Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_01 (00:03):
You know what if
everything you've been taught
about weight loss is the verything that's keeping you stuck?
That might be the reason whyyou've convinced yourself that
getting fit is really a youngman's game.
Or are you ready to prove toyourself that your best body is
still ahead of you?
So listen, if you're a man inyour 40s or beyond and you've
ever felt like the best versionof you is in the rearview
(00:24):
mirror, then this episode Ithink is going to challenge that
what you think you really canget out of value from here.
And so I want you to take amoment before you decide to walk
away, is maybe hit like,subscribe, and let's share this
episode because there's someonelike you or someone else that's
gonna need to hear this, and wewant to make sure that they get
that opportunity to do thatbefore it's too late for them.
(00:45):
Because really, no matter whatage you're at, it's just getting
it's just the beginning for usto get into shape.
And so with that, let's get onwith today's episode.
SPEAKER_00 (00:57):
The average man
today is sleepwalking through
life, many never reaching theirtrue potential, let alone ever
crossing the finished line toliving a purposeful life.
Yet the hunger still exists,albeit buried amidst his
cluttered mind, misguidedbeliefs, and values that no
longer serve him.
It's time to align yourself forgreatness.
(01:19):
It's time to become arevolutionary man.
Stay strong, my brother.
SPEAKER_01 (01:26):
Welcome back,
everyone, to the Revolutionary
Man podcast.
And before the break, I askedyou a couple questions, but
what's keeping you stuck?
And the possibility is that yourapproach might be part of the
problem.
And so, with that, as we getready to get set in today's
episode, the truth is that mostof us were probably never really
taught how to train or how toeat, even lead ourselves as men
(01:48):
over 40.
And so we're gonna look athaving some solid, quick fixes
and brutal programs that maybearen't the things that are what
we've been used to, accustomedto doing, and that's what's
truly burning us out.
So, what if we could figure outa way to move forward that
wasn't about truly pushingharder, but how about being
smarter at what we're doing?
(02:08):
And so if this is about gettingstructure and simplicity and
consistency, I think you'regonna get a lot out of today's
episode.
And so today, my guest knowsthis journey all too well.
And he's Mitch Calvert.
He's a Winnipeg-based fat losscoach and a creator of the man's
formation method.
And he was once 260 pounds andaddicted to junk food and
gaming.
(02:29):
And Mitch turned his lifearound, losing those 60 pounds
and building a system that nowhelps hundreds of men,
especially busy fathers like uswho are in our 40s or more,
reclaim our energy, dropstubborn weight, and lead with
confidence again.
And so let's welcome Mitch tothe show.
How are things, my friend?
SPEAKER_02 (02:47):
Uh Lane, nice to be
here.
I'm a big fan of yours as well.
So this is uh full circle momentfor me.
I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:52):
Yeah.
Right on.
Welcome to today's episode.
And here at the RevolutionaryMan, we talk about everyone
being on their own hero'sjourney.
And I gave a little idea of whatyour journey was like, but tell
us about your transformationalstory, all that powerful story,
and what was the actual breakingpoint for you?
And how did it lead you intoyour mission today?
SPEAKER_02 (03:12):
Yeah, certainly if
you told my 20-year-old self
that I was going to become afitness coach for a living, he
would probably laugh in yourface.
Like it was the furthest thingfrom a fitness guy at that time
in my life.
But I'd have to say the breakingpoint was early in life and high
school gym class, senior year atShaftesbury High School.
And they had those new body fathandheld devices, the Omrons.
(03:34):
We now know they're not thataccurate, but this was a new
shiny toy for my raw gym teacherwith the mustache.
And so we had all this, at leastall the guys in the class, grip
it, get their scores, and thenhe started writing them down on
the whiteboard from like best orlowest to worst.
I wasn't seeing my name, and Iknew what my score was, and I
knew it was going to come inpretty ugly.
And sure enough, like the worstscore among all the guys in the
(03:56):
class.
So at that point, I certainlywanted to find a hole and bury
myself in that gym because it'snot like people were laughing in
my face, but it was clear as daythat I needed to make some
changes.
And unfortunately, didn't makechanges right away, even though
I had the desire, Iprocrastinated and did that
whole song and dance where Iwait for Monday to get started
(04:17):
and then the next Monday and thenext month and the next year, as
that all goes.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
That is so true.
I just think about how back inschool I remember I'm in my 59,
and so we had these littlecrests you would these
challenges how many chin-upscould you do, how long could you
hold a chin-up, how manypush-ups did you do, all within
this.
I think Canada had this fitnesschallenge that was going across.
And I can remember sayingsimilar story to yours about
just being nervous.
(04:45):
I don't think I I can't, I thinkI might have got one bronze
patch, but I just was look andmarvel at some of these guys and
how strong they were.
It's not that I wasn't anathlete, I was, but the
challenge is that we tend to notwe grade ourselves against other
people, and when we do that,then we tend to fall short.
And so, as you were thinkingabout your transformational
journey, what was the next step?
(05:07):
Because you said, as I said inthe intro, you're about 260 at
one point in time.
What was that point there thatyou finally said that's enough?
SPEAKER_02 (05:15):
Yeah, that's a good
way to start the conversation
because I was out of high schoolnow, trying to figure out what I
wanted to do for a living.
I was pretty sure I wanted to gointo communications, get into
sports, reporting or writing.
But I had that kind of gap yearbefore starting university.
I'm like, what am I going to dowith my time here?
I'm working a job at Grapesrestaurant, eating all the extra
(05:36):
chicken fingers at the end ofthe night, and then going to
game until 2 a.m.
Rinse and repeat, I was fallinginto a pretty bad routine.
So what I first did was I wasthankful my brother brought home
Arnold Schwarzenegger's pumpingiron on DVD, and he had some big
bag of that growth weight orsomething, some garbage product,
and he was gung-ho to hit thegym and make some changes.
(05:58):
He was two years younger thanme.
So I felt, okay, if he's makingsome changes, I better at least
ride those coattails.
And he had moved on to newpastures within two weeks.
But I for something gottriggered inside of me watching
that documentary and getting theitch to exercise and move my
body.
And so that was really theleaping pad.
I made a lot of mistakes afterthat, of course, like going down
(06:20):
the rabbit holes of fad dietsand extreme methods and ordering
random supplements over theinternet and all these things
that didn't really move theneedle too much.
But that was the initial triggerpoint that okay, now's the time.
SPEAKER_01 (06:34):
Yeah, it's amazing
how it didn't take something as
simple as just a movie or DVD orwhatever it is that we're
watching, but something justclicks for us and we go, and I'm
glad that you brought up thisidea of these fad diets and
these pills, online pills.
Seems like everybody and theirdog is flogging something.
They found some sort of thing.
Oh, don't take lectin, it'llit'll ruin your weight.
And I just think of all theseguys that are these gurus that
(06:56):
are pushing things for men likemyself who want to get into
better shape or working towardsthat.
What do you think about thisidea of these extreme programs
where it's you got to loseweight, so you got to cut all
the carbs, you got to be realfast, you got to train like a
super athlete.
Why do you think those types ofthings are really truly in the
end dangerous for us?
SPEAKER_02 (07:16):
Yeah, the question I
would propose to anyone that
wants to go down a path likethat is can you sustain this
forever?
If not, don't do it for a day.
Because any results you get fromsomething that you can't stick
to will not stick.
It's obvious on paper, but manytimes we get caught up in the
crazy promises of these things.
And so our brains are wired toseek out the smoothest path or
(07:39):
fastest path with the leastfriction.
And we think these paths arethat when really the slow and
sustainable way is the quickestbecause we get there and we stay
there versus kind of this dabbleof losing and gaining the same
20 pounds over and over again.
SPEAKER_01 (07:54):
Absolutely.
And unfortunately, it's notnormally just the 20 pounds,
it's 20 pounds plus.
Um that's been my experience,anyways.
I'm sure folks listening havehad similar experiences.
And you've been going throughyour program and developing
stuff.
And as you said, you've madesome mistakes, but you're also
able to create this man'sformation method.
And so, what makes your coachingsystem, this man's formation
(08:16):
method, different than what mostguys might be inclined to try
out there?
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Yeah, the
information is helpful.
I certainly think that's a bigpiece of the puzzle, but it's
the implementation, like theaccountability and adjustments
along the way, and having a realhuman in your back pocket
throughout the process to steeryou back on the straight and
narrow when you inevitably hitthose roadblocks.
So I can talk about my big fiveframework and how that looks and
how we try to boil it down tosimple daily action steps.
(08:44):
But really, if I had to boil itdown to one piece, it was having
someone in your corner that'sgoing to keep you honest, nudge
you.
And our whole system is designedso that very few slip through
the cracks.
I can see when someone'scompleting a workout, even if
they're doing it from afar, howlong it took them, any feedback
they have.
And we've really optimized andused what the technology affords
(09:05):
us now.
AI and apps.
They have their role.
Alone, they don't do muchbecause people can download
these things all the time andthey're fun for a week or two,
and then they never open itagain.
So we're trying to bridge thatgap between the human and tech.
And I think that's really wherethe secret sauce is.
SPEAKER_01 (09:22):
Yeah, I would agree.
And full disclosure to ourlisteners here, I'm a recent
signe with uh trainee there withMitch and his work and his man's
formation method.
Because as I said, at 59, atsome point in our lives, we have
to make a decision.
And if we truly want to walk ourtalk, then we need to look at
getting help.
And as I coach the men aroundme, please find that guy, that
(09:42):
person, that individual thathelps you get to that next step.
And whether that's working withus or working with Mitch, it's
really important to find theright people.
And Mitch, you've done a greatjob with your program.
I'm loving it so far.
Can't wait to see what the first90 days ends like to get ready
for the second big push.
And so when I think about thejourney and I think about the
(10:02):
work that you're doing, one ofthe things that we should that
we work with men a lot is reallyabout helping them adjust their
mindset.
And so, as someone who's beencoaching so many individuals,
hundreds, probably thou into theout close into the thousands now
over the years, what are themindsets you're finding now,
especially for older gentlemenand getting us to get over that
hump and to continue on with ourprogram?
SPEAKER_02 (10:25):
Yeah, I think the
first big one is that age word,
right?
Anytime someone starts to bringup my age, my metabolism, those
are ringing alarm bells thatokay, we got some rewiring to do
here.
Because the good news is, yes,things change, but according to
research, metabolism is fairlyfixed until we get into our 60s.
So you're still good for alittle bit, and it's a marginal
(10:47):
drop from there, anyway.
What really drives the change ina negative way is our
lifestyles, right?
We get busy with our careers andkids, and everything else comes
first, and we're too sedentary,and we're drinking more beer
than water, and our food andchoices have gone downhill, and
we just aren't in the sports weused to be in our 20s.
So, all those compoundingfactors is why the weight
(11:09):
accumulates and why it starts tocome around the middle, and we
feel older and achy, and allthese things, and a lot of that
is reversible.
So that's the first roadblock toget past is the fact that age is
a reality, but not a majorroadblock unless you let it
happen.
SPEAKER_01 (11:25):
Yeah, I completely
agree with that.
I think for many of us, we tendto use that as a crutch in order
to what in order to pursueanything.
I I got my MBA at 50 when Ithought when I was getting ready
to do this, to do that work.
I thought, wow, is howchallenging it's been several
decades since I've been in anytype of formal schooling
setting.
And when you realize if you takethe practice, the skill set that
(11:49):
we have in other aspects of ourlife, we can truly apply it
anywhere.
And so I like this work, the wayyou framed the your man's
formation method, especially inhow the app and the personal
coaching aspect of it andthrough the app is an excellent
piece.
The community building, I think,is important as well.
And so love how you put that.
But you always talk about inyour work a lot about progress
(12:10):
over perfection.
And boy, is some guy who I thinkspeaking to myself who is wants
to be perfect.
How do I how do you help meovercome and explain what that
really looks like for someonelike me who thinks that it's got
to be perfect?
SPEAKER_02 (12:23):
Yeah, you're setting
yourself up for failure if you
think you have to be perfectwith anything really, but
fitness, especially.
You're gonna have days wherethings happen in your life and
you can't be totally on pointwith your fitness.
But those are the times you takeyour meds, like your minimum
effective dose of okay, I can'tget a 30-minute walk-in, but I
can do 10.
I can't plan my meals perfectly,but at the restaurant, I can
(12:45):
still choose the protein heavydish, maybe box up half the
meal, conserve some caloriesthat way.
Like there's always a decisionwe can make to still move
ourselves forward, butoftentimes people get in the
headspace of all or nothing.
And one, and just to give youthe analogy of a flat tire, you
don't slash the other three andjust stay stuck on the road,
right?
You replace that one and getback moving forward.
(13:07):
And I think that needs to be themindset for everybody because
failing forward is how thingsare accomplished in life.
The only way you lose is if youquit entirely, throw in the
towel, go back to your old waysand that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_01 (13:20):
Yeah, absolutely,
for sure.
Great example on the menu.
I was out with a friend lastnight and we were going to
attend this event, and then theevent got was canceled at the
last minute for from uh for somereasons.
And so we thought, why don't wego out for a bite to eat?
And so we went to a localrestaurant here and I sat down.
And typically I would have hadprobably a high carb meal of
some form, whether it be pastaor a sandwich or what have you,
(13:43):
and but I caught myself makingbetter decisions.
So it's a salad with a nicegrilled steak on top of it, and
it's so your what you just saidis so true.
It's all about these smallchoices.
It wasn't a perfect meal by anystretch of the imagination.
There was one alcoholicbeverage, but there wasn't four.
Yeah, and there wasn't, and itwas a the sides and the decision
(14:04):
on what happens on the plate waschanged as well.
And I think for those of us thatstrive to for this perfection or
wanting to just do it right, itmaybe is another way to look at
it.
Just doing it right is justmaking better choices.
So thanks for bringing that upbecause I think it's so true
that we just need to look atthese small incremental changes
over the long core, longcorridor, will really reap the
(14:28):
most benefit for us.
SPEAKER_02 (14:29):
I speak to forcing
it versus just being in flow,
and you've got to adapt thisidentity of this new person who
does all these things onautopilot eventually.
And if you're like whiteknuckling it, just forcing these
behaviors and you hate everyminute of it, you're never gonna
stick that out.
But if you're trying to embodythis better version of you,
whatever that looks like, weightloss scenario, I guess you'd
have a visual of losing 20pounds and feeling healthier and
(14:53):
all these things.
But just day to day, it has tostart today with oh, my new
future version would probablyopt for the water here instead
of the second beer or the sidesalad instead of fries.
And you don't always make theright choice, no one does, but
it's just a little more oftenmaking the better choice adds up
compounds and then you start toknock over these dominoes
(15:13):
towards your goals.
SPEAKER_01 (15:14):
Yeah, I completely
agree.
I'm sure in this progress thatyou've seen, obviously, as being
a fitness coach and helping guysget into get rid of our dad bots
and getting it into better shapebeyond just seeing the wins that
you would get from guys actuallylosing weight.
What are some other surprisingwins you've seen from your
clients through working with youin your program?
SPEAKER_02 (15:35):
Yeah, well, I
understand this is a family
program, but certainly moresideways glances from the
spouse.
And sometimes things pick upthere in that department.
Never a bad thing.
All of us guys would could usemore of that action, I think.
And we there's never enough,oftentimes.
So there's that often in bloodwork, they see immediate change
(15:55):
almost within the first threemonths.
If they go get a checkup, oh,blood sugar's down, liver
enzymes are in a better spot,everything improves by default
just by picking up a routine,losing some weight.
And then just day-to-day, themost immediate is like waking up
in a better state of mind, andthe mood that you carry forward
throughout the day is a littlemore stabilized, you're more
(16:16):
adaptive to stress, you justhave more productivity in your
day-to-day work.
And that's where they're like,oh wow, I didn't really factor
this in.
It wasn't a motivating reasonfor why I did it.
But now I realize how much I wasrunning on fumes before brain
fog, and I was just forcing itwith caffeine, and now I can
have this more natural energyand show up as my best self.
SPEAKER_01 (16:36):
Yeah, absolutely.
What a great point about that,too, because it does show up in
all these other aspects of life,right?
We do have more motivation.
I find that even working withthe men in our group, that being
able to make slight shifts alsoreally changes that self-talk
aspect.
And I'm totally expectingsimilar results with this as
well.
And I think it's if you just canhave that stick to itiveness
(16:59):
long enough that you can breakthrough a lot of these barriers
and community.
The idea of you adding acommunity into the program has
really makes a lot of sense tome and seeing some great action
in there as well.
SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
Yeah, I find
peer-to-peer support is just
that extra layer ofaccountability that most of us
are missing.
Like having a coach is one thingthat you know that they're gonna
call you out if they need it andthey're gonna keep you honest,
and big brothers watching.
But seeing your peers who are inthe same or similar position as
you and they're winning, orthey're facing challenges and
they're trying to help navigatethrough the group, that can be a
(17:32):
really powerful force for good,too.
So, yeah, we definitely weredeliberate in our approach with
that because I just found thosemost engaged in the community,
most engaged in our quarterlychallenges, did the best, got
the best results.
So there must be a connection tothat piece for sure.
SPEAKER_01 (17:48):
Yeah, listen, in the
end, we're men and we are driven
by competition at some level.
Some of us really thrive deepwithin that, and others just
like the idea of competing andbeing part of a group.
And so, regardless of how youwant to show up, being part of a
community and having comrades inarms to help us move forward, I
think is really powerful now.
As I think about everythingthat's going on in your in in in
(18:10):
your life, Mitch, I you're abusy dad, you've got a fantastic
business going on.
I know you blog, you write lotsof articles.
How do you personally maintaindiscipline?
Because you're not the only guythat has lots of balls in the
air, but give us an insight ofwhat a day in the life of Mitch
looks like.
SPEAKER_02 (18:27):
Yeah, that took some
trial and error to get to a
place where things were morebalanced, right?
There's been phases where I wasburning the candle at both ends,
still working a job, trying tobuild this side hustle, we'll
call it.
And sometimes my family's familygot the scraps in those
scenarios.
So I haven't been perfect.
That was years ago now.
But it was just like figuringout, okay, what does my perfect
day look like?
(18:47):
I want most of my days to feellike I'm excited for what's to
come.
And I had to position mybusiness in a way that allowed
me to have that structure andflexibility while still giving
people the outcomes they come tome for.
So each day is pretty well,there's no fancy accountability
systems or apps.
It's just like 9 a.m., 10 a.m.,11 a.m.
Dash.
(19:08):
What am I doing then?
And I obviously use a GoogleCalendar to support me in that
endeavor.
But we have time blocks forresponding to messages and
emails, time blocks for ourintake calls, time blocks for
professional development,because I feel like that's a
critical piece to continue toevolve as a person so that I can
be the best coach, best husband,best father, etc.
(19:29):
So yeah, never no day isperfect, but I'm in a pretty
good place now after a lot oftrial and error where every day
I'm excited and not that pit inmy stomach.
Oh, God, I've got 10 Zoom calls.
I can't function, I need to gorun and hide and burn this all
down.
SPEAKER_01 (19:43):
Yeah, exactly.
And I like how you put lots ofstructure and in into your day
now, and you have an idea, youalways have a clear idea what
the day looks like, what theweek looks like.
And I think for many of us, aswe look at incorporating it and
adding a physical proponentcomponent to our lives, and we
just need to look at we can findthat time.
And there's not there's no suchthing as I don't have any time.
(20:06):
It's just about what's myhighest priority.
And at some point in our lives,either it's going to be through
a medical emergency orsomething's gonna happen.
And it's hope that it never getsto that stage where you finally
choose to take care of yourself.
And so for the man that'slistening today, feel maybe he
feels like he's just gone a toofar.
What would you say be the veryfirst thing he can do today is
(20:26):
to start taking his power back?
SPEAKER_02 (20:29):
Yeah, like you
nailed it with if it's not a
priority, you won't make thetime.
But if it is a priority, you'llfind the time.
And that's one of the things Ididn't mention, but I always put
my personal stuff in thecalendar first, like
reoccurring, non-negotiableappointment with myself.
This block around the lunch houris when I either work out or
walk.
I've got that 30-ish minutes toreally dedicate to the fitness
(20:51):
side of things because I know inthe afternoon I'll be more
productive.
So for the guy that's doesn'tknow where to start, is just
look at your calendar inadvance.
Try to pick out a couple spotsthat you can commit some time to
yourself.
And that could just be somequick walk around the
neighborhood, a brisk walk, butany pace is going to be fine.
Or mobility, stretching, mealprep, something you think is
(21:14):
going to get you some momentumin this regard, and just have
that in the calendar and it popsup and it reminds you, okay,
this is for me, this is apriority.
And once you make things apriority, we tend to find the
time, they tend to fall intoplace.
SPEAKER_01 (21:28):
Yeah, absolutely,
absolutely.
And love that you put familyfirst, an opportunity for us to
take care of the most importantthings in our lives.
And I think that is so true.
Over the years, you've reallyyou've been mentoring so many of
us and so many people, andhundreds of people have been
thrilled and grateful foreverything you've done.
But there must have been amentor, maybe two, maybe it was
an individual, a book, somethingthat really has stuck with you
(21:51):
all over the years.
And so, what would you say wouldbe the best or most profound
piece of advice that you'vereceived and how is it still
serving you today?
SPEAKER_02 (21:59):
Yeah, I think I'm a
real byproduct of mentorship
because I would still be 260pounds, maybe a trainer at some
point, training time for moneyand overwhelmed and
overstressed.
And people along the way helpedme kind of learn the mindset and
the skills to develop a businessthat was one of my dreams,
right?
So for me, it was aboutsurrounding yourself with the
(22:22):
right people, putting yourselfin the right rooms.
And if you have to pay a littlebit to do that, it's always the
best return on investment.
Like I made an email today aboutselling my Mercedes Benz a few
years back and basicallycommitting that payment that was
collecting dust in the garage topersonal professional
development.
And I've tried to vow tomaintain that rate of spend
(22:42):
since.
And I can say with certaintythat's the best money spent is
on your brain, body, yourmindset, your personal
development.
So if you're not doing that andyou feel stuck, that's probably
the first step getting out ofthat is to get yourself around
people that have already donewhat you want to do because
they're gonna help you like fasttrack.
You're in a paddle boat byyourself, trudging across to the
(23:05):
dream, the island dream.
You could get into a speedboatwith someone who knows how to
navigate and it was just timecollapse.
And that's what I've reallyrealized made such a difference
in my life.
So that's the best I've gotten.
SPEAKER_01 (23:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
Love that, love that.
SPEAKER_02 (23:30):
Just start.
I know I might have told yousomething differently in the
preamble, but now that's come upas like the most critical piece
for someone to listen to thesepodcasts and start to develop an
understanding of what they needto do.
That's only one part, right?
The implementation, the actionsteps need to follow, or else
(23:50):
you just become this informationjunkie and you don't end up
seeing any return on thatinvestment of time into your
life.
So think of one takeaway fromthis episode and try to action
it today.
If not today, tomorrow on yourcalendar, because that's what's
going to move this into momentumand really help you instill what
you learned into actions, whichleads to outcomes, right?
(24:12):
At the end of the day.
SPEAKER_01 (24:14):
Right on.
Love that.
Just want to say thanks so much,Mitch, for reminding us that age
isn't a barrier totransformation, it's a starting
line.
And you've given us lots oftruth here today and about what
really what it really takes forus to lose weight and build
confidence and show really showup as the men that we were
created to be.
So if men are wanting to get intouch with you, participate in
(24:34):
your man's formation method,what would be the best way for
them to do that?
SPEAKER_02 (24:39):
Yeah, go to
MitchCalvert.com, C-A-L-B-E-R-T,
as you guys probably see in thenotes.
And there's a free download onthere for what I call a
metabolism jump start.
It's gonna help you reframemetabolism being a buzzword
anyway, but it gives you fiveaction steps to really start to
move in that forward direction.
And if you're an Instagram guy,forward slash MitchCalibert
(25:00):
Fitness, we can see and connectthere as well.
SPEAKER_01 (25:03):
I'm gonna make sure
all that information is in
today's episode so people canget an opportunity to get out
there and reach out andparticipate in your program.
I just want to say once again,thank you so much for being on
the show today.
I really enjoyed today'sconversation.
SPEAKER_02 (25:15):
Thank you too.
I look forward to our episodewith your updated fitness
transformation on my podcastnext.
SPEAKER_01 (25:22):
Sounds great.
SPEAKER_00 (25:33):
Thank you for
listening to the Revolutionary
Man podcast.
Are you ready to own yourdestiny to become more the man
you're destined to be?
Join the Brotherhood that is TheAwakened of Man at
theawakendoman.net and startforging a new destiny today.