Living The Red Life

• Turning a Childhood Dream into a Thriving Auto Body Business

  Shannon Christian, founder and president of Shannon’s Auto Body Collision Repair Shop, turned a childhood passion for cars into a thriving business recognized for its integrity, safety, and precision. From painting Matchbox cars as a kid to mastering meticulous crafts like lawn care and dining service, Shannon developed an eye for detail that now defines his approach to automotive and marine repairs. Shannon shares how his shop stays at the forefront of a rapidly evolving industry by using OEM parts, proper procedures, and highly trained technicians. He reflects on the entrepreneurial challenges of growing a reputable repair business while emphasizing the importance of customer service, safety, and community trust. Through his insights, listeners gain valuable lessons on what it takes to run a high-standard auto repair shop, as well as thought-provoking ideas about sustaining growth in an increasingly complex industry.Key Takeaways:Passion for Quality: Shannon Christian underscores the importance of integrity in car repairs, emphasizing that doing it right is essential, even when no one's watching.Importance of Customer Trust: Building trust with detailed explanations and delivering quality service is central to maintaining a loyal customer base.Modern Auto Repair Complexities: Cars now have more parts and technology, requiring advanced skills and precise approaches; Shannon emphasizes the significance of OEM parts and proper certification.Learning and Adaptability: Shannon's story showcases the importance of constant learning and adapting, both about oneself and the evolving industry standards.Sustainable Business Growth: Shannon illustrates how adhering to high standards and embracing customer-focused values can lead to enduring success and multi-generational customer loyalty.Connect with Shannon Christian:WebsiteInstagramFacebookConnect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

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• Winning Gold with a Broken Neck: Kurt Angle's Unyielding Willpower

  Kurt Angle. Known for his laser-focused determination, Kurt discusses how he overcame significant adversity, including winning an Olympic gold medal with a broken neck and reinventing himself from an amateur wrestling champion to a professional wrestling superstar. Rudy guides listeners through Kurt's strategic mindset, emphasizing the unwavering dedication necessary to achieve greatness.Kurt Angle's life, filled with both monumental successes and challenging setbacks, serves as a testament to perseverance and adaptation. From turning down a lucrative WWE contract to ultimately dominating the wrestling entertainment world, Kurt exemplifies the relentless pursuit of dreams. His stories are not only about overcoming physical impairments but also about breaking into new arenas and leaving a legacy. This episode offers a treasure trove of wisdom, detailing Kurt's transition to Hollywood, the demands of intense training, and his current passion as a committed husband and father.Key Takeaways:Relentless Determination: Kurt's journey illustrates the power of never giving up, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, like winning an Olympic gold with a broken neck.Adaptation and Reinvention: Moving from amateur wrestling to WWE required Kurt to unlearn old habits and embrace a completely new form of entertainment.Importance of Consistent Effort: Success hinges on everyday discipline and exhausting training routines that set one apart from the competition.Handling Failures: Kurt emphasizes learning from failures and how they shape eventual success.Family and Personal Growth: Post-retirement, Kurt found immense satisfaction and personal growth through his role as a family man.Notable Quotes:"I was so laser focused on the Olympics that nothing else mattered.”"Knowing that having to have to attain an Olympic gold medal... I knew I had to work extremely hard.”"I wasn't going to let anything or anyone ruin that goal.”"I never dreamed about doing it, but was like, wow, I'm succeeding at something that I never thought I'd ever do.”"Whether you fail or succeed, as long as you try,Connect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

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• The Art of Branding: Lessons from Chubbies Success Story

  Preston Rutherford is a renowned brand product owner, co-founder, and entrepreneurial expert known for his role in establishing Chubbies, a successful consumer brand famous for its colorful, casual men's shorts. With a strong background in brand development and digital marketing, Preston played a key role in growing Chubbies from a startup to a public company with a $100 million run rate. Today, he continues to influence the entrepreneurial landscape with new ventures and insights into brand-building strategies.With an emphasis on entrepreneurship, Preston and Rudy discuss the trials and triumphs faced during Chubbies' growth, from initial inception to a public company. Key topics include the importance of standing out in a crowded market, maintaining authenticity, and navigating the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape. The conversation also touches on personal insights about overcoming startup challenges, focusing on one's strengths, and making strategic business decisions. This dialogue is a must-listen for entrepreneurs seeking to build impactful brands with sustainable growth.Key Takeaways:Embrace differentiation to stand out in the marketplace; commoditized products can succeed with the right brand story and creative marketing.User-generated content can be a powerful tool for creating authentic brand engagement and fostering a sense of community with customers.The journey of entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges, but persistence and focusing on core strengths can lead to eventual success.Understanding the balance between generating demand and capturing demand is crucial for brand longevity.Collaboration and strategic partnerships, including offering equity, can be essential for acquiring the top talent needed to scale a growing business.Notable Quotes:"Everyone doesn't have to be exceptional at the best thing." — Preston Rutherford"You just have to be in the arena, constantly doing it and trying to learn." — Preston Rutherford"The opposite of apathy is memorable content; don't focus too much on pleasing everyone." — Preston Rutherford"If you're not good at it, hire, pay the money, and find the good people to do it." — Rudy Mawer"The true enemy in business is apathy, not people disliking what you do." — Preston RutherfordResources:marathondataco.comPreston Rutherford - Linkedin & XConnect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

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• Ditching Opiates: How Cannabis Changed My Life and Business

  Brianna Banks, the determined co-founder of WakenBakery. From a life-altering injury to establishing a flourishing cannabis-infused coffee and bakery enterprise, Brianna shares her journey of resilience and innovation. Listeners will delve into how a personal health crisis led her to discover the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, which sparked the inception of her unique business model designed to normalize and legalize cannabis consumption. This episode is not only about entrepreneurship but also sheds light on the societal impact of cannabis legalization and its role as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.Brianna Banks’ story is a testament to perseverance and creativity in transforming personal challenges into opportunities. Through her venture, WakenBakery, she advocates for the normalization of cannabis use and its monumental benefits. Operating in a highly regulated industry, Brianna discusses her strategic approach to navigating ever-changing laws and maintaining the essence of her brand across different locations. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners alike, showcasing the power of relentless positivity and visionary thinking in creating groundbreaking businesses.Key Takeaways:Brianna Banks turned her personal struggle with spinal injury and reliance on cannabis for pain relief into a successful business, aiming to destigmatize and normalize cannabis use.WakenBakery provides a welcoming space for a diverse clientele, offering a variety of cannabis-infused products such as coffee, tea, lemonade, and baked goods.The challenges of operating in the cannabis industry include navigating complex legal regulations and consistently rebranding to comply with state laws.Brianna’s resilience and commitment to innovation highlight the importance of positive affirmations and persistence in entrepreneurship.The potential benefits of cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceuticals in treating various conditions, showcasing personal testimonials of its impact on health and well-being.Notable Quotes:"I am building a safe space for everybody to come to. No. 21, to whatever age that might be, doctor to the janitor.""I push myself sometimes beyond what I think my limit is, and it has made me stronger and a better person and made the business better, too.""It's definitely an alternative. The whole point we have mojitos that are just infused with THC instead of alcohol.""If you just keep going...it is just as easy to think about the negative as it is to think about the positive."Connect with Brianna:https://www.wakenbakery.net/about-us/

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• 3x Ms. Olympia Champion on Winning While Broken w/Whitney Jones

  Whitney Jones is a trailblazer in the fitness world, best known for winning the prestigious Ms. Olympia title three times—a feat made even more remarkable by her unconventional start at age 34. As the first mother to ever win an Olympia title, Whitney redefines what's possible in competitive bodybuilding. Her journey includes overcoming 18 surgeries, including a broken neck, while building a thriving career as an athlete, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, and dedicated mom. Through it all, she’s remained focused on empowering others with her mindset of grit, purpose, and possibility.Whitney opens up about the mental and physical resilience it takes to succeed after severe injuries, why competing against yourself is more powerful than seeking validation, and how motherhood became a superpower—not a setback. She also shares how she transitioned from the advertising world to owning a gym, building a brand, and inspiring youth through fitness and self-belief.Key TakeawaysWinning While Broken: Whitney shares how resilience and mindset—not physical perfection—are what separate champions.Motherhood & Muscle: As the first mom to win an Olympia title, Whitney proves motherhood can fuel, not hinder, greatness.From Corporate to Coach: Her leap from ad agency life to gym ownership highlights the power of following passion over comfort.Inspiring the Next Generation: Whitney is committed to empowering youth, helping them break past limitations and rewrite their own stories.The Power of Visualization: Learn how visual learning and inner dialogue have been essential tools in Whitney’s evolution as both an athlete and person.Notable Quotes"If you look at everything on paper, I should have never been a pro athlete. I should have never qualified for Olympia.""I didn’t compete to impress the judges—I competed to conquer myself.""What sets champions apart is that they’ve learned how to win even when broken.""At the end of the day, I had to answer to myself. That’s what pushed me harder.""Why not be everything you dream to be—without limits?"Connect with Rudy Mawer:LinkedInInstagramFacebookTwitter

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