Choose the Hard Way

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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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 [email protected]. 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.

The Beastie Boys, Spike Jonze, Doug Aitken, Public Enemy, Soundgarden, a Tribe Called Quest, the Matrix, Man of Steel, 300, Nike & Converse are but a few of the artists, films & companies who have leveraged the creative talents of Eric Matthies. In this conversation, we discuss his path from a Chicago skate punk with a camera who shot videos for bands like Nine Inch Nails to the exceptional documentary film work he has created with his wife and collaborator, Tricia Todd, including The End of Truth, a doc about ISIS kidnappings in Syria and Killing the Messenger, a film about the global epidemic of journalist murders. Eric is a polymath with formidable talent as a director, producer, writer, poet and photographer.

In addition to film, Eric has worked as a director and producer across a number of genres including site-based VR, world-building R&D and live events. You can learn more about Eric on his website, www.ericmatthies.me and on his Tumblr and connect with him (maybe) on Vero. Check out his doc work with Tricia Todd including End of Truth, Killing The Messenger:The Deadly Cost of News, and Agile Mobile Hostile: A Year With Andre Williams.

Eric and I first met through our passion for cycling and journalism that saw us mashed up in the birth of urban cycling culture in Los Angeles long before MASH was a brand or Red Hook was a crit. We were out rolling with Midnight Ridazz from the first few rides and saw it grow from a dozen people to thousands hitting the streets of LA on a Friday night. Simultaneously, I was involved in the cutthroat world of Cat. 4 crit racing in LA rolling on a stacked VeloWorx squad stacked with talent like Mark-Paul Gosselaar of Saved by the Bell and later NYPD Blue fame--one of the fiercest and most focused competitors I've ever ridden with--and a heavy-hitting entertainment attorney who would go onto rep both George Hincapie and Michael Jackson's estate.

These were wild times and the world didn't know it, but a bike revolution was kicking off on the streets and office parks of LA. That led us to create a TV pilot about cycling culture in Los Angeles in the early 2000's that encompassed everything from fixed gear culture to criterium racing and bike activism. We were onto something big, but about a decade too soon. The show didn't get picked up, but a friendship and creative partnership was born that keeps on trucking. I have deep respect for Eric and what he and his partner, Tricia Todd, have done as artists and people. I am honored to be able to count him among my closest friends and most trusted advisors and I'm excited to share this interview with you.

Thanks so much for taking time to listen to Choose the Hard Way. If you enjoy the show, PLEASE hit the subscribe button and rate the show. Then share this episode with a friend who you think might dig it. It makes a huge difference, it only takes 30 seconds, and it really means a lot to me. I'll be back with another great guest soon. In the meantime, you can reach out @hardwaypod on Twitter or Instagram or just drop an email to [email protected].

Diane Luby Lane is an award-winning literary activist, educator, actress, poet, author and the founder and executive director of Get Lit–Words Ignite, an LA-based arts education nonprofit that brings classic poetry to the street and street poetry into the classrooms to empower new generations in literature, self-expression and performing arts. By engaging teens in great works of literature, in-school and beyond, teens engage in their own futures and unearth their potential. In 2012 Lane created the now annual Classic Slam, the largest youth classic poetry festival in the nation. Lane's Lit Kit, a standards based, in-school curriculum, has been adopted by schools throughout the U.S. and internationally.

But that's just part of her story. She is an actress with numerous commercial, TV and film credits and the author of the award-winning Get Lit Rising, published by Simon & Schuster and Words of Women, published by Samuel French. She is also the co-writer and co-producer of DANTE, an original adaptation of Dante's Inferno, which stars Get Lit Poets. She was the playwright and star of the one-woman show Deep Sea Diving which she toured with Chicano poet and author Jimmy Santiago Baca. Diane is a TedX speaker, a graduate of the Annenberg Foundation's Alchemy + Leadership Program, a Southern California Leadership Network Fellow and served on L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti's Poet Laureate Committee and she is a recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service Award.

Diane has changed the lives of hundreds of thousand of kids and reached hundreds of millions more through the power of poetry and storytelling. The biggest things that jumped out to me in our conversation were Diane's total lack of fear of failure, her refusal to be complacent when things have been going well in her life and her willingness to follow her gut and keep trying things that seemed impossible. Progress is not a linear path and success is rarely what it seems. As you'll hear, sometimes it even involves being a modeling talent scout in a Florida shopping mall.

What Diane has done with Get Lit is hugely impressive. But as I learned from her, its success was anything but a foregone conclusion and it has its origins in thousands of hours of hard work and knocking on doors until she overcame the skepticism she encountered and someone gave her a chance to get the program started.

Learn more about Diane at www.dianelubylane.com and find her on Instagram and Twitter @dianelubylane. For more info on Get Lit, visit www.getlit.org and follow them on Instagram and Twitter @getlitpoet.

Pete Holman is a physical therapist, strength & conditioning expert, entrepreneur, inventor, author, and renaissance man based in Aspen, Colorado. Pete is a former TaeKwon-Do US national team captain and TaeKwon-Do National Champion. As a physical therapist, educator and strength & conditioning expert, Pete has worked with tens of thousands of coaches, trainers and athletes around the world ranging from everyday people to professional athletes and special operators. Pete is the inventor of two widely used pieces of fitness equipment, the TRX Rip Trainer and Nautilus Glute Drive. Pete and I have known each other for a decade and first met at the fitness company TRX where I was the head of content and Pete was often in front of the camera or leading training seminars around the world.

Writing is hard. Writing a novel is really hard. Without any previous writing experience, Pete started writing fiction for fun a few years ago while bored on a long haul flight. In a discipline most people never start and many stop, Pete just kept going and he recently completed his first novel, Cruz, about an illegal immigrant working as a professional cyclist.

In this interview, we talk about how Pete went from a lost metalhead hanging out with the wrong crowd in high school to a world-class martial artist, his propensity to continually take risks, focus, preparation for high level competition, motivation, mindset, parenting, loss, the entrepreneurial mindset and overcoming inertia to take big risks and keep going. Follow him @peteholman1 on Twitter and Instagram.

Growing up in Sacramento, CA, Marcus 'Big Herc' Timmons was a straight-A student and talented athlete before he took a wrong turn into gang life, drug dealing and violence. He spent most of his teens incarcerated the California Youth Authority juvenile detention system and before he went to prison for bank robbery, he worked as a performer in the adult industry.

Today, Big Herc, is one of the fastest rising stars on YouTube. He spent nine years in the federal penitentiary for bank robbery, underwent a deep transformation during his time inside and came out the other side to thrive and empower others to choose a different path. He's best known as the co-creator and host of the wildly popular YouTube series Fresh Out: Life After the Penitentiary and a number of spinoff shows including Prison Talk.

He's also a motivational speaker, author, executive coach and an entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses. If you haven't checked out Fresh Out or Prison Talk, let me just tell you that it's some of the rawest, deepest and most compelling content you're ever going to watch with insights into human nature and life lessons that people from all walks of life can learn from.

Big Herc's mission is to help educate the world about the horrors of prison life and educate those headed inside so they can survive and get out alive. But most importantly, he wants to strip away the glamor associated with the criminal life on the street to help people on that path stop before they end up making the mistakes that he did. His content is amazing, his persona is magnetic and with his partners he's expanding his empire into multiple YouTube series, the supplement business, coaching and much more.

Catch Big Herc at www.freshoutseries.com, follow him on social @bigherc916 and @freshoutseries. On YouTube, search for Fresh Out Series.

Thanks so much for taking time to listen to Choose the Hard Way. If you enjoy the show, PLEASE hit the subscribe button and rate the show. Then share this episode with a friend who you think might dig it. It makes a huge difference, it only takes 30 seconds, and it really means a lot to me.

Thanks for listening and I'll be back with another great guest soon. In the meantime, you can reach out @hardwaypod on Twitter or Instagram or just drop an email to [email protected].

You are what you overcome. Choose the Hard Way.