Take Charge with Giacomo Marchese
Nov 06, 2019
Welcome to Take Charge!, a series of interviews with some of our favorite health and wellness thought leaders. Each post features advice on topics like longevity, nutrition, exercise, and physical optimization. You'll also receive guidance on how to follow through with your goals and work through feelings of fear and doubt. Plus, we compiled the best tips in this free ebook - click here to download it.
Today we're featuring Giacomo Marchese, who has been vegan for over 15 years and involved with fitness for more than 20 years in many different areas. He specializes in coaching others. As an athlete, Giacomo is actively competing in bodybuilding and powerlifting. He has won several awards and holds a champion title in both sports. Giacomo uses strength-based sports and travels to various mainstream fitness expos and vegan festivals across the country to raise awareness for animal rights and welfare. Along with his partner Dani Taylor, they run VeganProteins.com, a resource for high-performance plant-based fitness tips, nutrition strategies and vegan supplements.
Whitney met Giacomo in 2010 through their mutual friend Robert Cheeke (also interviewed in this series). If you look closely, you can spot him in this video they made for the Vegan Bodybuilding book tour. This interview series felt like the perfect opportunity to hear about Giacomo's useful perspective on topics like morning routines, mindfulness, dealing with anxiety, content monetization, and building community. We gave him a few prompts and he had some excellent responses that we're excited to share with you.
Giacomo's Tips on How To Take Charge Of Your Life:
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Focusing on sleep hygiene, hydration, and mindfulness practices are key to long-term health. Giacomo shares, "I make sure to include 10 minutes of meditation into my morning routine. I also start drinking water right away and make sure to keep up with up. At night, I have rituals to induce good sleep and also make sure to set up the night with enough time to sleep."
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When it comes to staying committed to goals, Giacomo plans out his year and every quarter he reassesses what goals are. "I like to keep it old school by relying on wall calendars and paper journals. I find that by writing out habits and goals, I am more likely to do them. I also like to brainstorm ideas several times throughout the year to help with creativity."
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Speaking honestly about feelings like fear and doubt, Giacomo admits that he can't always move through these feelings swiftly. "In times like these, I remind myself to keep anchored by taking care of my basic needs as these are non-negotiable. Getting in some daily activity, having 3 squares with nutritionally dense foods on my plate, keeping my living space de-cluttered and tidy, etc. It also helps to have support. Having even just one friend who is willing to just listen makes all of the difference when it comes to dealing with anxieties and depression."
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The number one problem that Giacomo finds and needs to work on with nearly every client on day one: don't overdo it. "Work with your lifestyle and not against it. Peak physical condition is sustainable and happens once we are able to be consistent for years on end. If you feel you can't train 4 days a week for 90 min, start with 2-3 days a week for 45 min and then build from there. Ambition is great and all but it's how you end the race that matters."
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When we asked Giacomo about content monetization he responded: "Build your email list and when you engage with your audience be genuine. Think of what you can teach them and how it can help enrich their world. Give them what they need, not what you want to put out there only. "
- In Giacomo's opinion, there is no substitute for connecting and building community with others face to face. "If there is a screen separating you and someone else in any way, there is something missing. Travel removes this barrier and enriches my world because life wasn't meant to be lived behind a screen. While it is a very powerful tool for bridging connections and also for communication, it shouldn't be the only way we interact with the world."
Want more tips to help you take charge of your life?
Click here to receive a free ebook with advice from health and wellness thought leaders who want to help you thrive. Uplevel and get more consistent with a balanced diet, impactful fitness routine, and positive mental health practices. Find the motivation to achieve your goals and release feelings of doubt, fear, stress, and anxiety. Gain clarity, a sense of purpose and the drive to follow through so you can take charge of your life like never before!
Get more from Giacomo on his website, Instagram, Facebook page, Twitter, and YouTube channel.