Pillow Talk with Joel Landi

As I move away from the age of sports coaches, matches and the exhilarating feeling of being at my best, it’s natural to sink into a new normal – different thought processes and physical routines. Coming from an athletic upbringing, I still want to exercise those principles of working towards being at peak performance. When I first met business coach Joel Landi, I was reunited with my competitive spirit and the clarity that being at your peak, physically, mentally and spiritually will help you at work, with friendships and with family. Plus the journey with yourself will be that much more enriching and rewarding.

As a former lieutenant, exercise physiologist, and minister, it’s clear that coaching runs in Joel’s veins. Now the founder of The Performance Group, an established business consulting company, you could say the shoe fits. For the 18th addition of my Pillow Talk series, I’m excited for you to get to know Joel on a personal and professional level. Before one of our weekly meetings, we took some time to chat business and life, including his passion for unlocking potential, the indulgence he swears adds years to his life and his addiction to anything with wheels.

When you were in school, what was your favorite subject and what did you want to “grow up” to be?

In high school I was a surfer.  At that time, I thought moving to San Diego and becoming a Marine Biologist was a cool idea!  But life had other plans for me – really good ones.    

You’ve had several careers. Tell us a bit about each and which skills along the way have been most beneficial to your current enterprise.

Exercise Physiologist / Cardiac Rehabilitation: People need good data to understand they are improving when their bodies or feelings are telling them otherwise.

Aerospace Physiologist, US Navy: Great leaders know how to create extraordinary results through loyalty.  Great leaders lead by relationship, not title.

Minister:  At some point, people will only achieve what they believe – and life is a series of pushing past the crushing realities of death, divorce, cancer, betrayal, and so on.  In the end, we get bitter or better from hardship.  Being better is very intentional and Ive built a career helping others achieve that result.  A scar either becomes a badge of achievement or a cancer for the soul.

Which entrepreneurs do you admire?

Deiter Matischitz, CEO of Red Bull – Lets create a high performance lifestyle and give people a soft drink!   

Howard Schultz – CEO of Starbucks – Lets give people “a 3rd space” – a really pleasant place to have meaningful conversation and then charge them 20x of what the product actually costs! 

Founder of Uber – Not only did he disrupt an entire industry, but he made it super simple to use.

CEO of Harley Davidson – Lets sell people a dream that taps into their soul, then give them a motorcycle. 

What was your inspiration behind becoming a business coach?

I read a book called Unique Abilities and walked away with the idea that there was an interconnecting thread thru my three careers and that I had an obligation to serve others as a coach that really provided tremendous value.

What has been your favorite part about creating your business?

Unlocking Potential.  And that requires getting to know others so deeply, that most will say to me, “you know, I’ve never told anyone this before”.  That is both a testimony and a privilege I get to share with my clients. 

What’s the most challenging part of your professional life?

Breaking outside of routines to scale.  In fact, I’m agonizing right now about it!!!

What do you think is the single most important ingredient to success?

Belief. You can only achieve what you believe. Second is your network. 

I work alongside several 20 somethings. What would you tell your 25 year old self today?

You are the sum of your five closest relationships – reach high. Invest in relationships that are meaningful.  Second, educate yourself on finances which means breaking out of the flawed paradigms that mainstream America is teaching and esteeming. Learn what an asset really is and learn how to invest.  Lastly, learn what made the “greatest generation” who they were — we are flailing right now in regard to loving our country and our neighbor.

How do you try to manage your work/life balance?

I don’t manage time, I manage priorities.  Family, health, then business. 

What do you see yourself doing next to express yourself professionally?

Connecting meaning to achievement.  What I mean by that is most people by their 40’s and 50’s realize that giving back to others is the pathway to deeper fulfillment so I am creating a process that connects peoples goals and aspirations to an opportunity to help others.

How do you manage the fear and doubt that inevitably creeps in when you’re paving a less trodden path?

Reflecting every morning for no less than 30 minutes on who I am and what I believe and value.  If that doesn’t move the needle, then pounding my body and mind into submission on a 60 mile grueling bicycle ride in the Santa Monica mountains ALWAYS WORKS!

What have you been most afraid of trying in your career, but you did it anyway?

Becoming a minister.  It was so out of the box of how I perceived myself and how others perceived me, but it opened the door to almost two decades of priceless experiences inside the hearts and minds of people and sensitized me to the realities of hardship and the power of reconciliation.  People quit too easy on one another. 

Was there any opportunity that you had in your life that you didn’t take?

I was asked recently to work and invest in a small company that had a vision to expand – but my intuition was telling me no.  And I’m glad I listened!

Any sleep rituals that you use to help quiet the mind after a long day?

A hot shower and 3 milligrams of Melatonin is the most amazing combination!  I’m sleeping better now that I did in my 40’s!!!

What’s the biggest gift you give yourself to recharge?

It’s a toss up between my BMW race bike and my Porsche – I know, that sounds really hedonistic!

What’s your favorite indulgence?

Thai Massage.  There is nothing better for a competitive cyclist and I believe it will add years to my life because so much of health is tied into our neurological system.   

What’s the first thing you do after you wake up?

Espresso!  Nothing meaningful in life can happen until my 1st cup of coffee. 

How do you make your bedroom a sacred space?

That’s simple, the bedroom exists for only two things:  sleeping and making love. Everything else is kept outside that sacred space.  Too many people bring too many things like dogs, problems, iPhones.  Life is hard enough – keep the noise out of your bedroom!    

Thank you Joel for all your support and expertise over the last several months. I can truly say that my personal and professional life have changed for the better and we’re just getting started! Your performance-driven business style is such an inspiration to me and I’m excited to share your story with my readers.

Check out Joel’s bestselling book Rewired: Power Up Your Performance, Relationships, and Purpose and save the date for a very special opportunity to meet Joel in person and get a taster of the tools he offers up in his one-on-one coaching. Our upcoming talk with Joel will be held at DIANI Living on Friday, October 4th. Details below.

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