Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset - Creating Healthy Habits w/ Stephen Campolo

Episode Date: July 25, 2022

Shawn French is starting off Season 3 with a BANG! Stephen Campolo wasn’t always the physical specimen he is now. He grew up in NY and was a self-proclaimed “fat kid.” One day he decided he was going to change the way he looked because a certain girl he liked was surely going to like a boy with muscles. He began his fitness journey running a quarter mile and a time and slowly started to increase the work load. He began to notice muscle definition while in the weight room and even started seeing vascularity in his arms. Stephen fell in love with the process and after a period of time…An absolute stud was born. Stephen lost over 100 pounds naturally and on his own. He did not cheat the process once. The change in his life was so impactful and he experienced so much joy from his transformation, he decided to help others do the same. Today Stephen is an online fitness coach that has helped 1000’s of clients lose 20-60 pounds in less than 90 days. You could be next! You can connect with Stephen on his social platforms: Instagram: @stephencampolo TikTok: @stephencampolo Facebook: https:www.facebook.com/stephen.campolo1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shawn-french/message Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Love it. When people reach out to me for coaching as an example, you know, they want to do everything immediately. They want to do cardio. They want to do weight training. They want to cut their calories. You know, here they are doing nothing. And now they want to do everything, right?

And it's like, I know that if they go down that path, they're not going to be able to assist it and they're going to they're going to fall short. They're going to burn out in a week or two weeks and they're going to be right back where they start versus if they just get into the gym, maybe 30 minutes, three days a week, four days a week, start little, you know, little by little, start eating healthier. Nothing crazy to start cutting out certain foods, you know, maybe cut out the beers at night. Now we're building healthier habits to where they're going to get to the goal, you know, in a much quicker way instead of just trying to do it fast, but then keep continuously

fail it. What is up, guys? How's it going? Sean French with the Determined Society podcast coming at you. Season three, welcome back, guys. I'm kicking it off with my boy, Stephen Campolo. He is a fitness pro. He is an absolute juggernaut in the fitness space. He helps men lose 20 to 60 pounds in 30 to 60 days. This guy, I might be wrong in the days, but like, hey, he makes people look like the freaking Avengers. don't know what to tell you. All you got to do is go to his Instagram and you will see all the amazing photos of before and after the progress picks and everything like that. But the one thing that I really love about Stephen is, you know, we became really good friends because of his ability to be super humble and kind. And we met online. It was really funny. Not like on Grindr or

anything like that. Don't get any ideas. But we met on Instagram. I commented on his success and getting his book. It was at the 55 laws of abs. 77. That's my problem. I only know 50 five of them. That's why I don't have a six pack. So I I messaged him or I I wrote on his post. Congratulations. And he hit me back. And he was just a, hey, man, you know, it looks like we live in the same area. Let's connect. And we met up for coffee. And we've had a very strong friendship ever since. And it's like the first time I met this guy, I felt like I known him for, you know, 15, 20 years. So Stephen, man, welcome to. the show, bud. Thank you so much, man. It is an honor and a privilege. I never thought I'd see

the day, but here we are. Hey, man, you know what? I was waiting for you to grow your hair out a little longer and look extra handsome for the camera. We're getting there, man. The new Thor movie comes out in July. Are you casting for it? I don't know, man. I've gotten some request, you know, if something happens to Chris Hemsworth, I want to be ready to go, you know. That could happen. I don't want to say we can make it happen because I think that would be bad and bad taste but you know what? Hey, you never know, right? I never called myself Thor.

People would just call me that as a nickname. I'm like, you know what? It's not a bad nickname. I'll go with it. I can be called a lot worse than that. So I coached a kid when he was in high school. He calls himself Thor too. Bryce Johnson.

What's up, Bryce? Good guy. He's like Viking strong, big into power lifting. You might want to check him out. But yeah, he calls himself Thornt too. He's got the long, straggly blonde hair. And it doesn't make any sense. His hair.

Yours does. It looks like it's well manicured. What do you have in that right now? Is that like some pomade or is that just, do you just get out of the shower? Did you shower for me? No, dude, I was a little smelly how to hop in there. Oh, boy. Just some good old watering coconut oil.

Coconut oil. That's your secret. That's why you always smell so good. Yeah, man. That's good. That's quite a bit of, uh, lady products because all these ladies that help me with my hair they're all help me what to buy and I spend freaking thousands of dollars on you know on uh shampoos and

conditioners I don't think really work but hey hey man that's pretty cool like do you when you use all that coconut do you have to count that in your macros nope nope that's um that's calorie free okay cool awesome man well listen dude on my on my show I'm I'm very happy to have you obviously I've been wanting to do this for a while it's it's really kind of cool that our schedule is kind of finally aligned. Before we get into the meat and potatoes of the actual show, I want to ask you some fun questions first. And I think you already know the answer.

What is your favorite superhero? Oh, gosh. I mean, freaking Thor. Why not go with Thor? Just because people say you look like them or you like, I mean, you are all in on Thor just in general. I just like the vibe, man. There's something you walk around with a big hammer, you know,

like he's from this alternate that's the male dream walk around with a big hammer yeah dude like let the hammer just you know go and uh he's just a badass guy I don't know he just he's pretty cool I wonder if anybody's gonna catch the joke

that we just ever so they split in they know they caught it I think so it was very nonchalant by you I was wondering if you actually got it I got it okay he was good it was good you would be a good actor you do need to cast for that movie

Chris Simsworth buddy you're in trouble. Maybe one day, man. One day. Hey, you know what? How many Spider-Man's have there been? How many James Bond's have there been? Many, many.

A lot. Hundreds. A lot. A lot, man. A lot. So, um, another good question. Or tell the audience names of your dogs and what you like about each one of them.

Because I know you're a big dog person. Oh my gosh. I love dogs more than people. I don't have two little French, two little French, two little French bull dogs. Two little French. So I'm talking. That's what's up. And I have two little Frenchies. Luigi and Daisy, brother and sister.

So, you know, they're both, they're not puppies anymore, but they're about a year or a year and a half old. So honestly, man, in my free time, I'm usually just chilling with them, going for walks, taking them after pup cups at Starbucks and, you know, doing the whole pretend daddy thing. That's cool. It's not pretend. It's their family members. You and your girlfriend. You know, you guys have. I don't want to say her name on air, obviously,

but I know it for the record, obviously. But I just, I think it's, Christina, Christina, is it Christina? Sorry, Christina. He outed you. She's a make-believe person. But he does have the two dogs. You know, it's funny that you mentioned your dog's got. I don't remember which one.

Which is the one that you had to, like, put on a diet? Oh, Daisy. Daisy. Daisy. Yeah, she, um, dude, And she got, yeah, she just puts on weight quick. I don't know. I mean, she looks like a little marshmallow like on tooth thick, you know.

Oh, poor thing. Did she ever have a goal weight? What's that? She got there and then she regained. She regained it again. She struggles with her weight, which is a shame because I'm a fitness guy. And I shouldn't allow it to have, but it's half. So I'm wondering, like, why your skills don't translate to canines?

Because I'm a push over. and she gives me those puppy eyes and she wants a treat. Gotcha. If I give Luigi a treat, I have to give her a treat. But I give her smaller, like smaller portions. Gotcha. So if I give like Luigi like a full size treat, I'll break off a piece of a guitar.

Well, it's kind of like when I give my kids a dessert, like Bobby will get a bigger piece, right? Alina'll get a little bit of smaller piece and then Mia's looking at me like, what the fuck is this? Exactly. I was like, well, you're three. So, you know, deal with it. You know, at least you're getting something. Dude, so like, I want to.

I want to touch on your personal journey first, right? because you yourself naturally lost 100 pounds. And I would love to know how you got here from there. Like growing the love for fitness through your own journey and what inspired you to take it a step further and bring it to the masses. Wow. Well, I mean, we got to go way back, right? Let's do it. Like 20 years back.

So I'm in my mid-30s now. So we're talking about when I was like 14, 15. I was fast for most of my childhood. You know, when you're a kid, you don't really think about it, right? Like, you're not thinking about girls. You just want to have fun. You play video games, hang out with your friends. You know, you're not thinking about dating or sex or anything like that.

I don't know, man. I was thinking about sex at 13. I bet. Sorry. That's just, I'm a baseball player. I was like, loop. I was a late bloomer man. I really was.

I mean, I didn't like, you know, I didn't really come into my own until I was like 15, 16 years old. You know, I was a very naive child. Okay. Because it's how I was brought up, you know, grew up in church. My parents were both, you know, like, I don't know. It's just very, very, very, not vulnerable, but very, very innocent, if that makes sense, right?

So 14, 15, going into high school. And, you know, I was bullied in middle school. But again, it's like, you know, I can kind of handle myself. Even though I got the lead, I was also, like, went to, like, fight back and be like, hey, like, if you call me fat, I'm going to punch you in the face, right? So I was a fat kid with an attitude, right? So, love it.

Of course, it did bother me. Like, it definitely made me insecure, made me, you know, like, it got in my head, right? So going to high school, I'm about 15 years old. And, you know, hormones start changing and things start happening. And, you know, there was a girl I liked. And I'm like, crap. I'm a fat guy. I got to do something about this.

like this girl's not going to want to be with me. She wants to be with the other dude over there. So this was new years of, I believe, 2003 or 2004. I don't remember exactly. But I just decided. I'm like, all right, well, this is going to be the year. I'm going to change. And I decided to change.

So I started running. And this was up in New York. So I grew up in New York where in the wintertime, it's, you know, freaking freezing. Yeah, it's not warm. Yeah. So January, January 1st, I was outside. I don't know what to do. This is like pre social media, pre YouTube.

There was no, you know, I don't even think there was Google back then, or if there was, I was unaware of it. So just started running, you know. I always watched the Rocky movies. I'm like, all right, well, when Rocky gets ready for a fight, what does you do? He goes for a run. So I'm like, all right. He puts them down.

Right. Yeah, so I'm going to go run. So every single night I would bundle up and I would run to the end of my block and back. And, you know, it was probably a quarter of a mile. if that, it wasn't that far, but at that time, for me, it felt like it was 10 miles, right? I mean, I'd get halfway up the block. I'd be huffing and puffing. Then I'd come back. And, you know, every night, I would try to go a little bit further, a little bit further, you know, and then the runs would get longer and longer. But I lost a good amount of weight pretty quickly.

But then, you know, I had another issue. I had a bunch of loose skin because I didn't build up any muscle under the fat, right? So that's what kind of led me to start weight training. So I started working out at home. Then I joined the gym. And I just became obsessed. Like I have one of those personalities where I'm either all land on something or I'm all out. There's really no in between with me, which I guess could be a blessing and a curse. I have a very addictive personality.

Thank God. I've never been addicted to drugs or alcohol or anything like that. Yeah, don't try it. Yeah. But when it comes to things like sports, you know, if I find something I really like, I want to do it. all the time, right? And working out for me was one of those things where I started to see my body change. Every time I went to the gym, I would notice something a little different, maybe like a little vein or a little, you know, some muscle definition. And that's really all you need to keep

being fired up and wanting to want to keep it going. So, I mean, that was 20 years ago, man. And here we are 20 years later. And I'm still as much in love with the process. And, you know, it's become such a big, a big part of my life, right? Now, I want to jump in on something real quick if you don't mind. You said something very specific there that kind of tied in with the very beginning of your journey, the word process, right? You learn to be obsessed with the process. You love the process.

So that's something that I think that I really want you to touch on or I know I want you to touch on because listeners, including myself, can get so married to the actual result, right we need to detach from the result and fall in love of the process so when you're i loved how you said hey maybe it was just a quarter of a mile but it was hard for me but part of your process was going a little bit further and you falling in love with that process and here you are 20 years later and you are so obsessed with the process and i can speak on this because i know you very well you are not a results guy I mean, the results are going to come, but you are so dialed in on the process. It's actually impressive.

And I, you know, in some ways, I can do that. In the gym, I don't have that ability, right? But in other things, like in sales, I can really get behind the process because I understand it more. So, dude, I know it was long-winded, but I really want you to dial in on that right now. Yeah. I mean, for me, like, once you start falling in love with something, and you see the fruits of your labor, of your labor being rewarded, like, you want to keep it going, right?

You want to work hard, or you want to push more. Say, oh, man, like, if I got this far this quick, you know, let's keep pushing more and see how much more progress I can make, right? And a lot of times, too, I think what begins to happen is, like, your workout is working out on you more than you're working out on it. So what that means is like a lot of people, they go to work out to change their body and, you know, getting better shape of his weight.

But that workout, like going through that process of the pain and the discomfort and the sweating and pushing and getting uncomfortable, like that's really changing a lot about you, your discipline, like, you know, your business. Like you can literally apply that same exact process to all areas of your life. That's why for me it's so important even until today. like the first thing I do I wake up I have coffee I you know maybe check messages check in with clients and then boom I'm out the door to the gym that's how I have to start my day because it

literally sets the tone for my entire day right so it's a lot more than just oh I want to work out to look good of course that's a great bioproduct of working out being healthy yeah you look good you know you look good naked however like all the other benefits that come along with you know putting yourself in the right the right mental state the right emotional state having more confidence, right? I mean, if I can go kick my own ass in the gym for an hour in the morning, like, no one's going to be able to kick my ass, you know, in business or, you know, throughout the day or, you know, there's always going to be something that's going to come up for in the day, right? And as long as I get my workout in in the morning, like, it sets the tone for everything,

you know, so like, I'm just thinking on getting those wins every day, right? And like, if I can have the crappiest day in the world, if I got my workout out in the morning, at least I account for something that day, right? So I'm just all about stacking wins and starting your day working out. Like that's a great way to just stack an easy win for the day. And then it puts you in the right place, you know, moving forward. I love it, man, because, you know, a lot of times where I talk to my clients, you know, when I'm going through everything with them, it's like, listen, you, you are making commitments.

You set a schedule the night before you go to bed. And you typically set an alarm. Some people set them. Some people don't, right? Some people allow their bodies to naturally wake up and God bless those people because for me, I need to be shot out of a can. I need to go. Right. So I set it for 4 a.m. It's part of my process, right?

Like if I don't get up, I am operating out of my process, right? So what's going to happen is I don't get up and I get my workout in at, you know, nine o'clock in the morning. But now my whole day's thrown off, right? So my process is all screwed up for that day. Like I'm leaving myself open for a lot of shit to have. happen. Whereas if I'm operating in my process, in my standard, I am building not only a mental fortitude, mental toughness, but I'm, I'm building grit. I'm building confidence, right? And it, and it spills over into everything in my life. When, when we know what we're supposed to put in our

bodies and we know how we're supposed to train, you do those things. It's funny how much more well-spoken you are, too. Your speech patterns change. Everything about you changes. Because because you're so confident. You're not even thinking about what you're going to say because you're leading with this, your heart. It just happens. So I commend you for that, man, because, you know, there's not a lot of people that truly understand that side of it, right?

You're able to understand and connect the fact that, okay, my gym time in the morning is not just tied to my physique. It is tied to how I'm going to operate for my clients, for my business. How am I going to show up for myself, my girlfriend that's not named Christina or is named Christina, all those things matter. Right? And I think that's what's exciting about what you said. Sorry about that.

I had to cut you off because you started describing a process without saying process. And then you said the word. And I just had to stop you. No, I mean, listen, like even I have like, you know, I have some, you know, clients that are CEOs of, you know, Fortune 500 companies, right? And they've told me like directly like, hey, go. going through this process and losing weight, getting in better shape, like, it's increased the bottom line of my company, you know, because now they're up early. And now, I mean, listen,

these are ultra-disciplined guys already. Sure. And in a different space, right? Like, in the finance world. But now it's like, now they're healthier. Now they have more energy. Now they're feeling better. Now they're putting their health and fitness first, right? So, like, for me, it's all connected. Like, I just had this conversation with someone today. It's like, you know, you can call it your emotional, your spiritual, your physical, but it's like whenever one of those is out of sync,

you know, even if you have all the money in the world, if you're fat and unhealthy, like you're not really going to be firing on all cylinders, right? And me personally, like, I want to be optimal in all areas of my life. I want to be fit.

I want to be healthy. I want to, you know, do well financially, do well emotionally, be healthy in my relationships. Like, it's all connected.

So that's why I think when people say, like, well, I'm fat and happy. It's like, dude, they're lying to themselves. Yeah. And it breaks my heart to hear that because if they're fat and happy, like, imagine all being fit and don't have any hard issues, like, they're going to be a lot happier, right? Yeah.

For me, for me, it's a lot, a lot of the, like you said, the mental health, right? I noticed, like, I got back on track two days ago with, like, macros and just destroying myself in the gym. And I've noticed that my interactions with my children, I'm more patient, right? I'm more open, right? I'm a better listener. It's funny how my wife and I haven't gotten a little, even a little bit of a disagreement in the last two days. Because it helps my mental health, right?

And it helps my relationships. It's just super important, man. And I think that, you know, when you're talking to these people and these people say, well, I'm fat and happy. It's just like, well, why are we even talking? Obviously, something intrigues you, right? Maybe it's not about how you look. Maybe it's, you know, saving your life that you don't know is in trouble yet. Yeah.

Right. Because I got to tell you, man, like when I go off the rails and I'm not healthy, I can feel it. Yeah. I'm not where I want to be right now. I'm not where I need to be right now. But you know what I will be, right? It's like, I decided. It's like, okay, this is enough's enough.

Like this has got to come first, right? And I think what's great is, you know, having somebody like you that's taught me so much, I mean, really, you probably don't even know that, but you have, right? And it's having good people in your corner that you can really open up to about these things. Because you and I have talked about, you know, about insecurities. And, you know, we both have them, right? And they're in, and, you know, honestly, they're the same. We're all more alike than we know.

So anyway, just kind of a far, you know, out in the weeds tangent about what we're specifically talking about. But, dude, I agree with you. You can't. You know what it is? And you and me actually had this conversation a few months back. Like it was around the holidays, around the time you and me had met actually. And I think you got sick, I got sick. And both of us were just like, you know, we weren't working out at that time.

You know, we were both just kind of like you were with the family. I was home. I couldn't go to the gym because I had that that virus that's out there. I don't want to say it. So, you know, I was home and just eating junk and just feeling like garbage. And I think you, we both kind of had where we're going through the same thing. And it's like, you know, whenever you're kind of out of alignment with who you know, like you really are deep down, I don't know about you, but I'm miserable. Like I get depressed. I get anxious. I get mad. I get moody. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, because like there are, there are two different versions of ourselves, right?

You have the higher self and you have, you know, the lower self call it like the good voice and the bad voice, right? And those two are always at battle with each other. And it's always, you know, choosing comfort versus, you know, or doing the thing that's uncomfortable. But you know it's going to get you closer to the goal. And you know that at the end of the day, once you accomplish it, you can go to bed that night and say, you know what? Like, I'm happy. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning. get after it again.

No. Unfortunately, man, comfort is a drug too, you know? So it's like the more times you combat that and the more times you fight it and win,

it's going to get stronger. It's like a muscle, you know, but unfortunately, it's, it's not easy, man, you know.

It never is, dude. There's, there's adversity. There's lessons along the line and, which kind of leads me to, you know, ask you,

what are the, what are some, maybe, maybe two, two max, two lessons that you learned in your journey, right, in getting, you know, losing all that weight and then getting, you know, a lot of lean muscle tissue put on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, on your, where do some of the two

biggest lessons you learned that has helped you counsel and help your clients. So one thing that always stuck with me is this, right? Because people want results quick. They want to, you know, they want to lose weight quick. They want to build muscle quick. You want to kind of take the path of leash resistance. But unfortunately, when it comes to changing the human. body, there is no short path. Right. So one thing that always stuck with me is, you know, long-term consistency will always trump short-term intensity, right?

Love it. Like when people reach out to me for coaching as an example, you know, they want to, they want to do everything immediately. They want to do cardio. They want to do weight training. They want to cut their calories. You know, here they are doing nothing. And now they want to do everything, right?

And it's like, I know that if they go down that path, they're not going to be able to sustain it and they're going to fall short. They're going to burn out in a week or two weeks and they're going to be right back where they start. Versus if they just get into the gym, maybe 30 minutes, three days a week, four days a week, start little by little, start eating healthier. Nothing crazy to start cutting out certain foods, you know, maybe cut out the beers at night. Now we're building healthier habits to where they're going to get to the goal, you know,

in a much quicker way instead of just trying to do. it fast, but then keep continuously failing, right? So like consistency when it comes to getting in shape and losing weight, like is really the most important thing. A lot of people want results quick and that's why they yo-yo diet or they continue to find the next red shiny object, right? Is it keto? Is it fasting?

Is it this fat burner or this workout? And, you know, again, everything promises quick results and that's what people want. But there is no magic pill. like you have to just stay consistent because the human body is very complex like it doesn't change overnight you didn't get fat overnight right like as a as a fitness coach sometimes I have to have that conversation with people and just you know kind of be realistic with them right like you can't you can't transform your body in a week or a month or even three months like if you want to make a change do it and look at it as a

life, you know, as a lifelong thing, right? So, yeah, consistency is, is, is, is, is, is, is, is the one thing you have to just go into it with, with, with that mindset. Like, I'm going to be consistent. I don't care how long it takes. I'm going to be consistent. I'm going to take this one day at a time, right? Get my workout in one day at a time. Eat healthy one day at a time and just take things one day at a time. Instead of looking forward and say, oh, you know, two months from now, I want to be at this way or three months from now or, you know, I want to be here. It's like, don't do that just focus on one day at a time and I promise you you'll wake up three months from now and yeah like you might be where you want to be right so but don't get don't get discouraged right

if you're not exactly where you want to be in three months right you might have this this idea or this comparison or you see this dude on instagram or a fitness model like I want to look like that guy in three months and the reality is you know for somebody like me that you know I didn't just not do what I was supposed to for three months. There was a time period in my life for like three or four years where I didn't do shit. Like how could somebody like myself, right, expect at that point where I was at that I could fix all this shit in three in 90 days. Like that's, well, that's whack, man.

Because like you've always taught me. You know, I was thinking about doing that the certain program again. You're like, dude, Sean, like, think about it. You were going to look great in that period of time. And then that pendulum is going to swing. hard the other way. And I'm like, I thought about it. I'm like, no, no, no, no, I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. And I did it for a couple days. I'm like, dude, he's right. This is not, this is not going to be sustainable for me long term. And what it does is honestly,

it really feeds into a perfection complex that I have. And I can't, I can't do that, right? I can't do that. I know I need to hit my four macros, or at least on the two, the two most important ones, which is the calories and the protein, right? And the calories is going to determine my weight, and the protein is going to determine how I look when I get to that weight, right? So, but, you know, here's the thing. It's like that instant gratification, right? And I think that also comes from a lot of pain. Like, you know, especially in this industry, right? And and then we're dealing with people's, you know, people's bodies and things like that. Like, people want to get there from A to Z quick as fuck because they're tired of hurting. They're an emotional

pain. Like I know there was a point in my life when I was like 265 pounds. I was an emotional pain. Like I didn't even dude it it broke my heart even to get in the fucking shower. Because it just it was embarrassing, right? Here I am sitting at 203. I'm still not where I want to be. But like, yo, is it better than 265? Yeah. Right. So now we go. I think it's important. And the one thing that I want to highlight you on man and just like tell the list. that if they're looking for somebody to help them with their transformation, you're the guy. Because, you know, not only are you knowledgeable,

you have a great program and a system in place, a follow-up of nutrition. You can guide them to the supplement process if they so choose. But I think the one thing that you possess more than any other fitness professional I've ever been around is empathy. Yeah, I mean, most trainers don't know what it's like to be fat. They don't know that struggle. Do you do?

That's a big part of it. I mean, I, again, I had a conversation with someone today about this. They're like, hey, I found your Instagram page. And what I really liked about you was I feel like you were really like sympathetic and understood what it's like to be overweight, you know? Yeah, I've been there. I know what it's like to be insecure and be afraid to take your shirt off or wear a T-shirt. shirt in the pool or at the beach, right?

Like, yeah, literally my biggest fear when I was younger, like, I was terrified to take my shirt off because my birthday's in July, right? So my mom was like, have pool parties for me. In the summertime, I have all my friends over. And, you know, she didn't know this, but deep down, I was like, so stressed and so, like, just anxious

because I'm like, how am I going to take my shirt off? Everyone's going to make fun of me. I have, you know, these freaking man tits down to my belly button, like, you know, big stomach love handles. and I just would wear a shirt in the pool. Like, oh, yeah, I just don't want to get some burned. Like, yeah, okay, dude. I told that lie before.

Why you're wearing the shirt, right? But again, sometimes in life, like the pain has to get so bad to where you're going to make a change or you're going to stay in that pain, right? So that's, again, that's what led me to make that change. But, yeah, I think it's Tony Robbins, I think, said that. I think it was maybe in a book that he wrote, like, until you can tie emotional pain to something. there's no change.

Yeah. You know, for me, it was just, it's like this thing where, I want to be able to go on family vacations and not worry about it. You know, I want to be able to walk around this place with no shirt on, right? Like, choose when I want to wear a shirt. And you know the biggest thing. I was like, when you're in good physical condition, man, you don't have to worry about what clothes you're going to wear.

It's just like, you know, everything fits. All right, cool. that. I'm little good in it, you know. So it helps you physically and helps you emotionally. So the only negative is we don't have a ton, you know, all night to talk or all in sight, I would, right? And you would too because you're my guy. But man, let me, let me ask you, give me the biggest piece or the biggest, yeah, the biggest piece of adversity that you have had to deal with in your journey, not just with yourself, but in your business. And how have you And how'd you overcome it?

So I don't know if adversity would be the word I would use. I mean, I would say this, right? Like the biggest thing I had to overcome personally was making a decision that I wasn't going to care what people thought, right? The problem or the biggest issue when people want to share their knowledge or share their life or put themselves out there on social media is now literally, everyone in the world can see, right? Your friends, your family, ex-girlfriends,

people you know, people you went to middle school with. Like, you know, these are all people now that you have to say, okay, I'm going to put myself out there. I know all these people are going to see it. But do I really care what they think or what they're going to say, right? And, you know, that's what really took me so long to start, like, my online coaching or not even online coaching, but just sharing my own fitness journey.

you know, I was just, I was so, like, terrified of what people would think, you know. And even early on, like, when I started posting, you know, fitness content, I would have some, some friends or people who I thought were friends. They'd be like, oh, are you just going to be one of those fitness influencers? Ha, ha, ha, right? And even though they were just, like, kind of like, you know, breaking my balls a little bit, like, it's still, like, hit a nerve with me because I'm like, oh, man, they're right. like you know like I didn't want to be just like another one of those fitness guys right but I felt like you know what like I have a unique story and I felt like my story was was my power you know I'm like I know there are a lot of people out there that have struggled with their weight that would be curious to know how I got in shape and you're kind of turning my life around so I'm like screw it I'm going to share it and let's see where it goes if it doesn't go anywhere it doesn't go anywhere like who you know it is what it is but you know lo and behold I started to try to sharing and I started gaining traction and people started paying attention and people started following me and I started building a following and you know it was great like it was it was really fun to see

and then there just came a point where it's like dude I don't care what people think like I think as you get older to it's part of kind of maturing like when you're younger you think everyone's watching you constantly right like everyone you think you think they actually give a shit yeah like you really think people just on their phones just watching your every movie And then as you get older, he's like, you know what? People were never paying attention anyway. Like people have so much of their own bullshit they're dealing with, like their own relationship problems, their own fitness issues, their own job issues, who, you know, like their own financial issues. Like people aren't even paying attention to you, right?

So a lot of people think like they're the center of the universe and everyone has eyeballs on them at all times. Even myself, like now that I have a relatively, you know, bigger following now. But at the end of the day, like, maybe people check out my page or come across my content for like maybe 30 seconds, maybe a minute. And then they're on to the next thing. Right. So the quicker you can get over that fear or at least the quicker I got over that fear of not caring what people thought. Like that was like a big breakthrough for me. And, you know, it's funny years later.

Now it's like I have people that I run to or that I run into, you know, here in Naples, the same guys that kind of like, you know, took digs at me back then. they're like, oh, hey, dude, I, uh, I saw your Instagram page or, hey, man, you look like you're really killing it. And the back of my head, I'm like, yeah, bitch. Yeah. What do you think I've been doing? You know? And then the lab, bro, you know?

But it breaks my heart to hear a lot of people, like, they ask me. I get a lot of messages, hey, Stephen, like, I want to start posting or I want to do this. And I'm like, why, why don't you start? And again, well, you know, I don't want people to think this or, you know, people are going to think I'm doing this. I'm like, listen to people aren't going to pay your bills. Like these people aren't really paying attention. As, as sad as that might sound, it's the truth. Right. So you got to do what's best for you. Like, just stay consistent with it. It's like anything

else in life. Put yourself out there. There's someone out there that wants to hear your story. There's someone out there that could resonate with you. There's a lot of people that don't resonate with me, right? But there's a lot of people that do. So, you know, you never know who's going to come into your world, especially with social media today. Like one of my bigger clients out in LA, he's like a huge name, like ridiculous. Like ridiculous, right? He messages me a few years ago on Instagram, randomly. He found me on Instagram. I'm like, dude, you're freaking kidding me. Just random, you know, that's why if you have to be consistent, you got to put your head down and just be diligent, stay consistent with things. Because you never know what's going to happen. You never know who

are going to attract into your world. You never know who's going to come across your social media. And, you know, today the currency that the world speaks is, is your online presence, right? Yeah, man, dude, it's funny because you were talking about, you know, being afraid to put yourself out there, sharing your fitness journey. I think we're all afraid of that because it is a very, you know, transparent thing, right, taking your shirt off or if you're a female getting a bathing suit and say, hey, here's my flaws, right? That's difficult. But, man, I remember, I mean, obviously it wasn't that.

long ago, right? About a year and about a year ago, year and a half ago, when I turned that camera around for the first time and speaking into it and then like was going to put it on social media, that was the most anxietyizing like five minutes of my fucking life. I'm looking at all my flaws. I'm like, dude, I sound like an absolute shit back. Like what am I doing? Right. The first podcast I ever recorded was just me saying like, hey, this is the first one. I hope people listen. Like, this is my plan with this. And, you know, I go back to it. I can't even listen to it because it's so bad. But it's like, it's really cool. Like I hate my old videos and I hate my very first few podcasts. But like, if you really go back and look at it, you can see your trajectory. You can

see your growth. And once I realize like, listen, I'm not going to be everybody's cup of tea. Like people are going to hate me. People are going to come after me. Like, you know, in my DMs, whatever, you know, like my neighbors may talk shit. Like, who cares, right? Like at the end of the day, like I had to get super comfortable. This is what I think you're talking about. It's like, do you, you know, come, be your authentic self. Whatever that is or whoever, you know, Stephen is, be that guy.

Put whatever you want out there in the world because you have good intentions and your story is impactful and you can help people. But man, I got to tell you, dude. that was some fucking scary shit. Like, I was scared. Like, and there's still times where I put things out there and it's just like, like, what did I say on that episode? Like, what, I mean, like, this is probably going to piss some people off.

But then I thought like, well, fuck, I felt that way. Like when I did the, when I did the two episodes or the three episodes about, you know, youth sports and travel ball and all that bullshit, you know, eight year olds fucking throwing curveballs in the bullpen, eight you travel teams, six you travel teams, Save that shit. Be a kid. And that's the adult's fault.

But like, to your point, it's like, that's who I am. That's what I believe. That's what I'm going to say. Right. And it is, you know, I applaud you for encouraging people like that because when people start doing things, I never judge. I watch. I'm like, oh, okay, so this person looks like they're, you know, this is what they're trying

to do, right? But I, bro, I mean, the amount of people that turn their back on me when I started this shit, it would be the same people that are saying like, do all that French. Yeah, I used to know that guy. That's their biggest flux at that point.

Same thing with you. I used to know Stephen. Yeah, back in the day. But did you know him now? Yeah. A lot of people, man, like, you know, like early on, I remember like when I started sharing information,

you know, and like I'm not a doctor. I'm not a PhD, but I have like 20 years of, you know, I have my certifications, but I'm like, oh, man, like, what if someone challenged me on this? And everyone's trying to take the guy down, right? Like, everyone's trying to take shots, you know? And in the beginning, like, it would wreck me for days. Like, I would get one bad comment or a, you know, or like some troll, like, sends me a message and it would literally destroy me.

And now what a lot of people don't realize is, like, my posts that I post now that go viral, they go viral because, you know, people are commenting on it and, you know, a lot of the trolls come out and they're talking crap, right? So what happens is these people are wasting their time trolling my content, but what they don't realize is they're actually pushing my content out there. I'm getting a lot more eyeballs on my content. I'm getting more followers and more likes and all that stuff, right? So in life, there's no such thing as having success and no, no hate along with it. I mean, like, one thing I've realized is I'm like, oh, like, it's funny because now I tell my girlfriend, I'm like, don't, you know, I don't delete any hate comments.

I don't believe any, I mean, because it actually helps me. It doesn't hurt me. It actually helps me more than, you know, more than it hurts me. Right. So, listen, man, anytime you make a decision in life that you want to. want to do something proactive and do something positive. Like a lot of times it reminds people of their own insecurities or their own, you know,

lack of going after their goals or dreams to, right? So in order to kind of fight that, it's like they come after the people they see, unfortunately, you know, so I don't have. Yeah. I mean, shit, man. Like, you know, when people come at you, it's never about you.

It's some type of reflection on themselves or unhappy with themselves in some type of way and something you posted or said in your post or your real or a fucking story, whatever the hell it is, it triggered something, right? But it's never about you, right? It's about how they feel and in their life experiences.

But look, man, I want to land the plane here. A couple more questions. All right. Imagine we're sitting here in about a year. What are we celebrating? Oh,

it's a good question. I don't know, man. Like my goals and my, and my like what I really want has changed so much. I feel like every, every year, like it just changes.

I mean, I, I just want to help more people, man. Like, I feel super blessed that I get to do what I love, like for a living, being a full-time coach and helping people.

And I just want to help more people, you know, I want to, I want to build something great. If there's anyone out there that wants to lose weight, and isn't sure where to start or where to, like, how to do it.

Like, I want to be a resource for them, you know, and, absolutely. You know, I was hoping you'd say that Daisy would actually be at her goal weight. That's what I was hoping. I hope she is, man.

We'll see. She has a few pounds, so lose. I hope she gets there. Yeah, she will. But no, man, like, listen, what the thing that I love about you is the same, the beginning of the episode to now is you're humble and you care about people and your soul focus is outward. You want to help individuals reach their goals.

And I think that you're going to help thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people in your lifetime, man. And, you know, with that, you know, I'm going to, I'll definitely be putting your, your Instagram handle into the show notes. But guys, if you're listening right now and if, and I have, I have tons of listeners that, you know, shoot me messages all the time, ask me questions about how do I stay motivated and how do I lean on people in order to keep chasing my dreams? And, you know, I'm not a fitness model, but I'm a dad of three, a husband.

And I wake up every day and get out for my life. Guys, Stephen is the guy that's going to truly give a shit about your journey. He'll be there to talk to you, be there to help you along the process. If you're listening right now and you feel like you're a little bit, you know, out of shape and you want, you have a certain goal, then, man, reach out to my guy. I mean, reach out to my guy. I guarantee you. You say, you know me personally is going to take care of you. Even if you don't say, you know me personally is going to take care of you just the same.

Stand up, dude. You know, go ahead and say, if you don't mind, what is your Instagram handle? And then I'll make sure I put it in the show notes. Yeah, it's just my first and last name. Stephen with the Ph. Stephen Campolo. C.A.C.A.O.L.O. Stephen Campbell. Get out my guy. Get out my guy, y'all.

Dude, I got to tell you, man, I had a blast, you know, recording with you and, you know, finally getting to do this with you. I see you and I growing together in some capacity. I'm excited for me, you know, I'm thinking a year ahead. And I think we're going to be celebrating a major collaboration of some sort, like major collaboration where you and I help, you know, thousands of people together. and it's going to be it's going to be one hell of a party bud. For sure, man. Iron,

you know, iron sharpens iron. That's why you like, I don't care how, how established someone is or what they have going for them or, you know, like you need like minded people because, you know,

like what's that saying? You're, you're the average of the people you hang around with. Like, I used to hear that, that's so stupid. Like, all right.

As I get older, all my friends are, they're doing a lot better, you know, they're, they're, they're pushing me because I see their success right like when I see you successful I want to I want to push myself right so you rise to the you know to the level yeah I think listen you

you're you're the sum of who you hang out with that's for damn sure you know with that said we got to do another like night here like we we got to get the girls together we got to we got to do some dinner yeah for sure that up for sure um but listen guys I appreciate you listening to this episode with my boy, Stephen. If you don't mind, if you got something out of it or think we're a bunch of tools, please share it. You know, share the show out. That's how we're growing.

But again, I'll leave his contact info. Reach out to him if you have any questions. Steven, if you don't mind, hang out here for a little bit. I want to say goodbye to you properly. But again, guys, thank you for listening. And we'll talk to you soon. Thanks, Matt.