Wake Up The Sun

I have known Ian since he was a middle schooler. Watching him grow up and transform into a hard working full time student Columbia Dental School in NYC has been a gift. One of my favorite things during the holidays is when he and his sisters come home to visit and we get to spend time with them. This 2021 holiday season was cut short unfortunately with one of the most tragic accidents I've ever seen. While casually walking home in downtown Miami, Ian and his friend were tragically struck down in a hit and run accident. Life changed in an instant for Ian and thankfully he is in full recovery mode. From the trauma hospital and ICU, he was transferred to the Lynn recovery unit in downtown Miami and finally home. While in the rehab facility, I had the chance to sit down and chat with Ian about how this life changing accident has changed his perception. He spoke about how one moment you are fully independent and then the next you are relying on someone to do everything for you and in extreme pain. He had to r

I first met Coach back at XPE over bags of FROPRO corner pieces.  We stayed in touch over the years since both of us had connection to the fitness community here in South Florida. With the change that the Covid pandemic brought to everyone in the world It gave Andrew a chance to make a big decision and go off on his own from working with the same awesome crew for the last 10 years at XPE.After serving our country, Andrew's fitness journey began down in south Florida  in FAU after hearing a local trainer speak about the opportunities available for those willing to put in the work and get It done. He showed up day in and out alongside master trainers to assist in the NFL combine workouts to gain understanding and experience. There were many years of frustration but through his daily routine of consistently showing up, honing his training and time spent with clients he rapidly became one of the most sought after high school/collegiate coaches in the South Florida area. His motto of wanting to dig deeper and

I met Shelby in 2017 while she was training and prehabbing a knee injury that would require surgery in 2018. This injury alone would have stopped most people right in their tracks. A tennis phenom from a young age in South Carolina, she competed and turned pro in 2010 with the (WTA) Women's Tennis Association. She has reached the ranking of 40th in the world this year with the defeat of several highly ranked players with no signs of stopping heading into 2022.We sat down right before her departure to the Australian open to kick off the 2022 season and discussed the importance of routine, rituals and consistency. We spoke of the challenges of pursuing a professional sports career while balancing life and finding joy in every day things.  It's not always fun and games and she spoke of how many times the thought of quitting crossed her mind throughout the years of training and competing.Faith, gratitude and developing a well rounded lifestyle has led to more experienced joy. Please enjoy the show and f

I met Jaye Marie at a charity golf event several years ago and was blown away by her grace, gratitude and connection to her community & fans. She took the time to speak with everyone who came up to her for a photo, autograph and chatting about golf.  It's rare to encounter someone that operates in such a way and follow her professional golf journey since. She began playing golf at the age of 11 and found it rather boring at first playing alongside her brother on a par 3 course.   Recently I ran into her on the golf course with her family and invited her on the show prior to the start of the 2022 golf season.  We spoke about really wanting to have It more than anyone else when competing on the professional level as well as the seeking of "being in the zone" when everything clicks on and off the course. She is a believer in  never giving up and has evolved personally and professionally over the years to give herself and others the grace that its not going to be perfect.Please enjoy the show a

I met Hayley through her brother Jeremy.  She had watched his downfall and struggle with addiction. Through those challenges she created The Dreamer Project for her doctorate in nursing which focused on mind , body and spirit of those in recovery. Watching her brother change his life through a strong South Florida community of sobriety, fitness and fellowship, it became her mission to bring that to life in her nursing program and carry the message for years to come. During a recent trip down to South Florida via Arizona for the yearly Temperance Training fundraiser, Hayley stopped by with her husband Chris to share what she is up to. Having graduated and packing a lot of life into a short amount of time she connected with a leading doctor who shared common values and ideas about how to treat people that are sick and suffering. From the assessment of vital signs to improve peoples daily life, Hayley aims to be of maximum service and value. She holds herself accountable daily by having a set routine for home, w

Back in 2015, I began training for the 2016 NYC marathon and one of the best parts about the training was connecting with the South Florida running community. Fleet Feet was the local running store and I asked the owner to help me properly train for the race and he invited me to the running groups that were hosted there. I met Melissa Perlman at one of the weekly group runs. Through social media we stayed in touch and I was blown away by the focus and determination that Melissa exhibited on a daily basis. She shared her life through her daily morning runs, workout regimen and balancing her personal and business lifestyle.As someone who enjoys doing many different things in my day finding balance can be challenging. I have tried to get Melissa on this show for quite some time but between her busy training schedule, her own rapidly growing PR business she has limited time. It was awesome to hear about her balance and approach to training as she gets busier with life. She uses the calendar as her go to and dicta

I met Kristina through mutual friends and she instantly became one of my favorite people with her sassiness, raw truth and ability to speak on any topic. What I love about her is that she is unapologetically herself and when I finally had the time to sit down and hear more of her story I thought she would be perfect to share It on the wake up the sun show. We spoke about finding beauty in the mess that is life, sobriety, life changing events,  challenging childhood to succeeding in finding her true passion. Please listen in as she talks about overcoming almost insurmountable odds to find peace, happiness, love and doing what she loves on a daily basis. Kristina is very involved with helping other women entrepreneurs, speaking out on what she believes in and changing the lives of others in the process. Enjoy the show and follow her @kristinalakehair and @beautybar on instagram. 

Through a strange encounter at PUBLIX, I met Rebecca several months prior to actually introduced by personal friends and walking into her gym in Delray Beach. I was standing in the checkout line and as a snack maker I saw that she was getting some baking materials. I started firing off questions and I was clearly doing too much. When finally meeting her we laughed about It and got to try one of her amazing baked creations. Rebecca is an avid runner, Crossfitter and fitness enthusiast all while balancing school and becoming a nurse. Her passion to help others, push herself to new limits and hit goals is among many of the reasons I wanted to invite her on the show.She firmly believes in never having a plan B. Get out there and get It done and adjust as you go If you plan to succeed you will and that's been her experience from her early days of fitness to completion of her nursing degree. She loves to push herself forward and enjoy as much as she can in life all with a smile on her face. Please enjoy the sh

With It being National Recovery Month, I found important to invite a good friend on the show that is a true patriot and has served this country. My friend Big Juicy aka George is a military man who served overseas and been deployed in several intense combat situations. His respect for this service and out of respect I do not ask for details but understand how these experiences has changed his life. Upon returning stateside he had some legal issues which landed him in prison for close to 3 years where he focused on doing his time. During that stint he stayed clean and sober, found his passion for cutting hair in his cell block but upon his leaving prison to return home to his family It wasn't long before his obsession returned and he fell hard. The next couple of years were a combination of hard times at home and difficult conversations with family, friends and loved ones. Trying to get some clean time, balance family, job and everything else he wanted to accomplish was finally brought to a head when seve

With it being National Recovery month one of the local legends down here with one of the best stories I've ever heard is Chris Finley. With close to 30 years sober his story starts with no high school education, a union job and most of his time drinking and trying to get through another day hoping It would be different.I met Chris through mutual friends, social events in the community and the gym. I'm a big people watcher and watching him be a great husband, dad and person in the community was inspiring. It left an imprint so when I was invited to a planning event for charity in Delray Beach, we connected for the first time. Chris is soft spoken, direct and shares with us his journey of sobriety and what It took for him to seek help. He states that happiness is a byproduct of action and that action is needed every day we get to become the person we were created to be. From humble beginnings and many years of sobriety, Chris now lives and enjoys a happy, full enriched life in South Florida.  A new gr

With It being National recovery month I found It important to invite one of my good friends on to share about his charity event in November. I have asked Faz for the last couple of years to come on and share his journey but he's esacped up until now. We were connected by a mutual friend and we stayed in touch ever since. Watching Anthony follow his dream for helping others in the recovery connected to his passion for helping those in the gym. He is the co-creator of Temperance Training here in South Florida which provides a weekly free workout to those looking to connect with other like minded people, get a sweat in and become a part of the community. Temperance started as a small workout and has grown to several locations across Florida with other gyms adapting their off hours of 1-3pm to include a safe space for the sober community. Like most things It takes time to grow and understand how to best serve the community which he and his coaches have done in stride. With an amazing support group behind him

I met Julianne on a trip out west to visit some friends and was immediately immersed in some awesome conversations about life, love and her experiences. During a quick trip to South Florida, she dropped into the studio to dive a little deeper into her journey to where and what  she is up to now. She is a licensed/experienced fitness trainer,  Somatic Sexologist, trauma specialist, holistic health coach, avid outdoor enthusiast and liver of life.Her experiences with training, fitness, coaching and some challenges led her to explore connecting to others that were going through the same thing. Through social media and several different platforms she was able to connect to those going through some of the same challenges and bring them some relief. She knew at that moment that online coaching, sharing her own journey and helping others overcome challenges in their life was her purpose. In her coaching she speaks about the true connection to oneself, sexuality, exploration, reclamation, experiencing and embracing p

I was connected to Kipp via a friend who had helped me while I was a rock bottom. While my friend Ross was in prison he connected me to this young man who has one of the most epic comeback stories I have ever heard in my life. From growing up with no parents, living on and off the streets learning how to survive, Kipp has overcome every possible obstacle and challenge one young man should endure. His way of life led him to federal prison and meeting some people that gave him a new outlook on life and the guidance to get from the streets to having a passion and purpose for wanting to change his life and the lives of other young men that have gone through indescribable life circumstances.Leaving prison and working hard for that one chance to show the world what he was capable, Kipp went from being an inmate to one of the most sought after personal trainers and fitness directors in the Texas area and he never looked back. His philosophy is about not giving up, gravitating towards positivity and putting in the wo

Community is a wonderful thing and one of my favorite parts about living in Florida. There are so many people that end up down here for various reasons. I met Ryan through mutual friends and kept running into him at the gym and we ended getting to know each other a bit better over the years. During the pandemic he and his family left town for an opportunity elsewhere and that is what led me to finally ask him what he did for work because he could work from anywhere and on his terms. I found out that he does some amazing work with individuals, companies and strives to improve their life through various techniques with mind, body and spirit. Fast forward to post pandemic and Ryan and his family are back in the community and he has landed a great opportunity with an amazing company to help countless people in the mental health and wellness field. Ryan has a tremendous background in coaching, therapy, advocacy and this South Florida community is very lucky to have him. He has also begun a podcast which links cert

There are certain people that happen to stand out when you walk in the gym. At Crossfit Hype in Boca Raton one of those people happens to be Tommie Deprima. The level of athleticism, the focus and attention to her craft is what makes watching her workout the most fun. I met Tommie a couple years ago and connected by following her journey as an athlete and learned that she also has an amazing back story in the legal field as well. Two tough arenas to excell at which she seems to do with ease and comfort. As time progressed I became more familiar with her so when I would drop by the gym and laugh about her following my lifting protocol and being pleased with her results I figured It would be a natural time for her to come on the show. The drive and focus I was aware of but listening to her story and how she got to where she is today was and is amazing to listen to. Her motto is to do whatever brings you peace and happiness each and every day. She follows a relatively strict routine but has her moments where she

Gym owner, Lululemon ambassador, father, husband, ironman are just a few words to describe my next guest. Ft Lauderdale trainer Sean Spire has an awesome routine and outlook on life getting 1% better every day in everything you get to do. I met Sean at a Lululemon event that had all the South Florida ambassadors gather in Miami to come sweat, dialogue, break bread and discuss their specific communities and how to best work together. Listening to the passion for his clients, personal and business goals allowed me to better understand what he was trying to accomplish. He survived the pandemic when It was one of the most challenging times for gyms and fitness facilities that didn't make It. He relied heavily on the philosophy on helping those that wanted help and increasing his attention to maximizing space and time to catapult his personal and online training.Sean and I sat down to speak further on his routine, goal setting and balance of his family life that leads him to get better and hep others get bett

High-school, collegiate and professional football athlete were what defined Luke early in his life. He found himself achieving big dreams that almost any young man would wish to achieve in sports. All of that was not enough to fill the void he had which led him to lose everything in his sports career due to drug abuse.  From playing on the New Orleans Saints to living a life with no reason or purpose that was until he got sober.His journey from tragedy to triumph began when he turned his life over to God and found a connection with something greater than himself. He saw his future after losing a close friend to drugs and knew what his purpose was moving forward which was to carry the message to other young people that struggle with addiction and finding their way. His unapologetic message of faith, overcoming obstacles, honesty, love and tenacity has been felt in the South Florida community. His journey to share his story and shot at redemption is the ultimate goal and mark he will leave with anyone and every

A chance meeting with Marc occurred after speaking with his father at a conference at the Boca Raton hotel. Listening to his father speak about him with so much reverence motivated me want to meet Marc to better understand what he was doing in life. At the time of our first meeting he was done coaching at the collegiate level and working for ESPN. We spoke about doing some business together and I could sense while passionate about sports and events that he was not where he was supposed to be.  After following along he and his father began coaching together but this time in the business world.He has created an amazing business that married his love for coaching to his passion for business and helping others. He and his father host a daily show at 8am on linked in every single day that gets people fired up and energized even more for the day ahead by having fun conversation, music and support for the community. If you or someone you know is not where they want to be professionally then I highly suggest you reac

The power of connection and social media is what brought me to meet Mark. A friend connected us via social media because of Marks tremendous book and story about training for an Ironman. As I had just completed a half ironman, I was intrigued that someone had written a book about and documented their journey. What I came to find out is how much more to the story there was with Mark and all that he overcame in life. His story of overcoming drug addiction, coming out and changing his life led him to become who he is today; a father, writer, model, trainer, chef, activist and much more.His method is to keep it simple, clean, and do everything with integrity. It starts with the little things that get accomplished during the day that lead to bigger things in life. Hear about how he left a small dark lonely basement addicted to drugs and surviving a suicide attempt to doing everything with the utmost of integrity.  You can reach him @markaturnipseed on instagram, www.markaturnipseed.com or order his book on amazon

My first meet up with Eric was at the FROPRO gym when he was visiting South Florida. Two mutual friends had connected us through fitness and social media. I received a crash course in a serious training session which left me exhausted and motivated to get better. Over the holidays we were able to train, learn some tips to better myself for the ironman race I had coming up and eat some delicious food at some of our favorite restaurants. We stayed in touch, visited Denver and while he was down here on business we had the chance to chop it up and i got to learn more about how he is able to live a life most would dream of. His daily routine consists of a good nights sleep, epic training sessions that include weight lifting, mountain biking, eating good foods, doing a massive amount of physical & mental recovery by cold plunges, meditation, breathing and the sauna all while being around his closest friends. This dream life was made possible by years of hard work, building small businesses, establishing connect