The Egocentric Podcast

This week Tracy dives deep with Chuck and Tony from Complete Fitness House Springs! These guys are on a mission to change the world one person at a time in a welcoming yet challenging environment. Their gym is truly one of a kind, complete with a "prison yard" that includes a rock wall and an outdoor shower (there are rules).  Both Chuck and Tony are examples that anyone can change their life regardless of the limitations others try to apply to us. Both experienced challenges in school growing up. Tony was told he would never amount to anything and eventually dropped out of high school.  While holding down full time jobs, these two inspiring men came together in the midst of the pandemic, bought a failing gym and turned it around. They put everything on the line and proved to themselves (and everyone else) that they are capable of amazing things.  Chuck and Tony remind each of us that when we truly believe in ourselves and our mission, we are unstoppable regardless of our past.  Chuck reminds us that we only fail when we give up!

Andria Van Mierlo retired early from St. Louis County Police Department in March of 2022 to follow her dream of turning her fitness hobby into a full time business.  When she retired was a Sergeant in the Division of Special Operations Special Response Unit.  She was also a task force officer with the United States Marshals Service. Andria left an amazing 20 year career in the police department.  She earned her way into many great assignments and units during her career.  Andria  worked undercover in narcotics for six years where she did hand to hand deals with drug dealers all over the St. Louis area, wrote search warrants and wiretaps and traveled around the US doing undercover work for the FBI. She also worked in the intelligence unit for approximately 4 years where she was a Task Force Officer with the FBI and ran a multi state federal racketeering investigation which resulted in the federal prosecution and conviction of 21 violent  outlaw motorcycle gang members across seven states. She also served as a Sergeant for the city of Jennings precinct  and as mentioned above spent three years in special operations where her unit served during civil unrest and riots and also handled violent fugitive apprehensions in the St. Louis area. Andria left  her amazing career because she did not like where her department was going and how it was being run.  She also had a huge dream of running her own fitness business full time. Fitness was a huge part of her life since college.  She has been a personal trainer and crossfit instructor.  She has competed in boxing matches, marathons, ultra marathons, half iron mans and numerous fitness/physique competitions. Andria and her husband Greg  ran Blueline Fitness St. Louis for several years on a part time basis.  In the fall of 2021 they decided to rebrand their business as VM Fitline and worked with a web designer Lindsey Reams to build an amazing website to showcase their business and their fitness app.  Then in March of 2022 Andria decided to leave police work behind and take the leap of faith  and go all in with her business VM Fitline. Andria has no regrets since leaving and has since used her social media profiles to Empower and Inspire others to get comfortable with uncomfortable and attempt the unthinkable whether it be for a fitness goal or a career change etc. She now spends her day teaching fitness classes, training clients one on one in their studio gym, and designing fitness and nutrition plans for her online clients.   Andria is truly living out her dream.  To learn more about Andria and her business check out her website at   vmfitline.com She recently co-authored a healthy lifestyle cookbook with her friend and fellow entrepreneur Tony Patton.  She also has a line of fitness accessories to include booty bands and figure 8 lifting straps which are sold at Complete Fitness House Springs and  online via her instagram profile.

In this episode, Tracy Taylor and Tony Patton discuss the importance of change, chasing your dreams, and setting aside the fear of failure. Tony, for 18 years, was repairing cars that had been damaged by hail. He worked 9 months out of the year and for the other three months he and his family would pickle jalapeno's in his kitchen. One year Tony decided to cast aside any doubt and posted his pickled jalapeno's on Facebook just to see if they would sell. Tony could not anticipate just how popular his pickled jalapeno's would become. Overnight, Tony received 485 orders for his pickled jalapeno's.  This was his choice point, cancel the orders or find a way to fill them.  Tony got to work to find the ingredients and materials he would need to fill the orders. This was just the beginning though. Tony later went on to create more products (you can find a list of them and where to buy them below).  Tony encourages you to go for your dreams. Don't be afraid of change or failure. Don't let anyone stop you or discourage you from making your dreams come true. He reminds us all that now is as good a time as any to make the changes you've been wanting to make. He reminds us that failure is far less frightening than staying the same.  Tony is a bit of a local celebrity and has been featured on several podcasts as well as KSDK for his famous Tony's Sweet Heat line. You can  learn more about him here by following the link below.   https://www.ksdk.com/article/entertainment/television/show-me-st-louis/tonys-sweet-heat-bloody-mary-mix-was-born-in-st-louis/63-518731367  Tony Patton is the founder of Tony's Sweet Heat. He has five delicious products on the market: Bloody Mary Mix, Jalapeño pepper and sweet heat marinade, all purpose rub, Tony's Sweet Heat salsa, and Sweet Heat jalapeno mustard coming out.  You can find these products at: Supplement Super Store, Kendrick's Meats, Fryer Tuck liquor stores, Kirkwoods Farmers Market, Dogwood Liquor store, and Total Wine and More. Or, order online from the comfort of your home at tonyssweetheat.com. And as always, until next time, continue feeding your ego! 

TRIGGER WARNING! THIS DISCUSSION INCLUDES TRAUMATIC REAL LIFE EVENTS THAT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR SOME LISTENERS.  LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.   In this episode, Tracy dives deep with her friend Ana Stewert! Ana is a mom, life partner, and homemaker. Though not an expert, Ana does offer a unique perspective on how she over came the negative self-concept she developed in childhood and how she developed a new self-concept as she entered motherhood.  This is the most relatable episode yet. 

In this raw, unedited episode, Tracy and Sarah discuss the overuse of social media and the benefits of limiting your screen time.  Core takeaways:  -We are in a relationship with everything. -Everything is energy. -No energy is identical. -Your perception influences your manifestations. -Perceptions are influenced by our community, what we consume, and the quality of our time spent alone. 

In this episode Tracy looks back at her inspiration for starting the show. She asks, "why can I feed your ego and you can feed mine but, we cant feed our own?" Why are we always being told to get rid of our egos or to kill them?  Tracy explains that our egos are the totality of our beings. She encourages us to appreciate ourselves as we peel back the layers of our evolving egos.  And as always, until next time, continue feeding your ego.  

In this episode, Tracy MF Taylor discusses the importance of understanding your core values for the purposes of manifesting your desires.  Tracy reminds us that being Egocentric is about returning our energy back to ourselves. It's about examining who we are, how we are showing up, and if we want to continue down this path.  She also reminds us that we create in the quantum realm. Therefore, we must be aware of the vibration we operate at. We may think we are vibrating high when in reality an unknown core value could be leading the charge. Tracy's dominate core value is freedom. She unknowingly developed this core value in childhood. She longed to escape what she was told "love" was. Because she was unaware of this core value, it has been manifesting on her behalf.  When we discover these core values and how/why they are developed, and the meaning behind them, we can then consciously create. We can fine tune our frequency to one that is a harmonious match to what we actually desire.  Though it is not discussed in the episode, Tracy wants it to be clear that because she seeks balance in her vibration, and because she wants people in her life, the universe has harmoniously aligned her with really good people who have demonstrated a safe and freeing love.  When we become Egocentric and seek deeper for ourselves, we gain creative power. 

Tracy talks with Kristina Heagh-Avritt, founder of Vibrant Family Education, in this unique episode that explains the importance of bringing education home.  Kristina and her husband Herb are teaming up to revolutionize the way parents think about education. They are dedicated to family support, coaching, and mentoring. With this dynamic duo, you are not alone in overcoming challenges associated with bringing education home.  Tracy and Kristina discuss ways in which the Vibrant Family Education system helps parents safe-guard their child's developing ego to develop confident and competent young humans who wont need to heal from trauma later in life.  You'll want to save this episode for when you are ready to bring your child's education home! you can find Kristina and Herb over at: VibrantFamilyEducation.com [email protected]

While on TikTok, Tracy came across a video about talking to yourself in the third person. It’s a practice she agrees with and does often. Her reason for doing it, however, was much different than the content creators reason. He encouraged his followers to talk to themselves in the third person to achieve separation from the ego. Tracy does it to force herself to identify what she’s experiencing, where in her body she is experiencing it, and then communicate those things to her higher self. When we experience anxiety, depression, fear, or any negative human emotions, that is not your ego. That is the programming of the id. When your body experiences these feelings, the id tries to overtake the ego. Separation is in fact the reason you’re experiencing these negative emotions. A well fed ego can keep the id in check. Talking to yourself in third person, you connect the ego and the id and create alignment. What You’ll Learn: What the ego is and what it isn’t. How to get into your ego. How the ego mediates between the id and superego. And much more! Favorite Quote: “Your ego is the totality of who you are.” -Tracy Taylor

When Tracy disagrees with someone on social media, she usually keeps it to herself, but she just couldn’t this time. She stumbled upon some content where the creator was advising people to rid themselves of their ego, to destroy it. Right away, Tracy thought this person obviously doesn’t understand what the ego actually is. So, she felt compelled to fill him in. Our ego is simply our self concept, our self esteem. It’s based on, and proven through, our habits and day to day functions. To destroy your ego, you would have to disconnect from everything you care about, your family, your career, your hobbies, etc. What we can do is evolve our ego. The neurons that fire together, wire together. So next time you’re unhappy with a part of your ego, focus on evolving it by changing your thoughts and your actions. What You’ll Learn: What the ego is, and what it isn’t. How to evolve your ego. Why it’s important to correct negative thoughts right away. And much more! Favorite Quote: “Evolving your ego is the only thing you should be focused on.” -Tracy Taylor

A couple of weeks ago we learned about the acronym for ego, earth guidance only. What exactly does this mean, though? Your ego, or your self, receives guidance from your super ego and your id. Your super ego is your mindset and morals that were shaped by the people in your life growing up. Your id is the nervous system's response to these beliefs. Our id is triggered by our superego almost constantly. We may grow up feeling like we’re not worthy because we were not acknowledged growing up. These beliefs may help us to survive, but certainly not to thrive. When we tap into our body, our higher self, through things like meditation and breath work, we can begin to recognize where we might be triggered in certain circumstances. Once you recognize this, you can decide if your conditioned response is helpful or not. If it’s not, you can work towards replacing it with something that is. This does require a well fed ego, however. A well fed ego allows the earth guided operator to differentiate between their own beliefs and other people’s beliefs. A well fed ego doesn’t rely completely on earth guidance only, it can receive guidance from its higher self. What You’ll Learn: How our belief systems are formed in childhood. Ways to open yourself up to receiving higher guidance. How to keep a well fed ego. And much more! Favorite Quote: “A well fed ego pauses and takes time to tap into it's true, higher self.” - Tracy Taylor

Last week, Tracy spoke with Nick Wingo about tapping into your higher self through breath work. Today, she touches base with Nick’s wife Desiree on how the couple's passion for helping others came about. Desiree and Nick both got to a point where they were tired of living life the way they were living it. Through their inner work and research, they stumbled upon faith-based yoga. It’s a way for them to connect with their true, authentic selves, and to show up in a way they can be proud of. Through her own childhood trauma, Desiree grew up pushing down feelings she considered weak, such as sadness and anger. She had trouble connecting with the feminine side of herself because of the beliefs she had allowed to form. Through inner work, she’s begun to heal and now recognizes that feelings aren’t good or bad, they’re simply feelings.  It’s how we react to them and deal with them that matters. She’s focused on aligning her mind, body, and spirit. In addition to her yoga practice, Desiree, along with her husband, hosts the Walk As 1 podcast, which focuses on evolving as a couple. What You’ll Learn: How having a daughter changed Desiree. How what you eat impacts your mind. What power your words and the people you surround yourself with hold. And much more! Favorite Quote: “My moments of having enlightenment have always been after I push through those moments of discomfort.” -Desiree Wingo How to Connect With Desiree: Spotify Apple Podcasts Instagram

Dr. Wayne Dyer has a great acronym for ego, and that is earth guidance only. Today, Tracy takes a deep dive into this with breath work specialist Nick Wingo. It can be extremely helpful to look at your ego as your physical self here on this planet. So often we let our thoughts become who we are, when we should identify that it was simply something imprinted upon us, and then let it go. Nick does this through breath work and yoga, tapping into his higher self. He only discovered the power of these tools after he was forced into a journey of rediscovery. After serving as a firefighter for 18 years, Nick had developed PTSD. He attended treatment, where he realized that he couldn’t go back. Refusing to be on medication, he tried many unconventional therapies, such as MDMA and Ketamine, but he needed something he could do on a daily basis. With everything being energy, he’s found great success in utilizing breath work, and now he helps others to do the same. What You’ll Learn: How to raise your vibration. How the vagus nerve works. What a reverse affirmation is. And much more! Favorite Quote: “You would not be sitting where you are if it weren’t for your ego.” -Nick Wingo How to Connect: Nick's Website Spotify Apple Podcasts

So often, the ego gets a bad rap, when all it really is is your true identity. People seem to get the ego, the super-ego, and the id confused all the time. The id is simply the nervous system, it’s responsible for your body going into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. People will frequently blame the ego for these responses, when in fact that is your unconscious taking over. People also attach feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness to the ego, when this is actually the super-ego.  It’s your conscious chiming in, trying to convince you of things based on stories about yourself that you learned from other people. The ego is the part of the mind that has the ability to mediate between the two. A well fed ego, knowing who you are at your core, means you can accept criticism without necessarily internalizing it. The ego is your friend, it’s the part of you that allows for growth. It seems it’s easier for people to just say someone is in their ego than to share compassion with them because their super-ego is causing their id to take over. What You’ll Learn: What negative connotations are attached to ego. How to prevent the nervous system from taking over. How a lack of ego affected Tracy’s former relationship. Why having a strong ego is a good thing. Favorite Quote: “We allow the nervous system to take over because we don’t know how else to handle a conflict.” -Tracy Taylor

For many people, the idea of sacrifice is a natural and key ingredient to success. They have this idea that they can’t gain what they want without sacrificing something else. For example, you can’t have six-pack abs without sacrificing junk food. Tracy doesn’t subscribe to this way of thinking; she doesn’t believe in sacrifice. When we frame things as a sacrifice, it means we’re missing out on something. If, while reaching for gain, we’re looking at what we have to lose, it makes success that much more difficult. The trick is to reframe it as an investment. You’re not sacrificing junk food, you’re investing in your health. Investment yields abundance. What You’ll Learn: Why so many subscribe to the idea of sacrifice. Why Tracy doesn’t believe in sacrifice. How Tracy reframes her goals to achieve success. And much more!! Favorite Quote: “Don’t settle because you’re worthy and deserve the best.” -Tracy Taylor

When we come into this world, we are pure potential. As we progress through life, that potential becomes limited by the beliefs that are instilled in us by those around us. For example, Tracy can remember growing up poor and receiving hand-me-downs, which caused her to develop a belief that she wasn’t worthy of the new, name-brand clothes. She was further shaped by a lack of loving support for her goals or dreams. She can recall enrolling in college, and her husband at the time deterring her by telling her how hard it was going to be. We need to all accept the truth that we are limitless. We are pure potential, and pure power. We have to step into that belief and continue to feed our ego.  What goals or dreams have you let go of because of limiting beliefs? Are you ready to pick them back up? What You’ll Learn: How we manifest certain types of people in our life. How we develop limiting beliefs. How to tap into our true potential. And much more! Favorite Quote: “We are beings that are limited from being.” -Tracy Taylor

We’ve talked a bit about our ego and how it is fed, but today we’re going to dive into how the id is fed. We know by now that the id and superego are psychological mechanisms that contribute to how the ego thinks, feels, and behaves. It’s important to understand the id and how it works, as it can oftentimes take over the ego. The id is often fed and formed through childhood trauma and can lead to people pleasing or codependency. The id is necessary for survival, as it kicks in when it experiences a threat. How it responds can be either helpful or harmful depending on how it was fed. If you experience resentment after caring for others, you’ll know you’re not operating from your ego, but from an ill-formed id. That’s when you’ll know it’s time to take a deep dive into why you do what you do, and make the necessary adjustments. What You’ll Learn: How the nervous system affects the ego. How the id can overtake the ego. Why the id is necessary for survival. And much more! Favorite Quote: “Just existing is a trauma to a degree.” -Tracy Taylor

We all know change can be difficult, but why? When we come to the conclusion that a shift needs to be made, we start doing things out of the norm.  We might change routines, habits, mindsets, the people we hang around, or the environment we’re in. This is all unfamiliar territory, and as we learned in past episodes, our id doesn’t like that. It’s going to battle you all the way and tell you that even your current negative emotions are familiar and therefore safer than the unknown. So, no, our ego is not in our way, our id is. The id is the primitive side of the mind that seeks to protect our ego at all costs. Unfortunately, being so primitive, it can’t understand that change can be good.  It only recognizes that discomfort is bad, and of course, change is uncomfortable. Your ego wants to evolve, but we have to override the id to make that happen. What You’ll Learn: What things we can do to make a change in our lives. How Tracy overcame her ID to change her life. Why the ID is afraid of change. And much more!! Favorite Quote: “The familiar pain is safer than the discomfort of the change and the unknown.” -Tracy Taylor

We can believe whatever we want about ourselves, but without action, those beliefs won’t get us very far. Plain and simple, we are what we do. Our beliefs can drive our actions, so it’s important to have the two in alignment. When there is misalignment between our beliefs and actions, cognitive dissonance occurs. To get your beliefs and actions in alignment, one or the other has to change. Turn to your super ego for feedback. Try writing down the measurable actions taken in relation to the belief held by the ego.  Decide if any adjustments can be made in your actions to better demonstrate your beliefs. What You’ll Learn: The roles of the id, ego, and super ego. How to tell if a misalignment in the ego is present. How to feed your ego and endure criticism. And much more! Favorite Quote: “Without action, your beliefs won’t get you very far.” -Tracy Taylor

Today, we’re answering the question whether or not we should rid ourselves of our ego.  Before we can answer that, we have to understand what ego is. It’s you, as a person, what you think and feel.  It depicts how you react to the outside world.  Outside our ego, we have primitive drives, such as the fight or flight response.  We also have influences from our social and physical environment.  Most people will usually fluctuate between these two. If we have a strong ego, we can stay true to ourselves and not let other factors drive us.  Without ego, we’re controlled by our nervous system or by the world around us.  So, knowing your ego is what makes you uniquely you, do you really want to get rid of that? The ego gets a bad rap, but it actually serves a great purpose.  Don’t rid you of you, instead make your ego the strongest it can be. What You’ll Learn: What the 3 components of human psychology are. How to override your flight or fight response. How to productively feed your ego. And much more! Favorite Quote: “Most of us are striving to find our unique purpose in this world.” -Tracy Taylor

Humans have been asking since the dawn of time, ‘who am I?’. We all want to know our purpose, why we’re here. That right there is the driving force behind the concept of egocentric. For Tracy, the answer to that question used to be a dog trainer, but she wanted more. She had to change how she viewed herself to become who she wanted to be.  She’d taken deep dives before, recognizing the things about herself she wished to change. Because of the influences and traumas of her childhood, Tracy developed an untrusting ego, one that sought to get others before they got her. She had an ego of worthlessness, people pleasing, and zero boundaries. She knew the only person she could change was herself, so she took accountability. Through changing her mindset, she was able to manifest what she truly desired out of life. Today she shares how, through an egocentric approach, we can all become who we’re meant to be. What You’ll Learn: Why we shouldn’t attach our happiness to externals. How affirmations can help you develop your ego. How you can break free from survival mechanisms. Why setting boundaries is so important. Favorite Quote: “In the pursuit of trying to understand ourselves, we are always questioning am I enough.” — Tracy Taylor

Grab Tim's Free E-book When It Comes Out By Clicking HERE As we continue to discuss ego, we’re taking a look at how codependency can relate to it.  Special guest, Tim Holloway, has an extensive background in psychology, and experience working in treatment centers where he dealt with codependency first hand.  Most of us know someone that takes on the caretaker role in an attempt to feel needed.  This person is codependent and doesn’t have a strong sense of self.  Tim shares how he recognized codependency in his own family and broke the cycle. Recognizing your codependent tendencies is the first step to change.  Most people will find this in their habit of people-pleasing.  They’ll have to fight the urge to do for others what they can do for themselves.  Those that struggle with codependency will experience feelings of fear and loss as they begin to set new boundaries.  Learning to say no is one of the hardest steps in breaking the pattern, but it’s necessary.  Instead, focus your energy on learning about yourself, and finding acceptance from within. What You’ll Learn: What shame-based parenting looks like. How we lose our true self in codependency. How self awareness can help to combat fear. Why awareness and boundaries are essential to our identity. Favorite Quote: “What I thoroughly believe, in my core, is that we can take our strengths, and we can overuse them, and then they become a liability.” - Tim Holloway

What do you think when you hear that someone is self-centered? You surely don’t think, ‘well, good for them’. But you should. Who’s the only person we can control and change? Ourselves. So, why shouldn’t we be focused on ourselves? Just because we’re focusing on ourselves doesn’t mean we’re disregarding others. In fact, the more we love ourselves, the more we’re able to love and appreciate others. We need to know who we are, to love ourselves enough to understand ourselves and accept ourselves.  We should all appreciate our skills and what we provide to this shared experience that we call life.  Many people don’t know who they are or what they have to offer because of childhood trauma.  It’s time to get out of survival mode and live for you. Get in touch with your ego, your higher self, the you that exists without the influence of others. What You’ll Learn: Why being self-centered isn’t a bad thing. Why the ego gets a bad rap. How loving yourself helps you to love others. How childhood trauma shapes our sense of self. Favorite Quote: “If you have an attitude or an ego of complaining, you can shift your ego into that of appreciation or of gratitude.” — Tracy Taylor

When’s the last time you heard someone was self-centered, and thought ‘good for them’? Probably never. The Egocentric Podcast is here to change the perspective that focusing on yourself is bad.  After all, isn’t the only person we can control and change, ourselves? Having an ego isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We all have an ego, whether it’s good or bad depends on us. If you don’t like your ego, the good thing is you can change it. Join Tracy Taylor as she helps us to discover who we were truly meant to be.