A two-time and reigning Funny Car champion, Robert Hight (@roberthight7000) worked his way up the organization from crewman to world champion. Hight has won at least one Funny Car national event every season of his career which started in 2005 and is the current national record holder for speed and elapsed time. The even-keeled demeanor of Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and President of John Force Racing Inc., can often cause him to fly under the radar that is constantly triggered by the hyper-speed antics of team namesake and CEO John Force. Because of this, Hight quietly has become the No. 1 driver for the No. 1 team in the sport's most popular category. As the two-time and reigning Funny Car champion, Hight is carving out his own piece of history apart from his boss. He was so dominant in winning in 2017 that he likely will be favored every time he rolls his Auto Club Chevy Camaro to the starting line in his 14th season. You can visit his page on the John Force Racing, as well as learn more about AAA. 

Jack Beckman, the driver of Terry Chandler's Infinite Hero Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing, began to pursue his drag racing passion in 1998 when he became a driving instructor for Frank Hawley's NHRA Drag Racing School and went on to help more than 7,000 students earn their NHRA competition racing licenses. He made his debut as a part-time Top Fuel dragster driver in 2005 after a winning battle against non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The California native who lives in Norco, Calif., with his wife Jenna and two children, joined DSR in 2006 and won the 2012 NHRA Funny Car world championship, nine years after he became the Super Comp world champion in NHRA Sportsman competition. Beyond the hard work produced by his team, Jack can be proud of two special campaigns he spearheaded at NHRA events. As a cancer survivor, Jack has served as a national spokesman for Amgen's Chemotherapy: Myths or Facts campaign to help others suffering from cancer and their families. In 2014, Jack began educating race fans about the Infinite Hero Foundation, that confronts mental and physical issues facing returning military heroes and their families. 

Cowboy Bob Coffman is known for being a successful businessman, a daredevil, a really big guy and most importantly, someone you turn to when you need help from someone that cares. Cowboy tells us why it's so important to figure out who you are and then to be that same person day in and day out. We'll learn about our baggage of bitterness and our mistakes we call 'Woobies' hold us back. We had a very authentic conversation with Cowboy Bob in his beautiful ranch just outside of Las Vegas and are confident you will thoroughly enjoy hearing what he had to say.   To learn more about Black living water, go to their website. Follow Black Living Water on their socials: Facebook ---> @BlackMP.net Twitter ---> @BlackMPwater Instagram ---> @BlackMPlivingwater  

Mike Lee (@MikeLeeBoxing) is a professional boxer and the current IBF-USBA Light Heavyweight champion, while also ranking top 5 of the light heavyweight world rankings. He currently holds a strong record of 21-0 with 11 KO's. Prior to his professional boxing career, Mike studied and graduated from Notre Dame with a 3.8 GPA and degree in Finance.  When Mike isn't spending his time knocking out opponents in the ring, he can be found giving back to those in need around the world, including a trips to Bangladesh to make a difference in the lives of so many in need, especially kids.    In this episode we cover a lot of things including how Mike came to fight his way out of depression, how being authentic and real has helped him in both life and boxing and much, much more!  I hope you'll emerge from this conversation pumped up and ready to 'go for it' just as we did! For more information on Mike, you can check out his website at www.mikeleeboxing.com and don't forget to check out My Soul CBD at www.mysouldcbd.com as they have officially launched and have some really great products out. Enjoy :)

Dr. Gladys Taylor McGarey is internationally recognized as the Mother of Holistic Medicine.  Dr. Gladys, as she is affectionately known, is board certified in Holistic and Integrated Medicine and has held a family practice for more than sixty years.  She is the co-founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, as well as the co-founder of the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine.  She was the first to utilize acupuncture in the U.S. and trained other physicians how to use it.   Dr. Gladys is a pioneer.  She has tirelessly pioneered work in holistic medicine, natural birthing, and the physician-patient partnership.  Among Dr. Gladys' innovations for natural birthing was the Baby Buggy Program founded in 1978, featuring a fully-equipped paramedical and emergency transport vehicle for home deliveries.  In 1970, she co-founded the A.R.E. Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, where she and her former husband pioneered the integration of allopathic and holistic medical practices, laying the groundwork for the cultural shift of recent years that recognizes alternative and holistic medical modalities.  Her efforts worldwide continue to receive international acclaim. In this podcast episode, Dr. Gladys shares her take on medicine, life, and so much more. We hope you enjoy this heart-warming and wisdom-packed interview with Dr. Gladys McGarey.  Listen to this episode on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play Music

In today's HP Lyf podcast, we have the privilege and honor of sharing thoughts with a true champion in Lyf.  Darrell Gwynn was on top of the world in his career having won 18 professional car races, multiple championships and had the highest success percentage of all time in his class.  And at the height of all this success, on one day in April, 1990 - his entire world was flipped upside down.  Literally. 28 years ago at the age of 28, Darrell suffered a huge crash against a stretch of cold, unforgiving British retaining wall when a race car he was piloting collided with it at over 250 miles-per-hour, leaving Darrell partially paralyzed and without part of his left arm.  Since that dreadful day in April, Darrell has spent most of his adult life caught between the twin poles of a blessing and a curse.   The curse has come in the form of losing nearly all independence while needing help to perform the simplest things in life, like brush his teeth, while the blessings have come in multiple ways, including surrounding himself with good people who care and support him - and giving life to thousands of others who have few others to turn to. Darrell is an icon in his profession and more importantly an icon in life that we can all learn from and become better people.  Darrell's inspiring story will share with us how no matter what life hands to you - your passion and hard work can create opportunities beyond what you ever imagined.  So let's get right to our conversation with Darrell Gwynn, a true inspiration for us all… Listen to this episode on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or Google Play Music

It is a relatively rare accomplishment when someone achieves great success at some area of their life.  It is even rarer when someone achieves great success in many areas.  On today's podcast, we have such a person and in fact we have his family as well - our guests who are here to share their authentic story on how they have become successful in their hobby, their business and most importantly their friendships and their family.  The Galvin family, led by a patriarch named Pat, is here to share how they have become so close with each other - and with their friends, amongst all the success and amongst a tragic life changing event that they have all endured in one way or another.  We have had the privilege of knowing Pat and his family for quite some time and like most others in their life, our relationship is based on trust, compassion and doing good for each other.  Every time we see the Galvins, we are reminded of what Dads, moms, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters can be - friends, funny and family. So without further ado, enjoy this episode of The HP Lyf Podcast.   To learn more about the organizations mentioned by the Galvin family, please check out the links below: www.neverforgottenfoundation.org https://www.facebook.com/The-Tammy-O-Foundation-1240054369437094/  

After a lifetime of work of evaluating and transforming the bodies of Professional Athletes, Olympians and everyday people, Roger Kraig formed Flexibility First Academy in 2014. The goal is to simplify, identify and eliminate the "root cause" of physical problems in one simple safe proven program known as Flexibility First.  When we last spoke a couple of years ago, Roger was not in the best place personally or professionally. Though his business was doing well and had been for some time, he was working through many of the challenges of life that we all face and at the time was 'just doing OK'.  However, when we re-connected a few months ago, Roger was in a place that we rarely see or experience in life. Roger's whole world changed when he chose to be authentic and happy with himself first. From that point on, Roger decided he will no longer allow himself to become absorbed in work and he had to go die before this even came to his attention. Roger chose to never again miss a relationship and to instead become absorbed in having fun and in the process, his profession took off to astronomical proportions.  To learn more about Roger's company, you can visit his website at http://flexibilityfirstacademy.com/

There is no introduction that could be big enough to honor our next guest. Sure, he was once the Managing Partner of one of the largest consulting firms in the world. Sure, he is the President of his own super highly successful company, and sure, he has co-developed several of the most significant drugs in the fight against cancer. He has had all the success and all the stuff and all the experiences that anyone could dream of in a lifetime.   But, as he came to find out, none of that matters.   Michael has lived a life of hard knocks since he was born and even now struggles to stay alive on a daily basis. Michael has had terminal cancer in many different forms - for 19 years and counting - and he's still here and he still keeps going.   In fact, he's in the most pain he's ever been in - and yet today he is the happiest he's ever been.   Michael is often called a hero but he's here to tell us that that's not who he is - he simply wants to survive.   As we mentioned before, there is no introduction that would be worthy of the story and wisdom for all parts of life that we are about to hear, so we'll get right to it. But before we do so, be sure to listen closely for the answer we are all looking for…   One more thing before we get started, Michael's story is one of great hardship that has affected both him and his family. That being said, we want to respect the privacy of his family members as they heal from some of these hardships in their own time. Therefore, we have not included Michael's last name in this interview. We thank you for understanding.   Now on to the interview with our good friend - Michael, who Scott had the privilege of interviewing in Michael's home with his many large dogs…of which you may hear from time to time in the audio. We hope you enjoy this episode of the HP Lyf podcast.

Work hard and play hard. We've heard this phrase many times throughout our lives and if we're lucky we have the opportunity to know someone who has lived lyf by this mantra and sit down and learn from them. Well, Victoria and I had that chance. Today on The HP Lyf podcast, we have a special guest that works hard and plays hard - and he's been doing it since he was born.   Steve Bryson entered this world with 9 older brothers and sisters and only 6 of them made it to a young age. Steve's still a young guy and all of them are gone now. He has carried his entire family to the grave. Steve's story doesn't stop with extreme challenges in his personal life, they continue into his health and his professional life too. When he came to LA from Memphis, all he had was a dollar and a duffle bag.   Steve has achieved great success through becoming the Founder and CEO of Global Electronic Technology, the Founder and a Record Producer of I55 Productions, the Founder of the Never Forgotten Foundation, and if that weren't enough, he is the proud sponsor of a championship caliber NHRA race team.   In our conversation with Steve, we'll dive into all aspects of his lyf, from his childhood to the legacy he wants to leave behind. I gotta be honest, this episode is a very powerful one, so we don't want to keep you away from it any longer... Please welcome Steve Bryson to today's HP Lyf podcast.   For more information on Steve and all of his interests, go to www.gettrx.com , www.i55productions.com and www.neverforgottenfoundation.org

Welcome to today's episode of the HP Lyf podcast….  When we set out to create the HP Lyf movement, we knew that to be less unhappy, we would need to start with being more authentic.  We also knew that it would be important for our guests that have achieved success to share what they've discovered as truly important once they achieved that success.  Today's guest encompasses all those values and also loves to read and share quotes; one of her favorites being from Best Selling author and professor Brene Brown, who said, "When we deny our story, it defines us.  When we own our story, we can write a brave new ending."  Today we will discover how to own our story and in that process, how to find the secret to creating a brave new ending for our lives to come.    Today we have the pleasure of talking with Deborah Bateman, former Vice-Chairman of the National Bank of Arizona turned President of Deborah Bateman LLC, a professional coaching and consulting organization, where she serves as a professional and certified leadership and executive coach.  Deborah's diverse career has spanned more than 40 years, including both entrepreneurial and corporate leadership roles and now she focuses her time and energy on living an authentic life while helping others do the same.  Deborah has attained celebrity status in Arizona and is often asked to mentor others to guide them in experiencing the life that she has lived.   Deborah will share how she got to this point of her life - the point of when money is no longer a hook and where she feels empowerment and freedom.   She'll share in her very authentic way how while getting to this point, she once divorced her husband of 25 years - while betraying herself in the process - all in the name of her career.  We'll hear in vivid detail about the moment that she'll never forget - when she experienced the 'gas mask' that changed her life forever.  It was during this brief moment that she felt both the highest and lowest of her life - from empowered to completely deflated - in the span of only 10 minutes…  And she'll share how alone she felt afterwards, an experience which she describes as the most awful feeling in the world.   We hope you enjoy our journey with Deborah who shares from a place of freedom and flexibility while she owns her story without any anchors... And now on to our interview where we are honored to have Deborah Bateman as our guest.   To learn more about Deborah, go to www.deborahbateman.com

  There is a common belief among many of us, that somehow the problems and challenges we face in our personal and professional lives are unique to us as individuals… we often feel that we are on our own and that others don't have the same challenges and concerns that we do….   Today we are here to solve some of these common challenges we all face in business and lyf - while gaining wisdom from a truly dynamic and exciting - and highly successful force of nature - John Force.   John is the founder and CEO of John Force Racing and is a 16 time World Champion himself in the world of NHRA Drag Racing and his team has achieved an additional 4 championships, 2 of which came by 2 different team members in the same year. To say the least, John's 20 individual and team championships rank as one of the most successful and prominent careers in the history of motorsports and have set the bar for success in motorsports and business - and after 40 years behind the wheel, John's still going. As a true icon of business and success, John's accomplishments speak for themselves. Today, we're here to learn from the wisdom of his challenges, struggles, turnarounds and transformations not only as a champion and team owner, but also as a husband, a father, a grandfather and a team member.   In our discussion with John, he will highlight 2 Lyf Principles, the first being, "Be true to others" and the second being "As you become a more authentic person, your success takes care of itself". John will share with us how through discovering what was most important to him, he is transitioning to experiencing life beyond business and championships to become a better person and being more authentic and real - while continuing to find out what really matters.   So on to our conversation with John Force as we sat down with him during testing while at the racetrack in Phoenix. We apologize in advance for the poor audio quality as it gets pretty loud at the track and we thank you for your understanding.   To learn more about John Force and his interests, you can go to http://www.johnforceracing.com/  

When we think of what is most important in life, at the top for most of us are our relationships. When relationships are effective they bring us happiness but when they are not, they bring us sadness. They have the power to keep lift us up or hold us back. With them, our lives are fuller and richer and without them, we can feel lonely and alone. In business, highly effective relationships increase our success and without them, our achievement is much less optimal than what it could be.   Today we will be talking with Lyn St. James, the legendary race car driver and icon in the world of guiding both women and men in empowering themselves to greater achievement. Lyn is also an expert in cultivating and maintaining highly effective lifelong relationships. In today's Lyf podcast, we will be learning from Lyn on how she created and continues to cultivate this level of relationship with so many of the most prominent and successful people in all of business and professional sports - and how she continues to do so in this highly competitive arena where many people are simply focused on climbing to the top.   In addition to this insight, Lyn will share with us how she has been able to evolve from winning against the best of the best at the top level of competition to Just Being Lyn - loving Lyf, caring about people, having fun and doing good things. As you'll hear, Lyn has found success in Lyf beyond what made her famous.   We hope you enjoy our journey with Lyn who tells it like it is in her true championship style - authentic, real and vulnerable and often with passionate gestures, including the occasional fist bump on the table, which we will hear in the audio… Be sure to listen closely towards the end when she discloses the 'perfect answer' that we are looking for.   And now on to our interview where we are honored to have Lyn St. James as our guest.   To learn more about Lyn and her interests, you can go to https://lynstjames.com/