In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Paul Alkoby, Air Force veteran and founder of the You Are Good Project, to talk about turning your lowest point into a mission that serves others. We dive into ownership, self-forgiveness, identity, and the daily practices that keep a leader regulated, and break down real, actionable ways to become the fittest leader possible through peace, power, and presence.

Key Takeaways

1. You are not behind. You are out of alignment. Paul played small for years before he owned his story and stepped forward.

2. Forgive yourself first. Paul could forgive almost anyone except himself. Self-forgiveness unlocked everything else.

3. Drop the weight that was never yours. The body keeps the score. Release what you have carried for other people.

4. Update your identity for the season you are in. An old identity in a new season keeps leaders stuck.

5. Get out of isolation on purpose. Paul's "go first" practice, three real conversations a day, breaks the loop.

Quotes

• "I realized how small I'd been playing for so long." – Paul Alkoby

• "I front load the identity so the goal becomes inevitable." – Coach Derz

• "I don't have a problem forgiving other people. It's always myself." – Paul Alkoby

Connect with Paul Alkoby

• IG: @paulalkoby & @youaregoodprjct

• You Are Good Project: https://youaregoodproject.org/

Next Level Resources

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → https://next-level.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/next-level-headquarters/home?invite=69c17e4d5d8cee9656ff1c61

✅ Become the Fittest Leader Possible → NextLevelHQ.co/blog

✅ Get More Alignment First → https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → thorne.com/u/progressalways

@StrongCoffee → strongcoffeecompany.com/?ref=2YN5cnK8v9zQ4D

Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always!

#AlignmentFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #AlignedLeadership #HighPerformance #NextLevel #Veteran #AURA #LeadershipMindset #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Noelia Worth to unpack how she went from 29 years behind the chair to betting on herself and opening her own salon. We dive into choosing courage over comfort, dropping the masks we wear in every room, and leading from faith, presence, and full self-expression, and we break down real, actionable ways to become the fittest leader possible through peace, power, and presence.

Key Takeaways

1. You are the result of the choices you make inside your circumstances, not the circumstances themselves.

2. When a signal shows up two or three times, that is your confirmation. Stop stalling and move.

3. The friction you feel is your present self meeting your future self. Walk through it on purpose.

4. The masks you wear at work, at home, and with friends drain energy you never get back. Become one self and reclaim it.

5. Your fullest expression meets no resistance, because the truth never needs defending.

Quotes

• "Our feelings and our thoughts constantly change by the minute. Do you really want to trust that?" – Noelia Worth

• "I sat in my car bawling. Then I got over it. Okay, let's do this." – Noelia Worth

• "You are less the product of your circumstances and more the result of your choices." – Coach Derz

Connect with Noelia Worth

Instagram: @noelianono1 and @beautysoireeaz

Salon: Scottsdale, AZ. Text or call 480.469.3604

Podcast: A Connection is a Connection

Next Level Resources

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → https://next-level.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/next-level-headquarters/home?invite=69c17e4d5d8cee9656ff1c61

✅ Become the Fittest Leader Possible → NextLevelHQ.co/blog

✅ Get More Alignment First → https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → thorne.com/u/progressalways

@StrongCoffee → strongcoffeecompany.com/?ref=2YN5cnK8v9zQ4D

Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always!

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Gord Nicodemus to talk about building real freedom on top of the foundation you already have. We dive into chasing a dream job that paid less than boxing groceries, walking on at Oregon State two days after tearing his MCL, teaching entrepreneurship through lemonade stands and engineering investments in his rental car business that return 50 percent over two years. Real, actionable ways to become the fittest leader possible.

Key Takeaways

1. The job you dreamed about may not pay the bills you actually have. Build accordingly.

2. Your body will give you a setback. Your decisions decide what you do with it.

3. Systems are your decisions on paper. Write them down once. Reuse them forever.

4. Teach your kids to control what they actually control. Attitude. Energy. Effort.

5. The W-2 is one stream. Aligned leaders build more than one.

Quotes

• "My phone doesn't ring, you get more money." – Gord Nicodemus

• "This is the part of the game where most people quit." – Mycal Anders

• "Every time I tried to quit, they promoted me." – Gord Nicodemus

Connect with Gord Nicodemus

• Instagram. @Gordopreneur

• Web: desertdrivesllc.com & airportparkingphoenix.com

Next Level Resources

✅ Join the Leaders Forum: https://next-level.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/next-level-headquarters/home?invite=69c17e4d5d8cee9656ff1c61

✅ Clarity|Coaching|Consistency|Community: NextLevelHQ.co

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Alignment First. Progress Always.

Sponsors & Partners

@ThorneHealth → ⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways⁠

@StrongCoffee → ⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠ — Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Alignment First. Progress Always.

#AlignmentFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #AlignedLeadership #HighPerformance #NextLevel #Veteran #AURA #LeadershipMindset #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Zach Ratashak, founder of Tactical Mind Business Coaching and Navy veteran, to talk about what it actually means to lead people before you lead a business. We dive into building people-first systems, the mindset shift from military service to entrepreneurship, and the courage it takes to walk away from security to bet on yourself. We break down real, actionable ways to become the fittest leader possible through peace, power, and presence.

Key Takeaways

1. Great leaders know their people before they manage their people.
2. Investing in someone else's goals builds more loyalty than any incentive program.
3. You cannot logic your way into bold decisions. The gut has to lead.
4. Leaving security behind is not reckless. It is a trained muscle.
5. Systems and clarity are the difference between growth and guessing in business.

Quotes

• "I made a point to learn about them as a person versus them just filling a space." – Zach Ratashak
• "You have to jump off the cliff and figure out where it falls." – Zach Ratashak
• "Do this till it ain't fun no more." – Mycal Anders

Connect with Zach Ratashak

Website: tactical-mind.com

Instagram / Social: @zachratashak or @officialzachratashak

Next Level Resources

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → Join the Leaders Forum

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Sponsors & Partners

@ThorneHealth → ⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways⁠

@StrongCoffee → ⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠ — Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

#AlignmentFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #AlignedLeadership #HighPerformance #NextLevel #Veteran #AURA #LeadershipMindset #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Jayce Boyd — Under Armour All-American, 19th round MLB draft pick, Florida State alum, and College World Series champion — to go deep on what happens when elite performance meets unaddressed shadows. We dive into financial stewardship for young athletes, the ego traps that block growth, the two lies that nearly cost him everything, and how radical honesty with his parents, his community, and himself became the foundation for real recovery and real leadership.

Key Takeaways

You can be the most disciplined performer in the room and still be running from the truth behind closed doors.

Ego is the #1 barrier to financial literacy — and to growth in every other area of life.

The lies "I don't deserve good things" and "I can't hurt anyone if I'm alone" are silent destroyers.

You were designed to live from the inside out — not to absorb the world and try to survive it.

Stillness, community, and truth-telling aren't soft skills — they're the foundation of real leadership.

Quotes

• "I don't deserve good things. I don't even know where that lie came from." – Jayce Boyd

• "You can't see the frame when you're in the picture." – Mycal Anders

• "My brain and body were designed to live inward, then outward and most people have it backwards." – Jayce Boyd

Connect with Jayce Boyd

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayce-boyd/

The Post: https://www.thepost.co/

Next Level Resources

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → Join the Leaders Forum

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Sponsors & Partners

@ThorneHealth → ⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways⁠

@StrongCoffee → ⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠ — Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

#AlignmentFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #AlignedLeadership #HighPerformance #NextLevel #Veteran #AURA #LeadershipMindset #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Bailey Crawford, founder of The Crawford Collective, to talk about what it really takes to build something from nothing; without a roadmap, permission or apology. We dive into the power of authentic connection, rewiring automatic negative thoughts, and why your next easiest step is always enough to keep moving. We break down real, actionable ways to become the fittest leader possible through peace, power, and presence.

Key Takeaways

1. Never underestimate the power of a single connection. Every relationship is a seed.

2. Staying in motion, even without a clear destination, is how you build momentum.

3. Your brain is protecting you. Learn to separate fear from fact.

4. Identifying and acknowledging your emotions releases their hold on you instantly.

5. When life gets hard, ask one question: What is the next easiest step?

Quotes

• "I never undervalued those connections I make with whoever. It could be at a coffee shop, it doesn't matter." – Bailey Crawford

• "What is the next easiest step? Is this an automatic negative thought or a true thought?" – Bailey Crawford

• "When you look at it through a lens of ownership, you realize how far you've come." – Mycal Anders

Connect with Bailey Crawford

📸 Wedding Photo & Video → baileycrawfordmedia.com

🎬 Full Production Agency → thecrawfordcollectivevideo.com

Next Level Resources

✅ Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → Join the Leaders Forum

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Sponsors & Partners

@ThorneHealth → ⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways⁠

@StrongCoffee → ⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠ — Use Code: NEXTLEVEL15

#AlignmentFirst #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #AlignedLeadership #HighPerformance #NextLevel #Veteran #AURA #LeadershipMindset #ProgressAlways

In this episode of Alignment First, I sit down with Anna Redmond, founder of BRAAV and AllCoin, to explore what it actually means to earn your place — and why recognition only lands when it's real. We dive into how she's taking the military challenge coin tradition digital, why belonging requires a bar, and how preserving the stories of those who served might be one of the most important leadership moves of our time.

Key Takeaways

1. Belonging without a standard is just participation — exclusivity creates meaning.
2. You don't need lived experience to earn respect inside a community — you need curiosity and commitment.
3. The gap between civilian and veteran culture closes when we choose to genuinely listen.
4. Recognition ceremonies work because they call out something real — the "why" behind the honor matters as much as the honor itself.
5. Preserving stories is an act of leadership — what we fail to capture, we lose forever.

Quotes

• "The more stories we collect, the more memories we preserve." – Anna Redmond
• "It would be real easy to move through the world with a chip on your shoulder and look at everybody through the lens of 'it could be worse.'" – Mycal Anders
• "Uploading your coins is always free — creating community is always free." – Anna Redmond

Connect with Anna Redmond

🌐 allcoin.braav.co (mention Next Level HQ to skip the waitlist)

📧 anna@braav.co

🔗 BRAAV | AllCoin Platform

___________________________________________________________________________________

Stay Connected & Take Action

✅ Join The Leaders Forum: Clarity | Coaching | Consistency | Community → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://next-level.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/next-level-headquarters/home?invite=69c17e4d5d8cee9656ff1c61

✅ Ready to be the Fittest Leader Possible? → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠NextLevelHQ.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠/Blog

✅ Subscribe to Alignment First → https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/coachderz/

Partners & Sponsors

@ThorneHealth → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thorne.com/u/progressalways⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

@StrongCoffee → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠strongcoffeecompany.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

@wearshepherds → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shepherds.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

@team4kor → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠4korfitness.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: NEXTLEVEL15

Build Your Vision Espresso → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visionespresso.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

@TYRsport → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fitness.tyr.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Code: 14034

Start Your Healing Journey → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.morozkoforge.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Codes: NEXTLEVEL350 / NEXTLEVEL500

Alignment First. Progress Always.

#AlignmentFirst#ProgressAlways#FittestLeader#LeadershipDevelopment#Podcast#AURA#Mastery#PersonalGrowth#ExecutiveCoaching#Leadership#AlignedLeadership