7,000 Volts - Living the Electrified Life - LJ Tucker

In this 50th episode of 7,000 Volts: Living an Electrified Life, LJ sits down with his longtime mentor and “walking bible of trees,” legendary arborist Alan Mayberry, to talk about what it really means to become an arborist. Allen shares how a childhood spent in the woods, a life-changing ecology trip, and an unexpected city forestry job sparked his passion for trees and led to decades of study, field experience, and teaching. He and LJ dig into the hard lessons learned from early mistakes, the science behind tree health, critical root zones, lion-tailing, and why improper practices like topping crape myrtles and careless root cutting can silently doom trees. They also confront the dangers of an unregulated industry—especially around power lines—touching on LJ’s near-fatal 7,000-volt incident, and discuss the need for real education, licensing, and higher standards. Throughout the conversation, they emphasize that certification is only the beginning, that true arborists are educators first, and that integrity sometimes means walking away from work rather than harming a healthy tree.

In this episode of 7,000 Volts: Living an Electrified Life, LJ Tucker explains that you are always just one decision away from a new life, using his days troubleshooting complex sprinkler systems as a metaphor for “reverse engineering” your destiny: start by clearly seeing the end result—your diploma, new home, restored life, or God-given purpose—and then work backwards with focus, faith, and a made-up mind. He shares how his own bad decisions once led to incarceration and a life far from what he dreamed, but everything changed when he stopped letting fear, labels, and other people’s opinions control him and instead decided “I am, I can, I will,” becoming a husband, father, author, arborist, and community leader. LJ urges listeners to cut out the “noise” and distractions—like swiping people and opportunities off the mental screen if they don’t align with your vision—and to reset daily on who you are becoming rather than where you started. When you think from the end, he says, your habits, circle, energy, and confidence all shift to match that future version of you; you’ve already arrived mentally and are just walking the path to catch up. He closes by inviting listeners to choose life today, and reverse engineer their destiny with bold faith.

In this episode of 7,000 Volts: Living an Electrified Life, LJ uses math as a powerful metaphor for life, showing how everything changes once you finally understand “the formula” and the rules to the game. He talks about struggling with early math, watching his own kids face tough problems, and how those same patterns show up in business, faith, and personal growth—whether it’s passing his certified arborist exam, avoiding the “nails” we keep stepping on in life, or learning from his friend who lost a leg yet kept an unshakably positive mindset. LJ breaks down why nothing you learn is ever wasted, why doing the same thing and expecting new results is insanity, and why success comes from studying the patterns instead of chasing shortcuts. He closes by reminding you to protect your peace, guard your mind, learn the formula, and keep leveling up—because life gets much simpler when you finally understand the rules to the game.

In this episode of 7,000 Volts: Living an Electrified Life, LJ Tucker sits down with Dr. Chukwudi Ufondu, a Nigerian-born public health physician specializing in fertility and preventive medicine, to unpack what it really means to “follow the doctor’s orders.” Dr. Ufondu explains that true healing is holistic—body, mind, and spirit—and that just as a medical diagnosis leads to specific treatment steps, God also gives us clear spiritual “orders” that require obedience, not shortcuts. He shares how watching people suffer without access to proper care fueled his calling to become a doctor, and how his own challenges became raw material for his purpose rather than excuses to quit. Together, he and LJ draw parallels between medical instructions and biblical principles, emphasizing that prayer can’t replace poor physical habits, and that success in any area demands discipline, process, and perseverance rather than “easy street” solutions. They discuss legacy, stewardship, and the danger of ignoring wise counsel—whether from your physician, your mentors, or God Himself—likening life to a continuous climb where resting on past wins means sinking, not coasting. The episode closes with a challenge to listeners: are you really “taking your medicine,” both physically and spiritually, so that your life, health, and purpose can line up—and so that power can flow where obedience goes?

In this episode of 7,000 Volts: Living an Electrified Life, LJ Tucker reminds listeners that success is colorblind — it doesn’t care about race, background, or circumstance, only effort. Drawing from his own journey from past mistakes to business and family life, he explains that whatever you invest your time and energy in will grow, good or bad. Success multiplies work just as easily as it multiplies excuses, so discipline and balance are key. Behind every public victory is private effort, and you “can’t cheat the grind.” Tucker closes by challenging listeners to look at what they’re planting each day, because success always reflects the seeds you sow.