Episode 59: Are You a Warrior, Lover, King/Queen, or Hero?

Eric Rogell, host of Warriors, Lovers, Kings, and Heroes podcast, has lived a life filled with different experiences, professions, and travels. From being a journalist for Discovery Channel and many other publications to being a martial arts instructor, chef, best-selling author, nonprofit founder, and documentary filmmaker, Eric’s wealth of experiences gives him unique insight into humanity.

His upbringing was more or less by a single mother. His father wasn’t really in the picture, and while Eric’s mother was and is incredible, she raised him to be afraid and anxious. She was understandably overprotective of her son, and was always trying to protect him. That meant no sports, martial arts, and generally being a typical “boy” wrestling in the mud, scraping his knees, and getting those bumps and bruises that boys are so proud of. It never felt quite right to Eric, and he longed for that traditionally masculine life.

In college, Eric had the chance to begin his journey to find his own masculinity and path in life. He started learning martial arts, and discovered he was really good at it. Eric broke lots of bones, and found that he loved it all. He wondered, though, why he loved the pain and excitement of it. As his journey progressed, Eric became a journalist and was interviewing a lot of very successful men and women. CEOs, athletes, military vets, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and musicians were all telling Eric their stories, and noticed a lot of commonality with their stories as well as his own. They all started out somewhere they didn’t want to be, had to push through challenges and failures, find their purpose and passion in life, and become who it was they wanted to be.

The Archetypes

Eric took all this into account, and wondered how he could break it all down to understand this path of growth. That’s what started the podcast, Warriors, Lovers, Kings, and Heroes. These are the four archetypes that he calls “the software of our soul”. It’s all of our story, and we transition through these archetypes in our lives as we become better people and more successful in business, family, and all of our relationships.

Tapping into these archetypes, recognizing which archetypes to use for a specific situation and desired outcome, and understanding the purpose of each is vital to being the best that we can be. Many of us are stuck in one of the first two archetypes, and while each archetype has a purpose, only accessing one can prevent us from becoming the ultimate versions of ourselves. Eric has found purpose in helping others learn, grow, and move through the archetypes to become the complete combination of Warrior, Lover, King (or Queen!), and ultimately, a Hero. Which archetype or archetypes are you, and what do you need to do to become a Hero?

WARRIOR

The Warrior is perhaps the most relatable and common archetype for those of us in the HVAC/plumbing/electrical and trades industry. The Warrior is our drive, ambition, and courage that moves us forward into the challenges we face. Business owners all know the process of having an idea, starting a business and navigating the challenges and failures that come with it, and the battle scars that we accumulate as we grow. It’s that unwillingness to back down in the face of fear, and get done what needs to be done.

LOVER

You can’t be in warrior mode all of the time, though. The Lover is where our wisdom, support, passion, creativity, and inspiration comes from. In business, if you’re always fighting as a Warrior, how are you going to be able to give your team the love and support it needs to grow? The Lover is often an archetype men and business owners can struggle with, as it requires less of a brute force approach to a situation. Without the balance between Warrior and Lover, we’re going to be stuck using a sword when sometimes, life calls for a softer touch.

KING/QUEEN

When you are able to combine both the Warrior and Lover, that’s when you become a King/Queen. This isn’t someone who is entitled, or bossy. It’s true leadership. It’s being able to control the Warrior side that people respect and admire, and channel that drive and ambition and boldness that got you to are. A King combines the Warrior with the passion, wisdom, and heart to help others that the Lover brings to the table. This blend of the best of both archetypes is what makes us the whole package, and able to be more than just a fearless leader in your business.

HERO

The final archetype is achieved when you finally stop doing things just for yourself, and start making other Kings and Queens. A Hero guides and mentors, showing others how to utilize their inner Warrior and Lover, and become Heroes themselves. We see this in those who, despite running incredibly successful businesses, are always looking for the opportunity to help others achieve the same levels of success. Many of our previous To The Point guests fit this mold, which is why we chose them as guests!

The 7 Sacred Core Values

If you’re holding to a solid set of core values that you live by every day, you’re going to be a great leader and a great King. Eric’s personal set that he lives by are what he calls his 7 Sacred Core Values, and are in a very specific order. If you don’t have a set of core values you live by, or have for your business, these are a great place to start!

If you don’t have courage, you can’t get anything done. You have to have the Warrior’s courage to move, to ask questions, to fail, to start a business, and to drive forward.

The Lover plays a big part in the Sacred 7 as well, as you need to have the Lover’s courage to be honest with yourself and the others around you every single day.

Integrity is combining both honesty and courage. It’s the courage to be honest every day; it’s being the same person in public as you are in private.

Commitment is a turning point in your journey. It’s a commitment to yourself to be a better person, a better spouse or parent, a better son or daughter, and a better part of your business. It’s a commitment to those around you to be the best version of yourself, and a commitment to staying true to your word.

Duty is having the courage and commitment to do what needs to be done. It’s the duty to yourself, your business, and your family, and handling the tasks at hand.

Honor is letting go of jealousy and cynicism. It’s being able to honor yourself and those around, and being able to respect and cherish the good in what others do.

Finally, love is what brings it all together. Being able to honor those around comes from a place of love. This is the most powerful core value you can have, and alongside courage, anchors the 7 Sacred Core Values.

Become The Hero

Eric’s mission is to help others step into their roles of greatness. He works with both individuals and companies, and helps them understand the archetypes and how to transform themselves into the Heroes they are capable of being. You can find Eric on all social media platforms by searching his name, visit his website to learn more about what he does, and connect with him by sending him a message on his LinkedIn page.