RIDEOUT: The Other Side of Hard
The Other Side of Hard, hosted by Ken Rideout, features raw and gripping conversations with individuals who have overcome extreme adversity. The podcast explores stories of resilience, redemption, and the transformative experiences that await beyond life's toughest challenges.
Episodes
The Pastor Who Sold Crack and Shot Heroin | Lyle Phillips
Lyle Phillips was shooting heroin in one arm and meth in the other at 18. He sold cocaine in his Kentucky high school, slept in a dog room at a crack house and lived in the backseat of a 1987 Caprice. He got shot at and he shot back. He ran himself off the road at 65 miles an hour and walked out of the wreck holding a bottle of Tanqueray.
At 19 his best friend was shot dead in the street over a cr
Alabama National Champ. LabCorp Janitor. UFC Fighter at 30. | Eryk Anders
Eryk Anders was the last guy picked. He mailed 125 copies of his own VHS highlight tape to every school he could find an address for and heard nothing back. Then a running back didn’t qualify two weeks before the season, Mike Shula called, and Eryk showed up in Tuscaloosa in Timberland boots claiming he weighed 215. The scale was broken. Thirty minutes later he had a full ride to Alabama.
He barel
The Country Singer Nashville Wouldn't Sign | Jessie James Decker
Jessie James Decker was born on a military base in Italy and lived in 14 places before she finished high school. At a sleepover in Newnan, Georgia, two senior girls she had never met pulled up with a bucket of slop they had been saving for weeks and dumped it over her head. Somebody made a page online called I Hate Jessica James.
At nine she got on a stage in Baker, Louisiana in a denim vest and
255 Pounds at 33. Eight Miles a Day at 64. | BeBe Winans
BeBe Winans grew up a block from Smokey Robinson in Detroit, shoveling his snow for $25 when everyone else paid $2. Stevie Wonder's house was behind theirs. He was the seventh of ten Winans kids, and when his four older brothers got signed by Quincy Jones, BeBe drove the van.
Right out of high school he and his sister CeCe auditioned for a Christian TV network in Charlotte. She got the job. He did
One Instagram Post Ended His 12-Year MLB Career | Anthony Bass
Anthony Bass was a Division II kid from Trenton, Michigan who threw 88 to 92 like every other college pitcher. Then in the summer of 2007 he watched a rookie his own size named Tim Lincecum throw 98 for the Giants, copied his delivery in the bullpen the next day, and never threw a fastball under 94 in his next outing. Twelve scout envelopes followed. So did a fifth-round pick by the Padres, a $166
It's Just Walking. 1 in 3 Don't Finish. | Marc Hodulich
Marc Hodulich was a high school sophomore when he ran five months on a broken foot. The scan turned into a bone graft from his shin, two pins across his foot and three orthopedic surgeons before one of them would say he might run again. The pins are still in there 30 years later.
He went on to run track at Auburn in the SEC, and then he built the hardest event most people will ever finish. Marc is
The Blast that Saved his Life | Mike Sarraille
Mike Sarraille was three feet away when Michael Monsoor jumped on a grenade on a rooftop in Ramadi and smothered the blast. Mike and another SEAL took the shrapnel Monsoor’s body couldn’t block. Monsoor didn’t survive. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
That day is the middle of the story, not the end of it. Mike dropped out of the University of Colorado to enlist as a Recon Marine.
The Doctor Who Got Sick 22 Times Before Anyone Asked Why | Dr. Clay Moss
Clay Moss looked like the healthiest guy at Ole Miss. He trained six days a week and got strep throat every other month for four straight years. Twenty-two documented cases. Every visit ended the same way: a steroid shot, a round of antibiotics, see you next time. Nobody asked how he was sleeping, what he was eating, or how much caffeine he was running on.
He got his tonsils out after graduation.
Too Small for the NFL. Then He Broke a Chiefs Record. | Dexter McCluster
Dexter McCluster is five-foot-eight and 165 pounds. Bobby Bowden told him he could play defensive back. Urban Meyer told him he could return kicks. He turned both of them down because he knew who he was, and he needed the ball in his hands.
He went to Ole Miss instead and became the first player in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards and catch for 500 in the same season. He ran for 282 yards on L
From a Prison Cell to Nike Brand Director | Jordan Rogers
Jordan Rogers was using heroin at 15. By the time he landed in county jail, he weighed 116 pounds. His parents had spent his college fund on rehab, and he was facing the possibility of 20 years in prison. I know what it’s like to organize your entire life around getting high. There was a lot in this conversation that hit home for me.
We get into his 396 days locked up, what finally changed
From Compulsive Gambler to a $465 Million Exit | Rich Galgano
Rich Galgano came back from Vegas so broke that a friend had to pay to get his car out of the airport parking lot. He swore he was done gambling. Then he got home, found $500, and went straight back to another casino. I know what it’s like to promise yourself you’re finished and then do the same shit again.
This week, I sat down with Rich to talk about the gambling addiction that was taking
19 Million Followers, Losing Everything, and Starting Over in Nashville | Tayler Holder
Tayler Holder has 19 million followers on TikTok, millions more across social media, and a story that goes way beyond being an internet star.
Tayler grew up in tiny Alvarado, Texas, racing dirt bikes and chasing adrenaline from the time he was a kid.
He left traditional high school after ninth grade to train and race motocross, then eventually shifted his focus to Vine, Musical.ly, and soc
The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of an Olympic Champion | Missy Franklin
Missy Franklin is one of the greatest swimmers of all time. She made her first Olympic Trials at 13 years old, and four years later she went to London and absolutely dominated—four gold medals, a bronze, and a world record in the 200 backstroke.
But what I loved about this conversation is that we spent just as much time talking about what happened when things stopped going perfectly.
Four years
International Fugitive to UFC Top 10 | Ian Heinisch
Former UFC fighter Ian Heinisch sits down with Ken Rideout for one of the wildest stories ever told on The Other Side of Hard.
Ian grew up in Colorado as an elite wrestler with the talent to compete at the highest levels, but drugs, alcohol, arrests, and self-destruction quickly began overtaking his life. After leaving school and spiraling further, he moved illegally to Canada, worked door-to-doo
Brutal Hits, Broken Bodies & the Business of Football | Bernard Pollard
Bernard Pollard earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most feared hitters — and became known throughout New England as the “Patriot Killer.”
In this episode, Bernard sits down with Ken Rideout to talk about the mentality behind his violent style of play, growing up angry in Fort Wayne, Indiana, using football as an outlet, choosing Purdue, and making the jump from a three-call high school defen
The Cop Who Went to Prison for 19 Years | Kent McGowen
Kent McGowen spent years enforcing the law. Then he spent nearly two decades behind bars.
Kent is a former Houston police officer and Harris County deputy who was convicted of murder after fatally shooting Susan White while serving a felony retaliation warrant in 1992. Kent has maintained for more than three decades that the shooting was justified and that he was wrongfully prosecuted.
He takes
The Wall Street Executive Who Had Everything—Except Peace | James “Jet” Davies
James “Jet” Davies spent more than two decades inside high finance, eventually becoming CEO of Deutsche Bank’s broker-dealer for the Americas. But behind the titles, money, and success was a life that was beginning to unravel.
James joins Ken to trace the entire path—from growing up in London and attending an elite all-boys school, where he experienced emotional and sexual abuse, to studying law
From Small-Town Kid to Everest, Equinox & IRONMAN CEO | Scott DeRue
Scott DeRue has spent his life creating experiences that push people beyond what they thought was possible.
Ken sits down with his longtime friend and current CEO of The IRONMAN Group to talk about growing up in small-town North Carolina, being told during his first performance review that he “wasn’t smart enough,” walking away from a lucrative consulting career in search of purpose, becoming a U
Jail, Navy SEALs, Fentanyl & the French Foreign Legion | Taylor Cavanaugh
Taylor Cavanaugh’s life has been a cycle of achievement, self-destruction, and rebuilding.
Before becoming a Navy SEAL, Taylor had already been expelled from school, arrested repeatedly, survived a violent car crash, and served time in county jail. After multiple branches of the military turned him away, the Navy finally gave him a shot.
Taylor made it through BUD/S and Hell Week and eventually
Four Brain Surgeries, Total Deafness, and Refusing to Break | McKinnon Galloway
McKinnon Galloway was diagnosed with NF2 at 16 after a routine MRI for a volleyball concussion revealed two brain tumors. What followed was years of chemotherapy, a phase-one clinical trial, four brain surgeries, radiation, facial paralysis, a cerebral stroke, and the complete loss of her hearing.
Her third brain surgery became life-threatening when doctors discovered that her tumor had developed
A School Shooting, a Shipwreck, and the Long Run to Sobriety | Mishka Shubaly
Mishka Shubaly has lived several lives: gifted student, touring musician, Columbia-trained writer, addict, shipwreck survivor, ultrarunner, Yale professor, and the editor who helped Ken Rideout turn his life into a book.
Mishka joins Ken for a deeply personal conversation about growing up with a distant father, leaving home for college at 15, surviving a deadly school shooting, and watching his f
One Life, Two Hearts: Surviving Cancer, Loss and Heart Failure | Dr. Dawn Mussallem
Dr. Dawn Mussallem was a young medical student when she collapsed and doctors discovered a 15-centimeter tumor wrapped around her heart. She was diagnosed with stage IV diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and told she had only months to live.
She endured chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and radiation while continuing medical school, eventually graduating first in her class. But surviving cancer c
Rejected TV Pitch to the World’s Wildest Animal Encounters | Mark Vins
Mark Vins is the co-founder and host of Brave Wilderness, one of the biggest wildlife channels on YouTube.
Mark joins Ken to explain how a rejected television concept became a global media brand, why a video featuring the “cow killer” velvet ant gained hundreds of thousands of subscribers in a single day, and what it actually feels like to be stung by a murder hornet, bitten by a giant centipede,
The Brutal Road to a Tour de France Top 10 | Andrew Talansky
Andrew Talansky didn’t get on a road bike until he was 17. Seven years later, he finished 10th overall in the Tour de France.
Andrew joins Ken Rideout to tell the story of his unlikely rise from getting dropped on Miami group rides to competing against the best cyclists in the world. He shares how a running injury led him to cycling, why he left college to chase the sport, and how a brutal experi
From Bartender to Elite MMA Coach | Eric Nicksick
Eric Nicksick never planned on becoming one of the most respected coaches in MMA.
He grew up in Las Vegas surrounded by football coaches, learning how to study film, lead a team, master the fundamentals, and separate himself through what Randy Couture later called “things that take no talent”: being early, being prepared, and doing the work.
After football, Eric walked into Xtreme Couture before
From $1 Paychecks to World Champion | Regis Prograis
Two-time world champion Regis "Rougarou" Prograis built his career the hard way.
He started boxing late, lost everything when Hurricane Katrina destroyed his family's home, sold tickets to fund his early professional career, and eventually fought his way to the top of the sport, becoming a two-time world champion.
But behind the belts was a very different story.
Regis opens up about paying oppo
He Started Running in College—Then Made Five Olympic Teams | Abdi Abdirahman
Abdi Abdirahman arrived in the United States as a refugee from Somalia in 1990. He spoke no English, settled with his family in Tucson, Arizona, and went through high school without ever competing as a runner.
He did not discover the sport until his sophomore year at Pima Community College.
Abdi showed up to his first practice wearing jeans and boots. Despite having no formal training, he finish
From Army Airborne to Addiction Recovery | Evan Slaughter
Evan Slaughter grew up in Birmingham, Alabama in a conservative household before addiction changed the course of his life. After battling an early OxyContin addiction and completing rehab, he joined the U.S. Army, earned an Airborne contract, deployed to Afghanistan, and was injured in an IED blast.
The pain medication prescribed after that injury pulled him back into addiction.
What followed we
He Barely Played in College. Then Played 14 NFL Seasons. | Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel's football story shouldn't have happened.
He spent his college career at USC backing up two Heisman Trophy winners, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, throwing just a handful of passes while wondering if he'd ever get a real opportunity. Most players would have transferred. Matt stayed ready.
That decision changed his life.
After being drafted by the New England Patriots, he learned be
The Olympian Who Nearly Died Making Weight | Danny O'Connor
Danny O'Connor looked like he had everything.
A state wrestling champion. An Olympian. One of the top professional boxers in America with a world title shot finally within reach.
Behind the scenes, almost nobody knew he had been battling an eating disorder for years.
What began as extreme weight cutting in high school wrestling evolved into a life-threatening cycle of starvation, binge eating,
Boston, Addiction, The Town, 12 Years Sober | George Carroll “Slaine”
He taught himself to rap at nine years old, co-founded the rap supergroup La Coka Nostra, got discovered by Ben Affleck for Gone Baby Gone, and went on to act in The Town, Killing Them Softly, and Joker.
What almost nobody saw was what was happening behind the scenes.
For 23 years Slaine battled alcohol and addiction, through cocaine, OxyContin, and heroin, while chasing two careers most people
He Fought for a World Title with Lyme Disease | Mike Lee
He graduated from Notre Dame, signed with Top Rank, fought at Madison Square Garden and Cowboys Stadium, starred in national Subway commercials, and earned a shot at a world title.
What almost nobody saw was what was happening behind the scenes.
For years Mike battled chronic pain, autoimmune disease, misdiagnoses, and Lyme disease while trying to keep his career alive. He fought through broken
The Crack Addict Who Became a Med Student | David Millar
David Millar grew up at the Jersey Shore surrounded by addiction, promising himself he would never become like the people he watched struggle around him.
Instead, by age 20, he was deep into alcohol, cocaine, and crack addiction. He dropped out of college, cycled through psych wards, detox centers, and rehabs, slept in the woods, stole to survive, and believed drugs would define the rest of his l
From Tour Wins to Barely Holding a Club | Scott Stallings
Scott Stallings is one of the fittest players to ever walk the PGA Tour.
He grew up between Worcester, Massachusetts and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, walked on at Tennessee Tech after the program he dreamed of passed on him, and turned himself into a three-time PGA Tour winner over a fourteen-year career.
Then, at the 2024 Players Championship, one swing into the lip of a fairway bunker tore his should
He Played for the Celtics on OxyContin | Chris Herren
Chris Herren grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts, a basketball city where making it meant everything. He earned a scholarship to Boston College, starred at Fresno State, and did what every kid in his hometown only dreamed of. He pulled on a Boston Celtics jersey.
What almost no one knew was that he did it as an addict. Cocaine in college gave way to OxyContin and then heroin in the NBA. Chris pl
Hunting 80,000 Deer to Save Hawaii | Jake Muise
Jake Muise grew up in rural Canada hunting, fishing, and living off the land. A Division I volleyball scholarship brought him to Hawaii, but a dorm room mix-up changed the course of his life forever.
After being welcomed into a local Molokai family, Jake developed a deep connection to Hawaiian culture and became fascinated by Hawaii's invasive axis deer problem. What began as an obsession eventua
Dyslexia. Racism. The NFL. | Chris Spencer
Chris Spencer grew up in rural Mississippi working cotton fields, facing racism firsthand, and struggling with dyslexia throughout school. Football became the one place where everything made sense.
That path eventually took him from being one of the top recruits in the country to Ole Miss, where he played alongside Eli Manning, before becoming the 26th overall pick in the NFL Draft and spending a
The Walk-On Who Refused to Leave | Todd Anderson
Todd Anderson wasn't supposed to play at Michigan State.
He came from a tiny town in Michigan. No Division I offers. No scholarship. No clear path forward.
Then a chance opportunity earned him a walk-on spot at Michigan State.
What followed was years of injuries, setbacks, position changes, and moments where quitting felt like the logical choice.
Eventually, Todd became a key contributor on a
The Voice of the UFC | Jon Anik
Jon Anik is the voice of the UFC.
Before calling the biggest fights in the world, he was a young broadcaster at ESPN trying to find his place in sports media. Then Dana White offered him a chance to help build the UFC during one of the most important growth periods in the company's history.
In this conversation, Jon shares the journey from ESPN to the UFC, what it was like earning Dana White's t
Jump Around. Crash Hard. | Danny Boy O'Connor
Danny Boy O'Connor helped build one of the biggest songs of the 1990s.
As a founding member of House of Pain, he watched "Jump Around" become a global anthem and experienced everything that came with it: money, fame, chaos, addiction, and eventually rock bottom.
In this conversation, Danny shares stories from a childhood shaped by violence, crime, and survival. We talk about the rise of House of
Addicted at 15. NFL Star at 30. | Darren Waller
Darren Waller was one of the most talented players in football.Georgia Tech standout. NFL draft pick. Pro Bowl tight end. Massive contracts. Fame. Success.
But behind the scenes, he was spiraling.
Addiction started at 15. Pills. Alcohol. Failed drug tests. Suspensions. A fentanyl overdose that nearly killed him. Eventually, the NFL banned him for a year.
This conversation goes way deeper than f
The World’s Strongest Man | Mitchell Hooper
Mitchell Hooper became the strongest man on Earth almost by accident.
A former marathon runner, exercise physiologist, and coach… he found Strongman late, exploded onto the scene, and became World’s Strongest Man in just a few years.
But this conversation goes way deeper than strength.
We talk about steroids, the Enhanced Games, performance obsession, money, success, mental health, addiction, s
OxyContin, Graffiti, and a Second Chance | J-Mac
Jason “J-Mac” McDonald grew up moving between Malden, Medford, Chelsea, East Boston, and Revere.
Bullied, angry, and constantly trying to fit in, he found identity in graffiti, hip-hop, stealing, and eventually drugs. What started as tagging trains and shoplifting turned into OxyContin, heroin, violence, overdoses, and years of addiction that nearly killed him.
This conversation goes deep into B
From Siberian Orphanage to Paralympic Legend | Jessica Long
Jessica Long is one of the greatest Paralympic athletes of all time.18 gold medals. 31 total Paralympic medals. A career that changed sports forever.
But this conversation has almost nothing to do with swimming.
Jessica was born in Siberia, placed in an orphanage as a baby, and had both legs amputated before she was two years old. By 12, she was winning Paralympic gold medals for Team USA. The w
The Enforcer Who Had to Rebuild. | Chris “Knuckles” Nilan
Chris “Knuckles” Nilan was a Boston kid who became a Montreal Canadiens legend.
688 NHL games. A Stanley Cup. More than 3,000 penalty minutes. One of the toughest enforcers hockey has ever seen.
But after the cheers stopped, the real fight started.
Injuries. Painkillers. OxyContin. Heroin. Fentanyl. An overdose that nearly killed him.
This conversation goes way deeper than hockey.
We talk abo
From the Raiders to Reinventing Himself | Miles Burris
Former Raiders linebacker and actor Miles Burris joins Ken for a conversation about identity, reinvention, and what happens when the dream you chased your whole life suddenly ends.
Miles grew up in Granite Bay, California obsessed with football from the moment he first put on pads. After becoming a standout linebacker at San Diego State, he was drafted by his childhood team — the Oakland Raiders
Built to Destroy. Forced to Rebuild. | Mark Kerr
Mark Kerr was one of the most dominant fighters on the planet. NCAA champion. Undefeated in early MMA. A force so powerful they called him The Smashing Machine.
But behind the wins was a different story. Addiction. Shame. An overdose that nearly killed him. A life spinning out in real time.
This conversation goes way deeper than fighting.
We talk about identity… what happens when success isn’t
From Navy SEAL to Breaking Point to Building Lives | Johnny Wilson
Johnny Wilson’s life doesn’t follow a straight line—it crashes, burns, and rebuilds.
From getting kicked out of the Naval Academy to fighting his way into the Navy SEALs…From combat deployments in Iraq to the trading floor at Goldman Sachs…From suicidal thoughts and a fractured life to finding healing in the darkest places…
This is a story about what happens after the mission ends.
Johnny open
War Took His Legs. Not His Life. | Jason Smith
Jason Smith is a retired U.S. Army infantry sergeant who lost both legs after stepping on an IED in Afghanistan in 2012.
What followed wasn’t just survival—it was a complete rebuild.
From months of rehab in Texas to refusing prosthetics, to eventually relearning how to walk, Jason had to let go of who he was to become someone new. Along the way, he faced PTSD, setbacks, and moments that nearly
From Olympic Pressure to Peace and Purpose | Katie Hoff
Katie Hoff was one of the best swimmers in the world before most kids could drive. She made the Olympic team at 15, won multiple medals, and carried the pressure of being called the next great American swimmer.
But behind the results was a different story.
The weight of expectations. The identity tied to performance. And the realization that even success at the highest level didn’t bring what sh
Broken, Beat and a World Title | “Irish” Micky Ward
I’ve known Micky Ward for a long time. Before the fights people saw. Before the movie.
This is a guy who was working as a corrections officer while trying to make it in boxing. Getting written off. Used as an opponent. Walking away from the sport… and coming back anyway.
We talk about the part people don’t understand — the fear.
He’ll tell you straight up, everyone’s scared. Anyone who says the
Living on the Edge Without Losing Each Other | Laird Hamilton & Gabby Reece
I went out to Malibu to sit down with Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece.
Everyone knows Laird for big-wave surfing and doing things most people wouldn’t even attempt. But what stood out to me wasn’t the waves—it was how he thinks about fear.
He doesn’t avoid it. He uses it.
And then there’s Gabby. She’s watching the person she loves go put himself in real danger, and instead of trying to control i
From NFL Star to Starting Over | Eric Decker
Former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker had everything most people chase—success, fame, a Super Bowl appearance, and a picture-perfect life on the outside.
But when football ended, so did the structure, identity, and validation he had relied on his entire life.
In this conversation, Eric opens up about what really happens after the dream is over—struggling with confidence, anxiety, and purpose, and
Hate, Heartbreak, and a Comeback Win | Kaitlyn Bristowe
Kaitlyn Bristowe went from a small town in Canada to the center of reality TV—and paid the price for it.
She opens up about chasing a dance career, hitting rock bottom after a breakup, and rebuilding her life from nothing. Then came The Bachelor and The Bachelorette—and with it, fame, manipulation behind the scenes, and a level of public backlash that nearly broke her.
She talks about being slut
From Dish Pit to 30 Restaurants | Phillip Frankland Lee
Phillip Frankland Lee went from washing dishes to building one of the most unique restaurant empires in the world. But it didn’t happen clean.
He was betrayed by a business partner who disappeared, leaving him with debt and lawsuits. He got hit with a $15M legal battle from private equity. His restaurants were shut down overnight during COVID.
And instead of folding, he doubled down.
In this ep
Drunk and Directionless to Building an Empire | Sam Parr
Sam Parr built one of the most influential media companies of the last decade, but the path there was anything but clean.
Before selling The Hustle to HubSpot, Sam was getting arrested, struggling with alcohol abuse, and bouncing between odd jobs- from running a hot dog stand in Nashville to chasing a job at Airbnb that fell apart after a lie caught up to him.
This conversation traces the full a
Mind Games, Marathons, and Mastery | Oz Pearlman, Mentalist
Oz Pearlman is one of the most recognized mentalists in the world—but behind the “mind-reading” is something much deeper.
In this episode, we go beyond the tricks. We talk about marathon psychology, the obsession it takes to shave minutes off your time, and the mindset required to win—whether it’s on the course, on stage, or in life.
Oz opens up about his upbringing, hustling through college, an
He Won the Super Bowl… Then Lost Himself | Steve Weatherford
Steve Weatherford: From Super Bowl Champion to Rock Bottom, Addiction, and Redemption
Ken sits down with Super Bowl–champion punter Steve Weatherford for a conversation about identity, rejection, addiction, and what happens when success doesn’t fix anything.
Steve shares his journey from a driven, insecure kid chasing approval through sports to becoming one of the best in the world—earning a sch
Drugs, Destruction, and a Second Life Through Art | Tyler Ramsey
Tyler Ramsey is a mixed media artist whose work lives somewhere between chaos and clarity—but his story is even more extreme than his art.
Before the galleries, collaborations, and global recognition, Tyler was deep in addiction—alcohol, pills, and a lifestyle that nearly destroyed everything. While producing reality TV shows like Survivor and Fear Factor, his life spiraled into a breaking point
Missing the Olympics to Training the Cultural Icons | Bobby Rich
Bobby Rich went from East London kid to Team GB judoka, winning national titles and chasing the Olympics—only to fall short at the final hurdle.
What followed wasn’t a comeback story. It was a complete reinvention.
In this episode, Bobby breaks down the brutal transition from dominating as a junior to getting humbled by grown men, the mental toll of missing Beijing 2008, and the decision to walk
AI, Politics, and a Shot at the White House | Andrew Yang
Andrew Yang joins me for a conversation about politics, AI, entrepreneurship, and why he believed he had to run for president.
We talk about what pushed him from the private sector into national politics, what he learned from meeting former presidents, and why he came away convinced that the people leading the country are not superhuman. Andrew opens up about the reality of running a presidential
The Other Side of Hard | Ken Rideout
This week I sat down with my editor Mishka for a raw conversation about the release of my memoir, Everything You Want Is on the Other Side of Hard.
I open up about the childhood abuse and chaos that shaped me, the years I lost to addiction, and the long road back through sobriety, endurance sports, and rebuilding my life. We talk about opioid addiction, withdrawals, Subutex dependence, and the mo
Cocaine, Cancel Culture, and 300 Miles in the Desert | Eli Wehbe
In this bonus episode I sit down with Eli Wehbe for a raw conversation about status, addiction, reinvention, and the cost of living for validation.
Eli talks about growing up inp Moreno Valley, breaking into Hollywood nightlife, going from door guy to partner at Warwick, and building relationships with celebrities at the height of LA club culture. He also opens up about the partying, the public f
From Prison Yard to Venture Fund | Daniel Dart
Daniel Dart is the founder of Time Again, but before music, before venture capital, before MIT, he was homeless, gang-affiliated, and sentenced to decades in prison on kidnapping and carjacking-related charges.
After fighting his case on appeal and earning a reduced sentence, Daniel rebuilt from nothing — working housekeeping jobs, getting sober, and deliberately surrounding himself with “winners
From 35 Years to Freedom | Johnny Bartolomeo
John “Johnny Bart” Bartolomeo served nearly 27 years of a 35-year federal sentence after tracking down and killing a rival gang member — a decision that would define the next 10,000 days of his life.
In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Johnny walks through his upbringing in East Boston, joining the Hells Angels, the violence that led to his arrest, and the reality of serving decades inside s
Dirty Feet and a Battered Back | Nick Bare
Nick Bare has built his life in public. He announces the goal before he’s ready. He signs up for the race that might break him. He puts the business on the line and accepts the pressure that comes with it.
This episode isn’t about highlight reels. It’s about what happens when discipline meets doubt.
Nick talks about building BPN from a college apartment while serving as an Army infantry officer,
From 354 Pounds to Chasing 100 Miles | Dan LaMorte
Dan LaMorte is a New York City stand-up comedian and ultra runner who has lived more lives by 31 than most people do in a lifetime.
He started comedy at 19 after a career-ending college baseball injury. By 23, he was one of the youngest comics ever passed at the Comedy Cellar — and weighed 354 pounds.
In this conversation, Dan opens up about growing up on the spectrum, battling addiction, blowin
From Public Failure to World Record | Truett Hanes
Truett Hanes is the kind of athlete who makes people uncomfortable, not because he’s loud, but because he’s willing to commit in public. He says the goal out loud. He posts the work. He shows the misses. And he keeps moving anyway.
This episode isn’t about a highlight reel. It’s about the part most people avoid: what happens when you swing big and come up short, in front of everyone. Truett talks
From Needle to Nonprofit | Zac Clark
Zac Clark’s childhood was stable. Good parents. Sports. School. No obvious “reason” for what came next — which is exactly why his story matters.
In his mid-20s, Zac had brain surgery. The surgery worked. But he left the hospital with a raging opioid addiction — and it escalated fast. Pills turned into powder. Powder turned into a needle. And eventually, a missing person report, an arrest, and one
From Broke to “Fancy Like” | Walker Hayes
Walker Hayes wasn’t an “overnight success.”
He was a songwriter for two decades. A dad of six. Clocking in at Costco at 4AM. Drinking. Burning out. Still writing anyway.
In this episode, Walker talks about what it really looked like before “Fancy Like” — the years where bagels felt like a luxury, security felt like a trap, and quitting felt like the responsible move.
Then we go to the hardest d
Trauma, Recovery, and Human Performance | Dr. Kristen Holmes
This week I sit down with Dr. Kristen Holmes — scientist, former elite athlete, coach, and the Global Head of Human Performance at WHOOP.
Kristen built her life around performance early. Sports became structure. Discipline became safety. Achievement became identity. But long before the titles and credentials, she was learning how to survive instability, neglect, and trauma — and carrying that ner
From Alcohol to a Non-Alcoholic Empire | Bill Shufelt
Bill Shufelt, CEO and co-founder of Athletic Brewing Company, shares the remarkable journey from high-intensity finance to building the world’s leading non-alcoholic beer brand. In this conversation, Ken Rideout and Bill go deep on the real story behind Athletic: Bill’s personal struggle with alcohol, the moment sobriety changed everything, and the “missionary vs. mercenary” mindset that kept him
From Undrafted to the Front Office | Ran Carthon
Ran Carthon has lived football from every angle — from undrafted NFL running back fighting to stay on rosters, to working his way through scouting and personnel, to eventually becoming General Manager of the Tennessee Titans.
In this conversation, Ken Rideout goes beyond wins and losses to explore the human side of the NFL: pressure, family sacrifice, leadership, and what it really takes to ear
From Chaos to Kona: A Transformational Journey | John Joseph
John Joseph grew up in extreme violence, neglect, and instability. Raised by a violent, alcoholic father, he spent years in abusive foster homes, experienced homelessness on the streets of New York City as a teenager, battled addiction, and cycled through incarceration and institutional lock-ups at a young age. By every conventional measure, his life was headed toward an early end.
This episode
From Nightclubs to Federal Prison to Mr. Beast | Ian Bick
This week I sit down with Ian Bick — entrepreneur, storyteller, and podcast host, where he tells real stories of incarceration, redemption, and what change actually costs.
Ian became a nightclub owner as a teenager. Fast money. Bigger pressure. Debt. Gambling. Then the bottom fell out — and at 21, he was convicted of federal wire fraud and sent into the federal system.
He walks us through what p
Bank Robber to Business Owner: Mike Lee (BeanShooter)
Mike Lee lived the kind of life that doesn’t end clean. Heroin. Bank robberies. Prison. Overdoses. A revolving door that kept spinning until it didn’t.
In this episode, Mike breaks down the real mechanics of addiction — the daily grind of staying high, staying ahead, and eventually getting cornered. He talks about methadone, getting followed, getting grabbed, and finally deciding to make a change
From Failing on the World Stage to Winning on It | Trey Hardee
This week’s episode is with Trey Hardee, a two-time World Champion in the decathlon and Olympic silver medalist.
Trey opens up about one of the most defining moments of his career: failing publicly on the Olympic stage, the shame that followed, and the surgery and rehab that forced him to confront whether he was really finished. We talk about what it takes to sit with failure instead of running f
Surviving a Texas Prison as an Innocent Man | Greg Kelley
Greg Kelley was a Texas high school football standout whose life was wrecked at 18 when he was wrongfully convicted of super aggravated sexual assault of a child and sentenced to 25 years with no possibility of parole. After years in some of the hardest Texas state prisons, a flawed investigation was exposed, his case was reopened by the Texas Rangers, and in 2019 he was fully exonerated by the Te
Sobriety, Skate Culture & Second Chances | Mike Blabac
Mike Blabac is one of the most influential photographers in skateboarding and action sports. His work includes Danny Way’s iconic Great Wall of China jump, the rise of DC Shoes, and global campaigns with athletes like LeBron James and Usher.
In this episode, Mike shares his journey from a chaotic childhood in rural Ohio to becoming a defining photographer of modern skate culture. He opens up abou
Pills, Pain & Fatherhood | Ken Rideout
This time I’m the guest. My friend, co-conspirator, and writer Mishka Shubaly turns the mic on me.
We go deep into my past—from the years I spent hiding an opioid addiction and living a double life in pharmaceutical sales and later on Wall Street, to the moment I finally chose my family over my vices.
Mishka traces the full arc of my story: the lies I told myself, the fear of getting comfortabl
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