Russ Rantz

Truly I tell you, this is a marvelous treat to introduce this week's guest! We have the awesome, persevering, humble, and smart Atlee Simon hanging out with us on the Russ Rantz Podcast. Atlee has had a fun, tough, crazy, and storied journey through collegiate football (holds numerous touchdown and rushing records for the U of Regina Rams), a unique, teachable adventure through the CFL (Canadian Football League), and now he's strutting his stuff as a high-school teacher and basketball coach.  That's the surface, but the juicy stuff is where Atlee allows us to see what goes through an athlete's heart and mind as they go through the ups and downs chasing their dreams, and figuring out what the future holds. I'm so proud of him, and glad he was willing to share his story with us. Give it a listen, and BE SURE to put in the comments any insights, questions, or encouragements!  Thanks for listening!

Have you ever forgotten about a hobby? No, seriously, have you ever forgotten about something that long ago, or even recently, you fell in love with that just gave you innocent, powerful, internal joy? I mean, just recently my 7-year-old son showed me this new yo-yo he got at school. He's in LOVE with it. It's all he does, and it puts a huge smile on his face. I forgot about yo-yoing! I used to do it all the time!  What's my point? Well, sometimes I feel like in life we're so busy just trying to stay afloat (stay on top of it), that we forgot to literally stop and smell the roses (if you're into that). Hobbies, passions, dreams, innocent enjoyments, etc. Sometimes putting food on the table, paying bills, doing laundry, and catching up on the latest episode of that new Netflix show is what consumes us...and there's no second thought to filling up our soul again.  We have a kick-butt guest on the show this week, Raymond Bergin! Raymond is a long-time friend of the RussRantz community (and obviously

It's ironic, but shortly after regarding this episode on watching your "fuel gauge" or "capacity," I actually left the stream early. That kills me, but it just comes to show that you can have the BEST of intentions, and still burn out in the end if you don't have balance in your life. In this episode you'll hear from a very weary and worn Russ as he verbally processes what he himself should probably work on better.  Enjoy Instagram: RussRantz Youtube: RussRantz FB: RussRantz TikTok: RussRantz

Do you know what "W Key" means? Did you know that it's gamer lingo for "full speed ahead!"? It's a term used for hyper-aggressive players who only ever try to push forward, regardless of the risks and low chances of success. The funniest thing is, it's not typically a positive term of endearment, but rather a label for people who have no regard for caution or calculation.  Well...we're going to spin that another way today as I'm wrestling with a concept:  We all hate the "F word," right? You know...failure (did I make you think of something else?)... Whether we're consciously aware of our efforts to avoid this concept at all costs or not, it really does influence a ton of our decisions EVERY DAY! I came to a realization a few years back that it'd be best to fail fast, and fail forward. It wasn't so much that I enjoyed pain, but that I'd rather experience short-term discomfort now and have noticeable growth, then try to avoid pain at all costs, and wonder if I'd be a better person had I just stuck

Hey guess what? You, like me, may be accidentally forfeiting the notion of a great or fun hobby, challenge, or life choice because we do "Mind Math" in advance that dissuades us. Hey, guess what? That doesn't HAVE to be the case.  Mind math is an innate human response. It's an instinct to mitigate failure, and prevent us from harm. What if that's accidentally cranked to the nines? What if it's accidentally not just protecting us, but stunting us? You've heard me already state that I'm trying to wear through this crazy fear of failure I struggle with, and I've got some insights that I'm chewing on.  After listening to this, what's your opinion?  I appreciate you!  Instagram: RussRantz  TikTok: RussRantz  Youtube: RussRantz

Do you remember the dark side of the pandemic days? You know, the extreme isolation? The lack of in-person connection and community? Well...in today's episode, Russ re-visits some of his own days during that season, and what that showed him about his "village," and how greatly that concept affects us.  We need people, not always tons of people, but a key "some" that resonate and synergize with us. What's your village like? Because you need to know...it takes a village to raise a person.  Enjoy! Instagram: RussRantz TikTok: RussRantz Youtube: Russ Rantz Facebook: Russ Rantz

What does enrichment even mean? Is it valuable, powerful, relevant, worthwhile? On my end...I haven't hit it, and that concerns me. The other day someone asked me what I "enjoy" doing, and none of my answers could be produced without leading me to explain what those things achieved, rather than what they did for me while I was doing them.  How can you be grateful, but not content? How can you balance ambition, and yet "enjoying the wow that's happening now" (kudos to Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood for that gem). I'm not sure, but we'll find out together.  Enjoy

Ya ya, I'm sorry gang, but Will Smith JUST resigned from the academy, and we're all still processing his infamous slap of Chris Rock since last week's awards... It's tough because I think a lot of us have been in Will's shoes, and though his response is "understandable" I don't believe it is "commendable." But, that's not actually the main story we're going to go over in this week's Rantz episode...guess you'll have to listen in order to see what I mean.  Have fun, and let me know what you think! Instagram: RussRantz Youtube: RussRantz TikTok: RussRantz

Holy mochachino WE ARE BACKKKK!! Hello hello it is so good to be back in front of your ear-holes with a brand new, BRAND NEWWWW release, re-launch, re-vamp version of the Russ Rantz Podcast (man does that feel weird to say!).  We've had some time away, but now we're rip, roaring, and ready to go with some introspective, ridiculous, and marvelous ranting. To kick us back off into this new age, I go into a bit of an observance of the "instant gratification" social media market that we find ourselves bombarded with every day, and how the power of being unique has become "unique-less."  Enjoy!  Instagram: RussRantz, TikTok: RussRantz, Email: russrantzreal@gmail.com

Hey Everyone!  Yup it's been quite some time since we last touched base! I'm afraid this return episode is a bit anti-climactic, but I will say that it's an important one. The truth is, I need your help. I have a bit of an inner conflict going on right now, and I'm open to, and actively seeking, your advice.  The dreams and desires haven't stopped, but I feel that I've hit my head against the wall enough to know what my capacity can handle right now, and what it can't. I've done a lot of soul-searching, and in this episode I'll let you know what I've found out thus far, but after that I'm stuck. Can you answer my question? Can you assist me with my conondrum?  Email me your thoughts, tips, comments, and concerns at russrantzreal@gmail.com.  You're always appreciated!

You know how sometimes you meet someone who, after talking with them for a bit, you can't help but feel inspired, challenged, or like there was a fire lit under your hineY? Well, that's EXACTLY what this week's brings to the table! It is my absolute pleasure to present Ajit Oommen. This gem of a human being has been a longtime supporter of this podcast's platform, and one of my biggest cheerleaders. BUT, here's something else I want you to know: Ajit PACKS A WALLUP of passion, wisdom, and insight into the realms of business, dreams, and HUSTLE!  Yessir, Ajit is a man of grit and determination, and it is my hope that after listening to this episode some of it rubs off on you as well. We tackle topics on today's billionaires, the lack of morality with business, and yet the moral compass that business exposes. Ya, it gets pretty crazy.  Enjoy, and please consider following if you'd like to further support Russ Rantz!

Hey all! Yup, it's been a while, but it's for good reasons, and yet I find myself wrestling with the inner conviction that I should be doing better for you. Well, you're in luck! Today I quickly address some stuff that I've been going through personally, WHAT I'm doing to ensure a successful and awesome 2021, and how I think we all struggle a bit with 2 voices that battle for our attention. Curious? Good! Enjoy. 

I consider myself to be a pretty open minded person; a person who's game to try out most methods and techniques to improve my life. No joke, a few years back I was introduced to a public speaker who taught on breathing...and I was BEYOND skeptical. He was a business coach, and he advised that he used breathing techniques to calm and balance his clients. I mean, come on, breathing? It's so basic and boring; we're doing it right now and I don't feel any different, how could these be something that business coaches do? At least, that's what I thought. Ever since that seminar, my curiosity has grown regarding the power of breathe. If done with purpose, precision, and discipline it turns out that breathing can change your life. This is where this week's special guest, Sarah Novak, comes in. Sarah is a Breathe Coach, Speaker, and Entrepreneur and I'm so excited that she's on this week's episode! DO. NO. DISMISS. THIS. OPPORTUNITY. Sarah shares her experience in learning about these powerful techniques she now teach

Well happy new year Russ Rantz fam! The strenuous times haven't stopped, but I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years holiday celebration. That being said, I'm a bit "fed up" with some of the interactions I've observed on social media these days, and I've decided to respectfully take a swing at the whole concept of...conflict.  Ya, ya, I know you're not thrilled about this topic, but you came here to here a Russ rant, and by george are you going to get one. I go off on how I see people incorrectly, and ineffectively, navigating their way through hot button topics that are all the rage right now such as: politics, Government and media responses to COVID, and the new vaccine rollouts. Oh my word! Are you ready for my two cents-worth on how to approach our fellow friends and family with these issues? Well I hope so! Buckle up, and let's start this year off with a bang...and a determination to get better. 

Merry Almost Christmas!  Thank you for tuning in for this end of the year edition of the Russ Rantz podcast! WE DID NOT HOLD BACK FOR THIS FINALE! 2020 has been absolutely nutso, and you know that I've been on a tear lately on how we don't have to let this crazy time period define us. We can truly overcome adversity if we recondition our minds to see the conquerors and champions that we truly are.  Thus I find it marvellously fitting that our special guest, Kim Ward, is our end of the year participant. Kim Ward is the CEO of a non-profit organization called Katie's Mission and her mission is to end the stigma around mental health & prevent suicide. After attempting suicide herself, and losing her sister and mother to suicide, Kim has decided to turn her mess into her message. Kim is also a certified master life coach & NLP practitioner.  We have a POWERFUL episode in store for you, and my hope is that you leave it full of hope, vigor, inspiration, and belief that your best days are YET to come. Should

We just found at last week from the government that we wouldn't be able to celebrate Christmas with anyone else than our immediate household. That's right, no grandma or papa, no aunts or uncles, and especially no travelling amongst family homes during this special season. It's crushing, frustrating, and shocking. This got me thinking, I could either let this be a final crushing haymaker to the face from 2020, or I can fight for perspective and see if there were any "wins" I could draw back out from this cray cray year.  And you know what? YOU also had some thoughts on what we were able to take back from 2020! Thank you so much to all who answered my last minute social media questionnaire. Your answers were phenomenal and I honestly think this episode is going to give some of us that much needed last minute boost we were desperate for.  Cheers, and let's kick the rest of this year's buttocks. 

After a few episodes in a row of more sobering and linear topics it's just nice to have a pleasant chat with a friend, and, trust me, I needed it. I'm pleased to bring to the floor Liam "Ordan" Blanchard. Liam is an 18 year old who's wise beyond his years, passionate about culinary (I'm not trying to track down passionate cooks, ok?!), freedom to choose your own path, annnnnnd BEATBOXING.  My goodness we go through so many cool, awesome, and relevant topics in this episode and I regret ZERO of it. Let's release some tension for a bit and enjoy some banter and discussion on things I didn't think I'd ever be talking about.  Enjoy. 

Well happy birthday to me! Not to toot my own horn....but I made it to 29; that's nice I guess. In all seriousness I had hesitations about recording this episode because of how uncomfortable I felt CALLING MYSELF OUT.  No really,  I decided that it'd be a good idea to lay bare one of my most glaring problems (taking care of myself emotionally) and have a recorded confession and commitment to improve in my next year of life.  As we go through this episode you'll see me literally self-realize how balance HAS TO happen in life regarding being a giver, and a self-caretaker, in order to ultimately win and make a difference. That's mind-blowing for me; even if you don't think so.  Thanks to all who've been along for this podcasting ride so far. It's been a blast, and I'm very grateful for you.  To the next step. 

If I offered you a billion dollars to walk away from your family and friends, would you take it? What about unlimited power? No you say? Well, I'm not shocked.  Phrased in that question it seems like a morally easy decision (to most; some of you wouldn't even hesitate to take the money and run lol).  However, what if those things followed in the wake of your current dream/desire? Is there anything in your life that you've staked so much, invested so much time, research, and heart into and you'd love for it to become successful?  Well, I reflect on this principle due to me recently watching the much acclaimed movie "Steve Jobs." In the biopic about the Apple pioneer it struck me just how much he was truly willing to sacrifice to see his dream "Put A Dent In The Universe" (his words). I'm not here to tell you what to think, but I am ALWAYS going to ask you a question that'll hopefully cause you to take pause.  Enjoy, and as always thank you for listening.  Want to support my Movember team? Why not join or donat

Music, sometimes it's the faintest of notes that can trigger a whole swath of emotions, while other times we find a song that's our "anthem" we carry with us through high school and our angsty teen days. Whatever it may be, we can all have moments in time captured and easily remembered via music. If you actually took a purposeful look, you'd probably notice that certain genres, bands, or playlists symbolize key periods of time in our existence.  Today's guest remarks on these revelations and then some as we have the one and only Bryce "Gremlyn" Plante on the Russ Rantz Podcast! Gremlyn is releasing his newest EP, Memories, on October 22nd and decided to pay us a visit and tell us his origins, his work on this latest EP, and what music and memories have in common.  I'm so grateful for his insight and awesome commentary on the power of processing our own stories and I think it's a perfect combo of preparing for his new release, and also giving a solid nod to self-care.  Dig in and enjoy! You can