Midlife Male by Greg Scheinman

Brian Peters is an NFL veteran who played in the Arena League and the Canadian Football League before joining the Houston Texans as a linebacker. Brian is a formidable athlete and an intrepid biohacker who uses cold exposure, contrast therapy, and Wim Hof breathing to optimize his health and performance. He believes that exposing the body to stressful environments (such as extremes of hot or cold) builds physical and mental resilience, and he can often be found meditating in his cold tub or sitting in an icy lake. Brian is always looking for new ways to push himself and, in his capacity as Strength and Leadership Coach for the MindStrong Project, he also helps others work towards their personal and fitness goals. His new podcast, Chasing Edges, which promises to uncover the hacks, habits, and mindsets of high performers, will be available soon.

Sean Garner is the founder of EntreFit, a company that helps fitness professionals optimize their income and scale their online fitness businesses. EntreFit’s business coaching program teaches trainers and coaches how to identify their perfect client, find their niche, and stand out from the competition. It also provides them with the blueprint they need to build a financially successful and emotionally fulfilling career. Sean is an experienced personal trainer and content creator whose workouts and training programs are regularly featured in Men’s Health. He loves to help men feel more confident about their bodies, and through his business coaching, he teaches fitness professionals how to provide the best possible service to their clients. As a husband, father, and entrepreneur, he’s a firm believer in the importance of getting clear on your priorities and developing the self-discipline to work steadily and consistently towards your goals.

Alfred Spellman is a born storyteller. He grew up in Miami Beach and, along with his friend Billy Corben, he’s been making films since he was 15 years old. In 2000 they created their production company Rakontur and their first documentary, Raw Deal: A Question of Consent, premiered at the Sundance Festival in 2001. Since then, they’ve produced 537 Votes, Screwball, Magic City Hustle, Dawg Fight, Cocaine Cowboys, and ESPN’s 30 for 30: Broke, The U, and The U: Part 2. Rakontur’s films have tackled a diverse range of topics from sexual assault to college football to the Biogenesis doping scandal. Alfred’s not afraid to explore the sordid underbelly of society, and as a Miami native, he derives much of his inspiration from the real-life stories of crime, corruption, and hypocrisy that are rife in his hometown.

Greg Funderburk is the pastoral care minister at South Main Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He is also an author whose first book, The Mourning Wave, A Novel of the Great Storm, was published to critical acclaim in September 2020. Greg’s second book, Let It Be Said We’ve Borne It Well, a collection of stories compiled to provide support and encouragement during the Covid pandemic, has just been released by Smyth & Helwys. Greg is inspired by tales of human endurance, compassion, and fortitude, and he believes in finding solace in the small things that bring joy and meaning to our lives. As a former lawyer, Greg has brought his practical problem-solving mindset to his current role as a pastor, and he is committed to helping his parishioners cope with the challenges they face in their lives.

Robby Sansom is the co-founder and CEO/Chief Land Steward of Force of Nature, a company based in Austin, which sells pasture-raised grass-fed meat sourced from farms and ranches that practice regenerative farming principles. Conservation and nature have always been important to Robby, who grew up in the Texas hill country where he learned to hunt and harvest his own meat.Before he co-founded Force of Nature, Robby was the CFO and COO of EPIC provisions, and he has spent the last six years studying regenerative agriculture at ranches all over the world.  Robby and the rest of the team at Force of Nature are committed to accelerating the creation of a regenerative agriculture system that helps enrich the soil, combat climate change, and make food production more sustainable. They are proud to sell premium quality meat from animals raised in natural grass pastures. With Force of Nature, consumers can invest in environmental regeneration by consuming nutrient-rich meat that is good for them and good for the planet.

Patrick Bolanos’ entrepreneurial journey started four years ago when he lost his job as the CFO of a restaurant group. With no savings to fall back on, Patrick realized he had to make some radical changes in his life. To make ends meet, he worked part-time in a catering company, but his mind was set on becoming an entrepreneur. Listening to motivational videos and podcasts inspired Patrick to take action and, after learning to weld, he set up Trailer King Builders, a company that builds customized food trucks.   As the company grew, Patrick made the decision to invest in his personal growth and enrolled in the Arete Syndicate and Apex Executives coaching programs. Being around people who have achieved considerable success in business has helped to make Patrick more accountable and enabled him to shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset. Today, Trailer King Builders is thriving, and Patrick has launched his own podcast. He has also set up the Working For A Dream baseball academy in Nicaragua, which helps underprivileged kids to get an opportunity to sign with Major League Baseball teams.  

James Fitzgerald is the founder of OPEX Fitness, a company that specializes in providing fitness coaching education. James grew up in Northern Canada and was a promising football player until an injury put paid to his plans of a professional career. Undeterred, he took up running, bodybuilding, weightlifting, and gymnastics. He also enrolled at The Memorial University of Newfoundland to study kinesiology and biology. Eventually, James discovered CrossFit, and in 2007, he was crowned The Fittest Man on Earth in the inaugural CrossFit Games. Following on from his competitive success, James managed to turn his love of fitness into a lucrative coaching career, and in 2011, he moved from Canada to Arizona to expand his business and establish OPEX Fitness. Even though he’s super-curious about all things fitness, James isn’t just concerned about the physical aspects of health and wellbeing. He’s a life-long learner and an avid reader who has spent time thinking about some of the big questions, such as how to live a purposeful, moral, and fulfilling life. In today’s show, James explains how he balances family, fatherhood, and business and provides some straightforward suggestions for optimizing health, happiness, and longevity. 

Tom Digan is the president and co-founder of Ladder, a digital fitness app designed to give its subscribers access to elite coaches and provide them with structured workouts, expert guidance, and enthusiastic support from a like-minded community. Prior to his role as president of Ladder, Tom spent 11 years trading credit and equity derivatives for a New York hedge fund. His career on Wall Street started in 2007(just on the cusp of the financial crisis), and for a few months, he was able to witness at first hand the sort of reckless conduct and excessive risk-taking that led up to the crash.  In 2016, after becoming interested in digital fitness and the idea of democratizing access to personal trainers, Tom decided to invest in Ladder. In 2018, he joined the company full-time as president and relocated from the New York area to Austin. Since then, he has been able to recruit some of the top trainers in the world to be part of his platform. Over the past year, Ladder’s strong community focus and structured programming have helped to keep people fit, motivated, and connected through the Covid pandemic. The company continues to grow and Tom is excited about its future and looking forward to offering Ladder members an ever-expanding range of innovative and fun fitness solutions.

Mark Samuel is a proud dad, a fitness enthusiast, and the founder and CEO of IWON Organics, a health and wellness company that makes super-delicious, high-protein, and gluten-free snacks. Mark is on a mission to make snacking healthy, guilt-free, and fun. He wants people to feel good about what they’re eating and explains that IWON stands for ‘I’m winning on nutrition’. As a matter of fact, Mark wants to help everybody feel like they’re winning, not just in nutrition but in life.  A firm believer in celebrating the small stuff, Mark’s recently released e-book, 'Small Wins Big Victories', is designed to help us appreciate the small wins we experience along the way. As a single parent who prioritizes his kids and an entrepreneur who likes to work out, Mark aims for balance in every area of his life and he shares his tips for fitting family, fitness, work, and fun into a purposeful and fulfilling life. 

Jamey Rootes joins the show.