The emPOWERed Half Hour

Unlocking Fulfillment: Lessons from Markus Kaulius

• Becca Powers / Markus Kaulius • Season 1 • Episode 74

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What if fulfillment is the key to achieving true success?

In this episode, I sit down with Markus Kaulius, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author of Play a Bigger Game, to dive into why intentional living is the missing piece for many high achievers. From redefining success to focusing on relationships, Markus shares actionable insights that will help you live a life filled with meaning and purpose.

Key Moments You Won't Want to Miss:

  • Fulfillment Beyond Achievement
    Markus explains how high achievers often hit milestones without feeling fulfilled and why being intentional about your goals is essential to finding deeper meaning.
  • The Impact of Small Changes
    He shares how simple habits like scheduling 10-minute walks with loved ones can strengthen relationships and improve health, creating a ripple effect of positivity.
  • Overcoming Energy Drains
    Markus and I discuss the importance of addressing energy-draining areas in life, such as unresolved relationships or neglected health, and how focusing on solutions leads to personal and professional growth.


About Markus

Markus Kaulius is a renowned entrepreneur and author, celebrated for founding multiple 8- and 9-figure businesses and impacting over 10 million lives through his work. With a 25+ year career that includes scaling a supplement company to $170 million and helping clients lose over 3 million pounds, Markus continues to inspire high achievers worldwide. His debut book, Play a Bigger Game: Seven Universal Principles to Experience True Fulfillment and Win at Life, became a top 10 bestseller in just three weeks.


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Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies

Becca Powers: Welcome to another episode of the empowered half hour. And I am so thrilled to bring you today's guest. I've had a few guests on from brand builders group, which I always refer to as BBG. And so I have another BBG here today and in the prep for this. Conversation. We're about ready to share. I was mentioning that I was so excited to have him on because of the topic.

So first I want to introduce him to the show, and then I want to tell you why I think this is going to be a really great episode and why you need to tune in. So I have with me serial entrepreneur and bestselling author of play a bigger game, Marcus Collius. Welcome to the show. 

Markus Kaulius: Back. I'm so excited to be here.

I've been looking forward to this conversation and just Talking a little bit offline, man. I know, this is going to be impactful and, this is going to be all energy and action coming up. Oh yeah. 

Becca Powers: 100%. so listeners, one of the reasons I'm so excited to get into this conversation with Marcus is because in the subtitle, uh, Of his book is one of my favorite words and one that you've heard me talk about a lot lately, and that's fulfillment.

 we, as high performers and high achievers, we've got the accolades, we've got the awards, we've got the money. And then all of a sudden we get to this point of our career. Where we're like, Oh, where's the fulfillment, where's the deeper meaning, where's the impact I'm supposed to make at impacted sales, or I've impacted the bottom line.

But I feel this, thing inside me, that's not settled. And that's what I feel Marcus and I are going to dive into today. So Marcus. I'm going to give it to you. Tell me a little bit about how fulfillment became a word that you became obsessed with 

Markus Kaulius: too. Yes. By the way, I love that intro. So thank you for that.

I'm the film filming guy, because we talk about this in BBG that what you're drawn to the most, like the thing that upsets you the most, the thing that you recognize the most around you. Is the thing that you're supposed to do with your life and help others with. And for me, fulfillment is like the most lacking thing on the planet.

So I deal with a lot of high achievers. I've been so blessed to work with MMA fighters who are champions, people at the top of their game and the NBA and like it's, you know, These are the, cream of the crop. The thing, this string that connects all of them is lack of fulfillment. Like, wow, I won.

This is all I'm supposed to feel. and it doesn't matter what profession you're in, like executives, CEOs, entrepreneurs, you Athletes, the same thing. They reach their goals and they go, like, Oh, there's probably something wrong with me. And it's like, no, no, no, it's not. It's not wrong with you.

We have to be very intentional about where we are shooting. What is our real target? Because most of us set a target. maybe when we were like seven years old, there's been so many things in my life that I'm like. Why am I going for this again? And when I really peel it back, it's hilarious. When I was seven years old, I decided this would be what success looks like.

That kid didn't know anything. And so of course, when I achieved that thing, it didn't feel right. It probably would have felt great to seven year old Marcus. So one of my favorite things to do is work with people to go, okay, what would this fulfillment actually look like in your life? And usually it's none of the things that they were shooting towards.

I agreed. Better relationship with my wife and kids. If I had more energy, if my health was better and it's like, okay, so how does working 65 hours a week going to accomplish these things? 

Becca Powers: Bingo. You know, it just makes me think, and I'm going to share little bit about. me personally and a journey that I have been on, but it just got reinforced.

So I am the sole survivor of my family and that's newer for me. My, mom and dad have both passed away at separate times. By the time I was 35, Both my parents, and here's the thing that I want to share and why fulfillment is so important to me. And I just want to spend this entire 30 minutes, let's rip this apart and like, empower people and, get people.

Into that space of fulfillment, because when I was born, my parents were full time musicians. So I really got to see fulfillment. Like I grew up seeing, singing, dancing, joy, hugging, loving, like you just knewknew it, but then I even was impacted more when it stopped. My parents got more committed to the things we're talking about their bills, their careers, their responsibilities.

And my dad was a civil engineer. He was a lead. Like, my mom was manager of a Starbucks. Like, they were doing things, but they stopped doing the things that fulfilled them. And I now am of an opinion that. I feel that's what led to their early passing is because they felt fulfillment so strongly. So when they didn't have it, it was really felt versus as never really getting there, but knowing you're missing something.

 But then my brother passed away in March. He was only 43 and I'm. Still processing all of this, but I watched my brother at 43 be fulfilled. And so I can get emotional talking about it because when he passed, because he was fulfilled, he was in a profession that he liked, it was rewarding to him.

He had a good relationship with his wife and all these things. When he passed, we threw a celebration of life and 150 people showed up. Like I was planning maybe for 70 or something and all these people started showing up saying like your brother, he was in recovery and I'll get off the story in a second, but I just wanted to share the importance of fulfillment and he was in recovery.

And so when part of his sobriety is, he would go in and donate his clothes back to the halfway houses that he started his recovery. And I never knew any of these things, He just. Did it. And I love play a bigger game because my brother was, we grew up playing sports. He was sales leader. And so there's this competitive piece, but the competitive piece or play the bigger game was like about showing the potential of what he could do and what his team could do going in for that deeper meaning.

And so anyway. I share all of that to say that fulfillment is a word that is very up for me right now because I am seeing it through these lens of, passing, which is kind of sad, but it's also this opportunity. in reading something processing all of this that I'm sharing, I recently read something that was like average lifespan is 80 years old.

I'm 45. And so it's like minus your age. That's how many years you got left, And I was like, damn, I got a lot of, I got to do, you know, a lot of want to do. So I want to just give it back to you. I'm going to open up the fulfillment conversation and you can take it from wherever you want, from what I've shared, 

Markus Kaulius: I want to start by saying thank you for your vulnerability and for opening up and that's such a beautiful.

Reason for you to be focused on fulfillment. I want to share this word that's on my heart because I really think the key answer to fulfillment boils down to one word intentionality. Ooh, I just got the goose bumps. Yeah. If we're intentional, we can create fulfillment way faster than we think.

So I speak to so many people and, talk about relationships because you and I, we know a lot of people listening right now are hitting their stride. They're doing amazing things in the business world. And I work with a ton of people in that space where I'm, I'm making more money than I ever thought.

Everything is winning at work, but. Oh my goodness. My health isn't anywhere near where it should be my kids. It's like, I barely know them anymore and they treat me like a stranger. Okay. Let's pause right there. And it doesn't matter if one of those or, any one of the other things is your focus, but if you turn some intentionality towards it, some focus on it, you can change it so quickly.

So many people just go, don't really have a relationship with my kids. I guess it's too late. No, what bull crap. Who told you that? Let me stop you right there and go. It's never too late. Those kids are dying for a better relationship with you. So you've got to be intentional about it. If you're going, well, I just hope it changes what, why would it, how would it have changed from yesterday?

The only difference will be, will you be intentional about it? Will you make some time? And if you don't know how to do it, that's okay. We weren't born with the playbook built in here. Whenever there's something I want to improve in my life, I go find somebody who's doing it awesome already. And I just model it after them.

So I'll read their book. I'll listen to their audio. I'll take their workshop, these little things. And by the way, Being a better dad is super important to me. I want to be a spectacular dad to my kids and I have a spectacular relationship with them, but I want more. I want them every day to feel so much love and so much fulfillment from our relationship.

So I try and, One surround myself by a bunch of dudes who love being a dad and who are kicking butt at it. You learn so much from them to, I read books on being a better dad on just having a better relationship. And then I'm going to throw one more fun one in here, guys. If you want to be a really great dad, show their mom how much you love them.

 I'm not trying to pick on anybody who's divorced or whatever, even in divorce, go show some extra respect because that relationship makes a real impact on those kids. 

Becca Powers: I love that you shared that. And it brings me back to a moment in time. So I have that my outer world that has been impacted.

But my inner world, so I was in my mid thirties. I was a senior leader in an organization. I was on an executive board, had all these things that on the outside look super successful, making six figures, all the, all the stuff for kids in middle school, married to a firefighter, had a house, the fence, the cars, everything.

And I found myself one day, just so emotionally fatigued that I collapsed to the bathroom floor. And I share that because by the time I hit the bathroom floor, my marriage was on the rocks. I had disconnected relationships with my kids. I had health problems. I didn't know it at the time, but I had formed autoimmune disease.

And so what you're saying right now is resonating with me so deeply because, I have a platform and I'm a writer and a podcaster, but then I was just a regular person, just like the listeners. So, I'm going to turn this to the listeners for a second. And there's a truth in what Marcus is saying is that intentionality is so important because what I realized when I hit the bathroom floor is none of it effing mattered, right?

None of it mattered. What mattered is I'm so sick that I don't even have enough energy to stand up. What mattered was. My marriage is on the fritz because I'm working so damn much. My husband's the one taking care of the kids. I'm not showing appreciation and what matters is I have disconnected relationships with my kids.

I just got in a level five fight with them. And I yelled at them because I walked through the door and they said hello to me. that could be everyday life for people and we're just in this hamster wheel. So I exposed my pain and my, ability to have the script wrong in my head, because I think it's so common that it is.

And I would love for you to share your two cents on that too. Like maybe how common is it for people to, get stuck in this loop and not realize that they can intentionally. Move out from it. 

Markus Kaulius: Yes, well, we are creatures of habits. We're creatures of habit. And if you look at your schedule, you're gonna know why you have the life you have.

You can show me your schedule, show me that, and I will tell you the life you have right now, and where it's gonna be in three to five years. 

Becca Powers: Damn. 

Markus Kaulius: Going back to being intentional. We got to just start putting it into our schedule. You think back to when you started on your career, if it was career success, you're experiencing 

but if you look at your schedule right now, if your health is failing, if And you look at that schedule. It's like, what part of that schedule do you think is going to turn into success in the health?

Yes. But if you start scheduling, well, I'm going to get my workouts and I'm going to get my walks in. I've got meditation time please don't hear this and be like, Oh, Marcus, give me a break. I'm just going to add three hours of stuff to my day. No, that will never work either.

 Any of us have ever been on that went from zero to a hundred. How long did it last? It doesn't, it doesn't, doesn't just baby steps. So if you're not working out right now and you're like, I want to get healthier. Okay. Can you schedule in 10 to 12 minutes per day for a walk? Of course you can.

That is such a small commitment and do that just two or three days a week. Easy. Right? I know you're all high achievers and you're going, well, I'll start at 45 minutes. I know that's what I tell people to start off smaller. It's that way. It stays consistent. Yes, please don't because 45 minutes is such a big change from where you're at today.

It's hard to sustain that. But if you did 12 minutes, three times a week, So easy. Involve your kids. Look, you just hit two birds with one stone. I want a better relationship with my kids. I want better health. Boom, we started going on family walks. After three weeks, you can increase that to 15 to 20 minutes.

And that's easy. That's a small change. Small change. Small change. And all of a sudden we'll talk in three or six months. I'm going to look at your schedule and go, yeah, look, look how much you're walking. Look at the exercise. You're going to the gym. Oh. And you're also spending time with your family during these times.

Hmm. Is your relationship better with your kids? Hmm. Is your relationship better with your health? It won't surprise you because you created the habits. You were intentional. Don't forget. It is that easy. Just, you have to start and start taking 

Becca Powers: action today on it. I love that. I love that so much because it is actionable.

You know, sometimes there's like a lot of high theory and stuff like that, but these are real. Things that we can do. You can set an intention, you can put small action steps. And then, like you said, it starts building on each other. And there's this, thing called positive feedback loop that happens and your body starts going, Oh, I like this.

Oh, I'm having positive responses. And then all of a sudden, instead of it being a chore, it becomes something you look forward to. 

Markus Kaulius: Yes. Oh, that's so good. And by the way, actionable step, I really want to encourage people right now. Do this right this minute, make a commitment. To do something towards creating this better schedule.

So if I happen to nail it on the head, which to be honest, I know I nailed it on the head for a lot of listeners. How did you know? I don't have the relationship with my kids that I want. How did you know? I want to have a better relationship with my health. I'm sorry. It's book that I've read many times before friends right now.

Message your wife, your kids, your husband, your boyfriend, whoever it is and say, Hey, how do you feel about a 15 minute walk today? How do you feel about a 20 minute walk today? Do something. So now you're committed. It will make you feel so good that you have taken some sort of action already. So now you're like, man, I am such an awesome person.

I've already taken action towards it. And then you go do it later and you're stacking up the wins. You're building the momentum that Becca's talking about, which is so important, so exciting. And then after we're going to celebrate that win together, you can message me later today on social media and go, Hey, I just want you to know.

I booked my walk. I went on the walk. Yes. It feels awesome. And I will be the first to go. Yes. I want to celebrate with you. You're going to release endorphins, dopamine, this wonderful stuff all over your brain that makes you go. I want more of these wins. And because it's so important to you, which I know it's important to you.

It's going to feel so extra good. Cause you're like, wow, I was in control of this. I thought it wasn't possible for me, but I took some easy steps. And now look, I am moving towards becoming a healthier person. I'm moving towards being a better father. Oh, those winds feel good and they stack up fast. 

Becca Powers: Oh, they do.

And I was just like wanting to say like the fact that it is possible. I didn't think before I hit the bathroom floor that it was possible to add these little things into my life. But then out of a place of necessity. I had to, and guess what? There was time and guess what? It was excuses in my head.

And guess what? P S when I prioritize myself, when I prioritize my family, here's the mind blowing moment, guys, I started making more money. I'm more successful and I wasn't even trying and have found and I would love for you to rip on this too, but what I have found and working again with high achievers and high performers, when we rework the formula and we focus on fulfillment first.

I have found they normally start a business, they start, Something happens, bigger things happen, and they also do become more prosperous and many aspects on as a result, not because of the chase. Does that make sense? A 

Markus Kaulius: hundred percent. I'm such a believer in everything you just said. And so where I go with that is.

I'm a big proponent. There's going to be a shocker of energy. 

Ooh, yeah, 

Markus Kaulius: here's what I believe about my energy. I am really good at focusing on the things I can control and the things that I can't control, I push away. I don't focus on them. I can control me and the things that I know drain my energy. So by the way, what you're talking about.

Oh man, I'm thinking about my kids too much, my health too much. Cause these are bad areas. Look at, you can even see it on my face, all the bad energy that I just invited in. So if I start taking action on that stuff and I start correcting it. So now it's going to be my wins and one of my strengths. Do you think the guy with this energy is not going to do better in life than the guy with this energy?

Yeah. And so how many of us are inviting this energy and wow, one day I hope to work out. I want to start eating better. How can I do big wins in all areas of my life? But again, what you talked about Becca which I totally agree with fulfillment equals, I need a better relationship with my family. And the better that goes, the better I have a relationship with my health.

Shocker. My business does start going better. I know I was like, Oh, what? 

Becca Powers: I quadrupled my income. I didn't think that was possible. Like I neglected all of this time with my husband and my kids because what I was chasing was success, but when I changed my focal point. I only got better and more intentional and the prosperity became as a result.

Like I have been wanting to shout this stuff from the rooftops. That's why I'm like, Oh my God, 

the formula is backward guys. 

Markus Kaulius: Oh, so good. can we talk about relationships for one more second? Because I just want to try and put it in such. Obvious terms. Cause everybody's experienced what I'm about to say.

If you're in any type of a relationship and you're a business person, which I think I'm talking to 99 percent of the audience here, when you are in a really bad place in that relationship, whether it be just a single big fight, or it's just for the few months we've been growing apart and it's tough and you get that call halfway through the day, how much does that drain you?

We've been fighting lately. We're just not in a good place. I get the text or I get the call and it's like. How much do you think that drain affects my next three to six hours? Oh, 1, 000 percent massive, right? So how can we pretend that that drain is not hurting our business like crazy? So what you talked about, like changing our priorities and start focusing on fulfillment, start focusing on my relationship with my wife, she is my priority.

My kids are my priority because I've got this screwed up, it hurts everything. So I have to be so intentional and focused to make sure it's going great. And if I can't do it with my own strength, I invite others in. Do we need to do counseling? Do I need to read more books? I need to focus more on myself to become the person that they need me to be?

That's okay. Let's look 

Becca Powers: at the mirror. when I really started asking the questions, the fingers were pointing back at me. I'm like, I had to become that person. Yes. And it took work and dedication. And I'm not going to sit here and say that it was easy, but it was worth it. 

Markus Kaulius: Yes. Taking that ownership.

I love that. Like we don't do enough of this. It's all well, but them, them, them, and it connects to everything we've already talked about. You got to focus on what you can control. If you're doing this, you can't control any of that. If the fingers go in that way, you're controlling nothing and it feels crappy to be out of control.

But if you do this. And go, well, what did I do to make her act this way? Actually, you know what? I was a jerk. I could have done better. You know what? I'd probably act the same way if, my dad did that. So Marcus, you're going to be better and shocker. It always works out. There is more love. No, it's not boom.

We have the best relationship, but you can start recognizing, you know what? I give a little extra love and I got a little bit extra back. Sure. They still slam the door on me after, but there was a moment I started feeling love, you're going to get some positive momentum. So focus on what you can control, which is this.

 And just start taking action and implementing those changes. 

Becca Powers: there's so much of what you said that want to talk about. And with five minutes left, I'm like, where do I go? Oh my God. but I think there's this thing that you said of like, Hey, 99 percent of us are running a business and also, trying to figure out this fulfillment thing and you also mentioned energy.

So I'm going to try to pull this together for the listener out there, because what's going on in my head is. You are already successful. not you, Marcus, but the listener, right? you listener are already successful, and Marcus is too. but my point is, is imagine how much more.

Like, you are successful on partial energy. and so I love that you brought energy into it because I feel like that was the thing that changed in me the most, yes, it started with the priorities and the focus and the intentionality, but then I felt inside my energy shift and then all of a sudden I had more and instead of feeling drained, I was coming from a place of full and that was like mind blowing to me.

And, so can we talk about that? Yeah. Yeah. 

Markus Kaulius: Please, by the way, what a beautiful way you just brought that all in together. AndI'm going to add one little extra concept here next to what you just said, which is when you improve your energy and you're making these moves go towards the goals that you actually want in life.

You wouldn't believe how much your confidence is going to go up, right? Yes. Why? Because you know, if you are doing these things that you said you would do. So your yes means yes. And your no means no. You look at your schedule, you look at your habits and you're like, I'm This person deserves to win. Do you know how good that feels as a human being?

Do you know a few people can actually say that? And by the way, I'm confident that people listening can say that in their business life. They're like, yeah, of course this person deserves to win. That level of confidence is why you are where you are. All you have to do is take those same principles, those same habits, and you will receive that same confidence in anywhere.

You point that discipline. You want to be a better father. You're going to be a better father because you start doing those things. You take those actions and you look on the paper and you go, this guy deserves to win. He will be a great father. He will be a great husband. He will be even better at work.

And you start stacking up those wins and shocker. It absolutely will happen for you. You will be that more successful, more fulfilled version of you. Like 

Becca Powers: Mike drop. I am so excited. I'm like, I couldn't have said it better myself. So let's start wrapping this up. I mean, you just delivered a powerful. And very convicted message to the listeners, but I always like to end the podcast asking specifically what empowering message would you like to close the podcast with?

What message do you want to leave the listeners with? 

Markus Kaulius: That's really good. How about this one? well, it's a connected to what we've been talking about, but it's a final thought and it's a big one. Perspective is everything. Two people can watch the exact same event.

One can look at it really negative and one can go, actually, there's something in there that's going to empower me. So I want to encourage you being very mindful of how you perceive things. If the story you tell about any event that has happened in your life, doesn't empower you, why not question it? And maybe you could have a better perspective.

And so specifically, I'm going to say this, anything that you see as a challenge in your life, maybe as a negative in your life, what if it was actually a gift to you? What if it life is happening for you and not to you? That can 

Becca Powers: change your life. Yeah. I just wanted to pause before I responded because I wanted that to sink in for the listeners.

That's really powerful. Perception is everything and it can and will. Change your life. So that was very beautiful. Marcus, this has been such a great interview. Why don't you go ahead and share with the listeners how they can stay in touch, how they can find your book. Like I'm sure they're going to want to stay in touch with you.

So 

Markus Kaulius: let's go Becca. I just want to say thank you so much. You are doing a beautiful service in this world. So thank you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here and to spend time with these awesome people listening. If you're looking for the book, it's on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and all the great places.

If you buy the book, or even if you don't, you just want to reach out to me. If something I said resonated today in a special way, and you're going, I don't know what it is. I think I'm connected to this guy. Will you please let me know that stuff that equals fulfillment to me, just so you know, so you would be blessing me so much.

Reach out to me, either play a bigger game. com or on Instagram. I check those messages all the time. I would love to hear from you something that stood out to you. And once in a while, there's someone who I feel I'm supposed to be connected to. And I bring on people who want to be mentored, who wants someone else to go, uh, can I help you with your perspective?

Can I encourage you to look at this in a slightly different way? And it's so awesome when I get to speak to somebody who's been carrying baggage with them that they don't realize that baggage instead of weighing them down could actually be a rocket pack that's on their back and boost them way further in life with way more energy and confidence and excitement for what comes next.

And I think everybody's got that rocket pack on their back. You just don't necessarily know how to use it, 

man. I know I'm closing this episode of the empowered half hour, like really empowered. I want to go do something right now. All this energy. I'm like, yes. 

Becca Powers: No, but once again, Marcus, thank you for being a guest.

It was a pleasure. 

Markus Kaulius: God bless you.