Becoming Kings

Powerful simplicity is in your hands.

This journey of self improvement is long. We’ll certainly never be perfect, and there will always be something to work on, tweak, or otherwise polish. However, too many of us get overwhelmed by this fact and decide not to take the plunge.

That’s where The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz comes into play. 

I’ve always found reading to be one of the best motivators for me: when I don’t know what to do, I read. If I need inspiration, I read. If I need help solving a vague problem, I read. Don’s book helped me shake loose some of what I needed to push strongly into improving myself, so for this episode I want to walk you through this book.

I’ll keep things short and sweet, however I’m confident you’ll walk away with a new tool or two for your pursuit of bettering yourself.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• Summary of the Four Agreements. (1:14)
• When you are immune… (3:12)
• Two forms of communication. (5:01)
• Comfort vs growth. (7:18)
• Recap. (9:21)

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We thrive on choice when we don’t allow conclusions to rule us.

If you’ve been missing long-form interview episodes from me, then you’re in luck! 

This week I welcome my good friend Dave Momper to the mic, so that we can get a little philosophical, somewhat political, and fairly philosophical about choice, freedom, and our ability to listen. 

Before you ask, let me tell you a little about Dave:

He’s a professional leadership development coach who helps corporate teams draw out their best performance potential by teaching them to hone their listening skills AS a personal discipline. 

Clear, concise, and intentional communication can go a long way in boosting long-term performance, while also improving the quality of personal relationships. And in a year where people have a hard time listening and deciphering all that’s going on, Dave can help you make sense of all the noise.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• Nature Dave strikes again! (0:55)
• Thrival Concepts & leadership development. (2:08)
• Fireside chatting & Christmas cheer. (12:27)
• Johnny King don’t care. (25:37)
• Using your voice for freedom. (37:47)
• The biggest pitfall in all of our human interactions… (49:09)
• Imagine a world where we weren’t allowed to think critically? (59:58)
• The guide to meaningful conversations. (1:08:32)

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Paleo, parasites, and a discussion about my health.

Ya’ll ever heard of leaky gut? 

Yeah, it’s bad. So, for a lot of my life I felt like I was always having some sort of issue with my gut. Gassy, craving weird foods, vitamin deficient… yeah there was a lot going on that I didn’t know how to fix. 

Well, I recently started reading about a paleo diet and consulting some extra health information to figure out how I could start fixing my body, and getting myself where I want to be (you know, not uncomfortable all the time). 

Anyway, today we’re diving into what I’ve been doing to get my internals into their best shape so that I can get my externals where I want that to be. It’ll require some talk about some “p” words that might make people squeamish. 

That’s not so much a content warning as much as it’s a little bit of a TMI warning. However, I can promise you that you’ll leave this episode amazed by my results, and may even desire to challenge your own health habits.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• Geeking out about health. (0:37)
• Don’t wait till you’re old to test yourself. (3:03)
• Pesticides and herbicides. (6:08)
• The Paleo Approach for Autoimmune Diseases. (9:37)
• Healthcare vs Sickcare. (12:26)
• Taking notice of how your body works. Test it out! (14:14)

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Some Q&A with ya boi… me, Johnny King.

Ready for a lighter episode? Good, because that’s what you’re going to get. 

I remember a time in high school where my good buddy completely showed me up in front of the girl I was dating, and it changed me forever! I started to learn some new social tricks, to make up for it and now… well I love asking questions. 

So, we’re doing a brief Q&A episode using the book If… (Questions for the Game of Life) by Evelyn McFarlane. 

Learn a bit more about me and step inside my mind, for a short, sweet episode.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• How are you creating variety? (1:14)
• Struggling with making dinner conversation? (3:29)
• What’s been the most significant change in your life? (6:22)
• Michelangelo or Piccaso? (9:09)
• Come up with some fun questions to mix things up? (11:28)

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You’ve got to lean into the curve.

Being an entrepreneur is hard. Being a solopreneur? Yeah. It can be scary.

And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have days where I wanted to just give up and get a safety net job. So why don’t I give into it? Because I know that’s coming from a place of fear. 

Instead, I lean into it. I push harder, when I’m scared… because the only way you get anywhere in this life is by taking risks. Without risks, there’s not growth, and without growth, well, you won’t have much progress. 

On today’s short episode, I want to read a few passages from my favorite book The War of Art, to bring you some inspiration as we go into the holiday season.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• Entrepreneurial burnout. (0:51)
• Facing fear on a daily basis. (3:01)
• Resistance & Fear. (4:47)
• If you’re fearful, then you must break through! (7:21)
• Resistance = Love. (9:59)

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How Oprah’s conversation with Jay-Z changed my mindset.

I had a period of my life where I was in entrepreneurial hell, so to speak. I was way in over my head, had generally little clue what I was doing, and often found myself running from responsibility. Who, or what, was I running to?

Right into the arms of ESPN and Oprah. 

And Oprah was part of the reason I’m here today (no lie!) One day I found myself huddled in front of the TV, watching her conversation with Jay-Z… and she asked him the motherlode of all questions:

“Where’s the growth in success?” 

What he said next shocked me. However, if I tell you here… well, then there’s no reason to listen to the episode. I promise, it’s worth your time. Find out how you can find growth in success and challenge yourself to get where you want to go.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• The Entrepreneurial Dark Days. (0:35)
• Lessons from Oprah’s Master Class. (3:56)
• Jordan’s failings fueled his successes. (7:10)
• Planes take off into the wind to create lift. (10:52)
• Lessons from Lewis Howes. (13:35)
• Stay humble while celebrating successes! (16:16)

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Is it Utopia? Or something far darker…

Look, you know me. You know this podcast. We’re not going too science-fiction today… however I think it’s an interesting thought experiment to dive into.

What would your life look like if you had no need for money? I landed on this question because I can imagine a future where almost everything is automated and there’s no more work. And we’ve all seen movies that feature some version of this premise where as humans we’re free to pursue our heart’s passions. 

It’s a simple question with big consequences in the present. 

What would you do to be fulfilled in a world where you didn’t run on money? Obviously, that IS the world we live in. However, you can certainly take your answer and figure out how it applies to this life. It could lead to a new life direction for your work, OR it could deliver the very pastime activity you need to be and feel like your best self. 

So let’s dive in and explore a world where we can do what we like!

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• Jobs will become obsolete. (0:36)
• What would you do if money was obsolete? (4:42)
• With technology, there will be massive abundance. (8:24)
• Depak Chopra’s recommendation to his children. (11:32)
• If you didn’t have to work, what would you do? (14:58)

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Do you stick to what you say, or do you keep redrawing lines?

It really comes down to a single all-encompassing question:

What do you stand for? 

Growth is painful. Comfort leads to decay. You’ve heard me say those things a dozen times throughout the time you’ve spent with me. 

Embracing discomfort, willing to be wrong, and NOT clinging to the need for control is scary, I hear you. And yet, as I’m 13 days into my #75Hard Challenge, I’m beginning to realize just how much these things are true. 

I definitely found myself in a good comfort zone, and this is the moment where I’ve realized that keeping my word even when it’s hard is super good for me. And we both know that if it’s good for me, it’s also good for you. 

So, listen to this episode and consider what it would look like to “check in with your word.” Let’s improve together!

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• How great is your peer group? (0:40)
• Can you renegotiate your word? (4:36)
• Moving the line. (6:55)
• Where is it that we grow the most? (10:36)
• Communication can be painful, and necessary. (13:47)
• My 24 hour challenge. (16:48)

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More Money, More Problems… Right?

As crazy as 2020 has been, a lot of people are thriving, and it’s the best year of their lives. So how can you be one of those people?

The thing that’s scary about this question, is that you do have the answer, however making a change when the world is so unstable seems insane! And yet, what if you did make a change? What would you shift in your life? It’s okay to embrace the things that make you happy, and it’s even better to seek them out with everything you’ve got. 

One of the main reasons people are making this year the best of their lives is that they took the change in stride. They saw how things shifted around them and decided that they may as well too. Here’s the thing though: it’s not the wrong move to buckle down. Because we all have to do what we think is best, especially in the moment. 

And that’s the challenge I want to level with you today. This year has been long, difficult, and a tough pill to swallow at times. If you haven’t made this year the best for yourself, maybe it’s time to consider what would make you happy, and chase it down with everything you’ve got. Listen to this episode for more insight into how you can start doing what makes you happy while the times are tough.

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• What are your needs, like really? (0:34)
• Proximity is power. (3:38)
• Your assignment for gaining clarity of your needs. (7:33)
• Itch your curiosity to grow. (11:43)
• What is it that you LOVE doing? (16:41)
• Bringing your needs together to create fulfillment. (21:19)

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Lessons from the first week of the #75Hard Challenge.

I’ll admit right off the bat, this challenge is hard. Yeah, it’s in the name, however needing to reset the challenge if I don’t comply is a whole different caliber. I’m glad that I’m here doing this challenge, because I know there’s always more ways for me to improve. 

Because there’s always a temptation or an enticing reason to give up on something you’ve set your sights on, it’s important to have a structure and plan to persevere. That’s why I’ll be sharing my success plan with you in this episode. 

It’s got five components to make it work, ranging from having a scope and vision for where I want to go, to having clear stakes and rewards. The most important piece deals with community and that scary “A” word I tend to dance around as much as possible:

Accountability. 

Yet, accountability doesn’t really work on its own, nor any of the other parts. They work together to keep me going every day, and if you want to tackle a big change in your life I know they’ll work for you too. Let’s dive into the 5 keys to avoiding temptation… and achieving success!

In this episode you’ll learn about…

• I salute you Veterans! (0:37)
• #75HARD Challenge (4:26)
• Have a goal / vision = motivation (13:16)
• Have a plan (16:59)
• Be Accountable (20:18)
• What are the consequences? (22:40)
• What is your reward? (24:38)

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