The Body and Bank Connection: Authentic Success and Growth

0:00 On paper, I look successful, successful banker as you would call it, bigger goes. But guess what, in the back end, pretty much living in caffeine, we like she ships on autopilot, pretty much being reactive, sort of like it's all about the dopamine and the kind of stuff. Hello and welcome to Real Man Field, where we explore the evolving pace of masculinity and help men lead lives of authenticity, purpose, and power. I'm your host, Andy Grant, and today I'm joined by a man who knows what it takes to win, not just in business, but in life. Richie and Connor is an award-winning author, a former banker, and current transformation coach who helps high achievers unlock new levels of growth, fitness, and personal mastery.

0:44 From navigating major life transitions to cultivating daily discipline, Richie is all about building the habits and mindset that fuels true success. Whether you're on the verge of burnout or craving A deeper sense of purpose, you're going to find value in this one. Richie shares the two motivations of change, the blind spots he sees and successful men, and explores the body and bank connection. Let's do it. Hello Richie, and welcome to Real Men Field. Thanks, Andy. Thanks for having me. So I know you've gone from being a a successful banker to a transformation coach. So first, what first are you interested in banking and then what triggered the the shift? That's a very interesting question. I think with banking, I think that was easy. I think it was the money.

1:28 Yeah, I was. I'm a trade CPA. So I think money I think was an easy motivation at that moment in time, being a young kid and not really sure exactly what you want to do, money is always a good motivation. But I think change happens two ways with the shift from banking into into transformation. What I've found to say, they say change happened two ways. It could be through inspiration or desperation. For me, that shift was more around desperation. So by that I'm looking myself in the mirror. I don't like what I see and what I'm talking about. No liking what I see. I'm not talking about the aesthetics. Yes, that too, because I have put on quite a few pans over the months and I think over years, I think with a neglect, I think with busy with the workouts actually doing, but not like the way I did show up when I looked in the mirror because I did not like the way I showed up for my family.

2:22 I said, you know, like the way I showed up for my friends and loved ones and and I did not like the way I showed off my employers. And to tell you the truth, Andy, I was actually scared and depressed that moment in time because I got health conditions. I wanted my family at that rate that I was going things are not looking good. So it was time for me to make a shift and for me to do that. Being desperate is going back to drawing board, seeking help and but this the help that I was actually getting the solution that was out there was just no right for me. Being busy with my career in banking and and everything going on. He had a very short window in the day and with the PTS of personal trainers that I reached out to at that time, I need to work around the time which was just no right for me. So I had to work something out.

3:16 So I looked up everything from both nutrition, PT, metabolic conditioning, but I found that stuff so interesting. I went deep into the end up getting certified and all that stuff. And that's what came out. That solution, the same solution that has helped me being able to not only maintain myself and get healthier, but also help hundreds of other people along the way through that. It was never really meant for me to be a coach. It was my mess which came into pretty much into into my message. And through that, people noticing how I was actually shifting and asking me for help to actually help him how to do that.

3:58 So he was very, very organic in how it all sort of like turned out. Yeah. So it so it sounds like your personal growth really mirrors what you now do with clients. Absolutely. So everything pretty much I teach has been more about my my pain points, some stuff I've travelled with being a busy, a busy professional source to speak from a banking days and how I can actually maintain health and how the energy what you lacked and is filling those gaps that now I can actually articulate that and actually teach that, but it can actually relate to that. So it could be it could be anything related to that. For the most part, these are kind of be burned out, you know, in a case of like mental health kind of struggles you kind of face as you go through these kind of phases. So I can actually relate to what professionals are actually going through and being able to sort of like bridge that gap as you indicated.

4:52 So pretty much my message turning into and into my mess, my mess turning to my message. So Richie, I wonder how challenging or easy was it for your identity shift from from corporate banker to entrepreneur and coach? To be honest, it wasn't easy. It wasn't easy. It's something that I've, I've really, I've invested quite a lot of money and that for me to make that shift. Having said that, because what I've found is being in a career, being in a job, it was everything became so easy for me. I was good at what I did saying banking in the case, lead transformation programs.

5:34 But when I came into the coaching space, it was very, very different. And being entrepreneur, right, I had to learn everything about marketing. I never had to do much marketing in my consulting or on a case of like kind of work career. Whereas you come in being entrepreneur, you have to learn all that kind of stuff because you can have the best part on the marketplace. If nobody knows about it, nobody's going to buy. So it's like learning all those new skills and it takes persistence as well in a case of like going into the marketplace and being able to tickle your message, your message as well. What problem are you actually solving?

6:14 How can people actually relate to the problem you're solving? So you can actually bridge that gap. So, so it wasn't, it wasn't easy, but I guess I think what keeps you going is if you are clear on the purpose and that grind, when that promise is actually very clear as to what you're looking to achieve, that grind I think is easy. You can just keep on going. When you first reached out, you, you, you have this, this niche that that. I had not heard him phrase this way before, But what? What is the body and bank connection? All right, that's quite interesting. I think that's my, it's based on my book actually, Body and Bank Connection. I think this is goes back to the struggle I had because I'll tell you a story how it all came about. I was talking to my fellow bankers. I was giving a talk and I think one of the questions I raised is what are your thoughts when we talk about fitness? And for the most part the answers I normally get, and I did get the end was like 6 pack.

7:14 You know, at times you might get an old answer like confidence and stuff like that, which is quite interesting, right? And I go like, oh Richie, I do understand the benefits of exercise and fitness, but I just don't have the time I need to put food on the table, right? Which was quite interesting. I was like, that is very, very interesting because actually counter intuitive, right? Me having been in that environment, because guess what? Studies have shown that when you exercise, they're 20% more productive, right? Studies have actually shown when you exercise, when you're in that environment, because I was speaking to ban because my fellow ban, because at that moment in time you are in that very stressed environment. It's very stressful.

7:57 So when you're stressed, guess what? The coastal levels elevated and what do you need to count to that? You need things like serotonin, dopamine to count to that. And guess what, when you exercise, those are sort of like the benefits you get in case of like the happy homeowners, they're related that they're referred to. We can talk about the cognitive function. When you are in that demanding job, you need to be cognitively sharp. And what's so interesting is there's a study on BDNFBDNF drives neurogenesis, which is a reproduction of brain cells. And what was found is that when you exercise, BDNF can be enhanced as much as threefold 3 times. So I was speaking to my Bank of friends.

8:38 I was like, now with all these facts I just laid down, there's more to it, but just these 3 facts. Are you still saying that exercise and fitness is an option or a necessity? Because I'm going to think about Richie now. I think it is a necessity. But so that was pretty much a genesis of my book and getting to articulate that message. The body and bank connection, yes, body and bank connection could be in a literal sense as how you can level up your bank account, right? Because guess what, we get paid for the value brings to the marketplace. And as I talked about how you can be more productive when you exercise, guess what that is likely going to drive your productivity then that would drive your bank account. So it could be in a literal sense, but it could also be a metaphor.

9:29 Whatever bank account you're looking to feel, be it your energy bank account, your productivity bank account, it starts with what our bodies, and that is pretty much what that is. Yeah, that's how it came about. So yeah, that's my my book Body and Bank Connection. What are some common misconceptions in in the high achieving men that you might work with? Misconceptions about personal development or growth. Yeah, I, I I think, I think there could be plenty of in the case of misconception, I think girls, the re exist misconception that in the case of like girls, maybe it's almost like a one off, but I think it's supposed to be a constant. I feel like in my case, I'm growing on a daily basis.

10:11 I call it playing back the tapes on a daily. What is it that I could do better today looking at today? What can I invest into tomorrow? I look at the key pieces that I learned from today that a positive that I can invest into tomorrow. What are the things that I can actually sort of like eliminate. So yeah, so I think with girls, it's not a one off. We have to keep on going. The moment you stop growing is the moment you start dying. So I think that is for me, I think that is maybe I would say maybe one of them. What are some of the common blind spots for someone that has all the outward signs of success in their life? I think I can, I can tell from my own experience with that because you have a problem.

10:58 I could on paper I look successful, successful banker as you would call it, bigger goes. But guess what, in the back end, pretty much living in caffeine, be like she ships an autopilot, you know, things like that, pretty much being reactive sort of like it's all about the dopamine and the kind of stuff. So it is very, very important to think in the case of having that identity shift and having that alignment, how is it that that's what we're going to talk a lot about the operator behind say, the business or behind whatever it is that we might see from the outside, which could be a facade, right?

11:41 How is it that we can align the underlying operator because in everything else sort of like then aligns with everything else. Everything else can just be like lovers. So I think it's all about how is it that we show up and how we show up can it's all about, I think for me, I look at it more about those all three areas, right? In the case of our health, if we're not really healthy and we don't feel right in our body, in our energy because what energy drives execution, we can talk about having systems that drive scale, right? So in case of like business, in case of my located maybe from the wealth perspective, but also relationship relationships pretty much through everything, right.

12:29 So it's all about how is it realigned in all those kind of three areas. And for me you think that is success that we can relate to the people that actually lift this up. It's not so much about being in the room is when we leave the room. What is it that lingers after we leave that room in the case of relationships, in the case of health and energy levels, how is it that we'll wake up where we to go, we know crashing at 2:00 PM, right? Do we have systems in place that actually drive scale that we just know static we're hitting that plateau. So I think those are kind of key areas of thing for me that drive that can have that full spectrum success, be it in business and in life.

13:15 Richard, when we first spoke you, you talked about the banking world being a very machismo tough guy place, which surprised me as a non banker. That is not, that was not my stereotypical view of of accountants. So I wonder, how has your view and definition of masculinity changed throughout your various careers? Yeah, that's a very, very good point because I think we were, I, I was going through burnout, I faced it big time. And I think these are kind of things we don't talk about too much. And I think as a man as well and I keep things like even mental health, we don't talk enough about it. We are meant to just tough it out and grit and just keep on going, right.

13:56 But what to what expense? So yeah, for my banking world, in my case, my experience was that that, you know, you just meant in the case of show up, yes, in the case of long hours that comes with the territory, but it's also just about being that machismo as you mentioned in the case of toughing it out, if you show your emotions, you are supposed to be maybe weak or anything of that perceived as such, which is just think a sad situation. But I think things are so changing a little bit right now. So, but that education and that's the reason I think in my case, I've been driving that messaging quite a bit that in the case of burnout is not a badge of honor, right? We can't be just as effective and push things in scale without burning out, without sacrifice.

14:44 And that's been my mission because I did drive putting in place systems, driving billions in the back end, but you find the operators driving those systems themselves, they're not really operating at scale. So that has been my mission and that was been because I was part of that world. So yes, it's it's very prevalent and it's about begin just being again that awareness as well, because when you are in that culture, you don't because that's all you know, that's what you see. So it becomes ingrained and becomes the normal, but it had doesn't have to be that.

15:26 Beyond burnout and mental health, is there anything else you're seeing men struggle with today that they're keeping to themselves? Yeah, I think it's, it's, it's your openness. I think, man, I think it's something that we're we're we're supposed to be more about just tough it out. It's just maybe not just the banking world, but for the most part, I think with man, we're supposed to tough it out. We're not supposed to open up when we're struggling, but then we end up just bustling up and the moment we just have that outlet, we just sort of like almost like burst because we've just been building up for two months for too long. So how is it that we can be able to have create open spaces that we can actually your tickler and communicate? So we appreciate your show, Andy, because this is kind of stuff that man don't really talk about openly. I'm struggling.

16:25 You know, I'm facing this, right? You admitting that or me admitting that I have a problem or I'm struggling with this does not feel weakness. I think if anything, it shows strength being able to. Yeah, being able to be open about it. And only till you admit that I'm struggling or had a problem would you be able to get that help. Because you cannot help somebody that doesn't need, doesn't want to be helped. Yeah, and men are, well, I'll speak for myself. I've always been great at pretending I don't need anybody's help when that's the thing I need the most. And yeah, I have to get over my own freaking bullshit of. And really that, that, that.

17:09 Perhaps it is that in green distortion of masculinity that says I've got to figure it out myself, I've got to tough it up. But yeah, often the bravest thing we can ever do is ask for help. Absolutely. I can totally relate because I've been in that boat myself and I think that's the reason I think I'm trying to create as much as possible like Operators Edge is part of that as well. In the case of trying to create that open space where you can, people can actually communicate, you can open. This is a safe space, right? No judgement. How is it that we can create more spaces like this? Like what are you creating here, Andy, talking about things like this? Because then when we open up, man, go like, oh, actually I'm facing. I'm also having going through that. But I thought I was the only one.

17:51 And if I open up, I'll be seen as weak. No, it's not weak. Yeah, that's why being willing to be vulnerable, being willing to share whatever you're going through it, it not only helps you, it helps everybody else because it gives other people that hear that permission to go, oh, I don't have to just keep this to myself. Like that guy just spilled his guts and the world in mend. That's that's amazing. That's not what I thought would happen. Totally. And it just a release as well. We just talked about both laying up right that release and the times speaking and talking about something, it just brings about that clarity as well. Richard, what, How do you measure success in your work with clients? Is it just the scale or how much they bench press? Like what, how?

18:34 How do you know someone is succeeding? I think success for me it's, it's very personal. So each of one of my clients have got their own goals for me. Think that one of the best definitions I have for success is it's almost like a personal progressive realization of 1's own purpose. So it has to be progressive, it has to be a worthy as well. Maybe I should add there, right? Personal progressive realization of a worthy purpose, right? So, and that is again, it's very it's, it's, it's very personal. So one of my clients come around, this is what I want to achieve, right? Success for them will look very, very different. I the same.

19:16 It has been like even when I was coaching on the finance side of things as well on personal finances, like I've got some clients who will say like, oh, Richie, this is my financial independence number. I want the other one would go like, this is my personal finance number. I want if I can actually have this money coming in on autopilot without me lifting a finger, I'm financially independent. So it's very, very, it's very, very unique to each and every one of us. So to your question, success is measured by how is it I can bridge that gap that a client has come to me and they're telling me this is my purpose, this is my goal.

19:57 This is where I want to hit. And I help them bridge that gap because I've always shown because. What do coaches do? I've always, because the time is always this thing about the case of like, what do a coach do? A coach does is pretty much shorten the distance, shorten that time frame. I looked at it more like, we're all given these keys in this world, right? We have this bunch of keys, but trying to find that right key that's going to open the door to those New Horizons can be quite fidgety, might take a little bit of a while. Sometimes what a coach does is point you to the right key so you can open that door and get there quicker, so you can actually go to those New Horizons.

20:39 So how is it that I can actually help them, point them to that right key and get there quick enough and achieve what it is that you're trying to achieve? That is success to me. Excellent. Yeah, I like that metaphor. I 'cause I, I have been and I see lots of people that kind of just click keys. I just giant key chains, all these keys of all these classics and programs I've ever taken. And then I don't really know which one to use when I'm faced with a, with a challenge, though, I, I that, that, that really, that really resonates with me. Richie, is there a book that has truly changed your life? Wow. Yes, it's actually plenty, but if I can pick one and this is an easy read As a Man Thinketh by James Allen. I've read that book quite a few times. It's it's, it's a classic.

21:23 It's over 100 years old, but it it, it's just amazing in the case of thought process and, and how thought does drive our actions in a lot of ways. And this just goes back to a lot of things that we talked about, be it mental health and all that kind of stuff. It's our thoughts, right? How is it that we can direct those thoughts to the right purpose? Yeah. So, yeah, as a man, think it is one of my most, most favorite books and I read it. I've read it so many times. You know, I in my life I've found the importance of of rituals and and and solid habits to to to create my best life. What is one thing that you do every day, no matter what?

22:05 Wow, 1st every day, no matter what, when I wake up, first thing is water as they have at least a half a liter of water just to keep stab my metabolism. This kind of habit that I do have. But for the most part I would add on to that. That is the first thing maybe I would do, but then I'll do some maybe mobility stuff. It just sort of like gets me going. Mobility stuff just takes about 5 minutes. So I would just do some mobility stuff then just go into the zone. Yeah. But if there's one thing that I do is, yeah, a water just seems to just so mostly just kick start. OK, game time right now before anything, I only have my coffee.

22:48 I think about 90 minutes after I awake and at that moment in time because my cortisol level is actually dipping. Yeah, but water first. And I'm, and I'm glad you mentioned mobility because so many guys caught up in the gym culture, I'm saying never working on mobility ever. And they just want to get bigger and bigger and stronger and stronger and not necessarily be able to move. That is exactly the problem. And The thing is, fish as we get older, right, mobility is key. Like if you can tell a time somebody's age by the gate, right? So, and that's the reason why mobility is something that is not spoken off enough and torched enough for me. That's just been a game changer. And it's just been a habit of mine that I do on a daily. I've got a mat, I'll go on there, maybe a foam roller, do some stretching.

23:38 It doesn't take long. It's only 5 minutes, but it's a very, very good habit. And I'm ever so thankful for it because I just feel so much better. I can actually, yeah, I can. I can run circles around 18 year olds and 19 year old so. Richie, what's What's one thing that you wish more men knew? Wow. I, I think it's, well, that's a good one. I would say. I think that the only limitations I think we put is the limitation to put on ourselves. And I think with, yeah, well, with men, we tend to, I feel for the most part, I, I think that's a generic, but I think it's more about those limiting beliefs that we have. Because I can go back to your thoughts as well. Be it with the struggles that we're facing that it is this too shall pass right?

24:32 Be it with Y direction we want to take that we're not stuck and we're not. We don't have to be stuck in a dead end job that we did not enjoy and wait till retired then up a moment in time we can actually enjoy. Life is that we can pretty much change the course of our lives and take whatever course we want, and it's all about making that decision and change that identity and anybody can do that. And I find, well, like, I wonder if people can you grow so much that you don't have limiting beliefs like that? Maybe the Dalai Lama doesn't have any limiting beliefs, but but I'm I'm not sure if anyone else. Might I think limiting beliefs is part of the it's part of it, because I think if you don't, if you don't sort of like at times have be it imposter syndrome, whatever it is, that's part of the territory, right.

25:23 It's about doing despite because whenever new environment you're getting in, you will have feel like an imposter and it's normal. We all impostors to start off with anyway in anything right, because we do not have confidence of the gate for the most part. What people stops people, all those having those limiting beliefs is expected to have the confidence of the gate, but confidence is rarely there. With confidence, it starts with what carriage. And what with carriage, you're just jumping in there, feeling that imposter syndrome feeling, having those doubts or just jumping in there, then guess what? Then you commit. Once you commit, then you got what? You start building up the capabilities.

26:06 Only till you build up the capabilities do you get to have that confidence. Yeah. So those limiting beliefs say are normal. But again, those are the kind of barriers as well that can actually stop us from going after a purpose of actually what it is and test our limits. Only two would jump in there. I've got there's a book. Feel the fear and do it anyway, right? At times you just have to do that. So Richie, what's the best way for people to get in touch with you and to find out all the things that you're offering? I think the best way to reach me is LinkedIn. I'll respond to all the messages I post pretty much almost on a daily in LinkedIn and that's Richie Encounter and just search on LinkedIn and you'll find me there, right? And we'll have we'll have links for Richie's contact info and such and the show notes for this episode. And Richie, do you see clients in person only or do you know how some have a hybrid system or how do you work with people? It's a bit of a combination.

27:06 For the most part, the fitness was all online because I started doing this. I still have my banking consultancy business and I'm just at the point of I still go South with, with banks right now. So my, my time can be quite limited. I can't really be in the gym to do that. So fitness was pretty much purely online and he was designed as such because he did fit for busy professionals and busy people. So it works around them as opposed to working around a personal trainer, which was my pain, right? So that worked fine. But for the other programs, I do in person talks as well.

27:46 I do like talks. I've got corporate training programs. I've got CTG, which is college to growth programs, a tool V program for corporate that is in person, but we also have a virtual version of it. Then Operator's Edge, which is a mastermind for the most part online, but we also have, we can, we also have in person once in a while. But for the most part, yeah, it's, it's online that gives the flexibility I think with digital world we're in right now and having clients all over the world as well. So it just makes it so much better that way. Well. Thanks, Richie for making the time to talk to us today and thanks for sharing your your journey, your growth and how using it just to serve others. This is my favorite sort of man to meet. Somebody's going to be open about what he's gone through. And then I was using it to help other people. So you've got it both.

28:38 So thanks again, and thanks everyone for listening. That was Richie and Connor bringing powerful insights on discipline, growth, and redefining what it means to succeed as a man. If something in today's conversation sparked your interest or hit a little too close to home, take it as a sign. Maybe it's your time to upgrade your habits, shift your mindset, or simply ask yourself, am I winning in the ways that truly matter? Please reach out to me for a complimentary clarity call by visiting the Andy grit.com Talk and we'll explore what's going on in your life and what you can do to make it better. Until next time, be good to yourself.