What does it actually take to build a brand that lasts?

In this episode of Let ’R Rip, we sit down with Brandan Schieppati - frontman of Bleeding Through, former member of Eighteen Visions and Throwdown, and founder of Rise Above Fitness - to break down the real truth behind music, fitness, business, and authenticity.

From the early Warped Tour days to building a cult following in hardcore and metal, Brandan shares how staying true to himself helped him evolve from musician to entrepreneur — without ever selling out.

This isn’t a highlight reel. This is what it actually looks like behind the scenes.

WHAT WE GET INTO:

• The REAL story behind Bleeding Through and early 2000s hardcore
• Building a brand through authenticity (not trends)
• Why most people fail in fitness, business, and content
• The truth about the supplement and fitness industry
• How Rise Above Fitness was built from the ground up
• Why “being yourself” is the ultimate competitive advantage
• The shift from online coaching back to in-person connection
• Music, mental health, and dealing with dark periods
• Why chasing trends will destroy your brand long-term
• Grassroots marketing vs. social media illusions
• The mindset it takes to NEVER have a plan B

ABOUT BRANDAN SCHIEPPATI:

Brandan Schieppati is the vocalist of Bleeding Through, a pioneering band in the metalcore and hardcore scene since 1999. Before that, he was a guitarist and songwriter for Eighteen Visions (1997–2002) and also performed with Throwdown, helping shape an entire era of heavy music.

Outside of music, Brandan is the founder of Rise Above Fitness in Huntington Beach, California — a gym built on culture, discipline, and community. He’s an ISSA-certified personal trainer known for his no-BS approach and his signature “parking lot workouts” developed while touring.

THIS EPISODE IS FOR:

• Coaches, trainers, and gym owners
• Musicians, creatives, and entrepreneurs
• Anyone trying to build a REAL brand
• People tired of fake social media success
• Anyone who values truth over comfort

ABOUT LET ’R RIP:

No scripts. No filters. No bullshit. Just real conversations with people who actually live it.

Hosted by Jake Sirokman & Michael, Let ’R Rip brings together leaders from music, fitness, business, and culture to talk about what it really takes to build something meaningful.

Rick Thorne, known as “The Biker in Black,” is a legendary BMX rider, X Games competitor, ESPN host, musician, and creator of the Stay Rad movement.

In this episode of Let ‘R Rip, Rick shares the real story behind his decades-long career, from the early days of BMX to building a personal brand before social media, to reinventing himself through music, media, and mindset.

This conversation dives deep into:

• The cost of staying relevant for over 40 years
• The mental shift required to reinvent yourself
• Letting go of people pleasing, guilt, and fear
• Building identity beyond your career
• The difference between passion and discipline
• Why most people stay stuck and how to break out

This is a raw, honest conversation about longevity, growth, and what it really takes to keep evolving.

In this episode of the Let R Rip Podcast, Jake Sirokman and Mikey sit down with Aaron “Bubble” Patrick - bassist, tour manager, and longtime veteran of the metal and hardcore scene.

Aaron has played with Bury Your Dead, All That Remains, DevilDriver, Kingdom of Sorrow, and more, while also tour managing for major acts including Hatebreed, Bring Me The Horizon, and most recently helping oversee the first U.S. tour for Lords of the Sound, the Ukrainian symphonic orchestra.

This conversation goes far beyond a standard music interview.

Aaron breaks down what it was really like going from welding and local bands to touring with massive acts like Korn, Deftones, Stone Sour, and more. He shares the reality of staying in the game for decades, the behind-the-scenes world of tour management, what it takes to survive life on the road, and how fitness, discipline, recovery, and self-work became essential to longevity.

This episode covers:

• Aaron “Bubble” Patrick’s journey through metal and hardcore
• Bury Your Dead, All That Remains, DevilDriver, and Kingdom of Sorrow
• tour management and behind-the-scenes life in music
• opening for Korn on Family Values
• the reality of building a long-term music career
• fitness, sobriety, discipline, and mental resilience
• life lessons from the road
• ADHD, creativity, and staying driven
• why growth never stops in music or in life

If you’re a musician, creative, tour manager, hardcore fan, metalhead, or someone trying to build a career around passion and discipline, this one is packed with perspective.

#AaronPatrick #BubblePatrick #BuryYourDead #AllThatRemains #LetRRipPodcast #MetalPodcast #HardcorePodcast #TourLife #MusicIndustry #TourManager #HeavyMusic #MetalScene #HardcoreScene #MusicianLife #Discipline #Growth #Sobriety #FitnessForMusicians #LifeOnTheRoad

In this episode of the Let R Rip Podcast, Jake and Mikey sit down for a raw conversation about success, freedom, social media burnout, real-life connection, and what it actually means to build a life that matters.

This is one of the most honest Let R Rip conversations yet.

They break down how easy it is to lose yourself trying to build a brand, chase attention, keep up with content demands, and perform for the algorithm. They talk about the shift away from constant posting, the pressure of online validation, and why real success has nothing to do with appearing important on the internet.

This episode covers:

• what success actually means

• why freedom matters more than attention

• social media burnout and overexposure

• real-life relationships vs online performance

• building businesses through trust and connection

• how creators lose themselves in content

• why doing less can produce more

• the value of individuality over cookie-cutter systems

• building a life you actually want to live

Jake and Mikey also unpack the evolution of Force of Focus, Creator’s Standard, and Let R Rip, along with the lessons learned from multiple pivots in business, identity shifts, and years of chasing growth in all the wrong ways.

They dive into why chasing more=more content, more attention, more validation, can actually pull you further away from the life you’re trying to build, and how stepping back allowed them to reconnect with what actually matters: family, freedom, relationships, and real-world impact.

This conversation isn’t about hacks, trends, or tactics.

It’s about truth.

Because at the end of the day…

success isn’t what it looks like online.

It’s the life you get to live when the phone is down.

In this episode of the Let R Rip Podcast, Jake Sirokman and Mikey sit down with Josh Coburn for a raw conversation on purpose, masculinity, freedom, discipline, social media, and what it really means to build a life that feels real.

Josh breaks down what led him to leave the rat race, move to Nicaragua with his family, and step away from the constant grind of modern life. But this conversation goes far beyond relocation. It dives into identity, work ethic, discomfort, entrepreneurship, family, faith, and why so many men feel lost when they stop chasing purpose.

They talk about what happens when you disconnect from the noise, why real life matters more than online validation, how discipline builds confidence, and why the best things in life happen when you keep showing up without obsessing over outcomes.

This episode covers:

purpose and reinvention

escaping burnout

social media vs real life

discipline and masculinity

entrepreneurship and freedom

family, faith, and responsibility

why men need purpose

learning to embrace discomfort

building a life you actually want

If you’re a business owner, creative, entrepreneur, father, or someone who feels like there has to be more than the daily grind, this conversation is going to hit.

What if the “starving artist” mindset is actually the thing holding you back?

In this episode of Let ’R Rip, we sit down with artist and creative professional Charles Lewis to break down the real reason most creatives struggle and how to actually build a successful career without sacrificing your life, your family, or your sanity.

This conversation goes way deeper than art. We get into discipline, faith, relationships, mental health, and the real foundation behind creative success.

Because the truth is… Your best work doesn’t come from chaos. It comes from alignment.

WHAT WE GET INTO:

• Why the “starving artist” mindset is complete bullshit
• Creating from trauma vs. creating from stability
• How discipline, family, and faith impact creativity
• The difference between persona vs. real creative identity
• Why most artists stay stuck (and how to break through)
• The importance of self-awareness and emotional stability
• Why your environment determines your creative output
• Building confidence to turn creativity into a business
• Choosing the right clients and projects as you level up
• Why responsibility = freedom in creative careers

ABOUT CHARLES LEWIS:

Charles Lewis is a seasoned artist and creative professional with years of experience in painting, graffiti, and visual design. Known for his raw perspective and disciplined approach, Charles blends art, life, and business into a philosophy rooted in growth, responsibility, and purpose.

His work and mindset challenge the outdated belief that great art must come from suffering - replacing it with a model built on structure, discipline, and alignment

ABOUT LET ’R RIP:

No scripts. No filters. No bullshit. Just real conversations with creatives, entrepreneurs, and leaders who actually live it.

Hosted by Jake Sirokman & Michael, this podcast is built on one thing:

Truth over comfort.

Rob Smead is a professional tattoo artist, serial entrepreneur, founder of Electrum Supply, and creator of Successrifice.

In this episode of the Let ’R Rip Podcast, Rob sits down with Jake Sirokman and Mikey to talk about:

⚡ Building Electrum from a basement startup into a global tattoo brand

⚡ Entrepreneurship, discipline, and personal freedom

⚡ The difference between critics and operators

⚡ Journaling, mindset, and self-awareness

⚡ Fitness, balance, and mental health

⚡ Identity struggles in the tattoo industry

⚡ Authenticity in a world full of fake personas

⚡ Violence, prison, personal growth, and transformation

⚡ Creating Successrifice and the Warrior Journal

⚡ What it truly means to become the best version of yourself

This conversation dives deep into business, self-development, creativity, leadership, fatherhood, authenticity, and the sacrifices required to build a meaningful life.

NO FILTERS.

NO SCRIPTS.

JUST REAL CONVERSATIONS.

🎙️ LET ’R RIP PODCAST

Truth Over Comfort.

Follow Rob Smead:

Instagram: @noflashninja

Website: successrifice.com

Follow Let ’R Rip:

Instagram: @letrrippodcast

#RobSmead #ElectrumSupply #TattooPodcast #Entrepreneurship #Successrifice #SelfDevelopment #TattooIndustry #Mindset #Leadership #Fitness #Authenticity #LetRRipPodcas

In this episode of the Let R Rip Podcast, Jake Sirokman and Mikey Getz sit down with Big John for a raw conversation on sobriety, discipline, branding, fitness, business, and the long game of building a real life.

Big John opens up about his journey from addiction and chaos to over 1,281 straight days of workouts, 17 years of sobriety, building a personal brand, launching Big John’s Macro Snacks, showing up at expos, creating real trust online, and stepping into the wellness space.

This episode dives into what it really means to stay consistent, build something authentic, and separate yourself in a world full of copycats, fake personas, and surface-level motivation.

If you’re an entrepreneur, creator, coach, artist, or anyone trying to build a stronger life with real discipline, this one hits hard.

In this episode we cover:

• Big John’s story and how he got started
• 1,281 days of workouts without missing
• 17 years of sobriety and self-mastery
• Building a real personal brand online
• Authenticity vs fake internet personas
• Product vs service sales
• Big John’s Macro Snacks and business growth
• In-person networking, expos, and trust building
• Peptides, recovery, TRT, and wellness
• What’s next for Big John in 2026

Follow Big John:

Instagram: @bigjohnfit

Macro Snacks: Big John’s Macro Snacks

Subscribe to Let R Rip for more raw conversations with entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, creators, and people actually doing the work.

Let R Rip Podcast sits down with Justin Andrews of Mind Pump for a full-scale rip on fitness, business, podcasting, coaching, mindset, media, and what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Jake, Mikey, and Justin talk through the early rise of Mind Pump Media, the reality of starting a podcast before podcasting was mainstream, and how Mind Pump helped pave the way for online fitness, digital coaching, and modern fitness education. They break down the difference between real coaching and surface-level internet advice, why most people are buried in misinformation and information overload, and how the fitness industry keeps recycling the same bad ideas across Instagram, TikTok, and trend-driven content.

This episode covers strength training, recovery, beginner fitness, coaching psychology, CrossFit culture, gym ownership, building programs, leadership, discipline, entrepreneurship, and the shift back toward real human connection. Justin shares why simplifying fitness is often the smartest move, why recovery matters more than most people realize, and how the best coaches learn to serve the individual instead of forcing people into rigid systems.

The conversation also hits music, tattoos, creativity, media, masculinity, pain, performance, and staying authentic while building a respected brand in a noisy world. If you’re a coach, entrepreneur, musician, tattoo artist, gym owner, podcaster, or creator, this episode is loaded with hard-earned insight and honest perspective.

No fake hype.

Just real conversation with one of the OGs in the fitness podcast space.

Connect with Justin Andrews

Instagram: ⁠mindpumpjustin⁠

⁠Mind Pump Podcast⁠

⁠Mind Pump Media⁠

Topics include: Justin Andrews, Mind Pump, fitness coaching, online training, podcast growth, entrepreneurship, recovery, strength training, gym culture, branding, discipline, leadership, social media, mindset, creativity, and business.

Brad Dunn, founder of Reliant Fitness, joins the Let R Rip Podcast for a raw conversation on sobriety, discipline, masculinity, fatherhood, fitness, business, and rebuilding your life from the ground up.

Brad is known for his no-bullshit approach to helping men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s reclaim their health, strength, standards, and self-respect. After years of alcohol abuse, destructive habits, legal trouble, and living below his potential, Brad made the decision to get sober, rebuild his body, and completely change the direction of his life.

That transformation became the foundation for Reliant Fitness - a coaching brand built on accountability, progressive overload, nutrition, mindset, discipline, and becoming the kind of man who no longer needs to escape his own life.

In this episode, Jake, Mikey, and Brad talk about what it really takes to change, why comfort kills momentum, how sobriety sharpens your purpose, why fitness is more than aesthetics, and why the strongest men are often built in isolation when nobody is clapping.

No filters. No scripts. Just honest conversation.

Truth Over Comfort. Let R Rip.

Follow Brad Dunn:

Instagram: @reliant.fitness

TikTok: @reliant.fit

YouTube: Reliant Fitness

Follow Let R Rip Podcast:

Instagram: @letrrippodcast

Hosted by Jake Sirokman & Mikey Getz

Chapters

00:00 — Intro: Brad Dunn Joins Let R Rip 00:56 — Who Brad Dunn Really Is 02:23 — Using Social Media Without Selling Out 04:44 — Letting Go of Pride and Building Confidence 06:29 — Core Values, Standards, and Coaching Men 08:28 — Alignment vs Balance 09:23 — The APEX Method and Building the Man 12:01 — Removing Alcohol, Tobacco, and Distractions 13:12 — Investing in Mentorship and Sobriety 16:09 — ROI, Business Growth, and Buying Back Time 20:24 — Personal Discipline Mirrored Into Business 22:13 — Brad’s Breaking Point With Alcohol 24:04 — Choosing Self-Development Over Self-Destruction 27:18 — Leaving Orange County and Starting Fresh 28:57 — Watching Friends Build Their Own Brands 30:31 — Speaking to the Man You Used to Be 33:48 — Building Confidence Through Isolation 36:47 — Saying What Most People Are Afraid to Say 40:15 — Masculinity, Culture, and the Pendulum Swing 46:09 — Punk Rock, Hardcore, and Music Influence 49:21 — Why Brad Refuses Trendy Content 52:20 — Authenticity vs Trend Chasing 55:13 — Documenting Life Instead of Creating Fake Content 56:18 — Brad’s Social Media System 58:33 — Brad’s Daily Routine 59:54 — Building the Reliant Fitness Private Gym 01:01:18 — Online Coaching vs Brick-and-Mortar Community 01:03:03 — Why Brad Avoids Fitness Expos 01:05:46 — Brad’s Version of the American Dream 01:07:09 — What Success Really Means 01:09:27 — Where to Find Brad Dunn