Road of Life Podcast Episode 118

Ever feel like your business operations are a chaotic mess, or like you’re trying to build an empire on a shaky foundation?

Meet Michael Rosa. Michael isn’t just an operations executive; he’s a value-creation machine with over 20 years of experience scaling multimillion-dollar companies. But here’s the kicker: he’s also a "kid from Boston" who claims he was "hatched" about a thousand years ago.

In this episode, we sit down with Michael at the (soon-to-be legendary) Road of Life Studios to talk about the intersection of high-level business strategy and the human relationships that make it all worth it. From his grandfather’s powerful influence to his "MGM lion" dreams for our studio, Michael brings a mix of deep wisdom and hilarious personality.

We dive into why mentorship is the ultimate shortcut, how to identify real value in a crowded market, and why your business growth is directly tied to the quality of your connections.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The "Hatched" Philosophy: How Michael’s Boston upbringing and early mentorship shaped his mindset to see opportunities where others see obstacles.

• The ROI of Relationships: Why Michael believes that being a "connector" is the most valuable asset you can have in both business and life.

• Scaling with Certainty: Michael’s tactical approach to operations and why "production value" (in your business and your podcast!) matters more than you think.

• Grandpa’s Gold: The "really cool stories" and life lessons Michael learned from his grandfather that serve as his North Star today.

• The 2026 Vision: A behind-the-scenes look at the future of Road of Life Studios and why we might actually need a roaring lion.

If you want to learn how to manage growth, create massive value, and have a lot of fun while doing it, this conversation with Michael Rosa is exactly what you need.

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

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Connect with Michael:

Website: mjr-advisors.com

Road of Life Podcast Episode 118

Are you living for today at the expense of your tomorrow? 90% of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck, but it doesn't have to be that way.

Meet Bill Walters. Bill is a financial guide who helps families move from fear and doubt into a lifestyle of abundance. After spending six years caring for his mother through dementia, Bill realized that most people aren't prepared for the "golden years" neither financially nor emotionally.

In this episode, Bill shares his powerful "Origin Story"—from being transported to school in a little red wagon to fulfilling a deathbed promise to his father. He bridges the gap between high-level financial strategy and the raw, beautiful reality of what it means to truly love and serve your family.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The Definition of Love: Why love is simply filling a need in the moment, whether it's unloading the dishwasher or game-planning for retirement.

The "Hatched" Mindset Shift: Moving from a mindset of control and fear to one of love, light, and 100% accountability.

Operational Savings: Practical ways to reduce healthcare costs by up to 70% and redirect that "coffee money" into a tax-free nest egg.

Breaking the Instant Gratification Cycle: How to live on 80% of your income so your money starts working for you, rather than you working for it.

The "Told You So" Retirement: Why listening to expert advice now prevents you from working as a Walmart greeter at age 87

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

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Connect with Bill Walters:

Website: www.perfectlyimperfectfamilies.com

Phone: 267-278-506

Road of Life Podcast Episode 117

Don't Let Your Business Growth Become Your Marriage’s Funeral

Ever feel like you’re winning at the office but losing at home? Like you’re building a legacy for your family, yet you’re becoming a stranger to the person sitting across from you at dinner?

Meet Rob Tracz. Rob is a high-performance coach, keynote speaker, and the founder of Prime Performance Coaching.

But before he was helping entrepreneurs master resilience and clarity, he was learning the hard way what happens when you prioritize the "hustle" over the human you love.

In this episode, Rob gets incredibly vulnerable about the lessons he learned from neglecting his relationships early in his journey.

He’s here to make sure you don’t have to hit rock bottom to realize that your business will only ever grow as strong as your marriage does.

We talk about the "lonely at the top" trap, the myth of "someday," and why your spouse should be your primary partner not your secondary thought.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The Resilience Blueprint: How Rob helps high-achievers develop the mental toughness to handle business stress without taking it out on their partner.

• Relationship Debt: Why "working hard now to relax later" is a dangerous lie that leaves your marriage bankrupt before you ever reach the finish line.

• The Clarity Shift: How to stop "performing" for your spouse and start being present (even when the Slack notifications are blowing up).

• Avoiding the "Roommate Phase": Practical steps to maintain consistency in your connection so you don't wake up five years from now wondering who you're living with.

• The Authority of Ownership: Why taking 100% responsibility for your mistakes including butchering last names (sorry, Rob!) is the fastest way to build trust.

If you’re ready to scale your business without sacrificing the people who matter most, this conversation with Rob Tracz is a non-negotiable listen.

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

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Connect with Rob:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robtracz

Podcast: Surviving the Side Hustle

Website: primeperformancecoaching.com

Road of Life Podcast Episode 116

Bridge the Transition from "Student" to "Professional" (Without the Family Drama)

Do you have a brilliant young adult at home who is a rockstar on paper but totally stuck on how to actually start their life? Are you ready to reclaim your "empty nest" but feel like you're stuck in a loop of misunderstandings with your mini-adults?

Meet Minetta Minor.

Minetta is the founder and CEO of Guiding Future Success, and she has spent over 30 years mastering the art of recruiting and leadership. She noticed a massive gap: students are working so hard to get the grades that they often forget to build a strategy for the "real world."

As marriedpreneurs, we know that when your kids are struggling to launch, that stress doesn't stay in their lane it follows you into your marriage and your business.

In this episode, Minetta shares how she acts as the guide to help young adults find fulfillment and professional confidence, so parents can stop being the "bad guy" and start being the supporters.

In this episode, we dig right into the power of curiosity, why you should always say "yes" to growth, and exactly how to stay a lifelong learner.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The "Strategic Gap": Why a high GPA doesn't automatically equal a job offer and how to bridge the gap between graduation and a career with intentionality.

• The Power of "Why Not?": Minetta’s journey from a 17-year-old intern to leading a global team of 75 by leaning into curiosity instead of fear.

• Mediating the Gap: How Minetta acts as a neutral third party to translate between parents who want their kids launched and young adults who feel overwhelmed.

• Real-Time Coaching: Why she literally walks the floor of job fairs with her clients to role-play and tweak their approach in the moment - the ultimate "boots on the ground" support.

• The BHAG for 2026: Minetta speaks her "Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal" into existence a one-stop-shop community for young professionals to handle everything from careers to mental health and finances.

If you’re ready to help your young adult find their path (and get your house back in the process), this conversation is dropping serious gold.

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

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Connect with Minetta:

Learn more about Minetta: www.guidingfuturesuccess.com

Follow her on Instagram: @guidingfuturesuccessllc

Road of Life Podcast Episode 115:

Happy New Year! In this episode of the Road of Life podcast, we dive into our personal "Year-End Reflection and Goal Setting" process to help you kick off 2026 with clarity and connection.

As marriedpreneurs, we know (from experience) that our business success is tied to our marriage success, and that starts with getting aligned on where you're headed.

We discuss why typical New Year’s resolutions usually fail (often by January 17) and offer a more sustainable alternative: Performance-Based Goals.

Instead of just focusing on the "outcome" (like hitting a revenue number), we get into how focusing on daily habits and things within your control bypass the usual obstacles like fear of failure and procrastination and builds real momentum.

Key highlights include:

• The "Word & Song" Vibe: How choosing a theme song and a "word of the year" helps set your subconscious energy. Tune in for our words and songs for 2026.
• Digital Vision Boards: Our hack for keeping goals front-and-center by creating custom phone lock screens that serve as a constant "subconscious jolt."
• Letters to the Future: The power of writing a letter on New Year’s Eve to your future self, documenting your wins as if they’ve already happened, and the fun and (often) surprise of reading what "past you" prioritized.
• Holistic Goal Setting: Why it’s critical to set goals across five key areas -Professional, Personal, Relationship, Health/Vitality, and Community – to ensure you don't build a business at the expense of your happiness.

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

Recency bias is a sneaky little liar. It makes us forget the mountain we climbed in January just because we’re staring at a different one in December.

In this episode, we’re going old school - just Mer and Craig - to take you with us on our end of year reflection... which turned into our 2025 recap. We’re pulling back the curtain on the wins (like becoming best-selling authors and launching our Mastermind) and the "bruises" that taught us more than a textbook ever could.

We’re diving deep into:

• The Year of the Book: How writing The 200% Marriage together was the ultimate relationship test (and spoiler: we passed).

• Choosing Your "Hard": Why being an entrepreneur is a beautiful mess and how resilience became our superpower this year.

• The "F*ck Yes" Filter: Learning to spot your people and realizing that if it’s not a "F*ck Yes," it’s a "F*ck No."

• Integrity Recessions: Dealing with the disappointment of others not sharing your values, and how to hold boundaries even when it’s "uncomfortable as f*ck."

• Vulnerability Hangovers: Craig’s "worst nightmare" stage moment and why speaking from the heart beats a memorized poem every. single. time.

Losing Mer’s dad made this year of "firsts" one of our hardest personal years, but it also solidified why we do what we do. Relationships are the only thing that matters in an AI-driven world.

Grab a cup of tea (or two if you double fist 'em like Mer does) and join us as we pump our own tires, celebrate the life-changing shifts our clients made, and prep to our hard lessons into an even bigger 2026.

Remember: Small hinges swing big doors, but reflection builds the frame.

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Road of Life Coaching Resources with Meredith & Craig:

Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage.com/intheloop

Pre-order "The 200% Marriage" book (it'll change your life and help us make it a best seller): www.the200percentmarriage.com/preorder

Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

Episode 105: Curiosity over Conflict: The Secret Weapon for Marriedpreneurs with Jami & Rocco Montana: https://roadoflifecoaching.com/podcast/b/episode105

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

Build a 7-Figure Business Organically (Without Sacrificing Your Marriage)

Ever feel like you just don’t have enough time? Like you’re drowning in to-do lists and your big dreams are getting pushed to "someday"?

Meet Jose Escobar.

Jose didn't just build a 7-figure business in 15 months. He did it organically—no paid ads, no fancy funnels, and no massive tech stack. And he did it all while working a full-time job, raising six kids, and keeping his marriage his number one priority.

In this episode, Jose drops some serious gold (and a few hard truths) about what it actually takes to win the day. He shares the pivotal moment his wife, Katie, sat him down for a "hard conversation" that shifted him from a "personal development junkie" into an execution machine.

We talk about discipline, the power of community, and why you need to stop finding time and start creating it.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The "Nooks and Crannies" Strategy: How Jose creates time to read, learn, and grow while waiting in parking lots and doctor's offices.
• The Priority Hierarchy: Why Jose ranks his wife above his kids and his business, and how that order actually makes him better at everything else.
• The Organic Blueprint: How he launched the Connected Leaders Academy and got 100 paid members in 30 days with zero ad spend.
• Breaking Bad Habits: Why discipline isn't about willpower, but about behavior shifting (and why it takes 66 days, not 21).
• Dreaming Together: How getting aligned on the vision prevents the "entrepreneurial loneliness" that kills so many dreams.

If you’re ready to stop making excuses and start building a life (and business) you love, this episode is a must-listen.

• Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage/intheloop

• Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

• Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

Connect with Jose:

• Website: connectedleadersacademy.com
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jaesco25
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaesco25/

Road of Life Podcast Episode 112:

In this episode of the Road of Life podcast, we are hanging out with the power couple behind The Co-Author Network, Daniela and Emilio Roman.

Their story plays out like a Hollywood movie – but the unrated version where they leave the gritty parts in.

We get wildly vulnerable in this conversation. Emilio opens up about his journey from a Marine with a "work hard, play hard" mentality to facing his battle with alcoholism and finding sobriety 17 months ago. Daniela shares the immense grace (and the tough love) it took to stand by his side until he was ready to heal.

Tune in to hear us chat about:

• You Can’t Heal in Secret: Why hiding your struggles is actually selfish (yep, we said it) and how sharing your story can save lives.
• The "Born to Risk" Movement: How they turned their pain into a platform for other entrepreneurs (including us!) to share their truth.
• Marriage Mechanics: How their opposite strengths balance each other out without driving each other crazy.

If you’ve ever felt like your past mistakes disqualify you from a great future, or if you’re sitting on a story you’re scared to share – this episode is your permission slip to let it out.

Listen now and let’s get real.

• Get on the list for book updates so you don’t miss any of the fun: www.200percentmarriage/intheloop

• Marriage + Business Strategy Session: https://200percentmarriage.com/strategycall

• Infinite Relationship Mastermind: https://the200percentmarriage.com/irmapplication

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meredithandcraig/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithandcraig/

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Daniela & Emilio Roman Resources: www.borntorisk.com

www.emilioroman.com