In The Booth with Shawn Booth
You may know Shawn Booth from The Bachelorette, you may know him as a fitness guy who owns a gym in Nashville, or you may just know his dog, Walter.
Tune in as Shawn sits down with people from all walks of life: artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, military personnel, badass moms, fitness professionals, and everything in between. You'll hear motivational stories, healthy habits that lead to success, relationship tips, and more.
However you know him, you'll get to know the real Shawn and his guests right here on In The Booth.
In The Booth with Shawn Booth
Building a Healthy Mind (w/ Justin Crawford)
Growing up amidst the whirlwind of military life, Justin Crawford learned early the art of forming fast friendships and the resilience needed in the face of constant change. On our latest episode, he opens up about his journey from "military brat" to mental health advocate, offering a look at how his transient childhood not only shaped his social connections but also ignited his passion for promoting mental well-being.
Join Justin and Shawn in this engaging episode as they delve into the significance of nurturing a healthy mind across various facets of life. From navigating fatherhood to staying fit, excelling professionally to hosting a podcast, Justin shares valuable insights on how to prioritize mental well-being. Justin candidly checks in with Shawn amidst the chaos of his life, offering practical tips and heartfelt discussions on the importance of seeking balance and having open conversations with loved ones.
Tune in to discover the top daily habits that can help you cultivate a healthy mind, and learn why open conversations (like this one) with loved ones are crucial for overall mental health. With Justin Crawford's insights, this episode is full of reflections for anyone navigating the complexities of maintaining mental health in today's fast-paced world! Come join us IN THE BOOTH!
we are back in the booth and I'm sean booth and hopefully you guys are having a good day. Wherever you're listening from, we appreciate the support. Maybe you are listening from ontario, ottawa, maybe you are listening from anaheim, california, which I'm heading to tonight, or maybe we have somebody listening from misawa, japan, and if you're not watching us, you can head over to youtube. We have all of our episodes there every week. So, thank you, guys. We're gonna get into it. Today, very excited for this conversation, I have a special guest to my left and joining me is the co-host of a modern day mental health podcast and non-profit called Luminosity. He started his career working in New York City with some of the top media companies in the world, including NBC, before he decided he wanted nothing more than to focus his work or better mental health for his audiences, partners and himself. So today we're going to dive into all things mental health, which I love and I'm very passionate about. So, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Justin Crawford.
Speaker 2:Give it up for Sean Boone. Yeah, here it is. You know I've met a lot of podcast hosts in the past, even just the past couple of weeks. You're great. You're really good at this You've interviewed half of my friends.
Speaker 1:I have here in Nashville I have that's how we got you here and Misawa, that's correct. Right, that's right.
Speaker 2:Misawa, misawa. The Americans say Misawa. Misawa is El, morishii is the last little part of it, hometown. Yeah, I mean, we lived there four total times but, as you could imagine, like military brats you're a little bit of everywhere up until you're about 17, 18, before you go to college, and so that's hometown for sure.
Speaker 1:Wait. So that's like a wild upbringing. And is that why you want to get into mental health, did you Woo? How much time do we have?
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, because you're moving all over and I feel like, yeah, and it's until you meet other military brats. It's one of two things that happens. Right, you grow up in your families. One or both parents are at war. Usually, no matter what branch you're in, they're getting stationed places, they're getting deployed, coming home whenever they can, right, so that's what you're used to as a child. When we started this podcast, luminosity, kevin Quinn and I, a lot of my first thoughts what, in the first 20 weeks, were that? No-transcript? Well, worse, in a good way. Right, because then you go to college. Same stuff would happen. Right, you go to internships, keep traveling, blah, blah, blah, and then eventually you get to like adulthood and you're still kind of confused whether or not you have a home base or you know the right people that have been with you the whole time or not. It's been crazy. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 1:Do you have siblings?
Speaker 2:I have an older brother. So when I said that there's two ways to look at it, he took the opposite. He wanted to come hang out in Tennessee. He actually ended up marrying and having kids with my best friend from Florida when we lived there Okay, talking like early 2000s. So they both wanted that, like hey, we've been traveling our whole life, it's time to just hang out, chill, have a family, get a home or whatever. So I'm the opposite one, where I'm still running around and can't tell if I live here or LA or.
Speaker 1:New York. You know, yeah, world traveler. So do you have a lot of friends still from your childhood, or was that?
Speaker 2:I mean they look and feel and act differently. You know we all grow up, but Facebook was a great way to stay in touch with folks and then I don't use that anymore and so now Instagram's that and you'd be surprised. You grow up going to 10, 13 different schools. You live somewhere new every two to three years and you may see them again. You may never see them again, but yeah, I keep in touch with a lot of them. But I love the new friends too.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean you get to a new city.
Speaker 2:the entire city is your oyster to make all these new friends, relationships, and then, before you know it, you got a whole nother batch of people to kind of come home to when you decide to go back to that place.
Speaker 1:Right, I feel like there's always different friend groups, right? It's like your childhood friends, high school friends, college friends and then real world work friends.
Speaker 2:And everybody now says like it's important to keep your group small. Yeah, you know, in terms of like your day-to-day close friends, right, especially as adults. You're a dad and so when Sean was like, hey, what are you doing later? I was like we're gonna talk about fatherhood, right, we're gonna talk about your healthy mind around that. But as you have children, you know you go into dad, mom mode, buying the home, getting settled, and then that's your life, that's every day. So then you're so limited, I think, with the amount of time that you can have with friends. That's why I think the group gets small. Yeah, you know, and the only ones we could talk about friendship all day long but we did an episode on that last year and again this year where it's like the healthiest friendships are the ones you don't have to think about Exactly hey, I'm in town, cool, see you at dinner. I like should be. That's the, that's. Those are the people you need in that small group.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know what I mean, but it's inevitable it will be a very small group as you get older right and the ones you can call and, like you said, it feels like things never change or you pick up where you left off and you haven't talked to them in months that's right, yeah, the best type of friends.
Speaker 1:So yeah, fatherhood and we are, I mean, at least, talked about schools. Now that we have a kid, it's something I never really thought about. Moving to Nashville, would you recommend your childhood? If you had kids, would you want to plant your roots in one spot and have them grow up and do all of their schooling in one city?
Speaker 2:Yeah, wow, wow, wow. That's such a good question.
Speaker 1:Because I feel like I have pressure now, because I'm like all right, yeah, I don't want to turn it on you.
Speaker 2:Let me give you context and then I'm going to turn the question back on you, because I think it depends on how you and your lady want the child to grow up Right. Do you want like super stable, comfortable, small-town life? You know that's one option. Do you want them to grow up and experience everything possible? And you and your lady are then responsible for traveling to those places, taking it upon yourself to get different homes wherever right? You know what I mean, and it kind of depends, at least in the military life. It was so subject to your parents' job, mom or dad's in the service. You know one of four branches and you're being told by the Air Force, army, marines or Navy what to do. Hey, your family's going to go here, we're going to take care of it, don't worry about it. Like I'll even tell you this that we didn't pay rent or we didn't even have bills, not even kidding. Electric water, housing was always taken care of. My parents weren't running bills like we have to right now as adults. I'm not saying join the military.
Speaker 1:I probably do really well, you know, I mean anyway.
Speaker 2:So, military life aside, I hear from people today that they'll even move here to Nashville. Hey, you know, like we decided to have a kid, have family, I want to settle down. They're going to go to Nashville, Scottsdale, Austin. They're not going to Miami, New York City or back into LA, you know. And so it's kind of dependent on what you guys want to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I never put too much thought into it until recently. I'm like, all right, well, we've got a few years and everybody I talked around here like you gotta get on a waiting list for these schools here. Also. Nashville is very different because they say like you basically have to do private school here and I'm a public school guy last night. I'm a big public school guy. Um, and these private schools around here, I'm like wait, how much is that? That's how much I was paying for college yeah, it's insane.
Speaker 1:More for your kid more yeah for high school because that then gets stressful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, tell me where you're at with that, because you and your lady and the kid you guys now have to think in in three. And when you had this child, I remember you saying on podcasts before that, like now your life is your, is your family you know what I mean. And then so your priorities around how you're making money. You're about to open a new gym here in nashville, like all these things are happening where you then have to make sure that that dictates what's going to happen for your, for your baby yeah and education's number one.
Speaker 2:You ever thought about homeschooling? That could be interesting. Just get like an educator in the back of the gym.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly yeah. We're going to put childcare at our new gym, so he's there almost every day, which is cool, and we do like bringing him everywhere because he's just getting all of the senses, the scenery, the noises, and I feel like that's the best way to bring a child into the world, because there's two types of learnings right, you'll have the books and then you'll have.
Speaker 1:you'll have the books and then you'll have life and I think the books I mean just give him a book, I don't know I mean how much he's reading, but what we've learned in school. How much of that has translated book wise into? The majority of people's careers. That's right, I mean bigger questions.
Speaker 2:to be asking him is not like hey, like maybe he does want to go to college and further his education down the line once he gets into grade school. But then a big question is like what do you actually want to like? Who do you want to be when you grow up? Not what do you want to do, who do you want to be? I learned that there was a woman named Paula Ferris, former ABC News anchor. She wrote a book who do you want to be when you grow up?
Speaker 1:That's probably a book you want to definitely give them. Yeah, I'll check that out for sure, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:That's just a lot of times we don't think enough about that. There's two separate things happening here for the child as they're growing up.
Speaker 1:And it's going to be interesting too now with all of the technology AI as far as schooling goes. I'm like how do these kids even do homework? Do they just type it into their AI and it does it for them. So what is the point of school right now?
Speaker 2:You know there's a lot of parents younger parents even that are not giving their kids phones and tablets, believe it or not. There was two people on the airplane yesterday. We were talking about technology. None of us were on our phones or devices, just chatting it up like the old school days. Right, and I hope that comes back. I think there was a part of history whenever you want to call it early 1900s, you know, in the 1950s, there's there. There was none of this, you know, and thank God we have it in a lot of ways. But also it's just, it's detrimental to, like, folks' mental health. But for children, I mean, listen, I think it's. There's gotta be guidelines and boundaries, especially in the education system. You know, if everything's on a computer they're constantly on their apps, then like there's no actual learning there. It's just kind of like it's too easy seeing, it's easy at the fingertips.
Speaker 2:They're not being challenged, right? So if you're not being challenged in school, why the hell are you paying for it? You know? Or why are you even? Why are you even there for eight hours, or however long they go to school nowadays?
Speaker 1:and I think that's one of my favorite parts right now of watching locks grow up is that he just simply exists and he can just sit there and he can lay down and he's smiling and he doesn't have to check his phone every two seconds, get that dopamine rush. It's like he hasn't been poisoned yet and I love that and I'm, like you know, gonna try as hard as we can not to make him a tablet kid. Nothing against that might change when, when he gets to that age. You know, every parent is different, but I love the fact that he's just so innocent and it's just, like you know, kind of old school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is what we all used to do.
Speaker 2:Because if you're seeing it now with your child, that's how we were.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We just didn't have these other external factors. I always worried. So when we started this nonprofit and podcast, our target was Gen Z and anyone behind them, and last night on the airplane I was telling a new friend I was like hey, like you know, we had a goal of making sure that mental health was, or to better folks' mental health, right. But it won't help us when we're starting to do things if we're just going after folks that can relate to us or folks that are 50 plus. Even right, 30 to 50 year olds are already in therapy maybe, or they're already having these discussions with their friends and families and loved ones. And so I was like it's so critical that we aim that way. Behind us, your son, 61% of the folks are 13 to 26. And I think that's so important for us to think about. Like, okay, we're, how old are you now?
Speaker 1:Tomorrow I'm going to be 38.
Speaker 2:Oh, happy early, yeah, getting old. So I'm 20, I'm 10, 10 years behind you and even if you think about where our intellect is and where our minds are, you know, and sometimes healthy and toxic, right. We, you know, and sometimes healthy and toxic, right. We're still going through a lot like we have to think day to day. How are we kind of bettering that? But if we have this podcast, like you do or like mine, or you have a child, or I have folks that kevin and I are speaking to at events, it is important to kind of make sure that the people in generations coming up are listening to folks like us, who've kind of been through life right without the tablets and phones back and you know, when we were born right.
Speaker 1:So let me ask you this now. I feel like, more than ever, we are more conscious of mental health and, at the same time, with the generations behind us, I feel like they struggle the most, again with social media. But do we see that mental health is getting better or worse?
Speaker 2:Yeah, they always said it started with awareness and talking about it. That's where everybody should start. But as you start going kind of down what I call a spiral, right.
Speaker 2:Because in your mind is where you keep your thoughts, and until they're down on paper. On a podcast like this, I have a client that writes music instead, you know, instead of journaling, like find the outlet. So it's like, yes, self-awareness is number one, number two is is is like letting your words out, like I met someone that was deaf yesterday. Clearly he can't do what we're doing. Yeah, in the same way, right, so there's, you gotta find that outlet that makes sense for you to kind of take what's in your mind and put it on, like put it out there, right, um, and if you're like sean booth, it's tricky actually. So we're in the business at this point, right, you launch an organization. We're showing up to events like Hollywood in Mind in LA, my clients are all checked into rehab and therapy. Sometimes I've been to therapy forever. You've probably tried it and done it. So it's less about what everybody's doing, about it, right, because that's like the work is the work. It's as if you're saying, hey, we want to defeat breast cancer, okay, awareness campaigns, organizations, galas. Same thing happens in the mental health industry. The same framework is there, but mental health is such a personal thing. So it's like taking an episode, like what we're doing right now to help drive awareness, maybe even help inspire some folks to go check in on themselves and things that we'll get to here in a sec.
Speaker 2:But then, beyond that, it's like now it's your turn listener, reader, subscriber, attendee at the event it is your turn. You chose to show up and listen. You chose to show up and learn. Now you take that information and you kind of download it how you need to, because no one's in the same place. So it's a hard question to answer. Is it booming? Yeah sure. Is it talked about? Yeah, sure. Beyond that, it's actually such a personal thing that you're better off talking to your wife and your kid at home and finding the right resources and tools there in that home. Then you come into the studio, do in the booth and you're the healthiest, happiest, amazing person. When you're turning 38 tomorrow, you know, as opposed to oh, what am I supposed to be doing Then?
Speaker 2:I want to help everyone else Because it's like a lot of that external action you can take, you believe it or not, it's not going to serve you on the inside, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I feel like a lot of people probably have trouble with checking in with themselves and realizing what is affecting them and their mental health.
Speaker 2:And it's a hard pill to swallow. Sorry, it's a hard thing to look at and to swallow Right.
Speaker 2:You know, uh, if you've watched the documentary on quiet on set, drake Bell and I became really good friends a couple of years ago. So I've been on that entire journey. I call it a rabbit hole, honestly, like a spiral with him. But him and I've talked every single day about the same thing His, what he needs to look at for his mental health, given his like his. You know what has happened to him and the experience of being a childhood star that's so different than mine, but both of us have agreed. You know, I'm a little 28 year old kid that just happens to be his friend. And then you have Drake, bell right, bell right.
Speaker 2:And so for drake, it's like, okay, public eye, you've been shamed. No one freaking was saying anything good about you two years ago. Now everyone loves you or whatever. So you take that. And it's the same way that I would look in the mirror and say, oh my god, I gotta work on this. That happened. Oh god, I gotta go make good with that person. Remember that one.
Speaker 2:And then you get sure you know what I'm saying. Like everything is up here. Yeah, to each individual, but if you can, uh, find it's really courage. You know what I. But if you can find, it's really courage you know what I mean, if you can find the courage and just say you know what? Let me stare at myself in the mirror.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what the hell are we doing? Yeah, you're 38 tomorrow. You have a family, second gym's opening up. There's a lot of stuff happening in your world. You know, didn't have to be that way. You know, some people, depending on what you believe in, you know where your spirituality lies, your religious beliefs and whatever, you can always say the same that a lot of folks will agree on, which is a lot of this is meant to be. And, as colloquial as it may sound, you know things happen for a reason and they do. But it's up to you to kind of take action on what feels instinctually right for you, based on where you're at in your life. Right, you know, and then you could do those check-ins as you need to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I'm a big believer that everything happens for a reason. It's just realizing those reasons and taking action.
Speaker 2:Right, and it's us thinking and talking about it right now. It's like you can talk about this stuff forever.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Like every day, it's like we could be anywhere. We were in LA last week and someone was like, hey, like just want to talk to you about that podcast episode we listened to. I was like, oh yeah, of course, of course To. An hour later, you know, of course, in the middle of it, I was like let's kind of drink while talking about this stuff. You know what I mean. So, and we're all humans, we have to coexist with each other.
Speaker 2:They always say, like loneliness syndrome is at its highest right, like where are we as a society when it comes to mental health? A lot of people are lonely. I'll pull stats and stuff later, but it's like I remember trying to think to myself let's combat loneliness while building community and allowing everyone to actually focus on themselves while still existing with everyone else. And the only way to really do that, if you think about it, sean, is like what you've created. You have a huge community in Nashville, right? But you were smart to think, okay, well, I'm going to be based there anyway.
Speaker 2:And so your gym, right, booth camp, and you have all these other things about your platform that could be existing anywhere in the world, but you have a gym here. Everyone knows that that's a communal spot for them, right, you know, I'm sure you've done all these run clubs, I've seen all of it, and it builds community. And what you did really like, almost on the uh, hit the nail on the head was you incorporated, um, a really specific strategy to then put fitness in it. Right, cause exercise is one of the top things that folks need to survive a better mental health journey. So then you've kind of, you know, morphed all that together in one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and I always say too it's, it's the community that brings people there, and keeps people there.
Speaker 1:Like everybody can work out. Obviously the workouts are, we think, the best and we have the best coaches, but at the end of the day it's getting together with your friends, getting together with people that are going to push you, and just having that sense of community, especially as you get older and you're working nine to five jobs and you don't meet that many people. But you can always go down to the gym and hang out with your friends for an hour. That's right.
Speaker 2:And what happens beyond that's up to the person. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1:And it's interesting too that you say that now it's. You know, there's studies showing how lonely people are in the world. That's the most connected it's ever been.
Speaker 2:So again, that goes back to yeah, devices, I think, yeah, devices Social media, because, remember, MySpace, like you'd have to get home, right, You'd have to get home on the computer, log in, make sure your parents weren't behind you because you can look. You know what I'm saying. Then you go to the little chat section with your friends or go to the timeline or whatever they're called, like the. You know where you can like, post and comment. And then we get to Facebook, now meta Twitter, now X, and like whatever. And when social media went from your MySpace Facebook on the desktop to the phone? It's no longer Always connected.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I tell folks, one big thing you can do right now for your mental health is to take that phone and turn all your notifications off and then make sure in your brain you start practicing the good habit of checking it when you know you need to be on it. Right, you know what I mean. Or else you're always going to be pinged, vibrated or whatever.
Speaker 1:You know what I?
Speaker 2:mean, and it's always there and it's nonstop and people are like, oh, I turn it off at 10. There's always different habits you can have with your cell phone. You said it earlier. It's like the dopamine hit exists and that's one of the four happiness hormones. Right, you have serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine and endorphins. You handle endorphins at the gym. Dopamine, it sounds like, comes from the phone and all these other areas too, or maybe coffee and stuff like that. Serotonin is the best one. I will say this until the day I die.
Speaker 2:Serotonin is where you're kind of at a standstill, pumping the endorphins. Right, you're getting it and before you know it you don't realize your mind actually needs to pause and so I'd go in there. I'm like, all right, let me like hit the like a 30 at a 15. Right, for those who don't know, it's like you're walking at an incline on a treadmill trying to burn some fat and get warmed up, and I was like, all right, let's hit some weights, whatever, whatever. And then I always end a workout laying down. I don't care how long it takes, but my mind I then have to like practice where it's at and like slow it down, see what thoughts come through. And then in the sauna. Same thing 15 minutes, right. So that's just a simple fitness hack that has allowed me to start these mornings intentionally.
Speaker 2:No phone exists. You know, phones usually on the Peloton hook or whatever. No notifications are on that phone, so it's until 10-ish, maybe 9.30, until today. Well, it's obviously Sean and I were texting this morning, but you know, most mornings I don't think about my phone.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And you start that way.
Speaker 1:Right, and that's what I enjoy about getting up early is that the world's kind of still sleeping? So, those couple hours? Yeah, what time are you of still sleeping those couple hours? Yeah, what time you getting up? Is it 4 30?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's like 4 18, 4 20 is it a body clock thing now where, yeah, the alarm is still just up?
Speaker 1:yeah, I can't really sleep in um. But it's interesting though, because the last couple nights I've just been laying in bed just like thinking about everything, like sometimes I'll just yeah I'll get up. I'll fall asleep quick and hard, and then I'll get up, and then I'm just like laying there.
Speaker 2:Does it feel like anxiety at that point?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you start, you know, questioning everything.
Speaker 2:Somebody said there's two things and I just want to allude to. When you talked with Todd Anderson, he actually have you used any mouth tape in the years past?
Speaker 1:I haven't.
Speaker 2:So the way that you breathe in your sleep I think he told you on this on your episode with him that's changed my life, cause when you go to bed you're just doing that nasal stuff. Your body listens to that. So I think there's a body mind connection for all of us, and I've done it. I think the other day I woke up in the middle of my sleep, just like you, and it's it's the thoughts that weren't out. Imagine that.
Speaker 2:Pretty simple, Like the theory is pretty simple. The thoughts that were not out of your mind are now affecting your body, waking you up in the middle of your sleep. Your circadian rhythm, all that stuff your deep sleep's affecting you're screwed the next day. You know, and they say, sleep's also one of the biggest things that you have to focus on for your mental health, and just your overall health. Of course, the reason I bring that up is because I think that a lot of folks aren't finding vices at the end of the night. So number one, like, of course, turn your phone off an hour before, not off, but put away. If you have these other thoughts, get a little notepad. You know a buddy Patrick of mine just has a notepad at his table.
Speaker 2:A little extreme. But if you have all these thoughts that you know tomorrow you can handle. You got to focus on getting that seven, eight hours first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. It's just like the thoughts just come rushing in at once and you can't sleep and it almost makes you feel like okay, well, like, all right.
Speaker 2:What am I supposed to do with these thoughts? I'm exhausted Cause your brain's not on Something I was going to tell you today, was it? I don't know about you. It takes me an hour on average, maybe 45 minutes, hour and 15 to just wake up. You know, people are like I'm not a morning person. No one's a morning person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have to, because your brain's not on.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and it's like how do you become a morning person? Of course it's learning to wake up, like Sean at 4, you know, 418 or whatever, and or whenever your body naturally knows it's going to wake up after getting a good night's sleep, but then, literally practicing the art of how to wake up, it sets the whole day, you know, and then, from a mental health standpoint, nobody wants to wake up, feeling anxious. What's the first thing people do when they wake up? I'd argue that it's 90% of the world, even people that are like 50, 60, 70 years old right now. You know what I mean? They're pulling their phone out, and it's a habitual thing. So then you have to say, okay, let me wake up, stretch chill. I always imagine I'm like oh, I'm laying on the clouds. Sounds a little woo-woo, right, but I'm very spiritual these days, hence the bracelets. That's what LA does to people and I go. You know what? There is something so calming about waking up, hearing the birds or the cicadas outside and then eventually just going. I ain, I don't fricking know.
Speaker 2:Take a probiotic, go, get on the toilet, whatever you need to do rinse your mouth you know what I mean and then get to the phone. It's all waiting for you anyway, exactly you know, and any adult that you're working with or someone that wants your attention. I think there's a secret here and you're probably good at it, because I tried to get in touch with you last month and I'm just kidding, I'm not. Hey, sean, let's you know, whatever. So there's power to that. From a business standpoint, there's a lot of power to that right. But on your personal mental health front, you owe yourself the power to say yeah, I'll get to that later. Yeah, but don't be the dimwit, not you, but anyone listening. Don't be the dimwit that's like oh, I read your message, I would get back to you later I saw your email I forwarded to my assistant.
Speaker 2:Like that's like ego stuff. Yeah, don't do that. Yeah, be the person that says I just haven't texted anybody for a week you know, my phone's just not been on me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh yeah, everybody can uh call me out on that too, because I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I get so overwhelmed with stuff I just have to like I can't even like put my focus on it. It's wild, nothing wrong with that?
Speaker 2:yeah, because to go from real life to digital in a snap of a second, it also takes what, on average, 15 minutes to get back into focus mode, in which then you can only stay focused for about 30 minutes at a time.
Speaker 1:But even that is something that I was stressing out about too.
Speaker 1:I feel like just this was two nights ago, like everything, every thought worry I had was coming to my mind, and that was one thing. Gosh, I feel like there's so many people I need to get back to, there's so many things I need to stay on top of, and I just feel like I got pulled in so many different directions that it's so feels so unorganized. And how do you stay organized? I mean I, the one of the first things I do when I wake up is I'll sit down and I'll I have a to-do list on my phone and I'll just like prioritize the most important things of the day. But it's difficult for me because I have many different kind of career paths and I mean the gym is obviously the main thing, but then I got the podcast, do a little real estate and and social media is a whole big thing, and so it's just like there's so many little things in different directions where sometimes I'm like man, I just wish I just had one thing Nine to five, but then if I had that.
Speaker 1:I'd be like I'd be bored.
Speaker 2:Grass is always greener, always. Right so it always feels have you ever had a nine to five?
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I didn't like it so, but I had my first job out of college. It was an insurance company, but I got to work from home, make my own schedule, so I've never really had like sit in one place all day, so you're just used to it at this point. Yeah, and now I've been doing my own thing and creating my own income for almost 10 years, right, so, which also adds pressure and a lot of stress, right where you know, now that I have a family, it adds more stress.
Speaker 2:so you ever take moments to just not think about any of it. That's also powerful for your mind. I know I try to. It's always going always yep.
Speaker 1:But I will say, with locks I do. I'm able to just hang out and relax with him because I just look at him, I hold him and it's relaxing and it's relaxing and it's like nothing and yeah, and I try to just exist with him. And then it also puts things into perspective. I'm like, screw all that other stuff right now. That's not important. Like none of that is important. This is what's important. Like what if I am not here tomorrow?
Speaker 1:or next week does it matter, know? Does the gym really matter right now or the time that you're going to miss with your son?
Speaker 2:So I'm happy for you. There's a lot of dads that can't have that perspective and just the intention to find that remedy in your child.
Speaker 2:Because one thing I learned I think I told you this, but we I think in 2020, I started that men's mental health podcast and for a long time I was like I'm just going to focus on that. It was the one thing for a long time, and the common thread with a lot of the guests that were dads, celebrities, whoever literally was that their relationship to their kid or their children or their you know, now adult children. The common thread was like, hey, you know, that's my life, that's why I do all of this. So when you have that child, it changes things. You know, and and and. But on the other side of it, too, I've had I've actually not to get morbid and dark, but that's just like where I'm living these days. I'm just kidding. Uh, I've had two friends that were dads that committed suicide, and so just I.
Speaker 2:And so when I meet people, I'm like, yeah, like you just never know what's going on, right behind the scenes and I would argue that, like my two friends you know, now gone, it's like it got to a point where it was. I probably wasn't about the kids, you know. I'm saying I think it was work, I think it was wife, husband, one was you know, one was gay and I was like something ain't right and it was lack of um opening up, right, that's what it was. Neither of them were in therapy. Yeah, they were hard asses. You know what I'm saying and I'm not saying that's what it was. Neither of them were in therapy, they were hard asses. You know what I'm saying and I'm not saying that's how it's for most men.
Speaker 1:It's common For guys who create, so yeah.
Speaker 2:So when you say that you know your son, you're able to kind of like actually relax. Good, because some dads especially dads listening to this or wives listening to this now like moms, you know the kid becomes an added stress, so you have to be careful of that, depending on how you navigate that. A kid is a beautiful thing but many, many people are in different situations, just like with all of us with our mental health. They're getting, they feel and react different to the child. You know what I mean and we've heard the stories. Listen. Everybody has a different childhood upbringing. You have a very healthy relationship with your family and your kids, so that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's something too. I've always thought about that, even just watching movies, growing up, like hook, for example, with Robin Williams, and it was like the whole plot was the kid never saw his dad. His dad was always busy and his and he'd be super upset because the dad couldn't make it to the baseball game. Right, and I was always like I never want to be that and I always, for some reason, thought that. So I've always wanted to be a dad and now, even if there's things that might start to get me annoyed, it'll like I'll shut that off immediately.
Speaker 2:Like I, I don't get stressed out about it, um, so then the your yeah, and then you're challenged to yourself. Now is taking that energy and that thought process?
Speaker 1:into your work life? I think that's yeah, and the work, because you mentioned you're, like stress, anxious to alleviate.
Speaker 2:All of that is to find what you see in him in your work yeah, that's easy. You literally own your businesses. Yeah, tell me this real quick. And this is the only business, the hardest thing you can do.
Speaker 1:I feel like I'm like it is so hard if you have to deal with you know I get there's different types of businesses, or maybe you work for yourself and that's all you have. But if you have employees and it is extremely difficult. I've been through the ups, the highest of highs, lowest of lows in six years of the gym and it's just it wears on you, wears your responsibilities there and you is there yeah, your responsibilities are there.
Speaker 1:You always want to, you know, keep everybody happy. You feel like you let people down and it's like it's almost like you want. The community is such a blessing and a curse because it's so strong, but then if anything happens within it, you're affected by it more. Or if, uh, somebody leaves, then it like really hurts. Or if you lose a coach or you know what I'm saying like it's because you kick, I care so much and it's hard not to be personal and it's hard not to be personal, um, so that was always a struggle the first few years.
Speaker 1:I'm starting to try and get better with that. But yeah, I mean, owning a business is tough. The people are the hardest part, right 100%.
Speaker 2:You know, I left NBC three years ago and I've been a solo business owner since. Yeah, so I couldn't do what you do. But I will tell you this you went from being like a star-studded personality after you launched out. When was that show?
Speaker 1:2016 15 after corporate right yeah during the business launch no, no, so I launched a business right after that right after it see.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so to come out as a personality. You're so smart to leverage right, leverage all the excitement right and then hey, come to nashville. And then non-stop sense right so I think, it'll be really unique to watch you open the second gym, yeah, watch your son keep growing up, yeah, and see where you actually want to place your, your energy. It's a big thing. It's a big energy is huge when you're working.
Speaker 2:This is work for you, yeah you know you're reading off the intro, I was like damn, he's better than me. I usually just wear sweats and when I'm introducing people on a podcast, I'm like hi, yeah, welcome that's one of my favorite parts, the intros, everybody, um, but yeah it's uh it's super difficult because I am naturally an introvert.
Speaker 1:Um, I keep a really close circle. I'll open up once I get to know you. I have a very difficult time with trusting people Always have. So owning a business and then having your name on it and then trying to be outgoing and make everybody feel welcomed was difficult. So then Again, people would be like oh you standoffish.
Speaker 2:But I'm like no, I'm just shy, I'm just shy.
Speaker 1:I would rather like I'll go into the back room and hang out before my class most time, just like be by myself.
Speaker 2:You have to charge up To charge up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, mentally for sure, and then I'll come home and I'm just like I don't want to talk right now just because I'm so drained.
Speaker 2:Everyone will build their own perception of you, regardless of how you act to them in front of them, around them, right even behind, like if you're not even around the person. You as a public figure at this point, yes, that's always a thing. Anyway, you know, if the show didn't teach you that, then clearly social media and having these people in your gym might do that more. Yeah, you hit on something really interesting, which is this idea of like introversion. Right, so everybody talks about like hey, what kind of personality type are you? Hey, I'm an introverted x-year.
Speaker 2:I'm an extroverted yeah you just explained all of that. So, if you guys are listening, that's exactly what y'all probably wanted to hear anyway. Right, like you're helping folks, anyway, help like understand who you are, to then build, hopefully, just a positive perception, having opened up like this. That's the power of, I think, mental health conversations anyway. But then now it gets to be translated into your business and maybe that just takes, like you know, focusing on the good and, like you, knowing to recharge here and go home. You don't feel like talking to but you're following. Like you. Yeah, I'm the opposite. You know, I have the recharge, the same way you do, right, but I need to be doing backflips at your gym and I need to be like getting, I need to know everyone in the room. Yeah, I do, right, you know what I mean. And it's not exhausting, it's charging. Yeah, you know, it charges me up, whereas for you it seems like it kind of like drains you yeah, but your awareness is excellent on that yeah.
Speaker 1:And then people be like, oh, he's got his favorites. Or even dre, she makes fun of me. She's like, oh, they're just, you know, the bc crew, or they're the the ones that sean loves. I'm like, no, those are just people I feel comfortable with. So then I'll naturally gravitate towards them in a room of people I've talked with and natural human instinct.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 1:I think, we've lost.
Speaker 2:We've lost empathy and compassion as a society. So for someone to like tell you what someone else said, that's whatever. But for someone to like deliberately say hey, I think you're like, you have your favorites and I feel this way they start getting personally affected by how you are. They have to look a little more inside. Right, I'd never look at you hang out yeah, that's what I think too.
Speaker 2:I'm like do your thing. I'm gonna go hang out these people instead, but like it's just gotten to a point where, like, if we can all be a little bit more empathetic and practice this idea of like empathy meets compassion when you're interacting with human beings, we're not going to have all this like shit talking or taking things personal or getting depressed about someone not interacting with us or emailing us back or texting us back or talking to us in person, and we shouldn't be taking things that personal right, because it's not about them, it's about you.
Speaker 2:And if that's the case, let's like, make sure that you look at that person and, you know, project a little bit more of that positive energy out to them, as opposed to just maybe why you feel you tell me if I'm wrong, but this is just to finish the thought on your example. If the folks who are like, hey, like, let's say there's been negative Nancy's around, yeah, right, that's draining, yeah, should they come to you and approach and say, hey, like anything else, like, hey, it's so good to see you, um, saw, you do this the other day.
Speaker 1:I loved it, just a good energy. It's not going to drain you right.
Speaker 2:So it's got to be a little bit more of the positive yeah less of the negative stuff yeah, absolutely I agree. I think uh people take things too personal yeah, but, sean, this is exactly what you and I probably have an issue with too, so here's what I'm getting with that yeah taking things personal, especially in business, I think is one of the biggest challenges we all have. We all have it, yeah, you know, cause we're all human beings and in a perfect world none of us be working.
Speaker 2:We all make the same amount of money just living our lives. You ever heard of the seven blue zones of the world on Netflix? I forgot the name of the show. I think it's called blue zones, something like that. And um, there's, there's seven places in the world. I'll tell you. One place is okinawa, japan. That's all I remember from the show, because I have adhd and so I don't remember anything. But it all came down to like the. The top things that those cities, I guess within the countries or even the countries themselves, have in common was really just their lifestyle. They laugh a lot. There's no stress community. You're close to your family and your friends, right, you know?
Speaker 2:even if you're in a relationship, they're usually part of the bigger picture of your life, as opposed to that little friend. You know I'm dating that one person and then you know we all have that friend that dates that person and gets married and then you never see him again. Right, this idea that we are all overstimulated, taking things personal from like social media or even in your in booth camp, at the fitness, fitness classes and stuff.
Speaker 2:I think it comes down to like where are you? Are you fulfilled? Are you happy? Are you comfortable? Are you settled? You know, are you grounded? You know, and a lot of that's based on where your environment is Not to say Nashville is not a great place for that based on where your environment is, not to say Nashville's not a great place for that, right, but a lot of not one place was United States based, because we're still a young country figuring it out. But that Blue Zones on Netflix is something that proved that it's all about your environment and how you build your lifestyle around pure joy and happiness and health.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, because even when I was stressing out the other night, I'm like I just want to move family to Montana or New Hampshire and just live a simple, simple life. But then I know as soon as I do that I'm back on board.
Speaker 2:We said that earlier too. Like what if we did go back to the simple old days? I mean, I think that's where I find peace. I wear a black t-shirt every freaking day. Yeah, had the same white sneaks till they get dirty, I'll switch them out. Yeah, you got to go that little bit. I don't like like, say, steve jobs way, but that simple, minimalistic lifestyle and learning backwards, you know, like learning about what has worked in the past, decades ago, hey, when things were that simple and you know, yeah, how did they live right. And then incorporating that in your, into your life now. And you mentioned a lot like I don't know your catalog. I think it's like eight businesses and multiple brands, probably right now. But look at your catalog and go, you know what? I don't need that? Yeah, that can wait till next year. The four later uh, method is is very healthy yeah, I'll write the book next year.
Speaker 2:I'm sure you want to write a book, right?
Speaker 2:so I do see, like you know like or um, oh, the next kid now, let's give it a couple years actually, so he can actually get our love first. And you know, I'm saying like it's applicable to anything but the four later strategies, like and it helps your head, or not your head, but your mind, yeah, it'll help you out. Be like oh okay, because your thoughts are going to come in anyway. Yeah, you know, and when your thoughts come in, you're like later, right. Or ignore the thought to put it to the side.
Speaker 1:I like that. Well, I'm going to give you the floor here for the next couple of minutes because I got to get to. Class here Starts in 14 minutes Speaking of booth camp, but we need to do another episode. This is. I feel like I could talk to you all day about this stuff.
Speaker 2:It's actually how Sean and I met. It's actually how Sean and I met. I think we sat down, we talked about your personal brand for a bit, but how I've met you, along with a lot of our colleagues and friends and partners, and not just in Nashville, but across this country. This is how these start. Just so anybody listening, it's not like Sean and I are like best friends, but we did have we've hung out once and I've watched you, but clearly like there's a lot of noise with what you do and what I do, and so it's always nice to like chill out and have these types of like conversations.
Speaker 1:No, I love these conversations, somebody said to me the other day at the gym. They're like I feel like you do podcasting as therapy, like I listened to your episodes and I feel like it's just like a escape for you and it is. I love doing them.
Speaker 1:It's just again getting back to simple life, having real, genuine conversations, and that's what I love the most. So we're definitely gonna have to do this again. Then give me a couple of tips and tricks for everybody listening mental health, number one. You said you gotta check in with yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah well, number one, let's call it number zero. Actually, right, it's a lot of awareness and before you can check in and find what resources and tools that you need. Resources and tools, by the way, is not like a technical thing. Resources and tools is like finding out what you need in your mornings. But, yeah, awareness, I think it's being self-aware. It's looking, you're like all the ugliness, let's call it for what it is in the mirror and saying you know what? I just don't feel good. Why don't I feel good? Oh, I get anxious around people. Do I have social anxiety, you know? Another example is, you know I get angry when that person does that thing. Is that my childhood trauma? Is that my daddy issues? Right, like just being aware, and the more you start practicing it, I call it's like. It's like exercise. Yeah, you know which I'll get to in two seconds. It's like when you exercise, you're not going to be able to power clean. To what is it? 245 plates on the side, I don't even do that stuff anymore.
Speaker 2:but, like you know, you can't power clean a heavier weight unless you're like going through the motions. You got to go study up on it, call a trainer or a friend like Sean, and right, you got to build the knowledge.
Speaker 2:after you're aware, then you go into like the tactics and stuff you know and then, once you have resources and tools, you start practicing. Literally, you can take it metaphorically as a sport. Mental health is a sport. You know. No-transcript said earlier you overthink, I overthink, we all overthink. But those simple steps is like self-awareness, getting clear on your intentions of where your mental health needs to be. Tools and resources they're everywhere and they're free. Therapy is not free. I mean, I hate that, but you know there's cheaper options. And before even going to therapy, I'll be honest with you. You know, not every therapy I've had. Like seven therapists would never name any of them and I didn't like some of them, not that I didn't like them.
Speaker 1:Sorry, we weren't a match. Yeah, there's not the right match.
Speaker 2:Yeah, therapy is not always the answer. So, yeah, those are the I mean to me, those are the biggest things you know. And then, once you start like massaging the exercise of what you need to be doing for yourself, like listening to the right podcasts, going to the right people, having the right open, honest conversations with yourself, your family and friends, and then a professional if you need it and if you're really struggling we say this all the time if you're like every day you're depressed and you can't get out of that hole, come on, you gotta go actually find professionals who can help you get diagnosed with certain things, give you actual resources like some people have to get on medication to come out of that hole, and then ultimately, you gotta look, you gotta almost get excited as well.
Speaker 1:I'll say that about the journey, right, yeah, and it's like you said, the journey not always the destination.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's where the beauty lies, yeah to like to get anxious about anxiety actually doubles your anxiety if you think about it. Or to get sad about your depression. Right, how weird is that? I know you're already feeling sad and upset about something. To feel sad about it, what the heck heck you need to live in this new I wanted to bring this up to you too Like the state of calmness, right and neutrality where you can say you know what? I have an energy healer here in Nashville and she was like one to 10. We went down the line. My answer was five for everything, not extreme on either side. Okay, so when you can live in that I call it like a flowed state and you can make decisions better, you can find the resources better, you can have these conversations more clear, and I think it's like living that, living in that like a flow state. And I read something recently too.
Speaker 1:It said like 85 to 90% of everything that you stress about and worry about doesn't end up happening. So it's like you are wasting that energy and that stress on something that's never going to happen. So that's also something to think about, and those are all very good tips and tricks. We appreciate it. Like I said, we'll definitely get you in for another episode. We can talk about so much more. Where can everybody find you?
Speaker 2:If you. I mean, we have that podcast, luminosity, and the reason I bring it up is our episodes. I'll be honest with you, whether it's checking on your loved ones, like what we did today, or friendship and ego we talked about ego the conversations Kevin and I have before we bring experts and celebrities in it will actually you'll find that there's resources embedded in the episode. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean Like we're giving tools and tricks and stats and figures on everything. Um so luminosity of that podcast. Um, yeah, awesome, check it out. Thank you, justin, we appreciate it.
Speaker 2:And thank you. I mean your listeners say this all the time to you, but you, you're vulnerable, you're honest, you're authentic and that's that's a great host of a show like this.
Speaker 1:appreciate that all right guys. Team on three.
