Strong Towers

There's 3 things you don't usually talk about in public: money, faith, and politics. Last week we dove headfirst into the heart behind money. This week we're tackling faith and trying to get to the bottom of why it's just so...well...uncomfortable for us to talk about with others. Join us for this conversation with Tom, Mike, and Jon, and let the discomfort continue!

Money, money, money! It's amazing how much of our life often seems inextricably tied to money...and equally amazing how rarely we truly talk about. We'll offer no tips, tricks, or investments here, but with the wisdom and experience of our friend, Alex Voorhees, we'll take an even deeper dive into our relationships with money in the hopes of finding understanding, freedom, and abundance in ways we might never have imagined.

Goal-setting is a good thing. Challenging ourselves to push past our usual limits is a very good thing. But what about intentionally asking to be made uncomfortable? We're not talking about roughing it in the wilderness here, but we are talking about pursuing the frontier areas of our life that make us feel ill-equipped, unsure, and wildly uncomfortable. We usually avoid those areas like the plague, but what if discomfort is exactly where we need to go?

Many of us have been hip-deep in New Year's goals since the calendar switched over...and some of have just been happy to be living in any year other than 2020. But is it possible we said goodbye to 2020 too quickly? Might we need to linger over one of the more difficult 12-month periods in recent memory to ensure we've actually given ourselves time to grieve the hurt, pain, and loss that accompanied such trying times? Take a listen, and then take a moment for yourself.

Happy 2021 from all of us at Strong Towers as we celebrate both the new year and our 2-year anniversary as a podcast. It's been a wild ride this past year, and we're curious to see what the next 12 months hold for us all. Join us as we look back on all 2020 held and then battle plan for the year ahead.

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!" Well...sort of. It's 2020 after all, so nothing's quite the same. But nevertheless, we circled the virtual chairs one last time before the calendar changes to ring in our favorite holiday. Favorite traditions, hopes for the coming weeks, and all the holiday cheer you could ask for. Merry Christmas to all of you from all of us at Strong Towers.

Did you know that you're a wildly creative person? If you don't believe it, ask Allen Arnold. Allen's worked with creative people for decades, and has now channeled his own creative juices to produce "Chaos Can't." This book reveals how the best parts of you are thwarted, opposed, and undermined by forces designed to keep you from offering the truest parts of yourself to the world around you. This was an AMAZING conversation. We know you'll love it!

The series on "Challenge" back in Season 1 was one of our all-time favorites...both to talk about and also be, well, challenged by. A year has come and gone, and we thought it would be worth it to revisit the topic and see how things have changed. The conversation that ensued was surprising, encouraging, and convicting all at the same time. Hope you find it to be so as well.

We met Travis 2 years ago, around the same time we started Strong Towers. After hearing just a little of the story of his side-business, Dynasty Brewing, we knew we wanted the chance to record an episode with him. Two years later, thanks to our friend, Jeff Kuzma (Ego - Season 2, Episodes 8&9), we got the chance. Added bonus...both Jeff and Dynasty's brew master, Favio, joined us for the conversation. You're going to love this episode! And then you're going to want to go check out Dynasty Brewing!

We found it! The lost episode on technology has returned from the furthest corners of time and space...and our gig bag...with some pearls of wisdom on breaking free from techno-slavery whilst still enjoying all that's good in our 21st century existence. Now if only we could remember what's in it...

Between recent episodes on favorite movies and our love of learning, we got to talking about some of our favorite books. Then we decided to actually record that conversation since we were having so much fun with it. So pull up a chair as Tom, Mike, and Jon share some of their favorites -- the ones that entertain, inspire, and make great gifts (just in time for the holidays!).

At Strong Towers, we have deep ties to education. Two of us were professional teachers, all 3 of us have been trainers/mentors, and all three of us have married educators. When you put it that way, it's shocking we didn't do an episode on education long before now. But in the midst of COVID and distance learning, we wanted to sit down with a dear friend, Kathy Bales, and talk about education...both as teachers, but also as life-long learners.

Statement of the obvious: 2020 has been a test for us all. There's been much in the last 10 months that has been physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually challenging, disruptive, or unexpected. As a result, we're all trying to find relief wherever we can. The question is do we need relief or restoration?

Discussing our favorite cinematic moments made us want to dig a little deeper into why they affect us so deeply. As a result, we got to have an awesome conversation about identity and the places we go to discover the truth of who we are. We also made a LOT more movie references! So take a listen and join the conversation.

Sometimes you just gotta have a little fun! Over the last few seasons, we've covered topics from fear and ego to future dreams and effective leadership. Today...it's favorite movie scenes. Why? The better questions is why not? But seriously, we've found that our favorite scenes speak to deep places within us...and as we share the scenes, we share a little bit about those deep places and the power of media to move us in unexpected ways.

A blanket in the park. It's one of the iconic images of a summer afternoon or a crisp fall day. It's the epitome of unhurried rest and soaking in a great setting and great friends. And when was the last time any of us actually did it?!? Take a listen as Mike, Tom, and Jon consider the allure of a day spent with no agenda other than connection and enjoyment.

Tired of hearing about "new normal" yet? For that matter, tired of trying to find some semblance of a rhythm or routine in the midst of so much change? Mike, Tom, and Jon swap stories about their attempts to find inspiration, motivation, and some sense of consistency over the last few months...and how it hasn't always looked like what we expected.

We're baaack! After a summer of...rest?...we're excited for a new season and a new theme for the fall episodes. We're all searching for sanity, stability, and hope right now, and so Strong Towers is offering a series of conversations this fall on every-day topics that ring true for most of us. Adjusting our morning routines to a new normal? Maintaining friendships and connection in the midst of COVID? Developing skills and carving out time for personal growth? Check, check, and check. You're gonna love Season 3!

We've learned a lot of lessons over this first year and a half of podcasting. One of them is to always leave the recorder on, because you never know when you'll stumble upon a great conversation. Another thing we've learned is the necessity of taking a break so that what we do here never becomes something we begrudgingly do here. So as hard as it is to hit pause in the midst of the most pivotal moments of our generation, we're doing it because we know we need it. But check out this episode because we threw in a couple nuggets on our way out.

George Floyd's shocking murder on May 25, 2020 is forcing people all over America and all over the world to have hard and long over-due conversations about the continued reality of race and racism in our time. At Strong Towers, while we certainly have no answers, we are working to have those conversations and process the hard feelings that are coming up in this moment. We offer this conversation in humility and we're grateful to have you join us as we all hope to see real change and real healing in our world.