Episode Details
March 21, 2025
34 minutes
- The Power of Rituals – Doug and Jeremy discuss how daily rituals shape our work, health, and relationships, often without us realizing it.
- Building Healthy Habits – How intentional rituals like time-blocking, exercise, and self-care can improve productivity and well-being.
- Breaking Unhelpful Patterns – Why recognizing rituals that no longer serve you—like unhealthy coping mechanisms—is key to personal growth.
- Adapting Rituals in a Fast-Paced Life – The challenge of maintaining consistency in a dynamic work environment and how to create flexibility in your routines.
- The Role of Environment in Habit Formation – How the rituals we pick up from our surroundings shape our lives, and how to shift them when necessary.
- Creating Meaningful Family Rituals – How small, intentional habits can help strengthen relationships and make lasting memories.
Featured Quotes
"Your rituals either push you forward or hold you back. The key is being intentional about which ones you choose to keep."
Jeremy Axel
"Rituals are powerful because they shape our lives in ways we don’t always notice—until we take control of them."
Doug Cox
Episode Transcript And Overview
Much of what we do comes from habit, whether we realize it or not. You weren’t born knowing to wake up and immediately check your phone – the habit developed over time, and now you probably do it without thinking. In today’s episode, Jeremy and Doug discuss rituals, from building healthy habits to breaking unhealthy ones.
Starting from their work lives, Doug and Jeremy are both working to implement rituals and time-blocking at work, but this sometimes rubs up against the reality of work in a dynamic industry. In their personal lives, Doug and Jeremy use rituals to maintain their health and spend time with their loved ones while breaking rituals that no longer serve them.
Timeline Notes
Today's episode is about the power of rituals. For Doug, time blocking has been useful, though his dynamic work environment sometimes prevents him from sticking to his plans.
Jeremy tends to take an in-the-moment approach to his work, which can have negative consequences in both his personal and work life. He is working to implement self-care rituals to counteract this.
In his personal life, Doug's main ritual is working out three to five days a week. He gets up between 4:30 and 5 to get his workout in before work.
Jeremy and Doug live very fast-paced lives. The constant flow of responsibilities can make maintaining rituals difficult. Jeremy points out the importance of living with intentionality.
Drinking was a ritual that Jeremy picked up from his upbringing. It took him time to realize that his environment led to this ritual, and that the ritual was not serving him.
By changing his rituals, Doug has made memories with his children that they still treasure. Rituals can be a key piece of living with intention and being present with your family.
We want to hear from you - how have you broken negative habits and created new rituals?
Notable Guests
Adi Klevit
Founder | CEO
Adi Klevit
Founder | CEO
Adi Klevit is the Founder of Business Success Consulting Group and the host of the Systems Simplified podcast. With nearly three decades of experience as an industrial engineer and process consultant, she has helped hundreds of growth-focused companies systematize their operations to scale successfully.
Known as “The Process Guru,” Adi specializes in designing and implementing turnkey systems that reduce dependence on the owner, empower teams, and increase profitability. Her clients range from fast-growing trades businesses to multi-location professional service firms, and she is a trusted advisor to CEOs across the U.S.
Joe Dillon
Divorce Mediator & Founder
Joe Dillon
Divorce Mediator & Founder
Joe is a pioneer in divorce mediation who has been helping couples navigate the end of their marriages with dignity and financial wisdom for over 17 years. As co-founder of Equitable Mediation Services, Joe combines his MBA in Finance with specialized training from Harvard, MIT, and Northwestern University to guide couples toward agreements that protect both their emotional wellbeing and financial futures.
Joe pioneered virtual divorce mediation in 2011, nearly a decade before others adopted online practices during the pandemic. His results speak for themselves: Equitable Mediation Services maintains a 98% case resolution rate, significantly higher than the industry average of 70%.
Jeremy Axel
Host
Jeremy Axel
Host
Founder and sales manager of Fluent Conveyors, brings over 10 years of experience transforming the conveyor industry with innovative design, exceptional service, and strong dealer partnerships. Serving sectors like recycling, agriculture, and packaging, he delivers custom solutions that enhance efficiency and profitability. Known for his strategic relationship-building and customer-focused approach, Jeremy has earned top honors such as Sales Rep of the Year and President’s Club, reflecting his ongoing commitment to growth and industry leadership.
