Christopher Rausch: The Unfiltered Experience

Welcome to another amazing episode of the path to podcast success with your host, audience building and fear crushing podcast expert, Evan Bradley Johnson. Every single week, Evan has powerful conversations with successful entrepreneurs and business owners, revealing the podcast strategies they use to grow their subscribers and sales, and how you can use your podcast to finally get to that next level. now turn on your mic and let's start down the path to podcast success okay welcome everyone to another very exciting episode of path to podcast success i have a guest here with me today that i'm very excited to welcome to the show i think this is going to be a fun conversation.

I think I have a lot of fun guests on the show. Maybe I'm good at finding guests. I don't know what the deal is, but this guest, I think this is going to be a particularly fun and enlightening interview for everyone listening. Christopher Roush, welcome to the podcast.

Thank you, Evan. I appreciate it. Good to be here. Of course.

I appreciate you being here. It'll be a blast and a good time. Yes, yes. So I like to start off in the same place with all my guests.

And that is by making sure that everyone listening is on the same page and they have the context that they need to get the most that they can out of this conversation. So for those people, go ahead and tell us, what is it that you do? What is it that I do? I help people overcome their self-created crap without the self-help fluffy bullshit.

So essentially what I do is I'm a motivational speaker, inspirational speaker, a mindset coach, podcaster, author. My life story is coming out later this year. And I essentially just love to get people to think differently about their past, present, and their future to rock their authentic nature and to have a kick-ass time being unstoppable in their lives. Okay.

I love it. And how long have you been doing this for? Over 20 years. I became a coach before the term coach came out and I've been broadcasting for over 10 years and been speaking for over 20 years.

Damn. All right. So you were perfectly positioned then to take advantage of all those skills and doing this. I think that's amazing.

So you've always been an entrepreneur then in one way or another. You know what? Honestly, I have been, I had a successful run in corporate. I was there for my last job.

I was there for 26 years. I started off at the bottom and wound up leaving as a director of operations. So I'd had a very successful corporate career. I have a master's degree in business.

And, but I always have been attracted to inspiring people. I have a very, very interesting backstory to say the least. My, like I said, my memoir is coming out later this year and it talks about how I was homeless on the streets, how I tried to kill myself twice, unfortunately sucked at it. And then ultimately had a gun put to my head.

And I told the guy to pull the effing trigger and he didn't pull the trigger. And I'm like, I'm still here. Okay. I must have something to do.

And since that time, I've just dedicated my life to my personal growth. And then realizing that my limiting beliefs, all the things that I thought about myself, no self-confidence, no ability to speak in front of other people, you know, all these different things that if I can overcome this stuff as a seventh grade dropout, if I can do it, anybody else can do it. And so I've just been addicted my entire life to helping people get out of their own way and realize their true potential.

I'd say if anyone can find success and really impacts people by releasing a memoir, it's you. Because that is a crazy story, even just a really quick version right there. That is incredible. People can't see this.

I'll show it to you, Evan. Here's a mock-up of my book. So this is on the cover. It's called It's Just You and Me, Kid.

It's a story of a mother and son's survival on the streets of California. It's insane. Writing this book in the detail that I have to write it in order to give people a perspective of me being an abused kid, you know, physically and mentally beaten, going through all these experiences, being homeless, you know, my mom and her various psychological disorders and chemical dependencies and all that other stuff to go deep into that was challenging and, and, and, and, and hard, but at the same time, I've healed so much by doing it.

So I highly recommend everybody to write their story because when you do that, and then you decide to see it from a different perspective, not from a victim standpoint, but Victor standpoint, it's pretty incredible how much healing you can do. And that's, that's been the process of writing the book. Yeah. Yeah.

That's incredible. So what, like, what, what motivated you to, to write this book? That's a good question, Evan. Um, I've written three other books that I have not yet published.

And I had one of my dear mentor friends reach out to me about three years ago, right before COVID. And she said, Hey, Chris, she goes, and she gets channeling. She gets, you know, visions and all that stuff that, you know, I used to think was bullshit. Um, quite honest.

She's like, I have this calling that I'm supposed to talk to you about you writing a book. And I said, Oh, funny. You should mention that I'm writing this book right now called change your attitude, change your life. She's like, no, no.

Are you writing anything else? I'm like, yeah, I have another one. It's called 69 tips for living your kick-ass life. She's like, no.

And I said, well, eventually I'm going to write my life story about me being homeless and, you know, make it a personal development story. And she's all that one. And I'm like, I don't want to write that one. That one's painful.

That one, I can write motivational books all day long. I don't want to really deal with my life story. I'm going to do that later. You know, when I'm older, you know, when I could deal with it later.

Right. She's like, no, Chris, I'm being called to tell you that that the book you need to write And because I respect her so much I said all right We push all the other books to the side and i started writing it in october of 2020 that amazing for many reasons but something that stuck out to me while you were saying that is that like no matter kind of what level you're at your comfort zone kind of catches up to you right and it sounds to me like the motivational books are within your comfort zone not that they're not impactful at all or at all like you know there's it's still you know worthwhile to write those books, but it sounds like those were a lot more in your comfort zone.

But sitting down and kind of coming face-to-face with your past like that, I'm sure it was a lot less so, a lot further outside that comfort zone than writing a motivational book like the other ones. That's like, what are your thoughts on that? No, I completely agree with you. That's why I highly recommend people to do that because when you do that and you go back and revisit some of those things, oftentimes we don't give ourselves credit for the stuff that we've survived.

Right. We're always constantly beating ourselves up for the things we fail at or the things we suck at. You know, so we're constantly in that mindset. Like, don't make a mistake.

Don't fail. Stay within our comfort zone. Stay with stay with what's certain. But when you go back and you revisit your life and you realize how many things you've been through and you realize, Evan, that you've survived 100 percent of all the things that you've been through in this particular life.

So if things are bad right now or things get bad in a couple of weeks, whenever it might be Have the perspective to realize that you have survived 100 of those things and that you have grown exponentially through having been through those difficult situations That might this next difficult situation bring me another opportunity to grow and expand. Yes And so we have that perspective. It's still going to suck either way I'm, not saying you know to paint it with rainbows and all that stuff It's still going to suck but as you're going through it.

What am I supposed to learn from this? What am I going to do with this information? How am I going to grow with this? we're all going to have challenges, but it's about that mindset.

And that's what I teach people is to have that mindset to go, okay, well, it's going to suck, but how can I suck? How can it suck less? And that's all about our perspective and our attitude. Yes, exactly.

I love it. So you've been through some crazy stuff to put it mildly. What motivates you to keep doing this and to live your life so, you know, it's just amazing the work that you're doing, despite those challenges, what motivates you to keep going? I have a big why, you know, honestly, I have a big why.

When, before my son came along, my son's six years old, I'm 54. So I have a kid late in life. We actually adopted him from birth. He's an amazing kid.

For me, you know, having that why in my life to be able to have that big enough leverage, right? You know, when you think about having a big enough why you have a big enough how, and that's what I teach people. And so for me back in 2008, while I was successful on paper, I made six figures, had a great job doing my speaking, doing my all things on paper, being awesome. There was still a part of me that was comfortably miserable, right?

I was just doing good enough and I was safe enough. And because I'd been homeless, I was financially secure. I had a great house. I had a great relationship.

Everything was safe. Everything was good. And then, but I would drive home and I'm thinking, did I come here to have a good experience or did I come here to have an amazing experience? Did I come here to be mediocre or did I come here to be kick-ass unstoppable?

And so through that process, when I went to a funeral back in 2008, long story short, I sat in the back of the funeral and I thought, okay, if I died tomorrow, who would show up and what would they say? And I got to tell you, Evan, at that point, I was probably about 32 years old, very successful. And I thought 10 or 15 people will show up and they will talk about all the stupid shit Chris did. Oh my God.

Remember that time Chris got drunk and did this. Remember that time he did this. Remember that time? Because I've done some pretty stupid stuff.

Thankfully, cell phones were not around in those days because not much of it's on video. I don't think I don't even have any of it's in pictures, hopefully. But I sat there and I thought I'm like, well, and then they would sit there and they would tell all these stupid stories about Chris and drink Miller, genuine draft and Jack Daniels and play Bon Jovi and Motley Crue. And then at the end they would go, oh yeah, by the way, he was a homeless seventh grade dropout who lived in the backseat of a station wagon with 18 cats and four dogs.

I didn't tell you that part, Evan. I lived with 18 cats and four dogs inside of a station wagon for four years of my life. And they, my friends would say, oh yeah, he changed the world and made it a better place. And that bugged me, honestly, you know, to be remembered for all the stupid stuff I did.

And then, oh, by the way, the postscript on your life was that he changed the world. And I drove home that day and I was, it's kept gnawing at me. And I know when you have something gnawing at you, that's, that's a sign from God, source universe, whatever you believe in, that's a gnawing at you. Like, what can I do with this information?

So I went home and I wrote my eulogy. And most people are uncomfortable thinking about their death, thinking about how they're going to be remembered. I wrote my eulogy out by hand. And the God's honest truth, Evan, as I read it back to myself out loud as though I were at a church, same day.

And I got halfway down the page and I started crying. I was just not boohooing, but I just started having tears run down my face. And I was like, oh my God. And I just realized to create this life that I wrote on paper.

Wow. Wow. To be remembered for being an amazing dad, for being a guy that fought for what's right and what's fair, that risk for which that mattered and left the earth a better place for who he was and what he did. I got goosebumps.

I still get goosebumps. And that was 2008. So when you asked me that question, like what, how do I stay motivated? Every single day when I wake up, the first thing I do is I say what I'm grateful for.

And then the second thing I do before my eyes open is I set my intention for the day My intention today is to fulfill my legacy that by which doing so I make the world a better place for who I am and what I do My intention today is to be present and playful with my son My intention today is to use my words and my actions to make the people around me smile and laugh. Those intentions, as I'm going throughout my day, I don't have perfect rainbow days. I struggle with depression sometimes.

I struggle with anxiety sometimes, but I have the answers to be able to sit there and say, Chris, you're not focusing on what you said you were going to focus on this morning, what can you do right now? And so having that big why allows me to go through those darker periods of my life and ask myself, like my tattoo says, what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. Like people can't listen on the podcast, can't see this. But on 2016, I wrote on my inside of my forearm, when I was having a very down period of my life, what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger.

And so I put that there. So when I'm looking at, you know, challenging times in my life, I'm like, Chris, it's all happening for your greater good. It's all preparing you for what's next. And so that's my why.

And that's how I keep going every day. That is, that is incredible. I mean, that is incredibly inspiring. And it's amazing that you've been able to do that for yourself, despite those challenges.

It's not easy, but it's totally worth it. Yes. So I'm a big fan on the podcast of actionable advice, right? I like it when someone listening could take something from this podcast and really use it.

So besides emulating some of your morning routine there, let's say someone is feeling inspired by this and maybe they themselves are in a difficult spot right now, but they, you know, dream of something more. What would you say to those people? What would be one piece of actionable advice you could give that they can take and implement right now to help, you know, move them in that more positive direction? Great question, Evan.

I would first suggest what I talked about before, like having your eulogy, like really thinking in specific detail, how you want to be remembered for what adjectives describe the person that you are, and then be that person every single day of your life, no matter what, no matter whether you feel like it or not, you are that person now. You're that person that does these things. And as you do, it becomes more routine. It becomes a part of your ingrained physiology.

But my answer to this specific question is something that we can all do. I'm a big fan of keeping paper in front of me. I'm a huge fan of writing things down because when you write things down, there's a psychological commitment that happens when you write things down. So every day I create these tasks that I'm going to do.

One of the things that everybody can do that's listening is write down everything that they're tolerating, tolerating from themselves. One heading is tolerating from themselves. The next heading is tolerating things from other people. And the last heading is what they're tolerating from inanimate objects.

So like, you know, the car door sticks, the washing machine doesn't always work, you know, whatever the cupboard door doesn't close all the stuff that we're tolerating, all the stuff that we deal with every day ago. Oh, I gotta, I gotta take care of that. Oh, I gotta fix that. The lights burnt out, whatever it might be.

List all of those things out, what you're tolerating from others, what you're tolerating from yourself and what you're tolerating from inanimate objects. Be a hundred percent honest, give yourself about two weeks to do this. Because most of the time when I have my coaching clients do it, they come back and they have like five things on each category. And by this time, I already know that they're full of shit.

I'm like, are you just a little bit embarrassed maybe of all the things you really are tolerating? So you're just bringing me a few. Well, yeah. 99% of the people say that.

A few people like, nope, that's all I'm tolerating. And then I find out they're lying, lying to themselves. And so you should have quite a few, probably about at least 10 things from each category. And then the next step you do is you sit there and say, okay, what's one thing out of each category that I can, that I can tackle and get rid of that thing.

I'm tolerating that by which doing so will free up time, money, resources, whatever it is I need the most of in order to become the best person I can possibly be. A lot of people say they don't have time. I just had somebody, a coaching client the other day, we got to the tolerations exercise and she's like, Oh, Chris, you don't understand. I have to make my kids lunches every day.

I have to get my husband's lunch prepared. I have to do the laundry. I have to do this. I'm like, okay, so tell me what your husband and your kids do around the house.

Oh my God. Well, Well, they kind of pick up maybe. And I'm like, okay, so what would life feel like if your kids and your husband actually participated in this and that you didn't have to do it consecutively seven days in a row? Oh my God, Chris would be this and it'd be this.

And you just see her physiology change, but they would never do it. I've tried it before and they never do it. I'm like, okay, well, guess what? If you got hit by a bus tomorrow, would your kids not fucking have lunch tomorrow?

Would your husband not have clean clothes tomorrow? No, they would figure it out. They would have to, they are codependent upon you. you're doing this thinking that you have to do this because it gives you validation that you're important, but you don't need to do it.

You need to teach your kids how to do it, make their own lunches. And you take that time and you devote it to yourself. You go out to exercise, you go meditate, you go take a class, you go do something that makes you feel good, pour into your cup, and then watch how much better your relationships and everything, every other part of your life starts to take off. You got to stop tolerating half the shit you're tolerating guys, because we've taken it on and we've taken it on and we don't see how much there is.

And then when you write it down, And you look at it, you go, wow. I've had every single one of my clients go, Chris, I didn't realize it was as bad. I'm like, yeah, look at the stuff you're tolerating from yourself. Look at the way you talk to yourself.

Like, stop doing that. Stop talking to yourself like you're stupid and like you're worthless. But at the same time, you're wondering where the relationship is. You're wondering where the success is when you're talking to yourself like nobody else would talk to you or talk to anybody else So let just start to focus on those things So that something everybody can do and when they do it it changes their life that is amazing actionable advice i mean that true i that i've been i was just thinking to myself you know kind of what while you're talking as well it's like that's it really kind of gets the gears turning and thinking like you know what am i tolerating there's tons we all do even i do yeah it's kind of impossible to avoid but it's not about avoiding it.

It's about recognizing it. And only when you recognize it, can you begin to move in that direction? Because only when you take action, can you make change? Yeah.

Yeah. You got to, you got to be ready. You got to be the receptiveness has to be there. I've seen so many people say they want to change and say they want to grow.

But if you're not, if you're not connected, if it's not congruent, your thoughts, actions, and beliefs, it will never happen. Yes. I've seen it. I've seen regrets.

Regrets are the biggest leverage that I personally have in my life. I choose to live my life in such a way that I don't have any regrets. So try to take advantage of each moment and enjoy every single moment and embrace gratitude and everything that we have. So many times we're thinking about the stuff that, oh, when I have this and when I have this, we play the someday game, Evan.

Well, someday when the kids are this and when the husband's this and when this is that and when the government's that, then I'll be happy. And then what happens? They get to the end of their life and they have nothing but time to reflect on the fact that they didn't take those chances, that they stayed in the marriage that they were miserable in for 20 years when they knew they weren't happy and they were scared of what they were going to do. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

There's a great book out there called The Five Regrets of the Dying. It was written by a hospice nurse. And in there, it talks about all the regrets these people who are dying told this nurse. And the number one regret of the dying, Evan, was that they lived the life they thought they were supposed to live and they didn't live the life they wanted to live.

I mean, think about that. You're on your deathbed. You're dying. That's it.

I mean, we're all dying, obviously, but you know you're going to die and that's all you can think about is all the chances and the things you put up with and all that. that is a miserable way to end life. I want to live life thinking like, man, look at all the stuff I did in the lives I changed. And yeah, is it too soon?

And yeah, my bum, sure. But man, I lived every single day with the intention of making the world a better place. And I did. Exactly.

You know, that's something that reminds me of something I heard that that's very similar to that. And it's like, regardless of, you know, what someone believes in, this is just an example, metaphor, whatever, take it as you will. But let's say, you know, you get to the end of your life and uh you like you know you get to the end of your life and you end up in the afterlife and then there's god right and then he shows you like this is what your life could have looked like yeah this is what i was like thinking it would go and if you look at that and it's anything other than the life that you lived it's like how can that that would suck to put it mildly i mean that is rough and so that's something that's a big motivator for me it's like well what how can I live my life in such a way that when I get to the end, that was, I want to live the best case scenario.

Yeah. And I use that, I use that figure as well without that analogy, basically. Yeah. That you're, you're, you're like a spy.

I use the car analogy. It's like when you go buy a new car, it's got all these bells and whistles and it's got this spec sheet. And then when you die, that same spec sheet was created for us. Oh, you were supposed to be a motivational speaker.

You didn't do that. Oh, you were supposed to have this amazing life in this kid. Oh, you didn't do it. No, I want it.

I want it to be like, oh, you did this and you did this. Yeah. Yeah. No, y'all want to add some things.

You know what I mean? Things that are unexpected. Yeah. That is incredible.

And that's, that's the way that I try to live my life because, you know, we only get the one. Yeah. Yeah. It's true.

Christopher, I do honestly believe that we could talk about all of this for hours, but I want to make sure that I respect your time and the time of our listeners. For those listening who are interested in you and the things you're talking about, maybe they're feeling inspired by you and they'd like to learn more, where can they do so? Where can they find you online? That is awesome.

Thank you, Evan, for this. Noexcusescoach.com. Noexcusescoach.

com. You go there, you can find my website. It's got all my social media. It's got my YouTube.

It's got all sorts of stuff like that. And if you want to see other things I've been involved in, if you just go to Google and you type in hashtag noexcusescoach, all one word, you'll see all sorts of videos and stuff like that. So yeah, I would love to know who listened to the show and reaches out and yeah, develop a relationship. There we go.

I'm going to have that linked up in the show notes and I encourage everyone listening to check that out in more detail. But for now, thank you again, Christopher, very, very much for being willing to come on the podcast today. No, it's definitely a pleasure and I appreciate your questions. You're a great interviewer.

Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you for listening to this episode and for supporting the Path to Podcast Success show.

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