Opening Thoughts on Self-Care and Leadership

I think it comes from a good place of wanting to work extremely hard, provide for their families, and provide their teams that they are leading. And if they're not taking care of themselves, it usually comes form a spot of, I want to help other people, lead other, get us to the next level to take care.

but sometimes still, leaders are doing it to the detriment of themselves. So I think it comes from a great place, but we gotta help people realize, man, we got to work on ourselves first to be able to take care of everybody else that's in our care.

Welcome to Beyond the Scale, where real health gets deeper than just the numbers. I'm Dr. Darren Dubiak. And I am Alexandra Dubyak, and we are not only partners in life, but also passionate partners and integrative care.

Blending faith, family, functional wellness, And a little life with our dogs. Because true healing happens beyond the scale. Hey everyone, how are you?

And good afternoon. I'm very excited to have my next guest, Mr. Kent Chevalier. And before I really get into his introduction, I want to first off wish this guy happy birthday because today's his birthday.

Let's go. I'm not going to say how many years this guy's been on the earth, but today is his birthday. And I am humbled by not only him being a guest on this show, beyond the scale, also for him doing on his birthdays.

So I have the great privilege of introducing Mr. Kent Chevalier. Ken is the Pittsburgh Steeler Chaplain.

Beyond the Scale Introduction

He has been in the ministry world for over 30 years, if I've not mistaken. And I'm very blessed to have him because this guy also brought me closer to Christ because he baptized me back in October of 2018. I love watching this man's journey since the inception of him and I becoming friends, the acceleration of his growth and the amount of people he has touched is pretty remarkable, man.

And very proud of you. I love watching your journey. And again, I'm humbled to have you on Beyond the Scale. So with Beyond The Scale, Kent, a little bit about functional medicine, little about family, and a lot about our faith.

That's why I loved having you in the episode today. Love that. First off, Mr. Chevalier, tell everyone a bit more about you, your ministry journey, Yeah.

And I also really want you to talk about what's on your sweatshirt too. Yeah, let's go. Well, man, it's good to be with you on my birthday, just another day.

I'm grateful that God has given me breath in my lungs, and the fact that I can. join you as a gift to me, man, and I reciprocate the appreciation for you and to watch your journey since we've met and watch what God has been doing in your life and in you marriage and your business.

It's just an exciting thing when two guys, here we are, submitting our life to the Lord's leadership and we're on this adventure together.

Kent Chevalieru2019s Background and Ministry Journey

So man, it's been a real privilege. Erica and I, man we've been married for 27 years, bro. And we know each other for 31 of those years. Together, she and i, we have three daughters.

They're now adults, so 24, 22, 18. I have one son-in-law. It's a really privilege to be able to dad to those girls, husband to Erica. And then after all of that, man, I have the privilege of working in ministry.

And that call came really early in my life, at 18 years of age, and I knew that I was going to be involved in Ministry. I just didn't know what that looked like.

I was kind of scared of that because I thought that like being a pastor was going to mean like, man, I got to, you know, be in some pulpit, printing with a tie on and a suit.

And now I am, 30 years after that, and I'm doing ministry in a hoodie and shorts, in team hotels and, team locker rooms. I just absolutely love it. So 10 years of student ministry.

13 years of adult ministry, all in the local church context. So being a pastor in a church was a privilege and a real honor to me. And then God called me to jump out in faith, to become a full-time missionary locally in Pittsburgh.

to join the staff of Athletes in Action to serve as the Steelers chaplain and catch this man at that same exact time. Coach Tomlin, he actually asked if Erica and I both would do that role.

So she's the chaplain to all the ladies of the steelers organization and i'm the Chaplain to All the guys and together we come alongside those married couples, those engaged couples and their families and so man it's a real privilege to be able to serve in the way that we do here at the Steelers.

Well, the top of the, top percent of athletes, right? Pros. And you know, guys, when I approached Ken about this conversation today, we said, what would we label this podcast?

And we've said are you healthy enough to fulfill your calling? Right? You know? Trust me, that's my job. I want to get my executives healthy, my grandparents healthy.

My school teachers healthy and even some of these athletes we treat. And when Ken and I were talking, we were like, listen, I think we're on to something.

This may be a good podcast just to talk about, are you healthy enough to fulfill your calling, right? And what's the side effect per se if you're not healthy and those are kind of some of the things I want to go over with Ken today.

You know, Kent, We started at Body by Aim with Food and weight loss, right? They were frustrated. Everyone was saying you're fine, you know, or call us in six months, take this medication.

And from patient standpoints, people wanted more answers, they wanted. More data. They wanted their handheld more. and more patients became their own advocates because they're just not getting the care they needed.

That was the inception of Body by Aim. When you're working with pro athletes, what is the difference? What is that time where is it different than a parishioner from church will say versus an athlete that's going through something?

Like, I don't know if I'm asking the question correctly, but to kind of see where I am going, like what that parallel? Yeah, so I mean, I think that as people man, when we begin to think about the whole self, i will often say this to the guys that I have the privilege of being able to serve.

I will talk about how their inside game will impact their outside game. 100% of the time. And we also know in what we've been talking about is that the outside game, meaning are you healthy enough, you know, to be able to handle what's going on on the inside of you talking, about our calling and our purpose in life.

If you can't, You know, essentially, you know in a physical, healthy way, pull off the calling that God has given to you because you're not eating well, your not sleeping right, You're out of whack, then you can't do that.

Inside Game vs. Outside Game

But the same is also true with these Apex athletes, man. They are the 1% of the one percent of their bodies, their eating right. Their doing everything correctly and they have team nutritionists and all but, If their mental game is not in order, if their spiritual life is in not order it's going to come out sideways in ways that they don't want it to.

So my services that I provide with the Steelers organization is to be able to say, hey, You gotta pay attention to your inside game here. And I love then organizations like you, man, that you're talking about, you gotta to pay to attention your outside game, what you are putting into your body and the things that your not putting in to you body.

So it all is intermingled, our mind, body, soul, spirit, we've gotta be paying attention and taking care of all of that. as a whole person, we've got to be able to working that out.

No, I agree. And you know, sometimes why do leaders or executives put themselves second, right? From a health perspective. And I'll tell you what, it's changing a little bit.

I'm seeing more of my executives and more the bosses wanting to take care of themselves because they know if they go down, no one works. Nothing operates correctly, you know?

And again, when you and I were speaking about, just even from the coaching standpoint, I mean, there was a time, we'll say, in the 80s or 70s, 80's and 90s where the coaches, they didn't know they were going to make it down to the field.

They didn't look that great, you know, and it's funny how I love that term. The inside game has to match your outside game. It really, really does. And that's true in anything anymore, I think.

Right. That's a great philosophy of bringing to common day people from just going to work and wanting to. Work and having the intent of having a good day.

Right. So yeah, man, I think when I of coaches or when think of leaders, so, you know, begin to work with CEOs and, and executive leaders and business leaders.

And I it comes from a good place. of wanting to work extremely hard, provide for their families, and provide their teams that they are leading. And if they're not taking care of themselves, it usually comes from a good spot of, I want to help other people, lead other, get us to the next level to take care But sometimes still, leaders are doing it to the detriment of themselves.

It's like, you know, when we board a plane and they give you the instructions, if you have a little one with you, make sure you're putting the oxygen mask on yourself first before you help somebody else.

You'll be no good to your little ones. If you are passed out from a lack of oxygen, a lacking of taking care of yourself, if you can't help them because you're already passed out.

And that's what I think leaders are starting to pay attention to that. I'm no good if I can take care of myself, but sometimes, man, we got to look in the mirror because there will be weeks that go by that I haven't worked out, You know, I'm not eating right because all these business, you know meals that I am having and I m eating poorly and things like that.

So I think it comes from a great place, but we got to help people realize man, we gotta work on ourselves first to be able to take care of everybody else that's in our care.

You know, Ken, I love it. And I'm not going to ask you for anyone in particular, but in working with certain athletes, i'm sure they're also taking that message home, right?

To their wives, to their kids.

Why Leaders Neglect Their Health

Have you seen where you're working, with somebody who that purpose they were confused about, really started understanding what their purpose is, if it's more than football or if You know, more or less, give me that answer.

Yeah, man. So you see a bunch of times, you know the NFL athlete has an off day. so it's mandatory, all of that. And what I've seen in seven seasons of serving as chaplain is that the majority of those men do not take that day off.

And so they are motoring, they just happen to not hit somebody that day. But they're in the weight room. They're, you know, watching film. And there's a bit where I've seen a switch when a guy begins to understand rest.

And how important that is to the body and to mind to just shut it down and actually recreate. So rest and recreation is actually going to fool you. When a guy begins to connect those dots and he says, you know what, okay, I'm actually not going come in.

on that off day. First of all, it's not required. Second of, all it is actually going to fuel me even more. And this is where we begin to recognize that God has the whole thing rigged, right?

He talks to us about the Sabbath as a gift. that a day off so we can work for six, but there's a days where we rest just like he modeled for us so that we could be rejuvenated by the people that love by putting our priorities in place where you can say God thank you and I'm going to even trust you now with the rest of my week.

by taking a day. And I see those guys as they line up those priorities and they put Jesus central to all of those priority, they actually rise. A lot of people would think, man, if I don't show up on my off day and get ahead of the game and review more film and all this, a great example of this.

I dunno if you watch quarterback and Kirk Cousins, he actually decision years ago that he's not gonna come in on that day off. And he actually got better.

He had his best season when he made that decision for the most touchdowns that he ever had and things like that. So it's that realization when guys prioritize that way and say, okay, I'm going to do it God's way.

No, and I like that. And I think that again parallels with just like even a business owner. You know, when you're constantly in your business, you can't build your businesses, right?

When you are constantly doing the same thing every day or eating the the thing everyday and having that same routine, if you don't take that break, a trip, the small getaway vacation, One, like you say, Kent, fantastic to reset, but you never know what you're not.

You don't know, what your missing, right? You know know. What you should be doing if there is something else. I love the duo that you have with you and Erica.

And again, guys, this is, you know you, have Ali and I, the owners of body by aim where Ali runs Kent. As you that the whole hormone division of the company.

and she runs a lot of other divisions of the company. Trust me. I love that team duo because we have so much passion for what we do on how we treat a patient and we believe it so.

It's our lifestyle. What we are recommending the patients, the majority of those things, Allie and I are honored, have tried, or have gone through those gamuts.

We've lived it with our patients. And I think having that partner, in this is very powerful. And I want to say to you, Kent, I think you would agree with me having Erica as that partner.

I mean, think about it. You're talking to a running back on a bad day, twisted his ankle, doesn't know if he's going to make the next three games, right?

He's having conversations with you.

Rest, Purpose, and the Sabbath

Think about if his wife didn't have maybe access to Erica, maybe his life really doesn' know how to meet him halfway, and I'm sure you've had these stories happen.

Sure. Yeah, and I love teaming with Erica in this role. And so we affectionately call ourselves Team Chevalier. That's how we see our marriage, man. We exist to serve each other as a team.

we are better together. WE is better than me. Those kind of cliche slogans, but it's real. And so as she's talking to a player's significant other, as I'm talking the player, oftentimes what will happen is that her reinforced message as, you know, she is talking with the ladies, it brings them peace and I am talking about the guys and it shifts perspective and things like that.

It gives the two of them something to talk about and to compare notes about. And so we love having, you know, player couples over to our home to be able to, just have those types of real life conversations.

Because if you're just all gas, all the time and no breaks when it comes to the business of football, you're going to realize pretty quickly that football does not love you.

It is a business, it is brutal, and it's hard on relationships. And so, man, we have to put ball in its proper perspective to be able to realise that with these couples, ball will destroy your relationship.

And we have to fight against that. What's your plan? What your strategy? And so we love talking with couples about that kind of stuff because it'll chew them up and spit them out very quickly because the NFL actually stands for not for long.

Yeah. You know, that's a great segue to this next question. And by the way, again, having Erica and working on your inside game, I love. I didn't do any research on this exact number, so excuse me, but the average lifespan of an NFL player playing in the NFL can't You know how many years it is on average, like they're playing how long they are playing.

Yeah. It's like three and a half seasons now, two and half season, right? So, wow. I didn't even, I thought it was four. So two-and-a-half season. Woof.

Let's talk about this health thing. Do you have guys not only saying, well, what am I going to do when I'm done? But are guys conscious of their health post football can during the seasons, you know, I think it all depends on the guy, man.

You know, some guys, for instance, who, when they get out of the league, if they're playing at 320 pounds because they've just eaten like crazy to maintain that kind of weight on, the offensive defensive line, then when, they stop exercising, like when their done with ball and they are not, you know lifting and running that, but they still eating like that.

man, it can be tough. But then you have another guy, man who understands, I can't maintain this kind of weight. So I've seen several linemen who've dropped over nine months to a year, they've drop 100 pounds and they're actually like themselves again.

And so I think it all depends on the mentality of the guy and his support system that's around him. Sometimes a significant other who's saying, you're not healthy and we need to get some help.

But I also know guys that like, man, they're operating at 2%, 3% body fat because they are eating so well. They're not putting anything processed in their body.

It's all, you know, strict diet that team nutritionist has them on, things like that, that they can't maintain that. once they're done with ball. And so you see them gain some weight, which might be actually a little bit of a healthy thing for, and so it all depends on the guy.

Team Chevalier and Supporting Player Families

Gotcha. You know, I love the fact of even them being conscious on what's happening. I think the internet and these times of age of people talking about more of injury and post football, like you said, NFL, not for long.

It's very true. Wow. Two and a half years only. Yeah. That's a short career for a lot of guys that have dedicated their lives, and I'm humbled by it. A lot a times people don't take into account the guys who make it to the league that are on the bubble, that on practice squads, being shifted from team to team, so that lowers that average.

You might see a rookie who's drafted make to that four-year mark, But even in the business of the NFL, man, once you make it past that four year mark, the NFL has to pay.

And so it's like, okay, this is a business. Give me the four years. Yeah. So it right around that two and a half to three is usually the average, you know, length of a career now.

Kent. From you being the chaplain for the last seven years, and again, you've seen so many impacts that you personally made. Tell us why you believe that having chaplains and pro sports, in football with you, why it's so important.

Yeah. So in professional sports specifically, I'll talk football. These guys cannot get to your typical church services. Right? So they play on Sundays.

They play in the weekends. Even if a church is getting creative by having a Monday night service, these guys still have practice and they're barely getting out of the facility before seven o'clock on a monday.

And so these guy's cannot get to be a part of a local church during the NFL season. And then if you're in a cold weather like we are in Pittsburgh, a lot of guys during the season or the off season, they're not going to stay in Pittsburg.

So they are going go and they will go back to their hometowns or someplace warm to work out where they haven't gotten engaged in biblical community. And so a guy like me has been brought in to offer a service to help guys understand, hey, we understand you can't get to church, but we're going bring church to you.

And we realized that the inside game is really important. And so we're going to help bring some services. So think of a team clinician as helping the mind.

He's offering services, the team nutritionist is offering service for the body, team masseuses and things like that. All these services – well, that's what I do.

That's Erica does. We offer a service of biblical community, of grounding yourself on the foundation of God's Word to help that inside game. And those who want to participate in that, man, you can participate.

So it's not forced. It's all volunteer. Hey, if you want come and be a part of this, fire up. But then that's just like the business side of it. The other side of this, Darren, is the fact that there are many young men who are moving to a brand new city.

It's the first time that they've ever been outside of the college or high school atmosphere, and they are on their own.

NFL Careers, Health, and Life After Football

And as much as you think that the locker room is going to provide that sense of community, if a guy wants to have a faith, And you have a whole bunch of different backgrounds and diversity within that locker room.

He has to be able to find a place where he can practice his faith in that lock a room, and so that's why I get invited in to provide that. And Erica and I just love to say that we are alongsiders.

We come alongside men and women who are coming to a brand new city, almost like spiritual parents to, say, hey, we're here to help if you need anything and we mean anything.

And I love you. And that is, guys, if that doesn't tell you this man's calling himself or what he's doing for the NFL, I don't know what else I could say.

Ken, before we close out today, a couple of questions I have left. Number one, again, please don' name anybody, but has there been a case that you've worked with an athlete that your just so proud of what you accomplished with this person?

Is there any story or any incident that has calmed the mind? Yeah, I think, you know, there's several guys who have been a part of the discipleship process and their significant others with Erica that we've watched them as they've risked, some of their moments on film or those big platform moments where they have actually risk it to give all the glory and to deflect all of that glory back to God where it belongs.

And it's in those moments where you hear that sound bite, you see the clip, and you're just, man, God, I'm grateful that we have the part of being able to come alongside these young men and women that way.

And then another thing is this, a lot of these guys have football camps. They go home in their communities. And they're the hero of their community that everybody in that, you know, elementary, middle school, high school.

They look up to this guy and then they are holding football camps in the community. And I loved some of the stories from these past few seasons to hear that guys are actually bringing the hope of The Gospel of Jesus Christ into those football.

by sharing their testimonies of how Jesus saved their life and how they deflect all of that glory back to God where it belongs. And so to see that I'm going, man, I love that they're leveraging their platform and they are deflecting all that praise, if you will, that's coming their way and deflect it to where God belongs and so man that just makes us so proud to even have the opportunity to serve in this way.

And that brings me to this, guys. If anyone's watching and not listening, Ken has a sweatshirt on. It says, Deflect the Glory in Steeler Black and Gold, by the way.

And Ken, tell me why you came up with that saying and why it means so much to you and Erika. Yeah, my first game that I was on the sidelines with the Steelers, I heard some of the fans, what I would say were essentially worshiping these men.

The Role of Chaplains in Pro Sports

We love you, like sign my baby. You know, things, oh my goodness. The crazy stuff, yeah, it's one thing to be a fan and no problem. But when you start turning that fandom towards like, we idolize these men and we live or die, our week is affected by a win or a loss.

When it gets to that point, when I started hearing that stuff, man, my next chapel message was, guys, you have to deflect that glory back to God where it belongs.

So come out to the 50, which has been around in the NFL for a long time, after a game and quickly get that worship off of you. You have to be quick to deflect that praise, to reflect their cheers, deflect it all to God who gave you the opportunity, To God, who give you that talent and the skill, Deflect all of that glory back to god where it belongs.

But then there was this idea that I had given that the little platform that i have been given by the Lord. was I had this idea what if we turned that phrase into a generosity movement and so every year I will sell a piece of apparel Erica and I we do not receive any you know proceeds at all we don't receive a penny and we deflect all of the proceeds to a great ministry in the Pittsburgh area that maybe nobody knows about, but we want everybody to know about.

So we deflect the glory to that nonprofit ministry so that we can give them a boost financially, so people can know them and maybe start serving with them in that area of Pittsburgh.

It's just been a little fun movement that God has been building year after year, all because You know, guys, we're getting worshiped and we got to be quick.

It's not about me. And I think this goes for all of us. You're business, Darren, it's about you. It's not about money, it's about God. You gave me the talent, you gave the drive and the passion, You give me this skill to do this.

So God, I praise you for that, but also realizing this business is for other people.

Deflect the Glory and the Book Do It Afraid

I want to help them. And so I'm going to deflect all of my work to them, and so for God for others, on third, right? And that's the concept of deflect the glory.

Wow. And I thought I knew you. You know, I love it, man. Like you said, the job Allie and I do each day is to know that this is your temple, your body, and take care of it.

There's so many stressors in life and there's, so, many things happen and food contents or people smoking or bad, whatever it is, you really have to be conscious on what we're doing to ourselves, right?

And I love having you on the show today because again with Beyond the Scale, with our faith, our family, or for babies and functional medicine, it's very important to Ali and I to have our listeners know that we are Christians.

It's. Very important for people to understand that. We want you guys to. Understand that, we have your. Health and I mean your best efforts you get us right?

You get to do the X just like they get the Chevrolet was with you guys. But it's exciting to have you. I want to end it with this guys, I wouldn't do this man justice without saying he has a book that he wrote.

Number one, his first book called do it afraid. Absolutely love it. Can, can you buy it on Amazon first off? Yes, sir, you can. So guys, it is Kent Chevalier.

The book is called Do It Afraid. He talks about taking a leap and leap is an acronym in it. I love it actually wrote it down on my big whiteboard in the office for the staff.

Again, Ken Chevalier, the Pittsburgh Steeler Chaplain. The book is called Do It Afraid. Ken, I'll tell you what, this was a fun episode for me and I hope it was great for you.

I have some of my listeners kind of understand how the NFL works now, right? Especially from a chaplaincy, to have a Chaplin working with these guys and why it means so much, and to their families.

So I love the work that you and Erica are doing. Happy birthday, my friend. Thank you. And hey guys, if you like this episode, as I always say, please share it.

We're beyond the scale. Pass it along. Love it and Kent, happy birthday. My friend, go Steelers. Appreciate you, Darren. God bless me. Thanks for spending time with us on Beyond the Scale.

If today's episode helped you see your health differently, like the show, share it, and we'll see you next time on beyond the scale.

Kent Chevalier

Are You Healthy Enough To Fulfill Your Calling?