Coach Kub Podcast

Our guest for today's Friday Discussion is Mr. Todd Anderson. Todd works for the global luxury fitness company Equinox, serving as a Personal Training Manager at their New York City facility. Prior to his current role, Todd worked for Equinox in similar capacities in both Chicago and Miami. Prior to his fitness coaching career Todd was a fullback for the Michigan State Spartans for 2007-2011 and was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an Undrafted Free Agent going into the 2012 season.

Should we continue to move forward and be surrounded by those who have similar pasts as us, or break off and seek out others who have a future that we are longing to find?

Aaron Babicz is a graduate of Hillsdale College where he was a 4x letter-winner and three year starter for the football team, while also majoring in Marketing. The happily married father of two (Brooks and Beaux) has been the Athletic Director at his alma mater Detroit Catholic Central High School since the fall of 2009.

I challenge us this week to identify the parts of our lives that are already maximized as well those that need work in getting up to speed. When searching for these answers, maybe an area that we are maximizing can afford to be shown a little less attention in exchange for placing that care and effort somewhere else.

"The first and hardest step is just doing it. Get up, find a way, and go do it without concerning yourself over the opinions of others" Today's guest for our Friday Discussion is AJ Troup, current actor living in Los Angeles, California. AJ was born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota before heading east and attending Michigan State University. AJ was a Wide Receiver for the Spartans, who joined the team as a Walk-On and eventually earned a scholarship, capping off his senior year with a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff appearance. He graduated from MSU majoring in Advertising, with a minor in Theatre. After college AJ moved out to Denver, Colorado to pursue his dream of acting, where he spent 8 months before making the transition to Los Angeles to further that dream and is engrossing himself in an environment that will allow him to grow his brand as well as life experiences.

“When you get yourself into nature – in all its majesty, volume, and power – you are put into a position of insignificance very quickly. As you’re now at the bottom of the pecking order, you’re able to properly assess what you are doing. There’s a certain level of humility that nature demands of you, especially when you’re fully participating in it.”

Nick is a native of Novi, Michigan and attended Oakland University on a soccer scholarship, where he played for the Golden Grizzlies from 2010-2013 and won the 2013 Senior CLASS Award for Men’s Soccer as the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA Division 1 Men’s Soccer. Upon graduation he continued his playing career and played two years of professional soccer in both the United States and Australia. After completing his second season Nick decided to embark on a new journey and start his company Fleece & Thank You with the goal of providing much needed comfort, support, and connection by giving handmade fleece blankets to children facing treatments in hospitals all across the Midwest. In addition to this endeavor, Nick has also started and runs three other companies:  Empathy 313, which makes technology solutions for social impact organizations, Crate of Good, a social impact subscription box, and Flockets.com, an apparel site that funds micro-loans for families with a child battl

Through self-awareness and emotional intelligence, we can begin to identify when there are aspects of ourselves that need to be addressed or fixed.  It is when this realization takes place that we have to choose whether to use a Band-Aid to cover up the shortcoming or perform the necessary surgery to truly fix the problem.

Chris Friend has worked with Ohio State since January of 2018 as a Strength and Conditioning Intern, then transitioned to the Strength and Conditioning Associate in October of 2018. In this current position, Friend is responsible for designing and implementing all assets of S&C for Women’s Ice Hockey and Novice Rowing as well as assisting with the implementation S&C for Men’s Ice Hockey. Friend graduated from Eureka College where he majored in Kinesiology and Exercise Science and was a three-time all-conference linebacker. He is currently enrolled in the Master’s of Sport Coaching Program at Ohio State. Previously, Friend worked at Mississippi State University as a football strength and conditioning intern, working under former Buckeye strength intern and current University of Florida Head Football Strength Coach, Nick Savage. Friend is from Washington, Ill., where he attended Washington Community High School.

“Leadership is the ability to uncover the best from your team by removing the obstacles that prevent them from accomplishing that task.” This definition of leadership was provided on our podcast a couple of months by Mr. Adam Powers, and perhaps it may seem as if it is just another meaning of leadership that likes to get thrown around often. However, if we are to take a few extra minutes and look deeper into the context of that definition, there is something profound that is frequently overlooked when it comes to leading, and that is adding value to the lives of those around us sometimes means taking away things that inhibit real growth to be found.

Blair White was born and completed his primary education in Saginaw, Michigan. After high school he had the opportunity to walk-on as a wide receiver to the Michigan State football team. He is particularly fond that his teammates and coaches voted him the Biggie Munn Most Inspirational Player Award after earning a scholarship in 2009. He captained the MSU football team his senior season and received the President’s Award for the Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor as the graduating male athlete with the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastics. He later went on to play a couple seasons with the Indianapolis Colts under the tutelage of Peyton Manning.  Once his playing career ended, Blair enrolled in graduate school at the University of Detroit Mercy where he earned his Doctorate in Dental Surgery and currently has his own practice in Saginaw, Michigan. Dr. White believes he has a duty to contribute meaningfully to society and create value for people in his community and the world, and he strives t

As the world around us continues to evolve, there are also certain aspects that remain the same. The advancements that we are making in many arenas of life are truly fascinating, and can potentially make our lives easier and more enjoyable. Yet, with all of the progressions that we are witnessing daily, one of the most foundational elements of our existence remains: the world is not getting weaker, so we must get stronger.

Juwan is a native of Miami, Florida. He started his collegiate football career at Michigan State University before moving back to Florida and finishing his eligibility at Florida International University. Upon graduation, Mr. Caesar launched his company Freeze Frame Media back in his hometown of Miami where he is currently residing. His company films, creates, and produces a multitude of content for a wide variety of clientele. Juwan will be sharing his perspective on how his company and lifestyle contribute to being a leader in his community and how that approach positively benefits the lives of many. Let’s get it!

As a leader, it is my belief that the first order of business in this type of role, or any role for that matter, is getting to know your people. One way in which we can make this happen is by being purposeful in our interactions with those we are leading, whether it be formally in a sit-down meeting or informally as we pass each other in the hallway. One of the fastest ways to develop relationships with others is by showing we care for them by listening to what they have to say, understanding them as people, and helping them achieve their fullest potential.

Greg is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio attending the well renowned Moeller High School. He played college football at Michigan State University and starred at Linebacker for the Spartans, earning All-American honors twice, won the 2010 Big Ten Championship, and graduated with a degree in Media Arts and Technology. The New York Giants selected him in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and was a member of the Giants' Super Bowl Championship team following the 2011 season. In addition to his time in the NFL, Greg also spent significant time playing in the Canadian Football League for the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Greg is currently involved in a number of different enterprises that include Vice President of Vane Protective Gear, Inspirational Speaker, Rodan + Fields Consultant, Sports Performance Trainer, and partner of the innovative football jacket 4ce Field.

Whether it be in our own lives, our children’s, or other’s, one common downfall in our attempts is trying to pave the road ahead for ourselves, rather than paving OURSELVES for the unknown route of that road.

Caleb White is an upcoming senior at Detroit Catholic Central High School.  He served as the President of his National Junior Honor Society. Caleb was the recipient of the State and National Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. He has also received the President's Volunteer Service Award, the Governor's Youth Leader of the Year Award, The Sparky Anderson Youth in Philanthropy Award, the Nickelodeon Halo Award and the Kohl's Cares Scholarship. He serves on the Youth Council for the Detroit Rescue Mission and the Youth Advisory Board for Purposeful Networks. Currently, his biggest endeavor is the Caleb White Project, which is a Detroit-based non-profit with a two-fold mission: to help the homeless and less fortunate and to build youth leaders through volunteerism. Run by a youth advisory board consisting of 9 board members under the age of 18, all CWP events and service projects are carefully designed with jobs for kids of all ages. The goal of the Caleb White Project is to remove judgement and stereotypes an

It is hard to ask others to like us if we first struggle to look in the mirror and know who we are ourselves. I challenge us this week to look into that mirror and ask the person looking back at us “what can I do today to better understand myself?”

We are pleased to have Brendan Bishop join us this week for our Friday Discussion. Brendan works within the Ohio State Football program, where he serves in both operations and recruiting. Prior to his time at Ohio State, he spent 3 years at TCU in Fort Worth, TX. In 2017, Brendan worked in football operations assisting the Director of Football Operations. From 2015-2016, he worked in the equipment realm as a graduate assistant servicing the football program. Prior to his stop in Fort Worth, Brendan began his career in college athletics, working as a student manager for the Ohio State Football team from 2011-2015.  Brendan is originally from Hamler, Ohio in Northwest Ohio and enjoys spending his free time at the lake and back home on the farm.

Am I thinking, speaking, and acting in a way that INSPIRES those around me, or am I existing in a way that deters others from wanting to be their very best???.....