The Deep End
By Michael Vespa
Join us weekly and monthly for uncomplicated and open talks as I work to grow as a man, husband, father, and friend.
The Deep EndNov 22, 2019
Gettin' RIP'd #1
Welcome to Gettin' RIP'd
This is our Monthly Q&A with the team and family at Ruthless In Pursuit.
Each month you share your questions and we take some time to cover them and share some of the ones that pique our interest!
Enjoy!
The Weekly 13
Happy Monday.
"Unchosen Suffering"; Every phase, station, or evolution of life will have challenges, can we avoid them? No.
So then what?
It's simple, Not easy.
The Weekly 12
Happy Monday!
Have you ever felt like the road blocks we make are our own fault?
"The past is not your fault, but it is your responsibility."
Jump into this week's episode!
The Weekly 11
Happy Monday!
Well, I was gone, let me explain.
2023 we are here.
The Weekly 10
Happy Monday!
Have you ever been frustrated at someone for not behaving as you expected them to? Only to realize maybe you act the same way.
Just into this week's chat with me.
Have a great week!
The Weekly #9
Happy Monday!
It was a week, but this is a new one!
When is the last time you thanked yourself for putting in the work?
If you have been making it all happen, keep that shit up.
If you have been slacking, wake up and do the damn thing,
See you next week!
The Weekly 8
Monday Monday Monday!
Is your gym routine more organized than your home?
Is your physique more jacked than your saving fund?
is your outfit cleaner than your relationship history?
Listen in and crush the week.
The Weekly #7
Happy Monday!
We took a week off, it won't happen again.
And I will explain why.
THIS WEEK, find your NON-Negotiables with us!
The Weekly #6
Happy Monday!
Woof a lot to unpack, so we will take the week to digest after a really cool weekend of training.
BUT!
This week the challenge is simple, can you do it?
Check it out and see what you think.
See you next week!
The Weekly #5
Happy Monday.
Short Story Long, we got sick over the weekend.
But the Weekend was sick.
Thanks for checking in for another Weekly.
The Weekly #4
Happy Monday!
Have you ever felt trapped by "what if?", the fear that maybe something isn't perfect?
We all go through that.
Check-in with what is happening this week.
The Weekly #3
Happy Monday!
Checking back in with all of you.
Following up on how all of my "deliverables" went from last week to stay the course of accountability.
Sharing what it has meant for me to come into my own and my superpower this year.
I hope you guys find power for yourself this week!
Thank you!
The Weekly: The Deliverables
Happy Monday!
Thank you for joining us as we share the Weekly Deliverables.
Sharing what the targets are for the week and see if you can work past the "Broken Thumb".
Thank you
REBIRTH: We are back!
We walked away, but now we are stepping back in.
The Deep End is here, in new format.
The goal is to check in weekly in some short episodes and then expand for a longer monthly episode with a guest and or friend.
This week listen in as I explain a little bit where I am at and what you can look forward to in the future.
Body By Mike
Hey ya'll! I had taken my dad out to dinner and on the drive home we started talking about his career and body building etc. I really liked some of the things so I asked him if we could just record an episode together. In truth, there was no direct purpose other than getting to share some of his stories. I have talked a lot about him in other episodes or interviews but, I thought it was a unique chance to have him just share.
Enjoy!
The Deep End EP 9: Building Leaders
Building Leaders,
This topic is coming more to the forefront of a lot of thought and training in many industries. We are starting to see a huge shift and swing toward employees and growing teams through nurturing cultures and people but this can be a tough road as a leader.
So how do we navigate that and make a lasting impact on our people while still trying to grow ourselves?
Welcome, Dr. Cara Miller! In this episode, we dive into growing as a leader.
For More info on working with Dr. Miller, you can find info on here organization HERE
Dr. Miller is an author, professor, coach, and consultant in the fields of leadership formation, organizational change, the psychology of adult development and learning. She received an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of San Diego. Dr. Miller draws on developmental psychology to coach senior leaders in many contexts (individuals, partnerships, teams, boards) and utilizes adaptive leadership theory to consult to organizations from diverse industries engaging in change efforts (military, higher education, finance, ministry, manufacturing). She orchestrates the application of innovative organizational theory and methods to inform the architecture, governance, leadership development, performance strategies, and review processes for companies seeking alignment between their people strategy and their financial strategy. Clients experience Cara as:
- an insightful, compassionate, and steady coach
- a lively, interactive, and fun facilitator
- an artistic, dynamic, and complex organizational architect of human capital
The Deep End: What is Diet? Do you have one? Part 1
Hey family!
When you think of the term or word "Diet" what comes to mind? Is it something for health? Does it bring mixed bags of fear or emotion? Is it something that is a Fad? Where does it fall within the spectrum of how we view ourselves and our own journey?
In this episode, we sit down with 3 AMAZING people and share our thoughts and beliefs and practices as it relates to this topic at a HUMAN level.
So sit down and enjoy!!
The Deep End Ep 7: Resistance
WELCOME WELCOME!!
This week we are a trio!! Miranda DeMark joins Rob & I in our thoughts and talk.
Resistance - Where does it come from? Is it from fear? The external?
When you meet resistance what do you do? Is it positive? Negative? All of the above?
Listen in this week as we share each of our own versions of what we feel we have found as Resistance.
Enjoy!
The Deep End Ep 6: "Leading with Love"
Whats up fam?!
On this episode we get to jam with an amazing Woman, Mother, Wife, and Business owner Meg one of the Co-Founders of The Choice Co
Meg and I get down into the weeds on finding self love, our internal strength and common things we have both seen limit our own growth and others that have helped us find strength when we least expected it.
I hope you find speaking and listening to Meg as impactful as I did, I was even able to take notes and walk away with things to apply right away after our conversation.
So please, listen, enjoy and take away some great things from this episode.
The Deep End Ep 5: Creating Connection Part 2
The Deep End Ep 4: Creating Connection Part 1
We are BACK!
Life comes first and we had some time away each moving through our own stuff in life.
On this episode Robert and I reflect on some things from our athlete camp and then reflect on the human connections made over that weekend, but more importantly dive in to how we connect with others in general.
This is Part 1 of 2 on "Creating Connection", Enjoy!!
On The Road: Crossfit Games w/Ed Haynes
The 2019 Crossfit Games brought huge pile of emotions for both the veteran and the rookie alike.
From large cuts, to a moving leaderboard, to even just a new feel to the landscape.
I had a chance to sit down with Ed Haynes of Costal Fitness and hear how he is helping his athlete(s) navigate this new platform and how he as a coach takes on the mental and emotional burden of that role.
I hope you enjoyed this episode the way I did.
The Deep End Ep 3: Passion & Privilege
YO!
This episode we cracking open our thoughts on what it means to find "Passion", is it something we grow toward or just something we wait for fate to give us? Is there a middle ground? An answer? No Idea.
And what is Privilege? Is it something that means more or less than we think? Can we found a common ground across groups and serve a greater good??
Let's dive in!!
The Deep End Ep 2: What does it mean to be a Man?
How do you define being a "Man"?
In 2019 that can be a really tough item to define or process. In this episode Robert and I don't try to come up with a universal definition but instead share the stages of our own lives of how we have viewed what that has or could mean and why.
The landscape of trying to raise young men is really scary right now as far as possible outcome, opportunity and responsibility and in this episode we hope you are able to see what we think needs to happen as an outcome or belief before we can really lay a foundation of what it means to be a "Man".
Enjoy!
The Deep End | Ep 1 w/Rob “Zaddy”
GVO Episode 11: "Going Right" w/Logan Gelbrich
We live in a current situation where the obstacle truly is the way, but rather than blast through that to see the prize on the other side we opt to play it safe and go the route of certainty.
What is that was really all that was holding us back? Simply taking the risk on ourselves to have TRUE self expression of our deepest love, passion and future?
In this episode we sat down with Logan Gelbrich owner of Deuce Gym, Creator of "Hold the Standard" Summit and author of "Going Right".
Logan shared with us his journey through the lense of his path through his own obstacles of having to find a path of true self expression in the search of what that really even means for him and his purpose.
If you are someone who is finding yourself in a position of not being able to see what direction is actually leading you to understanding then this conversation is an opportunity to learn.
Thank you to everyone that made this episode happen! And thank you Logan for welcoming us into your home!
GVO Episode 10: Steering the Ship
Does "being present", "living in the moment" always benefit us the best? Or is it causing us to tunnel vision in chaotic moments?
Being present is a great tool when it is aligned with the goal and purpose of who we want to be and where we are moving toward.
Explore this thought with me today.
GVO Episode 9: Living Your Truth
Courage without action is fear.
Live your truth.
Live bravely.
Love boldly.
GVO Episode 8: Penny on the Dollar
Commitment:
Do you ever feel like you are overwhelmed by the things you set out to "commit" to?
Do you often get into the mix and then "logic" takes over and you back out or give up?
Lets see if we can just change our minds around that.
Chatting today about how we can just look to put pennies on the dollar and focus on the little efforts here and now.
GVO Episode 7: Resist the Hate
Coffee, Check! Breakfast, Check!
Sitting down to layout my Monday thoughts!
"Resist the temptation to hate.", a phrase that has stuck out HARD to me over the last week.
Listen with me as I share what this has meant to me and how I think you can reflect upon it too!
GVO Episode 6: "Choosing Love" w/Blair Murphy
WOW!(in our best owen wilson voice)
What a powerful episode! Blair Murphy knocked this one out of the park!
Blair shares with us the powerful lessons she had to learn to show herself exactly who she was born to be.
From small home town, to waking up drunk on the couch to now speaking and inspiring millions, to having a baller life she earned through her vision for self love and chasing her own moment to give her love back onto others around her.
This episode left us HYPED! ANd I know you will find your own truth in it.
GVO Episode 5: Being Authentic w/Danny Yaeger
Danny has been not just a business partner, and collaborator with me but a friend and a HUGE mentor in my life.
In this episode I get to talk with him on what he believes is important in communication and character when we are in a position or mission of helping others and leading others and how having a real human approach in necessary for that success even when it isn't the easiest.
I hope this episode can help someone gain perspective in navigating what it means to connect and lead others by being Authentic.
GVO Episode 4: Being More Human w/Ellen Renk
This episode gets REAL!
This episode is Ellen Renk interviewing Michael getting deep into what extreme loss and defeat can bring to true growth.
On this episode Ellen asks Michael to some real question on what has lead to the change and growth of Ruthless In Pursuit and the tough journey that has lead to such a beautiful reflection of being able to share pain and experience and turn it into value and love.
If you are someone that is struggling to see the otherside of the dark moments this will help share what can happen when we are forced to see how we can come out the other side.
GVO Episode 3: Talking with Duh Boyz
Ruthless Camp 3: "Roundtable" this is a candid conversation with some of the RIP crew. We talk coaching, programming, Leadership, and how we learned to navigate life as our younger selves and where we have come from in life.
GVO Episode 2: "In the Cloud" w/Will Brandt of Microsoft
Could that be the gift or the curse of the day in age we live in?
Diving in with Will we talk about how technology has truly become a fully automated part of our society and we are only scratching the surface.
Is it laziness? Or is it efficiency?
We dive into to all of this and more within this episode.
Enjoy!
Mindset Freestyle: Winter Sleep & Performance
We have all been there, the long winter months that can suck the life out of everything.
Here are some subtle tips to help you feel more human during these long dark days.
GVO Episode 1: "Hard Truth" w/Carlos Miranda
Wow! We truly are coming at you all with some incredible content!
We are so excited to introduce you all to our newest Co-host member Carlos.
In this episode Carlos shares with you where he is from and his travels quite literally coast to coast as a teen, growing up in the Dominican Republic, going to medical school and then deciding to specialize as a Pediatric Cardiologist.
Carlos shares his journey, his experience and most importantly how he delivers the hard truths to parents with children staring heart conditions right in the face!
Sit back and buckle up this is a killer episode.
Episode 15: "Circumstance"
Yes yes yes we know it has been FAAARRRRRR too long since we were here but it was for good reason.
We are super excited to be back and to be bringing you all great conversation once again!
Today we are sharing about Circumstance.
We have had some recent talks about some friends going through changes or tough circumstance with the life changes.
We are sharing our quick thoughts on how we can control or look at our own circumstance in a different way.
Episode 14: The "F@%K ALL"
I truly don't have a huge narrative to set up for this episode and let's be honest you don't care because much like I was you are just STOKED to have these two guys on an episode together.
So I will at least share this.
Getting these two guys together was great because it is now showing that more and more we need to get more big minds in our industry in the same room and get back to the era of sharing, learning, and co-thinking with and from one another to help continue the evolution of our industry.
We are in a time where coaches want to hide and keep secret what they are doing.
So enjoy the episode and the conversation with these gentlemen.
ON THE ROAD SERIES: "Facing Fear"
We can't escape it. We can't outrun it. So we must accept it and learn to grow from it.
This episode we break down what that meant to all of us and how we have all grown to move past and use that to fuel our ability to accept suffering and move beyond what holds us back.
ON THE ROAD SERIES: "Courage"
These can be one of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle within coaching.
The staff and team here at CF Kingfield have always put that foot forward in finding the connection first and then the technique second, and now it is allowing them to truly put themselves on the map within Minnesota and National stage of Weightlifting, Fitness, Culture, and Coaching.
We hope you enjoy this episode the way we did.
ON THE ROAD SERIES: "Getting Juiced Up!"
We were on the go and we had some poor audio but there is such gold here I couldn't wait to post this.
Sitting down and chatting with Coach Tim Thackery and Coach Ryan Rivera of the Juice Athlete Compound(https://www.juicecompound.com/)
We chat on the current "fuck all" state that our industry of coaching has become between social media, and the easy access to each and everything everywhere, how do we sift through the shit to find the real?
Dive in to this and enjoy some candid moments with these find gentlemen
Ep: 13 | Finding Beauty In Strength Part 2
Finding Surrender
#WUW With my Co-host Hadley
Ep: 12 | Beauty In Strength
#WhatsupWednesday
Who What's Up?!
Ep: 11 | “What’s in the Pack?”