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.

For serial entrepreneur and Fitt CEO, Anthony Vennare, community is the super power driving winning businesses in health, wellness & fitness. Anthony and his brother and business partner Joe have started and successfully exited multiple businesses in these spaces. Together they’re the founders of Fitt Insider and Fitt Capital and have built a platform at the center of these industries. The Fitt Insider newsletter and podcast analyze industry headlines, trends and investment activity in the health, wellness, fitness & human performance business landscape. Fitt Capital invests in and advises mission-driven startups redefining well-being. To date, they’ve made investments in more than 20 companies including: Joon, the wellness benefits platform; Bird & Be, the fertility company; and Future, the wildly popular personal training app. I became a Fitt Insider subscriber during my time as an executive at Strava and continue to keep up with it today. Anthony and I discuss the rise of Fitt Insider, the Fitt Capital investment thesis and much more. If you are alive and listening to this podcast, and I have strong reason to believe that you are, please like, subscribe hit 5 stars and write a positive review wherever you listen. This is Choose the Hard Way where guests share stories about how hard things build stronger humans. I’m Andrew Vontz and I’ve spent more than 25 years telling and shaping the stories of the world’s top performers, brands and businesses. I’ve held executive and senior leadership roles at the social network for athletes Strava and the human performance company TRX. My byline as a journalist has appeared in outlets like Rolling Stone, Outside magazine, The Los Angeles Times and more. Today I advise and consult with businesses and nonprofits on high-impact storytelling strategies and I coach leaders to become high-performance communicators. If you’d like to work with me, reach out on LinkedIn, DM me @vontz or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com. I’m also now considering sponsorship from mission-aligned brands to support this show in 2023 and beyond. If that’s you, reach out. We’re revamping the newsletter, so be sure to sign up at www.choosthehardway.com to get a monthly drop of insights and a look at what’s ahead. If you’d like to suggest a guest or say hello, you can DM me @hardwaypod on social or send an email to choosethehardway@gmail.com. Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vennare Fitt Insider: https://insider.fitt.co Fitt Capital: https://capital.fitt.co   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.

How does resilience transfer across disciplines? Andrew Vontz and co-host Blake Kasemeier sat down with Hector Beltran to talk about fine-tuning the balance of creativity and progress in any practice. Hector, co-founder of Academy Jiu-Jitsu in Downey, California, is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a mixed martial artist and a Bronze medalist in the Master division at the 2022 IBJJF No-Gi World Championships. He’s also a coder, filmmaker, musician, and endurance athlete. He shares the value of being present with family and career, how tech influenced him to unlock new opportunities in business by breaking tradition, and what mountain biking taught him about jui-jitsu. To learn more about Hector, check out the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Academy Jiu-Jitsu Website | Instagram  Hector Beltran Instagram  Blake Kasemeier Instagram - - - - - - - - - -  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.