Nic Bittle: Life and Leadership

According to Tarina, Nic has a “pretty” bald head. And the week Nic was on the road, the Bittle compound experienced peace and quiet. In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about both: what to look for in a mate and how to be a good mate. Answer the questions: What traits do you want your future spouse to have? What traits are they looking for in you? Nic asks, “Are you the person, or trying to beco...

Nic asks Tarina about her new wardrobe item: a “dickie.” Tarina claims it’s a “collar bib.” And, of course, it’s bedazzled. Christmas was good and enjoyable—cherishing time with friends and family. In this episode, Nic and Tarina don’t talk about new year resolutions. One question Nic is struggling with as he look at 2026: Is this the year he slows down a bit? In this episode they talk about being...

Nic and Tarina prepare for family visiting for Christmas—with only a brief reference to the Christmas Vacation . They share a memory of driving around to look at Christmas lights when Elle was little. One house was decked out with all the lights and Elle said, “Wow! They’re daddy must be strong.” In this episode, Tarina and Nic express gratitude for a few listeners and all listeners. They celebrat...

Nic and Tarina are nearly ready for Christmas—especially Tarina, who loves both receiving and giving presents. Nic shares about his latest return trip home and how he got a splinter from a Starbucks stir stick. And they shout out to Chris who loves the podcast. In this episode, they talk about conflict: the difference between venting and complaining. Venting is relieving pressure—getting something...

As Nic prepares to go on a 8-day tour, Tarina will battle a dryer that went caput while Nic is flying cross country. Nic asks Tarina: What is a success that we’ve experienced together? To answer this question for yourself, consider even the small achievements you made every day. As the phrase goes: People overestimate what they can accomplish in a day and under estimate what they can accomplish in...

Nic kicks off with a story about flying during the government shutdown. And Tarina bought Nic a new towel—which he claims takes him 8 minutes to collect black fuzz; it’s like drying off with a trash bag. Tarina has a question for listeners: If you have a budget for a present, and you pay significantly less that regular retail, do you buy two of the item? Is it about how much you spend or about the...

Tarina defends how the Monday before Black Friday is Black Friday. Nic confirms she doesn’t need a sale to shop. He also confesses: “I can’t park. I can back up a trailer.” As Tarina has pointed out more than once, “So, you’re going to park into the garage crooked?” In this episode Tarina sets up the conversation with a question: How do we prepare for the holidays to be kind, generous, and not cau...

It’s unseasonably warm in Oklahoma as Nic and Tarina record the episode. Tarina reports that Nic is trying to rebuild her computer. Evidently she has 32,800 high-definition photos and over 2000 videos on her computer—"which may be why it’s running a little slow.” (Nic uses the voice.) Nic meets a guy who carries human tissue to the airport every day. When Nic asked, the guy said the heads go in sm...

Nic starts off talking about parking problems at hotels (which he solved with style) and issues with his underwear. Tarina reflects on choosing to not fold Cruze’s left foot socks—this is why Nic only wants gray socks without L or R printed on the toes. In this episode, Nic and Tarina discuss ways to make hard decisions easier. One step Nic mentions is to take the emotion out of the decisions. Tim...

David Finley, the manager of the NECA chapter (National Electrical Contractors Association) in Oklahoma, joins Nic in the studio. David was the one who spurred Nic to launch his leadership training work. After working in the sugar industry in Hawaii, David moved to Oklahoma. In 2010, he took over both the Kansas and Oklahoma SMACNA (Sheet Metal Air Conditioning Contractors National Association) ch...

In this episode, Carl Britton, Jr. joins Nic across the lens to talk about AI and how it can benefit workers in the skilled trades and construction industry. Before Carl ran his own concrete company, now he’s training men and women in the trades in how to implement AI in their work and life. He is the founder of Iron Thread Consulting and a family man. One use case Carl’s mentions is how to let AI...

In this episode, Patrick puts Nic in the hotseat and ask him questions. Together they explore tough conversations, frameworks, and the four mindsets: 1) Struggler 2) Achiever 3) Thinker and 4) Doer. As Nic says, “We’re all in the people business.” Patrick adds how our work is to create more human connections. “The magic happens through the conversations we have and the connections we make.” The qu...

After producing nearly 90 episodes the Life & Leadership Podcast, Patrick gets in front of the microphone. Beaming into Nic’s Office in Corn America is Patrick McGowan, Nic’s podcast producer and expert in communication.  Patrick is the CEO of Punchn Communications ( www.punchn.io ), a growing communication and organizational change consulting firm. At the heart of his communica...

Nic rants about able-bodied people who walk slowly side-by-side in an airport—rather than single file. He argues that capital punishment would be warranted. What's next for Nic? He's writing a new book on creating connections. Tarina asks if this is part of Nic’s sensitivity training, which it is not. His purpose is to help people be more human. The idea is that relationships will open doors, the...

Tarina gives Nic a new nickname, “Wreck it Mouth.” And Nic congratulates Tarina on saving $2.50 on her “$9.00” coffee shop espresso drinks. In this episode, Nic and Tarina lead a conversation on what it takes to be a great leader. Their discussion can be summed up in a simple phrase: “Own it.” Among the attributes and activities of great leaders, here are a few they talk about: A leader protects h...

Nic sits down with Jason Downs for a talk about career and education options. Jason is a self-described middle-aged family man with an accounting degree who recently served on a local school board. After a series of accounting related jobs, today finds him a stay-at-home dad. They start their discussion with a focus on the Swiss VET System. VET stands for “Vocational, Educational, and Training.” T...

Nic and Tarina joke about the possibility of producing a 2026 calendar featuring him and Cruze moving plants into the rain. Tarina “loves” the idea. Nic also believes Tarina lost her true calling as a word-smith. “So good it just tastes like really dark dirt,” was Tarina’s comment after taking a sip of her Americano. Nic shares a correction on the previous episode about Charlie Kirk. Nic believes...

Charlie created a connection with people, especially college students. One way he did this was have conversations with people and stay cool under pressure. While Nic sees him as a greater debater, he didn’t feel like he knew him like some folks have expressed online. They both see him living boldly his values: You know where he stood on his beliefs and his perspective. Do you want to do a better j...

Tarina has her “Cream Dr. Pepper” and Nic confronts Tarina about her other addiction—buying plants. Her latest plant purchase is a rubber tree. To listen to Nic and Tarina’s early days and what they struggled through, you can go back to early episodes.  “Everyone is fighting a fight that the rest of the world knows nothing about.”  When we are vulnerable and share, it builds trust and co...

Tarina joins the podcast with a good cup of coffee having already done her weighted-vest walk and sauna workout. Nic had replaced the organic beans with some Starbucks cinnamon strudel and Tarina is loving it. In today’s episode, Nic and Tarina talk about Patrick Lencioni’s book The Ideal Team Player , a book Nic recommends to all his clients. The top three virtues of an ideal team player are: Hum...

In the spirit of football season, Tarina bought a t-shirt that says “Football Social Club” on Etsy and Nic has no idea what Etsy is. Nic compares Tarina’s purchase to the mileage he gets out of his underwear. Nic makes a point by honoring a potential customer with a phone call rather than just replying to a text. He prioritizes creating a connection with the person and understanding what they want...

Tarina notices that Nic is drinking the “healthy” coffee she bought him—and he mentions something about “dropping a load.” He was actually talking about this episode’s topic on Delegation. “If someone can do it 80% as good as you, let them do it,” Tarina quotes. Nic adds, “When in doubt, sub it out.” Our job is to do the thing we do best and ask others to do the rest. Nic talks about an activity h...

Nic sticks the landing on the intro. After Tarina compliments him, Nic replies with a wink, “I know things.” They talk about their new cold plunge and healthy coffee—which tastes better. And Nic claims it was his Wreck-it-Ralph elbows that “honked at” Tarina. When you don’t share your opinion, it is not humility. Combined with lying to ourselves this points to our insecurity. We are exactly in the...

Nic jokes with Tarina about having “abandonment issues.” She’s never abandoned an online shopping cart. Now Nic is the one shopping and bought a new pair of $15 shoes. Tarina told him, “I like those shoes. They don’t make you look fat.” In this episode, they ask the question: What jobs will AI disrupt or replace? One thing it’s irreplaceable is connection. It is already damaging human connection....

Tarina and Nic talk about Elle’s wedding—a truly beautiful life transforming event and how they had to pivot because of weather. Nic is receiving a lot of requests for “sensitivity training.” As Nic jokes, “Kids today who never had to learn how to hold the flashlight for their dad.” Kids who never had the opportunity to take direction under pressure. The question out there among a lot of seasoned...