Business Innovators Radio - Interview with Hal Stinespring the Spiritual Cowboy & Creator of The Path of the Grateful Warrior

Episode Date: May 30, 2025

Hal Stinespring is a seasoned Real Estate Attorney and Investor with a passion for empowering others to reclaim their lives. Diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis, Hal has transformed personal challenges into a mission to inspire and guide those navigating inflammatory diseases. Through a groundbreaking course, Hal helps individuals redefine their identity, blending resilience, purpose, gratitude and practical strategies for living fully despite chronic illness. With a unique perspective shaped by professional expertise and personal triumph, Hal is dedicated to building communities of strength and transformation.The Path of the Grateful Warrior is a course to guide you through this shift in identity and transformation.Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-hal-stinespring-the-spiritual-cowboy-creator-of-the-path-of-the-grateful-warrior

Welcome to influential entrepreneurs, bringing you interviews with elite business leaders and experts, sharing tips and strategies for elevating your business to the next level. Here's your host, Mike Saunders. Hello and welcome to this episode of influential entrepreneurs. This is Mike Saunders, the authority positioning coach. Today we have with us Hal Steinspring, who's a spiritual cowboy and the creator of the path of the grateful warrior. Hal, welcome to the program. Hey, thank you very much, Mike. Pleasure to be here.

Hey, I'm looking forward to talking with you because I know that in personal development worlds that hopefully we all run in and learn from and want to better ourselves. Gratefulness and gratitude is such a huge thing. So how do you take gratefulness and become a warrior? So I'm excited to hear your thoughts on that. But get us started first with what's a little bit about yourself and your story and what is your entrepreneurial journey? So I am a real estate attorney and I grew up in a family of lawyers and I am the fourth of this generation of lawyers under my name.

Now my uncle and my cousin were lawyers as well. So I kind of came into this field knowing or at least being advised, this is what I'm going to be doing, whether it fit my authentic self. And I became a real estate lawyer specific in Illinois and have been doing that for over 25 years. And it's been a interesting journey. So that's what I do now. However, based on what you notice at the beginning, there's things shifting me to truly find my authentic self. Well, let's talk about that. that because I think that it's very rare for someone to come out of any industry and wake up one day and go, I need to find my authentic self. What triggered that need? And then now what was your journey to find your authentic self? Because now you said, okay, now that I found my authentic self, which was triggered by

X, I now need to help other people do the same thing. Yeah, great question. So for years, I've been doing my law, but there was something tugging at my heart that didn't feel as though that was the journey for me. I would kind of go into health field and healing fields. And that meant whether I was being involved with Iron Man triathlons, soccer, playing soccer competitively with my mates and doing a lot of different athletic journey. What truly made the shift for me was a health issue. I was diagnosed with something called cardiac sarcoidosis. It's an inflammatory disease, and specifically it attacked my heart, changed my trajectory

of what I thought my path was going to be. This disease rerouted my direction, because all of a sudden my identity was about health, fitness, and managing stress, which being a lawyer is a lot about. And I realized I have to shift my identity to become something different if I was going to continue on this journey and this path of what we call life. That's where it's at. Yeah. You know, so many times health triggers change. Right.

And so I think that's exactly what you're talking about now. You know, sometimes it's like, okay, I just want to double down and clarify what I'm doing what I'm doing, but you had to find that authenticity. So what was that first step in that journey for you? It was a struggle. I'll tell you so. You've, through years and years, I'm 58 now, you become what others think you are and sometimes what you think you have to be. And so a cardiac arrest over five years ago. It's had to kind of peel back some layers of really who I am and who I need to be to live in a life of authenticity.

And I use that word specifically because that's the highest energy that we can live in. People think it's love. It's actually authenticity. And being on this journey and struggling with this disease has really allowed me some amazing opportunities to become more well-versed in. some of the things that I think are important for people, especially those that are dealing, quite often alone, with these invisible diseases that people don't often see. They see this exterior part of them. They don't see what's going on inside, and it's a battle. Hence the name quite often when I talk about the warrior, that battle is real, and we face it on the inside that people don't

see. And that's my mission is to help people that are struggling through this battle. Yeah, that's a that's a big, big point. And that's, I love the word, the word that you used, which is battle because that now all of a sudden that ties into the word that we mentioned before the warrior, path of the grateful warrior. So how did you create or why did you create that? Let's talk a little bit about what the path of the grateful warrior is. So we know that in life, it's not often. the destination alone. It's a constant journey. It's like a ship going in the night, and you constantly have to change that rudder to make sure we're on course. And this journey, this path that we're on,

there's constant shifting. And we don't go to one journey and say, we're done. We keep going and going through life. That's how life is. It's a constant journey. And the path of the Grateful warrior is understanding that through these ways of living that I've created, through trial and error, and often through being surrounded by some of the best masterminds and mentors around, that living a certain way, specifically in gratitude, will help you go through these battles that you may have to go through. Huge. So, first of all, I think that there's a lot of,

of people that, you know, it's like the old saying, you don't know what you don't know. There's a lot of people in any industry that just don't know that they need to live in authenticity. So how, who are the people you're trying to come alongside and empower? It's people that are fighting this disease. And it could, again, it can be any invisible disease that people don't see the inflammatory disease, specifically men, because we believe a lot of times, and I'll speak only as a man, that quite often we feel like we have to do this alone. We have to bear the weight of the world on our shoulders to take care of our family and act a certain way. You can't share with people around us.

We don't have the brothers. And when I mean brother, I mean like a brotherhood of men that we can be open with and talk with in true being ourselves to these brothers. So that's really the focus is helping those that feel alone, specifically men, helping them as they shift their identity from something they believe they were in the past to now who they have to be to deal with this disease or whatever they may be battling. And it doesn't have to be my specific disease, of course. It could be any battle that we're dealing with that we have to create this new identity of, here's how we get through it as this new man warrior i would even submit to you that potentially

there would be cases and maybe a huge percentage that there are underlying conditions and past traumas that you don't even know are working their evil deeds in your life you know like oh man um when i was younger i had this event happen and i just thought it was just a negative event but man it has just fueled me negatively all throughout my adult life. So I would think that part of your work, too, is uncovering some of that. That is brilliant, because that's exactly the truth, is that quite often these conditions are created by things in our life that could be a trauma, a way we perceive things. It could be the way we're holding on to past issues or issues at the present.

It could be stress-induced issues that we don't know how to handle it. So we store it within our bodies. Our bodies are great at storing things, sometimes specifically the heart. And we hold on to these because we don't know how to purge ourselves and we don't know how to release it. So that is very true. We're dealing with a lot of stuff that may have happened, even as a child, that we held on to. That's huge. So with this work that you are doing, what is your vision that you have kind of like if you could paint your envisioned future?

What's your vision for the path of the Grateful Warrior? Well, I think the first vision that I see is creating a course that leads men specifically down this path to become the Grateful Warrior. So having a course that's developed, I think it is imperative that I have my story out there so they understand that someone that has busted their butt to create a successful law practice and tries to maintain the best of their ability of their health has struggled with very similar issues that they may have struggled. So I think it's important for me to get my story out there for people to understand the impact it's had on my life. And I've been very successful. I've created a very strong, I think, law firm. I've created, I've done a lot of real estate investing that I've done very well. And some of it is these conditions have led me to success. But at some point, I've lost the balance. So I want to show, I want to share my story so they know, hey, this is something that others have gone through. And I think it's even important on top of that is create a community, a community, a community, a

brothers that can communicate with each other openly and transparent and in a place of security and safety that they can be who they need to be. Yeah, that's huge. Yeah, I mean, because so many times I think that also men or people that struggle with this are like, well, I'm the only one and they're not. So as you were coming to the realization of this authenticity and working, doing your own internal deep work. I'm sure it was not this hockey stick trajectory straight to the top. So talk a little bit about some of the failures and breakdowns that you experienced while

you were really honing that authenticity that you were working on. Yeah, that's a great question because quite often, like we started with one of the questions, this is not a destination. This is a constant path you have to be on. It's a, it's, it never stops. and your habits that are so important, that's something that I really focus on, is going to help you during the times that may be tough. 2004, I felt like I was doing better before 24. And in 2024, in January, I joined my friends in Vegas for a soccer tournament, and I don't play like I used to.

I play a few minutes a game. I felt strong and healthy. I was walking off, as we would say, in soccer, the pitch. and when I was walking off the pitch, I felt something hit me from behind. Well, it wasn't someone hitting me from behind. It was my defibrillator that I have in my chest shocking me because I was going through a heart issue. Whether it was a cardiac arrest or not, the defibrillator shocked me to make sure that

I wasn't going to go to and take care of it. That year, I had the pacemaker replaced after that. I had to have a fib ablation. I had a knee replacement. And after my knee replacement, I slipped and fell and tore my quad on the same leg right off. Four surgeries that year, quite often just beating the hell out of me. It just felt like the world was against me. And so you go through those dark times.

But those dark times quite often are necessary to get then to that next. reveal, if you will. It then forces you to reflect. It forces you sometimes to go in that darkness and to be present. And then all of a sudden the shift happened and I'm even further along than I was before. You will have dark times. And that's why these steps, these routines are so important because you will need to get out of it at some point and you will come out of it. But you need the right things in place to get through those times. Yeah. So I know that it sounds cliche, you know, to say, oh, to get through those times, you just take

it a day at a dime and put one foot in front of the other. But talk a little bit about how faith played a role in moving through those breakdowns and challenges you described without having it just having you just throw your hands up and go, okay, I'm done. I quit. Yeah. So it doesn't just leave you all of a sudden miraculously clouds part and all of a sudden you feel, aha, I'm better. It was a battle going through that year.

But for me, when we talk about getting through the darkness, there was the light. And for me, the light was kind of rediscovering my faith. And my faith is in God. And quite often, I was during some of the struggles, I was angry. I was definitely, there was an anger within. That anger within was also not helping me through the darkness. And then through the right people, which is important to have around you, I was reintroduced into God.

And it kind of seemed that there was a message that kept coming through to me, through people, through different things that happened in my life. And all of a sudden, I opened back that door to, my relationship with God and things started shifting even more for me in the positive. It really brought a light into my life. And while going through a lot of the stuff alone, you realize that you're not alone. Yeah. And that was significant. And that's where the relationship versus religion comes in. You don't just check the box and say, I believe in God. There's that relationship. And that becomes part of of that foundation and power to help you move through each one because, you know, I know that

personal development coaches would say, okay, you're in the middle of a heated time right now. This new thing happened yesterday. You don't like it. What can you learn from it, right? What can make you stronger from that? And I think that we all need to be present enough to realize, okay, I've got faith in God. This is all, you know, all things work together for good, check. But what is that good?

What could that good be? What can I learn from that? how can I prevent it next time? How can I, if it's a good thing even, let's even pause and go, ooh, this good thing happened, how can I make it happen again? So how did some of those thought processes lead you to even more success as you were working through them? So the thought processes were, and are you being specific to God?

No, I would say, you know, however that thread. works this way through, but how does any, any of those things that you struggle through, work through lead you to more success from resiliency to consistency to grit, you know, however you were, uh, train your grateful warrior, uh, concept. Yeah. So I think there's a few things. I mean, when I was going through the struggles, those struggles, if I step back, they were leading me to a place.

and you almost had to change your perspective. So I had the fresh defibrillator put in. And it's awful by yourself when you get wheeled back to the hospital four different times that year. But if I changed my perspective, I say, wait a second, I just got a new pacemaker defibrillator that's put in that I can now use my phone for them to monitor it. Pretty darn cool. Yeah. I had an ablation, which would remember. moved almost 100% the aphibs that I was having.

Pretty darn good to have that to happen. So I wouldn't have another cardiac arrest while walking off a soccer field. I had a knee replacement so I could be more fit and more athletic again, at least more healthy. Change that perspective saying, okay, that was good. The quad, not so good, but it provided me the chance to go deep within and say, okay, wait a second. I need to start focusing now on my next change in life because all I was doing was staying in my field of being a lawyer. And I do enjoy being a lawyer specifically with real estate, but that's not my calling. And all of these started guiding me. And some people will say this.

God will either say, go ahead, leap off this cliff to this place you don't know, take that leap of faith. or God will start pushing you slowly. And through these different things. And I feel like I was pushed because I was not leaping. So I think, you know, when you go through all these things and you have to change your perspective, it's not easy. But by having someone that you have in your life that can guide you through it, it helps you look at it differently and say, wait a second, what did you get out of this? What was really the positive side? And that's what's so important is to change that.

those thoughts can be either powerful in a negative sense and create really negative reaction, or you shift it and create these positive perspective on really where you're going in the next part of your life, the next phase. Yeah. Awesome. So how would you do things differently if you had the chance? Back and forth to that question, because that's a great question. My father used to always say, you can't change it, therefore don't waste your

time on it. It's not worth it to put the energy in something you can't change. I think those are always great questions to see, but if you could, there's no harm in playing this game. What would you change? I think the one thing I would have changed in my life is to understand that I didn't have to follow someone else's dreams or ideas. I could have followed my own. I may have been led to a path earlier. Maybe not. I am who I am. that I can now teach and help others heal because of what I went through. So I don't know if I would change it because it's allowed me to be more in tune with the struggles of others that may allow me to heal more people by what I've gone through.

You know, I think that an expert could say, and that's the right answer, or they could also make a case for, and that's the wrong answer, right? because if you could look back and know what you know now, well, I would change this and this and this because if I did know what I know, then I wouldn't have had to gone through the struggle. But that's not how life works. Sometimes you grow and get stronger through the struggle. You know, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And those lessons would never be learned. And I always think of the analogy of the caterpillar and the butterfly when the caterpillar is in the cocoon and ready to come out as the butterfly.

You know, if you're like, oh, look, they're struggling. Let me just help pull that cocoon apart and you pull it apart. The butterfly dies because it needs that struggle so the wings are struggling against the cocoon and having blood flow to get all the way down the wing so it can actually fly and you just hurt it. So I think that that struggle becomes part of that journey that builds the foundation for you. That's what you said. And I agree 100%. Right, right.

I love that metaphor too. That's so perfect. really not a metaphor, I guess, because it's true. It's true, but it's a great example from nature. Right. Example from nature. So in your opinion, looking back at some of those struggles, challenges, lessons learned, what are some of the key attributes that people need to manage so that they can overcome issues unforeseen or known, unknown, in their personal and professional life?

Yeah. So the greatest real estate investment you can make is between your ears. And I believe that that land between your ears is one of the most important things to focus on. Mindset, beliefs. I think attitude is so important, especially with the way the world is these days. filtering out certain things, creating more positive rather than negative is vital. I'm a big believer along with mindset is strong, healthy habits. And it could be, and those habits are feeding the mind, the body, and the spirit.

And yeah, those are, I think, so important. And again, part of the thing that I think we often fail to do is remember to live in gratitude. Yeah. Starting the day in gratitude, ending the day in gratitude. I think it's hard to have a negative outlook on the day when you go through the day living in gratitude. You know, you can't be upset that this or that happened or hasn't happened if you're grateful for the next breath you take, your eyesight, you're hearing, the opportunities you have, the way that, you know, all of those things. So I think that people think, oh, just be grateful is just

a platitude, but it's actually, you know, biochemically proven. Yes. Very true. And it, it changes the way you perceive things by looking for things to be grateful for. When you, when you live in a negative world and you live in a negative headspace, all you see is negativity. But if you start train yourself to say, okay, wait a second, I did get out of bed. It may have been a little difficult this morning, but I got out of bed. I was moving a little rough today. My hips were hurting. My joints were bothering me because of my struggle. But I moved and I got to bed. And the more I moved, the more of my body felt better. And I went outside and the sun was shining in my face. Wow, that was pretty powerful. Those are the things that start shifting your personality.

that can truly change the way you go through your day and through your life. Yeah, 100%. Huge. So let's wrap up with this kind of admonition or thought. You've come through your life, your career, you've made pivots, changes, you've overcome struggles, you've learned lessons and solidified your purpose. What is your why? That's a great question.

And it's not always easy and it's been a struggle for me. me. I'll say it this way. I grew up being the fourth of my name. My first name is Harry. I'm the fourth generation. I looked at everything as if my legacy has to be a fifth. I put it all in, I have to have a child. I don't have kids. So I had that. And at one point, it changed for me. And I said, my legacy is making a difference in others lives. My legacy can live on, and if I want to keep it with ego, which I don't anymore, I remove that. But if I did want to say, well, I want to have something that my name passes on, then make a difference in others' lives, and that will help that. And that's really my why is creating a legacy for people by helping them heal, helping them go through life in a way that's powerful.

and beautiful, loving, and connected to the source or to their God. Yeah, I love it. Well, Hal, it's been a real pleasure chatting with you. I love your story and journey and that you're now giving back and, you know, giving people a hand out or to give them a hand up. You know, you're handing out your knowledge to give them a hand up and a leg up and helping them just really use their struggles as stepping stone. So thank you so much for your insights and your work and keep up that crusade. It's just amazing work that you're doing. Thank you, Mike.

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