The New Definition of Wealth: Strong Body, Strong Mind, Strong Family w/ Steve Eckert 💪 EP 148
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this special edition of Money Mondays, host Dan Fleyshman sits down with Steve Eckert, a Marine Corps veteran, peak-performance coach, and longtime Operation Blacksite instructor. (00:20) The episode shifts from traditional money topics to explore how investing in your body, mind, and soul creates true wealth. Steve reveals his philosophy that being a husband and father first is the ultimate currency, sharing insights from his family's unbroken streak of working out together for over four years. (02:44) The conversation delves into discipline, leadership, family values, and the importance of training in an increasingly unpredictable society.
- The main theme centers on redefining wealth beyond financial metrics to include physical fitness, family connection, and personal competence in critical life skills
Speakers
Dan Fleyshman
Dan Fleyshman is the host of The Money Mondays podcast and the youngest founder of a publicly traded company in history. He's a serial entrepreneur who focuses on teaching people how to make money, invest money, and donate to charity through his platform.
Steve Eckert
Steve Eckert is a Marine Corps veteran, peak-performance coach, and longtime Operation Blacksite instructor. He's been with Operation Blacksite since day one and is the only instructor present at every single event from morning workouts to late-night sessions. Steve considers his primary profession to be a husband and father, using this foundation to guide his coaching philosophy on discipline, leadership, and family values.
Key Takeaways
Redefine Success Through Family Leadership
Steve challenges the conventional definition of success by prioritizing his role as husband and father above all else. (02:08) He measures his success not by bank account numbers but by the sound of his children's footsteps running toward him when he comes home. This approach requires earning respect daily - as Steve puts it, "you have to earn the right to be a husband every day" and "earn the right to be a father every day." (11:05) The key insight is that true wealth comes from intentional attention and presence with family, which he calls "the new currency." This foundational approach actually enhances rather than detracts from business success because it creates a stable foundation for all other endeavors.
Consistency Creates Compound Character
Steve and his family have maintained an unbroken workout streak for over four years, training together seven days a week without exception. (02:44) This isn't about physical fitness alone - it's about demonstrating reliability, discipline, and commitment to his children daily. Through injuries, illness, and life's ups and downs, they maintain this practice as a "guaranteed daily win." The deeper principle here is that consistency in small, daily actions builds character that transfers to every area of life. When children see parents maintain commitments regardless of circumstances, they learn that integrity means doing what you say you'll do, even when no one is watching.
Manufactured Adversity Prevents Entitlement
Despite providing his children with a good life, Steve deliberately exposes them to challenges and hardships to prevent entitlement. (19:08) This includes extreme challenges like 24-hour continuous workouts for charity fundraisers and requiring his kids to earn everything they want through work in the family business. He explains that children who only experience comfort become "entitled little brats" who crumble when life inevitably presents real adversity. The strategy involves making children active participants in business struggles, seeing refunds, understanding profit and loss, and experiencing the emotional ups and downs of entrepreneurship alongside their parents.
Attention Is The Ultimate Investment
Steve argues that attention and time are more valuable currencies than money when it comes to family relationships. (12:35) He contrasts his approach with successful entrepreneurs who spend only 20 minutes daily with their children, explaining that if his kids only wanted 20 minutes of his time, it would indicate he's failing as a father. Instead of delegating family time to pursue wealth, he structures his business and life to maximize presence with his family. This includes scheduled weekly one-on-one meetings with each child, regular date nights with his wife, and Sunday family meetings where they review gratitude, victories, struggles, and plan the upcoming week.
Competence Builds Unshakeable Confidence
The episode emphasizes that developing practical skills in areas like self-defense, firearms training, and emergency response creates deep confidence that transfers to all areas of life. (28:43) Steve explains that "competence leads to confidence" - the more skilled and prepared you become, the calmer and more assured you feel in challenging situations. This isn't just about physical preparedness; it's about developing the mental framework of someone who can handle whatever life presents. When both men and women develop these capabilities, they operate from a position of strength rather than fear or helplessness.
Statistics & Facts
- Steve mentioned that 89% of millionaires come from families where their parents didn't get divorced. (04:40) This statistic was cited to emphasize the importance of stable family units in creating successful individuals, supporting his argument that maintaining strong marriages and family structures is crucial for long-term success and wealth building.
- Operation Blacksite currently maintains a 50/50 gender split for participants, with exactly 50% women and 50% men attending training events. (08:39) This statistic was highlighted to demonstrate that tactical training and self-defense skills are equally important for both genders in today's society.
- The Money Mondays podcast ranks number 50 in the world out of 5.4 million podcasts currently available. (29:37) This ranking was mentioned to demonstrate the podcast's significant reach and influence in spreading financial literacy and money-related discussions.
