Choose the Hard Way

Known as the Queen of Pain, Rebecca Rusch is a 7x World Champion in sports ranging from adventure racing to whitewater rafting to 24-hour solo mountain biking. She has won the biggest monuments in off-road bike racing including four Leadville 100 mountain bike titles and five total wins at the Dirty Kanza in the 100-mile, 200-mile and 350-mile XL races. She holds the fastest known time for mountain biking the Kokopelli trail from Moab to Fruita, was on the first team to summit and descend Mt. Kilimanjaro on mountain bikes and she was a member of the Raid Gauloises Adventure Racing World Champion Team. She's also an entrepreneur, author and has her own world-class gravel race, Rebecca's Private Idaho. In 2016 she was the first person to ride the entire length of the Ho Chi Minh trail. That trip was captured in the feature-length documentary Blood Road. It tells the story of Rebecca's journey to try to reach the crash site and final resting place of her father, a U.S. Air Force pilot shot down over Laos during the Vietnam war, 40 years later on the anniversary of his death. I've written about Rebecca before as a journalist and have had the chance to hang out with her a few times at gravel events and at SXSW where we both spoke a few years back. She's not just one of the most accomplished endurance athletes in all of sport--she's an incredibly humble and thoughtful person. My dad also served in Vietnam. He came back alive. Watching Blood Road truly moved me on many levels, and after I saw it, I knew I wanted to explore the film and the impact that the process had on Rebecca. In this interview, we talk about the many ways that experience has transformed her as an athlete and human. You can learn more about the film at www.bloodroadfilm.com. Catch Rebecca on Insta @rebeccarusch and at www.rebeccarusch.com. If you enjoy this episode, please share it with a buddy and take a second to rate the show on iTunes or wherever you listen. Thanks to everyone out there who has dropped me a line--you can get in touch with me @hardwaypod on insta and twitter or via email at choosethehardway@gmail.com. Be the first to hear about new episodes and things worth knowing when you sign up for The Hard Way newsletter here.

Dan Doty is co-founder of Evryman, a company that brings men together to exercise their emotions so they can lead more successful, fulfilling lives. Early in Dan's career, he spent over 600 days in the backcountry working as a wilderness therapy guide for disadvantaged and at risk young men and taught public high school in the Bronx. Later he worked as a producer and director on outdoor-based films and TV shows including the Meat Eater series (hosted by Steve Rinella). You might have caught Dan on the Joe Rogan podcast or the Today Show or read about Evryman in Men's Health. It's a movement that's growing fast. You can connect with Dan @danieldoty on Twitter, find him at dan-doty.com, catch his TEDx talk, "What the World Needs from Men," here and go to Evryman to learn more about their retreats, leadership training, men's groups and wilderness adventures. Evryman's trajectory has been up and to the right, but it has taken Dan a lifetime of learning for Dan to get to this point, and it's not smooth sailing just yet. He shares the wild story about the path that brought him to this point and the unseen, but acutely felt, sacrifices he has had to make to live his dream. If you dig this episode, please tell a friend about it and take a second to rate the show on iTunes or wherever you listen. Shoutout to everyone out there who has dropped me a line, you can be in touch with me @hardwaypod on insta and twitter or via email at choosethehardway@gmail.com. Be the first to hear about new episodes and things worth knowing when you sign up for The Hard Way newsletter here.

Jeff Provenzano, aka Jeffro, makes his living skydiving, BASE jumping and wingsuit flying as a member of the Red Bull Air Force. Jeff is a stuntman who has appeared in films including Ironman 3 and Godzilla and he is a champion competitor with over 20,000 jumps under his belt. He has trained elite military units in canopy flying and has been part of multiple world record-setting group jumps. He has insane energy and if you follow him on Instagram @jeffprovenzano, you'll see that he trains as hard as any pro athlete in the NFL, NBA or other pro sport. In this interview, we talk about how he forged his own path from art school and skateboarding to becoming one of the foremost human flyers on the planet and what he had to give up to make it happen. I originally connected with Jeff because of something he posted on Instagram that is the embodiment of what it means to choose the hard way (you can see the original post on Instagram here): "I want to share something with all of you. In case you were wondering, or maybe this just gives you insight on how my world works on a professional level. I receive many messages from you, my followers, showing positive support and encouragement and I appreciate that and love you. On the flip side I also receive messages like, "must be nice to get everything for free" or "how do I become a Red Bull athlete and just travel around like you?" Some people have never made a single Skydive and they want to do what I do. Seriously. I get messages like this all the time and I am blown away (also somewhat entertained) by how blind and lazy people are. It's good to be a dreamer and I am one too, but if you want to know how I got to where I am today it is simple. The answer is so simple, but no one wants to hear it. First of all, if anyone knows anything about sponsorships and working relationships with companies you will know that nothing is free. It's a real job. Second, if you are looking for the magic wand, well, there is no such thing as magic. The simple answer is you gotta do the work. You have to be the hardest worker. You have to want to work and be driven to work. By no means am I sitting around playing video games waiting for the phone to ring because I am a world class champion skydiver and I think I deserve this or that. No one wants to work with that person. Instead put the controller down and start doing something that will get you one step closer to your dreams (unless you want to be a pro gamer then that's cool) So instead of waiting for the genie to pop out and turn your lazy ass into a successful whatever it is you dream of becoming, try clearly defining your goals, create a realistic plan on how to get there and start grinding, today. There is no other way. Be relentless and work your ass off to get there. Life is what you make of it. So dream big, make a plan and work on that plan every damn day! If that seems overwhelming, take it one step at a time like a marathon runner. Start with a clear understanding of what needs to happen to cross that finish line. It's not an uber. There are no short cuts. Determination will get you there." -Jeff Provenzano Thanks so much to all of you who have given me a shout to let me know you're digging the show. Very much appreciated ! If you enjoy this episode, please get a friend to listen to it, too, and take a second to rate the show and leave a review. You can find more about the show at www.choosethehardway.com and you can get in touch with feedback, questions or what have you on Twitter or Insta @hardwaypod, or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com.

Phil Gaimon is an ex-pro cyclist and the creator of the wildly popular YouTube cycling series, The Worst Retirement Ever. He previously joined me for episode 5 where he talked about his transformation from an overweight kid into one of the best pro cyclists in America and his evolution as a creator and entrepreneur. Phil is the author of two memoirs, a creative force and had planned to spend this summer on a cross-country tour to use his YouTube series to raise money for the No Kid Hungry charity. Then he had the opportunity to qualify for the 2020 USA Cycling Olympic track team and decided to pursue that goal, too. A month into his van tour, a track race at the velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania went sideways and Phil had a horrible wreck that put him in the hospital for a week with broken bones and a collapsed lung. Only a month out from the wreck, Phil joined me for this conversation to discuss what happened, how he is physically and emotionally processing the injury and how he used it as a chance to amplify his efforts to help No Kid Hungry. You can donate to his No Kid Hungry drive here. Check out the new business Phil launched during his recovery at www.icelegs.com. You can find him on Twitter & Insta @philgaimon, at www.philthethrill.net, and on Strava.com/athletes/philgaimon. During this episode, we talk about several bicycle track racing events. You can see a video of a points race here and a team pursuit race here. And check out Phil's video about his attempt to qualify for the Olympic team here. If you enjoy this episode, please get a friend to listen to it, too, and take a second to rate the show and leave a review. You can find more about the show at www.choosethehardway.com and you can get in touch with feedback, questions or what have you on Twitter or Insta @hardwaypod, or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com.

Kyle Wong is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Pixlee, a visual marketing platform that helps brands market and sell with customer photos and videos. He launched Pixlee out of his Stanford dorm room and got his start as an entrepreneur in high school at Brooklyn Tech. He has been on a roll ever since. Kyle has been featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30 List and is a regular speaker and domain expert on influencer marketing and driving consumer engagement through social media. He is also an active contributor for Forbes and Fortune Magazine where he writes on digital marketing, entrepreneurship, and various leadership and career topics. I met Kyle a few years back when we were both doing keynotes at a tech conference at Colorado. He's an extremely humble guy who is always moving up and to the right, but he's not afraid to share about the tough spots along the way--or to provide a sharp point of view on what's actually tough in life to put some perspective on Peak Tech problems. You can follow him on Twitter @kwong47 and learn more about Pixlee @pixlee. If you enjoy this episode, tell a friend about it and please take a moment to rate it in the Itunes store or wherever you listen. It makes a huge difference and I truly appreciate it. If you'd like to be a guest or want to be in touch, you can find me on social @hardwaypod or drop a line to choosethehardway@gmail.com. Thanks for listening.

Why did police destroy over 400 rape kits in cases where the statute of limitations hadn't expired or when there was no time limit to prosecute? That's the question that drove CNN reporter Ashley Fantz and her colleagues Sergio Hernandez and Sonam Vashi to spend more than a year to create Destroyed, a multi-media investigative report that has already led to changes to how police handle rape kits, calls for legislation and more changes on the way. On this episode, Ashley shares the challenges she had to overcome to report this story and takes you inside the mind of a journalist who has tackled some of the toughest problems in society and the world. She gives an inside look at how editorial teams tackle highly-complex, data-driven reporting, her process and how she navigates the emotional geography that comes with writing investigative reports about hard hitting topics including child abuse, the high suicide rate among military family members, the war in Syria and the deadliest tornado in U.S. history in Joplin, Missouri. I've known Ashley for more than two decades since we met as students at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I deeply admire the direct impact she has made in the world with her tenacious reporting and I'm thankful for what she shared on this episode. Follow her on Twitter @afantz. You are what you overcome. #choosethehardway.-Thanks for listening. If you have questions, comments or want to suggest a guest please reach out to @hardwaypod on social or email me at choosethehardway@gmail.com. I've had times in my life when I've been in hot pursuit of my dreams and gave up when I hit obstacles I didn't think I could overcome. After more than two decades working with the world's top performers, I've learned that to be the best in the world, or just find your personal best, you have to choose the hard way. There aren't shortcuts or hacks that will get you there. And you're going to fail over and over along the way. By sharing these stories, I hope to empower more people to reach beyond who they think they are and just keep going, no matter what they encounter in life. You can help me make it happen when you take a moment to subscribe to Choose the Hard Way, leave a review and rate the show on iTunes or wherever you listen. It only takes 30 seconds, I truly appreciate it, and so will the people who you help find the show. You can also sign up for the Choose the Hard Way newsletter to get more information about episodes, guests and awesome things when you go to www.choosethehardway.com/newsletter.

In the first 18 episodes of Choose the Hard Way, I've had the chance to share interviews with some of the world's top performers. Ep. 19 is different. Recently, I met an astronaut who challenged me to share more about my own failures through this podcast. No problem. I have lived through an abundance of painful experiences in business, relationships and life when I have doubted myself, fallen short, given up too soon or done everything I could and still failed. I've been racing bicycles off and on for 30 years, almost always losing. On this episode, I discuss the years of training that went into trying to win the Dirty Kanza Half Pint, a 105-mile bike race held on gravel roads in the Flint Hills near Emporia, Kansas. The Dirty Kanza 200 gravel race has become one of the most iconic bike races in the world. The Dirty Kanza Half Pint is the shorter version of that race. The 2019 edition of the race will happen on June 1st. The 2,500 entry slots to the races sell out in less than a minute when they become available half a year in advance and people travel from all over America and the world to compete in these races. I've completed the race three times, finishing near DFL in 2013 and taking second place--but not winning--in 2014 and 2015. Joining me is Blake Kasemeier, a.k.a. @blakeoftoday, co-founder of the content marketing agency Slide 32 and host of the Good Grief podcast. We raced as teammates at the Half Pint in 2014 and 2015 and tied for second in 2015. In this episode we discuss the 2013 and 2014 races. We go deep on what it's like to take a trip through the ass kicking machine, going back for more and what you learn on that journey. And laugh at ourselves quite a bit. We'll tackle the 2015 race in a future episode. Because it was such a truly horrific experience that it merits at least another 90 minutes of analysis. Want more? Read the stories I published about my races in 2013 and 2014 here. Connect with Blake @blakeoftoday on insta and twitter. Connect with Slide 32 at www.slide32.com and @slide_32 on insta and twitter and catch the Good Grief podcast at https://anchor.fm/good-grief. Thanks for listening. If you have questions, comments or want to suggest a guest please reach out to @hardwaypod on social or email me at choosethehardway@gmail.com. I've had times in my life when I've been in hot pursuit of my dreams and gave up when I hit obstacles I didn't think I could overcome. After more than two decades working with the world's top performers, I've learned that to be the best in the world, or just find your personal best, you have to choose the hard way. There aren't shortcuts or hacks that will get you there. And you're going to fail over and over along the way. By sharing these stories, I hope to empower more people to reach beyond who they think they are and just keep going, no matter what they encounter in life. You can help me make it happen when you take a moment to subscribe to Choose the Hard Way, leave a review and rate the show on iTunes or wherever you listen. It only takes 30 seconds, I truly appreciate it, and so will the people who you help find the show. You can also sign up for the Choose the Hard Way newsletter to get more information about episodes, guests and awesome things when you go to www.choosethehardway.com/newsletter. You are what you overcome. Choose the hard way. https://www.instagram.com/blakeoftoday/ https://www.instagram.com/slide_32/ https://twitter.com/slide_32 https://www.slide32.com anchor.fm/good-grief

Is the future of venture capital in Ohio? And what does being a wrestler have to do with building a high-performance career in tech? The answer to those questions and more on this episode. Today my guest is Robert Hatta, the Talent Partner at Drive Capital, where he helps portfolio companies build amazing teams. Drive Capital is a venture firm based in Columbus, Ohio that's focused on helping entrepreneurs who want to build world class technology companies. Drive was started in 2013 by two former Sequoia Partners who believed the next billion dollar companies would be created outside of Silicon Valley. Prior to joining Drive, Robert was the VP of Talent for JumpStart Ventures, helping to place hundreds of hires into early-stage startups at all levels. He also held senior leadership roles within technology companies at all stages of growth, including Apple, Netflix, Virgin Mobile and Tackk. But this interview is as much about wrestling as it is about tech. Robert comes from a long line of world-class wrestlers. His father and uncle both won NCCA championships at Oklahoma State and his father coached numerous Olympic teams. Robert's experiences on the mat as a child and later at Stanford helped forge his work ethic and created the foundation for his career. You can follow him on twitter @robert_hatta and you can find Drive at www.drivecapital.com. Thanks for all of the support, emails, and shoutouts @hardwaypod on social. Much appreciated! If you dig what you hear, please tag a friend in the comments and pass it on. A huge thank you to everyone who has taken a moment to hop over to iTunes and rate the show. Don't know how to rate a show? No prob--just watch this video or read this blog post to find out how, fast. Non-Apple people, I love you, too, and would appreciate it if you rate the show on Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. If you dig this episode, please do me a huge favor and rate the show + subscribe. If you're already onboard, please share this episode with a few friends. I really appreciate the support. I'll be back with another great guest soon. Want to be in touch? Reach out on Insta @hardwaypod or Twitter, also @hardwaypod or just drop an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com. You are what you overcome. #choosethehardway

Miles Daisher is a legendary canopy pilot and wingsuit flyer with more than 7,200 skydives and 4,500 BASE jumps. That's more known BASE jumps than anyone on the planet. He may also well embody more stoke than any human on earth. He's a member of the Red Bull Air Force, a specialized human flight team of expert pilots and has worked as a stuntman flying in films including Ironman 3. In 2005, Miles set a BASE jumping record by launching 57-times in a single day, climbing a total of nearly 29,000 vertical feet and performed a record setting 737 BASE jumps in one year. In June 2017 he reclaimed this record by completing 63 BASE jumps in 24 hours. He lives in Twin Falls Idaho which conveniently has a bridge where he can BASE jump whenever he wants and the conditions permit. Miles is also a dad, husband and motivational speaker. In this conversation we discuss filling sandbags, how Miles came up in the sport with his close friend Shane McConkey, when you should be your own biggest critic and why he likes to take walks. Catch Miles on Instagram @miles_daisher and at www.milesdaisher.com. If you dig this episode, please do me a huge favor and rate the show + subscribe on iTunes or go to www.choosethehardway.com to get it on all platforms. If you're already onboard, please share this episode with a few friends or on Insta @hardwaypod or Twitter, also @hardwaypod.I find the stories of my guests to be moving and transformative and I want to share them with as many people as possible. Thanks for helping me make it happen! I'll be back with another great guest soon. Want to be in touch? Hit me up on social or just drop an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com. You are what you overcome. Choose the hard way.

Before he became a Special Forces Engineer and Weapons Sergeant and served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, Doug Kiesewetter was a college dropout whose primary motivation was drinking as much beer as possible and working on his Jeep. A tour of duty as a roughneck in the oil fields of Texas pointed him in a new direction. Still a Green Beret today, Doug is also the content director of SOFLETE, one of the most innovative and reality-based companies in the tactical fitness and human performance space with some of the most interesting content. I enjoy getting to talk to Doug, because he has lived a colorful life, to put it mildly, and knows how to tell a story. In this episode we talk about failure, both self-induced and otherwise, perseverance and pro tips for how to order food when your boss offers to buy you breakfast. You're not going to want to miss that last anecdote. You can find Doug on Instagram @dougtheelephantslayer and follow SOFLETE @sofletehq and https://soflete.com.