It’s autumn and football season and Tarina is happy with the change of season. This means making sliders for the Crusaders football team.

Nic and Tarina continue their discussion on his book, Know This Do That. First up to bat is the need for apprentices to eliminate the phrase, “I know.” Why? It’s important to demonstrate humility and coachability. Even if you to do know, listen for Nic’s suggestion for how to respond when asked, “Do you know how to do this?”

“No one accomplishes anything great alone,” says Nic’s mentor, Mark LeBlanc. Tarina shares how a coach kicked her out of high school basketball practice for talking back. This proved a transformational moment in her life, helping her make better choices. Nic’s gratitude for the mentors he’s had in his life is worth the listen.

Great mentors go beyond the hard skills of the trade. Great mentors focus on building on your smart skills, the knowledge and ability to navigate difficult relationships, the right things to say, and showing up on time. If you’ve got a decade or more experience, then find someone to be a mentor to.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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 🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic shares the quote: “Margin is the space between your load and your limits.” And Tarina illustrates it with the two-lane highway and the space along the side of the road. It’s a buffer in your schedule, your heart, and your capacity. It’s room for error.

In this episode, they talk about Chapters 8-11 of Nic’s book, Know This Do That. The negative question a lot of people to ask themselves sound like, “Why does the coach hate me?” The positive version soundS like, “What can I do to getter better, faster, stronger?” It’s about taking responsibility for your actions and not blaming anyone or anything.

“You are where you are because of the decisions you’ve made.” Just because you weren’t born into a Big Oil family doesn’t give you permission to make excuses or not fly commercial. To paraphrase Confucius, the best time to plant a tree was ten years ago. The next best time is today.

This episode is about four things that will help you grow into becoming a high-value employee. You make not like the answers Nic and Tarina give, but they are true and practical. As Nic shares, we all have the same job: It’s to solve problems. Solving problems is the pathway to being more valuable. We all choose our path, our mindset, and how we talk to ourselves.

Someone smart enough to apply these insights will be happier and do bigger and better work. Why? Because it’s what’s needed. Because it works.  

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

What The Doer wants is action. What The Doer needs is a sense of urgency. Perhaps you’ve seen the sign: “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” While that’s one way to handle The Doer, Nic and Tarina discuss the importance of managing the relationship with The Doer, rather than putting too much stock in the thing that needs to get done. 

Listen for Nic’s “Rule #2.” You know you’ve handle the relationship right with The Doer when she says to herself, “I called the right guy.” For most people, The Doer is a temporary mindset just like The Struggler and The Thinker. When you’re working with your spouse or your foremen and they have a list of things that need to get done right now, take a moment to seek clarity on the deliverables and the timeline. Nic’s framework for better communication does not take a lot of time, but it does require a higher level of awareness and patience.

When we pause, we increase our ability to curb our knee-jerk attitude and we demonstrate that we care. We show that what’s important to The Doer and is important to us.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

“The Thinker” is anyone who struggles to make a decision. A confused mind says, “No.” When someone can’t make up their mind, a lot of foremen and parents make the mistake of making the decision for them. In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about how when an individual is stuck or says “No,” it’s really a call for help.

Nic tells the story about his son, at 5 years old, with an unlimited number of options, was trying to pick out a treat at the gas station. A perfect picture of the second mindset: The Thinker. But, as Nic reflects, if you take away the choice from The Thinker, you rob them of the joy that comes from making a decision. Choices are real and personal—and because The Thinker wants to make the right decision, helping them achieve clarity is an act of kindness. Unfortunately, impatience leads many to make The Thinker feel stupid rather than walk them, in the moment, through the process.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

The hard part about being good with people is there’s no widely used framework. We are out doing our own thing or just winging it. In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about the first of four mindsets that people exhibit when they receive new information or presented with a novel situation. The mindsets are not permanent or a personality types. These are a useful framework when communicating because they can give insight into where the other person—and even yourself—is coming from.

Nic and Tarina build on their previous podcasts about communication. As a foreman or site manager, this framework offers you curbs and gutters as you seek understanding before being understood. Like a lot of things in your trade, a framework is a tool you use to do the job of communicating better. Whether you’re a foreman or a parent, you step into our Boulder Bag with suspenders so you have on-hand the approach you need to help solve the right problem, not just what you think the problem is.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

What role does emotion have in conversations? How important is communicating details? In this episode, Nic and Tarina resume their discussion about how to communicate and the challenges in doing it well. Nic shares his own best practices for reducing the heat in the moment, which might help avoid miscommunication.

They echo the value of not making assumptions and asking clarifying questions. As they talk about, the mistake a lot people make is not pausing. You’re a better foreman, speaker, or parent, if you take a breath and learn to be comfortable with a bit of silence. Listening is a clear sign to others that you care and it also gives you time to verify what you’ve heard.  As Nic has said in previous episodes, much of what he shares comes from mistakes he’s made. 

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

It’s a cliché to say that communication takes two to tango. As a leader, you can do better. In this episode, Nic and Tarina dive into what good communicators do that poor communicators tend to skip. One thing that sets good communicators apart is they ask good questions. And asking good questions is a practice. Only from a practice can the right skills develop—similar to becoming a good electrician, plumber, or carpenter.

They also talk about how good communicators seek clarification—which is just another way of being curious and not making assumptions. While foremen and site leaders are very skilled in their trade, good communication is often seen as a “soft skill” and automatic. As Nic points out, the next best step may be to slow down, pace the conversation, or take a pause. Ultimately, though, just because you’re talking doesn’t mean you’re communicating. As a leader, it’s on you to seek understanding before being understood.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Nic interviews Clint Bailey, an electrician and 43-year member of the IBEW, "extremely supportive partner" to Heather, father of two adult children, and grandfather to four. This was the first interview Nic did as he was launching the podcast. It took place about eight months ago and Clint has since retired. Their conversation is caring, insightful, and humble. It’s as though you’re just sitting in on two men discussing how to live and lead with empathy and integrity. Heartfelt, honest, and vulnerable—Nic and Clint recognize the challenges and opportunities leaders fathers, and husbands have in today’s world.

Clint Bailey is a licensed journeyman electrician, BICSI registered Communications Distribution Designer, Certified NICET Level II Fire Alarm Technician, Certified State of Iowa Electrical Examining Board CEC Instructor, 20 Year IBEW/NECA Apprenticeship Instructor, and 10 Years managing a limited energy division in Des Moines for Commonwealth Electric of the Midwest.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

People will never forget how you make them feel. Nic share’s a time in his life when McDonald’s was his office. He’d get his coffee and start the day’s work building his speaking business. On one occasion he got to watch an older couple show what it means to love and be loved. Today’s me-centric world with all its hustle and drive seems to have forgotten how to be human. Even in the middle of making a living, making a life worth living is about creating real connections with people.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Timely and precise constructive criticism may only be timely to the one giving it. Nic and Tarina tell a story about Nic’s ice cream business and how their drive home from a catering job was colder than the ice cream in the three scoop sundaes. From this experience, they draw out many lessons learned. And Nic, true to form, shares his best practices for foremen and site leaders from his own real-world mistakes and errors in judgment. Ultimately, there has to be a standard on how the work gets done, but nothing replaces treating people with respect. This episode was recorded on a fishing trip with the family.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Eisenhower once said, “In planning for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” So, while planning may be indispensable, even the best plans don’t work out. Nic leads with a story about a fiasco in a movie theatre. Then he and Tarina talk about how COVID-19 derailed their plans to build a house. While they had to walk through a period of disappointment, the end result actually turned out better than they originally imagined. The reality is just because things don’t go the way you planned, doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. That’s just how things go sometimes.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here. 

Nic and Tarina are joined by their daughter, Elle. She shares how she got started making the Encouragement Cards and how this experience over the past 9 years has given her confidence in her gift of encouragement. It’s a special episode profiling Elle’s leadership as well as her courage to do what others may consider weird. Her example is living proof that small gestures—whether it’s encouragement, faith, or cookies—can have a big impact.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here. 

In this episode, Tarina and Nic talk about dropping off their daughter at college. As Tarina says, “Elle is now far, far away.” Nic describes his own moment when it really started to hurt as he watched Elle, during orientation, being too nervous to admit she was nervous.

During the orientation session for parents, they explained the “W” model and the likely path and feelings their new freshman would experience their first year. It always starts with a honeymoon period followed by culture shock then a rebound. It’s a lot of ups and downs and parents have a job to self-regulate and refrain from trying to fix everything.

Chapter 6 and 7 of Nic’s book Know This Do That are discussed. As Nic highlights, putting a man on the moon takes someone who’s willing to push a broom and clean a toilet. What we take pride in ultimately reflects who we are.

The same is true for who we surround ourselves with. If your friends, Nic says, are talking more about what video games they’re playing than what investments they’re making, you may want to switch things up a bit.

Parents do this intentionally when they pick what city to live in, what school to send their kids to, and what church to attend. Nic tells of being the beneficiary of some “Larry Bittle Crap” (runs in the family, I guess) about choosing what pond Nic would fish in. The proof is in the pudding since Nic reeled in Tarina and got his proud angler award.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In a world starved for appreciation, showing people you care makes a big difference. And it doesn’t take much. To give people encouragement means being aware and committing to a wholehearted courage to speak into their life. In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about their daughter, Elle, and her Encouragement Cards. At 9 years old, Elle had a lemonade stand. In addition to ice cold lemonade, she sold chocolate chip cookies and handed out notes of encouragement on 3x5 index cards. Even Nic was impacted by the Encouragement Card he received when he went to get his lemonade and cookie. It’s a story Nic shares with large groups, and he has witnessed grizzly old foremen melt after receiving one of Elle’s Encouragement Cards. To encourage someone doesn’t cost you anything but can be more satisfying than a homemade chocolate chip cookie. That’s what people really need most.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here. 

Everyone at some point in their life faces challenges. Part of the job as leaders and parents is watching those we manage or care for struggle. Success is sweeter, though, when it is earned. We need to let people earn their success and not try to fix everything that’s painful. In this episode, Nic and Tarina discuss how owning anything starts with owning the work. This means the good, the bad, and the ugly parts. And they admit that even when you play the game by the rules, life isn’t always fair. Together they remember a story about their son and his goldfish, Stitch. His was a life lesson, they say, that he had to learn by going through the struggle. You’ll hear how Nic learned most things through his own failures, and has experienced the magic that struggle, challenge, or pain can bring, whether you’re six or 46 years old.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here. 

What’s needed in the industry is for more men and women to become problem solvers. This is a learned mindset—which a lot of foremen believe they were born with. In this episode, Nic and Tarina share what they learned growing up, whether chopping cotton, babysitting, or waxing tractors. Hustle, drive, and work ethic were taught, and encouraged, from an early age. It’s this lived experience which deserves more appreciation.

Good foremen recognize that for many of the people they lead, this is their first real job. And they choose to lead as they were led in their first jobs. Good foremen see the men and women on their crew as valuable not for what they already know, but for their ability to learn and grow. It’s the difference between being curious versus judgmental. Good foremen decide to look for and invest in people’s potential.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.  

Good foremen are good communicators. And good communicators are good listeners. As Nic and Tarina discuss, to listen well is both active and purposeful. We listen with our ears for what’s being said and with our eyes for what’s not being said. While empathy is a dirty word in construction and trades, the pressure we all feel from time to time does need a release valve—before things blow up. Listening gives your team, and even your family, the space to be human and heard. It also gives you, as the leader, the privilege and opportunity to be heard when it matters most. Listening can be hard sometimes, but learning how to do it well is important.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.  

Trade and construction leaders are in the people business. Part of the job of the foreman, like a nurse, is to pay attention and care. It’s not simply about being the boss. In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about how empathy and listening are skills everyone can learn—whether you’re on a job site, with your family, or helping someone feel beautiful. Nic shares a story about how one foreman used some his “Nic Bittle Crap” to change the life of one young man—a good man and a good worker—who was going through a rough patch. “Help Me Understand” is about taking time to get more information before passing judgment. It’s about understanding before being understood.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.  

When things aren’t going according to plan, change is necessary. But change can be scary and hard. So we may resist it because we get stuck in thinking of only the big kinds of changes, which Nic talks about. Or we open ourselves to possibility and begin to see how a small shift is all it takes to achieve real results. In this episode, Nic and Tarina continue the conversation about needing to do hard things. As a bonus, Tarina heckles Nic and Nic compares her to a Muppet.

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💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.  

In this episode, Tarina shares a big announcement and Nic talks about how his dad used to drag him out of church when he’d misbehave.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about the in’s and out’s, do’s and don’ts of constructive criticism. First, on the punch list knowing that for criticism to be constructive it has to be information that someone can use to do better.

Unfortunately, many superintendents and foremen call “constructive criticism” isn’t constructive at all. It’s just plain insulting. So, when done badly, you run the risk of creating resentment, not improvement.

Kind of like Nic’s dad, you want your apprentice or direct report to “find Jesus somewhere between the church pew and the door.” Your criticism, then, needs to be done in private and after you’ve already created an environment where praise for what your people do well is heard more often than what they do wrong.

A lot of us lead the way we were led. And despite all his know-how, Nic confesses how in the heat of the moment (especially in an airport—almost always in an airport) he has to consciously channel the best version of himself. If he doesn’t, he says he’ll probably get tazed or give the person he yells at a $96 tip (true story).

Real leaders develop their people. They give them time and space to discover how they can do better—which is more effective than the old school way of “if it stings it sticks” method. People are going to make mistakes. Most of them are survivable. You and your team, though, will grow when they know you’ve got their back—especially as they learn their way to success. It’s sometimes hard, but you can leave them better off.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Almost everyone has a turning point in their life: a defining story which forces one to make a choice or choose a path. In this episode, Nic and Tarina unwrap a major turning point in their life. A simple accident with their one-year-old son leads them to make a tough, life-changing decision. These become the line in the sand for Nic, his career, and the health of his family.

In this podcast Nic and Elise discuss the role Human Resources and the part Elise plays in helping to create a culture of safety, mental and emotional health, and Egan's focus on people development. You will hear the passion she has for serving others and how executing key strategies looks a lot like building relationships across the enterprise. This is key.

She shares wisdom from her 8+ years in the construction industry, crediting her inspiration for the industry to her tradesman husband stating, “The humble pride of the trades, the craftsmanship and the ability to create and build, inspires me. The passion I see when he’s pointing out projects he’s been part of… now I get to see that passion everyday across all trades at Egan.” 

In addition to teasing Nic about his Chanel bag (he uses it for his audio equipment), Elise shares how her favorite part of working at Egan is the people – how its friendly, caring, and supportive approach starts at the top and makes the work everyone does together both meaningful and enjoyable.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic opens with a story about a recent float trip with his son and other boys. When their small flotilla passes a group of attractive teenage girls with a wet cat, Nic shows his motley crew how to talk to them.

Then he and Tarina discuss chapters 4 and 5 from Know This Do That. Your career and life are about taking initiative and getting people to like you.

Can you make people laugh? Do they see you as someone they know they can trust?

As Tarina says, “You have to be memorable.” Sometimes this means saying something funny to a group of girls. Sometimes it means having a cup of coffee with your super before your shift officially starts.

The boys in Nic’s charge did not take the initiative, but he did. You can take the initiative, too. Do the right things and get to know your boss and let your boss get to know you. And when the time is right, just say, “That’s a weird name for a dog.”   

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Men and women working in the construction and trades industry get paid to build things. As Nic and Tarina discuss, it’s important for everyone, and especially those just starting out, to see they are also building relationships.

Chapter 2 of Nic’s book, Know This. Do That, is about being on time. Someone building a career (see Chapter 1) aims to build good relationships. The first step to building good relationships, especially with your boss, requires you to be on time. Why? Because it shows initiative and helps you become known as someone the boss can trust.

Nic and Tarina also talk about Chapter 3: Move Like a Shark. An apprentice who shows up on time and is always moving is someone who is considered valuable to the operation. As Nic shares, you won’t get fired if you at least show up, but that’s not enough to help you advance your career.

Your employer sees when you care about your job and support the team. It’s their job to observe you and your work. The two behaviors discussed in this episode show the right people that you are someone they can trust.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina jump into Nic’s book, Know This. Do That. Over three years, Nic collected written answers to three key questions from foremen and supervisors. He asked what they would like apprentices to know to be successful in their work.

In this episode, they discuss the first chapter about building a career. Nic shares how it’s important to know the difference between having a career mindset versus a job mindset. He shares the example how someone with a career mindset is willing to invest in themselves; whereas someone with a job mindset expects to get paid to read a book or spend a day in training.

They talk through various examples, identifying the tradeoffs. It’s about expanding your perspective, appreciating how short-term gains often mean long-term loss.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the LIKE button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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 🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina explore how you to see yourself from moment to moment as a Struggler, Thinker, Doer, or Achiever and then give yourself what you need.

They talk about Nic’s recent week of air travel and how after multiple delays (way more than normal) he identified his own Struggler Mindset. Tarina shares how she managed home and hearth in Nic’s absence—recognizing how both her Achiever Mindset and Struggler Mindset worked for and against her at times. Together they discuss a major family transition. As their daughter prepares her move to college, they appreciate their own difficulties in preparing themselves to be ready for the possibility their daughter may fail at times. As parents, Nic says, our job is not to pave the way and make our kids’ lives easy. Why? Because they need to be able to make a bad decision and learn how to recover from it.

This episode is about meeting yourself and your mindsets in the wild as life happens.

Shoot Nic an email at info@nicbittle.com if you want a cheat sheet on the Four Mindsets.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and enjoy listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

What The Achiever wants is teamwork. What The Achiever needs is a resource. Even if you cannot be a contributing member of their team, you might be able to provide them a resource. As Nic and Tarina discuss, how you talk with The Achiever matters—just like how you talk with the other mindsets.

In this episode they also tie together the four mindsets. For example, Tarina may have The Achiever mindset in a situation which throws Nic into The Struggler mindset. As Nic says, The Struggler is just an Achiever in a temporary moment of struggle.

The key to mastering the mindsets starts with being aware of the mindsets. You may remember how in the first episode on mindsets, Nic and Tarina talked about having a framework for communication. It’s like having X-Ray vision into human relationships. This framework gives you—whether you’re a spouse, a parent, or a foreman—the know-how needed to build real connection. 

Shoot Nic an email at info@nicbittle.com if you want a cheat sheet on the Four Mindsets.

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🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about his journey of writing multiple books, the challenges he faced, and the lessons learned along the way. As you will hear, it wasn’t all puppies and rainbows. He shares how people need micro-learning to help reinforce what they read or what they learn in a workshop, which explains the origins of his Leadership DRIP YouTube videos. They also discuss some of his early writing experiences and how his process evolved.

With over four book completed, Nic knows the ups and downs, ins and outs, of writing and publishing. His dedication and commitment to developing leaders is clear. You’ll want to stay to the end to hear about his latest project: how he has adapted his work into a leadership training curriculum for high school students called Life Ready (see link below).

Here are some key take-aways:

• Micro learning is essential for effective leadership training.
• Personal relationships can influence professional growth.
• Writing a book requires a clear purpose and target audience.
• Feedback is crucial in the writing process.
• Collaboration can enhance the quality of your content.
• Self-publishing offers flexibility but comes with challenges.
• Storytelling is a powerful tool in engaging readers.
• Curriculum development should address the needs of your audience.
• Every writing experience contributes to personal and professional development.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

This episode features Josh Bone, Executive Director of Electri International—what he describes as the research and development lab for the electrical contracting industry. It is at the forefront at navigating market impacts and look at where technology is going.

Josh has been a driving force in bringing cutting edge technology to the construction industry. In his early days he worked with mechanical design teams and has consistently championed innovation. His expertise is in bridging the gap between technology and real-world construction practices. He is a speaker and thought-leader and shares his insights with professionals nationwide.

Josh shares how his driving force is connecting with people, as well as purpose and curiosity. He talks about how in his 27-year career he has helped companies manage change, especially when it comes to technology.

This is a big and important conversation with keen insights and practical implications—everything from absenteeism to how data is the new oil to the use of artificial intelligence.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic tricks his new son-in-law, Micah Graf, to join him on podcast. He opens the conversation with a question, “What are your intentions with my daughter?”

They talk about farming in western Oklahoma, which includes scaring up wild pigs. His favorite part of farmer is corn harvest. He also posts drone footage on Instagram @Oklahoma_Farming, capturing the seasons of farming. Check out the mile-long, 100 bushel corn harvest while a storm rolls in here.

Micah’s brother (Instagram: @That_Gun_Guy) got him started using thermals for rifle shooting and is on the Pulsar Pro Staff. Oklahoma farming often requires shooting pigs and coyotes, what Nic comments “thin them out.”

Nic asks him, “What do you think will be the biggest challenge of married life?” Micah says it’ll be his work schedule as a farmer and all the hours involved.

Nic shared some Nic Bittle Crap with Micah when he asked permission to marry Elle. He said, “My family isn’t getting bigger. You’re creating a new family and that comes first. You got to have the courage to say no.”

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina share their experience attending to the German Feast at Corn Bible Academy and eating verenika—a steamed or fried pasta dumpling filled with a dry cottage cheese and usually covered in ham gravy.

Chapter 35 from Know This Do That is about doing the right thing. Building your character— regardless of the cost—is the struggle all good leaders face.

Nic identifies the three ways to build trust. The leader who stands in front of his/her crew and is honest and clear, paves the way to be highly trusted. 

Chapter 36: Give Something Back. Nic quotes Denzel Washington, “[Life] is about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better.” 

Nic asks Tarina: What’s the balance between living a full life and leaving an inheritance for our kids? Giving something back means making a difference in the lives of others, and not being in the crew just for yourself.

Listen to how Nic unpacks what it means to make a difference, to give something back. He outlines his model for engaging head, heart, and hands. When you begin to apply Nic’s model, you actually open a door for someone to receive what you have to give.

And you have something to give.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina open the episode talking about their trip to Aruba. Nic comments on how he got a little sunburned—even after applying sunscreen every hour. And Tarina cringed at how their swimsuits were too matchy-matchy.

Be sure to listen to the surprise Tarina found for Nic: An inflatable butt-mat. “Seat cushion,” Tarina corrects him. 

The question behind “What drives you?” is “Why do you do what you do?” 

Tarina became a nurse because she wanted to help people. Nic is a speaker because he wants to make a difference. 

Nic quotes his son, Cruze, from one of his TikTok videos: “The fastest way to kill something is to compare it something else.”

We can easily fall into the trap of bigger is better or more is better. The first step is to look back before you look forward. Nic shares how he was always chasing money but then spoke to a high school graduating class. It’s where he felt the most alive and it fueled his drive.

If you’re looking for your why, remember that “purpose leaves clues in our past” and tied to our emotions. 

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina asks Nic if he wears his compression socks when he flies. He replies, “I wear them with my shorts on one leg.” Scolding him, Tarina says, “You’re supposed to wear them on both legs.” So Nic answers, “I wore them on one leg of my flight.”

Tarina and Nic talk about what it means to become a leader. Nic starts the discussion with a quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger: “You can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket.”

Having a position, authority, or title does not make you a leader. A great leader is a good teacher and able to make hard decisions. 

“The expectations I have for you, you are not meeting,” is something a leader is willing to say to his people—especially one of his buddies. This is why it’s so important to set expectations up front.

A great leader fills in the gaps of communications. Nic asks Tarina, “Why is communications an issue?” As Nic explains, when folks don’t communicate well, we let the gaps in communication drive the narrative. And these gaps usually fill with the negative.

And you don’t have wait to be the boss to be a leader now.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina talk about how the grass is growing now in Corn. And Nic comments how his hair is growing like a Chia Pet. “It looks great!” says Tarina.

The feeling that you’re less-than or that you’re not enough is often called imposter syndrome. Tarina asks about the line between feeling not-enough and arrogance.

Feeling not-enough and arrogance are both negatives.

What Nic is talking about is the internal voice of judgment which beats us up whenever something doesn’t work out perfect. Tarina shares the pressure she feels on a daily basis as a mom and wife and Nic shares how he doesn’t always feel qualified reach out to certain conferences.

The books that are never written, the songs never sung, the businesses never started—and what stops us is fear. “I say I don’t have a fear of failure, but I know I do,” Nic says. 

So, what’s the solution? Tarina mentions how friends and spouses help because they bring allow us to bring these things into the light. Community makes us stronger. Our community reminds us we are enough.

Here’s a link to the movie Nic and Tarina talked about. “It’s about moving forward and believe,” says Tarina. 

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina and Nic spent time with Elle and Cruze over spring break. Nic comments on how expensive it is to feed his son, the carnivore. Not even the beans and rice at Chipotle. 

He then rants about how some people don’t know the rules of airline travel. Tarina’s water bottle—which does not leak—was placed in the overhead bin. You can guess what happened next. 

Together they discuss Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers and the 10,000-hour rule—and how you have to put in the time. The important example from the book are the Beatles and how they had performed 1200 live concerts before going big. 

“What we don’t see,” Nic says, “is the hours of time, the headache, the practice that it takes to be great at what you do.” 

He recalls his conversation with Manley Feinberg and the training work he did for Menards. As Manley said, putting in the reps made him a more successful speaker. 

Tarina talks about the book Grit Don’t Quit—and what to do in the waiting. “Get out. Work out. Clean out.” Paying your dues requires wisdom to reach mastery, but it’s not just about being skilled in a trade. Competence also means working on yourself. It means investing your time in you and your relationships.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

They kick off talking about Tarina’s pajamas and Nic’s shaved head. Elle has told Nic to grow out his hair for the wedding. 

In this episode they dig into Chapter 27: Invest the Time from Know This Do That. 

Nic and Tarina talk about how good things—like a career or rearing kids—takes time and patience. The opposite is also true: too much time spent on the wrong things create a problem if we let it. Where you invest your time and how you invest your time determines your ultimate success.

Stay the course. Stick it out. Building a career means building a reputation and a good reputation fuels more significant relationships. Doors will open. 

As some have said, “The overnight success story is 10 years in the making.” And it might take 20 years. This is not an easy path—a better life awaits those who put in the work, sweat, and tears. A better life is the result of heartache, wins, and losses. 

The nonnegotiable is to invest. And the one thing we all have is time. Keep on keeping on to make the return you desire. There’s magic in the struggle. 

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.” (G. Michael Hoff)

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic sits down with Heather Anderson and Clint Bailey at the Bittle Ranch to discuss the dynamics of training the next generation of electrical apprentices.

You may remember Clint from a previous episode. She is a mom of one adult son and would tell you she’s engaged to an amazing life partner, Clint. The two of them just happened to drop in to the Studio for a conversation.

Heather completed the IBEW/NECA Limited Energy Technician apprenticeship program then spent 12 years in the field as a Limited Energy Technician and Technician Foreman

She worked for 7 years with the Des Moines IBEW/NECA Training center as a full-time instructor of Limited Energy and Electrical Apprentices. For the past 5 years has worked at the Electrical Training Alliance as an Assistant Director of Limited Energy Curriculum Development.

Together they discuss the state of apprentice training programs and the opportunity for both young women and men to learn a trade. Heather shares how the classroom today combines online learning modules with hands-on application.

Altogether, her work reaches nearly 45,000 individuals across the country.

If you have a son or daughter who is still looking for a career, or has already decided college isn’t for them, send them this episode. They will be glad you did.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina open this episode talking about his latest travels and how he shaved his head. “Everybody with a shaved head is really sexy,” Nic quotes Tarina. Of course, she denies it. (Time for a new podcast photo!)

Today’s discussion centers on a question Nic’s mentor Mark LeBlanc asked him a long time ago. The question is: What do you want? As Nic explains, this isn’t about wanting a new pair of sneakers. It’s about the life we want and how we want to live, not merely material things.

This question—What do I want?—is actually the second hardest question. The hardest question you will ever have to answer is: What are I willing to do get what I want?

The truth is there’s a cost to pursuing what we want—sacrifices, compromises, and reality checks. It’s these questions which force you to make decisions and better decisions.

Tarina and Nic share some of their personal wants and the hard decisions they each had to make to achieve what was most important to them. They give listeners an peak behind the curtain at the Bittle Ranch.

As Nic points out, to do what we have to do to achieve what we want might only need three seconds of courage. The first victory comes in having the courage to figure out what you really want. The second victory comes in pursuing it.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Carlin Day is a husband and father of five with a professional background in insurance sales and service. As the owner of Harms Insurance Agency, Inc., an independent insurance agency in Oklahoma, Carlin has built his career on the belief that people prefer doing business with people.

For years, he has led his agency to live out the simple motto of providing personal service. Early on, despite having the credentials and licenses to sell, Carlin realized he lacked the skills to consistently deliver the results that he and his clients expected.

This sparked a journey of self-improvement through books and training, which transformed his approach. From this, he developed the concept of elevating value—a philosophy of growth through enhancing character, vision, and skills.

Along the way he learned the principle: “The answers you get are based on the quality of your questions.” He shares how a few years ago he wanted to memorize the Book of Proverbs. His initial question produced good verses to memorize, but not a strategy for actually memorizing the whole book.

Because he asked a different question, he found techniques and 1.5 years ago he completed memorizing Proverbs. His other party trick, though, is memorizing the order in a deck of cards. His best time is 1:24 minutes.

As Carlin says, “You can’t remember anything you didn’t remember.” It’s about paying attention. They discuss both the importance of remembering names and how Carlin remembered people’s names perfectly at Nic’s Full Auto program.

His life and leadership inspired his weekly newsletter, Elevating Value, where he shares practical insights for personal and professional development. You can find Carlin on X (Twitter) @elevatingvalue. Or subscribe to his newsletter at www.ElevatingValue.com.

Nic and Carlin discuss a number of topics from how to connect with people, how to make warm calls to customers, and what inspires them on a daily basis. And with each new topic to talk about, Carlin shares a Proverb that applies.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Nic talks with James Ford, CEO Egan Company. James leads all lines of business with an emphasis in creating teams with a strategic focus on long-term success.

James shares how he started his career as an accountant with Eide Bailley then how he served as a leadership development advisor. He took on the Chief Financial Officer role at Egan Company after 20 years in accounting.

Today, as its Chief Executive Officer, he provides best practice strategies for optimizing operations and company performance. His curiosity and natural tendency to focus on the future motivates others to take action.

James attributes his interest in the industry to his father who installed flooring for a living as well as the people within the industry: “hard-working, no-nonsense people who are focused on getting the job done . . . hands down, my favorite part of working at Egan is our amazing people.”

Nic observes James’ ability to create a culture of connection at Egan Company. James attributes this to hiring good people and promote good people—and good people attract other good people. James says he’s only building on Egan’s 80-year history of good people doing good work.

Together James and Nic discuss a variety of topics from company culture and leadership to taking responsibility and making hard decisions. James shares his four operational principles, the most important was the shift they made to put people first and numbers last. He also advises apprentices to raise their hand, to volunteer to do something new.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina is grateful for a power nap before recording this episode. Nic compares her naps to people needing a Snickers Bar when they’re hangry. And Tarina appreciates how Nic compliments himself about how he regulates his emotions and knows things—no naps needed. (That’s some good Nic Bittle crap right there.)

They laugh about cold plunges, soft-sided tackle boxes, and losing sunglasses at the beach. Life is good at the Bittle ranch. 

Regarding the college or career question, Nic and Tarina received some good feedback. They review a few of these, continuing the conversation about viable paths to take and the value of each. 

One conclusion they make is that relationships matter whether one chooses college or career after high school. 

A key question they ask: What kind of pain do we want to expose our kids to, so they grow up and become successful adults? It’s the pain in life that teaches us responsibility. Life is not pain free and parents can’t protect their kids from all of life’s bumps and bruises.

Nic shares a comment from a high school teacher he met recently who said, “Kids today are over-mothered and under-fathered.” In other words, they observe how comfort seems to matter more than discomfort. What’s needed helping kids choose their hard. 

The pivotal question: What kind of life do you want? Then reverse engineer it. Choosing college or career ultimately depends on the future you want to create for yourself and who you want to serve.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina start off with a good laugh at themselves and one another. One because of Nic’s always hard nipples (seriously, you gotta listen to it). And Tarina’s gig work as a helper of Amazon and USPS delivery guys while wearing flip flops.

Nic goes into more detail about how he helps apprentices understand finding the right fit career. So, he expands on his “Three Circles” idea: 1) What are you passionate about? 2) What are your skills? 3) What will the market pay for?

Together they map Nic’s path for how got to where he is today as a professional speaker. He figured out that he’s good at taking complex ideas and breaking them down into easy-to-understand simple solutions. And how his real passion is helping people—to which Tarina replies, “See, you like helping people, too!” But Nic eventually took a 30,000-foot view to fully appreciate 1) what he was passionate about; 2) what he was good at; and (most importantly) 3) what the market would pay for.

What Nic and Tarina find important about this topic is the tendency of many people to focus on only one aspect of the Three Circles. As Nic says, “When we find ourselves taking a job or a career because of the money. If we only look at what it pays, we’re going to find ourselves in a career that we’re miserable in.” This they see as a major cause of burnout.

The leader’s job in these situations, especially when they see burnout in one of their people, is to apply the breaks for them. This is important for both parents and leaders. So, it’s not a day off people need. They may need you to help make sure they take a little breather. And it’s about giving them the protection, the air cover, they need to do a little less so they can realign and keep going.

And sometimes even leaders need to take a step back. If things aren’t working, the right thing to do is the hard thing to do. This might look like a foreman stepping up to step out and return to working a journeyman again.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic is off the road for a week and feeling good. Tarina got to speak to students about anatomy and her career in nursing.

Figure out what you’re good at. Know your strengths. Know your weaknesses. This is how Nic summarizes what it means to know what makes you tick.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina discuss the importance of understanding yourself. Nic outlines a 3-part system for identifying a career. The mistake he sees most people make is choosing only what they’re passionate about—but it may not be something the market wants to pay for or something they’re good at.

Tarina asks an important question, “How do you figure out what you’re good at?” Nic’s answer: pay attention. In other words, look for the bread crumbs.

Nic and Tarina then shift to Chapter 25 of Know This Do That and talk about the importance of having a strong work ethic. Nic reminds listeners of his friend Clint Bailey who said be the hardest worker in the room.

When Nic and Tarina talk about knowing your destination they emphasize having an end in mind. As the old quote goes, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about Nic’s travels—the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly. 

As Nic says, “My job finds me mostly in airports.” He shares the best places he’s gotten to stay as well as some scary places. 

It’s clear in this episode how committed Nic is to the work of developing men and women to be better leaders. It’s also clear how much he loves his family and lives by the values he teaches. 

It’s not a glamorous life being a professional speaker and traveling everywhere. It has given him a chance to visit places he may not have ever seen and people he may never have gotten to meet. It can also get lonely. 

The best part of every trip he says is the flight home. Some may take this the wrong way. But if you know Nic, how could he say it any differently?

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina kick off with advice for everyone to not move to Corn (wink, wink) and enjoy all its comforts and community.

And Tarina shares her “more this, less that” list as an alternative to goals for the new year or new year’s resolutions. It surprised Nic that Tarina didn’t have items for his goal and resolution list for the year.

Nic quotes Charlie Tremendous Jones: “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you met and the books you read.”

To invest in yourself requires a commitment to relationships and filling your mind with good information. An investment in yourself is an investment in your growth. To invest in anything means to expect a future return—and as Nic writes in Know This Do That, “reading one hour a day will put you in the top 1% of income earners.”

From Chapter 23, they talk about learning from our pasts but letting go of the hurts, the mistakes, the regrets. This is easy to say and hard to do. It takes both self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others.

Holding on to the past holds us back. Leaving it behind you is a practice—something you have to do every day. And that’s okay. Keep at it and over time you will realize freedom, growth, and new opportunities for a richer life.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.