Cancer, Boxing and Rebuilding Life

This transcript was generated automatically and lightly edited for readability. It may contain minor errors, and speaker labels are not yet added.

All right, guys. Episode four, first of the zoom. We got Shane Hasler from back home. Very close family, friend, and mate of mine from Oronga.

Um, it's it's really going to hit home this one. And it's going to show motivation, a journey through cancer, how much it affects your family, how strong of individual you can be against all odds. Um, he he's he's an amazing man. and he he's someone that used to tell me he looked up to me and now it's probably the other way round.

He's uh very close to my heart. We talk all the time and um but leave all that aside, he's going to if I can blow your mind. Um from being a a welder fabricator to go into e-commerce and just enjoying life and uh how much you appreciate and be grateful. So check it out, watch it now and um sit back and enjoy the ride.

After the cancer is when all the anxiety and everything come. I just thought I was going to die all the time. So, it's like I just made peace with it as soon as I got told. But then as soon as I woke up, I was just like a mess pretty much.

That is the first thing you've brought up, soon as we talk about your business right now. That for me is number one, right? And you don't always do the right thing, but it comes back to intent. Right.

If you're following your values, intent, we up all the time. Even with all the anxiety and everything, I just hooked into boxing. Eight months later, I won the Victorian state title. That's amazing.

Yeah, that year was awesome. So I won a heap of I won the Victorian state title, the Australian title, the interstate title, and I won the soccer grand final the year after I had cancer. So I was just like on top of the world, e. So everyone got Shane Hitman Hasler on known each other a long time.

We both come from the um our hometowns of Aubry Wonga uh and country regional Victoria. Um long-standing friends. We've had a bit of a journey up and down. I think H was a bit younger than me and um and then he he used to pro probably look up at me and follow me and I moved away and I think something we touched on the other week is that I uh it's probably the other way around now.

He's a mad fitness discipline, all that kind of stuff which we're about to find out about just to go back and give H a bit of a Shane a bit of a brief. So the journey it's all about the roadblocks, the risks we take um to get around them and the resilience we build to this day. So, we've all got um we've all got a book. We got heaps of chapters and um it's about peeling the skin back and probably going back over the journey and just just seeing where we are today as present, where we're heading in the future and where we've been.

And it's um and I'm pretty pumped and there's a huge lineup coming up. Uh this is our fourth or fifth one. The guys uh the marketing team won't let me uh launch until we get I think eight under the belt or six to eight Mitch is telling me. So, I got to do as I'm told and uh yeah, I'm pumped.

So anyway, welcome H. What an intro. The best one I've done and I'm winging it, I tell you. Just quickly, just before we go into it, you're going to find I'm going to I'm going to stop and ask you questions and stuff like that.

I think I'm pretty good at going back over things, but man, I'll um we'll do that. Um I'll I'll make it, you know, obvious. But if you need to go to the toilet, you need to do anything, go and do it. The other thing is, guys, I just put this up.

It's getting fitted out by Adrian Distinguished tomorrow, but I really wanted to at least lay it there because as you'll see each podcast getting better and better. I've still got the makeshift shirt with a sticker on it. So, uh, they're getting they'll get sorted. And, uh, there's a big sign coming by Mike from Sorama and, uh, he's actually getting on the podcast in the next week or two.

It's going to be epic. How good. How good. How good.

So um so so just quickly on the how good Shane as long as I've known that now especially when his life's turned over the last couple of years every time I speak to him at the start and the finish it's always how good. So he's got me saying it and I'm actually saying it heaps on the west. So he's like the east how good and I'm the west. But anyway welcome H.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where you at as of today? How do you feel? Yeah feel better than I ever have before.

I'm 35 but obviously yeah had a few life changing events a few years ago and yeah now here we are today but that just led me on a path to yeah change a heap of stuff and work on myself and yeah how good so before we get into business and all that man I want to I want to go back a bit but one thing I want to ask you the most important thing in your life and uh a close little friend of mine Lacy how is she yeah good as yeah a little meatthead eh yeah goes back to school Friday so she's Yeah, proper me. I always say to people, you you'll understand once you meet her. She's she's awesome. Um Yeah, 100%.

So So I talk about like how H has had a big influence on me the last couple of years going through a roller coaster and his relationship with his daughter's second to none and uh we've talked about it heaps. Yeah, it's pretty cool. Uh I think it's take not take a lot to build that up, but just for H to find his spot after, you know, separation and whatever. I won't go into that.

That's up to you, H. But uh the relationship he's got with Lacy, she's she's a little weapon. Um she's so resilient. She um fit.

She does everything with dad and they go on adventures together and just that time it pretty amazing. Let's go back. Uh let's start with your boxing. Tell us where to start with the boxing dude.

Let's go there and then we'll go back if we need. So started when we were 14. Dad made us do it. He wanted to get into himself.

So he sort of pushed us into it and it was a non-negotiable and then it was just we just had to stick with it. Uh the start of my boxing career was terrible cuz I had cancer. Yep. But I couldn't actually box.

I used to always train and then I would vomit and Yeah. I just couldn't do it. So So just let me hit you up there. So you were 14 and did had you ever boxed before?

No, never. So dad dad made you get into it. When did the cancer kick in? Dude, these are the roadblocks, right?

Yeah. So I had that my whole I was born with it. So I was born with genetic defect that I got off dad and Yeah. Not sure when the tumor started growing, but I didn't discover it till I was 23.

Oh, wow. So, you didn't know when you first started boxing? No, I didn't even know why. Cuz I used even playing soccer and that I used to just blow up and then I'd just start spewing and yeah, I'd have to lay down for a minute and then I'll be good to go again.

So, so when when you were boxing 14, so you stayed boxing then, did you? Or did you stop and start or Yeah, stop and start and then Yeah, I was playing up a bit as a young fell. So, that kept me out of the gym for a bit, but Yep. So when when you're boxing or playing uh soccer, football, depends if you're European or Aussie, um and you were like spewing up and that that would have been a huge hurdle.

Most people don't go to the gym when it's cold or they're too tired, never alone trying to like I know it'd be like trying to get my 11-year-old in there, but um so what what made you, you know, get back into it and stay consistent? Is your dad kicking your or Yeah. Y it was like I said, it's non-negotiable. So you just had to go to the gym and then you end up loving it anyway.

Once I got through the cancer, I went back because I loved it so much and I could just never do it. And then once they told me that I'd be able like I well you found out why I kept spilling and stuff it was because of the cancer and I was overloading on adrenaline. Oh wow. And then yeah they said I was lucky I didn't have a stroke while I was training.

So but once I went back to it it was just awesome. I could actually do it and I was just like how good. So so we we'll get to that moment you found out in a bit but just for from 14 say to 18 19 20 right? So they're pretty key years, you know, would have probably been like most young lads like and speak from myself as well, you know, up and down, on and off, working then play up a bit but train, bit of fitness.

So how much did that going back to the boxing and your dad making you go back? You would have probably called him a few names back then, but how much do you reflect now and appreciate the, you know, the push and the and the it would have put built the resilience now? Yeah, 100%. It was all built then.

And at the time, you're right. You're like this. Like that was real hard ass. But y now you think how I've used all that resilience and everything we built in those years through life.

You ass. Oh, that's good. So 14. So when did you commit?

You reckon to boxing full time? I would be after. I was pretty serious like training all the time, but like I said, cancer held me back a lot. So after I had surgery and got rid of me kidney and all my cancer and that I was full steam ahead.

Is that at 21? Was it? Uh 23. So from about 24 till I only stopped.

Yeah, I got still training for a fight last year. So I haven't stopped training since. It's been awesome. Yeah.

Yeah, I see that, mate. You've trained if not twice a day, which is absolutely amazing. So So with with the cancer thing, how long did that go on for, man? And like how much of that, you know, set you back and buckle you even though it was probably it probably made you who you are today.

But like at the moment at the time like obviously it's not just you either it's your family you know your partner it's like mom dad your siblings what was the impact like? Yeah, it was pretty big. I think until we got actually diagnosed, I didn't even it was pretty ignorant. Like didn't think anything.

We just thought I spew when I train. And yeah, there's a couple times when I was younger, I ended up in hospital real bad pains in me back. Yep. And they pumped me full of morphine and sent me home the next day and we never thought anything of it.

And then yeah, the last time was really bad. They dropped me in the shower and then we went to hospital and they done a heap of testing and they found the tumors and that. So, but yeah, it was the impact was huge. I remember mom and Roxy at the time she was crying and everyone it's pretty full on especially when they do that final meeting and they got to tell you all the things that can go wrong just just for clarity Roxy's your ex-wife obviously mom and your kids place and um so so before 14 mate let's let's just dive back there a little bit if you don't mind so where were you born I actually don't I was born in Campbell Town in Sydney and then grew up in Queensland but honestly I can't speak too much of it because I don't remember any of Is that the just because you're so young?

I'm not sure. Or if it's just a complete mental block. I can't remember anything before we moved to Victoria. What What year was that?

Like how old were you when you moved to Victoria? Yeah, about 12 I reckon. 11 or 12. Nice.

I'm guess glimpses and all that kind of stuff. But your predominant part of your world, especially with, you know, the boxing and being sick, that would have taken all your focus and everything for the next, you know, 10 years obviously from 12. I think being sick was a big one. Especially after before it I was like, "Oh, well, it is what it is." I pretty much prepared myself to die.

So, wow. After the after the meeting with the doctor cuz he's like, "We're going to operate on you next week." I was pretty much like, "Well, we've got a week to live." So, we all met up at Wallen and we all I just said, "Oh, well, no point crying about it. Let's just enjoy the last week." I didn't want to tell anyone, which I thought, yeah, I just didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me or anything. I just went, "Oh, well, we'll just get it done." But so just on that just on that quickly just that comment there right like you know what most of us would probably do that right because you don't want the pity you don't want all that but now you reflect back on a dude how how significant is that and what would you say to someone else if they're in a similar position whether it's cancer or sickness or anything else what would you say now I'd do the same thing right now would you for sure yeah cuz I just I don't know I feel like it I didn't want everyone blowing me out saying like poor me or not that I think they would have, but what about what about like talking about it, you know, obviously helps helps other people.

I think that's kind of where I was thinking, right? Like, yeah, you know, you're pretty voice now. You're getting out there. You're doing a lot of content and a lot of health, you know.

I just think um it's different when you're a bit younger, but when you're a bit older, I think conversations change also. Yeah, 100%. You know, me as a close mate, I'd want to know and vice versa. I'd be ringing you.

Yeah, I think Nat and Pop were pretty off me because I told mom not to tell them either. Oh, did they weren't happy? No, they weren't happy at all. I didn't tell anyone.

So, it's just like as a parent now, like you reflect back on mom and dad. Mom, it must have been really hard for mom and dad, right? Like, bro, my childhood would have Yeah. My childhood would have been bad for mom and dad.

Never mind that. I always look back now as a kid and I'm like, "Oh, poor mom." Yep. All the things you would have had to put up with. Can we throw a story or two in there with you and Matt?

What do you got in there? The childhood. Come on. Oh, I was just a little turd pretty much.

And especially when I was between 17 and 22, I was pretty bad on like party drugs and stuff like that. So, yep. Yeah, I was pretty lost cause and mom was like I'm sure she would had heaps of sleepless nights wondering what I was doing. Poor mom.

I bet you she's really happy with you now and proud though now and lace and I'm real close with my parents now which I I love e we do everything that mom's helped me with all my business stuff and yeah she's right involved so yeah so once again do you think you know you get mature and getting older and I know I know this from my own experience you know we're we're about eight years difference but like reflecting back on what you went through with your mom but do you think your mom reflects on the roller coaster you went through like we've all been kids, right? Or teenagers or young adults. It must be pretty special to then too now being really close with you and seeing you on a wicked journey at 35. Um, and you know, just every decision you make and I've been talking about this lately is only I'm only doing what moves the needle in the right way.

And you've been doing that for the last year or two, man. Like a lot. And me and you talk about this offline a fair bit when we can. Like moving that needle like your mom and dad must look at it now and go proud, you know?

Yeah. 100%. It's stoked. And it's even it's a great feeling for me to be able to see it or even feel it and have him say it to me.

So yeah, I feel like first time in my life I'm on the right track or I'm doing all the right things and I actually feel pretty comfortable in my own skin and pretty awesome. E once again the point of this podcast is like it's not just about now. It doesn't just happen overnight though, dude. So all them decisions and you slowly evolve, improve, whatever you want to call it, mature, grow up.

Like you went through some hard right? And we only know what we know also. And then obviously like you get to 21 and then that that next couple of years was pretty brutal for you. And like a lot of it's willpower and hope and belief and like I think you probably believe that stuff a lot more than you probably did when you were 21.

But deep down mate the resilience and the determination um is probably a big piece of what got you through I'm guessing. And you know that hopefully now and I hope the same for my kids that pays into being a role model right. And um I think me and you've talked about this offline like that role model piece and you know we're far from perfect and we're up and being on and off but it's like about moving that needle in the right direction. A big part of that is being a parent and um it's really good seeing you do that and I think you must uh think about that a lot now and be proud of yourself.

Yeah, 100%. Super proud of me and even just moving the needle in the right direction. Oh yeah. Yeah.

Good. We're constantly learning. Hey, and evolving. Yeah.

and like you said, not being perfect or and being a role model, but I feel like you had to go through all that to get to this stage to be a good role model. You know what I mean? Then you can just give all your experience to people who are that at that age or going through the same thing. So watching you, you know, jump out of your skin at the moment, out of your comfort zone the last 6 to 12 months with the e-commerce business, which we'll get to.

It's like everyone tries to prep for it. We've all done it. You spend months and all that kind of stuff, but I think you've just clicked light bulb moment. just start because there's no answer.

There's no black and white answer to all this, right? And um and people want to learn off people like I'm learning off you. You know, we always talked about it being the other way and it's like man, I'm in a different spot now and it's like that inspiration and the motivation like you're probably one of the most disciplined fitness guys that I know that looks after himself and all that and you've actually raised the bar like that determined and it's epic. It is epic.

So just go back to the roadblocks, right? So you've obviously highlighted a couple there which is unbelievable. There's been huge risk. You know, you said you thought you had a week to live.

That that there is like that there is a big part of how thick skin you are these days, right? And um about moving the needle forward and and being a glass half full, not empty. Like when you go through that stuff and I haven't uh and to that depth, it must you must look at life constantly positive after that. Yeah.

Uh not really. So okay, after the cancer is when all the anxiety and everything come. I just thought I was going to die all the time. Yeah.

So, it's like I just made peace with it as soon as I got told, but then as soon as I woke up, I was just like a mess pretty much. So, y and yeah, I just always used to think I was dying or any sort of sickness or anything. I thought the cancer was back and I still I got checkups for 10 years and nothing grew, nothing come back. But even still, I had thoughts of maybe I should get checked up.

Yeah, I've been checked out for a couple of years. So that's your personal trauma and thoughts and because you went through that uh journey, you know, it sits with you obviously and and that's our mind, right? So So you've got them challenges, right? Them roadblocks and then like what gets you through them?

I'm guessing we go back to the boxing piece from after your 23 there onwards. So talk talk your determination then and your training and and where you ended up and your outcome. Yeah. So determined after it, even with all the anxiety and everything, I just hooked into boxing.

Eight months later, I won the Victorian state title. That's major. Yeah, that year was awesome. So I won a heap of I won the Victorian state title, the Australian title, the Interstate title, and I won the soccer grand final the year after I had cancer.

So I was just like on top of the world, e and then the boxing just kept going and then we turned pro and then yeah, it's just an unreal run, eh, it was awesome, especially even just doing it with dad as well. So, and my brother was in the corner as well, so it was just like a family tightnit thing. It was unreal. So, good.

So good. Some of the best memories of my life. Hey, that is so good. Even the smile on your face now when you're telling me about it.

It'sing epic. How brings back so many good memories. Yeah. And just once again, you got through that hard time.

So there was there was this big positive out of it, right? And and it all comes from here. Everything's mindset, right? It's the most powerful thing.

And it can uh make us be all that or it can be the you know the most powerful thing negative. So it's up to us how we wake up in the morning. So you must have been like like then your anxiety must have been high back then right? So so that that probably saved you um you know from a mental health point or going sticking your head in the sand like going to boxing and having a goal and a purpose and then winning and then continuing that must have kept you going.

Definitely kept me going. Even just the purpose thing, purpose driven. So it was just like for those eight or nine years where I was boxing, it was just all about boxing and just gave me great purpose. So tell us a couple of highlights of your boxing career.

And where'd you end up in the end? Uh we ended up injured and not fighting. But the last one we trained for, the guy came in and weighed six kilos overweight. So we didn't take the fight.

And then before that, yeah, before that. So, like I said, won all those the Vic New South Wales Interstate Australian titles in amateurs and then turned pro and then we went three and zero as a pro. Once we knocked out a few people, it was pretty hard to get fights. E Yep.

And we were getting offered some pretty stupid fights like some were over 20 pro fights in. So, we obviously said no to all them, but Yep. What's It didn't eventuate how I thought it was going to. What What What was the last year that you boxed like pro?

Uh 2017 was the last one I fought in and then 18 19 training for fights that didn't go ahead and then we had co so about 8 n years ago was it? Yeah, the last one. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Oh yeah. And then co cuz I remember talking about back then even like talking about coming over here. Would have been cool if you did.

Yeah. 100%. And I just I still can I I got 40 something year old mates still jumping in the ring. Yeah.

I still love it. We trained for one last year at the end of last year. It was December 13th. It was meant to go ahead but they couldn't get me a match.

Even just aiming for it. Yeah, 100%. And you just got to enjoy the journey. I love sparring.

I love having those anxious, nervous feelings before sparring. A I was sparring this big cruiserweight up here and he hits like a freight train. So every sparring session I was just like, "Yep, they're good. Hard e hits so hard.

Every punch is bone shattering." So off the back of that then obviously you you can't stop this, right? It's it's why you train so hard. It's why you're one to me and I follow you every day. Um you know you're ice bath every day.

All that tell us what your day looks like today and it's it comes off the back of all this. Right. This is why I love these chats because it all adds up. It all makes sense and it's going to project you where you're going.

So today I just got up I ran 8 and a halfks up and down the hills behind mom dad's house. Yep. And then Yeah. straight in the ice bath and then we had a bit of running around to do.

I went and bought a few shirts, got the shirt made up for the potty. Nice. Nice. Love it.

And then after this, I'm just going to be studying heaps of content for this in DVR and then yeah, I'll be making content as well and then back to boxing tonight. Yeah. Nice. Nice.

So, are you training every day or? Yeah, I've just got back into it because I had surgery at the end of last year for me double hernia. Yep. And then Yeah.

So, I've only just started back. I've been doing little bits like I've been going a lot of walking, a lot of on the stepper at the gym just to try and keep things turning over. But yeah, back into it full steam this week which has been awesome. I'm I'm going to add the boxing in.

And you're probably a bit of inspiration for it. Mine's more the fitness and just the speed, you know, not drinking now, being clean, clean eating. I got my glucose down with no meds down to where it should be. I haven't had it like that.

I haven't been under 10 in over a year and now I'm at five, six every day. just uh fats, protein, and and a tiny bit of carbs. So, um the couple of things, and this is probably because of you, you bastard. So, a couple of things is I'm going to go boxing once or twice a week on top of the three four times at the gym.

And then I just spoke to a mate that opened up um a recovery and fitness lab in Netherlands. He's got a ice bath and sauna in a sunbed. And I'm like, mate, one of my goals this year is to get in a ice bath cuz I can't let Hasler beat me and get in there a couple of times a week or every day. So, I'm going to I'm going to go I'm going to go do that, but I have been a last year when I tried to do it.

So, uh a lot of people are So, anyway, it's an excuse. So, yeah, mate, keep keep it up. It's it's awesome. So, I I'll keep following it.

Now, now talk to us. Um before you go into the business, what's your other job? Because I'm a boiler maker by trade. So, ber by trade and yeah, I just subby around at the moment welding gas and steam pipe.

So, you're going away a bit. Drive in, drive out from home. Yeah. All over Victoria.

But I'm doing week on week off cuz I got me dead for 50% of the time. So I've just set work up around that. So I'm not worried about people picking her up or dropping her off. I've just got full dad week and then I've got full work week.

How good, man. How good. And um is it all don't have to answer this. Is it all good?

You and Rox like communicating with the with the lace and all that kind of stuff. 5050. Yeah, 100%. It's all settled down now.

Been nearly 2 years now. So, but I choose to sort of go no contact. Yep. That's just how I prefer and I prefer to live separate lives.

Yep. Me and her. So, we're not really involved in each other's lives. And yeah, that's how I sort of set it up.

Oh, good mate. Mate, it's different for everyone. Well, I'm a bit similar to you actually. It's been two years nearly and uh in April.

And I think it keeps it a bit cleaner and it's not cuz of them or because of me or it's just, you know, every relationship's different. And um it's really good that you find that ground. But let me ask you something, right? Something I've learned recently.

I remember last Jan Feb, I come back into the business more than I was after separation and I thought I was on. Now I can tell you now I was 20% aware I'm on today. So it takes a lot longer all that stuff. And I think you got to give yourself time and understand the emotional uh all the avenues and variables when you separate from kids and then you still got your career, your business, whatever it may be.

It does take longer than you think, doesn't it? And most of it's here, your nervous system and your mind and your heart. Yeah, it's a it's a roller coaster, man. Like what what's your take on that?

A lot of people use distractions to put up with it or get through it. But yeah, I think once you eliminate all your distractions and you actually sit in your feelings and work out what's actually going on. Lean in. Lean in.

You get a lot further than what you think. But yeah, it's definitely tough, man. And you just got to give yourself time cuz there's been plenty of times where I've thought, "Ah, this isn't going to bother me." And it bothers me. Eh, which is annoying you.

What's that? It's usually the moment you do say that you go, "Oh, now I'm all good with it now." And next minute, boom, bang. You're like, "Ah, you're back in the ring." Yeah. I don't know.

It's all just pain, isn't it? It all just hurt. And took me so long to just accept it and move on. You know what I mean?

And and and you know, you you talk like alcohol and everything else. And um when you go through the journey and it's all coping mechanisms, you know, it's like and and what I learned with my life coach and a few other things and me and you have discussed this, it's it's getting rid of the feeling. It's all feeling. So that's why you got to sit in it and become more resilient to it.

But if you just get a coping mechanism and dodge it and go around the you know the roadblock, the feeling, the whatever it is, you don't actually do the deep work on yourself. Now the moment you put your hand up with the be vulnerable and accountable and go, "Hey, I've got to sit in this." And like the amount of nights and I know you have as well, me and you have actually rang each other late at night. The moment you sit there and you sit in it and uh you know you could be there by yourself lonely at home, but you sit in it and you deal with it all of a sudden you got this little 1% the next day that you're better and that's why it takes the time I think dude there's no light switch for this. No, definitely not.

And yeah, definitely sitting in a y definitely hard. It's hard at the time. It's so hard at the time. It's so uncomfortable.

you got to get punched in the head by you than some of the nights I've sat there by myself. But I think the accountability thing you talk about is massive. You just got to and you just got to own your own and just be completely honest with yourself. That's where it comes like where it starts, I reckon.

And then you can actually figure out what's really going on. And yeah, I think so just just on that, right? And I talk about this a bit and I I I always thought I self-reflected a lot, but I probably I self-rect more now than ever, right? And the thing is if you're to someone else, you're like, "Oh, it's their fault or something else." You're actually lying to yourself first because we can, right?

No one can no one can put call us out unless we say something verbally. So when you'reitting to yourself, what happens? You're skimming over it all and you're not really you're not digging deep and going, I'm going to own it. And then you know, you reflect back on our kids and all that, they feel it.

It's likeing own it. Put the And the moment you own it, it's like anything. You could go crash your car. The moment you own it and say it out loud, no one can say anything, man.

That's it. E that's the thing. Like Yeah. If you hide it, everyone can say it and then judge all that.

The moment you call yourself out, it's like and next. Yeah. Yeah. 100%.

So good. All right. Uh, cool. So, so the last couple of years you've been talking about you want to do your own thing and me and you had this chat a few times when I was back home a couple years ago and um and you were trying to work it out.

Now, how was that journey? because you obviously in DVA you you did get to there yet but um you you spend a lot of time which most of us do for 12 months researching and going what am I going to do and you don't know what you don't know and I can tell you what I think and everyone else but you just got to do it yourself now how that how' that first 12 months go working out what you want to do yeah it wasn't too bad I was still there just jumping from thing to thing trying to work out what to do and then how to do it and I tried a few different courses and stuff but a lot of them were real scammy and I sort of I want to scam anyone. I want to sort of Yeah. have a clear conscience and obviously go to bed, sleep well.

Yep. Man of integrity. Yeah. 100%.

I want a quality product. But I think my thought process changed about cuz I could only work half the time. So I had to work out how to make money at home. So that was the first sort of thought.

And then I started looking at different things. And then I was just sort of wondering how everyone else done it and what they do. I've settled on e-commerce because yeah, a lot of the calls I went through sort of do like a questionnaire and what's the best setup for you and a lot of them come back with the e-commerce. So I I reckon I reckon it's a good start, dude.

The e-commerce like I I didn't do that, but I I understand watching you now how how handy it is cuz most things about content now, right, and providing value. Now the the key thing you just said before, which I love and I I lose money on this, I lose clients over it. I win clients and I and I one thing I really believe in and it's taught me even more eight years in the last couple years is the whole culture piece and do do follow your values. Now you just you know treaded around the whole integrity piece right and um and morals and sleeping well at night.

Now that is the first thing you've brought up soon as we talk about your business right now that for me is number one right and you don't always do the right thing but it comes back to intent right if you're following your values intent we up all the time like me and Mitch talk about this a fair bit and he's he's new to the business thing the last couple of years few years and um we we love chatting about this but that that integrity piece and the culture and what you put out is what you get back and it takes time right so when you're not ego or money driven you know, the money comes with it over time, right? But if you're there to um you know, give your values and and what you got, your energy and that to clients or to the people around you, you'll always succeed, right? 100%. I reckon that's you got to stand on your your values and your morals and everything and yeah.

What how's business like tell us about the launch, tell us about the wind up to it, the exciting bit, the honeymoon stage, then it all dies down because you don't get sales. Like this is the common Yeah. you know, entrepreneur stuff. Talk talk to me about it, bro.

It's been unreal. It's something. Yeah. From the even just the studying the course, getting the products, speaking to manufacturers, like securing a manufacturer, getting them shipped to Australia, then rocking up at the house, like it's just been absolutely unreal.

And then we launched. We didn't do like a marketing coach. I got sort of done a she just said we're just going to turn it on and then start posting videos. So, I didn't actually do like a soft launch or Yeah.

I didn't have a buildup or anything. We just went straight live and then yeah, we've actually changed marketing coaches since and the new ones being unreal. So, we've just gone Yep. Yeah.

But it's just learning about content and then discovering your customer avatar through the content and what works and what makes your sales. But I think first I just wanted a quality product and then I just wanted to do it all Yeah. with integrity. Do the right thing.

Even just like start they wanted me to put fake reviews on the website which I refused to do. Y yeah I didn't want to be lying to anyone or I'd hate the idea of someone buying a product because of the fake reviews. Good man. That's integrity through and through at your own detriment.

Absolutely unreal. Even we've had a heap of content days and I've had friends and people help out and it's just the best time. Y to get lost in it all where it's not like actually work. If you enjoy what you do, you never work a day in your life is what they say.

And it's so foreign to everything. Like I never used to use chat TV or anything online. I used to use just doom scroll Instagram and then it's like so now it's just like a whole different world to me and there's always different avenues you can go or more research you can do. So keeps me pretty busy.

E see a couple of things, right? The market drives everything. You know, you can have the best product in the world, but if no one's buying it. So there's that piece.

But what me sitting back watching you be in the infancy stage in the beginning last 12 months launching and all that, what I'm excited for is where you're going to be in five years because it just shifts. It just shifts and it's so cool because you don't know what you don't know. And I can send you heaps of stuff or the guy down the road or you know other people that you know, but when you work your ownit out and you're determined and you love it and you enjoy it, it's like where you going to be in five years? That's the that's the cool.

How good it pumps you up just talking about it. I love it. And and you know something, you messaged me the other day and this here is I I thought I got this bit right, but you messaged me the other day and I've learned this now in the last month on for the third fourthing time level is, hey man, I'm I'm I'm struggling and I'm I'm challenged a bit by hanging out or talking with people because I'm just growing and I'm just focusing on my thing and obviously it's harder to find like-minded people. The whole when you start to grow or you shift or you be accountable, vulnerable, you'll outgrow some people and you'll let go of some people and not in bad intent or anything is just natural.

There is so much truth in that and man I like the last two years that's been significant for me but even the last 6 months it just resonates and you text me I think it was about 3 weeks ago I think you said to me and you go it's a it's a bit different now and that's when we're talking about maybe we do a weekly catch up online just to do with business and bounce off each other because you know we're in different spaces but tell us a bit more about that and your journey man and what you're realizing and when the light bulb moment was let it be that like cuz what we do at the beginning I Steve is we try and hold on but really we just got to do our own journey right 100%. And yeah, I definitely something I struggle with especially over the Christmas break when obviously lifestyles don't align or they're just doing different things or a lot of people were partying and stuff and I just sort of locked myself away and yeah, I want to say focus on the business and but even like different lifestyles, the clean eating, the gym like yeah, I think I've just gone to a whole another level and yeah, I think I've gone to a whole another mindset as well and it just like it's hard to communicate with different people. How good? So good.

But it's just like, yeah, I guess I got to find the other they're going to come, but you're just in that that floating stage, eh, where you sort of don't resonate with those people. You haven't found your new people yet, and you sort of go, there's a clip there's a clip that keeps popping up my phone. No doubt you've seen it, but if it I've actually saved it, I'm going to send it to you. It's about being in the middle.

It's about being in the middle, right? And it's like you're not in the space yet for the new circles. Um, which are usually smaller, but you've let go of the old circles. So, it's really hard.

And the moment you go, it's okay to be in that spot. That's the bit cuz we fight it. And it's like, I got no s like and and what I've what I've learned, right? This is why I probably, you know, you work hard 10 15 hours a day and you where you're growing up and all the drive is because you're trying to prove a point avoid and you know there's a lot of drivers in us right and and what I learned and I went and done you know a couple of psychedelic things and learned about that out whoop and it's about loving to be in your own space now this is something I I I spend more and more time on and trying to understand and once again the last month or two I've gone even deeper with it but it's like I really really become uncomfort comfortable in my own space.

So when you do that and you back yourself and you're pumped and you're moving the needle, everyone else. Yeah. And it's no judgment or anything. It's my own stuff letting go and whatever the going to happen is going to happen.

And I think you're in that we're we're similar. We're Yeah. We're close, right? And it's and you're raising the bar.

Yeah. Yeah. I understand. It's definitely not a judgment thing.

I think a lot of people I've had a few people say, "Oh, you think you're better." But it's never I'm in my own lane 100% e and I'm just tooting my own horn because it's like how good. So when people say that right it's like oh why you do this why you do that it's usually reflection of them. I actually feel sorry for them when they're like that because I'm like I'm just doing me. You you no judgment.

I I love everyone right and it's like you do you your decision cuz it's your journey. They're the things wherever you're at in life that's going to teach you. Um yeah it's definitely a reflection on them cuz that's how they see me. It's never me saying anything about it.

It's just like they look at me and just think, "Yeah, I said from where I come from, man, when I broke up with Roxy, bro, I was I was down and out, eh?" Like proper down and out. Like it just that broke me to a point where and I never ever let on about and now I talk about it like it's Yeah. I had a bit of a laugh about it. But cuz you're comfortable, man.

Cuz you're comfortable in your decisions and and I I talked you might, you know, I've spoke to you when you're through your hard times cuz we're actually very similar about two years, right? I think you spit this before me, but you know, and we we've talked through the hard times, but there's never like it's never like throwing stones and I'm not like that. Like my my ex-wife's a beautiful woman, man. Like she's probably one of the most innocent, best woman I ever met.

Do we see eye to eye now? No. Did we end up staying together? No.

Um broke apart, disconnected, whatever. But she's a beautiful mom. I'm very lucky to have her. But it's like, is there things I could throw stones about?

Yeah. But what am I doing then? Reflecting on my own. It's me.

Instead of that, I'm like, "Let's move forward." The reason I left the house was for her to be happy and me be happy. Like, we're humans, right? We're in our 40s now, mate. Same as you guys in the end.

I talked to you and it's like life's great. And who who and cuz if we don't do that and we be victims or we do the 180, it reflects on the kids a lot as well. But our own mindset, it'll put us I'll stick our head back in the sand. I always go back to imagine if every day I was just blowing up about her or one what she's doing or like I think it's Yeah.

So good to just be in your own lane and just accept things you can't change. You can't change it. Don't like it doesn't matter. Yep.

And and I think because you know we're far from perfect. Us males are hard work. I think the woman's emotional. We're very logic and I think that's where a lot of a lot of the couples struggle.

But I think we get beaten up a lot right as a male and as a dad and we don't do this and don't do that. But I think that actually helped me kick my own ass and reflect even more and go, I'm not going to I'm not going to have that stereotype anymore. I'm going to do the best I can. And I know you've done this, man.

You've you've done it amazingly. Um because it's like no you I am not that person. I you know because people only perceive it the way they do, right? Yeah.

Yeah. It's been a journey. That's for sure. 100%.

So So with the business, let's go back to that. Divia, tell us about it. Give us the pitch, bro. Yeah, it's so good.

Obviously, I found my own piece. So, now I want to help people find their peace. So, it's all about getting outdoors and reclaiming your piece. That's the song I'm going with.

And then, yeah, I've got a big vision board up behind the laptop here. And yeah, it's all about the indiv hub that I'm going to build. Yeah, I've got big visions for where I want to go with it. And yeah, it's all about around helping people really.

Well, do you know what? You know what's really cool? And and it goes back to you mentioning the culture and integrity piece. I just asked you to give me a pitch about your business and you have we still don't even know the product that your number one product now that's really good because in a way because it just shows your your values and what you're trying to put out and really what you're doing right so now get to the product and how are you helping people so it's a camping hammock with mosquito nets so yeah the chemics get the hammocks get you outdoors and the nature does the rest so what what gave you that idea what triggered it so through the study in the course I get you to do all these modules and stuff and we just turn over a heap of things that we're sort of into and then you do your um modules around sort of what you want to sell and how you want to sell it.

And so my my take when I first seen it cuz you didn't tell me what you're selling actually. We we didn't speak for a little bit. I know you're working on something. You're doing all these courses and then you just launched and it was really cool, right?

And I'm like aing hammock. But I tell I tell you something I've learned in the last 6 to 12 months just researching like tech the world moving forward and all the stuff, right? The two the two things are going to kick in the next 5 to 10 years and 20 years is nature and libraries and they're already going off because we're becoming more and more tech focused behind the screens the whole bit like especially our kids generation. People are going to be paying for walks, paying for nature, paying like go to libraries just to go back to the traditional space space.

So when I see in your hammock obviously suits you down to the ground, right? Suits our hometown. We're in some of the best country in the world like Victoria waters freshwater everything right like I love it back there I miss it you know from Wonga to Bright Harrietville Murderford then you got everything around it like and we got the snow it's pretty amazing to full driving hiking you name it right um fly fishing freshwater fishing so that hammock just like resonates so much with myself mine just arrived yesterday I haven't I haven't unpacked it yet but um I got yesterday. So, thanks man.

And um I I just see you getting it and you know once you get the momentum different types styles because people people want to get out in nature more and more like more and more cuz we're doing this heaps which we love podcast behind the screen tech. We all love it but we still need that piece and that's what's helping me. One of the one of the number one things I reckon is going to be is controlling your nervous system or being part of that um industry on supporting people in their nervous system because we're so highly wired spun from childhood up to business fast-paced world. Now what's one of the best things breath work, meditation, nature, all that stuff?

Like I reckon you've nailed it and where it'll be in a few years be epic. I definitely nailed it just through the research that I done and where I want to go and yeah how to achieve it. So, and I reckon the big the big unplug's coming. Everyone's going to want to unplug soon.

Can we can we have a little little snippet of what what's the next product or what's the next step step or stage or you know what are you thinking? Give me something. Come on, mate. No one no one can see this.

Just between me and you. No, we've been doing we've been looking at uh obviously merch. There'll be hats and shirts and sleeping bags and all this stuff to aid the hammock and get you outdoors. So, I want to go into beginner camping kits, too.

So, people who never I think there's a massive community of people who've never camped, they don't know where to start. So, if you can just sell them a complete kit with a how to do and start small. So, yeah, I reckon there's a pretty good market there. Yeah, 100%.

It's just building it, eh? And just growing like a lot of my sales are come from like Northern Territory, WA, North Queensland, and it's man, how good's that? you see the sale come through, you're like just getting massive reach and it's just every time you get a little sale or something happens, I just get that bit more belief that it's going to work. Buzz.

So, when did you launch? What day did you launch? What month? What day?

Uh, November last year we launched. Yep. So, end of November. So, what are you now?

We're at 3, four months in now, right? So, what um are you on the timeline you expected? Yep. I wanted to finish I wanted to launch within six months, which I done, and then I want to be doing it full-time within 6 months of launching.

So, I've got about another four months to sort of sort out the full-time thing. Then once I go fulltime, you can just put all your effort into it. You know what I mean? Y then it's just going to go to explode.

At the moment, I still got a few distractions like working that I can't really do much on my work week cuz we're doing 12 hour days. Like I still get back to the hotel and sit on the computer for an hour or so. But I just think once I can put that there's about 90 hours a week I do. Yep.

For the week. So once I can put that into e-commerce, I reckon it's just going to go even bigger. So yeah, that's epic. Have are you um have you thought about any partnerships or license or anything with anyone like that yet or?

No, I haven't looked at any collabs or anything like that. So trying to work out the content game and yeah, get really good at keep studying it and just work out how to get really good at content. So the great thing with yourself and you're already doing it and like I probably learned this off Gary Vee ages ago. It's like and even now more more than ever he's putting up just tell people about your life right now.

You got a you got a wicked life and a wicked morning routine. You've changed the game. I I hope even talking about this and going back over the journey it really helps because mate that'll all be people buy off people right and experience and the and the client experience right. So getting to know you on the content, you've got a product there.

Nob brainer if it suits if it, you know, if you're hitting the market that you need to hit. So let's talk numbers and stuff. Are you hitting numbers you want? Are you a day or or a couple a week or one a month?

Like you don't have to ch say it, but just I'm happy to. So we're definitely not making money. We're not turning a profit at all. We're about 40 grand in the hole.

Yep. But how good? and wait till you get a couple hundred in front and then you'd be like it was worth it. Yeah, 100%.

And I know I knew it was going to be like this. You just got to keep hooking in and keep putting the work in. But so we done seven sales last week and then this week average done none averaging about two or three a week. Then we done the seven which is our best week and then this week we've done none.

So So you're tracking all that and then looking at your data maybe. Why? Yeah 100% getting all the data and then we do all the content around the data and Yeah. Cool.

So, what um so when you when you do the e-commerce, it teach me something here, dude. I I haven't really done a product before. Mine's mainly always been service. So, you go, you know, you go get a maid, you do all the work.

What was the number that you first had to buy on the first batch? Like, what'd you have to do? Do you have to like to get a number in? Like, is it a 100 you had to buy and you got a certain amount and then the next time is going to be a thousand or like Yeah.

So, all the different Yeah. All the different suppliers. So, you just put a request for quote on Alibaba. Y and then all the different suppliers have a minimum order quantity, but it's all negotiable.

So, you just get on there, you negotiate, and you get a few samples sent over. All the samples that got sent over were ass. They were terrible. So, yeah, it took a few months to go back and forth with a few different people and yeah, few took the money and couldn't deliver.

So, you had to get refunds and So, so talk to me about this quality piece then because you're pretty big on that, right? And I know you will be because, you know, it comes back to your discipline and your routine and all that kind of stuff and your integrity and you want a good quality product. 100%. And all I thought was when I want when someone buys a hammock, I don't want them to think it or they're spending their hard earned money.

So yeah, we've spent a fair bit of time going back and forth with the manufacturer to make sure it was quality triple stitched, it was strong, it wasn't going to break, and yeah, I've set mine up about 15 times now for different content and we've slept in it overnight and yeah, no drums at all. Yep. So So you know exactly how it works, eh? Yeah, pretty stoked with the with the product and Yeah.

I'm going to take mine down at some point and I'll send you I'll send you a short clip, mate, and I'll give you a little Sounds good. Yeah, it'll be wicked. I'll probably I probably won't know how to set it up. if I have to get you to give me instructions.

It's pretty easy, you reckon? Eh, to set it up. Yeah. Yeah.

100%. Yeah. Nice. Nice.

Yeah. I wanted to make it simple. E, and I just wanted to make it easy and but still have the good quality and Yeah. So, having having my business mind on and this is what I wanted to question you on a little bit.

Every since I searched yours and bought yours and I obviously we're connected anyway. I obviously have all your competitors pop up, right? So, this is this is competitors are great, right? Because that's why you you have a business, right?

Yeah. It's good not not to have too many, but you learn a lot from them, too. You know, there's probably a lot there that are new and a lot that have been around a lot longer than you. Give us a take on your competitors.

Who's your main one? Who do you learn off? Like, yeah, I reckon Nike is probably massive in the space. They're doing huge numbers, man.

And yeah, all their content's good as and yeah, they do their every hammock sold, they plant four new trees in their space in Kenya. So, that's pretty awesome. But I bought a lot of my competitors hammocks when I was doing the research and just sort of get what what's good and what's not good and take the pain points from that and then try and solve them myself. But yeah, the only thing I didn't like about it is all their products come in different bags.

But to have the bug net, it's all separate. To have the hammock, it's separate. Oh. Have the fly net, it's separate.

So nothing I just wanted something to be in the one bag. And I like the reversible option that we done because you couldn't have the hammock on its own without the fly net. Like it's two separate things. So I wanted to have it all in one.

And I wanted to be reversible so you can just use it without the bug net as well. Without it. I did see that on your video, man. Yeah.

Yeah. What's it weigh like if you're hiking and you want to take it with you? Um, what's it weigh? Is it 900 g?

And it just clips on. Can you just clip it on somewhere? Tie it off, whatever. Yeah.

Norally put in a bag or tie it on. Yep. Whatever you're doing. But yeah, I stuff like that.

We took it hunting the other day. Yeah. Yeah. We were walking for about 5 hours and Yeah.

You wouldn't even know it's in there. Actually, speaking of that, my brother-in-law bought one. Yeah, Nate. No, he goes out hunting and lives in a tree.

Thinks he's still in the army. So, I have to um I'll g him up to get on and buy one. Yeah, sounds good. What?

And actually, I'll probably get him on here. He um he's got a good history obviously um the army and going overseas and stuff. So, he's got some good stories. Hectic stories, I reckon.

He he he does some wicked ones and um he definitely needs one of your hammocks for sure. So, what I I actually went to the camping store the other week. I think I went camping for the first time in probably a year and a bit. I bought these Army camouflage sleeping bags and they were really lightweight as well.

They're a good brand, lightweight. You don't mind paying a bit extra when it's good quality and and you get the value out of it, right? And that's why I was saying like you could clip it on. Um they easy to open, easy to fold up.

You know, I remember back in the day when I was camping, we'd have the triangle tren tent or the sleeping bag and you spend ages trying to get it back in or, you know, the tent would have water on it the next morning. Yeah. Um painful e we packed a sleeping bag up on the weekend and we could not get it back in the bag e took took three of us one holding it one jamming in the bag was painful as but yeah little pain points like that you can sort of solve and then market around that so you've touched on a little bit moving forward what what's next what's the next six months 12 months two years look like for you I've got a 100k run coming up in March oh wow the Buffalo Stampede so I done the Shaka 24 last year which was a 12hour run and I wanted to hit the 100ks but I only got 93.7 in 12 hours. So yeah, I booked 100k or so.

So I'm definitely going to hit the 100ks and I'm going to try and do it in sub 15 and then after that I'm going to hit hook back into the boxing and actually have a few fight. Oh yeah. I'm too old. So that's sporting wise.

Business-wise we're just going to build INVR and we're just going to yeah keep growing, keep scaling and then yeah go fulltime and then build the indiv hub. So can I just touch back on the sport for a sec mate? You just quickly just quickly this is new mate. Let's talk about this 100.

How do you prep for it? When is it again? How many weeks you got? I've only just started training.

So I'm going to have probably six weeks of hard training. Like talk me through it. What's the training? What's the discipline?

It'll be strict diet. It'll be a lot of running and a lot of leg work at the gym, a lot of sprints. Get the heart rate up. I'm going to do running sprints, leg work at the gym, all my boxing work, and then long runs on a Sunday.

And what's a long run look like for you, dude? Probably 20ks, half mar. Yep. Yep.

Yep. But yeah, I don't think you can really prep for it. I didn't plan at all for the 100k that I or the attempt at 100k that I done. Wow.

That was pretty hard, too, cuz that was a 1.2k loop. So, you're just going round and round. The mind to be boring. Yeah.

I was just like, let's go. But you obviously have some beautiful country to run in and practice and hills and endurance and all that as well, right? I love running. Even run up the hills this morning.

I was just thinking, how good's this? Serenity is unreal. But I've never done it, anything like that. And there's a 6,000 K of elevation.

So 6,000 m, sorry. 6K. So where is it? Where's it start and finish, dude?

Uh, they drive you into the bush. So it's Mount Buffalo and then you run back into Panka. Panka. Yep.

So that's your backyard, right? That's what we were talking about earlier. Amazing, beautiful place. I think Panka and Bright's probably one of my favorite places in Australia and especially autumn and that's pretty amazing.

So how many weeks you got till this kicks off? Uh March 28 it is. So what's that? Six seven weeks of hard training and then maybe a week off and then but I don't know.

I'm not one to stress about anything. So I just sort of go I'm going to do this and then I just make it happen. Mate, wicked mindset to have mate. I I love it.

It's like glass half full. Let's go. We'll work it out as we go. Even the other one I done, I wasn't sure.

I've never done a big run before. The first I've ran it was about 13ks. So I was pretty stoked at 90 nearly 94ks. And yeah, now my mindset around this one is I've already done it.

So, not that it's going to be easy, but I think like I know I can do it if that sort of makes sense. Yeah. So, you're you're you're already there. Why the tape forward, right?

Yeah. Let's see what happens cuz I'm like I'm prepared. I want to get to these breaking points. Like, there's a few moments in that.

Yeah. There was a few moments in that run for some reason, I just felt like I was going to burst into tears. I was sort of running around the track going, "Oh, so where So, you done 94ks. Where do you reckon that first kicked in where you're going to like going to break going to do the tears?" Like, this is this is the growth.

This is a deep work, right? This is where you would have been after that run, that one 2% extra like you just you're a different person. 100%. You learn a lot about yourself in those tough moments.

E so you reun like I reckon 80 to 90ks that that last bit cuz you know you're so close. Yeah, I was absolutely depleted and I was just like I couldn't even walk and then I got to start running again and it's like pretty busted up after I couldn't walk at all. How many you went chilled for a week? Have a good have a good relax, slow recovery, light recovery.

No, so I backed that week up with a 10 session week. What? Yeah. So I've had the Sunday off because we traveled back cuz it was in Jalong and then we um Yeah, I went straight back to gym Monday morning.

Done 10 sessions. I was pretty stoked that Shaka 24 was a pretty good event. It's about uh suicide and mental health prevention and yep, just raise awareness for it all. And yeah, I was just actually helping out one of my mates who tried to commit suicide and then he wanted to do something hard.

So he booked the race and he's like, "Will you do it with me?" So pretty good event. What more determination and reason do you want than do that? Yeah, it was pretty good. So his sister done it as well and she got 55ks and then he got bit over 70.

So between us we nearly got 200ks 12 hours. That's awesome. So what um just going back to Indivia um you said the other guys you know plant four trees. What's in, you know, you got to be selfish to be selfless, right?

So, you got to get up and stand on your own two feet before you start doing that stuff. But what do you have in mind to support, you know, another charity or third party or give back? Let's just say give back. Doesn't matter what it is.

Definitely going to give back to Peter McCllum Institute because they're the ones that saved my life. And I always think if I can't without them, I wouldn't be here today. So, I always think if I ever come into money or I'm ever in a situation where I can give back, it'll definitely be them. Yep.

And I plan to as well. So, yeah. So you um do you have a relationship still with him now? Yeah, we not really.

No. So after I stopped getting treatment or stopped getting checkups, we sort of stopped talking. So but Yep. I've always said, yeah, if I ever come into money or I'm ever in a position to give back, it'll definitely be them.

They'll be top of the list. It still sits with you, right? 100%. Still extremely grateful.

It cost me absolutely nothing. Wow. I just had like I was pretty blown away by the whole setup from the testing to the surgery. One of the main tumors were on my main artery going down the center.

So, they had to have a full vascular surgeon team there. And yeah, I just went in, they chopped me up and sent me home 10 days later and didn't cost me a thing. So, yeah, extremely grateful. Even looking back now, now that I'm a bit old, a bit more mature, gratitude is just a massive part of my life.

Hey, like even thinking about my old man when he was real hard ass when I like you just think back now and think without that I'm not who I am today. Like I don't have the respect. I don't have the morals that he bashed into me. So, yeah.

I uh I just had my I mate I was just about to ask you about the gratitude because that's that's the energy I'm getting off you the whole time like you know you're older you go back 13 years and you went through that journey and that chapter of your life and you know you still you're still reflecting and going how grateful you are basically which is amazing and then you go back to your parents and you know when you become a parent as a human we only know what we know but obviously we can either sit on it and be victims and go that was or we can grab it and go that made me where we are today. Let's make it even better and shift it for our next generation or our kids. Now, I just had my stepfather over for a week. He stayed a few days with me.

And we talked about this a lot. We actually talk a lot and he's he's helped me heaps through life the last two years. But we talk about like growing up and he was a bit of a hard too. And um just how how it's made us where we are today.

Some things, you know, I agree with, some things I don't. But um but he only knew what he's what he knew. And we we actually talked about his journey heaps the last 12 months and it was pretty a lot of the points. Um you know but he is where he is also and he's a great guy these days and he's been my best mate and helped me get through the last two years.

So it's just funny how it works out right like funny how it works out. It's all about perspective isn't it when you look back like my parents had four kids by the time they were 20. They had to sort it out. They had to sort out their own.

It's not until you get a bit older and you go through your own you look back and think, imagine what they were going through with four little rugrats running around. No phones, no tech, not much money, you know, all that stuff. Like, you know, back then, so our parents and then go back generations. I always say it was like survival mode.

And that's the way they were educated, right? Like, you know, don't don't waste money, don't waste food. These days is convenience and time outweighs everything. That's why we waste food.

We money is easy to get, you know, all that kind of stuff. And it's up to us to like draw the line in the sand, I think, and have that expectation and manage it, right? You know, we don't get educated that great off our parents when it comes to money and all that kind of stuff. So, we got to grab hold of it, learn what they taught us and and then try and, you know, improve it.

I Well, that's my take on it anyway. Yeah. Yeah. 100%.

But touching on what you're saying, yeah, my parents definitely didn't teach me much about money or no or anything like that. They taught me a lot of respect and like good morals and Yeah. right from wrong. Dad was really good at that.

But as far as money and stuff, but yeah, I guess that's like you said, you only know what you know. You can only teach what you know. And and do you know when when you get that mindset and I I got this years and years ago, right? You only know what you know.

It helped me certain people usually family. Forgive family or forgive what I thought, you know, someone had done wrong by me. Just part of my journey. It's where I am.

Do I regret it? No. Would I change it? And I probably wouldn't, man.

I wouldn't be sitting here chatting to you about these these hard challenges, right? And roadblocks. Yeah. And and and then the resilience we got, right?

The resilience we got, it's a challenge over the years, right? But once again, you come back and you go, I'm accountable whether it's going to be a burden to me or whether I'm going to kick. Now, you can get two siblings that have the same dramas, same problems. One can go stick his head in the sand and blame it, or one can go, "This made me." Now, there's definitely no judgment by anyone.

And I'm just talking about my own self here. And that's always kept me kept me moving forward and kept the needle moving forward. And I've done that since I left home when I was 15 and then moved away from home when I was 18. And it's just like get hold of it and make the best out of it.

That's all you can do. E there's no room for victim mentality. So cuz I could you could always I always go back to my own situation and think man every excuse in the book there and be like poor me. But it's like man like you said use it as motivation.

Yep. Use it. Yeah. And I love my thought process has changed over the last few years.

Totally changed, man. Like and I used I'm a bit off myself for not thinking like that earlier. You weren't meant to yet, dude. You weren't meant to.

Yeah. It's it's meant to happen when it happens. And and mate, I'm the same, honestly. Like crazy.

It's like it it is it's absolutely crazy, right? It's like things happen when they're meant to happen. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Like and that's why another thing I go back to my divorce and that I'm just so grateful for it. Now I look back and think how grateful I am because it just put me on this path to where I am now. I would never discovered everything got discovered. How good talk to me about um something that I even bigger on now than I ever was about trusting your gut.

Yeah. Talk to me. I wish I did. Man, I was married for 13 years or together for 13, married for six, and I don't know.

I had thoughts about leaving her early on and there's times where we tried to break up and then we got back together and we was always drawn back. E I don't know. It went way longer than what it should have. E yeah, I I think mine did a little bit as well, but it's hard.

You're not mature enough and you don't understand the value yourself. And you know, as much as I left, and this is genuine because I wanted us both happy, but you still hold on. There's a bit of pride, there's a bit of ego, there's a bit of, hey, I don't want to fail as a dad or a husband. There's all that stuff, right?

But when you get out and you reflect, you're like, "Yeah, probably could have, but I probably needed to stay there." So, right now, I'm in this new mindset and you're dominating. Cuz let's be honest, when you split, dude, and disconnect, it takes a couple of years. So, you need to make sure you're strong enough to deal with that because I I understand now why people get depression or go down the hill. Not that I did, but I I kind of get I understand sitting in your or not being able to sit in your and work through it.

Yeah. Like if you didn't have were mindset strong enough, you know what I mean? 100%. Yeah.

I can definitely understand how people fall off, especially in those tough times, man. And it nearly breaks you. You're like, it does. It does.

And like I laugh about it now and I smile about it now and I always talk about gratitude like y but yeah, it sort of downplays how hard it really was. But yeah, I had the I was pretty grateful at the time of the I ended up working away a fair bit. I was getting out of town. the the other bit and I don't know how much you've touched on this but I have because I only really did the last 18 months is the identity piece.

Yeah. Now subconsciously you know like our subconscious patterns are 95% of our thoughts right and they're and they're created by everyone else growing up right and our journey. So 5%'s conscious. I didn't when I went seen Jen this life coach she was amazing.

It was like she really taught me a lot about subconsciously I don't want to change yet or or be accountable or fix my problems because I don't want my identity changed because it got me where I am today. Yeah. Now that there when I and the first time I was told I never got it. Now the other bit that comes off the back of that is loving and valuing yourself as of today because you're holding on to this identity.

You can't solve this bit. And even saying it out loud going just fix me. I don't care if my identity changes now. I don't care what people think.

But really deep down I still wasn't ready. Right. And it's only the last 6 to 12 months that naturally and you can't fast forward it. I've just come into my own space, you know, outgrown my current environment.

So you grow. No judgment, nothing like that. And then you naturally your identity is changing and I'm actually really comfortable with it. And then I'm comfortably in my own space cuz you do all the deep work that we talked about earlier.

It's off the charts. Love it. So, so that identity piece for you, boxer, determination, the because it's all the good things that actually create the identity and then we don't want to let go. Beating cancer, all that.

You wouldn't want to change subconsciously for a long time and then we end up coping mechanisms. We end up all that because if you shift that, you're going to lose it all, but you actually don't. You grow. Talk to me about that.

Um, yeah, I 100% agree with what you're saying. I love hearing it and yeah, I think I just lent more into it. Yep. Good on you.

More into the identity of this is exactly who I want to be and this is how I'm going to present myself to the world and I didn't stray from it at all. Good on you, man. That's epic. But then I just grew into that person.

Yep. Like I started feeding the person that I wanted to be. Believing believing. Yeah.

And then you end up loving yourself and you're just like how good. And there's not much that could you know I said it yesterday to someone on the phone. I'm like in the way I feel at the moment has probably had the best couple of weeks I've had in three years. And it's like there's not much that could and I've got some challenges at the moment still, but I just not letting me not smile and move the needle for it.

You know what I mean? Like there's not much that could hold it up, you know? Yeah. Love it.

How good. So, we've gone through your roadblocks, your risks. We we know how resilient you are. What?

Anything else you wanted to touch on? No, not really. So good. So good, mate.

Keep it up. Um, I probably just want to know what outcomes you've probably got of today. Like what what' you get out of it? What would you get out of the chat?

Just what comes to mind? I think I just love talking to you. I think you're I know you talk about motiv me motivating you, but yeah, you're definitely someone I've looked up to and definitely so I love what you're doing right here with your podcast and everything you do, man. I just in awe of you and yeah, I appreciate you having me on and yeah, I just it's pretty easy to chat for we've chatted for a fair while, you know what I mean?

Just bouncing off each other. So yeah, no, I appreciate you, man, and keep up the good work. It happens every uh podcast, mate. I appreciate it more that have nearly put a tear in me.

I I appreciate this heaps, man, because we can have all these people on and business and all this stuff, but like even got a young young girl that she's so determined. I've been following her. I met her at dinner once. Um and like even her like I want all levels.

The journey is about everyone cuz we've all been there at different points. And like Iing could not wait to get you on because I mate I just I want to expose you more. I get a lot out of you. I know I you get a lot out of me.

Something me and Mitch have been talking about is like the next 3 to 6 months is get back on and do like a a catch up and I'm going to do that with everyone. So can't wait to see where Indivia is going to go. Can't wait uh to see where you're going to be personally. I think what what'll be really good, Mitch um is after March, what was it?

March what? The run 28. All right. After March 28, we're doing a quick recap because I want to know how you went and maybe I gonna happen.

I might even come over and support you for it. Yeah, that'd be awesome. Yeah. Yeah, we get pumped.

Um, and shout out to So, who should I get on here? This is what I ask everyone. Give me one or two my idol, man, mate. How good is he?

How good? Yeah, I love him. He's who I discovered, man. He got me on the carnivore diet and all through your podcast and all the stuffs I take it from him and yeah he changed my life.

I actually sent him a message on Instagram telling him, "I just want you to know that your message is heard loud and clear from a little country town wonga in Australia and he actually replied, "Man, how good wicked." He He is He is the Michael Jordan, right? Human biologist. Lives and that's what I want to lean into. How how good does it feel to change people's lives and inspire people and Yep.

Just Yeah, it'd be really good. And this will make you a bit vulnerable. Next, uh, pick a morning when you jump in the ice bath. I know you do every morning cuz I watch it.

Ask the question who's been following this and who who is this? Help motivate, dude. Ask that question. Yeah.

And you know what? No one answers. Ask again in another month. Yeah.

Well, I've already got heaps of messages telling me how much Yeah. And I'm just like, it's crazy to me a cuz I'm like, you're just sort of doing your ice bath, doing your normal routine, and Yeah. Tell me one message that really hit you. Oh, just anyone messaged me saying how it inspires them and they're in a really bad spot and it's just helped them and yeah, lights up their day.

They love watching the videos and I'm like, man, how good a one minute video every day getting in the ice bath. You know, someone watches it and feels better. And even Yeah, even posting like all your ups and moments and stuff and like all just laughing together, but when they're laughing, they're not thinking about all the going on. You know what I mean?

How good. How good. Love it, mate. I'll let you know when I'm coming home.

Thanks for coming on. Um, I think that's a take, man. I loved it. It was uh your energy.

I didn't think I could get my energy anymore, but talking to you raises the bar. Love it. And say good day to Lace Me Dead for me. Do he snaps me here and there.

I love it. Love it. Good. All right, man.

See you. All right, legend. Thanks. Thanks.

Love you. See you. Take care.