According to Tarina, Nic has a “pretty” bald head. And the week Nic was on the road, the Bittle compound experienced peace and quiet.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina talk about both: what to look for in a mate and how to be a good mate. Answer the questions: What traits do you want your future spouse to have? What traits are they looking for in you?

Nic asks, “Are you the person, or trying to become the person, to be the person they want?” Said another way—Nic doesn’t pull any punches—quit training to be a loser and make something of yourself and become the person someone you want would be attracted to.

Tarina adds, “You can’t have high standards of the person you want to marry, but have no standards for yourself.”

If you’re dating, be deliberate and find someone with similar values and makes similar decisions. Unity on basic core values should stay the same.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic asks Tarina about her new wardrobe item: a “dickie.” Tarina claims it’s a “collar bib.” And, of course, it’s bedazzled. Christmas was good and enjoyable—cherishing time with friends and family.

In this episode, Nic and Tarina don’t talk about new year resolutions. One question Nic is struggling with as he look at 2026: Is this the year he slows down a bit?

In this episode they talk about being more intentional in 2026.

Tarina talks about how she has already started to saying more often what she thinks/feels, like picking up the phone and thanking people or writing a quick note. It’s about being deliberate in doing what you think—the power of a kind word

As Tarina points out, this level of intentional kindness takes courage for some people, especially when you admire someone. The reality is everyone, no matter who they are, appreciates being shown kindness.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

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🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina prepare for family visiting for Christmas—with only a brief reference to the Christmas Vacation. They share a memory of driving around to look at Christmas lights when Elle was little. One house was decked out with all the lights and Elle said, “Wow! They’re daddy must be strong.”

In this episode, Tarina and Nic express gratitude for a few listeners and all listeners. They celebrate their most downloaded episode (#73) which featured their new son-in-law, Micah Graf, as well all 12 of their guests over the past year.

They also reflect on feedback received from the last episode (#97). Based on a listener question, Nic shares that we need to look at the emotion behind whether we are complaining or venting. He encourages us to ask ourselves, “What do I want in this moment—for someone to listen or to do something?”

Be sure to listen to Nic’s encouragement at the end.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic and Tarina are nearly ready for Christmas—especially Tarina, who loves both receiving and giving presents. Nic shares about his latest return trip home and how he got a splinter from a Starbucks stir stick. And they shout out to Chris who loves the podcast.

In this episode, they talk about conflict: the difference between venting and complaining. Venting is relieving pressure—getting something off your chest. Complaining is expecting a fix. Conflict happens is when someone is venting and we think they are complaining or the opposite.

When you complain it is because you want something fixed. Tarina often complains—like about how her computer isn’t working right. When you vent it’s because you want to be heard. Nic often vents—he just needs to Tarina listen about the ache in his shoulder.

Together they discover that Nic is more people focused and Tarina is more task focused. This influences how they each approach venting versus complaining. Tarina wants things fixed and Nic will listen to discover.

As Nic and Tarina wisely observe our job is to listen without judgment. This doesn’t erase tension in the moment but can lead to better and more caring resolutions.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

As Nic prepares to go on a 8-day tour, Tarina will battle a dryer that went caput while Nic is flying cross country.

Nic asks Tarina: What is a success that we’ve experienced together?

To answer this question for yourself, consider even the small achievements you made every day. As the phrase goes: People overestimate what they can accomplish in a day and under estimate what they can accomplish in a year.

They reflect how that they are nearing their 100th podcast episode in 2025 and Nic has done over 500 Leadership Drips on YouTube. We should give ourselves more credit for what we accomplish and not diminish our actual achievements.

Nic shares that he believes more in what he is doing and that he’s making a real difference. He appreciates the momentum he’s built and the good reputation he has. It’s the 1000 small steps and incremental factors about being in the arena.

They recount a couple of lessons learned over the year. And they encourage you, the listeners, to share with Nic and Tarina successes you’ve had and lessons you’ve learned in 2025. Email them at info@nicbittle.com.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Nic kicks off with a story about flying during the government shutdown. And Tarina bought Nic a new towel—which he claims takes him 8 minutes to collect black fuzz; it’s like drying off with a trash bag.

Tarina has a question for listeners: If you have a budget for a present, and you pay significantly less that regular retail, do you buy two of the item? Is it about how much you spend or about the gift itself?

In this episode, Tarina picks up where she left off with explaining her PAUSE before the Holidays method. The acronym Tarina created for herself is PAUSE. P is for Pray. A is for Aerobic. U is for understand. S is for Sit. E is for Express.

When we seek to Understand the people’s perspective, it is most likely coming from a good place. As Nic says, “We often judge others by their behaviors and judge ourselves by our intentions.”

To sit, as Tarina explains, means to take time for yourself. If there is something meaningful to work through, time the time to sit with the emotions, environment, or anticipation of the experience.

The PAUSE idea is designed to give you a practical framework for approaching the holidays with grace and power.

Email info@nicbittle.com to receive a “pretty big deal” Christmas card from Nic and Tarina.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

Tarina defends how the Monday before Black Friday is Black Friday. Nic confirms she doesn’t need a sale to shop. He also confesses: “I can’t park. I can back up a trailer.” As Tarina has pointed out more than once, “So, you’re going to park into the garage crooked?”

In this episode Tarina sets up the conversation with a question: How do we prepare for the holidays to be kind, generous, and not cause a fuss?

To help, Tarina created an acronym: PAUSE. Pray, Aerobics, Understand, Sit, Express. She created it to give herself pause before meeting with different personalities in what could be stressful times over the holidays.

Tarina points out that PAUSE takes time—in order to be the best person we can be. Nic puts it in his own words that to Pray means to go vertical to God before going horizontal with people.

“A” for Aerobics means to move your body especially in nature. It lowers your blood pressure and releases endorphins. And it’s something you can even do in real time—calm starts in the body and so does stress.

Listen to next week's episode to hear part 2 of PAUSE.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.

It’s unseasonably warm in Oklahoma as Nic and Tarina record the episode. Tarina reports that Nic is trying to rebuild her computer. Evidently she has 32,800 high-definition photos and over 2000 videos on her computer—"which may be why it’s running a little slow.” (Nic uses the voice.)

Nic meets a guy who carries human tissue to the airport every day. When Nic asked, the guy said the heads go in smaller boxes—now he can’t sleep.

Shifting gears means the struggle we all experience when going through life transitions. Kids go through transition every six months or so. Parenting has its own transitions when the kids go from child to teenager.

Nic brings up how some parents don’t shift gears—they fight their kids’ battles. He shares the example of how a mom called an employer after her 21-year-old son got fired.

Transitions are hard. Nic and Tarina will be empty nesters soon, so they are preparing for how they will shift gears. They are having lots of honest conversations together and asking, “What does empty nesting look like?”

In the construction world, there are journeymen who become a foreman, but they never step up and actually lead. The new gear means what got you here won’t get you there. It’s a shift in mindset to being the best journeyman to being a great boss.

If you enjoy Nic and Tarina’s podcast and get something from listening to “all this Nic Bittle Crap,” please hit the like button, share it with a friend, or both. Your recommendation goes a long way in helping us reach more people.

Also if you have questions that you want Nic and Tarina to answer, email them at info@nicbittle.com.

---

🛟 Click here to order your copy of Nic’s Life Ready Curriculum

🧰 Check out Nic’s new solution for foremen: The Foreman's Inner Circle

💬 To subscribe to Nic’s Leadership DRIP, please text the word “DRIP” to 866-998-4545 then follow the prompts.

❓ If you have questions or comments for Nic & Tarina, please send an email to info@nicbittle.com.

🎬 Check out Nic's Work Force Pro YouTube channel.

📚 Nic has written 4 books. You can decide which one is best for you here.