Thee Uncommon Podcast

What kind of goals do you set?  What question are most people trying to answer when they set a goal?  What am I trying to achieve?    But is this the right - or most important - question to ask?  What if we reframed goal setting with the question:  Who am I trying to become?    In this episode Phil & Ryan look at an Uncommon but effective approach to goa...

Ever wonder why sometimes you feel inexplicably happy - while other times you're bummed?  Part of the answer lies in the chemicals produced in our bodies, particularly the chemicals affectionately known as the "happy hormones."  Chemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and cortisol each have their own role in producing both short and long term happiness in our lives - as well as the...

What can your life look like after participating in our Elevate Experience?  We sit down for a conversation with Tom & Chris - 2 of the participants in our MN Elevate Experience - to hear about the growth they've experienced since our weekend retreat.  We've all experienced some version of the "summer camp high": you go to a weekend retreat, meet some awesome people, hear some inspir...

How can emotional intelligence help us elevate our marriages?  When we understand that there are different chemicals at play in our own - as well as our spouse's - body and emotions, then we can begin the work towards producing the positive chemicals, and limiting the negative (harmful) chemicals.  Did you know that there are some simple skills we can learn & practice that will actua...

When did you know that you became a man?  This is a question that most men can't answer.  And this question - and its answer - highlight an important need for young men in our society. A need to understand what makes a true man, and how they can begin their transition from boyhood to manhood.  In this episode, Ryan interviews Phil and his eldest son Beckham, following Beckham's...

What is emotional intelligence , and why should I want it?  Emotional Intelligence (EQ) can be defined as  the ability to use emotions effectively … for relating to people, sustaining drive, and making optimal decisions.  EQ shows up in our ability to feel, label and understand & process our emotions in a healthy way.  In this edition of our LIVE Fraternity call, we unpack...

How do you unlock your inner greatness?  For many people, having a coach to come along side them is a crucial element of tapping into their potential.  In this episode, Phillip & Ryan speak with RJ Sumrall of   Sumrall Coaching,  an organization seeking to help educators and coaches Connect, Motivate, and Mobilize their students and athletes in their pursuit of greatness! R...

We continue our conversation around family discipleship from last week, considering the merits of pursuing family discipleship in spite of the very real challenges.    If you're listening to this and want to take the 1st step on creating your own plan for family discipleship, click the link to get your own FREE copy of our Family Discipleship Plan !  Additionally, early bird re...

  How do the questions you ask yourself shape the person you're becoming?  Tony Robins famously said that,    The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of questions you are asking yourself  If we aspire to lead Uncommon lives, then we oughta be asking ourselves Uncommon questions!  In this episode, Phil and Ryan share their own Top 10 list of ques...

What is  Family Discipleship?  We can define "discipleship" as making followers Jesus.  So a definition of family discipleship might be,  creating intentional time built into the rhythms of the family’s life for the purpose of thinking about, talking about and living out the gospel.  As men - husbands and fathers - what is our role in family discipleship? Who's primarily r...

What does it mean to start with the end in mind?  We believe in the power of visualization: imagining and picturing your desired outcome as a means of achieving your greatest goals. And what better goal than to live a life of purpose and impact?  In this episode, Phil & Ryan discuss the power of writing your own eulogy , or the story that will be shared about you at your funeral. Whi...

As husbands, what does it look like to lead our wives spiritually?  How do we rightly think about  submission  in our marriage? What does it practically look like for us to love and lead our wives "as Christ loved the church," and to practice servant leadership?  That's what we unpack on this community call. We look at some of the challenges we face as husbands to lead our wive...

What does a day in the life of a digital nomad look like?  In this episode, Phillip and Ryan have a conversation with thee  Samantha Burmeister from 9 to 5 nomad. Samantha has created an Uncommon life defined by her core values of freedom, joy and adventure, which empowers her to do worthwhile work all over the globe!  In this episode we discuss:  the beauty of travel and exper...

2 words: In Christ In this community call we explore our position and identity in Jesus: the blessings and benefits that we have as a result of placing our faith in His atoning sacrifice!  We look at passages from Ephesians 1, John 15, and Revelation 2, and discuss the importance of understanding, reflecting and celebrating our union with Christ!  We also discuss the recent Rite of...

Are you a lone wolf?  Are you a Top Dog?  What's the difference between the two? Are there good & bad qualities of both?  In this episode, Phil and Ryan reflect on the merits and pitfalls of lone wolf mentality, and discuss how you can maintain your sense of creativity and individuality within the context of a tribe or community.  As people striving to walk our own Uncommon...

It's the last week of the month, and you know what that means...  Time to recap the month!  In this episode the men share their wins & conundrums; we review the goals we've set for ourselves; and we (sort of) review the month's topics for our Worthwhile Work pillar.  Again, we covered the following topics - and you can go back and listen to those episodes:  Viewing work as...

What is fasting?  Is it cutting out food - or just certain foods - for a time? We hear about TV or social media "fasts" - but is that true fasting?  In this episode, Phillip & Ryan explore biblical principles around fasting, the various approaches in today's culture, as well as share their own experiences with fasting and the resulting benefits.  Whether you practice a regular d...

How important is passion in your work?  Is it reasonable for us to desire to do a job that aligns with our passions? Or should our priority be to just work hard and provide for our families? And are those mutually exclusive, or can we have both?  In this episode we discuss the relationship of passion to the work we do. Some seasons of our vocational lives align more with our passions, wh...

How can you ignite the fire within you?  What does your journey look like of becoming a better YOU?  In this episode, Ryan reconnects with Luis & Harrison, the partners and masterminds behind Embrace North & Built to Breathe. Together, they are creating a movement with the mission of empowering people to ignite the fire within through sauna & cold plunge therapy, breath-focus...

How do you define a  servant leader ?  Humility? Courage? Integrity? Encourager?  What does it look like to be a servant leader in your workplace? And what would be the results of answering this call?  On this edition of Thee Fraternity LIVE call, the men in our community answer these questions, as well as discuss some of the challenges to being a servant leader, and the blessi...

What are the masks we hide behind?  In his book,  The Mask of Masculinity,  author Lewis Howes highlights several of the masks men tend to hide behind, 1 of them being the Know-it-all mask, or the "tendency or need to fill the void with the sound of your own voice."  In this solo episode, Ryan reflects on the know-it-all mask, how it's manifested in his own life, the detriments...

Apply now for  Thee Uncommon Experiences Surprise!  When was the last time you experienced a truly amazing surprise? Was it a surprise party? A surprise gift? A surprising piece of news? When we were kids we marveled at the world around us, and we loved being surprised! But as we get older, it becomes more rare for us to enjoy surprises; and our tendency is to associate surprises wi...

What is burnout and how do we avoid it?  On this call we discussed the importance & value of hard work, and the ever-present threat of burnout to knock us off course.  God has given us the mandate to create and cultivate, and to identity with Him in our work - and also in our rest. The 4th commandment - and the most descriptive - is to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Just as...

Apply now for  Thee Uncommon Experiences   How are you doing?  It's a question we all ask. And it's a question we're asked, to which we reply with, Good, Fine, Busy , etc.  But how are you, really? When do you take time to honestly ponder your mental well being? What authentic relationship(s) do you have where you could safely share about your struggles, fears, anxieties, hopes...

What does is mean to view our work as worship ?  In this episode we discuss God's original mandate to man to create and cultivate. What does it mean for us to have dominion over God's creation, and to work in a manner that properly displays His glory?  You can learn more about what it means to view work as worship by watching this video:  https://youtu.be/PAf3-PKWCc4    We...