Early Accountability

EAP 87: Young & Retired - Breaking Stigmas & Building Communities

Our guest on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is Tyran Cosby, a veteran, chef, actor, and business owner. Tyran retired from the United States Marine Corps after 20 years of service and then pursued his next dream of learning how to cook by graduating from culinary school. He became a sous chef for David Rose and traveled quite a bit with him while also pursuing his acting career. In early 2019, Tyran partnered up with one of his Marine Corps brothers to start a lifestyle brand called Life Behind the Beard. Life Behind the Beard sells grooming products, apparel, and cigars and they plan to offer more apparel products and perhaps a wine label in the future. In addition to providing high-quality products to their clients, the goal of the company is to give back, especially to young kids and veterans in the community. Tyran experienced his fair share of challenges while serving in the military, particularly struggling with being away from his wife and children for such long periods of time. For several years, he felt like an “Internet dad” who only ever talked to his family over Skype, but he has found great freedom to spend as much time with his family as possible in his retirement. He encourages men of color to step up and not be a stereotype, learning leadership and discipline and not having a chip on your shoulder. Men of color have overcome a lot in the past several hundred years, but you can choose to rise above and have a positive impact. He also encourages those who want to support and understand men of color to give them a chance and don’t generalize or assume how they will act. Tyran’s mantra is “there is no better occupation than helping someone who can’t help themselves.” Topics Covered in this Episode: • Pursuing your dreams even after retirement • Entrepreneurship • Stigmas and misconceptions about men of color • Collaboration rather than competition Connect with Tyran: https://www.lifebehindthebeard.co/ https://www.instagram.com/lifebehindthebeard101/ https://www.facebook.com/lifebehindthebeard101/

EAP 86: Face the Issues, Choose to Heal, & Embrace the Growth

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, our guest is Swiss, a woman who has experienced her fair share of trauma and loss and has chosen to commit to picking herself back up. Swiss grew up in Switzerland and in an effort to run away from childhood trauma and feelings of abandonment, she moved to the U.S. when she was 16. As it turns out, running away from your problems and unhealed wounds doesn’t make them go away, and Swiss felt the impacts of them into adulthood. A few years ago, she was in a relationship with a man with whom she had been friends for several years before they started dating. She was putting everything into that relationship, and even though other people told her that she was losing herself in someone else who didn’t feel as strongly about her, she continued on with the same fervor. Abruptly and unexpectedly, he passed away. Since Swiss had put so much of herself into that relationship, she really struggled to make sense of it all, feeling numb at first, then disoriented, then depressed and lost in the world. She turned back to God and sought His help during this time of grief, but she realized that she needed more help. She had been so ashamed at the thought of needing to go to therapy because she didn’t want people to think that she was crazy, but she found that her friends were actually very supportive of her going to therapy. Her therapist helped her figure out that there were so many unresolved feelings lingering from her childhood and from the unexpected death of another friend many years before, and she began working through those difficult feelings of abandonment. Through therapy, Swiss has learned that it is ok to be in the lowest valley for a time, but you cannot let yourself stay there. She was also encouraged by reading about Biblical characters who struggled with deep agony and the feeling of failure but did not give up or lose sight of their ultimate purpose. She wants everyone to know that you will get stronger, even if it takes time, that there is a plan and a purpose for your life, and that you should not be ashamed of your struggles. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Childhood trauma • Getting the help you need • Not being ashamed of who you are • Don’t give up Connect with Swiss: https://www.facebook.com/findyourself01

EAP 85: Fitness Is Not a Game - How to Play the Hand You Were Dealt

Krystal Taylor is a personal trainer and certified fitness and nutritional coach. She considers herself a “late bloomer” when it comes to fitness and nutrition, deciding to make a lifestyle change after having her second child because she was not content with how she felt. In 2014, she entered a fitness competition which really solidified her life choices and set her up in the eyes of those around her as a subject matter expert. She started providing nutritional plans and workouts to anyone who asked her for her help, and she really started to comprehend that this could become a career for her when her husband convinced her to start charging for these plans and shifting her acquaintances and friends to be her clients. She overcame her insecurities about her insufficiency and became a certified fitness and nutritional specialist so that she would have the research and science to back up her theories about fitness. Krystal encourages everyone to first shift your mindset about what you think “meal planning” and “working out” should look like. Meal planning doesn’t have to be several hours spent in the kitchen to completely prepare all of your meals for the week, but rather it consists of assembling some pre-portioned snacks for quick access, coming up with a weekly menu, and prepping some ingredients ahead of time to make the actual dinner cooking process faster and easier. Working out should really just be considered “moving your body” according to Krystal, who advocates for everyone to be active for 30 minutes every day, either all at once or spaced out throughout the day. Something as simple as walking a few minutes before work, during breaks, and after dinner could make a huge difference in the way you feel in your body. Like many others in the fitness space, Krystal encourages people to set goals that do not revolve primarily around losing a certain amount of weight but rather around inches lost or self-esteem gained. To find out more about Krystal’s programs, including her Fit, Fine, and Fabulous app, visit her website for more information. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Fitness is not a game • Mindset shifts about nutrition • Reframing a “workout” • Fitness is not about the scale

EAP 84: Combat the Need to Compare

Our topic on this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is comparison, and how cutting back on the opportunities for comparison is helpful and beneficial. It has often been said that comparison is the thief of joy, and to take it a step further: comparison can sometimes keep us from starting new or challenging things. There are some environments where comparison is constructive and motivating, but if you find yourself in a situation or mindset that is counterproductive, consider these tactics for cutting back on comparison: 1. Celebrate small wins – If it is significant to you, it is worth celebrating and sharing with others. This can be anything from making it to the gym on time to drinking a certain amount of water every day for a week to not letting a toxic relationship get to you. 2. Don’t become a Bitter Betty – Learn to be happy for other people when they succeed, even if it is hard for you to see them doing something that you have been wanting to do. The ability to be content and be excited for others’ victories takes inner strength, but it builds character that will help you later on. 3. Awareness and protecting your space – Cut down on environments that promote comparison, particularly social media, where people tend to show only their highlights. It is unhealthy to mentally compare your lowest moments to other people’s best moments as shown on this platform. There is so much more to the journey than the milestones and highlights. This is one good way to protect your energy, but you also might find it helpful to clean up your feed by unfollowing people who do not push you to be a better version of your self . Topics Covered in this Episode: • Comparison • Keeping the right perspective • Contentment • Self-awareness

EAP 83: Done is Better Than Perfect

The topic of this episode is likely close to home for a lot of the Early Accountability podcast listeners: perfectionism. High achievers often struggle with perfectionism, having high standards and expectations which should lead to flawless performance. However, since perfection is not actually attainable, high achievers also fail to reach the goals they have set for themselves, which can lead to anxiety or depression. It is important to be realistic and self-aware enough to accept that sometimes “done” is better than “perfect”. Kimi outlines some of these specific times: 1. When it is going to keep you from striving towards and unattainable or unrealistic goal – No one has ever benefitted from setting themselves up to fail. It is better to succeed at an attainable or realistic goal. 2. When it will stop you from procrastinating – Often, high achievers procrastinate starting something until they think they can accomplish it perfectly. Sometimes the best thing to do is just get started and make adjustments along the way. 3. When it will stop you from diminishing yourself – Having unrealistic expectations of yourself will lead to lower self-esteem and feeling like you are “less than” or not good enough. You cannot be effective and successful if you are your own worst enemy. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Perfectionism • High achievers • When “done” is better than “perfect” • Self-awareness

EAP 82: Fight Fear & Start - How a Beginner Became the Best

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, Kimi interviews Kelvin Martinez, a photographer in the Dominican Republic, about how he launched his business. Kelvin has always wanted to be a photographer, but since he assumed it would be too difficult to learn, he tried other things like graphic design and web design first before he finally took the leap into photography. By taking a few online classes and watching tutorial videos, Kelvin built up his confidence enough to ask some of his friends if he could take pictures of them to build up his portfolio. He really launched his photography business in April of 2019, and he had enough of a web presence by June that Kimi came across his work and decided to hire him to take professional photos of her during her time studying abroad in the Dominican Republic this summer. He had put up a simple but elegant website and has been working hard on Facebook to build up his reputation, and he looks forward to the continued learning and other opportunities ahead of him. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Having courage and pursuing your goals • Taking a leap of faith • Feel the fear and do it anyway Connect with Kelvin: https://kelvinmartinez.net/

EAP 81: Why You Need Accoutability

This episode of the Early Accountability Podcast is meant to give listeners a refresher about the purpose of the podcast and the specific ways that our content can help listeners achieve their goals. Our host, Kimi, is a school psychologist and wellness coach, and she uses her experience as well as interviews with her guests to create a conversation around goal-setting and motivation to achieve in a very attainable way. While listening to this podcast, you should feel equipped and empowered to make the best version of yourself a reality in these specific ways: 1. Abandoning excuses and strongholds – These barriers exist most strongly in your mind, and breaking these down is imperative to starting a new habit or stopping an old one. 2. Jumpstarting motivation – Be aware of where you are and where you want to go. 3. Igniting results – Success looks different for everyone, so we will provide you with the tools you need to find your own success and sustain those results. 4. Being encouraged – Guests on the podcast share their stories of success and transcendence but also of overcoming adversity and challenges along the way. Hearing from them should encourage you to continue on by developing emotional resilience. You deserve success if you work hard. 5. Finding purpose – With short-term and long-term goals, there is always a “why?” that is spurring you on to action. Deciphering that purpose and acting on it is so important to reaching the goals you set for yourself. By listening to this podcast, you will hopefully learn some practical steps to take in shifting your mindset and remaining focused on the goal in front of you. This is a lifestyle, and you can achieve what you believe. Topics Covered in this Episode: • What is early accountability? • What is the purpose of this podcast? • Achieving goals • Sustaining results

EAP 80: Turning a Dream Into Destiny

On this episode of the Early Accountability Podcast, our guest is Asha Ma’at, founder of Dreams 2 Destiny, a business and life coach with an emphasis on the spiritual realm. She first felt led to start a life coaching business in 2015, and over the next few years she found greater spiritual clarity after quitting her job and going through a divorce, learning to embrace her doubts and questions as a part of the process. In 2018, she moved to Detroit and chose to become a deliberate creator, finding alignment with something greater than herself and getting in touch with the spiritual world through tarot cards and readings. She soon realized that her best employment option was to lean back on her previous training in home health care. She started her own home health company and also began offering business and life coaching as well as workshops. She encourages everyone to pray and meditate, which really equates to talking and listening to your own spirit or source. When you are in alignment like this, you realize that everything that happens is divinely appointed for that exact time in your life and you are meant to learn from it. Having this confidence translates into all areas of your life and you are able to move forward with that divine strength and purpose. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Spiritual clarity • Meditation • Being aligned with yourself and a higher power

EAP 79: Dealing With Overwhelm

EAP 79: Dealing With Overwhelm by Kimi Walker

EAP 78: Eat That Crow - When Life Makes You a Hypocrite

We all have them. Those “absolute” statements about what we will “never” or “always” do. On this episode of the Early Accountability podcast, Kimi discusses these statements and how they can limit you from future growth if you hold onto them unnecessarily. For instance, Kimi determined shortly after her lifestyle change of 2005 that led to her losing over 100 pounds, that she would never wear shorts in public again. She was conscious of the excess skin and cellulite that were an inevitable byproduct of losing so much weight and drew the line in the sand that she could never be seen in shorts. A few years later, she had gained a bit of weight back due to life circumstances at the time and she bought a pair of “goal shorts” as a motivator to get back on track. This past June, when she was packing for her trip to the Dominican Republic, she found those goal shorts from 10 years ago and packed them. Not only did they fit, but they were a little bit too big, and Kimi ended up wearing those and other shorts many times during that trip. She felt so confident, in fact, that she took some photos of herself in shorts and even had some professional photos taken wearing shorts. The purpose of this anecdote is to demonstrate some of the ways that holding to absolute statements can hold you back in life. As you mature, change, and evolve in life, it is ok to shift some of your absolute statements to reflect who you are now, rather than who you were when you made those decisions. If this is something that you had been very public about doing or not doing and now you are rethinking your position, you might have to show some humility and admit that you were wrong or had the wrong motives. That is ok, and this is one way to prove to yourself and others the ways that you have grown in your mental state. Topics Covered in this Episode: • Mindset shifts • When life makes you a hypocrite • Be careful with absolutes • Not holding yourself back in life Connect with Kimi: https://www.youtube.com/user/KimiFitWell