The public has had a long held fascination with detectives. Detective see a side of life the average person's never exposed to. I spent thirty four years as a cop. For twenty five of those years, I was catching killers. That's what I did for a living. I was a homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead, I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories from all sides of the law. The interviews are raw
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Welcome back to part two of my chat with Michael Casidis and he's good mate Marty Cornish, who both had interesting lives and are now challenging their energy in the boom role models for men whose lives are heading in the wrong direction, teaching them about lessons learnt through their own life and encourage them to be the best possible versions of themselves. Welcome back, guys, Thank you awesome. It's
good to have you back glad to run off. Just to clarify, and we mentioned it in part one that you know, what you're trying to deliver here is not based on reading textbooks or academic studies. This is from life experience and that's what you're bringing bringing to the table when we're talking about helping helping people. Is that fair to say?
Yeah? So basically, well, Marty unpacks the information from my mind. We'll be having some conversations and he's like, oh, guys, you're so intelligent. He goes, how do you you know? And he says, how do you know this? Or how do you know that? And I would say, well, at this point in my life, I went to Vegas and this happened, and I did this and that, and he goes, oh. He goes, look, I'm just going to put down, unpack this and put it like we're going to write some
notes and then we'll take some notes. So then what we've done is we've recorded all these experience that I've had and then put them into textbook, back into my modules, training modules. So whether it be basics from A to B in boxing, or whether it be with your mindset and confidence and things associated with that and then he's
just got all documented and recorded. So now you've got people all over the world who want to know what Michael cal said, this has been through and how he did what he did, and how he achieved what he did, and what mindset he adopted to achieve such things. They can do that themselves from home.
Yeah, And like the boxing, And I get into trouble here on thy catch killers because I lean into boxing stories. But it's amazing how there's an interelate between the criminal world that I understand and boxing. But the thing about boxing, if you strip of the way, it can be another sport, a completely different sport, a different passion of different interest. But what you get and I'm asking you because Michael,
you're in the thick of it. So this is from money looking outside that boxing does teach life lessons in that you get rewarded for the effort that you put in. You can step in the ring and you can be fear. How do you overcome the fear? How do you overcome adversity when the person's on top of you? That type of thing? Would you agree with that? Why? It's a very simplistic view of it, but it does teach life lessons. Yeah.
Well, the interesting thing was before we start on this journey as we did, I thought that a lot of the people would come reach out to us would be more about the boxing and the thing that I'm really loving, it's more about the mental training, the mental toughness side of it.
Yeah.
You know, we've got guys that have had a first loss and now they've lost their their confidence has gone, and they're coming to Michael going, look, I've I've lost all belief in myself. And then we've got people that aren't into boxing that just want because he was renowned for this warrior through some of these stories we can
maybe touched on. So it it's more I look at it for a lens now of this these modules because it backed in a lot of sports psychology and psychology, and that's how we've structured it, and we're really building the person. Like there's Michael is going to do the
boxing on another kind of course. But the main thing we're focusing on right now is the bulletproof mindset program find your Best, And I look at it through that lens of it's really applicable to a corporate, high achieving corporate person and what we've done like say for example. One of the modules is called say for example like focus.
And as I've documented Michael these stories, I've just I've learned at a deeper level, one how committed he was and for example, and also to build the confidence when you went to Brooklyn. And so he's gone to Brooklyn and at the time it correct me if I'm wrong. This was the heart of some of the best lightweights in the world. So before he went and fought Graham Ole in the UK, they went into train in camp over New Year's Eve in Brooklyn, and I let Michael
tell the story. But the sparring that went on and you're a you're a little bit kind of there's some big guys there.
So yeah, so yeah, okay. So when you when you're walking to a gym and it's called Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn, it's one of the most famous hymns in the world.
It's a tough guy.
Yeah yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Yeah. Like on Wednesdays is the main sparring night. There's got they get so passionate about it. They're like fighting out in the street. There's big dark dudes, big Mexican dudes, and big white guys, you know, like wow, just mix it in together, and just the whole place is roaring. They've got like eight
different rings in this massive, big area. And and we'd walk in there that the skipping groups going, the speedballs gone, guys getting bashed up and beat up, and goes, come on, you want to show me something, come on, fighting on and and so we just went in there. Mate, there you going, you know, yeah, not bad. It's good to meet you. You know, as a guy called Hector over there and he's and his love to me. It's actually good.
Someone told me that they run into him in and he you know, we went into this gym and it's an intimidating feeling, right yeah. So we've gone in there and we started training and we earned our respect in that gym. We earned our respect and we started we started working out. This was one guy who was a Polish guy and he emulated. He looked exactly like the guy I was fighting in Graham Mellon in England on February seventeen, two thousand and seven, when I won my
first world titles. So that's the guy I was preparing to fight. And this guy was a bigger, sold more solid version of exactly like him, and he was just like knocking everyone out and the big wars and he was like the tough guy, you know, he's always marked up. And so Brennan's gone up to his after his trainer and said, hey, you think we could get like do eight rounds with your boy on next Wednesday, you know, and he goes, hmmm, We'll see how you feel after two.
So I'm intimidating.
Yeah, we'll see you feel after two rounds, you know. So then, so I've just been prepping and prepping and prepping and in boxing watching it to help build with your confidence, and people will people can use this as a bit of an analogy. You need to have a kill, so you need to execute. Okay, So he was the perfect guy. He had a bad attitude, he was the perfect guy to execute the kill against. So basically, in my mind, if I was to win my world title, I had to beat this guy. I think this guy
a good beat down, you know. And so so like we were really doing the hard work. We were staying this big, old, old, big old cold house at Brooklyn of six levels high and we just scored it somehow for really cheap. We're staying in Brooklyn. We were wore these stairs every day, go all the way up these stairs, through these subways, change subways, go these stairs, and we go to the train and do our work. And this
is mediculous, meticulous, meticulous. And I had this one gold mindset in mind that I had to beat this guy. So then that meant that I could win the world title because it was exactly like the guy was fighting. I knew how to do that, and I sparred this guy and I wrecked him after one round. You I wrecked him, and the whole gym just stopped and they looked they loved us.
Were well to get respect in that environment. Now, yeah, you reference the Rocky movie, so I think when Apollo crewed takes him back to Yeah, the.
Wrecked him and built him from ushold at hemate and he's I'm telling you like that. The like to this very day is like, what is it now? Twenty four years later, the twenty twenties, I was still getting like the less than that. So fifteen years ago, but I was still getting messages from people over there who were there there and then you know, and yeah, Bruce Silverglade is the name of the owner right, hopefully still alive from Gleason's gym. But yeah, that's like one of them stories.
That Okay, so those stories, it's hard to match stories like that that is cutting edge, Bravardo walking in there, like the intimidation. Yeah, and these people it's a hurting business. So I think the simplicity of boxing, that's what that's what I like about it. But we know what the aim is, You're going to get over the top of this person. So that's where I think life lessons really come into it. Would you agree with that?
Yeah, well, see with the lesson that Michael was talking about there. So one of the questions, well, how can I be more confident? And even in psychology they have a thing called exposure therapy where we've got to expose ourselves to the thing that we're afraid of to build the confidence. And what the lesson is there, It's like Michael,
and that's how we build credibility. So when he came into the Old Fight after he had so much faith in himself because he had the runs on the board from that done the work exactly, so there's no if he would have gone straight to Earl, he probably still would have won. I'm not ever doubting that, But do you agree that that in that you're like, I've already fucked up, old mate in Brooklyn. I'm ready to roll.
You've done it every everything you can. I think the nerves and it doesn't have to be boxing. It can be anything. You're preparing for an exam, you're preparing for a podcast, exactly, preparing to give evidence at court. That was a nerve run. Yeah yeah, you guys asked me in my nervous before the podcast. Yeah, yeah, I get nervous before the podcast because I care about the podcast.
That's good, but it's good.
Where I feel comfortable and now I've done the prep I'm ready. And that's what you got with that experience, that you've done the preparation.
And I've got to say, I've got to say that's where boxing is so much like life, because there was no worse feeling when you're walking out to that ring in front of millions of people all over the world, views all over the world, and the tens of thousands that are in attendance. You're walking out there and you didn't prepare properly and you're walking out there. So it's not just like a it's just like a nervous energy.
It's like a fucking worried energy. Yeah, you know you haven't done it right, but so you look at it. That look at the flip side of that. Okay. So when I went to fight Graham Mel, I was a little bit nervous, Yeah, but I just wanted to fucking show them. I just wanted to show the world what I was able to accomplish. And I was at that stage I was like, you know, I wanted I want to show I want to show him as confident as
and that's what I walked into that ring with. And that fight got the fight of the decade, Fight of the year in the UK, and the second round or fourth round got the round of the decade. Check it out first.
That's that's something to be proud of him in such a competitive, competitive world. But it is a good lesson in life that if you if you're prepare for something, put the effort in and the rewards will will follow. Exactly as the boxing World champion we had mentioned before, we had Matt mincham On who won a gold medal in the Olympics diving, and he said it took him a while to realize that that was he was fighting his own demons. I think I can talk about that.
He's he said it on the podcast. He was fighting his own demons and he was looking for validation by achieving the gold medal, and he got the gold medal. So there, I've just proved myself. But then down the track, because he went through some dark time. So down the track he realized that doesn't define me as a person. Now at the stage, Michael, where you look at that. Okay, that was what I achieved in in the boxing world. But there's more important things in life than that too.
And now, yeah, like having purpose, you know, you know, the more important things to me are the legacy that I'm going to leave behind, you know, and like like I know my kids will be watching this one day. You know, who's their dad, you know, and like the
kids and who who in this world? Who we leave behind is all that we have left, you know, so you know, having that good example and being able to help others and pass on you know, like whenever you're talking about anyone that you know from the past, they would have done anything for me. You know, you look about the people that were great to you even and you even like, oh he was great, he went out
of his way, he did this for me. And these are things that are starting to come back to me, like I've had had some people that have done some great things for me and and you know, and I want to be that person for someone else. You know, even if even if it's via online, it doesn't matter least least it's there. You know, it's there, something for people to reach out to and be remembered as that guy.
There is something that you get from life, isn't it put in in? And you know, you could call it random acts of kindness, just helping people, being a good person. It does validate you, make him feel better about yourself, Like it's not you're making the effort to help someone else, but it does help you in help you in life, Marty, just with with your situation when you had the business and then you thought, I'm not I'm ticking these boxes,
but I'm becoming And what wasn't your words? I'll say it, correct me if I'm wrong, But you were coming a bit of a dickhead and the flip what what steps did you do to adjust a little direction your life was going in? Well?
I was humbled you know, and it really comes back to I believe you said Matthew the Olympian, it's seeking validation from external things to make ourselves. And that's what I was doing, was is seeking validation from external things to go, Look, I'm not this guy from Housing Commission anymore.
I've made it. And you know, now, that's like you seek validation, you know, as Nick Saban, one of the best college football coaches there is, says, you know, focus on the process, not the outcome, on what it takes to be successful. So to validate yourself with the work and the man you're becoming in the process, that's where the confidence comes from. And it's even like, you know, when you when you put the validation on external things, you're you're losing all the control and power, you know,
because there's a lot of things out there. There's only really three things we can control.
Yeah, you're quite right, and there's these things that are out of you control. You might aim for this and miss, but it doesn't mean that you haven't put in the best effort.
Yeah, And you know, so we can only control. So if I'm controlling you know, how I'm showing up every day, my habits, what I'm working towards am I being a good person for myself. As Michael's made some great points on then I'm because if I'm taking care of me, then I'm great for my family. And then if I'm great for my family, then I can be a productive member for the community. And to me, that's what it's about, healing ourselves first and then giving that paying that forward
to help the next man. And that's whenever I talk about my life or being sober. And I have nothing against people in one of a couple of beers.
Ok.
I love a beer, you know, I'm just not drinking today. And at the moment, I'm speaking for the guy that's self medicating right now that fucking knows that he wants to quit. And that's who I'm speaking to. And because once once we overcome that, you know, that's that's when life can start, I believe.
Okay, all right, let's get into what Yeah. I think there's been dozens of movies made about it. But the world boxing champion going in the prison, Yeah, talk us through that, because people, so you walk in, you walk in the people know who you are. Talkers.
You know about that, you've gone into prison before. Yeah, yeah, for Summer's social experiment.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's funny that you say this because I'm on the way here. We're in an uber and I said, look, I'm about to go see Gary Jubil and I catch killers and and she goes, oh, what, You've got a story to tell her? So if you don't made me ask you, can you tell me your stories that I will? Like I was a boxer, she jumped to a trader. Oh, you know how God's drugs, saxon, drugs, sex and jail. Well, actually, yes, exactly, that's just.
Exactly that that order.
Yeah, lots of sex, that's the drugs and jail. You go, yeah, yeah, yeah, So like when you walk into when you're walking to jail, and then everyone's going Meggie, yeah, I love her, and everyone knows you. You know, you've been walking on the wrong side the fence for too long, you know. And but that.
You could get caught up in the same stuff you're caught up when you're the adulation and everything that was going on when you were fighting for world titles. Yeah, in prison, because they would give you respect because you're a tough guy and you've come in the prison, so you would have had to check yourself because you could have just fallen into that you become the man in there.
Well, important, it's important to remain humble and and that's something that like I kept on board, like just always just show respect to people, and like just be aware, like be aware that like there's there is that trauma, there's a lot of problems with addictions, people that off the faces completely in there. And and but just be aware of what's going on around you. And that's a big part of it. Has just been Yeah, you've been
awake to what's going on. And you know, then as you get to spend time with these people to learn a lot about them. And look, there are some really great people in there. And and because I've been through it, I've been through can relate to a lot of them. And it's not until you actually, you know, suffer a conviction or something that you actually think, oh yeah, right, yeah, maybe you can see things a bit differently. And I
don't judge everybody, there's no need to judge. And but you know that a lot of these people just have no direction. There's a lot of pain, there's a lot of hurt. And the biggest thing I learned is that you know, you know, Jarl Institutions and death is order to wait those in addiction. And whilst I was in there, I learned that, you know, I was in there, I was running a narcotics anonymous program in there, you know, I found narcotics anonymous and you know that helped me.
There's a lot of things in life, and I thought, well, if I'm going to keep on going the way I was going, that's the only thing that anyone anyone going on that pathway, that's all that can look forward to. Jarles Institutions and Death.
When you go in, were you targeted because of your reputations? Anyone wanted to score their reputation by taking you out? How did you find it?
Not really, because like I was always very polite and humble to people.
So you didn't go there with an attitude.
Nah, not at all, not at all. And you know I could understand where people were coming from. Look, people weren't really in yeah, people people look got understand people at the last point of their lives when they're in there, you know, and you know it's you know, sometimes if it's it's someone when someone's really angry and he may get out of my road, my road or something like that, and so you know, I would say, look, look, I can understand that you're feeling angry right now. I was.
I'm only just trying to get through so I can give them some Yeah, the moment that I identified the emotion that they were feeling, that they've actually they've taken it back, and then you talk to them calmly. I don't. I never filled the fire with fire, so sometimes I could see someone starting to have a bit of a go at me. I never feeled that fire. I just let it go. I just let it go, and then let my ego go as well, because I don't.
See that that's that's an important thing, because your ego part of it would be well, fuck you, I could take you, but you had to check that.
And I actually did have a guy that actually because look I had fourteen cracks in down and had fourteen wins all behind door. So I never got put in the lockdown because of it. But there were things that had to happen, like it was just like in a unit with someone and they bring it on. It's just like an attitude adjustment. But basically I did have a guy right in front of everyone else said, you want to put me on show in front of people like this, But it was my ego that started to begin with,
because he kept on saying, hey, they in front of everybody. Hey, you're world champion. So if I bet you, does that mean I get to get you well titled belt? And I just stood on it for twenty four hours. The next day I spoke the next day, I was I was just sitting there playing cards, and I said, mate, it takes me a minute to beat you. Then i'd be hanging out of here, you know. I said that in front of everyone, and he goes, oh, so he
got put on show, and his ego was hurt. We go really really, I'd let it out of the bag, you know. And he says, all right, yo, I'll come and have a crack. Now, let's go. Now, Yo, we'll go on the Brasco.
You know.
And I said, I said, I look, mate, I said, look, I want to go make it back down the reds. I'm already in the bad boy books. I said, go on the Brasca than five minutes to start without me. I gave me a life, So there you go. You know, I already have him a bit, I said. I said, my piece and I should have let it go. But you know, but like that wouldn't even have got to that if I just let it go, like let him have his little say that he wants to do and let it go. Yeah.
No, it's interesting because I wondered because I know in that environment people will want to take you on and build a reputation. Exactly how that like spelled it out there. But yeah, so you had to you had to adjust your eye to get through that. That's all. It is what you had to do when you needed to.
But yeah, as a young guy, as a young guy, you know, like I've first got in trouble with the law many years ago. You know, I hit someone, you know I could charge with the Sultan plan and got good. I had to do eight months jail. And the first guy that I fought and now I absolutely wrecked him.
You know, it was one hundred and ten kilos. He was in there for killing a copper and he was told to make an example and look at this kid out that's a little kid that I wasn't a champion there and then that, and he wanted to take my gloves off me and I said no, I said, look you can use my gloves, but you can't have. And I to know, I'm saying, their mind now chin's and he's come at me and I've knocked him out first hit and then but I've had to knock him out
five times. He kept coming at me and coming at me. He's so big, he's like one hundred and ten. At least you waited, I would have been sixty five killows. And I'm up against the wall and I've got mym friends, went hook hook in. His ear was hanging by by a thread and he's just laying in a pool of blood. And you've got guys to this very day saying that's the most violent fight they'd ever seen in jail. But that was a young ego guy, like I was a young guy. Yeah, one would have been enough, but I
had an ego and I wrecked him. And look, I could have been facing more charges or anything could have happened, and this was unnecessary. But that kept me away from any more more drama. You know, going in there a bit older. You know, guy's got a bit of an attitude adjustment here and there, Like you know, I just need to pull my punches and you know, so I just didn't go on with it or like that, just a bit of a.
And that that's that's the difference from when you first went into the second time A little bit was a.
Second time last time?
Yeah, and then tell us about you to sign the form. You're not you're not going back in here on We have had a few go back after but.
Anyway, okay, I've got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I've got to tell you. Okay, So I'm sitting in there. I'm sitting this is a goodsebunt moment that I had when I was in there was a light bulb moment too. So I'm sitting in the sewing shop and I'm sowing away and the big guys sitting above me, and I'm just working away. It's just sewing, you know, making you know, the prison shorts and shirts. And he's looking at me.
He's got these big guy, piercing blue eyes, big bulk of a man, right and and and he goes, how are you going in here? Son? And he had an English accent, and I said, fuck, you know, could be doing something with my life. And I you know, you know, I'm not real happy with myself. And he goes, I know, and I looked up and I said, who are you and he goes, he goes, I'm Peter McDonald. He goes, you don't remember me doing I said, no, he goes, he goes, I met you in Vegas in two thousand
and seven. I trained a young fellow by the name of Ricky Hatton.
Because I said, what are you doing?
And he goes, more to the point, what are you doing in sunlight? It's like you know, and and he say, he used to look after the guys in protection and he always comes through to the mainstream. And he talked to me, and then you know, he'd go and just check, come in daily and just check on me and that, and other people see me talking. And I look at that dog and I said, come talking to a Yeah, who cares whatever? Yeah, anyway, but it ain't come and
he talked to me and he checked in. Then after a while I sort of built up the confidence and I sort of said, hey, mate, I said, you know, I've got to go before a judge soon. You know, I think it'd be really good if I had a reference from someone in here saying that, look I'm doing and yeah, and he said, he said, he said, leave that with me. Son. So it come back like a week later or something like that, and he had had like a big thick thing of my Wikipedia and it says,
here's your reference. Son. He said, don't forget who you are. Just handed me that we can't get access to printers and get handed me the papers. And I was like, I just like goosebumps, you know. He said, don't you forget who you are.
It was a wake up call, that type.
Of yeah, this is your reference. Don't forget who you are.
Because you could lose your way in there. So the thing that you would say to people that think, okay, well let's surprise, I'm going to pay. If I'm going to live the gangster the life soul or the bad boy life style, I'm going to end up in prison. But there's no joy in prison, is there?
No, there's not. There's not like people can look, people can look as far as they want, they get deep, deep, as far as as but you know, sometimes the human mind is an amazing thing and some people have to adjust. But you don't want to be in that position where you have to adjust yourself to being able to enjoy being locked away. You know, look, these days, if you're not considered to be well behaved. You're in the you're in the blocks, and in the blocks now minimum that
everyone's locked down twenty hours a day. Yeah, you get out for four hours in a small courtyard where you walk up and down. It's a shit place to be. It ain't a life for anybody, you know. It's it's yeah, you don't want to go there, you know. It's just it's a strong message.
Yeah, and it's yeah, it's good to hear from someone that's been there and someone that people look up to and respect that that's yeah, not the place to go. Is that something that you see working with Michael and doing the stuff that you do with Michael, he can give that experience.
One hundred percent. And I feel like it really comes back to you know, I remember being a teenager and idolizing certain things I grew up, you know, really idolizing rap music. And it's like it's who we look up to, you know, if it's really kind of changing the philosophy of you know, our role models. You know, it's like
with Michael, he'll tell you look. I remember we're sitting down one time having a sausage roll, and he was telling me a little bit about some of the stories and he said, there's a lot of heard in that, there's a lot of pain, you know. I mean we really get to that, and I know, like the young teenagers and we're really looking up to you know, the hip hop and then it's like they feel that they've maybe got to go to prison to earn their stripes,
you know. But then guys that have been there will tell you that it's no place, you know what I mean, you don't like it's it's changing that kind of outlook that we have, and I think we need people like Michael. You know, I said, I've got people in Queensland and politicians keep talking about the problem, but no one that I see it. It's about taking action, but it's the people. There's no point for a random politician or someone to speak to a teenager because they're not going to reach them.
Yeah, yeah, one hundred if they speak the I think life experience car carries a lot like people. If you're those young, reckless guys, you're not going to be listening to someone you don't respect, and you've probably you're respecting the wrong people. But if you respect someone that says no, this is not the path the gap in prepping for this. There's something that you have said, Marty, and I'll just
read it out and we'll discuss that. You've said that you're finding purpose, encouraging men to find their best again, healing themselves, developing new habits, finding purpose, being someone they're proud of and their families are proud of, and becoming productive members of society is at the end goal of if people come into contact and the advice between the two of you pointing someone in the right direction, is that the type of thing you're having to achieve.
Essentially, we'll get somebody that comes to us at the moment and they want to go to that next level in their life, and they identify the roadblocks might be drinking, it might be self belief. So our whole mission and like I say to the clients we work with, we
don't succeed unless you succeed. And I've learned that what gives me purpose is to help that person because I know what it was like being in that and when I didn't have a vision for my life and I'd lost faith because I thought things were never going to get better. Man, that's when you know suicide, ideation and things like that happens because we don't have that reason
to move forward. And that's what it's about. I feel like giving young men, you know, a vision of what they can potentially if they really went for it, if they cut away to the alcohol, they cut got around the right people who actually want the best for them. And like I said to you Gary another time of camera, like some people that have broken a law with some very sophisticated supply chains, I'm as somebody that does a lot of supply chain and business, I'm like, that's fucking intelligent.
I wouldn't even like you know what I mean, Like they're fucking smart.
They put their energy towards something yeah, decent.
Yeah, it doesn't reck to society.
Yeah, like you could do that to a legit, Like they're valuable skill sets, and it's it's just not taking that quick buck. It's that coming back to the process and it's changing the way of what Like when I was being a dickhead or a winker, it's because I was looking up to the whim and the cars.
That's what I thought was cool and examples of people and without identifying them, but just sort of circumstances where someone's made an adjustment to their life and it's pointed them in the right direction. Can you give them the example.
Yeah, there's a gentleman who've been speaking to on Instagram. He messaged out and this is what I find really fulfilling because he's smoking weed a little bit. You know, he's drinking here and there on every couple of days. And you know, he used to be quite a handy amateur fighter, but a life turned thirty three, stopped believing in himself and just let these bad habits. And I remember speaking to him and I just said, you know,
we've got a room. I said, first thing, bro, we've got to remove the vices that has got to go if you really like But the thing I do, I said, what do you actually want to go? What do you want to accomplish? And then when we work out where they want to go, and then we go, okay, well what did the rope blocker?
I said? I said that I would when it comes to more boxing related stuff, I would advise mighty given an example and just asking him, just Marty said, we need to ask him what he really wants to do. Does he really want to be a boxer or do you just think that he wants to be a boxer, because if you want to be a boxer, there's a prerequisite that you have to do this maintenance program that we've got for him to do every day. He's got
to get up and he's got to do that. If he doesn't do that, he doesn't really want to be a boxer. So I actually stop that question first, and if not, we can consider something else that you can get into. It's clear, but with this gentleman.
And then I remember he sent a message saying that he trained, and I said to him, how do you feel right now? And he said, I'm so happy I finally did something for myself. And he goes, I feel like peace. And I said, to never forget this fear feeling. This is you're feeling alive. This is what it's about, cutting those vices and starting to feel it that confidence. You've earned it because you put in the work. And he sent a message the other day and he goes, look,
I just want to thank you guys. He goes, I haven't felt this fucking alive in a long time. And that's what it's about, you know. And and that's what it's about. And that's what I and what we say is like, now you've got to obviously live stick to the code, and the code is your daily habits, and and you've got to pay it forward and help the next man. Now all women as well. We just seem to attract a lot of.
It's interesting that when it comes from the right voice, I did someone that they respect, and like sometimes when I was given advice by people like I didn't really really really I'd say that I respect them, but I
didn't really respect them. And then when it comes to those things like this, it's amazing and I'm like astonished that like, after what I've done, we can pass on a bit of advice and said in the right way, which Marty gets is out and and it helps him so much just to have that feedback back is really it's rewarding.
Is powerful. If you can make a difference, I love it in one person's life. Yeah you're on the high. Yeah yeah, it really really can can feel different with you, Michael. Something that has said you want to heal yourself, sharing your message to educating them power men to find their purpose, build a bulletproof mindset and accomplish their goals. So just breaking that down like healing yourself. You're on the you're on the path to healing yourself.
It's I'm always healing myself. And that's it's a lifelong recovery. It doesn't just something that you decide to stop tomorrow. Yeah, it just goes every day and day out. You know. The recovery program is something you need to you know, the slippery behaviors just thinks you can learn this or through narcotics anonymous or alcoholics anonymous. You know, like I find it hard to attend meetings or the time, but it is important to go in there to stay in check.
You know, you have a sponsor and things like that, because look, let's just face it, it's not just a little thing. It's a fucking really big thing. Because if you start slipping, one slip is a big slip. You know,
it's once too many in the thousands, never enough. So I have one drink and then he just kind of one another another another, and it becomes like who you're associating with with, you know, like Marty would never never condone me having a drink or anything that because you know, he would question like do you think you really need to do that? I'm not ready to have a drink and just leave it at that. That's That's not where
I'm at in my life right now. So this is a lifelong thing that I have to keep on going on with. You know, I'm not real thick. I'm reading books and that like the Big the Narcotics Anonymous program or Aholics Anonymous. But I am proud that I can pick up the phone. I have so many people that I can talk to about things, and it's just like a It's just it's not the same with my boxing as well. It's if you want to be successful at boxing, it's not just you gotta do this program every day
and do that every day. It's not like that. When you train this amount every day, it becomes a lifestyle because is the way that you live your life. So that comes to recovery as well as the way that you live your life, and that that's that's the way that I relate that too.
So so what you're saying there is like every day it doesn't have to be a battle, but every day you've got to be conscious of keeping you making sure you're doing the right thing for yourself that's right, and sharing your message to educate and empowerment, to find their purpose. Yeap, what are you getting from that?
So it's just been able to help someone. Obviously I've been able to help someone, and so in the past I couldn't even help myself, and I was trying to help some people. I'll be driving around and you know, I'm you know, I'm a three time world boxing champ and going over someone's house to train. I'm like, Wow, are you getting paid some big bucks to do that
or what? Like It's like, yeah, Like I can get a far greater widespread message out there by by passing on my analogies and my life's learnings all on recording and getting it out to many people conveniently, and then and then then getting the feedback from these people because obviously the computer literally then they had to get online, then how to use a computer. They actually take the time out to do it, and then I'll give you
some feedback. And actually hearing the things, like Maty just said before, hearing those things, you know, is a big thing. It's a big win for me.
You know.
I like having my day with like little wins every day, like tiny little things. Whether it's a physical win, you know, it's like a mental win, like maybe if it's meditating for ten minutes or doing a little bit of a train, it's just like a little win, little win, and then getting something like that back is a big win.
Yeah, yeah, And that makes sense, and those little wins. When I left the cops, I did some stuff with a group called Swiss eight Combat Fits and they were taking like with post traumatic stress and the stuff that they come away from the army, but they were big on just doing the little things each day. Get to get a routine, get up, make your bed, get up, do this, do that.
Good little things like that.
And I know when I've been in low points, that's where your routine breaks down, and that's when you start to start the spiral spiral down with you. Michael, you did time for an assault, you did time for drugs. The work that you're doing now, do you feel like it's balancing the ledger for you? You must?
Yeah. Yeah. As I said earlier, like gratitude and having gratitude and been thankful where I'm at, Like I'm so grateful that I've been through what I've been through in my life because I can pass on that message to someone else now like I've been through it, someone's sitting there thinking about you know, these kids with the youth crime crists are going and thinking about going this way. Well, have a look at me. I've actually lived what you've done.
I've actually gone through what you've experienced, gone through at the last of lows, and and now I'm coming out the other end, so I can tell you firsthand. You know that this is the way they've got it.
So it's giving back to the society, that's right. And the bit the comment of building a bulletproof mindset, We've talked on that a bit. Life is going to do you some shitty carts. So if anyone, yeah, I worry about society these days where everyone gets reward for just for turning up and all that, is it really preparing people for life because life is going to slap you down. I know that from a homicide to teke this point of view, I've seen people's lives just change dramatically in
a split second, just randomly. Life. You've got to be bulletproof, haven't you. What's your thoughts on that?
Well, yeah, you manifest your own creation, so you plant the seeds in your mind, you make what you want happen to you. And some people might say they get dealt with like a wild card, and yeah, like you said, and things change in a split second. But with that
comes resilience. You have to have resilience to overcome that, and then you have to you have to maintain that role that you're on and just just keep on manifesting your creation because one thing might happen and then people might go fucking throw it for the hands up there, and things just go and get worse. You can actually use that negative. It's just that an equal, powerful positive you can spin around, which is exactly what I'm doing right now.
Okay, you've been tested and that's made me a better person. This adversity has made me great.
How great is this? This is great? Like this is a good thing, you know, like I don't want to keep happening anymore, but this is great because I can overcome this. I can again. I know again, I know again.
I've heard positive people say that type of thing that when the challenge is presented to them, they think, great, this will I can step up the meet the level.
But yeah, well for me, it's like the question we ask ourselves is are we living up to our full potential? And for a lot of us, the answers are kind of maybe, and and that's where we really like to plane is really you know, introducing mental training. You know, as athletes, we often work on our nutrition and our physical training, but we often don't work on our mental training.
And that's what we're doing with Michael, like we've really unpacked the principles from his journey as an eliteer fleet and then apply them to life lessons in sports, psychology and psychology in general. For example, when he fought Graham l when he left Brooklyn and got to London, like, as you know, like in live business, we've always got
this noise coming at us. And one thing when Graham ll that fight was the promoters were sending sex workers in Michael's hotel to swimming exactly, and then they set off the fire alarms all fucking night at three am, and they were just trying and he said, I would rather die. This is how extreme this, God, this is how extreme. Like I'm not saying this and I'm not
taking the notes. I'm like, this is fucking and he goes, you know, I would rather died in the fire than not have a good, nice sleep and jeopardize any chance I was going to lose to earl And obviously for the business world or for the average person, we don't need to go sleep in a burning building to to reach our goals. But the points are is that that will obviously prioritizing your sleep. I think we can take out of that his recovery not before the world.
I'm already asleep and fuck it, I've got to sleep. I got to fight the bar.
Yeah, yeah, that's that's the nature of the business. But yeah, yeah, you're right. So what what are you doing now? Talk about what you what you're doing. What's the setup that you've got to running.
So essentially we've created the Casitas Academy and then under that we've got our main pillar, which is our mental training program and that's called Find your Best. Then over there and under that we've got people that because he would go twelve rounds against the world to elite, a lot of people want to know about the conditioning, so we've got the conditioning are also he's run program as well, and he wants a fitness we've got the nutrition side
of things. Obviously we're both not nutritionists, so but there are the breakdowns of that.
But Garrett, it's really simple, like it it's really simple, like keep it simple. Stupid you know, like you know when you're talking to Johnny Lewis and he says the way that he says things to you, it's just so easy to understand. And and there's the saying that goes like like, stupid people make easy things look hard, but
intelligent people make hard things look easy. And it's just the way that it's just it's it's not rocket science, boxing, it ain't rocket science, but it's just amazing when you taught the specifics and how to do things properly. And that's what I do. There's as as a blueprint of my life's learnings or put into document or document and recorded for other people to have for themselves so they can learn it. And and that that that's why I'm
thankful with Marty. He unpacks all that information exactly how we're saying.
Well, what I think you guys bring to the table is you're keeping it simple. And sometimes the most important messages are very simple. And when when you're told it, do you think, well, let makes it.
Yeah, I know.
That, but Johnny's very good at that. He can keep your right hand up. It's not that you've got to do this and do that.
It's just occasionally yeah, yeah, yes, and when it has to do it so many times.
Slowly, slowly. Yeah, But that's that's right because the message in some times, Yeah, when you I've been through it, you all probably have been Okay, I'm really going to dive deep into this, but it's too complicated to there's too many parts. The lessons I learned are the simple lessons that explained in a simple, simple way, and it just sort of hits. It hits you and go, yeah, okay, I get it. As you said, keep your right hand up.
Yeah, right, and that one time when he goes to hit you and you catch it, Ah, musta got you, you know. Yeah, But just on that.
We launched a program in September basically any student that comes on board or that comes work with us, we're actually so they're going to be getting an onboarding call with myself and we're going to be getting really really clear in getting themselves a success. Then Michael is going to be doing live We're going to do they come into a private community. It's new software that we're using.
We don't own the software, and it's it's like a Facebook but for learning, and Michael is going to be very hands on and this isn't hey, you just go watch these videos. We're doing it with them, and we're holding that there's going to be accountability and we really work out where these men want to go and they're going to have access to an Olympian and two times
world champion all three. And then with my experience as an ultramaruth on runner, served in the Army and an advocate for personal development for the last twelve years, because I really feel the real value is actually getting access to Michael and we can talk about when people go with Michael, what was your mindset like when you walked into Brooklyn, Like what were you thinking with your self talk?
And that's where we really want to but it's in a really organized modules and as I said, we've really worked out based on the sports psychology and.
The accountability is good with Marty because you might be step one past the coach because there's so many people that are doing this, but then Marty's there, he documents everything, so then he goes, Michael, this person didn't do that. Then I can actually go, hey, listen, you didn't do you know what you've been held accountable for You've said that you've got to do this, and I've told this and you haven't done that. Like it's part of the team work.
I think it's a great thing. And that's why I I was keen to get you on when I heard about what you guys are doing, because it's you, and good luck to you started starting something something new and having to go but you're trying to make a difference. And look, there's so many people out there that have got problems and we're looking for solutions and all that. Your set up might work for everyone, but there might be the people that does work for and that might We've.
Got good support and testimonials from a lot of people that have benefited from the help that I've given in the past and with Marty and like for example, like when you're run into last night, we ran into George Campbosas. We'll be going to his gym tomorrow doing a couple of real saying gooday, catching up because I've known George for years and years, and like the support is massive.
Even Johnny Lewis this morning, like you know, to endorse what we're doing once you can see our program and you know, like I love being able to pick up the phone talk to Danny Grant. I love it and the support that these guys off. It's always been there and you know, I'll bounce off than guys and have to have them guys endorse what we're doing and share, share like through my Instagram and what's going on and follow it. It's been really really good to get such a big boost.
Yeah, well, I think you trying to help people. And yeah, we hear you guys are from Queensland and we hear in New South Wales and we've got the same problems here. But it's just been copying more attention our youth crime in Queensland. I know when I was growing up there was a Police Boys club and when I was through the police is police boys clubs and yeah, and people shy away from it, thinking why are you getting kids that are going to cause trouble on the streets teaching
them to box. It's not just about boxing anymore. It's a whole range of things. It's everyone that's a community thing. But buying into buying into a community, giving kids kids purpose. I think there's a lot to be said and the type of messaging that you guys are getting across is not dissimilar to that be the best person you can be. And for looking up to someone like you, Michael, when you got Marty here, that's looking at you like a legend.
That's Michael from your childhood. But their role models, their role models, and if we can put people in pointing them in the right direction, I think it's a great way to get thanks. So where if people want to reach out to you, where do they find you?
So they can come right now on to Michael or my Instagram and then they can also send us a d M and that'll probably be the best place. And we've bought we've built out our whole online portal, but in that online portal all and this is what I'm really loving because we've got guys from London, We've got all different walks of life, not just boxes as well. Just men want to build better than so because like I, when I wasn't on my purpose, I filled myself with distractions,
with vices. And that's why I'm such an advocate for men finding having a purpose. It doesn't need to be business. It can be something just outside of our partners, something to get up that's going to bring at our best and in this community they're coming, they can all interact with each other, and then they're going to be able
to interact with Michael. They can message him, then we can do the zoom calls, and then eventually we can even do the meetup for we're going to run like a bit of a challenge in the summer and then we're going to get like the top five people who win the challenge, they're going to fly up to Brisbane. Well that's the plan anyway, and we've got something special
lined up with Michael. And so it's really about building a community as well and helping these men get to where they want to go and enjoying that process.
So I hope you have success with it. Because we talk youth crime, we also talk about the horrendous rates of domestic murders where females have been victims of the males. And yeah, there's a whole range of things that why that's got to stop, the toxic masculinity and all that. But I think you need to put your hand up for men too. They need a place to go where they can yeah when they need help, that helps there. And I think sometimes it happens because blokes by the
very nature of who we are. We're too stupid to put their hands up and say say we need help, So anything in that space is worthwhile.
Yeah.
Well, it's like when we see this horrendous stuff that men do in the media, you know sometimes you know, and it's I'll speaking to a mate of mine, he said, we need to hold other men accountable because I do not condone like my mum is my best friend, you know what I mean, And I love women, and I think we need to be better men because then we're
better men for our partners, for the q unity. And that's where it's really about us showing up for ourselves and then that makes us flow better into everything else, you know, not this toxic math leny. You know, I'm not really in today.
I think men have got to stand up to other men too. I've had this discussions with families of victims of domestic violence and different things, and blake's being blokes. We hear the talk where women are treated disrespectfully. These blakes need to be called on it. And if someone's you know, if you think someone might be a friend, that might be a family member, that there might be
some domestic violence for a man to a female. Well, it's up to us men to stand up to that man and say it's not long.
Part of our mission is to empower men to speak up about the stigma surrounding mental health. Yeah, you know, it all starts there. You know, there's some issues. So the cerner you can get under it, the dicerner you can deal with it. Yeah, before it gets out of hand.
Well, you know your situation with your when you're sexually sold as a child, but also with your brother's.
Death associated all linked.
If you put all the work in there at that time, maybe yeah, you wouldn't be carrying so much that you're carrying. So it's about and you see that with the army. I saw it in the cops. The blokes are struggling, but they're not going to put the hand up because it feels like weakness.
Because as you know, go we're talking about off camera one time, and all these things are kind of interlink with you've crime, mental health, domestic violence. It really comes down to you know, because when we're taking control of ourselves and feeling good, we've been I know, on my best version of myself when I'm not drinking, I'm not party I'm in the gym and I'm doing my morning routine and everything flows from there. And it's like the
mental health crosses are like with the youth crime. It's like, well, if these guys are running the streets, why they're running the streets, what's their home life? Like you know better than anyone with that kind of stuff, Like, you know, if they're in a dysfunctional household, there's no stability, so they want to be on the streets. Maybe maybe shit's happening to him in the fucking household. We don't know what's going on there, you know what I mean.
It's been able to access this correct support services that are available. Some people feel like there isn't any other options and there is no one to talk to, but there are services available. And it wasn't until you get your back to the wall and you really are searched for something that you can find it, you know, but it's there is there's ways and ways for people to deal with things.
Yeah, all right, guys, Well, look, I've really enjoyed the chat and I appreciate your your honesty and talking about your your own lives and what you're trying to achieve. And I like what you're trying to achieve, and as I said, people need help and if it's the right fit for people that are finding you guys, great. Yeah, so thanks for coming on. I catch skills. I really like it. And yeah, meet Johnny's lines. You up for a.
Session with me tomorrow five thirty.
Yeah, that's when the fun starts. I've got to come back next week to record a podcast.
We'll do some sparring or.
Let's just be kind.
It's a love day today, Share the love, share, hug it out.
All right, Well, thanks very much and all the best for the future to both of you. I like what you're doing.
Thank you well.
As you know, I always enjoy talking to those boxing types and it's good to sit down with Michael Cassidas and and his good friend Marty Cornish. But more importantly about their boxing, I like what they're trying to do with their lives now and point people help men make better people of themselves. And they haven't got the academic qualifications, but they've got the life experience and I think they're a powerful team together and full credit to them what they're trying to achieve.