Story & Lesson Highlights with Nico Cavallino of Southfield

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Nico Cavallino. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Nico, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Integrity, I think that it’s the most important thing to have in this world. To value yourself and to treat everything you do with pride. Integrity is something that everyone is born with but it can be easily lost or sold for something fleeting, a shiny prize or reward but you cannot put a price on your integrity. Once it is lost it’s gone forever.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Nico Cavallino, I am the co-owner of Allied Martial Arts in Southfield Michigan. I teach martial arts to people from all walks of life. My goal is to empower people and give them the tools to have the confidence to handle themselves in any situation. My brand is that of health both physically and mentally. Fighting is very chaotic and if you don’t have the right mindset or the ability to think fast then you’re behind and that’s not where you want to be in an altercation. We have a kids class that is very intense in the way they learn. I don’t speak to them like they’re children or coddle them, I speak to them with purpose and I’m very direct. My adult classes are also very intense and I am very honest with them because I want them to know the truth and I’m not here to waste their time. I make them work and work hard. Through the training you can see the character of the student and who they are and how far they are willing to go. I am blessed with very dedicated students who are also great people.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
My father was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen. He’s an Italian immigrant who came here with nothing, worked 2 jobs and gave his kids a great life and lived the American dream. I barely saw my father when I was young because he was always working. I understood at a young age that hard work to get to where you want to be was the only option, there is no exception.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
I think that any trials you go through in life can really have a huge impact on your path. Pain is a great motivator and it can push you in a direction that is good if you let it. On the other hand it can cause you to use other means to mask it or to numb that pain which is a very bad idea and can lead to falling deeper into that abyss. I’ve been on both sides where I sat with pain I was going through and it really consumed me but i always kept moving forward and I kept it to myself and I used it as fuel to keep me busy improving myself and my situation.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Whatever the public believes about me is really not what I care about. I know what I’m doing and I believe in what I am doing so I don’t need the approval from other people anymore. At one point that meant something to me but as you get older you realize that it’s not that important anymore as long as you’re doing the right things and it comes from your heart. It only matters what my students think or what my family thinks. Everyone else is not my problem.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I’d like to think that I instilled something positive in people and the lessons that they learned from me will help them not only in a fight but in everyday life. Fighting is something i hope nobody has to deal with but if it happens i want them to succeed but i want them to succeed in life as well because life is fight, a battle every day

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Alliedmartialarts.com
• Instagram: [email protected]
• Linkedin: Nico Cavallino
• Twitter: None
• Facebook: Nico Cavallino
• Yelp: None
• Youtube: Adaptive martial arts
• Soundcloud: None

Image Credits
Elijah smith
Nico cavallino