The Blueprint with Eliot Marshall

Jason Ackerman is a certified nutrition and CrossFit coach, an entrepreneur, and an Easton BJJ purple belt. From a young age, Jason became involved in sports, first with wrestling, bodybuilding, and finally CrossFit and BJJ. Jason now works for the CrossFit brand as part of the CrossFit seminar team. We discuss BJJ and Crossfit business models, how to respond to the coronavirus crisis, and more.

What do we do with a frustrating day?  How can we take our frustration, which 100% belongs to us, and move that into something constructive? How do we turn what is a shitty day, into something positive and not so shitty?  How do we make ourselves more skillful?

Two things we are in need of right now.  First some grit.  Some bite down on your mouthpiece and telling yourself you got this.  Then some grace.  Things might not be perfect.  You might no do something as skillfully as possible.  Have some grace for yourself

Does your life challenge you? Do things come up in your day that make you say to yourself, "Damn, I'm a little scared right now.  I really want to do a good job at this."  If not, you have the time to gain the skills and knowledge right now so that you can test yourself.

What is enough?  Enough money, enough power, enough influence?  Where does this end?  How can you ever be enough if when you reach the summit you look up and want more? At what cost?

Emily Schromm is a personal trainer, nutritional therapist, and  entrepreneur who helps others empower themselves by way of food and movement. Since participating in reality television in her early 20s, Emily has founded five companies and published her first book,  The Process. We discuss owning a business during the coronavirus crisis, the practice of learning about oneself and more.

Right now all of the lights are off.  We are all in the dark.  Nobody getting credit for anything they are doing.  No athletes on Sports Center, no one showing that flash or crushing the market. Almost everyone's business is shut down.  What are you doing to prepare for when "All of the Lights" come back on?

With this mandatory social distancing and shutdown we are all doing things in our lives that we weren't doing before but wish we were.  Having real quality time with our families, taking our dogs for a long walk.  My neighborhood gathers in the cul da sac for 20 minutes every night.  These things are simple.  Simple things that make us feel good and have a sense of togetherness.  When COVID ends,...

Not doing things in the most skillful way is part of the human experience.  How do you talk to yourself in these moments?  Do you berate yourself, call yourself names,  yell and scream at yourself?  Or do you give yourself some space?  Some space for errors, some space for not always doing things in the most skillful ways.  If you can do this, you will create kindness for not just yourself, but al...

We brush our teeth every day to maintain our basic oral health. It is something we do twice a day so that our teeth don't fall out. If we have a cavity or rotten teeth, brushing them will do no good. So what other habits do you or could you stick to in order to invest in other aspects of your well-being? For me, it's meditation, gratitude, and exercise every day when I wake up. I encourage you to...

Michael Cazayoux is a back-to-back Crossfit Games World Champion, a fitness and mental coach, and an entrepreneur. At age 17, Michael attended drug rehabilitation to overcome his addiction to opiates and soon after found Crossfit. In 2014, he co-founded an athlete development business which he then sold to his business partner in 2018. Michael then joined his wife's company, Working Against Gravit...

So often we beat ourselves up for having bad days. We look down on ourselves. We let that feed right into another bad day, and then the compound interest of our minds can take over, and things can spiral. Let's change the narrative. Let's look at our bad days as a source of strength. You have been 100% successful at navigating your bad days. In reality, it's the one thing that I can guarantee that...

We take showers every day to wash off the dirt and grime from the day. It keeps us clean, and it keeps us healthy. Did you take a shower for your soul today? Did you do something that fulfills your human need and washes away the dirt and grime that can dirty your soul and corrupt who you are as a person?

30 min after I recorded the short podcast about having broader shoulders , I walked into my basement to ride my Peloton and received a phone call from my best childhood friend's dad. My friend had died. He was my age and not sick. How could I be ready for that? Did I ask for more of a burden during these crazy unknown times? No, I didn't. So what do I do?

Marcus Filly is a 6x CrossFit Games competitor, a lifelong athlete, and a professional fitness coach. Marcus is the creator of Functional Bodybuilding and the owner of Revival Strength, both of which help athletes and individuals look better, feel stronger, and live healthier lives. We discuss Marcus' training philosophy, dealing with failure, his unique approach to fitness, and more.

So often we ask for things to get easier, for our struggles to become less. This is out of our control. It has nothing to do with us. We are asking some outside source to make something bearable for us. This is the wrong thing to ask. The ask should be for us to be able to bear more. More struggle, more hardship, more anxiety. All of these things we can control. We can dig deep within ourselves, t...

"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill We are going through some scary times, but one thing is certain, and it's that they will pass. It's ok to be scared, panicked, or anxious. Those feelings don't just go away, so what are you going to do with them? This is the time to dig deep and grow through discomfort. Go find your power.

Gary John Bishop is one of the world's leading Personal Development experts. From athletes and celebrities to Fortune 500 executives and stay-at-home moms and dads, his "urban philosophy" approach has improved the quality and performance of thousands of lives. In this episode, we discuss human thought patterns, how to better deal with anxiety, and different ways of changing one's view on life, esp...

A couple of weekends ago, I got to corner one of my fighters alongside someone that I haven't always gotten along with. It was a very humbling experience. I witnessed a side of this person that I was not aware of, and it really changed the way I thought about him. I had to realize that my judgment was wrong and that my opinion had to change. It's only when we recognize that we are wrong about some...

Kit Dale is an Australian grappler, a learning enthusiast, and one of Australia's best BJJ black belts of all time. Kit earned his black belt in less than 5 years, a feat that he largely attributes to his learning approach. We discuss Kit's career, how to learn better and faster, how to balance goals with responsibilities (e.g. work) as a part-time grappler. Kit's Website: https://kitdaletraining....

I want to know who you are. Whom am I talking to? When I am going through a tough situation, a hard workout, or a sleepless night, I think about the people that are there for me: I think of my family, I think of my friends, and I think of you. However it may be, I want to know more about those that are in this together. Tell me about yourselves.

Michelle Lederman is a communications expert who helps people work better together and build real relationships. She is an accomplished speaker, trainer, coach, and author of four books. We discuss experiences as learning opportunities, quitting one's job to follow one's passion, and how she left the finance industry to become a communications expert.

Last week I shared that I haven't been doing so well lately. First of all, I really appreciate the supportive messages that I have gotten from all of you. It means a lot to me. I want to talk about what it means for me to struggle and some ways that I take action to improve the situation. The key action step is to let people in. It's common for people to become isolated during hard times, but it's...

Steve Sims is the founder and CEO of the luxury concierge service Bluefish. A high-school dropout, Steve learned the art of recognizing and fulfilling people's needs and built one of the most successful celebrity services in the world. Now Steve's day job is "to make the impossible possible." We discuss the lack of intimacy and real communication in today's society, the threats and opportunities p...

The past few days haven't been the easiest for me. Today it felt like it was all coming down at the same time, but that's how it goes sometimes. I am fortunate enough to have a support system in place for times like today. This support system includes the habits that I've been building for the past few years. I'm not afraid to say that I'm struggling. We all do, and, like anything in life, it will...