Choose the Hard Way

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.

Travis Macy has graced podiums at some of the world's most grueling trail runs, adventure races and mountain biking competitions. As a speaker, podcast host, and author, he shares stories of what endurance sports have taught him about human resilience both on and off the trail. His forthcoming memoir A Mile at a Time is about his relationship with his father, Mark Macy, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2018. The two often host a podcast, The Travis Macy Show, together. Travis shares the value of rest and optimism when balancing family, mental health, and training, and the importance of having a beginner's mindset when you're new to something. To learn more about Travis, find his website and podcast in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Travis Macy Instagram | Website Mace Macy on Instagram A Mile at A Time: A Father and Son's Inspiring Alzheimer's Journey of Love, Adventure, and Hope Travis Macy Show Apple Podcast | Spotify - - - - - - - - - -  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.

Andrew Vontz of Choose the Hard Way and Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton talk with Patrick Broe about high performance, team dynamics and race strategy inside the professional peloton. This episode is part of the Choose the Hard Way Life Cycles series that explores how bikes shape people and the world. To learn more about Lanterne Rouge, check out the show notes at ChoosetheHardWay.com. Beyond the Peloton is a podcast with in-depth pro cycling race previews, analysis, and rankings, hosted by Spencer Martin. You can find the podcast and subscribe to Spencer's newsletter at www.beyondthepelotonblog.com. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Lantern Rouge Website | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | Podcast Patrick Broe LinkedIn Beyond The Peloton  - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way produced and edited by Palm Tree Pod Co. 

After navigating depression and bipolar 2, Alex Palmer sought more purpose and meaning in life. He founded a mental health awareness project in the cycling world called Blackdog, and now hosts Blackdogcast, a cycling-powered mental health awareness podcast. He shares his insights into environmental stress in the pro cycling world, searching for a job that works with you, and how too much of anything - including riding a bike - can become an unhealthy way to hide from your problems. Now, Alex works with Heading Health, an Austin-based start-up offering integrated mental health care and psychedelic therapy. You can read more about him in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Alex Palmer Instagram | LinkedIn  Blackdog Cast Website | Podcast  - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

Whether innovating healthcare systems, challenging personal habits, or competing in an uphill cycling race in freezing weather, Chris Waugh often returns to the core principle of a "beginner's mind." How would we approach this if it was our first experience? Chris is a powerhouse in the world of health care innovation. Human-centered design informed years at IDEO, One Medical Group, and now at Sutter Health, as first Chief Innovation Officer. In this interview, we talk about how curiosity and creativity can reframe our approach to human health. He shares anecdotes about marginal gains, cellular health, systems thinking, and the many ways cycling has been a vector for personal and professional exploration and growth. This episode is part of the Choose the Hard Way Life Cycles series that explores how bikes shape people and the world. You can find out more about this series and Chris in the show notes. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Chris Waugh LinkedIn - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

How do exercise, conversation, and memory change our brains? Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Scott Frey has spent over 30 years researching the way our brain's adaptability impacts human performance. He is an award-winning scientist, endurance athlete, lecturer and entrepreneur - and not long before he began his research, he was a high school dropout financially supporting his single mother, who had multiple sclerosis. Within 10 years, he graduated from Harvard and went on to receive a PhD from Cornell. Now, in addition to running his company, Neurocognitive Consultants, he is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at Missouri University, where he also directs the Rehabilitation Neuroscience Laboratory. In this episode, we talk about the brain's ability to adapt to challenges like limb loss and degenerative disease, how focus and attention determine memory function, and the way exercise impacts our neuroplasticity. Read show notes and more on our website. Watch on YouTube. Sign up for the Hard Way Newsletter. In This Episode: Dr. Scott Frey Website | LinkedIn | Facebook Neurocognitive Consultants - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

Chris Cowart has applied the expertise in user-centered design he developed during 14 years at IDEO to innovate across the disciplines of product, partnerships, venture capital and business. His career spans Venture Capital with Montage Ventures, revolutionizing food systems with Treasure8, and designing many "first of their categories" including TiVo and Handspring at IDEO. Now as the Managing Director of the Nomura-SRI Innovation Center (NSIC), he is working to accelerate the adoption of Silicon Valley's disruptive technology innovation processes into corporate Japan. We talk about the socialization of ideas and seeing the future through design fiction, plus a Google X moonshot project that didn't quite make it past the stratosphere. To learn more about Chris, follow him on Instagram or LinkedIn and check out the show notes. In This Episode: Chris Cowart Instagram | LinkedIn - - - - - - - - - -  Choose The Hard Way Website | Instagram Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production 

For Mary Lemmer, improv was initially a means to recalibrate and reconnect to her life. Now, the fundamental response of "yes and" has become a guiding principle that changes the way she moves through the world. As the founder of Improve, she has led workshops for tens of thousands of people around the world - to individuals, companies, Fortune 500s, universities, and nonprofits - and she even gave a TED talk about the impact of improv on leadership. We talk about what she learned on her professional path from the gelato cart, to tech and investing, and even to an Airbnb for vegetable gardens - and how she ended up studying at The Second City and The Annoyance in Chicago, Upright Citizen's Brigade in NYC and The Groundlings in LA. Go to www.chooseimprove.com and @chooseimprove on Instagram to learn more.   In This Episode: Improve Website | Instagram | LinkedIn  Mary Lemmer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn  - - - - - - - - - -  Andrew Vontz LinkedIn Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher Choose The Hard Way is a Palm Tree Pod Co. production