Better By Nature

Contact Michele! 
Email: michelewellness360@gmail.com
Instagram: @micheleboccardi_wellness
Website: https://www.michelewellness360.com/
Women of Wisdom YouTube: https://youtube.com/@womenofwisdom?si=IqSsgc3yOc47_hQU

Michele joins us again to bring us into her latest journey with adversity - the Devil's Den Ultra trail race. 
Devil's Den website: https://racemozey.com/devils-den-ultra-1 

Michele has nothing to prove to anyone else at this point. She has had a successful professional career, overcome intense personal adversity of many different varieties, and most recently defeated cancer. Not many people have had to overcome as much as Michele has, so by most human standards, Michele has kicked enough ass to justify taking it easy in retirement.
That doesn't mean she doesn't have anything left to prove to herself. 
At 64 years old, Michele took on the biggest physical challenge of her lifetime - running the Devil's Den Ultra for 24 hours. 
Make no mistake, this is no track race. The terrain on this course makes it one of the toughest ultra courses in the country. Over 1000 feet of elevation on each 6+ mile lap. It's dark, it's cold, and every step holds the risk of injury if you aren't paying attention. 
Michele takes us through her experience of looking her demons in the face and defeating the Devil's Den. 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Robert Head joins us for this episode!
Contact Robert: 
robert@bluecordfarms.com
hemp4victory.info
Texas Veterans for Medical Cannabis: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551319898169

After his career in the US Army, Robert found his calling in advocating for access to the cannabis plant for veterans. Robert first discovered the benefits of cannabis for himself when it helped him walk away from alcohol without really thinking about it. This improved his relationships with his family and friends, and he also noticed physical and mental health benefits from it. 
From there he felt compelled to reach as many veterans as he could to educate them about the potential benefits of cannabis, and he's been working to increase access to the plant ever since.

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Michele's Contact
Email: michelewellness360@gmail.com
Instagram: @micheleboccardi_wellness

Jasons' Contact
Email: jrmosel@yahoo.com
Instagram: @racemozey 

If you haven't listened to our other episodes with Michele and Jason, definitely check them out. Both of them have incredible stories of overcoming many different brands of adversity and continuing to take life head-on. 

For this episode they both joined me to talk about a specific type of self-inflicted adversity, endurance racing. Specifically the World's Toughest Mudder. 

Running and endurance racing is something that the 3 of us have embraced to help us take on this life, as tough as it is. Jason has done 3 World's Toughest Mudders, each with its own story of adversity. Michele has been in Jason's pit crew every step of the way, and now she is preparing for a big race of her own. 

Michele is preparing for a race that is 50 miles in 30 hours called Devil's Den, and Jason is actually the race director for Devil's Den. This race is similar to what I'm preparing for in November, so Michele and I have been trading training updates with each other as we get ready for the hardest endurance tests either of us have ever faced.

Whether it's cancer, or attempted suicide, or anything in between, Jason and Michele have faced some of the toughest adversity this life has to offer. How have they managed to overcome and press on? Natural remedies. 

Without natural remedies like running, natural foods, cannabis, and human relationships, the 3 of us may not be here today. Natural remedies can be life-saving. They aren't just a part of a trendy lifestyle that consists of shopping at Trader Joe's. Natural remedies of all kinds have incredible healing power. All we have to do is embrace them for their healing power, and take steps in our lives away from the unnatural things that harm us every single day. 

Natural remedies is a lifestyle that can change your life for the better. 
Feel better today, yall!

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Colt
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coltpower/ 
Website: https://www.powerbiopharms.com/ 

Colt Power had spent his life in athletics only to find that sports injuries were causing him issues in being able to workout and be present for his young family. It would be after his wife Reagan's suggestion that he would try CBD products and found that they helped with his own pain and inflammation. 

Wanting to see a Texas brand have an option that was truly farm to shelf, Colt would set out to build his own, and Power Biopharms was born. 

Prior to founding Power Biopharms, Colt has worked in commercial real estate to provide valuable services for his clients on 240+ transactions, valued at $115+ million, and totaling 1,400,000+ square feet. In 2017, Colt earned both CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) and SIOR (Society of Office and Industrial Realtors) professional designations. In addition, Colt has been regularly quoted as an industry expert in both national and local publications, including SIOR Report, Texas Real Estate Business and the Fort Worth Business Press. He has also been invited to speak to local professional groups as an expert panelist and serves on committees for the Greater Fort Worth Real Estate Council and North Texas CCIM Chapter.

Colt graduated from the Episcopal School of Dallas then went on to receive a bachelor's degree in Management Consulting from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame he was a four year member of their NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse team, awarded Big East Conference All-Academic Team Honors and Dean's List recognition.

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Spencer takes through his side of Annie Morey's miraculous journey. 
From the diagnosis, to the operation, to the day Annie started Kinder Frogs. 
Spencer's life had uniquely prepared him for what he was about to experience with Annie. 
In college at Texas Christian University, Spencer volunteered with the Kinder Frogs program. This exposed him to children with Down Syndrome and the challenges they have to overcome, long before his daughter would become a Kinder Frog. 
Spencer's career in the surgical devices industry also gave him unique insight to the operation Annie would undergo at just 5 months old. Nothing can fully prepare you for seeing your baby daughter with her chest open while a team of experts work on her heart. However, Spencer's experience helped him to understand what was happening and how it was happening in ways most to have the knowledge or experience to understand. 
Kind of like turbulence on an airplane. If you are flying for the first time and experience turbulence, it might alarm you. But a pilot that has flow thousands of successful flights doesn't think twice about turbulence because they understand it. 
Annie's journey started with turbulence, and then turned into a full on mid-flight emergency when her operation took twice as long as expected. 
Spencer takes us through those moments where only God's hands could save Annie's life, and how he managed to remain strong for his family in the face of the most extreme adversity. 

Kinder Frogs: https://coe.tcu.edu/lab-schools/kinderfrogs-school/index.php

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Mark
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markalansamuel/
Website: https://iwonorganics.com/ 

Mark Samuel is the Founder of IWON Organics, a serial entrepreneur, and most importantly a father. 

Mark is in year-7 with IWON Organics, his 8th and longest entrepreneurial journey. Anyone that has started one business can imagine the adversity Mark has faced over his career. Most folks don't have the stomach for the on-going uncertainty and adversity that comes along with being an entrepreneur. 

So what's his secret? 

Health, family, and passion. 

Mark's high priority on his health has kept him physically prepared to handle whatever is thrown his way. It also enables him to connect with others that share his passion for health. 
His priority on his health is not limited to physical health. It includes mental health, and a good relationship with food. 
Exercising regularly has shown to be an effective anti-depressant, and it also keeps your relationship with food much healthier than it is when you're living a stagnant lifestyle. 

Maintaining a good state of health in life has helped Mark face a lot of adversity in his professional career, but more importantly, it keeps him at his best for his kids. 
More than anything else, Mark looks forward to getting his attention off of work and on his kids.

Our kids need us. They look to us for so many things. We can't let screens do our jobs. Mark is very passionate about spreading this message to help people realize the deep joy that's available to us by watching our kids grow into little people, and how much more they need us than we know. 

Mark is an exceptional leader in the CPG industry, in his community, and in his home. I hope you all enjoy this conversation with Mark as much as I did. 
Feel better today, y'all! 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

We're joined by Courtney Morey again to continue the Morey Family story.
Annie's successful heart operation was only the beginning of this intense journey.
Most might assume that when you get home from the hospital everything is back to normal. Not the case for the Moreys.
Breathing, feeding, and simply living would be a daily battle to help Annie grow the way she needs to.
It's easy to assume and hope that the doctors have all of the answers, but that is not always the case. One doctor would recommend something that another doctor would contradict.
Long-term needs were being served with short-term solutions that were not even real solutions, just the best the doctor can do. Courtney kept up her fight for her daughter every single day. 
Progress never came easy, but Courtney's persistent advocacy led to break-throughs for Annie that would also help other children in a similar situation.
To be clear, we are very supportive of doctors and the medical community. Their jobs are incredibly difficult, and they are often times learning alongside the patients they are treating.
That's why Courtney's persistence has been so important. She refused to accept anything less than a successful outcome for Annie, and because of that, doctors have been able to learn and accomplish things for Annie that they didn't think possible before.
If you are a mama bear (or papa bear) going through medical challenges with your child, keep fighting. Never give up. You may be the case that teaches doctors something new is possible.

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Parker Olson is the founder of FORIJ, a functional granola company based in Seattle, WA. Before starting FORIJ, he spent 18 months recording how different diets impacted his health, from mood to sleep & energy. One month he tried functional mushrooms and they transformed how he felt on a day-to-day basis. From there, FORIJ was born.  He is committed to sharing the cognitive and health benefits of functional mushrooms with as many people as possible. And FORIJ's delicious granola is just the beginning: Parker and his team have a passion for promoting both cognitive and physical health through a variety of means.

Contact Parker:
Website: Forij.co
Instagram: @Forij.co
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parker-ol...  

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Will:
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-nitze/
Website - https://www.eatiqbar.com
Instagram - @eatiqbar

Will Hitze is the Founder & CEO of IQBAR, a Boston-based brain + body nutrition company. IQBARs are now sold in over 8,000 US locations and on all major e-commerce platforms.

Will experienced mental and physical challenges early in his career that many people out there face all the time. His natural curiosity for the human brain and body functions led him to try to solve the problems with natural remedies first.

Once Will discovered the right combination of dietary solution and convenience to match his demanding lifestyle, he did what entrepreneurs do and brought his solution to the market. IQBAR was born.

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Courtney Morey shares her story about how her second child changed her life, and thousands of others, forever. 

Courtney and her husband, Spencer, found out in early 2020 that they would be expecting their second child. In addition to the stress of going through a pregnancy during a pandemic, they found out that their daughter would have Down Syndrome. 

Courtney immediately immersed herself in the Down Syndrome community to start learning as much as she could. What she discovered was a gracious community ready to embrace her. 
The road to learning would be long, but filled with new friendships. 
Unfortunately, there were additional challenges for Annie and the Morey family. Courtney and Spencer would eventually learn that Annie would need a heart operation a few months after she's born. They could not have been prepared for what waited for them. 
Annie was fighting for her life at only 5 months old. After over 2 months in the hospital, the Morey family would finally get to go home... only to have the next big journey begin. 

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklUuXyMRHEWmzYBi9VrrWw
Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Michele
Website: michelewellness360.com
Email: michelewellness360@gmail.com
Instagram: @michelewellness360

For many years, I was surrounded by a hostile environment that fed into my self-doubt, anxiety, and depression.

I felt lifeless, as if I had no voice, constantly trying to please others without thinking about myself. When I did have the energy to look inwardly, my mindset was poor: riddled with thoughts of "I'm not good enough" or "I cannot do that." 

I went to therapy on and off until I found the right therapist for me and my needs, who ultimately helped me find the road to recovery. 

Slowly I found my voice, set boundaries, practice gratitude, learned how to forgive internally and externally, and used tools like journaling to continue on this great path of healing. 

Building a healthy body is also a passion of mine. I believe in movement, fueling your body, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. I currently train for a 50-mile ultra trial run in October 2023 with many other races. It is all about taking care of yourself and challenging your body to reach limits it did not know it could. 

I have suffered significant losses: losing my mom to cancer in 2016; for three years, I helped care for my stepdad through his battle with cancer. Then, in 2019 I survived a head-on vehicle collision at 70 MPH. Then, three days later, I lost my stepfather, and one week later, I suddenly lost my dad. 

Most recently, I had to battle Uterine Cancer and have a complete hysterectomy. Through all of life's knocks, this was one of the hardest because of my family's history with cancer. I am blessed to say I am cancer free. I do not take this journey lightly and know what a blessing it is to be healthy. 

I strongly believe in practicing all the tools and techniques I have learned daily, the same ones I teach. These habits help me through my grief, negative thoughts, and menopause daily.

You, too, can come back from menopause, loss, grief, and so much more. The road to recovery is not impossible. The road to your dreams is not impossible.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklUuXyMRHEWmzYBi9VrrWw
Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Michele
Website: michelewellness360.com
Email: michelewellness360@gmail.com
Instagram: @michelewellness360

For many years, I was surrounded by a hostile environment that fed into my self-doubt, anxiety, and depression.

I felt lifeless, as if I had no voice, constantly trying to please others without thinking about myself. When I did have the energy to look inwardly, my mindset was poor: riddled with thoughts of "I'm not good enough" or "I cannot do that." 

I went to therapy on and off until I found the right therapist for me and my needs, who ultimately helped me find the road to recovery. 

Slowly I found my voice, set boundaries, practice gratitude, learned how to forgive internally and externally, and used tools like journaling to continue on this great path of healing. 

Building a healthy body is also a passion of mine. I believe in movement, fueling your body, and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. I currently train for a 50-mile ultra trial run in October 2023 with many other races. It is all about taking care of yourself and challenging your body to reach limits it did not know it could. 

I have suffered significant losses: losing my mom to cancer in 2016; for three years, I helped care for my stepdad through his battle with cancer. Then, in 2019 I survived a head-on vehicle collision at 70 MPH. Then, three days later, I lost my stepfather, and one week later, I suddenly lost my dad. 

Most recently, I had to battle Uterine Cancer and have a complete hysterectomy. Through all of life's knocks, this was one of the hardest because of my family's history with cancer. I am blessed to say I am cancer free. I do not take this journey lightly and know what a blessing it is to be healthy. 

I strongly believe in practicing all the tools and techniques I have learned daily, the same ones I teach. These habits help me through my grief, negative thoughts, and menopause daily.

You, too, can come back from menopause, loss, grief, and so much more. The road to recovery is not impossible. The road to your dreams is not impossible.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklUuXyMRHEWmzYBi9VrrWw
Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast

Contact Mozey
Instagram: @Jason_mozey   
Race Instagram: @racemozey
Support: The Josh Pallotta Fund - joshpallottafund.org

I was born and raised in Waterbury Connecticut where I was a typical kid growing up in the 90's. Not really any sense of direction, wasn't heavily involved in sports and the most fitness I ever did was hacky sack. I consider myself that typical high school metal head with Jnco jeans and a chain wallet. But after the events on September 11th, 2001, my mindset had changed and I decided to join the United States Marine Infantry. A month after graduating high school, I was shipped down to Parris Island and completed Marine Corp boot camp. 

During my time in the Marines, I was deployed to Iraq twice and Okinawa Japan once. After my first tour to Ar Ramadi Iraq though, my mental state had changed from the person I was joining the Marines. I came back disconnected, heavily drinking, and put on anti depressant pills. This went on for about a year until in 2005, I attempted to take my own life. I was placed into a mental ward and was put on more pills along with seeing multiple counselors. I struggled with these thoughts throughout the rest of my time in service and in 2007, I was honorably discharged and myself and my wife decided to move to Vermont. 

Though we had started a new life outside of the military in a new area, my mental struggles followed me. I continued to drink heavily always trying to cover up what my real issues were. That all started to change in 2013 when a buddy of mine asked if I wanted to run an obstacle course race call "Tough Mudder" with him. I agreed, got my shit kicked in, but finished it. The feeling after crossing the finish line was something that I had not felt in a long time. From that point, I began to utilize fitness as my cure. It allowed me to finally look in the mirror and figure a valuable lesson out. 

I said to myself "Look, whatever happened has happened. You now have a demon that lives in your head and he isn't going anywhere. It's time to final make that mother f***er pay rent!" With that, I started the road to where I am now. It started with an at home workout DVD called Insanity and continued to progress.

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCklUuXyMRHEWmzYBi9VrrWw
Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/ 

Sponsor: https://lifeleafremedies.com/
Instagram: @betterbynaturepodcast