Welcome to the Joy-Inspired Podcast. I'm Nikki Cruz, and I'm thrilled to explore with you what it means to walk in a faith-infused business. This is your space to find powerful tools and insights, to build with resilience and to create impact through your unique purpose, discovering a joy that only God can provide. Together, let's embrace a business journey anchored in faith and empowered by joy. Let's jump in. Well, hello there, folks, and welcome back to the Joy Inspire Podcast. It's Nikki Cruz, your host for today, and your cheerleader, your joybringer, and the person who reminds you that joy is your most underutilized business and life strategy. So today we're going to bring you some more joy with an incredible story that's going to be talking about faith, leadership, resilience, and building through difficult seasons. I have an amazing guest with me today. And one of the things I love most is that he is so filled with joy all the time. So won't you join me in welcoming Aaron Clark, Coach Clark, to our podcast? Awesome. Thank you, Nikki. It's uh an honor to be on here and glad to be able to share a little bit with uh you and your guest or your your listeners, because I'm the guest, they would be the listeners. They're our guests for the day. So you've got that right. And Aaron, tell us for those who may not know you yet, and they sure will because you're in my world now, tell us a little about who you are, what you do, and what you are passionate about. Well, I mean, first off, I'm surprised they don't know who I am. I mean, if you were to go and Google who is Coach Clark, it would come back and say, who? And and so, I mean, yeah, no, no, no. I'm so I like to tell everybody I'm a recovering football coach. Uh, coached high school athletics for 12 years, um, was a corporate director of admissions for Delta College, so I oversaw six college campuses uh all across South Louisiana. Now I I run my my leadership development company and I do in speaking and training, really focusing on I really like uh emerging leaders, but I just love talking leadership because I'm not even gonna say great leaders. We don't even have enough good leaders, and so it's really become just a passion of mine to help people to develop themselves as a leader, as a person. And it's something I believe that everybody can learn how to lead. It doesn't mean everybody should be a leader. I want to make that clear because leadership is not for the faint of heart. Um it there will be days where where it will try you, it will try you. Jesus did promise there would be days like that where you would face those tribulations. He didn't say if you do, he said you will. Absolutely. And I just I want to just identify for for the folks listening. Don't count yourself out as a leader because there's a bit of terminology here. Everybody is a leader. You know why? Because somebody is following you. The question is, where are you leading them? Are you positively leading them? And that's a different type of leadership to what Aaron's just been saying. Not everybody's cut out to be a leader. Let me tell you, not everybody was cut out to be a Moses kind of leader, but everybody in his tribe there that he led across was a leader because they influenced somebody else. So don't just sit back and go, oh well, this isn't for me. Because let me tell you, every leadership lesson out there is for everybody because you get to grow, you get to learn. So I want to make sure that you have a pen and paper, you have a beverage ready, because I know Aaron drops so many truth bombs when he talks. There's always so much that he brings forward. So if you're driving, you can always catch the replay. But if you are at home, grab a notepad, take a deep breath, because what we talk about here on the Joy Inspired Podcast isn't just facts and figures. We talk about faith. We talk about how faith affects your leadership. And you know, here we got this crazy dude who says he was a football coach. How do you go from being a football coach? How did you transition from that into leadership in business, leadership of people in the sense you do it now? Yeah, so I'm gonna try to make the long story short, but uh I realized while I was coaching that that was my main focus. That was the main thing that I was really trying to do was to create and develop leaders. Um out of necessity one year while I was coaching, uh I did not I I knew I wasn't gonna have an assistant coach with me over the summer. I was coaching a small sport, and I was like, I am not gonna have. I think at the time we had twenty it was I was to coaching girl soccer, and I had like 28 girls. I was not having 28 girls and their parents, and everybody texting me all the time. So it just kind of came about that I set up, I went, alright, the only people on the team, I've got four seniors, these four seniors can get in touch with me anytime they want to. But they'll have access to me. Everybody else has got to go through their senior. And that's kind of where I started and realized what I wanted to do and how I wanted to uh to build who I was as a coach. Uh and then it just kind of transformed. My son wanted to raise motocross, so I knew I couldn't be a coach or a football coach anymore, so I needed to find something to do, which transitioned to Hotshot, which then ended up going into uh getting Maxwell certified through the John Maxwell team. And then I became director of admissions at Delta College, started doing coaching training, my own podcast in in the process uh to now uh I do the leadership and development training and speaking, uh, as well as uh I am the the National Sales Director as well as the director of uh strategic partnership for TrueScalar. So doing a lot of different things, but I I do enjoy really helping to develop people, like you said, and and and I wasn't gonna say that, but you stole my thunder, Nikki. But ever everybody really is a leader because all leadership is is influence. That's it. It's nothing more, it's nothing less. And um when I say not everybody should be in leadership, I'm saying not everybody should be in charge of a podcast, not everybody should be in charge of a a small group study at at their church. Not everybody should be the one in charge of stuff, because uh I where where we get it wrong is people see leadership as look at me, look, look, I have arrived. Whereas Jesus said, No, if you want to be the first, you need to become the last, and you need to serve everybody. And so that's where people get it mixed up. So true and so powerful. And you know what else is that leadership isn't a title. Well, I know it is a title, but leadership isn't just a title, leadership is a lifestyle. And I was listening to a talk by an incredible guy guy yesterday, and they said, How would you define leadership? And he said, Surrender. Leadership is surrender. And as I listened to him, I formed in my own mind my own definition of the surrender, because leadership is surrender to your calling and your purpose, but also a surrender to serving the people you are called to, and that means laying it down, and sometimes you know, the ego gets in the way, and I have a fantastic definition of ego edging God out. Yes, and we are all uh leaders, but how is God calling us to lead and where is he calling us to lead? And sometimes you want to lead something, and if you're not equipped for it, you know what? It's gonna cost you so much, it's gonna cost everybody else so much. So we get back into the story about alignment. But Erin, one thing I absolutely love about you is that your vulnerability and your honesty, which is a strong, strong necessity in leadership. You don't have to air all your dirty laundry, however, you do have to be vulnerable, and I hope you don't have dirty laundry. However, we have victories, but we also have difficult seasons. And if we don't show our difficult seasons, we can't encourage other people in theirs. Because uh entrepreneurship sure stretches us in ways people often don't see. And you had mentioned to me that March was an especially difficult season for you in so many ways. Would you be willing to share a little bit about that journey and the upside of it? Oh yeah. I do want to touch on something you said though, that whenever you do move into leadership, uh, and it's giving up like you give up the right to think about yourself. Like you're no longer uh the important one because if and and I love to quote the the great philosopher of Captain Jack Sparrow, you know, you need to know what you can and can't do. And you can be this hardcore leader, but you can't accomplish a lot without people. So you've got to serve them. Um now as far as do we have to go back to can can can we just I'm trying to erase that one out of the memory. No, I'm j I'm joking. Well, we could, but God takes us through things so that we can encourage and other people can go, I'm not alone. So yes, we could, but no, we won't. Thank you, Aaron. Right. No, and that's that's you know, it was kind of weird because as I'd left that first job back in or the first job, my previous job as the corporate director, um, in January to really pursue the leadership development, you know, February, mar January, February were like basically I brought in, if I were to count on one hand how many dollars I brought in that month, you know, I wouldn't need more than one hand that to count in those dollars. And I and I mean single dollars, not. Um so for those of y'all that's zero. I brought in zero. Um but there was a lot of movement happening. I knew this, I knew coming in this wasn't the first time I've worked by myself for myself. Um so I I knew to really get it off the ground and and going, you've got to be okay with knowing you might not make anything. And so January tough month, February tough month. But I started having more opportunities come March. So uh from events and things that I went to in February, uh I was lining up speaking engagements, training engagements, coaching clients, and so a lot was going well, and I it was I think it was the first Wednesday in March. You know, I was so excited because I just got a speaking engagement with uh Molera Enterprises. I just uh got uh uh Chick-fil-A to agree to a training session. I just got a couple of other uh Landscape King, who's another local guy here, uh that was able to renew another contract with uh guarantee maids. So I mean having and bringing in people, and I was so excited to be able to tell my uh Bible study. I joined the Christian Businessman Connection of Baton Rouge, and I was so excited to tell them, you know, because leading up to that that Tuesday night, I was like, I just had another good meeting. I'm like, told my wife, I'm I'm so excited to just go tell them, like, that you know, what we're praying for is is happening, guys. It's it's happening. And uh I woke up Wednesday morning and I just hated the world. I didn't like anybody, I didn't like me, I didn't like you, I didn't like you fill in the blank. I just woke up and just that was crying and I was just like I you know, I felt like I don't even know how to describe it, but if that's what depression is for people, I I don't want that. Um but I I just couldn't even function and I had a I had another that day I had a zoo that with a potential uh client that we're still working on trying to get stuff in now. So I mean it's that was a good good meeting. We but uh that was all I could do to get like I threw some gel in my hair, they crawled from my room to where I am where y'all see me right now, and did everything I could to get in that chair. I was like, God, I I I need to stop crying for like 10 minutes. That's all they they only have me on here for ten minutes. I spoke and it was just like close the laptop and just start crying. What's going on? And I I was like, I gotta get back to my bed. I don't and you know what's amazing is it happens, it happens to all sorts of people. And I know that the reason why God has Aaron sharing this message is because there's someone out there going, Oh wow, so I'm not crazy. It wasn't just me, I'm not deficient, you know, I'm not defunct, it happens, and we get to do the things that are gonna bring it right. So, Aaron, what did you do? So I didn't do it like that day. I just kind of uh the leader of the group and uh had texted me, and then uh one of my mentors was is in the group, and they'd text me just like, hey, what's going on? I was like, Man, just bad day. I don't know why. I'm upset it don't whatever. And so I knew I had a lunch and learn the next day, and so went to so woke up the next morning, same thing, just couldn't get out. I'm like, oh my goodness, I don't know what's going on. I finally, you know, was finally able to get in my vehicle to start driving because like I've people have paid for this. I gotta go. Um, I don't know what to do other than just hopefully show up. So I texted a bunch of uh men who from that group and I was like, hey guys, I I can't stop crying. I don't know why I'm crying. This is not like me. Um luckily my friend Case called me right away. He was like, dude, what's going on? What are you supposed to do, like what like is like are you doing something that you're not supposed to be doing? What's God asking you to do? And I'm like, dude, I don't know. Like, he's like, are you sure you're on the right path? I was like, I am. Like, this is like I've never felt more even making zero dollars in January and February, I've never felt more sure that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't understand it. Well, then my my mentor Joey had ended up texting me later. He said, Hey, I didn't see this, and I know you're in your presentation. Call me when you get out. So I went and saw him and he was like, Aaron, he said, What we're gonna do, what we're gonna do is we're gonna go through a three-day fast. Like he shows up, he brings me to a restaurant, orders all this food, and he says, We're gonna go through a three-day fast. And I'm like, like, I don't even want to eat any of this stuff that you have here, man. Like, I'm not hungry. And he goes, even better. I'll eat it, and then we'll go through a three-day fast. But he he was talking about, you know, during this time, as we, because you know, we went through everything, like, what's your relationship like with your wife? Are you doing, you know, he I mean, he's grilling me with some questions. I'm like, geez, Joey, stop being so mean to me right now, man. And uh he finally goes, Aaron, you're in the middle of spiritual warfare. And that was when it finally made sense because I'd never felt like that before. Like I've been sad before. Like, you know, when my grandfather passed, I was I was uh sad for a couple of days, but I wasn't like this. Um, as a coach, we like to say there's two types of coaches uh in the coaching, athletic coaching world, those who've been fired and those who are about to be. And so we've all been fired at some point. So I mean it's always uh a not fun day to go home and like, well, sweetheart, um we're on the job market again. And so, I mean, I I'd been upset then, but never level of depression. And that was what Joey was saying was like, the way the enemy's gonna attack guys like you and me is he's got to get our energy. Right? Obviously, not making money didn't affect you, obviously not getting clients didn't affect you. I've you know, you were able to keep pushing and keep going, and knowing that was part of the process, but he he came after your energy. And knowing that, and this is where kind of bringing it into like, so Aaron, what did you do? How did you get through this? Is we really started transforming and like part of not my daily routine was not praise and worship. So I wasn't bringing in and listening to praise and worship music, whether it's that you want to go to the good old hymns or if you want to go to new contemporary stuff, I don't care. Jesus doesn't care, God doesn't care, he just wants you to worship him. Um, and so we started doing that, and what he was his uh what he said was when you start doing that, it's like the whoever you whatever you're doing, the enemy's over there about to, they're in a huddle, they're about to call their play, they're in the huddle with a bull horn going, Hey, I don't care what you're doing, but you're not gonna interrupt me. I'm gonna keep doing what and it's so it interrupts them and throws them off um by you doing that. And it and it really quickly knowing that, because I like it's funny. I've I've I guess it was like three or four days ago now, I woke up feeling that that way, and I was like, Nope, where's the earbuds? We're going in. We know we we know what's what's up right now. Let's let's strap it up and go. I'm ready. Like, you've already lost, sucker. Um and that's what's so amazing is we know that the victory's already won, but we don't step into living it. And I do, I honestly believe that leadership today is really being tested. People are exhausted, they're overwhelmed, and they're trying to lead while carrying pressure privately. And you you kind of glossed over one thing that was so important in how you tackled that community. You had people you could reach out to, and you had a mentor who would walk alongside you, folks. You look at the people in the Bible, they had one another. So why do we keep thinking we have to go it alone and we'll walk on our own and reach out to God every now and then? Because there are times where we cannot hear God clearly because there are things dividing us, and community is so important there. And for some of us, that's kind of a norm. Like Aaron didn't even realize, oh yeah, wow, the community was a big deal. He knows that. So if you are not in community, I'm encouraging you find a community, find a faith-centered community, be it business, be it church, be it whatever, and find people you can walk with, not just so they can support you, but so that you can support them, so that there is a mutual network going on. So that's where you become a leader because you're in a group of people, and there are new people coming in, and you learn, and that's where God expands and extends your gifts and your abilities, is in those places. So, Aaron, what do you think makes a good and impactful leader today? So I've always thought vulnerability was something that you have to be able and willing to do as a leader. And I was about to say, I'm sure y'all can hear my my mobile security. Going off. Oh, well, cool. But um Zoom's doing a good job on the noise filtering there. Yeah, I was about to say knowing that that works real well is phenomenal. But being vulnerable and open is definitely a good way to be a leader. But having, like you said, the community, um, and I'd forgot to even touch on that because I was one that like I knew instinctively as well was all right, I'm struggling. Whereas we we tend to wanna that when we struggle, I'm gonna come back in here and uh and instead of trying to reach out and that like I started, you know, that was just the immediate, like, hey, I need, I need like I knew I needed, I needed, I needed, because I also co-teach that that Bible study. I was like, all right, I need this now. Like, I don't know why, but or what's going on, but I I need need to get this over with. Um, but I think as the good leader is that the relationships that you build with your people, and it's and it's not, and I don't want to sit here and make it sound because it was one you hear in the coaching world specifically, is oh, they're a player's coach. And that's that's really meant as a negative term. So I mean, but I like to look at it more from the pr the aspect of I I love the office, not because I believe the office is this wholesome show, but uh it's just such a great parody for how like a boss shouldn't be and how a work environment shouldn't be. But unfortunately, too many people work in an environment like that. But I love how Michael Scott says it. You know, I want people to fear how much they love me, and because people do great things for love, you know. Most if you go and look at wars that have been going over all centuries, they they didn't do it because they hated the other person. It was usually because, well, oh, this guy wants my girl, so I'm no, that ain't happening. So they go to war. Or, you know, I love my land, y'all are trying to take my land, so now we're in war. People will go to great lengths to protect love, they're not gonna do a whole lot for somebody they don't like. Yeah, yeah. And people can't love you if they don't know you. And if they only know this outside image of you, they can't really know you and support you. So, as we said earlier, don't throw all your dirty laundry out there for the world to see. But within a community that's being supportive, you can share your vulnerabilities, you can share your hurts in an area where there is trust. And if you want people to feel to follow you, if you want to be a leader, you have to build that trust. And that leads me to my next question, Aaron. What leadership qualities in today's world, because let's face it, there are different qualities of a leader that are needed in different seasons in a greater way. What do you think are the leadership qualities that people are seeking not to be leaders, but in leaders at the moment? So qualities that people are seeking in leaders right now. You know, we could just say, look at any of our current elected officials and just do the opposite. Um, because you know, they want somebody who's honest, they want somebody who's open and somebody to admit that they're and I'm gonna say not right because I used to tell my students I'm never wrong. Not always right, but never wrong. Um if you really want to get people going drop that that truth on them, like, hold on. So if you're not right, then you would be. I'm like, not right. Um, I'm never wrong. Come on, guys. I struggle saying the word, but uh yeah, having I think they're looking for people that have that sense of humor that that are okay with admitting, yeah, that mistake that thing I did over there. That didn't go too well, did it, guys? And and owning it, but it's some of the stuff like one that I love always talking about the max maxwell's uh five levels of leadership. You know, you've got position, which is level one, so you're you're the boss. Level two is permission, uh it's your relationships, it's the people you lead, you're connecting with them. That three is productivity, so this is the results that you produce. But where we're really hungry and looking for is once you start getting into level four and five. And level four at that point, you're you're a leader who's starting to produce other leaders. You're you're adding into people. So um I'm I'm working with to help I'm not saying I'm working with, but I'm working with Nikki to make sure Nikki is a better leader. Nikki's working with me to make sure that I become more joyful in my leadership and how I go about training, but then I work in another person, and so you're trying to develop those around you that way that your impact goes further. But then moving on to level five, which guys, if you make it to level five, like you've really like you've I'm gonna air quotes arrived because this is guys like your Max Lecados, your John Maxwell's, I mean, um Mel Robbins, you know, people like that that they have impact and people follow them because of who they are and what they've done. And so that takes years upon years upon years to get there. And so at that point, you're developing leaders who are developing leaders, and so you're starting to multiply though through that with your reach. And I think there's just such a hunger for people to find the just open and honest leaders who want to see you be successful, that want you to be that I want Nikki to be the best Nikki can be, and not because I get something from it, but because Nikki gets something from it, because Nikki's now a better person, she can go help her family. It that that's what they're looking for. So they're looking and yearning for somebody that understands and will invest in them that way. I I think you're so right. And I think when nowadays when people are looking for someone to lead them and at leaders, part of that is I want that leader to be in it for me, not for them. And I don't remember, you may know who the quote is, but there's a quote that says the job of a leader is to elicit the greatness in others. And we're not we don't want leaders who are gonna make cookie-cutter versions of themselves, we want leaders who are gonna create leaders and leadership in the people in the below them that they are coaching, and you said that so beautifully, yeah, you know. I think it's important too, like when you said it, people are wanting to know what's in it for me. That's that's one that I coach a lot on. Is the uh there's three questions that people are going to be asking of you as the leader. The first is do you like me? Second is can you help me? Third is, can I trust you? So notice it took till question number three before it was even about you, the leader. The first two were about me, which is the most important person to every single person. Me. Yeah. Um, yeah. So there, but I've never had anybody come out and say, Aaron, do you like me? Well, it's an important question to ask, and you can, I believe you can still develop leadership in somebody you don't like. Oh, yeah. If you extend the love, however, wouldn't it be far better to be with somebody who actually likes you, you know? So uh it's kind of uh a non sequitur because leadership isn't about, we get back to that thing, it's about it's not about the title. Leadership, you know. I used to attend the vineyard church many years ago in South Africa, and one of the principles they worked on was they didn't appoint leaders. They looked at the people who were already leading, and those are the people who got the jobs because they didn't say, okay, now you're going to be the children's church leader. They looked who the children were following, they looked who were doing the work naturally, and I always thought, well, that's a bit backwards, but uh it's not if you are stepping up and you are already leading, your gifts are shining, and then you're in your element, this is where the joy comes back because that's where you find the joy is when you are in that alignment, and the way you are leading people will bring that out not just in you, but in them as well. So I want to ask you a far more practical question as a leadership coach, what's something every leader should intentionally work on? Uh themselves. Love it. Um, yeah, it's you know, and like I mean, if I were to just I would have never thought 15 years ago that I'd have 300 books sitting behind me. I mean, I've got one that I just just finished a couple of days ago. Over here trying to process everything that I've got through it starting about to start another one. You have to work harder on yourself than you do on anything else. So you are your most appreciable asset. And that to kind of go back and touch a little bit, like you said, that once you're you're in alignment, that's where you find that joy. But like if I were to go back into March, like for that two-week, three-week period in March, I wasn't very happy, guys. There, like, and know that just because you're not happy, and it was hard. Like, I was trying hard to find that joy and that peace and what's going on. But knowing that I was in alignment with what God was wanting me to do. That that's so I don't want y'all to think like, oh, I'll always have this joy if I'm in a line. No, there's it was that was a pretty rough three weeks. Um, but that's where that's where we get the difference between joy and happiness, because joy is knowing that God has got your back, it's being able to stay in that alignment and trust on the promises of God. Aaron knew there was a solid foundation there. That's what joy is about. Happiness is those moments that transcend, they'll come and go all the time, but joy is permanent, it's that deep-seated nature that comes in from knowing who you are and whose you are, and that's where the alignment is. I'm so glad you you brought that up and said that. And it's powerful when you start considering, well, I'm a leader. Yes, you are. You're leading your kids every day, you're leading your community when you drive in traffic. The way you respond to the people around you is leading response from others. So you may be a leader there without realizing. Oh, think of that. That was a bit of a rough one. Sorry, folks. However, you know, we get to know and recognize where we can learn and grow by being in alignment and from our faith. So, Aaron, what role does faith play in your leadership? Everything, everything. Um, one of my favorite things to still pray, um, and and one of my my former youth pastor mentors, we did a lot of work together, Wilton McMorris. Hey, that he would always pray as we were trying to figure out where are we going to take the youth group this this year, what's the plans, what's the goals, and it'll always that you know, as he was in that prayer, say, God, and we want to walk with you every step of the way. We don't want to get in front of you, we don't want to get behind you. Help us to stay with you, stride for stride, step for step. And you have to stay with God in there. And you know, it's one becoming one of my favorite things. Talk about is what takes you know, a faith that moves. I talked about it on your summit. So, I mean, I'm not gonna go into all that, but guys, if you're you get the spirit's prompting, you're gonna face the doubt, you're gonna have what I call certain uncertainty. I was blanking for a second. Um, there's then you're going to experience difficulties. Like you're going to, there's going to be opposition. They they attack the opposition attacks what moving, but then it's the kingdom impact from what you're doing that matters the most. Because that faith, a faith that moves, a faith that steps, that it says, you know, I could have easily chose to quit and just said, I'm going to do whatever on that day because obviously I'm not supposed to do whatever this is that God's calling me to do. Or that this is where I'm so glad to have somebody like a Joey in my life that says, Aaron, your fan, your foundation's being expanded. We're we're they God, I he said, I can feel it. God's breaking down whatever current little bitty structure you have. Hey, we're about to start digging deep. Hey, we're gonna we're gonna go find that bedrock, bedrock. And he said, I can see there's a big structure coming up. And so that he knew, and just having somebody that believed that that was gonna, that was, that was huge for me. And then it got confirmed and confirmed and confirmed, and and and not and not trying to go into all the other things, but I never would have thought that I was gonna get the opportunity to share the gospel with as many people as I'm getting to share right now and possibly even impact some other things that and that's why I'm saying I'm not gonna go into too much of those, but we're working, there's a lot of stuff that's working on right now with even how to help share the gospel now. It's like, okay, I see why he was after me. I I he knew what was coming. Okay, all right, I got you. And sometimes that spiritual warfare comes stronger because we don't recognize that we're fighting for victory from victory. We actually sitting there and we're trying to fight an uphill battle like this. Or we say, under the circumstances, this is Dr. Breakthrough's line, and I love it. You know, under the circumstances, I'm doing okay. We are not under circumstances, we are under heaven, so it changes the perspective, and you know, I'm I'm a great fan of Nehemiah or Nehemiah, as you guys call it, and when that wall was broken, he didn't go there and go out and find all new rocks, he used the existing rocks that were there, and God does the same when God needs to demantle something that's existing, he doesn't throw it all out and start again. He's given you gifts, skills, and talents, and he uses those after he's removed the rubble to build the next foundation, the next wall. So that's so true. And I want to ask you a couple of rapid fire. I could talk to you forever, Aaron. I was gonna say I could keep going forever too, but I just love the wisdom you bring. And what's one leadership book you would recommend? Just one? Okay. One, just one. So my favorite that my favorite book that I recommend to everybody is Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People. That's really what it comes down to. Um, but if I could only have one book to read from, I would say The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Yes. Well, I would choose the Bible, however, um, I know we're not talking about that right now. Well, I was but that's the greatest leadership. If you don't think the Bible gives you leadership skills and gifts and tips, it does. But yes, when we're talking about start in Exodus and go through through they just yeah, right there. The Torah. They they they really oh from Abram all the way through to to right when Joshua takes over. I mean, even with Josh, like yeah, yeah, there's okay. What's one habit that has changed your life? Uh reading. Um, I thought reading was for nerds. Like I'm me football, me tough. We don't read. Um, but I mean, uh learning like just actually diving in and learning that it's okay to with that book, like there are some books on here that I've started that I haven't finished, but I just couldn't get into it. And so putting it down, maybe I didn't eat it right now, but then in it and picking up another one, find something that to I think reading whatever you decide to choose read is so important because it it stretches your mind, it's it is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Yeah, and I love the analogy about reading where people go, oh, I've read that book. If you read the book Think and Grow Rich, and you're not rich yet, means you get to read it again because you don't you don't retain everything, you know. Don't don't say I've read it and put it aside. Books are there to grow your mind. All righty. So best advice you have ever received. Oof, that one's a tough one. Probably just do the work. Um I I love that one. I've I've had so many coaches tell me that through the athletic career, guys. Just get in and do the work, do the work, do the work. Um, so I'm gonna say that. Do the work. I love that. And you know, just an encouragement. Some of you might feel tired, some of you might feel like, oh, I've done the work, I've fallen down now, I've been working so hard, I've fallen over. Come on, we are resilient beings. Let your vision, let your why get you back up, be resilient because you become resilient through alignment because you're focused on your purpose, your alignment with God. And guess what? When you focus on that, what comes in? The joy. That's where the joy comes from. And if you have faith as your foundation, there is so much power there. Now, Aaron, quick question for you: where can our peeps get hold of you? So, anybody of just about any of the social medias, you can find me at coach underscore a underscore clark, um, Facebook, um, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. I just started my X account back up because apparently that's like uh the thing still, like it's playing into all sorts of different search results. So X, and it's the same thing on LinkedIn, coach underscore A underscore Clark. And for those of you who are going, I didn't get it, I didn't get it, I don't have my pen and paper ready. I did warn you in the beginning. However, we extend Grace, so you will find it in the show notes and the description. And you know what else you'll find there? A thumbs up button that'll allow you to click and say, I like this episode. But Erin, I believe that you have a gift for our audience today. Am I correct? Oh, do I? I was about to say, what was my gift? I don't remember. Okay, I I will edit this bit because I forgot to ask you beforehand. Often people drop a lead magnet, a PDF, or whatever, so that they can connect with the people who watch the podcast and get them on their list. And I didn't know, I I suddenly realized I didn't discuss that with you. Not everybody puts a gift in, but if you would like to, you can. That's up to you. Use the use the lead magnet from the summit. So my publisher asked me to stop using that one. Okay. I have converted that into I've got like another thousand words to finish before it's a book. Do you have a you know your five, um what are your five steps of leadership? Do you have that in a document or is that too much of your IP? Yeah, that's too much. Um we could we could we could just let's let's skip the gift for now. Okay. And if you decide you do want to put one in, we'll add it in. We just won't talk about it. Okay. So for those of you who are saying I don't have a pen and paper, oh I'm gonna miss it, it's in the show notes, it's in the description. And I do encourage you, reach out and connect with Aaron because he has so much going on, he has so much leadership wisdom, and he's fun to talk to. But let me tell you something. He has the true leadership style of there's a time for fun and there's a time to get it done. And there we go, I'm rhyming again. But he also has the Clark Connection podcast, he does leadership coaching and training, and he has a couple of different social platforms. So when you connect with him on one, you'll get the rest. And I know he's working on exciting stuff. I am so blessed to have him in my world. So I just want to remind you leadership, number one, is not about you, it's about how you serve. That's what Jesus taught. But number two, you are a leader. If you don't believe it, perhaps you get to reframe something. And you know what? Mindset is everything, so that's where you get to go and listen to Aaron's podcasts, learn more about it, and on that merry note, Aaron, any last information or last words for our guests. Be intentional every single day. Be intentional about getting in. I I would say, like uh Nikki was saying, get into the word of God. They spend time with him. You know, that was one, and I picked it up because I remember I had it right here. I went to a leadership luncheon at our church, and it and it was talking about you know the three levels of leadership that Jesus really focused on in his last last days on the earth, and it was talking about servanthood, abiding or spending time with the Holy Spirit, and then surrendering to God. Hey, take that time, guys. Like, spend time in the Word, be intentional about that relationship. You won't regret it. Um, make sure if y'all hadn't liked Nikki's show, like Nikki's show. Say subscribe, she's awesome, but she's gonna bring you the joy. And if you know somebody you think could benefit from this conversation, please share it with them, tag them, and I would love to hear in the comments below or reach out to either of us personally to hear if anything shifted for you from today's episode. Was there one particular moment that challenged you or perhaps spoke to you and gave you that peace and comfort? Because I do believe God speaks to us through one another. Maybe you've been feeling something in your spirit that found some freedom there. Those are often the moments that when we recognize them and write them down, create the transformation. We're not just listening, and it's not just a little idea that we swat away like a mosquito. Step into what God's giving you there. So, Aaron, thank you so much for being here with us today. Run longer than usual because it's a great conversation. And I want to thank every single one of you for listening and make sure that you are stepping into your true, authentic leadership self so that you can bring out the greatness in others which makes you shine even more. And remember, you were meant to and created to build with purpose, faith, and joy. So have an amazing week. We look forward to seeing you next week. Thank you, Erin. My pleasure. Bye, everybody. Bye, everybody. Thank you so much for joining me on the Joy Inspired Podcast at www.joyinspiredpodcast.com. Make sure you hit that subscribe button so that you can get this and every other episode that comes out. We have lots of great stuff coming, and you don't want to miss it. So make sure to hit that subscribe. I am so grateful for all the reviews and comments, and I look forward to serving you in next week's episode.