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Andrea Oh is the owner and operator of TodaysFitnessTrainer.com. An lifelong athlete and fitness professional. She as a powerful story of persistence, overcoming adversity, and pursuing your dreams.

Southside Plumber to Plumbing Authority "Southside" is referring to the south side of Chicago. That is where Sean and his father had a plumbing business for sixteen years. Everything was going great, and then 2007 happened. Like many places around the country, the housing market in Chicago took a huge hit. In Sean's words, his business was "on life support". When the recession first hit, Kavanaugh Plumbing had $3 million in contracts. Then in a month they all walked away. "Literally in August we had them and in September we didn't" says Sean. That year they estimated $50 million worth of work. Received no business. Needless to say, the future of Kavanaugh Plumbing was in question. When One Door Closes, Another One Opens The physical business was in distress. There was no work available. The future was looking grim. Then walked in an old buddy of Sean's, Ken Courtright. Ken and Sean had known each other since childhood. They grew up wrestling together. Little did Sean know, his old buddy Ken had an idea how to keep Kavanaugh Plumbing up and running. So to speak. The solution? An authority website. What is an authority website? Think of WebMD. They are an authority online in anything medical related. You have a sore back, you type in "sore back" into Google, and the first line of results leads you to WebMD.com and "10 Ways to Manage Low Back Pain A Home". That is an authority website. Ken's idea was use the same model but just for plumbing. That is when ThePlumbingInfo.com was born. ThePlumbingInfo.com As mentioned earlier, an authority website is considered an "authority" when it is the "go to" for answers in a given field. (ie. WedMD and medical questions.) The first step for Sean to get ThePlumbingInfo.com off of the ground was to start writing. The first article he wrote was on this new revolutionary product called the Hansgrohe iBox. It changed the game for plumbers (which Sean explains more in the episode). From there, the new authority Sean had in the industry found him on many industry boards. He was featured on the "Giuliana and Bill Show" in Chicago multiple times. One of his pieces of content even ended up being used as part of an industry instruction manual. What It Takes To Be An Authority Besides being an all around great guy, one of the main reasons Sean was on the show was to display what can happen when persistence wins the day. Most people think you have to have some fancy degree or work for some well known company in order to be successful. Sean is case and point that that is not the case. He didn't have to go to Harvard in order to be an authority in plumbing. He didn't have to have some computer science degree or know how to write code in order to have one of the largest plumbing websites of today. He had to be persistent. Not only that, but he had to have a deep down passion for what he was doing. If you ever read any of his content, that passion comes through in spades. Other of Sean's Projects He Worked On Man Certified The Football Educator

Who is Vernon Foster? This episode is yet another example of what a person can do when they are motivated and don’t use their “situation” in life as an excuse. When you ask the man himself the question “who is Vernon Foster?”, he tells you he is just a normal guy who grew up in Orlando, FL. Originally born in Jacksonville, his mom moved him and his four siblings to Orlando to fulfill a lifelong dream of his father. Vernon’s father was a US Military hero on the USS Stark. He was killed in action in the Persian Gulf when Vernon was only two years old. Growing up, Vernon was not all that into academics. Instead of the class brainiac, Vernon tended to default as the class clown. He loved to make people laugh, he loved to play sports, and he loved to rebel against the system. He always considered myself a “misfit”. The one activity he always felt he fit in was sports. Football was a love of his. It was the one thing that kept him out of trouble (or at least made him want to try and stay out of trouble). When high school came around, he got a rude awakening that life couldn’t be all about touchdowns and he had to focus on school as well. His freshman year, he needed to keep a 2.0 GPA to be academically eligible to play sports. He fell short with a 1.8. Finding himself not allowed to play, he worked his tail off to not only pump up his GPA; but he also worked to pump some iron as well. The experience of having football taken away from him changed his perspective and lite a fire under his ass. That next season he came back academically eligible, become a starter on the junior varsity team (as a sophomore), and was then moved to varsity later that season. Why Do Some Stay Knocked Down And Others Strive During Adversity? The way Vernon looked at it, “he could stay knocked down, or he could rise up like the phoenix through the ashes.” Not only did he not want to play the victim, he did not want to let his brothers on the team down. He realized that the only one responsible for his grades was himself. Not his teachers. Him. Also, for anyone who has played team sports knows, team sports have a certain family dynamic. Like you often hear in military settings, it is never about you, it is about the person next to you. Vernon trained so hard with his “brothers” on the team. They had big plans for the season. He felt responsible that he let them down, and he was never going to find himself in that position again. You want to change your situation? Take ownership of it. Stop blaming others and playing the victim. Take ownership of it and start living your life playing offense, instead of constantly being on the defense. Vernon’s Journey From Football To A Bigger Stage After graduating high school, he decided to attend a community college. He did want to go to college for the sake of going to college. Attending a university without any direction did not make sense to him. For the first two years post high school, Vernon attended a community college. During that time, he got a better feel for what he wanted in the future. He then transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee. Always a fan of music, Vernon started to DJ as a way to make some cash. His first business? Boogie Blind Entertainment. Like all the big named deejays, Vernon got his start doing a gig at Pita Pit. Yes the college campus pita sandwich shop. (Hey is makes a great story now!) From there, he was asked to DJ at parties for fraternities and sororities on campus. He even worked a cheer leading competition, and when he was a junior in school he was able to lock in a $3000 gig. (Not bad!) Getting burnt out on the drinking and partying scene, he pivoted his career to focusing on setting up and running more professional events.

Who Is Wendy Lipton-Dibner? If you do not know her already, she is someone you need to know. Plain and simple. Wendy is a powerhouse of passion, positiveness, and impact. She truly has a passion for helping people get what they want. Having been in business now for 35 years; she has started 10 businesses, she is an author many times over, and her latest adventure is her most exciting yet. FOCUS ON IMPACT That is the essence of what Wendy is all about. To her, the most successful people and business do not focus on money. To really take performance to the next level, they need to focus on impact. The money will come. What Is Impact? "What can I do to have an impact in people's lives" To her, it is not some "woo woo" philosophy. It is about how someone can make an impact and provide an answer to a need in the world. We are all unique. Each one of us can offer unique skills, abilities, and perspectives that are completely different than anyone else. In the interview, Wendy goes through and explains the 7 Factors of Uniqueness. 7 Factors Of Uniqueness DNA Brain Wiring Likes/Dislikes Instinctive Response Social Influences Education and Skills Life and Work Experiences All of these factors come together in a pattern and shows you your uniqueness. What If You Are Stuck? In the talk, we discussed to kind of "stuck". Either personal or professional. To help people breakthrough, she offers up couple resources. If you are personally stuck, her book Shatter Your Speed Limits: Fast-Track Your Success and Get What You Truly Want in Business and in Life. This book encompasses everything she learned during her time as a psychotherapist. She considers it as a shortcut for people to break through personal success barriers. If you are stuck professionally, her latest masterpiece Focus On Impact is exactly what you need. It contains her 10 steps to build a business from scratch that makes a measurable difference in people's lives. How to create a business around your lifestyle, not the other way around. Plus, (depending on when you are seeing this) she is offering over $10,000 worth of free gifts with a pre-order of the book at www.focusonimpact.com. Other Topics We Cover: The Economy Social Proof Positivity and Gratitude. How Short Life Really Is HER 10 CITY TOUR HONORING DIFFERENCE MAKERS And So Much More!

About This Episode And Guest Greg Rollett: This is a powerful episode and interview with the one and only Greg Rollett. Talk about a man on a mission! Greg is the epitome of living a live on purpose. Although he is only in his early 30's, Greg has accomplished more than some do in a lifetime. His journey has led him to his current labor or love, Ambitious.com. Greg grew up in South Florida. Living in what he considers a middle class family, they were not poor but they were by no means rich. As he mentions, they never went without much. The high school he went to was considered the "rich school", however. Greg instantly found himself yearning for the material possessions many of his classmates were able to enjoy. That is what lite the initial fire and was the start to his amazing journey. Initially he wanted to be a profession sports athlete. They is was a rapper. At the young age of 18, Greg founded his own record label. He then started a band which went on to play at such venues as Madison Square Garden. Greg married his beautiful wife when he was 23. Marrying a young musician was not necessarily the future that his father-in-law had for his daughter. After Greg and his wife tied the knot, his father-in-law suggested that he look at a more serious career to support the two of them. It was then that they all attended an internet marketing seminar. Greg's eyes became wide open to all of the possibilities out there. He was an early adopter of the concept of "modeling", which he was introduced to by studying the works of Tony Robbins. He read, listened to, and watched everything he could on those he wanted to model. Those that had already attained the success that he was working towards. Greg's journey from rapper, to band member, and internet marketing has led him to Ambitious.com and the Ambitious Media Group. In Greg's words, "success in life isn't a straight line, but everything builds". He is putting everything he has into building up the Ambitious Media Group. He hope is to encourage young people to live more ambitious lives. "Life is more than just living for happy hour on a Friday", says Greg. Some Of The Questions We Cover: What is your background and what are you up to with Ambitious.com? Where you always this way? (entrepreneurial, high energy, and ambitious) What suggestions do you have for people looking to take their first steps toward their dreams, for people who are already on their journey, and for people who are hitting their first road block? How do you keep balance in your life and stay motivated? What does a typical morning or day look like for you? When you think of "successful" who come to mind and why? Resources Suggested In The Episode: The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Expanded and Updated) No B.S. Marketing to the Affluent: The Ultimate, No Holds Barred, Take No Prisoners Guide to Getting Really Rich Closing Thoughts: At the end of the episode, Greg shares a story about a young man who has a dream of launching a music career. Like everyone, he is met by a road block that seems impossible to overcome. Well maybe for some. He never gives quitting a thought. When you are met by a road block where you think of quitting, I want you to think about this story. When met by a road block; run around it, over it, or though it. Never quit.   If you have a question that you would like answered,

The decisions in our lives can be boiled down to two factors. Pain and pleasure. Those two emotions motivate every decision that we make. Why do we consume a plate of cookies when we know they are not good for us? The pleasure of eating those cookies out weighs the pain that we know we are doing to our body. Why do some people stay in that job that they hate? The pain of the unknown and searching for a new opportunity outweighs the pleasure of leaving their current job. At least that is the case for some. Business is know different. Companies offer products and services that tug on our pleasure or pain heartstrings. If you are a business owner, or would like to be, your business is no different. When thinking about, "should I give pleasure or fix pain?", one first has to look at the industry they are in. Look at your passions and industry, then analyze the pain/pleasure scenario. In my experience, business don't necessarily focus on one. Many times, they address both in their product and service offerings. If you have a question that you would like answered, you can submit them by email, through Facebook, or through Twitter. Make sure and include #AskDavidDidier. Ensure you do not miss any future episode. Subscribe on iTunes.

Someone who is yearning to get out of their current situation said this to me, "but... What if I don't have any skills?". My reaction was... ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME! No skills?!? If was so sad to me that this person genuinely felt they had no talent. If I would have asked this same person when they were five years old what their talents were, I bet you he would have rattled off a long list. To thing that as adults, and as a society, we have become conditioned to think we are not unique. To think that the only choice we can resort to is being just another cog in the wheel. That make me think about some of the most notable visionaries and thought leaders of our past and present. Think about what the world would be like if Steve Jobs had the mindset that he had no skills. That he had nothing to offer this world. Or if Michael Jordan believed his coach that cut him from the basketball team. What if he didn't think he was good enough. What a different world we would live in. That being said, you don't need to be a Steve Jobs or Michael Jordan to make an impact on the world. I guarantee that you have skills and talents that the world needs and finds valuable. You just have to be willing to own them. Do not compare yourself to others. You have been on a unique journey that gives you a particular perspective on the world. A perspective that others may relate to and want to learn from.   If you have a question that you would like answered, you can submit them by email, through Facebook, or through Twitter. Make sure and include #AskDavidDidier. Ensure you do not miss any future episode. Subscribe on iTunes.

When in doubt, get another degree. That seems to be the theme nowadays. The traditional degree is the fall back plan so many people resort to. Like somehow an added degree is a guarantee to make them more money or make themselves more marketable. I am definitely a proponent for continual learning. In my mind, if you are not learning and growing you are dying. That being said, I am not talking about learning in the traditional sense. I believe in learning from those that have already been where you want to go. There are so many trainings and seminars put on my highly successful people that I see as more valuable then getting a traditional MBA for instance. Most traditional business degrees, for instance, are taught by professors who have never actually been in business. They have studied business, earned advanced degrees in business, but have never been in the "business trenches" themselves. I believe in learning from those that have the battle scares. Those that have been in tough situations. Had to make the tough calls. Some MBA programs cost $50,000 and up. For that money, you are better off traveling and learning from successful business people. That's my opinion.  If you have a question that you would like answered, you can submit them by email, through Facebook, or through Twitter. Make sure and include #AskDavidDidier. Ensure you do not miss any future episode. Subscribe on iTunes.

This is the start of a new series of episodes I am calling "#AskDavidDidier", where you all have the ability to ask me a question and I will answer it. Having met and spoken with numerous people, it is apparent to me that there is not a shortage of folks seeking a better life. Over and over people tell me that they know there has to be a better way. They are done settling for less than there perfect life. The issue is not the need. The issue the unknown. People know what they want, but they don't know how to get there or how to get started. Doubt and limiting beliefs start to crawl into our head, telling us when we can't or aren't able to do something. The fact of the matter is, at one time or another, we have all had these questions pop into our heads. The difference between those that have achieved success, got on the playing field, and those that haven't, stayed on the sidelines, is they decided to break through those barriers. If you have a question that you would like answered, you can submit them by email, through Facebook, or through Twitter. Make sure and include #AskDavidDidier. Ensure you do not miss any future episode. Subscribe on iTunes.

So you think you have it rough. Let me guess. You have bad luck? You never win? That is the exact kind of limiting and victim mindset that keeps people down. It is that point of view that keeps people exactly that. A VICTIM. It puts us in the position that we are victims of what happens to us. It takes away our control. This episode is all about the antithesis of that. Harrison Shetlin is a young man that has been a fighter from the moment he was born. For those of you that currently have this victim mentality... LISTEN UP!  Born with spinal meningitis, and then being diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of fighting the meningitis, Harrison was been fighting from the moment he was born. When he was young, a doctor told his father that Harrison would never be able to run. Harrison had something else in mind! Drawing on his knowledge of being a chiropractic physician, his father Dr. Jay Shetlin would not settle for Harrison's doctor's doom and gloom story. Determined to help his son, Dr. Shetlin focused on four things: "Blueprints" "Building Blocks" "Keep the toxins out" "Give the body time" The result? Harrison has completed a whole 5k run and is looking forward to challenging himself to complete a 10k. When asked what his best piece of advice is for others who are facing challenges, his response is "Never Quit". Harrion's book is available for purchase on Amazon.com   Don't Miss An Episode! Click On The Link Below To Subscribe.

Habits, Thinking, and How To Find Happiness - My Perspective I have focused a lot of my time and effort studying individuals that have been fortunate enough to find success in business. I have found that people fall into a few different camps. There are individuals that only want to be employees and no more. Many people have a desire to start their own business, but for one reason or another always keep themselves on the sidelines and never enter the game. Others, start businesses that don't work out the way they hoped. They then quit trying and settle for finding a job somewhere. Then there is the fourth contingent of people who are in a complete league of their own. They have deep down burning desires and act on them. They don't always succeed from the start, but they don't let any "failures" stop them from pursuing their dreams. They never quit and never settle.  I have always been curious what separates the fourth group of individuals from all of the others. I have found that a key to their success can be found in their habits and their way of thinking. They do not waste time with useless activities like watching television. Instead of television, they read books. Also, they have a positive attitude. They don't waste time or energy on negative people or those that don't believe in their dreams. They do not falter. Also, they are in business for more then just money. Their desire, first and foremost, is to provide value. They identify problems in the world and come up with a way to solve them. They want to be world changers and leave a positive lasting impact. That desire to provide value is what makes the wealth that many times comes from their efforts possible. They look at the wealth they accumulate as a tool to make a greater impact, not the end all be all.