September 19, 2023 • 32 mins
Can you imagine the pressures of being an enforcer in the National Hockey League, facing both physical and mental battles every day? Billy Huard doesn't have to imagine - he lived it. Our guest for this episode, Billy, shares his roller-coaster journey from NHL professional hockey enforcer to inspirational speaker and author. He uncovers the struggles he faced and how they led him to a crisis point, but also how he found his faith and transformed his life from the ground up.
Through adversity, Billy Huard discovered purpose and faith, becoming a beacon of resilience. He guides us through the challenges he faced as an NHL enforcer, shedding light on the stress and anxiety attached with the role. The lively discussion doesn't stop there. Billy also takes us through his transition into becoming an inspirational speaker and author. He emphasizes the importance of uplifting those around us and how both healthy and unhealthy habits can re-energize us. We further delve into how a job can become a purpose in life when it allows time for other important things, like spending time with family.
Billy Huard's story is one of transformation, faith, and resilience.
Connect with Billy:
Personal website
LinkedIn
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey Uncommon Leaders, welcome back.
This is the Uncommon LeaderPodcast, and I'm your host, john
Gallagher.
Today I've got another greatguest, billy Heward, a former
professional hockey enforcer inthe NHL, turned inspirational
speaker and author.
Billy takes us on a journey ofpersonal growth, resilience and
faith as he shares hisexperiences from the hockey rink
into the business world.
(00:21):
His story emphasizes theimportance of focusing on others
, adopting positive dailyroutines and finding ways to
refresh and re-energize.
From his early dreams ofbecoming an NHL goalscorer to
the challenges he faced as anenforcer, billy's journey is one
of overcoming adversity andfinding purpose.
We dive into Billy's struggleswith stress, anxiety and
(00:43):
depression and how he ultimatelyturned to faith, lifestyle
changes and holistic healingmethods to transform his life.
All of this great stuff isoutlined in even more detail in
his new book A Purpose WorthFighting For.
Finding Faith Over Fear.
This episode and the book aregoing to be good ones.
Let's get started.
Billy Heward, welcome to theUncommon Leader Podcast.
(01:08):
It's great to have you on.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I'm doing awesome.
It's great to be here.
I'm looking forward to thepodcast.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Absolutely.
I'm looking forward to theconversation today, and we are
here to talk about your book, aPurpose Worth Fighting For,
finding Faith Over Fear, as wellas get a chance to know you a
little bit better.
The good thing about thetimings of this podcast is that
it's coming out, so it'll be outjust a couple of days after we
have this interview and we'llhave it published and ready for
folks to hear your story alongwith reading your story, so I
(01:36):
know folks are going to enjoythe book.
So, billy, the book is, as wesaid, finding Faith Over Fear
and your Purpose in terms of theintent behind it.
Why did you write this book andwho did you write it for?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
That's a great question.
I actually started the bookalmost 20 years ago when I
retired from the NHL, so Istarted out.
It's ironic I started writingthe book for me for all the
wrong reasons and it kind ofsegwayed and transformed into a
book for others, utilizing mystory to help others, where in
(02:11):
the beginning it was just allabout me.
So throughout my journey, bothin hockey and the NHL and as a
professional athlete and writingthe book, my story changed
considerably.
So it's now to reach others andthat's essentially just a
vessel for that now.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Billy, think about that journey through the NHL and
also kind of part of your life.
When I hear the word NHL andForcer and I know a little bit
about hockey and things likethat I don't necessarily
correlate that with Finding yourPurpose and Finding Faith Over
Fear.
So tell our listeners a littlebit about the life of an NHL and
(02:56):
Forcer and what you wentthrough, and then again how that
ultimately led you to this book.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, really.
I mean, I grew up in Canada ina small town wanting to be a
goal scorer and an NHL hockeyplayer.
Growing up as a boy in Canada,you always, you know everybody
wants to play in the NHL and Iwasn't any different.
I had three older sisters.
I was the youngest and my dadhad his boy and my dad, you know
(03:23):
he got me.
They got me into hockey when Iwas around four or five and I
had to overcome a lot throughoutmy journey and I just played
hockey with all my friends.
I went through a lot of stepbacks, growth spurts and things
like that, but throughout thattime I had my dream was becoming
(03:43):
more real of being an NHLhockey player.
However, it got to a certainpoint where I realized or was
made very clear that the playerI wanted to be, or dreamt to be,
wasn't that role, actuallywasn't the role I was going to
serve in the NHL, and that'sreally what I struggled with the
most.
It was having to become an NHLenforcer, which I chose to be
(04:06):
and which was part of the gameback then.
It wasn't the NHL's fault, itwasn't the you know there are
there are several ex-NHOfighters that that enjoyed the
role, I guess you know, but Icertainly wasn't one of them.
I was a really good hockeyplayer.
So, having said that, I dealtwith a lot of the stress and
anxiety that went with that role.
And you know, just leading upto a fight, the fight, even
(04:29):
after the fight, and when Iretired from the sport, I had a
lot of questions, a lot ofanimosity as to why I had you
know, why did that have to be me?
And things like that, and notonly that.
In doing so in the role, withthe role, I had a lot.
You know, what came with therole was a lot of anxiety and
(04:50):
stress and depression and Idealt with that through, you
know, alcohol and just thingslike that.
Later, ptsd and you know cameaboard, happened.
It got pretty dark and drearyfor quite some time in my life.
So, but I mean the role in NHLwas was that such that if, if,
(05:11):
if the game, if your team was upa few goals, you'd be okay, but
if the other team was up a fewgoals, you'd have to go change
the momentum of the game.
You were there to make sureyour best players got all the
room on the ice as possible andthat was my role.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Billy, one that would truly be stressful and, as you
said, probably not in the fouror five year old's dream when he
started out was to come up asan enforcer and won their stuff.
And, as you said, you mentionedstress and anxiety.
My guess is a lot of pain thatgoes along with that as well,
either inflicting it on someoneand you probably win some and
(05:45):
you lose some kind of thing asyou go forward that.
But regardless of that, it'sprobably more about that stress
and depression and how youhandled that and clearly, in
writing the book it's reallyabout how you've overcome that
and discovered what your purposehas been in finding faith over
fear.
Was there a moment, billy, thatyou had to make that choice
(06:06):
afterward and said that'ssomething that I whether it's
not about not wanting to be theenforcer anywhere, you retired
from professional hockey, butwhere it hit you, it said, I got
to be different as a persongoing forward as well.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, there was a.
I mean, there were some signs,for sure, and I knew I had to
change.
And then there was a couple ofkey moments that transformed me.
One was I was really down andout.
I had gone through a lot ofpain Financially, I was going
through some stress, marriageand everything else and just I
(06:40):
was drinking, I was trying to, Iwas trying to.
What got me through in the pastwasn't going to get me through
what I was currently goingthrough.
When I was a fighter, I coulddrink and have fun with the guys
, but when your career's overand you're still looking to kind
of drown your sorrows in thesame unhealthy ways, it got to a
(07:01):
point where I couldn't do itany longer.
And so what happened really wasI was, I was in my office, I
have, I have an office, and thenmy wife had bought some books
and put some books on theshelves in my office just kind
of like what you have in thebackground, and a few books that
she had picked up, and the onebook was called the Evangelist
(07:25):
by Billy Graham and it's reallythe life and story of Billy
Graham and how he started hisjourney in evangelism and things
like that, and I just picked itup, for whatever reason, on the
shelf my wife at this point hadbeen saying hey, let's go to
church, let's kind of go.
I got some friends, maybe we,maybe she.
She sensed it, you know, sheknew something, we needed help.
And I read the Evangelist andit changed my life and that was
(07:49):
the first time and I woke up.
I mean, I got up and I wentupstairs and I woke her up in
the morning and said let's go tochurch.
She's like what are you talkingabout?
And she literally jumped out ofbed in a way.
We went and you know, I readabout forgiveness, I read about,
you know, everything that BillyGraham talks about, which is
obviously in the Bible, and thatI, you know forgiveness, change
(08:13):
, faith and things like that andI wanted more of it.
It was kind of like, you know,when you first become a
Christian or you, you know, youkind of you just like you want
to hear more sick, that livingwater, and that's kind of what
happened.
So we, we went to church thatday.
And then I had another.
I had another awakening.
Really, I had a.
I was watching my son playhockey and I was in North Dakota
(08:34):
and I had something happened.
I had mercy on my foot whichthey didn't know what it was.
I spent 10 days in ICU and itdidn't look good and I kind of
made a promise, that to God,that, hey, if I change my life,
you know, I promise, I promisethat I'll be, I'll follow you
and I'll do everything I can,and you know.
And then it started to hit me.
Maybe being an NHL hockeyplayer was my purpose, but it
(08:58):
wasn't about what I thought itwas.
There was a bigger reason forthis and that's what I thought
well, okay, so a purpose worthfighting for and my book, you
know, I kind of rediscovered myfaith and purpose through my
fear of fighting in the NHL,which is kind of ironic, you
know, and that happens, I know,to a lot of people.
It's, you know, it's kind ofwhen you hit rock bottom and or
you're close to it, then you'rekind of more receptive to, you
(09:22):
know, to a higher power or faithor things like that.
That's what happened to me.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Love that story, billy Graham.
He has impacted so many rightand it but it.
You know, ultimately it's Godas you know, you mentioned
living water.
It's God that changes ourhearts.
But powerful story and I'm gladthat you're able to overcome
that as well.
As you know, really talkingabout the story of you know
alcohol and things like thatthat were driving you also, and
(09:49):
being able to overcome that asyou went on that journey it
probably wasn't a one day switchWell over some of the battles
you had to overcome as you went,as you went through with it.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, I always kind of had one foot in.
I needed to get that secondfoot in.
So when we had a settlementwith the NHL on the concussion
issues, that allowed us you knowa lot of us enforcers and our
guys that thought they hadconcussions to seek out.
So I went to a neurologistthrough the NHL and I was
diagnosed with PTSD and thingslike that.
(10:20):
So that was one step.
I took it right away becauseI'll tell you what happened,
john.
But I was, I had sold ourcompany and I was thrilled and I
went for dinner with my wifeand my and the kids and I had a
nervous breakdown at dinner forno reason.
I've never had one before.
I didn't even know what it was.
I've heard about them but I'venever experienced just breaking
(10:42):
down and crying.
It was embarrassing.
I didn't.
I had no idea what it was.
It was like it just hit me,almost like a punch.
I just like.
I left the table.
I came outside and my wife saidokay, I'm like I don't know
what just happened to me, I haveno idea.
So they got worse and worse andworse.
So the timing was good becauseat the same time I was going to
see that neurologist.
That had happened.
(11:02):
So I was able to.
They were able to put me on.
First of all, right away.
He said alcohol is a depressantthat needs to stop, and I was
stopping anyway.
So I was like, okay, there's asign from God.
And then, secondly, I had tomake serious lifestyle changes,
and I did.
And that's when I started to.
You know, I started to get moreinto the holistic healing and I
(11:27):
started to do some research,because nobody, nobody, there's
no book out there on hey, how do, how do you help fighters or
guys with PT?
I'm sure there's lots ofmedications and different things
like that, or maybe you knowthere's places you can go, but
there really wasn't anything forme at the time.
So I just did my, I just did mydue diligence and I discovered
like a whim-hoff for cold tubsand breathing, and I read up on
(11:51):
Laird Hamilton on differentthings like that.
And one thing that I reallyenjoyed and you always ask this
as a kid, one thing I enjoyed isthe kid was getting into the
wilderness and getting away, andI used to do that and it just
put always put me in such agreat place.
And that's essentially what Idid.
I started, I bought a camperand I just started getting away.
So when I felt that stress andanxiety my wife knew it I would
(12:13):
tell her we started to journalall that and I would just go
away and I would take my dog andI'd go paddle boarding.
I would just get one withnature and it helped me so much.
So I really, you know, at firstit's hard because it's lifestyle
changes.
You're, you know, you're usedto being the certain person or
people, this persona and people.
You know the tough guy, theexistential hockey player.
(12:33):
You know, entrepreneur,successful.
To know I need to slow down, Ineed to really figure out what
my true purpose is.
It's not about me anymore andthat's why another thing I had
to do is be transparent andshare, because you know, like
we've, like we've learned aboutfrom Rory, you know was your
better, your best, serving theperson.
You once were right and that is100% true and that's that is my
(12:58):
avatar and that's why I wrotethe book, because I can only
reach so many people, but thebook really is an extension of
me that can reach others who Icouldn't otherwise reach through
, just, you know, throughconversation or contacts.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now, milly, you touched on that we are most
powerfully positioned to helpthat person that we used to be.
Absolutely, you know, I can Ican just kind of see it now, but
the, you know, the part that Itruly appreciate and love is
that by your story, when youmentioned, you know that, almost
going back to being a kid again, the camping, the paddle
boarding, like those habitsreplaced bad habits that existed
(13:34):
prior to that, that were reallygood.
The brain doesn't necessarilyknow the difference between a
good habit and a bad habit.
It just knows that you have todo things to refresh, to get
better.
Now you also touched on yourbook similarly.
So that's a leadership tiplearning that from the sports
and into the, into the world ofyou know, kind of after and
saying we need to find what thatis that allows us to refresh,
(13:57):
re-energize and get that done ina healthy way to go forward.
But you talk about theimportance of commitment and
conviction and your role thatyou're in as an enforcer.
That was very important.
And leaders, you know they haveto be committed and convicted
as well, and individuals have tobe committed and convicted to
their purpose.
How has that, you know, comeover from sports to life.
(14:18):
Now for you, in terms of thatcommitment, commitment and
conviction, that's a that's agreat.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
That's a great question, and I just think
athletes in general there's somuch dedication, there is so
much commitment I think theyhave to be more than anything.
They have to be.
You have to have character,integrity, all the buzzwords
that we talk about, but there'sso many ups and downs in sports
(14:49):
that you can really.
It really correlates with thebusiness world or startup
company.
It happens and you have to gothrough it.
Whatever it is, you have to gothrough it, but I think you have
to be dedicated and you have tobe dedicated to whatever that
is In business.
When I look for leaders, I lookfor those who essentially make
(15:11):
those around them better,because in the company that we
had, I wanted the folks that Ihad under me or with me that at
the end of the day, they werethe ones making decisions,
because I gave them theconfidence too, because we were
a team and we were only justlike hockey where, yeah, I may
have played three or fourminutes a night, but I was still
part of that team and our teamwas better because of that, and
(15:34):
I went through my pain andanguish over it, but at the end
of the day, our team still wasbetter because I was on the ice
or in the lineup, and I justthink it's in business.
I think there's so many and,just like in sports, there's so
many things that attack you fromthe outside world.
There's so many negatives,people don't.
(15:56):
You either have competition oryou have people that think you
could never do it.
And I think that's where faithcomes in, and I just think,
believing without seeing, and Ithink I know that what happens
most times discouragement,happens halfway through
something.
Whether you're trying to makeit to the NHL, whether you're
trying to make it in business,it's usually at the halfway
(16:18):
point you wanna give up, you'rejust like we can't do this, and
or you wanna blame somebody.
And in hockey it taught youthat there is no giving up.
You can't give up, that's not.
You're burning the boat, you'retaking the island, and it's the
same in business.
I think you really have to havethat mindset that you have to
burn the boats, but in doing so,one thing hockey taught me,
(16:41):
through good and bad, isconstructive criticism, treating
people the way you wanna betreated, because in the old days
in hockey it wasn't like that,and in business sometimes it's
not like that as well, so youdon't have to work for that
company that has that mentality.
There's so many other andthat's part of it.
Because when you talk aboutpurpose, not everybody goes to
(17:03):
work and says this is my purposein life.
However, if you can go to workand you can enjoy what you do
and it allows you to live yourpurpose in other ways, then it
kinda is your purpose in life.
It allows you to spend moretime with your kids, it gives
you the financial means to livea life with your family or go on
(17:23):
vacations and things like that.
So it kinda is a purpose aswell.
How you wrap it up.
So to me, I think being anathlete definitely helped me in
the business world.
I've always had great teams inbusiness.
I've always been able to takethem on the chin kinda, say, in
business, and more than that,I've been able to mentor others
(17:44):
in positive means, positive ways.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Hey listeners, I wanna take a quick moment to
share something special with you.
Many of the topics anddiscussions we have on this
podcast are areas where Iprovide coaching and consulting
services for individuals andorganizations.
If you've been inspired by ourconversation and are seeking a
catalyst for change in your ownlife or within your team, I
invite you to visitcoachjohngallaghercom forward
(18:12):
slash free call to sign up for afree coaching call with me.
It's an opportunity for us toconnect, discuss your unique
challenges and explore howcoaching or consulting can
benefit you and your team.
I'm here to equip you andencourage you every step of the
way.
Okay, let's get back to the show.
I love that and as I listenthrough on the story taking one
(18:38):
on the chin, I bet there's allkind of different metaphors and
analogies that talk about interms of correlating that
between the sport itself and thebusiness world that you're in
today.
For you to maintain your edgeno pun intended as well as you
look forward, what are thethings that you have to do now
(18:58):
intentionally to continue tolive out your purpose?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Well, first and foremost, every day I have to
remember it's not about me, it'sabout others.
I have a regiment now with mylifestyle.
I surround myself.
You can't.
And what did Rick Warren oncesay?
He said you can't run.
You can't sore at the Eagles ifyou run with the turkeys Not
that I ran with a bunch ofturkeys, but it's just a
(19:23):
metaphor and meaning that if youhave to be a 1% or you have to
have standards and such, youcan't just talk about it, you
have to live it.
That's kind of my life now, as Ihave a routine in the morning
where I put my mind in a statewhere I'm thinking positive
(19:45):
things.
I have my quiet time and for meI have a Bible study and for
others it's, whatever I do, myearth thing.
I have my cold tub everymorning.
I listen to my podcasts thatare positive.
I visualize a lot, which is thething I took from hockey.
Believe it or not, I did it,even in fighting.
I had to visualize that fight.
(20:06):
It was painful, but I still didit because I benefited from it
in terms of, yeah, I was afighter, but I still had to win.
I didn't want to get hurt.
The same in life.
I visualize me having a greatday.
I do believe that you can trickthe mind into being more
receptive and kind of preparingthe mind for success.
(20:27):
When you do get there, it's notsurprise.
That's what I do.
Then I just really have to stayin the word and hold myself
accountable.
I know when I talk to people orI coach guys, just me coaching
them reinstates and reaffirmswhat I'm doing.
That's a big part of it as well.
It's not just a bunch of talk.
(20:47):
It's like here's what I do.
I'm very transparent.
I do blogs, I do all kinds ofstuff to stay in front of people
, to change lives, love that.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
As you said that, as you talked about tricking your
mind into a positive mindset, Ijust pulled this little card out
of my drawer that I have that.
I turned to Philippians 4-8,says whatever is true, noble,
whatever is right and pure,whatever is lovely and admirable
, if anything is excellent orpraiseworthy, think on these
things.
It takes a discipline to dothat.
That's Philippians 4-8.
But 4-9, and what you talkedabout is you got to put that in
(21:21):
action.
You got to practice thosethings as well.
You have to think that, but youalso have to put it into action
what you've been practicing.
You did that in yourprofessional career and you're
doing that now as anentrepreneur and as a leader,
living out your purpose as ahusband and a father as well, in
terms of your purpose thatwe're living out.
I do appreciate you sharing that, and I know it's something that
(21:43):
has to be managed on a dailybasis.
I personally have not found thecold plunge courage to do that
yet, or make that look, or thatcold shower that's coming out of
like 55 degrees, whatever it'sdoing, but maybe one of these
days I'm going to have to have.
Several people have beentelling me I need to do it,
especially as I move along in mycareer as well in age.
(22:03):
You and I are similar in age.
You mentioned your dailydiscipline of reading and faith
as well.
How has that helped you, yourfaith transition into this next
phase of your life and career aswell?
Faith over faith.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
It definitely holds you accountable.
Before.
When you don't have faith,you're kind of being your own
God.
You're the one making all therules, and where does that
usually get you?
It got me where it got me andit puts other people where it
puts them.
Unfortunately, we're not reallygood at managing our lives,
(22:42):
especially when anybody canmanage your life when you're on
the top of the mountain, butwhen you're in the valley it's a
little tougher.
Life's all about peaks andvalleys and I'd say 70% of our
life, unfortunately, is in thevalley.
I do believe that faith andbeing the difference is for me,
(23:02):
it's having a relationship withChrist.
It's about every day getting.
For me.
I have three Bible versereminders during the day.
They come up on my phone.
I have my daily hope in themorning.
We arrange my day so that I'mgetting reminders and it's so
(23:22):
crazy.
Sometimes when they hit me, I'min a certain state of mind
where I really don't want to bethat nice guy and whatever's
happening, the stress andanxiety of the real world and a
Bible verse will come up.
It'll say here.
I'm like, oh, my gosh.
Okay, I have a different Bibleverse, which is kind of neat.
I'm not just looking at the sameone, but I just think, being
(23:44):
being accountable, faith.
Faith allows me to beaccountable to higher power and
Also that, you know, it alsoreminds me how short life is and
that we are.
This is really in terms ofhockey, this is really just in
the back in my you know, andwhat I think is this is really
just an exhibition game.
This is not even the regularseason, this isn't even the
(24:07):
first game.
This is really just anexhibition game.
And how I play this exhibitiongame it's going to be.
Am I gonna be on the first line, a second line or the third
line in the?
In the real game?
And I do.
I do believe in that and withall my heart, I don't have.
I don't have enough.
There's not enough faith for menot to believe.
There's just, there's notenough.
So, and and I have to trustfaith I know one thing, john, is
(24:31):
when I got into the real world.
Before every I've been intobusinesses where I know nothing
about them.
I've been asked to startcompanies where I and I'm doing
one right now.
I don't know nothing about it,but what I do know is that if I
have faith, I'm going to getthrough it, and never once in my
life, never once in my life,have I ever went into a meeting
that said God, I don't know how,why I'm here, I'm with a group
(24:54):
of Engineers or whoever.
I can't speak their language, Iknow nothing about this, but I
know you can get me through this.
Not once as he let me down, notonce if I not walked out of
meeting.
So when you get that mode, thatundeniable results from faith,
it's why wouldn't you do it?
You know, find a cure for cancer, find a cure for cancer.
(25:16):
I would tell everybody, I wanteverybody to know, and that's
kind of what the purpose worthfighting for is all about.
It's okay, it's yours, it'sfree.
Here's my life.
I'm not some Bible thumperthat's gonna crack you over the
head.
Here's my life, here's whathappened, and I'm a tough guy
and I do it all.
I, you know, I dirt bike, Imountain bike.
I'm just a normal guy.
(25:37):
Another thing I did what's hashelped me a lot.
I line myself with guys likeLaird Hamilton, cam Haynes, guys
that are my age out in thesports world, that are doing
what they're doing.
They don't drink, they eathealthy.
They're all in their fifties.
You don't have to know a mentor, you don't have to know
somebody.
Even Ed my lat, you know.
You don't have to know somebodyto to get encouragement from
(25:59):
them.
You know how many people listento Joe Rogan or these podcasts
and I encourage that becausethere's so many things.
You know Matthew McConaughey,read that book greenlight.
There's so many things, there'sso many tools and people out
there that just get you through.
Get you through it.
I know when I was going throughthe drinking thing, I read Tim
McGraw quit drinking.
I'm like well, interesting, Iread into it.
Oh, okay, so there's, there'sso many.
(26:21):
Sometimes you think you'realone on an island.
You're really not, really not.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Well, I hope that book that your book is, is that
for, as you said, even oneperson?
Billy, yeah, if that's yourgoal, I want to ask you a
question about your book.
So I had one of thebrand-builders group authors,
bob Wheatley, on the on thepodcast once and he talked about
the one-year Effect of a bookthat you know he wants.
He wants it to be a book that,while it goes up on a shelf like
that, when you see the backingof it, you look at it a year
(26:47):
later you can remember a storythat's attached to that book
that impacted you.
So when readers read your book,what do you want them to feel
or do as a result of reading?
A Purpose worth fighting for,finding faith over fear.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
That's actually a really great question.
There's several, but I would Iwould definitely want someone to
read it that's, that's notliving their purpose, or they're
just existing and not living.
To realize that the Havingfaith having faith over you know
(27:28):
, having faith really to meAllows you to overcome the fear
of change.
Because there's so many of usthat just are too afraid to
change your ladders, leaning upagainst the building you're
climbing, and then you realize,oh my gosh, my ladders on the
wrong building, but they're tooafraid to make a change because
they're 50 or 60 years old.
They're making so much money,there's so many elements.
(27:50):
You're in the NHL, I'm in theNHL, but you're the most, you're
the unhappiest person.
So to me, to me, I would saythat Overcoming your fear of
change through faith and or ahigher power, or seeking
something other than justself-help, because it, because
to me, when you do that, theresults are forever.
The results are they justabsolutely transforming your
(28:13):
life.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That's awesome.
I hope that for you as well.
You just got a couple morequestions I want to ask you.
This is actually more of aQuestion for a hockey player for
an enforcer.
So each team had what theywould identify as their enforcer
and you put the enforcers outon the ice and they'd go at it
these guys.
Did you personally dislike them, or did you go out and have a
(28:37):
beer with them afterwards afterthe show?
No, that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
No, no, we're on the same roll.
So we're buddies.
Most of us we're friends.
I mean, you had to createenough.
You know, before each game, theanxiety wants to fight.
So the biggest thing aboutfighting and this is my and my,
this is just what I'm sayingabout it, Maybe other fighters
will say something was theanticipation.
So it's like a meeting orpublic speaking.
It's like the buildup and thestress and your breathing.
(29:01):
But then once you do it, you'rejust like, oh, that's all.
You see, guys are fighting andthen after a fight, they're
talking.
And then, yes, sometimes you're, sometimes you're going for a
beer the night before.
So there was nothing personal,it was your job, it was your
role.
I mean, there's only so manypositions in the NHL.
Nhl is a global sport.
Finland, Russia, Sweden, youhave them from all the
(29:24):
Czechoslovakia, all over theworld and there's only so many
positions for the elite of theelite athletes.
It's the fastest sport in theworld.
So if you're kind of in a role,you better be really good at
that role and you better knowwhat, you know how to utilize
that role.
But as it relates to fighters,we are all in a little
fraternity within ourselves.
(29:44):
We were all, none of us weregoing to the Hall of Fame.
We knew, hey, we signed up forthis and this was our job.
So to me, when you, I hear somany stories and the sad part is
there were a lot of NHLenforcers that never made it
through or made it in postbecause they had other issues
that doubt.
I truly believe that we're partof the anxiety and stress that
(30:05):
they went through.
But, as it relates to most mostfighters, we all knew what we
signed up for.
I don't, I didn't know, youknow, obviously by the book of
thing else, I didn't realize theimpact it would have on me as a
person in my life.
But yeah, we would go for abeer afterwards and hopefully
nobody got hurt too bad.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
I was just curious.
I wasn't, I didn't, I didn'tget a sense that they were going
to be, you know, total hate.
As you said, you guys had a jobto do and each night you're
trying to figure out who was thebest at that at that part of
the job.
No doubt about it, billy.
How do people stay in touchwith you and also find your book
?
Where do you want them to goget it?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Sure, they can go to BillyHuehrcom and you can go to
Amazon.
On the Wednesday it's going tobe on Amazon.
It's 99 cents for the ebook,and then the paperback is going
to be available as well.
So, billyhuehrcom, go to Amazon.
I'm on social media as well,and LinkedIn and Twitter, so,
yeah, they can just go ahead.
(31:03):
The best thing to do, I wouldsay, is probably just go to my
website and from there you getredirected to my book and
they're just going to Amazon andbuy the book.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Billy, I've enjoyed the time today.
I just had one more questionfor you.
That's a question I always askthe first time.
Yes, and that's it.
I'm going to give you abillboard.
You can put it anywhere youwant to.
What are you going to put onthat billboard on?
What message are you going toput on that billboard?
Speaker 2 (31:23):
and why I would probably say characters found.
I would probably say charactersfound at the finish line, not
at the start line.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Something that you've had to endure in many different
phases of life.
No doubt about it, not at thestart line Just like your
journey reading the book, thatfirst one, the Evangelist from
Billy Graham.
It's just, that's just thestart line, right?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Right, You're finished.
That's exactly what I mean byit.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Hopefully not willing a few years down the road, but
that's the finish line.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
That is.
It's the finish line.
Right now, I'm on the dash.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
That's right.
You're on the dash Exactlyright.
Look at this, Grace and Billy.
I've truly enjoyed thisconversation.
I hope you have as well.
I know the listeners are goingto find value in it and I wish
you the best in the book and inthe future as well.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I want to thank you, John, and thank you for all your
listeners as well.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon
Leader Podcast.
Thanks for tuning in today.
If you found value in thisepisode, I encourage you to
share it with your friends,colleagues or anyone else who
could benefit from the insightsand inspiration we've shared.
Also, if you have a moment, I'dgreatly appreciate it if you
could leave a rating and reviewon your favorite podcast
platform.
Your feedback not only helps usto improve, but it also helps
(32:42):
others discover the podcast andjoin our growing community of
Uncommon Leaders.
Until next time, go with GrowChampions.
Hey Uncommon Leaders, welcome back.
This is the Uncommon LeaderPodcast, and I'm your host, john
Gallagher.
Today I've got another greatguest, billy Heward, a former
professional hockey enforcer inthe NHL, turned inspirational
speaker and author.
Billy takes us on a journey ofpersonal growth, resilience and
faith as he shares hisexperiences from the hockey rink
into the business world.
(00:21):
His story emphasizes theimportance of focusing on others
, adopting positive dailyroutines and finding ways to
refresh and re-energize.
From his early dreams ofbecoming an NHL goalscorer to
the challenges he faced as anenforcer, billy's journey is one
of overcoming adversity andfinding purpose.
We dive into Billy's struggleswith stress, anxiety and
(00:43):
depression and how he ultimatelyturned to faith, lifestyle
changes and holistic healingmethods to transform his life.
All of this great stuff isoutlined in even more detail in
his new book A Purpose WorthFighting For.
Finding Faith Over Fear.
This episode and the book aregoing to be good ones.
Let's get started.
Billy Heward, welcome to theUncommon Leader Podcast.
(01:08):
It's great to have you on.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:11):
I'm doing awesome.
It's great to be here.
I'm looking forward to thepodcast.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Absolutely.
I'm looking forward to theconversation today, and we are
here to talk about your book, aPurpose Worth Fighting For,
finding Faith Over Fear, as wellas get a chance to know you a
little bit better.
The good thing about thetimings of this podcast is that
it's coming out, so it'll be outjust a couple of days after we
have this interview and we'llhave it published and ready for
folks to hear your story alongwith reading your story, so I
(01:36):
know folks are going to enjoythe book.
So, billy, the book is, as wesaid, finding Faith Over Fear
and your Purpose in terms of theintent behind it.
Why did you write this book andwho did you write it for?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
That's a great question.
I actually started the bookalmost 20 years ago when I
retired from the NHL, so Istarted out.
It's ironic I started writingthe book for me for all the
wrong reasons and it kind ofsegwayed and transformed into a
book for others, utilizing mystory to help others, where in
(02:11):
the beginning it was just allabout me.
So throughout my journey, bothin hockey and the NHL and as a
professional athlete and writingthe book, my story changed
considerably.
So it's now to reach others andthat's essentially just a
vessel for that now.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Billy, think about that journey through the NHL and
also kind of part of your life.
When I hear the word NHL andForcer and I know a little bit
about hockey and things likethat I don't necessarily
correlate that with Finding yourPurpose and Finding Faith Over
Fear.
So tell our listeners a littlebit about the life of an NHL and
(02:56):
Forcer and what you wentthrough, and then again how that
ultimately led you to this book.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, really.
I mean, I grew up in Canada ina small town wanting to be a
goal scorer and an NHL hockeyplayer.
Growing up as a boy in Canada,you always, you know everybody
wants to play in the NHL and Iwasn't any different.
I had three older sisters.
I was the youngest and my dadhad his boy and my dad, you know
(03:23):
he got me.
They got me into hockey when Iwas around four or five and I
had to overcome a lot throughoutmy journey and I just played
hockey with all my friends.
I went through a lot of stepbacks, growth spurts and things
like that, but throughout thattime I had my dream was becoming
(03:43):
more real of being an NHLhockey player.
However, it got to a certainpoint where I realized or was
made very clear that the playerI wanted to be, or dreamt to be,
wasn't that role, actuallywasn't the role I was going to
serve in the NHL, and that'sreally what I struggled with the
most.
It was having to become an NHLenforcer, which I chose to be
(04:06):
and which was part of the gameback then.
It wasn't the NHL's fault, itwasn't the you know there are
there are several ex-NHOfighters that that enjoyed the
role, I guess you know, but Icertainly wasn't one of them.
I was a really good hockeyplayer.
So, having said that, I dealtwith a lot of the stress and
anxiety that went with that role.
And you know, just leading upto a fight, the fight, even
(04:29):
after the fight, and when Iretired from the sport, I had a
lot of questions, a lot ofanimosity as to why I had you
know, why did that have to be me?
And things like that, and notonly that.
In doing so in the role, withthe role, I had a lot.
You know, what came with therole was a lot of anxiety and
(04:50):
stress and depression and Idealt with that through, you
know, alcohol and just thingslike that.
Later, ptsd and you know cameaboard, happened.
It got pretty dark and drearyfor quite some time in my life.
So, but I mean the role in NHLwas was that such that if, if,
(05:11):
if the game, if your team was upa few goals, you'd be okay, but
if the other team was up a fewgoals, you'd have to go change
the momentum of the game.
You were there to make sureyour best players got all the
room on the ice as possible andthat was my role.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
Billy, one that would truly be stressful and, as you
said, probably not in the fouror five year old's dream when he
started out was to come up asan enforcer and won their stuff.
And, as you said, you mentionedstress and anxiety.
My guess is a lot of pain thatgoes along with that as well,
either inflicting it on someoneand you probably win some and
(05:45):
you lose some kind of thing asyou go forward that.
But regardless of that, it'sprobably more about that stress
and depression and how youhandled that and clearly, in
writing the book it's reallyabout how you've overcome that
and discovered what your purposehas been in finding faith over
fear.
Was there a moment, billy, thatyou had to make that choice
(06:06):
afterward and said that'ssomething that I whether it's
not about not wanting to be theenforcer anywhere, you retired
from professional hockey, butwhere it hit you, it said, I got
to be different as a persongoing forward as well.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, there was a.
I mean, there were some signs,for sure, and I knew I had to
change.
And then there was a couple ofkey moments that transformed me.
One was I was really down andout.
I had gone through a lot ofpain Financially, I was going
through some stress, marriageand everything else and just I
(06:40):
was drinking, I was trying to, Iwas trying to.
What got me through in the pastwasn't going to get me through
what I was currently goingthrough.
When I was a fighter, I coulddrink and have fun with the guys
, but when your career's overand you're still looking to kind
of drown your sorrows in thesame unhealthy ways, it got to a
(07:01):
point where I couldn't do itany longer.
And so what happened really wasI was, I was in my office, I
have, I have an office, and thenmy wife had bought some books
and put some books on theshelves in my office just kind
of like what you have in thebackground, and a few books that
she had picked up, and the onebook was called the Evangelist
(07:25):
by Billy Graham and it's reallythe life and story of Billy
Graham and how he started hisjourney in evangelism and things
like that, and I just picked itup, for whatever reason, on the
shelf my wife at this point hadbeen saying hey, let's go to
church, let's kind of go.
I got some friends, maybe we,maybe she.
She sensed it, you know, sheknew something, we needed help.
And I read the Evangelist andit changed my life and that was
(07:49):
the first time and I woke up.
I mean, I got up and I wentupstairs and I woke her up in
the morning and said let's go tochurch.
She's like what are you talkingabout?
And she literally jumped out ofbed in a way.
We went and you know, I readabout forgiveness, I read about,
you know, everything that BillyGraham talks about, which is
obviously in the Bible, and thatI, you know forgiveness, change
(08:13):
, faith and things like that andI wanted more of it.
It was kind of like, you know,when you first become a
Christian or you, you know, youkind of you just like you want
to hear more sick, that livingwater, and that's kind of what
happened.
So we, we went to church thatday.
And then I had another.
I had another awakening.
Really, I had a.
I was watching my son playhockey and I was in North Dakota
(08:34):
and I had something happened.
I had mercy on my foot whichthey didn't know what it was.
I spent 10 days in ICU and itdidn't look good and I kind of
made a promise, that to God,that, hey, if I change my life,
you know, I promise, I promisethat I'll be, I'll follow you
and I'll do everything I can,and you know.
And then it started to hit me.
Maybe being an NHL hockeyplayer was my purpose, but it
(08:58):
wasn't about what I thought itwas.
There was a bigger reason forthis and that's what I thought
well, okay, so a purpose worthfighting for and my book, you
know, I kind of rediscovered myfaith and purpose through my
fear of fighting in the NHL,which is kind of ironic, you
know, and that happens, I know,to a lot of people.
It's, you know, it's kind ofwhen you hit rock bottom and or
you're close to it, then you'rekind of more receptive to, you
(09:22):
know, to a higher power or faithor things like that.
That's what happened to me.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Love that story, billy Graham.
He has impacted so many rightand it but it.
You know, ultimately it's Godas you know, you mentioned
living water.
It's God that changes ourhearts.
But powerful story and I'm gladthat you're able to overcome
that as well.
As you know, really talkingabout the story of you know
alcohol and things like thatthat were driving you also, and
(09:49):
being able to overcome that asyou went on that journey it
probably wasn't a one day switchWell over some of the battles
you had to overcome as you went,as you went through with it.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Well, I always kind of had one foot in.
I needed to get that secondfoot in.
So when we had a settlementwith the NHL on the concussion
issues, that allowed us you knowa lot of us enforcers and our
guys that thought they hadconcussions to seek out.
So I went to a neurologistthrough the NHL and I was
diagnosed with PTSD and thingslike that.
(10:20):
So that was one step.
I took it right away becauseI'll tell you what happened,
john.
But I was, I had sold ourcompany and I was thrilled and I
went for dinner with my wifeand my and the kids and I had a
nervous breakdown at dinner forno reason.
I've never had one before.
I didn't even know what it was.
I've heard about them but I'venever experienced just breaking
(10:42):
down and crying.
It was embarrassing.
I didn't.
I had no idea what it was.
It was like it just hit me,almost like a punch.
I just like.
I left the table.
I came outside and my wife saidokay, I'm like I don't know
what just happened to me, I haveno idea.
So they got worse and worse andworse.
So the timing was good becauseat the same time I was going to
see that neurologist.
That had happened.
(11:02):
So I was able to.
They were able to put me on.
First of all, right away.
He said alcohol is a depressantthat needs to stop, and I was
stopping anyway.
So I was like, okay, there's asign from God.
And then, secondly, I had tomake serious lifestyle changes,
and I did.
And that's when I started to.
You know, I started to get moreinto the holistic healing and I
(11:27):
started to do some research,because nobody, nobody, there's
no book out there on hey, how do, how do you help fighters or
guys with PT?
I'm sure there's lots ofmedications and different things
like that, or maybe you knowthere's places you can go, but
there really wasn't anything forme at the time.
So I just did my, I just did mydue diligence and I discovered
like a whim-hoff for cold tubsand breathing, and I read up on
(11:51):
Laird Hamilton on differentthings like that.
And one thing that I reallyenjoyed and you always ask this
as a kid, one thing I enjoyed isthe kid was getting into the
wilderness and getting away, andI used to do that and it just
put always put me in such agreat place.
And that's essentially what Idid.
I started, I bought a camperand I just started getting away.
So when I felt that stress andanxiety my wife knew it I would
(12:13):
tell her we started to journalall that and I would just go
away and I would take my dog andI'd go paddle boarding.
I would just get one withnature and it helped me so much.
So I really, you know, at firstit's hard because it's lifestyle
changes.
You're, you know, you're usedto being the certain person or
people, this persona and people.
You know the tough guy, theexistential hockey player.
(12:33):
You know, entrepreneur,successful.
To know I need to slow down, Ineed to really figure out what
my true purpose is.
It's not about me anymore andthat's why another thing I had
to do is be transparent andshare, because you know, like
we've, like we've learned aboutfrom Rory, you know was your
better, your best, serving theperson.
You once were right and that is100% true and that's that is my
(12:58):
avatar and that's why I wrotethe book, because I can only
reach so many people, but thebook really is an extension of
me that can reach others who Icouldn't otherwise reach through
, just, you know, throughconversation or contacts.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
Now, milly, you touched on that we are most
powerfully positioned to helpthat person that we used to be.
Absolutely, you know, I can Ican just kind of see it now, but
the, you know, the part that Itruly appreciate and love is
that by your story, when youmentioned, you know that, almost
going back to being a kid again, the camping, the paddle
boarding, like those habitsreplaced bad habits that existed
(13:34):
prior to that, that were reallygood.
The brain doesn't necessarilyknow the difference between a
good habit and a bad habit.
It just knows that you have todo things to refresh, to get
better.
Now you also touched on yourbook similarly.
So that's a leadership tiplearning that from the sports
and into the, into the world ofyou know, kind of after and
saying we need to find what thatis that allows us to refresh,
(13:57):
re-energize and get that done ina healthy way to go forward.
But you talk about theimportance of commitment and
conviction and your role thatyou're in as an enforcer.
That was very important.
And leaders, you know they haveto be committed and convicted
as well, and individuals have tobe committed and convicted to
their purpose.
How has that, you know, comeover from sports to life.
(14:18):
Now for you, in terms of thatcommitment, commitment and
conviction, that's a that's agreat.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
That's a great question, and I just think
athletes in general there's somuch dedication, there is so
much commitment I think theyhave to be more than anything.
They have to be.
You have to have character,integrity, all the buzzwords
that we talk about, but there'sso many ups and downs in sports
(14:49):
that you can really.
It really correlates with thebusiness world or startup
company.
It happens and you have to gothrough it.
Whatever it is, you have to gothrough it, but I think you have
to be dedicated and you have tobe dedicated to whatever that
is In business.
When I look for leaders, I lookfor those who essentially make
(15:11):
those around them better,because in the company that we
had, I wanted the folks that Ihad under me or with me that at
the end of the day, they werethe ones making decisions,
because I gave them theconfidence too, because we were
a team and we were only justlike hockey where, yeah, I may
have played three or fourminutes a night, but I was still
part of that team and our teamwas better because of that, and
(15:34):
I went through my pain andanguish over it, but at the end
of the day, our team still wasbetter because I was on the ice
or in the lineup, and I justthink it's in business.
I think there's so many and,just like in sports, there's so
many things that attack you fromthe outside world.
There's so many negatives,people don't.
(15:56):
You either have competition oryou have people that think you
could never do it.
And I think that's where faithcomes in, and I just think,
believing without seeing, and Ithink I know that what happens
most times discouragement,happens halfway through
something.
Whether you're trying to makeit to the NHL, whether you're
trying to make it in business,it's usually at the halfway
(16:18):
point you wanna give up, you'rejust like we can't do this, and
or you wanna blame somebody.
And in hockey it taught youthat there is no giving up.
You can't give up, that's not.
You're burning the boat, you'retaking the island, and it's the
same in business.
I think you really have to havethat mindset that you have to
burn the boats, but in doing so,one thing hockey taught me,
(16:41):
through good and bad, isconstructive criticism, treating
people the way you wanna betreated, because in the old days
in hockey it wasn't like that,and in business sometimes it's
not like that as well, so youdon't have to work for that
company that has that mentality.
There's so many other andthat's part of it.
Because when you talk aboutpurpose, not everybody goes to
(17:03):
work and says this is my purposein life.
However, if you can go to workand you can enjoy what you do
and it allows you to live yourpurpose in other ways, then it
kinda is your purpose in life.
It allows you to spend moretime with your kids, it gives
you the financial means to livea life with your family or go on
(17:23):
vacations and things like that.
So it kinda is a purpose aswell.
How you wrap it up.
So to me, I think being anathlete definitely helped me in
the business world.
I've always had great teams inbusiness.
I've always been able to takethem on the chin kinda, say, in
business, and more than that,I've been able to mentor others
(17:44):
in positive means, positive ways.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Hey listeners, I wanna take a quick moment to
share something special with you.
Many of the topics anddiscussions we have on this
podcast are areas where Iprovide coaching and consulting
services for individuals andorganizations.
If you've been inspired by ourconversation and are seeking a
catalyst for change in your ownlife or within your team, I
invite you to visitcoachjohngallaghercom forward
(18:12):
slash free call to sign up for afree coaching call with me.
It's an opportunity for us toconnect, discuss your unique
challenges and explore howcoaching or consulting can
benefit you and your team.
I'm here to equip you andencourage you every step of the
way.
Okay, let's get back to the show.
I love that and as I listenthrough on the story taking one
(18:38):
on the chin, I bet there's allkind of different metaphors and
analogies that talk about interms of correlating that
between the sport itself and thebusiness world that you're in
today.
For you to maintain your edgeno pun intended as well as you
look forward, what are thethings that you have to do now
(18:58):
intentionally to continue tolive out your purpose?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Well, first and foremost, every day I have to
remember it's not about me, it'sabout others.
I have a regiment now with mylifestyle.
I surround myself.
You can't.
And what did Rick Warren oncesay?
He said you can't run.
You can't sore at the Eagles ifyou run with the turkeys Not
that I ran with a bunch ofturkeys, but it's just a
(19:23):
metaphor and meaning that if youhave to be a 1% or you have to
have standards and such, youcan't just talk about it, you
have to live it.
That's kind of my life now, as Ihave a routine in the morning
where I put my mind in a statewhere I'm thinking positive
(19:45):
things.
I have my quiet time and for meI have a Bible study and for
others it's, whatever I do, myearth thing.
I have my cold tub everymorning.
I listen to my podcasts thatare positive.
I visualize a lot, which is thething I took from hockey.
Believe it or not, I did it,even in fighting.
I had to visualize that fight.
(20:06):
It was painful, but I still didit because I benefited from it
in terms of, yeah, I was afighter, but I still had to win.
I didn't want to get hurt.
The same in life.
I visualize me having a greatday.
I do believe that you can trickthe mind into being more
receptive and kind of preparingthe mind for success.
(20:27):
When you do get there, it's notsurprise.
That's what I do.
Then I just really have to stayin the word and hold myself
accountable.
I know when I talk to people orI coach guys, just me coaching
them reinstates and reaffirmswhat I'm doing.
That's a big part of it as well.
It's not just a bunch of talk.
(20:47):
It's like here's what I do.
I'm very transparent.
I do blogs, I do all kinds ofstuff to stay in front of people
, to change lives, love that.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
As you said that, as you talked about tricking your
mind into a positive mindset, Ijust pulled this little card out
of my drawer that I have that.
I turned to Philippians 4-8,says whatever is true, noble,
whatever is right and pure,whatever is lovely and admirable
, if anything is excellent orpraiseworthy, think on these
things.
It takes a discipline to dothat.
That's Philippians 4-8.
But 4-9, and what you talkedabout is you got to put that in
(21:21):
action.
You got to practice thosethings as well.
You have to think that, but youalso have to put it into action
what you've been practicing.
You did that in yourprofessional career and you're
doing that now as anentrepreneur and as a leader,
living out your purpose as ahusband and a father as well, in
terms of your purpose thatwe're living out.
I do appreciate you sharing that, and I know it's something that
(21:43):
has to be managed on a dailybasis.
I personally have not found thecold plunge courage to do that
yet, or make that look, or thatcold shower that's coming out of
like 55 degrees, whatever it'sdoing, but maybe one of these
days I'm going to have to have.
Several people have beentelling me I need to do it,
especially as I move along in mycareer as well in age.
(22:03):
You and I are similar in age.
You mentioned your dailydiscipline of reading and faith
as well.
How has that helped you, yourfaith transition into this next
phase of your life and career aswell?
Faith over faith.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
It definitely holds you accountable.
Before.
When you don't have faith,you're kind of being your own
God.
You're the one making all therules, and where does that
usually get you?
It got me where it got me andit puts other people where it
puts them.
Unfortunately, we're not reallygood at managing our lives,
(22:42):
especially when anybody canmanage your life when you're on
the top of the mountain, butwhen you're in the valley it's a
little tougher.
Life's all about peaks andvalleys and I'd say 70% of our
life, unfortunately, is in thevalley.
I do believe that faith andbeing the difference is for me,
(23:02):
it's having a relationship withChrist.
It's about every day getting.
For me.
I have three Bible versereminders during the day.
They come up on my phone.
I have my daily hope in themorning.
We arrange my day so that I'mgetting reminders and it's so
(23:22):
crazy.
Sometimes when they hit me, I'min a certain state of mind
where I really don't want to bethat nice guy and whatever's
happening, the stress andanxiety of the real world and a
Bible verse will come up.
It'll say here.
I'm like, oh, my gosh.
Okay, I have a different Bibleverse, which is kind of neat.
I'm not just looking at the sameone, but I just think, being
(23:44):
being accountable, faith.
Faith allows me to beaccountable to higher power and
Also that, you know, it alsoreminds me how short life is and
that we are.
This is really in terms ofhockey, this is really just in
the back in my you know, andwhat I think is this is really
just an exhibition game.
This is not even the regularseason, this isn't even the
(24:07):
first game.
This is really just anexhibition game.
And how I play this exhibitiongame it's going to be.
Am I gonna be on the first line, a second line or the third
line in the?
In the real game?
And I do.
I do believe in that and withall my heart, I don't have.
I don't have enough.
There's not enough faith for menot to believe.
There's just, there's notenough.
So, and and I have to trustfaith I know one thing, john, is
(24:31):
when I got into the real world.
Before every I've been intobusinesses where I know nothing
about them.
I've been asked to startcompanies where I and I'm doing
one right now.
I don't know nothing about it,but what I do know is that if I
have faith, I'm going to getthrough it, and never once in my
life, never once in my life,have I ever went into a meeting
that said God, I don't know how,why I'm here, I'm with a group
(24:54):
of Engineers or whoever.
I can't speak their language, Iknow nothing about this, but I
know you can get me through this.
Not once as he let me down, notonce if I not walked out of
meeting.
So when you get that mode, thatundeniable results from faith,
it's why wouldn't you do it?
You know, find a cure for cancer, find a cure for cancer.
(25:16):
I would tell everybody, I wanteverybody to know, and that's
kind of what the purpose worthfighting for is all about.
It's okay, it's yours, it'sfree.
Here's my life.
I'm not some Bible thumperthat's gonna crack you over the
head.
Here's my life, here's whathappened, and I'm a tough guy
and I do it all.
I, you know, I dirt bike, Imountain bike.
I'm just a normal guy.
(25:37):
Another thing I did what's hashelped me a lot.
I line myself with guys likeLaird Hamilton, cam Haynes, guys
that are my age out in thesports world, that are doing
what they're doing.
They don't drink, they eathealthy.
They're all in their fifties.
You don't have to know a mentor, you don't have to know
somebody.
Even Ed my lat, you know.
You don't have to know somebodyto to get encouragement from
(25:59):
them.
You know how many people listento Joe Rogan or these podcasts
and I encourage that becausethere's so many things.
You know Matthew McConaughey,read that book greenlight.
There's so many things, there'sso many tools and people out
there that just get you through.
Get you through it.
I know when I was going throughthe drinking thing, I read Tim
McGraw quit drinking.
I'm like well, interesting, Iread into it.
Oh, okay, so there's, there'sso many.
(26:21):
Sometimes you think you'realone on an island.
You're really not, really not.
Speaker 1 (26:26):
Well, I hope that book that your book is, is that
for, as you said, even oneperson?
Billy, yeah, if that's yourgoal, I want to ask you a
question about your book.
So I had one of thebrand-builders group authors,
bob Wheatley, on the on thepodcast once and he talked about
the one-year Effect of a bookthat you know he wants.
He wants it to be a book that,while it goes up on a shelf like
that, when you see the backingof it, you look at it a year
(26:47):
later you can remember a storythat's attached to that book
that impacted you.
So when readers read your book,what do you want them to feel
or do as a result of reading?
A Purpose worth fighting for,finding faith over fear.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
That's actually a really great question.
There's several, but I would Iwould definitely want someone to
read it that's, that's notliving their purpose, or they're
just existing and not living.
To realize that the Havingfaith having faith over you know
(27:28):
, having faith really to meAllows you to overcome the fear
of change.
Because there's so many of usthat just are too afraid to
change your ladders, leaning upagainst the building you're
climbing, and then you realize,oh my gosh, my ladders on the
wrong building, but they're tooafraid to make a change because
they're 50 or 60 years old.
They're making so much money,there's so many elements.
(27:50):
You're in the NHL, I'm in theNHL, but you're the most, you're
the unhappiest person.
So to me, to me, I would saythat Overcoming your fear of
change through faith and or ahigher power, or seeking
something other than justself-help, because it, because
to me, when you do that, theresults are forever.
The results are they justabsolutely transforming your
(28:13):
life.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
That's awesome.
I hope that for you as well.
You just got a couple morequestions I want to ask you.
This is actually more of aQuestion for a hockey player for
an enforcer.
So each team had what theywould identify as their enforcer
and you put the enforcers outon the ice and they'd go at it
these guys.
Did you personally dislike them, or did you go out and have a
(28:37):
beer with them afterwards afterthe show?
No, that's a great question.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
No, no, we're on the same roll.
So we're buddies.
Most of us we're friends.
I mean, you had to createenough.
You know, before each game, theanxiety wants to fight.
So the biggest thing aboutfighting and this is my and my,
this is just what I'm sayingabout it, Maybe other fighters
will say something was theanticipation.
So it's like a meeting orpublic speaking.
It's like the buildup and thestress and your breathing.
(29:01):
But then once you do it, you'rejust like, oh, that's all.
You see, guys are fighting andthen after a fight, they're
talking.
And then, yes, sometimes you're, sometimes you're going for a
beer the night before.
So there was nothing personal,it was your job, it was your
role.
I mean, there's only so manypositions in the NHL.
Nhl is a global sport.
Finland, Russia, Sweden, youhave them from all the
(29:24):
Czechoslovakia, all over theworld and there's only so many
positions for the elite of theelite athletes.
It's the fastest sport in theworld.
So if you're kind of in a role,you better be really good at
that role and you better knowwhat, you know how to utilize
that role.
But as it relates to fighters,we are all in a little
fraternity within ourselves.
(29:44):
We were all, none of us weregoing to the Hall of Fame.
We knew, hey, we signed up forthis and this was our job.
So to me, when you, I hear somany stories and the sad part is
there were a lot of NHLenforcers that never made it
through or made it in postbecause they had other issues
that doubt.
I truly believe that we're partof the anxiety and stress that
(30:05):
they went through.
But, as it relates to most mostfighters, we all knew what we
signed up for.
I don't, I didn't know, youknow, obviously by the book of
thing else, I didn't realize theimpact it would have on me as a
person in my life.
But yeah, we would go for abeer afterwards and hopefully
nobody got hurt too bad.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
I was just curious.
I wasn't, I didn't, I didn'tget a sense that they were going
to be, you know, total hate.
As you said, you guys had a jobto do and each night you're
trying to figure out who was thebest at that at that part of
the job.
No doubt about it, billy.
How do people stay in touchwith you and also find your book
?
Where do you want them to goget it?
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Sure, they can go to BillyHuehrcom and you can go to
Amazon.
On the Wednesday it's going tobe on Amazon.
It's 99 cents for the ebook,and then the paperback is going
to be available as well.
So, billyhuehrcom, go to Amazon.
I'm on social media as well,and LinkedIn and Twitter, so,
yeah, they can just go ahead.
(31:03):
The best thing to do, I wouldsay, is probably just go to my
website and from there you getredirected to my book and
they're just going to Amazon andbuy the book.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Billy, I've enjoyed the time today.
I just had one more questionfor you.
That's a question I always askthe first time.
Yes, and that's it.
I'm going to give you abillboard.
You can put it anywhere youwant to.
What are you going to put onthat billboard on?
What message are you going toput on that billboard?
Speaker 2 (31:23):
and why I would probably say characters found.
I would probably say charactersfound at the finish line, not
at the start line.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Something that you've had to endure in many different
phases of life.
No doubt about it, not at thestart line Just like your
journey reading the book, thatfirst one, the Evangelist from
Billy Graham.
It's just, that's just thestart line, right?
Speaker 2 (31:54):
Right, You're finished.
That's exactly what I mean byit.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Hopefully not willing a few years down the road, but
that's the finish line.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
That is.
It's the finish line.
Right now, I'm on the dash.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
That's right.
You're on the dash Exactlyright.
Look at this, Grace and Billy.
I've truly enjoyed thisconversation.
I hope you have as well.
I know the listeners are goingto find value in it and I wish
you the best in the book and inthe future as well.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
I want to thank you, John, and thank you for all your
listeners as well.
Speaker 1 (32:20):
And that wraps up another episode of the Uncommon
Leader Podcast.
Thanks for tuning in today.
If you found value in thisepisode, I encourage you to
share it with your friends,colleagues or anyone else who
could benefit from the insightsand inspiration we've shared.
Also, if you have a moment, I'dgreatly appreciate it if you
could leave a rating and reviewon your favorite podcast
platform.
Your feedback not only helps usto improve, but it also helps
(32:42):
others discover the podcast andjoin our growing community of
Uncommon Leaders.
Until next time, go with GrowChampions.
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