The Grind and Gain Show: Life Stories from Winners

CBS Sports reporter Amanda Balionis joins the podcast to share her journey from reporting on high school sports to covering the PGA and NFL. Amanda knew what she wanted early on obtaining a broadcast journalism degree from Hofstra University. Amanda explains the grind she went through early on sometimes covering up to 4 games in one day. Her big break came in 2017 when she joined CBS as a part-time golf reporter. She now covers golf full-time and also covers select college and NFL football games.

In this week's episode, we've gathered seven people from various backgrounds and beliefs to force some tough conversation in an effort to ultimately continue the focus on Black Lives Matter. We discuss kneeling during the national anthem, Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter, white privilege, systemic racism, anti-racism, and how we can promote overall change. Guests include Tameka Rish from Project Light, Josh Powell retired NBA Champ, Mackenzie Engram professional basketball player, Joey Godfrey Sales & Marketing Director, Justin Nicks Commerical Director, Kevin Peterson Retired Green Beret, and Ben Schwaderer, Account Manager. Great insight from all angles from an awesome group of people.

In this week's episode, Jonny and Andrew shoot the breeze about recent episodes, working out, and our recent Black Lives Matter recording which releases next week. We dive into Jonny's recent workout program and he explains his approach to intermittent fasting. Jonny is down 13 lbs and feeling great so his program is working. Andrew shares about his recent discovery of renowned 'bio-hacker' Ben Greenfield and his book Boundless. Lastly, we discuss how productive our recent recording was with seven participants. We brought together people from all different backgrounds and experiences to discuss the recent events in America and how we can promote real change. Stay tuned for that episode.

In this week's episode, Tee Martin joins the show to share his journey from National Champion, to the NFL, to where he is at today; back at his alma mater as the Assistant Head Coach of Tennessee football. We spend the first 20 minutes discussing what is happening in the country and how we can all be a part of the solution. Tee gives us some insight into what the University of Tennessee is doing to help combat systemic racism. Like always, we dive into Tee's journey and he provides some great insight into what it is like reaching the peak of your passion early on and then ultimately not realizing what he originally thought what his full potential as a player. Tee has done a great job of being present in the current moment and he shares how that helped him transition from NFL quarterback to leading young men on the football field. Tee explains the decision to accept the current position at Tennessee and he shares a couple of goals he has his eyes set on. Tee doesn't get off easy as we force his hand in The Gauntlet.

We sit down with San Francisco Giants starter Tyler Beede. Tyler is one of a few players that has been drafted in the first round...twice. We discuss what it was like turning down the first-round offer out of high school in lieu of attending arguably the best baseball college in the country; Vanderbilt University. In 2014, Tyler helped Vanderbilt win the College World Series and then was the 14th overall pick of the MLB draft. We discuss what set that championship team apart from others and then Tyler walks us through his major league debut. Tyler's MLB career hasn't come without bumps in the road as he divulges some of the mental hurdles he has had to learn from and overcome. Tyler is also coming off Tommy John surgery and gives us some insight into his plan of attack to bounce back better than ever. Lastly, we run Tyler through the Gauntlet. Sneak peek...he would rather golf with Tom Brady over Tiger Woods.

In episode 23, we sit down with retired Green Beret Kevin Peterson. Kevin shares how he got into the military and the route that led him into the Special Forces. The Green Berets' overall mission is to help train and build guerilla units in war-torn territories so they can ultimately defend themselves. In accomplishing this mission, Kevin shares some of the hurdles he faced in various parts of the world including communication and cultural barriers and how his team overcame them. Kevin also shares his transition away from the military into the fire-department. Kevin provides some great takeaways we can all pay closer attention to.

In this week's episode, we sit down with the CEO of Xendurance Jason St. Clair. Jason's journey began playing sports. While his true passions lie in extreme sports, Jason was naturally very good at baseball even making Team USA and also playing professionally within the Tampa Bay Rays organization. After his baseball career, he became an agent where he continued to build great relationships and learned that he enjoyed helping athletes create multiple revenue streams through endorsements. His experience with endorsements proved to be invaluable as he worked closely with the founder of Xendurance to help develop a full suite of top of the line health and wellness supplements. Jason provides some insight to what it is like being the CEO and how the work doesn't stop when you get to the top, but if anything it intensifies. Some great insight from a great leader in this episode.

In this episode, we sit down with 13-year war veteran Chris Fettes. Chris was a sniper for the US Navy Seals Team 6 where he was involved in over 170 missions during his tenure. Chris explains how the events of 9/11 moved him to join the armed forces because he wanted to make an impact. He also walks us through BUD/S training, shares what motivated him to stick it out, and explains how he became a sniper. We learn about a few of Chris's proudest moments as a Seal and he also explains his latest entrepreneurial venture. Chris shares an awesome story about The GOAT and then we pass him through The Gauntlet!

In episode twenty we sit down with former Two Star Major General Albert Crawford who shares valuable life experience from his 92 years of living. General Crawford graduated from the West Point Military Academy in 1950 and eventually lead the Electronics Division of the Army. While in the military he learned discipline, structure, the value of mentorship, and worked on utilizing the first computers in the tactical army. When his military career ended, he again found himself involved in technology helping Digital Equipment Company strategically enact its vision. While there his direct team commercialized the first electronic mail product. Albert later went on to help American Express install its global credit card processing network. We get the keys to longevity and also pass Albert through The Gauntlet to wrap up the show.

With the 23rd pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, the New York Giants selected Evan Engram from Ole Miss. Evan joins The Grind and Gain Show to share his journey from somewhat un-noticed by colleges to headlines on draft day. Evan attributes his success to his work ethic and determination which he credits his mother for helping guide him on the right path and laying the groundwork for excellence. We discuss Evan's recent injury and what he doing to overcome that adversity. Evan shares his upcoming goals which include becoming the highest-paid Tight End in the league and eventually buying land in his hometown of Atlanta. As always, we run Evan through the Gauntlet.

Former collegiate head baseball coach Sky Smeltzer reflects on his 16-year career at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. During his tenure, he won Coach of the Year five times, developed several current MLB players, and ended up with an overall winning percentage of .664. We discuss Sky's approach to recruiting and he provides some insight on how that has evolved. Sky relives his stint coaching the Junior USA Baseball team in Taiwan which included current big leaguers Justin Upton and Buster Posey. Sky's former players currently in the Major League also include Merrill Kelly, Kirby Yates, Kole Calhoun, and Ken Giles.

Dr. Leo Moore is the Chief Physician for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Dr. Leo explains the purpose of his new social media account @thepracticalmd and his goal of helping set the facts straight for medical topics. We learn about his journey from high school on and discuss the difference from his residency at Yale to his current role on the West Coast. Dr. Leo discusses quarantine and best practices for Covid-19 prevention and treatment. We also dive into his fight against HIV and what he is doing in his area to help eradicate the virus. Lastly, we put Dr. Leo through The Gauntlet where he displays the utmost confidence in being able to take Kevin Hart in a hypothetical one on one fight!

Dr. Will joins the show again. We revisit our progress from the Body by Science workout and then Dr. Will introduces us to the book The Power of When. The Power of When is written by Dr. Michael Breus and breaks human beings into what he calls 'chronotypes.' Each chronotype is associated with an animal; lion, bear, wolf, and dolphin. Based on your chronotype, The Power of When describes when are the best times to do certain tasks like 1. When is the best time to drink coffee? 2. When is the best time to workout? 3. When is the best time to ask for a raise?..and even When is the best time to have sex? Curious what your chronotype is? You can take the quiz here https://thepowerofwhenquiz.com/ Tag us on IG @thegrindandgainshow with your chronotype.

Jonny and Andrew are in full-blown quarantine mode as we hunker down with TP and canned goods for this episode. We describe our current quarantine situations, discuss food and alcohol supplies, and recap our last two guests; Bears great Patrick Mannelly and MLB pitcher Merril Kelly. Stay tuned for a new version of the gauntlet, category-style, at the end of the episode.

In this episode, we sit down with Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly. Merrill's journey to the MLB included being drafted three separate times, playing four seasons in Korea, and finally getting signed to a deal with his hometown team. We also get Merrill's take on Opening Day being postponed due to the Coronavirus. MLB players are basically back in their off-season routines again with no concrete timeline of baseball activities gearing back up.

In the first episode with Dr. Will as a new monthly host, we ask him how to stay in shape with limited time to workout. Dr. Will's answer is based on a book called Body by Science written by Doug McGuff. Dr. Will breaks down the science behind the weekly, 12-minute workout, that has multiple benefits including muscle gains, trimming fat, and increased cardiovascular health. Sounds too good to be true, but it's all backed by science. Jonny and Andrew are going to test out the workout and update Dr. Will on our progress.

Awesome interview with the most tenured Chicago Bear of all time, Patrick Mannelly. Patrick explains how he found the long-snapping position, what it was like to play 16 years in the NFL, and describes what set the 2007 Bears apart from the other teams he played on. We also get a glimpse into some of the tougher moments in Patrick's career as he battle injury in college and then again in his 13th year in the league. After an amazing career, Patrick shares his transition from the NFL into retirement and entrepreneurship. We also get the background story on Patrick's own beer, Longsnapper, along with the explanation of the Longsnapper logo. As always, we run Patrick through The Gauntlet to wrap up the episode. 100% Patrick gets the first question correct. Check out the full episode to see how he handles the rest of The Gauntlet.

In this episode, Jonny and Andrew review and reflect on the highlights of former NFL wide receiver Dexter Jackson. Early on, Dexter developed a strong work ethic and he credits that to his schooling situation while growing up. He describes the collegiate recruiting process and the transition from high school to college. While at Appalachian State, Dex was apart of 3 DI-AA National Championship teams. His senior year, Dexter was apart of one of the greatest upsets of all time when App State beat Michigan to open the 2007 season. From there, Dex describes the process of getting prepared for the NFL draft, getting the call from John Gruden and the Tampa Bay Bucs, and life in the NFL. Lastly, Dexter describes how he transitioned out of football into entrepreneurship.

Jonny and Andrew go guest-less once again and discuss what is like being a cheerdad, how excited they are to bring Dr. Will back in a new role on the show, and keep each other honest in 'getting after it.' Jonny turns the table on Andrew and puts him through a mean Gauntlet session towards the end of the episode.

We sit down with actor Cooper Andrews and discuss his journey from behind the camera to in front of the camera. Cooper explains why he dropped out of high school 3 weeks prior to graduating to get involved in the film industry. He learned the ropes and networked his way to a few acting gigs. His big break came when he was cast in AMC's Halt and Catch Fire. Cooper reached big-time status when he was cast as Jerry in The Walking Dead. Coop has also been in some big-time Hollywood productions such as DC's Shazam and Den of Thieves. We also got a good look into Cooper's personal life as he explains how he recently met his Father and siblings for the first time. Some awesome stories and good laughs in this episode. Such an awesome way to document catching up with Cooper!

Our first crack at 'guest-less' podcasting. We recap the progress we've made in the first 7 episodes, dive into memorable moments with our guests to date, discuss the stacked, future lineup in place and definitely take a far left turn during Jonny's surprise Gauntlet. More to come on this front as we scratch the itch to record between our standard episodes.

Top Atlanta Trainer Bryan Jean-Pierre joins The Grind and Gain Show to discuss his invite-only gym, what makes his branding unique, and the entrepreneurial mindset. Wake up early and hear how Bryan gets his day started as he prepares himself to pour his energy into motivating others to become the best version of themselves. Dope lights, hidden location, and invite-only creates a special fitness community at MiscFit. BJP has created an atmosphere of no B.S. where you're required to leave your excuses at the door and Do Work!!!

Episode 6 is special one as we get to honor the life of Kobe Bryant via one of his former teammates Josh Powell. In 2009-2010, Josh played for the LA Lakers led by the Black Mamba and coached by the great Phil Jackson. Josh discusses his time with Kobe, what the Mamba Mentality means to him, and what he learned playing under Phil. We also discuss Josh's journey from NC State to the NBA and gain some interesting insight into the intensity of the Euro League. Josh tells some wild stories of playing overseas and even how one time he had to help fans escape the arena during a riot. Lastly on the episode, Josh tries his hand at The Gauntlet. Find out how many he gets right according to Jonny and Andrew.

We sit down with Top Beachbody Coach Ashlie Molstad. Ashlie discusses what a Beachbody Coach does, the post that went viral, and finally being able to be herself online without worry what people thought of her. She continues this today by simply being real and her following is made up of people that respect that.

After an All-Star, league leading 2019 season, Kirby goes into detail about growing up in Hawaii, overcoming injury, failing to be drafted out of junior college, bouncing around teams, and breaking out as the San Diego Padres closer. The feeling of success doesn't last long though as the next season is right around the corner and 'the work never stops.' Kirby also takes us into the mind of a closer where he explains his approach to executing pitches and ultimately how he has learned to compete against at the highest level. Lastly, Kirby explains he and his wife's involvement with the Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego and then does his best to navigate The Gauntlet.

We sit down with the Director of Human Performance and Sport Science for Proteus Motion, Dr. Will Waterman. Will discusses his journey to becoming a Physical Therapist, explains his time at Stanford Hospital, and give us insight into leaving a comfortable situation to join a startup. Laugh and learn in this episode as we get a good look at the future of resistance training.

Andrew and Jonny sit down with top USA decathlete Solomon Simmons to discuss his daily regime, 'manhood training', making the switch to a plant-based diet, and approaching all things by working from gratitude.

Andrew and Jonny discuss networking, building relationships, and the crazy run in with Lil Jon and Gronk's brother with Joey Godfrey, Sales and Marketing Director at Anheuser Busch.