Let 'R Rip Podcast

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

Dan Herring went from firefighter to fitness coach and entrepreneur by turning pain into purpose. This episode breaks down sobriety, personal transformation, branding, virality, mental health, and what it really takes to build a business and identity that actually mean something.

What happens when a firefighter hits a breaking point, takes ownership of his life, and builds a brand rooted in discipline, vulnerability, and real transformation?

In this episode we sit down with Dan Herring for a raw conversation on fitness, sobriety, mental health, branding, social media, business growth, authenticity, and becoming the man you were meant to be.

Dan shares how his personal transformation started as a private accountability journal on Instagram and turned into a powerful brand, a coaching business, and multiple ventures in the health space. From gaining weight in the fire service to going viral online, from battling addiction and pride to building trust through tangible products and real connection, Dan breaks down what it actually takes to create a life with purpose.

This episode dives into self-respect, vulnerability, content strategy, identity, personal evolution, fulfillment, and why relatability beats perfection every time. It’s a conversation for anyone trying to build something real, whether in fitness, business, branding, or life.

If you’re tired of fake online personas, surface-level content, and watered-down self-help, this episode is for you. Subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

In this episode, we cover:

• Dan Herring’s journey from firefighter to entrepreneur
• The personal transformation that led to IBEX Fitness
• Why self-accountability became the foundation of his brand
• The role of authenticity, relatability, and vulnerability in business
• Social media growth, virality, and the “rip off and duplicate” strategy
• How to turn attention into trust and trust into paying clients
• Mental health, addiction, pride, and learning to let go
• Why branding matters and how confidence shapes perception
• Building identity through struggle, consistency, and lived experience
• Why relatable content beats polished perfection
• Tattoos, music, counterculture, and personal expression
• The evolution of modern branding, storytelling, and human connection
• Tangible products, packaging, and creating deeper customer loyalty
• Dan’s future goals in fitness, health, peptides, business, and family life

This episode is honest, funny, deep, and packed with real talk on transformation, sobriety, branding, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and purpose.

Follow Dan Herring:

Website: https://thedanherring.com

Free mental health resources for first responders: https://thedanherring.com/resources/

Instagram: @thedanherring

Dan Herring, Let R Rip podcast, IBEX Fitness, firefighter to entrepreneur, firefighter fitness, sobriety journey, addiction recovery, mental health, vulnerability, personal transformation, self transformation, fitness coach, online fitness coach, entrepreneur mindset, authenticity, relatability, branding, personal branding, brand identity, social media strategy, Instagram growth, virality, viral reels, content creation, content strategy, rip off and duplicate, trust building, client conversion, coaching business, fitness transformation, self accountability, discipline, confidence, self respect, men’s mental health,