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The Iron Edge
The Iron Edge episodes
- The Iron Edge 009 | Travis Ortmayer
Travis Ortmayer joins Ken for a conversation about identity, addiction, purpose, and what happens when you lose everything you thought defined you.
Known to many as the "Texas Stoneman," Travis was one of the most dominant American strongmen of his era, competing at eight World Championships and building a career that many athletes dream about. But this conversation isn't about podiums, records, or titles.
It's about what happened after.
In one of the most honest conversations ever recorded on The Iron Edge, Travis opens up about the rise through strongman, the pressure of chasing greatness, addiction, losing his family, hitting rock bottom, and the long road back to rebuilding his life. This episode explores what happens when success hides the cracks beneath the surface, how identity can become a prison, and why sometimes the only way forward is through the darkest moments of your life.
In this episode, Ken and Travis get into:
• Growing up with bullying and discovering strength training
• The obsession that fueled his rise through strongman
• Competing at eight World Championships and living the dream
• Why success can hide problems instead of solving them
• Injuries, painkillers, and the beginning of addiction
• Losing his family, career, home, and sense of self
• Living out of a storage unit after losing everything
• The moment he almost ended his life
• How gratitude became the foundation for rebuilding
• Why purpose is often found through suffering
• The psychology of belief, identity, and self-sabotage
• What it means to rebuild a life after rock bottom
• Why your greatest struggle can become your greatest gift
A raw conversation about pain, purpose, redemption, and the idea that no matter how far you've fallen, there is always a way back.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
1 hr 52 min - The Sharp Cut 009 - Bet On Yourself
In this episode, Ken talks about one of the hardest questions we face in life: when do you stop playing it safe and start betting on yourself?
Whether it's a business idea, a career change, a personal goal, or a dream you've been sitting on for years, there comes a point where nobody else can make the decision for you.
This episode is about taking ownership of your future, questioning the idea of "security," and asking yourself whether you're building the life you actually want or simply living the life you think you're supposed to have.
Because nobody is coming to save you.
At some point, you have to decide if you're willing to bet on yourself.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
7 min - The Iron Edge 008 - Tom Owens
Tom Owens joins Ken for a conversation about ambition, identity, and what happens when the thing you love becomes the center of your life.
A two-time Britain’s Strongest Man U105kg, coach, commentator, and one of the top athletes in the sport today, Tom has built his entire life around strongman. But this conversation goes beyond titles and competition results.
It’s about purpose, the pressure of constantly chasing the next goal, and the challenge of figuring out who you are when achievement becomes part of your identity.
In this episode, Ken and Tom get into:
• Building a life around strongman and coaching
• The pressure that comes with chasing bigger goals• Why purpose matters more than motivation• The reality of injuries, setbacks, and competing through pain• Balancing relationships with ambition• The mental side of competition and performance• Finding identity outside of results and titles• The fear of stepping away from the sport one day• Why strongman can give people a sense of purpose and belongingA raw conversation about sacrifice, fulfillment, and the fine line between loving something and letting it consume you.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
1 hr 22 min - The Sharp Cut 008 - Just Follow Through
In this episode, Ken talks about the difference between setting a goal and actually following through on it.
Motivation comes and goes. Discipline gets talked about endlessly. But none of it matters if you can’t trust yourself to do the things you said you were going to do.
This episode is about self-respect, keeping promises to yourself, and why the small daily actions are what ultimately determine whether you reach your goals or not.
Because achieving anything worthwhile starts with becoming the person who follows through.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
7 min - The Iron Edge 007 - Mike Lohman/Veterans Strongman Association
Mike Lohman joins Ken for a conversation about purpose, community, and why strength can be about far more than competition.
A longtime member of the strongman community, coach, and founder of the Veterans Strongman Association, Mike is building something bigger than a federation or a nonprofit. He’s creating a pathway for veterans to reconnect with structure, challenge, and belonging through strength sports.
This conversation explores the veteran suicide crisis, the unique parallels between military service and strongman culture, and how physical training can provide purpose when identity and direction feel lost.
In this episode, Ken and Mike get into:
• The mission behind the Veterans Strongman Association
• Why strongman is uniquely suited to helping veterans• The power of community after military service• Structure, accountability, and rebuilding purpose• Using strength training as a tool for mental resilience• The challenges of launching a nonprofit from scratch• Creating coaching, mentorship, and competition opportunities for veterans• Why saving even one life makes the entire mission worth itA conversation about service, responsibility, and the impact a strong community can have when people need it most.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
50 min - The Sharp Cut 007 - Learning To Pivot
In this episode, Ken talks about the importance of learning how to pivot when life doesn’t go the way you planned.
Whether it’s in sport, business, relationships, or everyday life, things are going to go wrong. Plans change. Situations shift. And a lot of people end up stuck because they can’t let go of the version they had in their head.
This episode is about learning to roll with it, adapt without losing yourself, and realizing that the moments where things go wrong are often the moments that teach you the most.
Because success is never a straight line. The people who keep moving are the ones who learn how to pivot.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
6 min - The Sharp Cut 006 - Comparison Steals Your Joy
In this episode, Ken talks about the moment he realized he was missing his own life by constantly comparing it to what he thought it should look like.
After years of chasing success, pressure, and bigger goals, a simple morning making breakfast for his family became a reminder that some of the richest moments in life are the ones we overlook while trying to get somewhere else.
This episode is about slowing down enough to actually experience the life you’re building, pushing hard without losing yourself in the process, and remembering that comparison will steal everything if you let it.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
7 min - The Iron Edge 006 - Inez Carrasquillo
Inez Carrasquillo joins Ken for a conversation about pressure, identity, and what it really takes to build something from nothing. Not just in sport, but in life.
An Arnold Champion and one of the most dominant forces in strongwoman today, Inez didn’t come up through a traditional path. She started lifting to lose weight after a serious health scare, training alone at 4AM to avoid being seen and built herself into one of the best in the world in just a few years.
This conversation goes far beyond competition. It’s about motherhood, betting on yourself, dealing with doubt, and learning how to carry pressure instead of running from it.
In this episode, Ken and Inez get into:
• Turning a wake-up call into a complete life shift
• Starting late and rising fast in strongwoman• Training through anxiety and building confidence• Motherhood, guilt, and chasing something bigger• Leaving a stable job to go all-in on yourself• The mental side of competing at the highest level• Why pressure is a privilege and not something to avoidA raw conversation about ownership, resilience, and what happens when you finally stop holding yourself back.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
1 hr 15 min - The Sharp Cut 005 - I Was Resenting Myself
In this episode, Ken gets honest about the struggle of outgrowing identity. Moving on from being known as “the athlete,” “the strongman,” or whatever role you’ve carried for years and realizing that holding onto it too tightly can start to break you.
This isn’t about abandoning who you were. It’s about allowing yourself to evolve without resentment, without forcing yourself to stay in a box that no longer fits.
Because at the end of the day, you’re still the same person at your core. The question is whether you’re willing to actually choose who you are now.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
6 min - The Iron Edge 005 - Joey Szatmary
Joey Szatmary joins Ken for a conversation about identity beyond lifting, adapting through different seasons of life, and what it means to keep building when priorities change.
Known for his long-running presence in the strength world, coaching career, and no-nonsense approach to training, Joey has evolved far beyond athlete labels. This conversation goes into fatherhood, business pivots, discipline, and staying grounded when life no longer revolves around performance alone.
In this episode, Ken and Joey get into:
• Identity beyond competition
• Fatherhood and shifting priorities• Adapting training through life seasons• Discipline over motivation• Business pivots and personal growth• Keeping perspective as you evolveA raw conversation about growth, resilience, and learning how to evolve without losing who you are.
If you’ve been off track lately, this is the one-page reset I use to get back in control. Download the Iron Edge Daily Standard: https://ironedgepodcast.com/pages/daily-standard
Follow Iron Edge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironedgepodcast
Explore the podcast and upcoming Iron Edge resources and products: https://ironedgepodcast.com
Save 10% off your order at Cerberus Strength with code IRONEDGE: https://cerberus-strength.us
Iron Edge — Built Under Pressure.
1 hr 29 min
About The Iron Edge
From the publisher's feed
Iron Edge explores the pressure that shapes us.
Hosted by Pro Strongman Ken Nowicki, each episode features honest conversations on discipline, resilience, and personal growth — in the gym and in everyday life.
Athletes, coaches, and driven individuals share the moments that tested them and the lessons they carried forward.
Alongside these guest conversations, “The Sharp Cut” delivers short, direct solo episodes where Ken breaks down defining experiences, setbacks, and the mindset shifts that forged his path.
Together, both formats offer a grounded look at what it means to be built under pressure.