Choose the Hard Way

When Kristen Faulkner gave cycling a try in 2017, she was already excelling in a venture capital career and had eyes on making partner. Three years later, she turned pro while working at Threshold Ventures and quickly started crushing European stages. Now she’s a pro cyclist for the UCI  Women's Continental Team, Team Jayco–AlUla. The Harvard grad joins host Andrew Vontz and Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton for a conversation about the life experiences that have shaped her. Kristen talks about stress management, downregulation, becoming an expert learner and how growing up in the Alaskan wilderness with her four siblings prepared her to thrive as a tenacious human later in life. You can follow Kristen on Instagram and learn more in the show notes. To hear about her pro cycling career and where she is heading next in the sport, check out part two of this interview on Beyond the Peloton, available wherever you get your podcasts. In This Episode: Kristen Faulkner Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As far as doing hard things goes, Clay Cooper has got it down. He’s a dad with a full time job who spends his free time deadlifting in nature. He started @discoverydeadlift in 2020 when powerlifting proved to be more than just an outlet for him to change his mental and physical health. Since then, he's hiked and deadlifted in over 180 unique locations across 10 states with his wife and kids. Clay joined host Andrew Vontz to talk about stereotypes surrounding anxiety and depression and how embracing our passions and doing difficult things can transform us into stronger versions of ourselves. With international plans already in the works for 2023, it's clear that Clay's journey is far from over. To see more from Clay, check out @discoverydeadlift on Instagram and TikTok or this week's show notes.  In This Episode: Clay Cooper Instagram | TikTok | LinkedIn Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

American pro cycling is changing. As riders adjust to year round competitions in multiple disciplines, Tobin Ortenblad has done more than just keep up. He started crushing in cyclocross years ago and now races mountain bike and gravel, too. Tobin, who has raced for Santa Cruz Bicycles since 2016, is now a member of Santa Cruz’s in-house endurance team, htSQD, with Keegan Swenson and Alexis Skarda. He has over a dozen professional UCI Cyclocross wins under his belt, along with a Cyclocross National Championship title. This year he joins the best cyclists in the country to compete in the Life Time Grand Prix, featuring seven iconic races on varying terrain. Andrew Vontz sits down with Tobin to talk about how cyclocross has changed, why strength training is important to cyclists, and the truth about mustache trends in the pro racing gravel field. Plus, Tobin shares his theories on why more cyclists are moving toward gravel racing. You can find Tobin on Instagram @mctubbbin and read more about him in the show notes. In This Episode: Tobin Ortenblad Instagram Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Chris Muniz, aka DJ Nightstalker, has been enchanting crowds with his signature sound since the late '90s, where he started alongside heavies like Photek and DJ Rap. From warehouse raves to massive festivals like EDC Vegas and Nocturnal Wonderland, his impact on the drum and bass scene is undeniable. For decades, he’s been an influential electronic music journalist and essayist and his writings have been published in outlets like Bassrush, Insomniac, URB, XLR8R, ATM and Kmag. He’s also a professor at University of Southern California, and holds a PhD in creative writing and literature. Join Chris as he sits down with host Andrew Vontz for a discussion on navigating the LA music scene, the challenges of striking harmony between his roles as a professor, husband, father, and music maker. In This Episode: Chris Muniz  Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Soundcloud | Mixcloud EDC Mexico INSOMNIAC: How to Talk to  Your Kids About Drum and Bass  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As a black belt and entrepreneur, Ben Kovacs wanted to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu more accessible. He founded Guardian Gym, a nonprofit dedicated to providing jiu-jitsu scholarships and training to young people around the world. Ben joins our host Andrew Vontz to discuss the intersection of good intentions and reality, and what it takes to build a lasting and effective nonprofit. Guardian has a unique strategy of using adult memberships to fund free youth after-school programs, while also providing affordable martial arts classes to the entire community. Since opening in Oakland, Guardian has scaled into an international model that places and pays for kids to join their local jiu jitsu academies in LA, Baltimore, Mongolia, Peru and beyond. Ben received his black belt under Eduardo Fraga, previously worked at Twitter, and is an entrepreneur who has launched companies including Lifted View and the EA Mafia. To learn more about Guardian Gym, check out the show notes. Co-host Blake Kasemeier is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and friend of Guardian. He has been a guest on previous Choose the Hard Way episodes and you can find his videos on TikTok @blakeoftoday. In This Episode: Ben Kovacs LinkedIn Guardian Gym Website | Instagram Blake Kasemeier Instagram |TikTok Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

Benji Naesen is a Belgian YouTuber who makes videos about gaming, cycling and his personal fitness journey. He’s also the co-host of the Lanterne Rouge cycling podcast, one of the most popular pro cycling podcasts in the world. Benji went from streaming and creating content about the video game Pro Cycling Manager to working as an analyst for Jumbo-Visma, the best cycling team in the world. Andrew and Benji talk about his experience living life in a public way as an online creator, the sacrifices he has had to make to do it, why he walked away from the Jumbo-Visma gig, and challenging parts of his journey that you may not have seen on his YouTube channels. Whether you love the Tour de France and Tom Boonen or have never heard the name Remco Evenepoel, Benji has an overflowing wisdom bank and this episode is full of gems. Plus, Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton podcast joins Andrew Vontz as co-host for the conversation. You can find Spencer on Twitter @btpcycling and Beyond the Peloton everywhere you listen. You can check out Benji’s content on Twitter @benjinaesen, find the Lanterne Rouge cycling podcast everywhere you listen, and learn more in the show notes.   Benji Naesen on Twitter | Instagram | YouTube  Lanterne Rouge Podcast  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

On the day that “Suspect II: Vanished in the Snow” rose to top of the iTunes and Amazon podcast charts, co-creator Ashley Fantz was rolled into an operating room at Stanford for open-heart surgery. Ashley reported, hosted and co-wrote the show that explores the facts behind the case of a child who was abducted and murdered in 1984. Before her work with Campside Media, Ashley’s award-winning investigative journalism was featured in the likes of CNN, the Oxford American, Salon, and Newsweek, garnered widespread accolades and created real change in the world. In this episode, Andrew Vontz and Ashley explore her journey to, through and beyond open-heart surgery and her experience creating the #1 rated podcast in the world. They talk about parenting, stress management, the creative process, the impact of operating in the true crime space and more. To learn more about Ashley, listen to a 2019 Choose the Hard Way episode where she shares the behind the scenes experience of being a CNN reporter, and check out the show notes.   Ashley Fantz Twitter | Website Suspect II: Vanished in the Snow Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher

As one of the most important professional channels, LinkedIn is increasingly critical - and tricky - to navigate. Justin Nassiri founded Executive Presence, a company that helps executives find the right way to show up for an authentic audience through consistent and relevant messaging. In this episode, Justin talks with Andrew Vontz about why he chooses transparency and vulnerability as a leader. Justin spent the last decade as a serial entrepreneur. He started multiple tech companies focused on marketing services, and launched Beyond the Uniform, the #1 podcast on iTunes for military career transition advice. He’s also a qualified nuclear engineer and studied electrical engineering at the Naval Academy, all before attending the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Learn more about Justin and Executive Presence in the show notes. Justin Nassiri on LinkedIn Executive Presence Website  Beyond The Uniform Podcast  Watch on YouTube Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.  

Natalie Coughlin is one of the most successful swimmers in the history of the sport: a three-time Olympian, twelve-time Olympic medalist, and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She’s also a mom, an entrepreneur and the co-founder of Gaderian Wines. In this episode, Natalie and Andrew Vontz discuss winemaking, competition, making music, rucking, lifting and jiu-jitsu. Plus how creativity and focus impact the way we navigate big transitions in sport, life and work - even after three Olympic gold medals. You can learn more about Natalie in the show notes.  Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.

Alexey Vermeulen decided to leave the highest level of professional cycling in Europe to compete in gravel, road and mountain bike races back in the United States. In 2022 he won one of the biggest gravel races in America, the Belgian Waffle Ride San Diego as well as the Iceman Cometh mountain bike race and took part in the Lifetime Grand Prix series. Avery Stumm is a videographer, photographer and creator who came up in the BMX scene. On their YouTube channel, Alexey and Avery, they tell the story of Alexey’s experiences as a pro cyclist and break the fourth wall to tell the story of their relationship as a content creation team and everything that goes into what they make. That includes Willie, the dachshund that Alexey sometimes carries in a backpack on rides who has become dog famous. Avery is part of the story and it paints a picture of life behind the pro athlete highlight reel that’s a new and different kind of viewing experience. This episode is about much more than pro cycling. We talk about logistics, teamwork, the creative process, how doing hard things with friends makes success more fun and much more. Find Alexey on social @alexeyvermeulen, find Avery @avery_stumm and find the Alexey and Avery show on YouTube. You can find those links in the show notes. Alexey Vermeulen Instagram  Avery Stumm Instagram Alexey and Avery YouTube Channel  Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.