In this episode, Erick Rheam describes the impact of two annual retreats he just finished in the last month.

Erick describes what he experienced during his retreats and why those experiences are so important to how he approaches the year.  He outlines four reasons why you should embrace the idea of a retreat and challenges you to schedule a retreat as well.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Episode 15 on The Importance of an Annual Retreat
  5. Full Focus Planner System

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews professional speaker, podcaster, and founder of The Speaker Lab, Mr. Grant Baldwin on why he thinks it’s important to seek out mentors in key areas of your life.

Grant discusses how he felt when he decided to make a fundamental shift in his life in 2006 and pursue a career in public speaking.  He unpacks how he transitioned into professional speaking and what it was like to earn his first $1,000 for a speaking gig.

Grant talks about the deliberate choice you must make to intentionally rise above the chaos.  He’s also a master of surrounding himself with the right people so he can realize success.  One of the first people that helped him was his dad when he gave Grant a loan to start his business.  It’s a beautiful story about how a father supports his son.

He also talks about the entrepreneur life is really making it up as you go and having the courage to keep moving forward.  One way to mitigate that is to realize that most successful entrepreneurs are making up as they go as well!

Grant talks about his pivotal decision to pick up and move his family away from his hometown in Missouri to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his speaking dreams.  He walks us through his mindset and how he justified such a big move.

He discusses the power of a mastermind group that he leverages to help him navigate major decisions in his life and why it matters so much to him.  He shares his thoughts on bringing in people to help him address specific areas in his life from business, health, marriage, and finances.

He tracks key metrics to ensure he’s intentional with relationships like how many date nights he has with his wife, how much time he spends with his daughters, how much time he wastes on his phone, and is he engaging with his primary mastermind group daily.

Grant Baldwin

As founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, Grant Baldwin has helped thousands of people build successful and sustainable speaking businesses.  Over the last 15 years, Grant has become a sought-after speaker, podcaster, author, and accomplished entrepreneur.

Featured on the Inc. 5000 list, Forbes, Inc. Entrepreneur, and TheHuffington Post, he has committed his expertise and insight to equip others to share their meaningful message with the masses.

His leadership and dedication to creating a one-of-a-kind organizational culture are evidenced by the impact of the team he leads.

Grant lives near Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. The Speaker Lab
  5. The Speaker Lab Podcast

Action Step

 In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews certified leadership coach, Jim Bishop.

Jim shares his story and how coaching helped him find balance in his life and why he feels it’s important for busy, professional leaders to be intentional about their work and lives in a way that allows them to have long and fruitful careers.

Jim discusses why reframing choices and looking at our obstacles with a different paradigm can free us up to make better life and business decisions.  He introduces the concept of making a “not” to do list that frees leaders up to focus on the main things.

Jim Bishop

With over two decades of immersive experience in executive development, corporate leadership and human performance, Jim Bishop stands as a beacon of transformative leadership through his business, Conjunction Leadership. 

Jim's journey has taken him across the globe, coaching executives, diverse teams and orchestrating the modernization of leadership systems for transforming business units.

Having collaborated with industry giants like Eli Lilly, Roche, and Elanco, Jim recognized the pivotal role of a visionary leader willing to first work on themselves while revitalizing their culture. This catalyzed the birth of Conjunction Leadership in 2020, where Jim provides executive coaching and team development solutions. 

As a certified coach by the International Coaching Federation and a Certified Leadership Facilitator with Blanchard, Jim's methods are a blend of science and art. He empowers executives through executive coaching, corporate culture consulting, and team effectiveness programs, focusing on holistic development within volatile contexts.

At Conjunction Leadership, transformation starts within. The exclusive DISRUPT, BRIDGE, and GROW process guides leaders on a journey of self-discovery, mindset shifts, and measurable growth.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Conjunction Leadership
  5. Jim on LinkedIn

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews Joe Schotthoefer, Vice President of Operations at Doetsch Environmental Services, Inc.

Joe discusses what it was like to grow up with the family business as a big part of his young life and how it impacted him to work in the family business full time.  Joe describes the business and the importance of the culture of the company and why it means so much to him and his family.

We discuss his family dynamic and their philosophy in how they train and support their team for long term success.  Finally, Joe gives insight on how he approaches the human side of supervising others.

Joe Schotthoefer

Joe Schotthoefer is VP of Operations for Doetsch Environmental Services, a fifth-generation family owned business located in Detroit Michigan. 

Established in 1898, Doetsch is committed to preventing pollution of lakes, rivers and oceans by maintaining underground sewerage systems.

The Doetsch name and reputation have been synonymous with high quality, professional industrial inspection and cleaning services.

Oil spills, hazardous waste, solid waste and sewer line backups are formidable clean-up jobs tackled on a daily basis by Doetsch Environmental Services, a 122-year-old environmental contractor, based in Warren, Michigan.

Doetsch Environmental Services offers professional cleaning services of wet and dry materials, located above or below ground, to municipalities, manufacturing facilities, power plants, foundries, chemical plants and refineries.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Doetsch Environmental Services

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews West Point Athletics Hall-of-Famer Jason Stewart about his journey from his successful conclusion of his collegiate career and how he leveraged that to pursue a world class running career, while serving his country.

Jason recounts the obstacles he faced trying to find his place on the world stage while navigating his Army career as a Field Artillery Officer and being deployed to Bosnia Herzegovina in the mid 1990s.

Jason describes what it was like to be on the front lines of Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia while losing all of his fitness and the struggle to get back into racing shape in time to compete in the United States Olympic Trials for a chance to represent his country in the Olympics.

Jason outlines three key lessons he learned from his decade of elite running from high school, college, and at the olympic levels and why he’s content influencing the next generation to pursue excellence.

Jason Stewart

Personal:

Married: Tracy – married 23 years

Children: Lily – 21 – Chemical Engineering Senior at Penn State University
            Nate – 18 – Freshman at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis

Work:  

Vice President – Keurig Dr Pepper

Athletic:

UNITED STATES ARMY WORLD CLASS ATHLETE PROGRAM

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

CONRAD WEISER HIGH SCHOOL - Robesonia, PA

Career Personal Bests:         

 Other:

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Jason’s LinkedIn
  5. Army Hall of Fame Page

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews speaker, author, podcaster, and productivity expert, Jeff Sanders, on his insights on how to approach the daily grind of life in a healthy and meaningful way.

Jeff shares insights on common mistakes most overwhelmed people make when they approach their days.  He believes it all starts with a realistic plan and learning to cut out 40% of what you plan to complete for the day to allow space for life to happen.

Jeff gives practical advice on how to manage email and why he believes it’s important to wake up thirty minutes earlier in the day and do something that excites you.

Jeff Sanders

Jeff Sanders is the founder and CEO of 5 AM Miracle Media.

He is a keynote speaker, productivity coach, author of The 5 AM Miracle, The Free-Time Formula, and founder of The Rockin’ Productivity Academy.

He also hosts The 5 AM Miracle Podcast, which has ranked #1 in Apple Podcasts in the Self-Improvement and Business categories, been nominated for 7 Podcast Awards, and exceeded 13 million downloads.

Jeff is a productivity junkie, plant-based marathon runner, and personal development fanatic. He also eats a crazy number of bananas. ?

Jeff also consistently shares new and fascinating content about healthy habits, personal development, and rockin’ productivity. Every week you can find him writing and speaking at JeffSanders.com.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Getting Things Done methodology
  5. Nozbe task software system
  6. Freedom website blocker
  7. 5 AM Miracle podcast
  8. Jeff Sanders website

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews Pastor David Norris, on the power of a team and why it matters on a journey of significance.

The reality of life is that we must fast the Beast, that force that’s a constant disruptor.  If unchecked the Beast can distract us, frustrate us, and keep us from living our significant life.  In his book, Rise Above Chaos, Erick lays out the seven elements of a perfect day.  These elements are designed to protect you from the Beast.  One of those elements is to build a team or surround yourself with the right people that edify you, support you, and evolve with you.

Pastor David shares his own personal story and how critical it was for him to be intentional with the people he chose to do life with as he pursued a life of ministry.

David Norris

David & Sumer Norris are the senior pastors at City Church For All Nations in Bloomington, Indiana. They have been married for seventeen years and have four children: Davin, Adrian, Zaden, and Kendallyn.

Hanging out with family, watching movies, and playing sports are some of their hobbies.

Through their personal ministry, David Norris Ministries, they regularly speak at FamilyLife marriage conferences,

churches, and other venues across Bloomington, the United States, and worldwide. They are honored to lead a church that brings together 40 nationalities, different ethnicities, and multiple church backgrounds.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Pastor David Norris Ministries

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam shares why he carves out time for a weekly retreat.

Pausing weekly for just an hour can have a compounding effect and influence on a healthy mindset.  That’s why it’s critical to be intentional with planning a weekly retreat.

Erick discusses the reasons why everyone should consider a personal weekly retreat. He shares the eight questions he asks to help guide him on this journey.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Full Focus Journal
  5. Annual Retreat Podcast Episode
  6. Quarterly Retreat Podcast Episode

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam interviews professional speaker and trainer, Traci Cheatham, on the power of the StrengthsFinders test and why it matters in the role it plays in leveraging your strengths.

Traci unpacks the process you go through to understand results obtained from the Gallup StrengthsFinder test and discusses how to use it to live within your authentic space and why it matters.

She explains how the StrengthsFinder customized report is so unique that the odds of anyone else having similar results is 1 in 33,000,000.  She encourages people to focus on their top 10 - 12 strengths, out of the 34 overall strengths, and turn that into their “super lane highway” and not focus on their bottom strengths. 

Traci discusses Erick’s StrengthsFinder results on this episode and demonstrates how he can leverage his results within his life.  She shows how to layer the themes of StrengthsFinder to unpack Erick’s story and personality in a way that he can manage it for good and turn it into a positive experience.

Traci Cheatham

Traci is an authentic, inspiring, influential, people-oriented leader. She is a Certified Gallup StrengthsFinder Coach and GiANT leadership consultant.

Traci is passionate about maximizing the potential in others and has 20 years experience developing strong leaders and teams. She is devoted to inspiring and equipping others to become better versions of themselves and learn to lead with love.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. B23 Strategies website
  5. Gallup StrengthsFinder website
  6. Contact Traci Cheatham at traci@b23strategies.com and mention the Rise Above Chaos podcast to get a discount code to take the StrengthsFinder test
  7. StrengthsFinder 2.0 book.
  8. Episode 16 - Leverage the Power of the Enneagram

Action Step

In this episode, Erick Rheam shares his experience going on his quarterly retreat to a small bed and breakfast and what he learned from the process.

It’s critically important to take strategic pauses in your life so that you may rest, reflect and evolve to stay on track towards significance.  Life is messy and exhausting at times, and without a mechanism to protect against the chaos of your life, then burnout and regret will be your constant companion.

Erick discusses the four reasons why everyone should consider a personal quarterly retreat.  He shares four best practices and the outline he follows to ensure a successful retreat.

Resources Mentioned

  1. Subscribe to the podcast
  2. Rise Above Chaos book
  3. Work with Erick
  4. Full Focus Planner
  5. Grant Street Inn
  6. Entrepreneurial Operating System

Action Step

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