The Blueprint with Eliot Marshall

Every parent wants to raise strong, confident children; however, we've all made the mistake of making things too easy for our kids. Let them struggle. Let them work for things. We're never not going to want to help them or make things easier for them, but we can't let that instinct deprive them of the personal growth that comes through hard work and perseverance.

Sports neurology and concussion expert Dr. Allison Gray joins the podcast to discuss brain trauma in contact sports, including topics on the dangers of CTE, training protocols in contact sports, concussion protocols, and the many factors that contribute to permanent brain damage. Dr. Gray has extensive experience in the treatment of concussion, both in non-athletes and in athletes at all levels of...

It's not uncommon for us to get caught up with what's to come, or when things are going to end. Why not just enjoy the moment? Why allow ourselves to ruin the present by obsessing over a future that we can't control? Let yourself enjoy the present. It's all you have.

10th Planet Jiu Jitsu black belt Brandon McCaghren joins the podcast to discuss YouTube as a learning tool for BJJ, the martial arts business, having a mastery mindset, and his take on coaching. Brandon earned his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Eddie Bravo and was the first 10th Planet Instructor in the entire Southeastern United States. He is highly respected both as a competitor and as an...

How can one avoid burning out when working towards a goal? To me, part of the answer is taking days off to recharge. This doesn't have to mean expensive vacations or long breaks. It means spending quality time with those closest to you, turning your phone off, and really being present with those that surround you.

In this week's podcast, I sat down with Scott Strode to talk about addiction recovery and finding a purpose. Scott is a recovering addict who has gone to create The Phoenix Multisport. The Phoenix is a free sober active addiction recovery community for individuals who have suffered from a substance use disorder and for those who choose a sober life.

Most of our bad days come as a result of other people's actions, but why let someone else ruin your day? I choose to live a better life not allow for that to that happen. I have a very simple rule: unless someone in my close circle passes, I don't allow anyone to ruin my day.

In this week's podcast, I was joined by Forrest Knutson, a meditation and yoga expert with an active YouTube channel for educational content, meditation, and yoga techniques. Forrest and I discuss the practice and benefits of yoga and meditation, the physiological effects of breath work and heart rate variability, and western views on Eastern philosophies.

It's easy to get caught up in people's opinions about, I think, things that don't matter (politics, economics, etc). Of course, these things do matter in the grand scheme of society, but why let someone's OPINION on them make or break your relationship with them? I prefer to focus on what brings me together with someone to get past our differences. Here's my challenge: find where you disagree with...

American BJJ pioneer and 6th degree black belt Phil Migliarese joined this week's episode of The Gospel Of Fire to discuss the history of BJJ in the US, his own martial arts upbringing, the business aspect of martial arts, sport BJJ , and his opinion on trash talking on social media. Phil first began training BJJ at 12 years old, and by age 17 he was traveling to Hawaii and California to learn fro...

When can we stop working hard? When will we reach such level of comfort that we don't have to get after it every day? I personally hope that day never comes for me. When I stop grinding, when I get too comfortable, that's when I lose sight of what matters. If you love what you do, working hard for your goals is a blessing.

World class BJJ black belt Tom DeBlass joins this week's podcast to discuss his career, the new generation of BJJ champions, trash talk, competition, and MMA, among other things. Tom earned his black belt under Ricardo Almeida and has a successful competitive career both in BJJ and in MMA. Tom has also managed to produce high level athletes from a coaching stance, notably ADCC veteran Garry Tonon...

It's easy to give up on a goal when things get hard. Anyone that has ever been or done something great has had a rough time at some point. The difference between someone average and someone great is that the latter did not give up when things didn't go their way. Don't settle for average. Strive for greatness.

World-class MMA striking coach Brandon Gibson joined me in this week's episode. Brandon is well-known in the MMA world for working with standout fighters Jon Jones, Rustam Khabilov, and Alistair Overeem, among others. In this podcast, we discuss our experiences as coaches, what it means to be a true martial artist, and much more. 

One moment is no more important than another. We often get caught up with what we deem to be important situations, sometimes even neglecting our loved ones or our own enjoyment for this particular moment we may be anticipating. But why live in angst? Why choose to deprive ourselves of the experiences we want to have, simply because we are anxious about a particular event? There is no guarantee for...

Alex Huddleston joins the podcast to talk about the power of the human mind. When Huddleston's MMA career came to an abrupt end, he struggled to find meaning in his life. Concussed, anxious, and suicidal, Huddleston spent months locked up in his home thinking about what he perceived as his failed existence. Alex finally found the strength to build himself back up upon the realization that he was c...

We seem to live for our limits rather than our goals, but what if we lived a LIMITLESS existence? What if we BELIEVED in ourselves rather than sell ourselves short? As a professional MMA fighter, I often psyched myself out of believing in myself. I convinced myself that I could not hang with the best in the game. I sometimes even had arguments with coaches and teammates where I "justified" my comp...

UFC host Karyn Bryant joins the podcast to discuss her career, her identity, racial and gender inequality, and her unique experience in the journalism industry. Karyn began interviewing and commentating combat sports in 2006 when she joined the Showtime Championship Boxing team. She later began her career in the MMA industry with CBS. Karyn currently hosts and co-hosts most of the UFC's Pre- and P...

Here's where NEVER giving up took me. I'd been chasing my goal of qualifying for the ADCC World Champion since I was 20 years, and it always seems to elude me. I tried and failed to get into the most prestigious grappling tournament in the world for 18 years. I took 2nd and 3rd multiple times at the qualifers, and, as time passed, my dream seemed to distance itself from reality. Yet I kept trainin...

In this episode, Eliot sits down with Damon Martin. Damon is a veteran mixed martial arts journalist who has been covering the industry since 2003 with bylines on FOX Sports, CNN, Bleacher Report and numerous other outlets.

Rule #4 for me and my kids: if you're scared of something, you have to do it. When fear runs your life, you live in a constant state of regret. Well, there's only one person that can change that pattern, and it's YOU. YOU can take charge of your own life, look at fear in the eyes and say "Not today." Take risks, make mistakes, fail, succeed, but most importantly live the life YOU want to live, and...

This episode of the podcast features martial artist Tony Blauer. Tony is perhaps best known as the founder of "The SPEAR System." A close-quarter protection system that uses a person's reflex action in threatening situations as a basis for defense. Tony developed the SPEAR System in Canada during the 1980s.

This fix is all about the importance and positive benefits of exercise. 

Marcus Aurelius Anderson is an author, TEDx speaker, Keynote Speaker and executive Mindset Coach.

This week's short hit is all about dedicating time each day to learning something new.