Up Before You

On Episode 247 I sit down with Meredith Rickel. Meredith is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I really enjoyed talking to. I had a fascinating conversation with Meredith today that ranged from talking about SEC Football to what happiness means to her, all the way to the climate and what's going wrong, what she thinks we can do about it, and a whole lot more!  

On Episode 246 I sit down with Mike Tadros. Mike is a newer member at CrossFit Roots and someone who I have had the pleasure of getting to know better over the past year or so. With this episode, I continue to dig in a little deeper with Mike in an attempt to discover more about who he is as a person versus him giving me a timeline of events of the things that he's done in his life. I have found this structure more enjoyable and interesting in comparison to the way that I have conducted these conversations in the past. I hope that you all are enjoying these episodes and conversations as much as I am! Thank you for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show!!

On Episode 245 I sit down with Lisa Prodanovich. Lisa is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I really enjoy getting to see on a daily basis at Roots. Lisa works as a paralegal in Boulder but that detail was the least of our topics for discussion today. On today's episode, we talk about a wide range of topics that include history, reading books, open discussion, being open to understanding the other side and their views, and the importance of critical thinking. This was an awesome episode and I really enjoyed my chat with Lisa today! Thank you for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show!!

On Episode 244 I sit down with Mark Wilbourne. Mark is currently at CU for a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Applied Math and a certificate in Engineering Leadership. He really enjoys engineering and analytical thinking and also working with people so he is looking into careers that combine the two. Mark would love to be a systems engineer/project manager or anything that takes more of a global approach to tough problems working in the field of engineering. At school, he is a Student Ambassador which is where he found his passion for people. Mark got into CrossFit through the influence of his parents and being connected to Kevin Ogar while he was in spinal cord rehab in Denver. His Dad started CrossFit in Afghanistan when Mark was in middle school and both of his parents have been doing it since. Mark always made fun of CrossFit and was more into endurance sports but Kevin showed him early CrossFit and all that it has to offer early on in his injury and he enjoyed how he didn't have to think and just show up each day and know the coaches would make him better. Athletically, Mark would like to return to endurance sports later on once he gets enough strength and settles into more of a home. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed this conversation today. Mark is someone who I have gotten to know better during his time at CrossFit Roots. During this conversation, we talked about a wide range of topics including The tunnels underneath Vegas, Elon Musk and aerospace engineering, Mark's dive into Cross Country, Track and Field, and Endurance sports, His accident, and getting into CrossFit. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did!

On Episode 243 I sit down with Sara Sisenwein. Sara is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who comes to my Monday evening Strength class, arguably the best class we offer at CrossFit Roots, quite religiously. Sara ran track in high school and then went off to school at the University of Maryland. From there she got into Advertising. More specifically, helping companies negotiate deals through various mediums. Today, we talk about her time running track and the valuable lessons she learned there, when she knew that advertising was her passion and something that she wanted to pursue as a career, how she found CrossFit, and how much she values it in her day to day life, what she's currently doing for work, what she sees herself doing in the future, and a whole lot more. I had a really fun time talking to Sara and I hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did! And now, without further ado, let's get on with the show….

On Episode 242 I sit down with Dr. Angelo DiLullo for part two of our conversation on Awakening. Angelo is a practicing anesthesiologist and author of the book, "Awake: It's Your Turn". Today, Angelo and I take our conversation a step further and continue to dive into the idea of Awakening. Just like last time when I posted part one of this conversation: It is totally normal for all of this to be a little bit confusing and for your head to spin as you listen to what we're talking about. So with that, listen to this information, take some time to absorb it, and then figure out what you're going to do with it. As always, I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

Here's a link to today's reading: https://open.substack.com/pub/projectwarman/p/galaxys-edge?r=28gbw9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web If you want to keep up with my writing or check out my substack you can do so here: https://projectwarman.substack.com/ I also post all of my stories on Instagram with a link to take you to that exact same spot. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as you enjoy these podcast episodes! At the end of the day, it is stories just like the ones I am writing that we all need every now and again to escape the clutter of everyday life and get back to finding the beauty in everything that life has to offer. As always, thank you for listening! And....reading?

On Episode 240 I sit down with Leia Schultz. Leia is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I find fascinating and interesting to talk to. Leia grew up in Boulder and returned to her hometown after getting her undergrad degrees in public relations and philosophy at Hofstra in New York. She now works as a product manager for a real estate technology company.  Leia's first love and main sport was soccer. She started to play as a kid, continuing through college and in Boulder's co-ed rec leagues before hanging up the cleats; her ankles and knees thank her. She joined CrossFit Roots after the first wave of the Covid pandemic to kick her ass back into shape. Fast forward two-and-a-half years, and she's a regular 5 pm-er who was a 2022 CrossFit Roots Intramural Open captain and has met some of her closest friends at the gym.  Outside of CrossFit, Leia enjoys skiing sans poles, trying new hot sauces and coffee (not mixed), reading fantasy/sci-fi and visiting breweries (often mixed), and an occasional LARP with friends who aren't afraid to play with swords in public. She is currently working on handstand walks, upping her Mario Kart skills, and taking travel recommendations as she's got a serious itch to go on an adventure soon. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 239 I sit down with Billy Edwards. Billy is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I always enjoy talking to when he walks through the door to work out. Billy served in the Marine Corps, where he was part of the US invasion of Iraq. While in the Marines he got into long, endurance type of events and started doing Iron Mans among other events after his time in the Marines. Now, he is a triathlon coach for the Naval Academy. Today, we talk all about his experiences in the Marine Corps, the idea of doing something hard versus something that is just plain stupid, mental toughness and how far that can actually take you outside of your physical capabilities, the art of coaching, and a whole lot more. I really enjoyed my conversation with Billy and I hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thank you for listening!!

I have been a writer my entire life. It was something that I enjoyed as far back as I can remember in elementary school and it has stayed with me to this day. Recently, I was nudged by a friend(or a whole bunch of friends) to get on substack and start publishing my writing for the world to read. I'm a storyteller through and through. From my podcast conversations with interesting people to the fictional short stories that I write daily I enjoy the process of telling stories in a unique and interesting way. I find inspiration for potential stories all around me. I spend my days scanning what's going on in an attempt to find a deeper meaning and allow my creative side to run wild and do what it does. I enjoy writing and the whole process of it interests me and sets my internal flame ablaze. I can't describe to you in words what this feels like, all I can say is that it feels cool for me to take my wondering mind and allow it to go where it goes and see what comes out on the other side. If you want to keep up with my writing or check out my substack you can do so here: https://projectwarman.substack.com/ I also post all of my stories on Instagram with a link to take you to that exact same spot. I hope you enjoy these stories as much as you enjoy these podcast episodes! At the end of the day, it is stories just like the ones I am writing that we all need every now and again to escape the clutter of everyday life and get back to finding the beauty in everything that life has to offer. As always, thank you for listening! And....reading?

On Episode 237 I sit down with Amy Jo Dimeglio. Amy Jo is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I think is absolutely hilarious. Amy Jo is from New Jersey and after high school, she jumped right into the workforce and ended up working for a small family-owned supermarket in the seafood department for 17 years. After realizing that there were no growth opportunities where she was she decided to join an emerging company called Whole Foods in 2002. Amy Jo started at ground level and worked her way up to hold many different positions within the company. She is very proud of the work that she does at Whole Foods and was part of a team that put together industry-leading standards for the company in seafood. On this episode, we also talk about how she found CrossFit, some funny stories from her early days at CrossFit Roots, and now competing at a high level as a Masters Athlete. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show!!

My guest today is Taylor Nelson. Taylor is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone that I got to know a little bit better through this conversation. On this episode, we talk about his time swimming in college, becoming a swim coach, working at Twitter, conspiracy theories and censorship on social media, CrossFit, and a whole lot more! Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

My guest today is Sarah Brittain. Sarah is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I didn't know a whole lot about going into this, but whom I really enjoyed talking to and learning more about today. On this episode, we talk about her journey from engineering to speech pathology to finance back to speech pathology, and then into real estate. We talk about a year-long break that she took in her 20s and how that year helped shape the rest of her life to this date in terms of living out her values and the life that she wants to live. We break down the human mind and how complex and capable it is and also talk about the importance of taking risks in order to live the life that you want to live and be the person that you want to be. I really enjoyed this conversation with Sarah and I hope that you all do as well! Thank you for listening!!

On Episode 234 I sit down with Lindsay MacDonald. Lindsay grew up in Boston and played Ice Hockey growing up through high school and then got into Rugby in college. In college, Lindsay majored in Psychology and Political Science. During this time she also started coaching CrossFit and got a job scooping ice cream which she describes as one of her favorite jobs ever. On this episode, we talk about Lindsay's coaching journey and her evolution from basically writing a workout on the whiteboard and shooting the shit for an hour to the incredible coach that she is today. We talk about challenges that she's had to overcome throughout her coaching journey, when and how she decided that she wanted to make coaching a long-term thing, and her constant desire to continuously get better. We also had a cool conversation surrounding toughness. We talk about society's false perception of what toughness is, what toughness actually means, and what a real-life “tough person” actually looks like. Every time that I talk to Lindsay I walk away having learned something new and this conversation was no different. Lindsay has a desire to learn and grow and a knack for discussion/debate that is very similar to my own and which always leads to some great conversations and discussions. I hope that you all enjoy this conversation and that you're able to learn as much from Lindsay as I did. Thank you for listening and enjoy the show!

On Episode 233 I sit down with Blakley Graham to discuss, well, me. On this episode, Blakely asks me questions about a wide range of topics and tries to get me to dig a little bit deeper with some of my answers. We talk a lot about this podcast and the impact that it has had on me, episodes that have stood out over the years, and lessons that I have learned from guests and how I've turned around and applied them to my own life. Blakley asks me questions about previous episodes, guests, and even pulls out a few direct quotes so that we can talk about the changing of thoughts and opinions and how it is okay for beliefs to change over time. This conversation was a ton of fun and it provides a little glimpse into some of the conversations that Blakley and I have on an almost daily basis. Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On Episode 232 I sit down with Dr. Angelo DiLullo. Angelo is a practicing anesthesiologist and author of the book, "Awake: It's Your Turn". I was connected to Angelo through our mutual friend Kevin Brockman after a conversation that he and I had a  couple of months ago where we started to dive into different topics surrounding religion, philosophy, and overall ideas about the world. Today, Angelo and I talk about this idea of awakening and what it means to be fully awake. The idea of waking up from this slumber that we're in and being able to have a totally different sense of self and the way that we see the world. It is totally normal for all of this to be a little bit confusing and for your head to start spinning as you listen to what we are talking about. That's okay. This episode is titled Part 1 because Angelo and I are just beginning to scratch the surface of all of this and what it means. So with that, listen to this information, take some time to absorb it, and then figure out what you want to do with it. This was a really cool conversation and I hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thank you for listening and enjoy the show!!

On Episode 231 I sit down with Nick Ralston to discuss, well, me. On this episode, Nick asks me questions about endurance/longer-type events from the past and ones that I have planned for the future. We take a deep dive into experiences had, lessons learned, motivations, and potential benefits that come from putting yourself through events like this and a whole lot more. For a long time, I have been a big believer in doing longer events in order to learn about/improve yourself. Like other things that I see as valuable for self-improvement, endurance-type events are one vehicle, not an end all be all to help solve the world's problems. With that being said, I believe that when done right, they have the ability to inspire some real change within yourself and the world around you. Don't believe me? Well, I can only take you so far in what I have to say. At some point, you're going to have to find out for yourself. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 230 I sit down with Eric Christensen. Eric is the owner of CrossFit Roots along with Nicole and is someone that I find to be hilarious and interesting. On today's episode, we talk about Eric's early days of wrestling, his story about getting into a fight, going to school for Forestry and what he did there, finding CrossFit, meeting Nicole, starting CrossFit Roots, and the journey that they have been on with that ever since 2009. We also talk about how much he values and loves being a Dad. I really enjoyed this conversation with Eric and I hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did!

On Episode 229 I sit down with Lindsay Andrew. I met Lindsay last year when she came out to Colorado for a Diesel Day. Lindsay first found CrossFit in 2008. She co-owned multiple CrossFit gyms in Las Vegas and also competed on a team at Regionals for 6 years. In 2013, she became a member of the CrossFit Seminar Staff. On this episode, we talk about her journey into finding CrossFit, coaching, working on Seminar Staff, and her Diesel Day experience from last year. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 228 I sit down with Drake Smith. Drake is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots, the husband of Amy Smith(who was featured on Episode 209), and someone who I really enjoy talking to because of the interesting conversations that we have. Drake grew up in Kansas and started playing competitive golf at a young age. He went on to play in college and later helped start a Golf school for kids in Mexico. Drake has had some interesting jobs throughout his life and, most recently, taught himself how to code and is now a day trader. On this episode, we talk about all of this and a whole lot more. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show!

On Episode 227 I sit down with Melani Dizon to discuss, well, me. I have been getting the question as to why I don't have other people interview me on my podcast or why I don't ever take a lot of time to talk about myself for a very long time now. After years of brushing it off, I realized that they had a point and it was time to do something about it. So, here we are. This is part 1 of a series where I am going to bring old guests back onto the show and allow them to fire away with questions for me. Let's see what we can discover in the process. As allows, thank you for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show!

On Episode 226 I sit down with Dave McKeag. I didn't know Dave before sitting down for this conversation and he was introduced to me through my friend Brian Yolitz. I was instantly interested and inspired to talk to Dave and have a hand in helping him tell his story. Dave is a retired middle school principal. He was a 2-sport athlete in college where he played Football and Track. Dave found CrossFit in the early 2000s and remembers anxiously refreshing main site to see what the workout of the day was going to be the next day. In early October 2021, Dave heard the words that nobody wants to hear, "You have a cancerous tumor on the head of your pancreas." Fortunately, the tumor was caught early and the prognosis was good. Even so, Dave talks about the intensity of the chemo, treatment, and some pretty significant surgeries that he had to have throughout this process. Dave credits his recovery and ability to push through the treatments to CrossFit. And that is where we spend a large amount of our time today. We recorded this episode early last week and it was only a few days later that Dave got the confirmation that he is now, cancer-free. I really enjoyed my conversation with Dave and I hope that you all are as inspired as I was! Thank you all for listening and enjoy the show!

On Episode 225 I sit down with Ian Blakley. Ian is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone that I have gotten to know better during my time here. Ian grew up in Oregon, went to school at Cornell, and works in tech. He started at Google in New York City before making the move out to Colorado where he eventually met his fiance Jackie. On today's episode, we talk about ancient aliens, computer tech, Ian's journey into CrossFit, and his decision to tie the knot and marry Jackie. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 224 I sit down with Kevin Brockman. Kevin is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and probably one of my favorite people that I get to cross paths with in that gym. Kevin grew up in Colorado and has traveled and lived all around the world. He was an anthropology/religious studies major in college, so naturally, we go down the rabbit hole of religion, the origin of the world, and we challenge religion and the different ideas/philosophies that different people believe. Kevin was an 80s kid and is pretty open about his experiences growing up in that time. We also talk about CrossFit, what he likes about it, and more specifically, what he enjoys about the community and the people at CrossFit Roots. Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show! 

On Episode 223 I sit down with Annie Yolitz. I was originally introduced to Annie through her husband Brian, who you may remember from Episode 203. I met Brian at the 2022 Big Fish Fundraiser and Annie ended up coming to Boulder a few months later for a Diesel Day. Today, we talk about her Diesel Day experience, her path to becoming a nurse, becoming a recently new Grandparent, and CrossFit. But what really fired me up about this conversation was Annie's desire to do hard things and just how fired up she is about life in general. Her energy and attitude are contagious and I think we can all learn a thing or two from the way that she approaches life! I hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thank you for listening!!

On Episode 222 I sit down with Robin Opie. Robin is a friend of mine and someone that I have gotten closer to during my time working with him at CrossFit Roots. Robin is a small-town Kansas kid who ended up throwing Shot Put at a very high level at Princeton. He went into the corporate world where he worked at multiple companies before landing where he is today working for CrossFit HQ. But what inspired me most about this story was Robin's journey to finding CrossFit. In his own words, CrossFit saved his life. And today we talk all about that story and how it got him off of the hampster wheel and day-to-day grind of the corporate world and investing more in his health and fitness. We talk about how, for years, he was reluctant to start anything to improve his health because he believed that if you weren't working all the time, then you weren't working hard enough. Robin explains that if he didn't get into CrossFit when he did that he was on a trajectory to weigh over 400 lbs. at this point in his life. It wasn't until his boss, Eric Roza, stepped in and paid for him to start going to CrossFit that things began to take a turn for the better. Now, Robin is hooked and the rest is history that is being written every single day.I was inspired by this story and it reinforced to me the power of CrossFit. Robin's story is one that is happening at CrossFit boxes all around the world and one that everyone needs to hear. All it takes sometimes is a little nudge to change someone's life and put them on a trajectory to living a happy and healthy life. It's stories like these that fire me up every single day to go to work and do what I do.Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

On Episode 221 I sit down with Molly Ware. Molly is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone who I have gotten to know better during my time here. Molly grew up in Maine and rowed and skied in college at Harvard. She ended up in Med School in Denver and is now a Cardiologist who practices at Boulder Heart. Molly started CrossFit at the age of 40 and enjoys it for the community and the fact that it feeds, as she puts it, her slightly competitive edge. I really enjoyed this conversation and learned a lot from Molly in the process. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

On Episode 220 I sit down with Jon Sisenwein. Jon is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and another person who has to put up with my shenanigans on a daily basis. Jon grew up in New York just outside of New York City. Jon got into advertising after college and was a creative director for over 20 years before finding his way into Real Estate. Jon got into CrossFit via his wife Sara and we talk all about the key role that CrossFit has played in his life, why he does it, and what keeps him coming back for more. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 219 I sit down with Danny Garbe. Danny is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone that I have gotten to know a little bit better during my time here. Danny is a Colorado native and went to school at CU. He took a year off after college to live in Hawaii and it is mind-boggling to me that he didn't spend any time surfing while he was there. When he came back, he randomly fell into what he is doing today working as a real estate broker. Danny got into CrossFit via his wife Tina, who you might recall from Episode #201, who had been at CrossFit Roots for about a year and a half or so before finally wearing him down and getting him to join. The rest is history. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show! 

On Episode 218 I sit down with Jackie Batrus. Jackie is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone that I have gotten to know pretty well over the last couple of years. Jackie grew up on the east coast just outside of New York City. She went to Boston College for Undergrad and is now at DU for Graduate school in Marketing. Jackie has worked as a content creator for influencers and now works as a content manager. Jackie got into CrossFit right around the same time that I started coaching at CrossFit Roots. She is very passionate about fitness and is currently searching for a way that she can make an impact through storytelling in that space. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy the show! 

On Episode 217 I sit down with Dave Colina. Dave is someone who has become a close friend of mine. Dave is the Founder of O2 Recovery Drink, a member of CrossFit Roots, he's on the Board of Directors for The Big Fish Foundation, and teaches a class at CU-Boulder. And that is just beginning to scratch the surface of what Dave does and who he is as a person. Dave is a stand-up guy and someone that I am very thankful to have in my life. Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show! 

On Episode 216 I sit down with Scott Graham. Scott is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and you might recall my previous episode(#208) with his wife, Blakely Graham. If you enjoyed that conversation then you will most definitely enjoy my conversation with her other half. Scott grew up in Texas but is not your stereotypical, "Howdy Ya'll, Texas Vs. Everybody" type of Texas guy. Scott was the President of the Juggling Club at UT-Austin and was also in a band called the Schlitz Quartz which only sang songs about beer. Scott worked at IBM for 25 years and is now semi-retired and searching for his next move. Scott joined CrossFit Roots in 2009 after being adamant about not joining "the cult". The rest is history. This conversation was a whole lot of fun and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did! Thank you for listening! 

On Episode 215 I sit down with Julia Ralston. Julia is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and you may recall her husband Nick from Episode 205. Julia is from Santa Cruz, CA., and she and I debate if that is actually northern or mid-California. She went to Boston College where she majored in communications with a focus on magazine journalism. We also talk about her time working for FaceBook and Google, all of the group fitness classes that she's taken throughout her life, and how she finally got into CrossFit, Instagram Filters and how to use them, and so much more! Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 214 I sit down with Lukas Augenstein. Lukas is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots who I have gotten to know better over the last year or so since he joined the gym. Lukas is a chef who works at an outdoor education facility in the mountains and has also worked in restaurants all around the world. Lukas was also named a captain for the 2023 CrossFit Roots Intramural Open. When he's not cooking or doing CrossFit he always has to be moving because he has a hard time sitting still. That will become obvious to everyone listening fairly quickly during this episode. Thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this episode as much as I did!

On Episode 213 I sit down with Megan Wei. Megan is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots who also works in Strategy and Analytics for CrossFit HQ. On this episode, we talk about Megan growing up in New Jersey, gymnastics, pole vaulting, distance running, and how all of that eventually led her to CrossFit. We also talk about her journey from Investment Banking to Nike to where she is today at CrossFit HQ. This was a very fun conversation and one that I hope you all enjoy as much as I did! Thank you all for listening!!

On Episode 212 I sit down with my friend Nick "Sweetness" Dupuy. Nick is a photographer and videographer who does a wide range of projects for all different types of people and organizations. You may recognize some of the work that he has done for CrossFit, The Big Fish Foundation, and more recently Team Shut Up and Row. Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On Episode 211 I sit down with Melani Dizon. Melani is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots and someone that I have gotten to know better during my time here. Melani is the Director of Education and Content for the Davis Phinney Foundation and a lifelong writer. This was a very fun conversation about a wide range of topics along with Melani turning the tables and asking me a few questions at the end. As always, thank you all for listening and I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 210 I sit down with Doug Gilkey. Doug is a member at CrossFit Roots and someone that I have gotten to know pretty well during my time here. Doug is an AeroSpace Engineer who now works in sales. He's been doing CrossFit for 12 years now and before that was doing long Mountain and Road biking races along with some running. Doug has a very cool and interesting perspective on life and, more specifically, slowing down and enjoying every single day that you have. I had a lot of fun, learned a lot, and I hope that you all enjoy this conversation as much as I did! Thank you for listening!

On Episode 209 I sit down with Amy Smith. Amy is the General Manager at CrossFit Roots who does her best every day to keep me in line. On this episode, we talk about growing up in Kansas and helping her Mom out with her at home daycare, the 20 years she spent working in photography and why she eventually decided to leave the corporate world, how she found CrossFit, her job at CrossFit Roots and what she enjoys about it, and more! Thank you for listening and I truly hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

On Episode 207 I sit down with Jess Snapp. Snapp is a friend of mine that I have gotten to know better during my time here at CrossFit Roots. Snapp is a former gymnast and dancer who left the corporate world to become a trainer. She found CrossFit a few years ago, was instantly hooked, and hasn't slowed down since. We talk about her journey through all of that, where she is today and some of the competitions she has competed in during her CrossFit career. Thank you for listening!

On Episode 206 I sit down with Allison Scahill. Allison is a friend of mine from CrossFit Roots. If you recall, on Episode 197 I sat down for a conversation with her husband, Cary Hair. Naturally, I had to get the other, arguably more accurate, side of the story.   Allison works for CrossFit HQ as a Copy Editor and has been with the company for 12 years now. On this episode, we talk about her journey to finding CrossFit, working for CrossFit HQ, writing and why that is such a passion of hers, and so much more.   As always, I truly hope that you enjoy this conversation! Thank you for listening!!

On Episode 205 I sit down with Nick Ralston. Nick played Rugby at the Naval Academy before transitioning into the Marine Corps. He found CrossFit in 2006 when he did his first CrossFit workout famously known as "Helen". And, well, as Nick put it, welcome to CrossFit. Over the years, Nick has gotten into trail running and endurance events alongside his CrossFit training. Today, we take a deep dive into endurance-type events and the value that they can bring to one's life and also what can be learned and gained in doing them. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On Episode 204 I sit down with Kelley Laxton. Kelley is a sports writer and copyeditor for CrossFit HQ. Today, we talk about her passion for writing and her journey to how she got to where she is today. We talk about her time working the front desk at CrossFit Roots, and we also talk about her Lupus diagnosis along with a kidney disease in 2017 and how that ultimately brought her to CrossFit. Kelley goes on to talk about how CrossFit helped her manage her Lupus and how it changed her life in ways that she never could have imagined. Thank you all for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On Episode 203 I sit down with my friend Brian Yolitz. Brian served in the Air Force for 27 years as a Civil Engineer. Now, he does similar work for the public higher education system in Minnesota. Today, we talk about growing up in Wisconsin and Minnesota, his career in the Air Force, the Big Fish Foundation Fundraiser and how that experience went for him, his recent dive into Mountain Biking, and his upcoming fundraiser at CrossFit Lakeville in Minnesota to support the Big Fish Foundation. As always, thank you for listening!

On Episode 202 I sit down with Brad Warman. Brad was the first ever guest on this podcast back in 2017 and today we talk about what he's been up to, his collegiate career in shot put, and our upcoming 3rd annual Project Warman fundraiser to support The Big Fish Foundation. We dive into his preparation, expectations and goals for the event, who we're doing the event for, and what we're looking to get out of it. If you'd like to support The Big Fish Foundation and our event you can do so by clicking this link: https://donorbox.org/3rd-annual-project-warman-fundraiser-1 As always, thank you for listening!

On Episode 201 I sit down with Tina Garbe. Tina started working in a hair salon when she was 14 and to this day it's the only job that she's ever had. Tina now owns Loft Styling Studio in Boulder, CO. where she has been open for 7 years now. Tina found CrossFit and CrossFit Roots after 10+ years in yoga and we talk about all of the positive impacts that CrossFit has had on not only her physical health but also her overall health and well-being. Tina has a passion for giving back to the community and she spends her time outside of work volunteering for organizations such as Denver Kids and Denver Children's Home. She and her husband Danny also enjoy fostering dogs. This conversation was a lot of fun and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did! Thank you for listening!

On Episode 200, Tosh returns 100 episodes later to chat with me about what he's been up to, what he's got planned, and to reflect on our 2 years of friendship. Tosh is someone who I consider to be one of my best friends, a father-like figure in my life, and someone who I know always has my back no matter what. It's hard to put into words the type of impact this dude has had on me in such a short period of time. Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the show!

On Episode 199 I sit down with Eric Neeb. Eric is someone that I have gotten to know during my time at CrossFit Roots and someone that I now consider to be my friend. Eric is a cool dude in the sense that he has kinda just rolled with the punches and gone wherever life has taken him. He has worked as a backpacking guide, real estate agent, pilot, and now he owns 2 motels in Estes Park, CO. Eric is an avid CrossFitter and also a black belt in Aikido. As always, I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did! 

On Episode 198 I sit down with Cam Gibson. Cam is someone who I have gotten to know pretty well during my time at CrossFit Roots and someone who I now consider to be a friend. Cam worked at the Census Bureau for many years because of his passion for statistics and populations. That passion still fuels him to this day as he still works on various projects dealing with populations. He also has a passion for Baseball analytics and Baseball history where he has written many articles and done a ton of research concerning player performance over time. To put it simply he makes me question, almost daily, everything that I thought I knew about Baseball. Cam is also a member of our CrossFit Roots Legends class where he is still kickin' it and crushing CrossFit workouts at the young age of 80 years old. What's so cool to me about this conversation and having the opportunity to talk to Cam is the fact that he has lived through so many events and periods of time that I have only read and heard stories about. So, to have the opportunity to pick his brain a little bit and chat a little bit was truly special to me. Thank you for listening and enjoy the show!

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