How To Live Your Best Life: Advice and Lessons Learned from Resilient Entrepreneurs During Exceptional Times
Did the title of this article turn you off or make you throw up in your mouth a little bit? Do you have S.M.S.F (social media self-improvement fatigue)? Does someone else’s “after” photo secretly make you bitter because you’ve given up on the last 3 attempts to remedy the fact that you are stuck in the “before” photo phase and you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired?
That’s ok. You’re not alone.
In fact, you’re in the majority. Feel free to continue your thumb’s daily workout of swiping past ‘another’ opportunity to break the vicious cycle of personal wellness deterioration that you’ve been trying to smash for a long time.
Still here? Wanna read more? Cool.
Let’s continue….
Research for a recent interview I gave resulted in the following collection of some excellent advice and meaningful reality checks from 15 very successful entrepreneurs and a few dear friends that I’m fortunate to have in my circle of influence.
Each person was asked to answer 10 specific questions via a Facebook post about health, fulfillment, stress management, inspiration, hustle, and if they’ve still been able to Celebrate Life© during these exceptional times. (I asked my mom and dad as well because I’ve learned over the years that the older I get, the smarter my parents get.)
Their responses seemed to resonate and motivate a lot of folks (including me) so I felt that a partial compilation of the content would make a solid article for my blog and Linkedin page where I do my best to provide information that can empower individuals to live their best life regardless of the circumstances.
The original (10 Questions) FB post was well received and garnered some very useful research for my interview appearance on Joe Bunn’s Vault webinar. It evolved into this article one month later.
These were the 10 questions:
1) What is something simple that makes you happy?
2) Did you go from fit to fat or fat to fit during these past 6 months?
3) What got you out of bed on the toughest days during these past 6 months?
4) What do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success?
5) If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, whom would you visit today?
6) What do you need to spend less time doing?
7) If you've tried to improve your lifestyle over the years and failed, what seems to be the reoccurring reason/excuse?
8) When was the last time you cried?
9) When was the last time you were as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve?
10) Which quote is your "go to" quote when someone asks you for one of your favorite/inspirational quotes?
I’ll feature a few responses for each question below. If you’d like to read all of the responses and see more from the conversation, click here. My personal thoughts on how to survive and advance during exceptional times can be found by clicking here.
1) What is something simple that makes you happy?
Mitch Taylor: “Hearing my kids laugh.”
Nick Colletto: “Cooking.”
Mark Ferrell, The Marbecca Method
Mark Ferrell: “Going on a hike in the High Sierra.”
Vic Pedalino (Dad): “Volunteering.”
Mike Walter: “Taking my dogs for a walk.”
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “Having my morning bulletproof coffee and doing a crossword puzzle on a Sunday morning.”
Jim Cerone: “Sunshine and blue sky.”
Johnny V: “Memories of my father, conversations with elders, hearing a song that brings back a feel good moment...”
Quain Tull with his daughter, Delaney
Suzy Gujda: “Coffee and snuggles.”
Patrick Roche: “God.”
Quain Tull: “Going for a hike or a jog.”
Miles Gilbert: “Family, pickleball, making people laugh.”
Gabe Savarese: “A great meal with great people.”
Brian Snyder: “I really enjoy sending and receiving mail.”
Tracy Gerney (Mom): “Greeting cards.”
Debbie Russel: “Randomly dancing to music- whether it’s while cooking in the kitchen doing chores or just walking down the hallway.”
The 2019 Celebrate Life Ride with Marcello Pedalino and friends in New York City
Aldo Ryan: “My kids would be the easiest answer. But, I’m going with sitting outside in the sun. Anywhere. No music. No phone, no company, no kids. Nothing...”
2) Did you go from fit to fat or fat to fit during these past 6 months?
Mark Ferrell: “Fit to fitter. I increased my activities by walking 4-5 miles every day with a 50 pound backpack.”
Jason Yoshino (Energy Event Group) with his wife, Jess
Jason Yoshino: “I’ve maintained. I actually started my weight loss and living a healthy lifestyle a decade ago. Got up to 226 pounds and then worked out, ate right, and now maintain at 159 pounds.”
Cindy Ormond: “Initially trimmed down given time to meal plan and long walks. Now that we have sort of, kind of, but not exactly returned to doing weddings in New York with all of the Covid rules, anxiety has gotten the better of me and some old bad habits have returned.”
Rob Ferre: “I started intermittent fasting and that has helped me maintain my weight. I have stayed relatively fit.”
Sean “Big Daddy” McKee: “I’m staying in shape. Intermittent fasting.”
Ron Michaels with his wife, Jill. (If you enjoy banana bread and donating to the American Cancer Society, click here)
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “I maintained with a little early stress-related gain that with focus I was able to remove.”
Debbie Russel: “I've sort of maintained my level of softness throughout. Now that school and DIY renovations at home and at the cottage are finished, I'm buckling down and getting the exercise routine together again.”
Ron Michaels: “My weight is fairly steady year round varying around 5 pounds between winter and summer.”
Melissa Tronziger: “ Fit to fat... Covid 15.”
Gabe Savarese: “Fat to fit. Incredible calorie restriction for 45 days followed by major lifestyle changes. Lost 40lbs.”
3) What got you out of bed on the toughest days during these past 6 months?
Steve Tanruther, partner at RTH Group, with his wife Amanda and son, Theo
Vicki Musni: “My bladder. LOL”
Steve Tanruther: “Knowing that there are other people depending on me.”
Jason Yoshino: “The hustle. Had to find creative ways to keep money coming in for the company and my family.”
Ron Michaels: “A planned outdoor morning adventure or workout.”
Nicole DiMiceli: “I promised every covid patient and non covid patient that I would be back tomorrow to see them. And I could not let them down. And trust me it was hard at times.”
Jamie Bodie: “Standing still is not an option.”
Gabe Savarese: “I sell a drug for super rare diseases and the need to help patients gets me moving on the best and worst days.”
Dan Ohrman: “Hope, determination, just a will to find a way, I had to for myself and family.”
Dad: “Having a project to work on or a dinner visit scheduled with family.”
Dave Ternier (founder of Country of the Week) with his daughters Marika and Kiana and wife Kathryn
Dave Ternier: “Honestly, the days I didn’t want to get up with the alarm were overcome by remembering just how amazing I feel DURING and AFTER a bike ride, regardless of how miserable I felt PRIOR.”
Nick Coletto: “My dog needing to poo.”
Gregg Hollman: “A belief that no matter how dismal the industry outlook, I’m committed to being in the DJ entertainment industry for the long haul.”
Jason Jani: “The thought of me looking back and regretting that I didn’t give the day my all.”
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “I knew that I had to go to the office each day despite the pandemic and make sure my little patients were still getting their vaccines and wellness checks.”
“Dr. Jill” Garripoli Pedalino, author of The Universe Is Listening and owner of Healthy Kids Pediatrics in Nutley NJ, with her team.
Mark Ferrell: “My wife, Rebecca. She continues to be my reason to strive on the toughest days. And workshops- DJs give me so much purpose and have for 25 years. But there were days where I was totally dysfunctional.”
Tracy Gerney (Mom): “Planning Isabella’s weekly piano lesson and music history class.”
4) What do you think is the biggest contributing factor to success?
Jason Jani (SCE Event Group) reminds me all the time to “make it happen.”
Ben Stowe: “Hard work and integrity.”
Mark Ferrell: “Happiness, which comes from purpose, which comes from Love.”
Jason Jani: “The people around me.”
Cindy Ormond: “First, by defining what success looks and feels like to YOU. Making sure your goals are in alignment with your truest self, rather than what society suggests success “should” look like. Then you will be intrinsically motivated.”
Nick Colletto: “Complete preparation both physically and mentally.”
Gregg Hollmann: “Consistency.”
Mike Wieder: “Perseverance and being able to adapt.”
The 2019 Celebrate Life Luncheon with Marcello Pedalino and friends in New Jersey
Eva Treistman Smith: “Setting reasonable and measurable goals.”
Mom: “Perseverance.”
Sam Fleming: “Attitude. Attitude determines altitude.”
Jamie Bodie (JLK Events) with his wife, Liz
Jamie Bodie: “Not quitting.”
Gabe Savarese: “Focus.”
Patrick Roche: “Staying out of my own way. Also, doing not trying.”
Ron Michaels: “Writing goals down and not making excuses.”
Aldo Ryan: “Cutting out BS excuses and just getting s**t done.”
Dad: “Determination.”
Mike Walter: “I think Jerry Rice said it best…”
5) If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, whom would you visit today?
Jason Jani: “My parents... to thank them.”
Anna-Jeannine Kemper: “If I knew I was going to die, tomorrow, I would first take heed of the cause before making the determination to visit any person and consider virtual visits to be safe. My son, fiancé, and mom, are at the top of the list.”
Ben Stowe (NLFX Professional) with his daughter, Grace
Ben Stowe: “I don’t think I would visit anybody. I don’t feel like I have and unresolved things with people, or feel like I would have any regrets if I didn’t squeeze in a last visit. I think I would just spend that last day peacefully enjoying the breaths and reflecting on how blessed I have been to have the relationships I have.”
Rob Ferre: “My parents. I am grateful that I still have them in my life. I visit with them almost every week.”
Gabe Savarese with his sister, Dawn
Mark Ferrell: “Everyone I could. Or no one. Either a big Zoom gathering with everyone I love or, knowing that everyone I love knows it, spend the last 24 hours with Rebecca dancing, eating our favorite foods, watching clouds, birds, animals and trying to take in all the glories of our world.”
Mike Walter: “My mom.”
Gabe Savarese: “No one. I’d call everyone I could.’
Cindy Ormond: “Oof! My husband and daughter.”
6) What do you need to spend less time doing?
Miles Gilbert (who introduced me to the wisdom of Brene Brown when I needed it) and Mike Walter (author of 10 Things You Can Do To Have A Better Day)
Steve Tanruther: “Worrying about things that are either not of immediate concern or things I have no control over.”
Vicki Musni: “Thinking about what to do instead of just doing it.”
Mike Wieder: “Using social media and watching the news.”
Mom: “Cleaning.”
Mark Ferrell: “Being drawn in by politics. Knowing people's harsh, ugly political views is extremely painful to me.”
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “I need to spend less time worrying/stressing about things that haven't even manifested yet and focus more on the NOW.”
Miles Gilbert: “Reading and responding to political posts on facebook.”
The 2019 Celebrate Life Hike in Las Vegas with Marcello Pedalino and friends (and Sam Fleming on the far right, the best dressed hiker I know on a day he chose to do something besides watch TV)
Sam Fleming: “Watching TV.”
Dad: “Criticizing.”
Gabe Savarese: “Worrying.”
Ben Stowe: “Worrying. It’s the things you never see coming that get you anyway.”
Mike Walter: “Thinking about that last question.”
7) If you've tried to improve your lifestyle over the years and failed, what seems to be the reoccurring reason/excuse?
Aldo Ryan with his daughters, Lola and Lexi
Sean “Big Daddy” Mckee: “Not enough time.”
Jamie Bodie: “Me.”
Cindy Ormond: “Discipline”
Mom: “Willpower.”
Rob Ferre: “Falling back into old habits. Complacency.”
Aldo Ryan: “Can't get to bed at a decent time. Can't wake up early. (I get my best work done at night with no distractions. Horrible cycle.)”
Mark Ferrell: “Balance. Finding the right balance between work and play can be challenging. So I've experienced various cycles between improvement and erosion in lifestyle. But no real "failure."
8) When was the last time you cried?
Jim Cerone: “When my mother and father passed.”
If you enjoy a good cry like Quain, check out the Dear Even Hansen or Hamilton soundtrack
Quain Tull: “This isn't an overly rare occurrence for me. When Eliza mentions the orphanage at the end of Hamilton, it still gets me, after having seen it a few times. Oddly enough since Melissa has me on a musical kick, on a road trip we listened to the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack and one song has a kid asking tough questions about his divorcing parents. This FLATTENED me, as I was that kid and will make sure my own never go through it. I'm almost tearing up thinking about it. Thanks a lot Marcello.”
Mike Walter: “Reading question 5.”
Dad: “When I watched this video of a World War 2 Hero.”
9) When was the last time you were as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve?
Brian Snyder (Wash 37135) with his wife, Ashley, and daughters, Maclaine and Reagan
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “Corny answer, but I am really excited each day to wake up and see what is in store. I say I believe I am the creator of my own reality, but when I am consciously and deliberately creating then on those occasions, I KNOW I am. Doesn't happen every day, but when it does it's like Christmas!”
Ron Michaels: “Every day is like Christmas Eve for me. I have little to complain about and do my best to eliminate stress and negativity in my life, so being anything other than happy and positive is a complete waste of valuable time.”
Chris D’Amico: “Recording in Nashville this year.”
Brian Snyder: “Last Tuesday. We got approval for our second location/business.”
Dad: “When I accomplished a goal.”
Rob Snyder (out of frame) giving Beth a great work out and a face-splitting smile
Joe Bunn: “When I launched The DJ’s Vault, February 2019.”
Gregg Hollman: “This past weekend, entertaining for a wedding. Performing at weddings is my happy place.”
Miles Gilbert: “Probably when I was a kid on Christmas Eve.”
Rob Snyder: “Sunday. I teach fitness and acro yoga in the morning and then practice and teach at our afternoon jam. I spend the whole day splitting people’s faces open by pushing them outside of their comfort zones to do something seemingly impossible. Beth is a realtor in St. Pete... first time.”
10) Which quote is your "go to" quote when someone asks you for one of your favorite/inspirational quotes?
Dave Ternier: “The best time to start was last year. The second best time to start is now.”
Mike Walter: “An original. There are two things you can make in life- results or excuses.”
Dan Ohrman: “Say what you mean, mean what you say.”
Chris D’Amico, Kindness for Christopher founder
Terry Moran: “The biggest game of your life is not out there waiting for you to show up. It’s inside of you, waiting to come out.”
Chris D’Amico: "Keep your head up and stay confident." ~Christopher D’Amico Jr.
Dr. Jill Pedalino: “Winners never quit and quitters never win.”
Frank Garripoli (Jill’s Dad): “It’s all crooked.”
Johnny V.: “ ‘When values are clear, decisions are easy.’ For me it means when I list the top 10 in order of what I value (which I do often, as they change accordingly) those values are crystal clear in priority order. Every single choice, discussion, and behavior pattern I ever make in life will come easy, honestly, and true, in good conscience. There’s no confusion, distraction, or after thinking; it’s all laid out in my values, and I will act accordingly.”
Gabe Savarese: “Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.”
The 2020 Celebrate Life Spartan Adventure with Kevin Ramaley, Johnny V, John Derienzo, Isabella, Anthony Westpy, Victor Pedalino, Frank Garripoli, Terry Moran, Juan Sarria, Phil Weinpel, Doug “Toad” Scholten, Mike Walter, and event hosts Dr. Jill and Marcello Pedalino- in Sparta, NJ
Eve Treistman Smith: “ ‘Que sera sera. Whatever will be will be.’ My dad said this to me and I sing this to my daughter. She doesn’t speak yet so I can’t tell her everything’s ok because I don’t know what is making her sad. I do know, whatever will be will be.”
Richard Mills: "I've spent the last 10 years just sucking the marrow out of the bones of life, and really enjoying every experience to the fullest. "I make sure I burn the good candles, I drink the good wine, I take the opportunities as they present themselves. And I take time to celebrate the victories however small or big."
My mom’s other favorite quote was “I don’t choose despair. Live until you die.” That’s just what my friend Richard Mills did. Richard passed after a valiant battle with cancer. #DBAD
Gregg Hollman: “ ‘You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want’. -Zig Ziglar”
Melissa Tronziger with her sons, Tyler and Alex
Melissa Tronziger: “ ‘Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.’ “
Suzy Gujda: “ ‘People won’t remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel’ .”
Jason Yoshino: “ ‘Love your family, work super hard, live your passion.’ -Gary Vaynerchuk”
Dad: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Aldo Ryan: "A sailboat is safest at dock. But that's not what sailboats were made for."
Jim Cerone: “ ‘It ain’t Shakespeare.’ I dreamed that one up to remind myself that everything does NOT have to be perfect. Perfection is unattainable most of the time. Doing your BEST is enough.”
Vicki Musni: “ ‘She believed she could, so she did.’ ”
Rob Snyder: “Win the day!”
Rob Snyder (the guy on top doing what looks like an impossible handstand) … He does this kind of awesome stuff everyday
Ben Stowe: “It’s circumstantial. I love quotes, so I’m armed with a lot of them for different situations. But I’ve had Mark 9:23 in my e-mail signature for over 20 years. ‘Everything is possible for the one who believes.’ ”
Sean “Big Daddy” McKee
Sean “Big Daddy” McKee: “Smile as loud as you can.”
Quain Tull: “As dark as it sounds, I love ‘you know you're gonna die, right?’ Puts a lot of important "things" in perspective.“
Rob Ferre: “ ‘Do. Or Do Not. There is no try - Yoda.’ “
Joe Bunn: “ ‘Without music, life would be a mistake.’ -Nietzsche”
Miles Gilbert: " ‘Obstacles are placed in our way to determine whether we truly wanted something or just thought we did'. -Dr. Harold Smith.”
Mark Ferrell: “ ‘Time is the school in which we learn, Time is the fire in which we burn.’ ~ Delmore Schwartz”
Mom: “ ‘It’s is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.’ ”
Maybe the next time you have the option of either arguing with someone online about politics or spending a few minutes answering these 10 questions, I hope you’ll choose the latter and enjoy a more productive and rewarding day.
Once you learn to appreciate the power of changing your day, you’ll quickly learn that changing your life is a natural evolution.
Cheers to simple pleasures, family time, taking care of yourself, appreciating your parents, enjoying the great outdoors, worrying less about things outside of your control, getting out of your own way, keeping good company, the ability to adapt, the joys of laughter, being inspired by meaningful words, and having something to look forward to!
Onwards and upwards.
Cheers,
Marcello's career continues to evolve from being a 3-time Dj of the Year entertainer and special event producer to being an in-demand keynote speaker, fitness & nutrition coach, and the author of Celebrate Life. His book and keynote presentations empower individuals who are "sick and tired of being sick and tired" to live their best life by prioritizing work-life integration, optimizing energy levels, and reducing stress.
Pedalino enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking and traveling to Costa Rica with his family. He's loves being the class Dad for his daughter, being the CEO of his wife's medical practice, and helping the world Celebrate Life.
Marcello's lifestyle mirrors the message he promotes to his audiences, "If you can't take care of yourself, you can't take care of the people who depend on you."