Strong Ambition Podcast

If your mindset runs the show… this episode hands you the remote.This is for anyone who's ever thought, "I know what to do — so why can't I do it?"This sit-down with Anna Murphey is one of the best conversations I’ve had about mindset — not just around food or fitness, but the deeper stuff:How you think, how you react, and how you talk to yourself when things go sideways.We didn’t just touch on macros or training programs — we dug into the internal patterns that shape everything.Because your mindset is the program.And if you’re constantly stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, guilt spirals, or identity labels like “I’m broken” or “I always screw this up”... it doesn’t matter what plan you follow. You’ll sabotage it.This is about how to stop doing that — with more compassion, better tools, and way less shame.We get into:Why mindset is the missing link in sustainable fat lossHow emotional eating can be healthy when it’s structured (donuts included)The “pause” — what it is, and how it builds self-trust fastIdentity work: how to stop calling yourself broken and start building someone newThe link between emotional maturity and long-term successStrength training as therapy — and what it teaches you about discomfortHow to stop moralizing food and start using it for fuel and joyWhat most diets miss about real-life consistencyWhy 80% effort wins over 100% pressureWhat to do when the old version of you won’t let goThis episode will be MASSIVELY helpful for anyone stuck in a mental loop of “why can’t I just get it together?”​It’s not about working harder — it’s about thinking differently.Find Anna on Instagram: @commonsense.health

This is a really common misunderstanding people have about powerlifting:They think it's all about "maxing out" and chasing medals.But the best powerlifters I know train to be better in life — not just for meets.In this in-person episode of Whiskey and Barbells, I sat down with my own coach, Kurtis Tallaire — a national-level powerlifter who's been in the game for over a decade, both as an athlete and a coach.Today, he trains athletes who are crushing international meets.Kurtis and I take a deeper, practical look at powerlifting principles — not just for competitors, but for the everyday lifter who wants strength that supports their life, their body, and their longevity.We get into:Why powerlifting is a mindset, not just a sportHow a strong squat looks different from a “textbook” squatThe right way (and wrong way) to use a weight beltStrength training vs. bodybuilding — and why they feel so differentProgressive overload and why it still worksHow to build strength without obsessing over your 1RMTraining principles that make workouts feel easier over timeThe importance of sleep and recovery for strength gainsSpecific cues for improving bench, squat, and deadliftCore strength tips to protect your backMy recent competition recap — what I’d do differentlyThis episode is great if you care about getting stronger for real life — whether you train for performance, health, or just to feel powerful in your body.Find more from Kurtis on Instagram:​​@kurtis.t

This episode is for anyone who’s made the same resolution five years in a row.Most “year-in-review” episodes are a highlight reel.This one isn’t.I recorded this episode with no voice, no sleep, low energy — but full honesty.Instead of shouting out guest names or surface-level takeaways, I focused on the patterns that kept repeating across coaches, therapists, athletes, and everyday people actually trying to change their lives.We get into the real stuff:Why resolutions fail, how identity shapes consistency, and what shame-free reflection actually looks like.It’s also the kickoff to my Real Resolution Challenge — built to help you follow through without burning out.We get into:Why your identity shapes your consistency (more than motivation ever could)The problem with vague goalsHow “failure” is actually just informationTangible takeaways from 15 expert guests this yearDetails on the Real Resolution Transformation Challenge (with over $1,500 in prizes)

Kevin Driscoll spent years gaining and losing the same 40 pounds.​Hard training. Hard partying. Restriction. Bingeing. Repeat.But it wasn’t because of a lack of discipline — it was a lack of identity.In this episode, Kevin and I unpack how he finally stepped off the dieting roller coaster and into what he calls The Goldilocks Zone — that sweet, sustainable middle ground where fitness supports your life without taking it over.We talk about the real reason most people can’t stay consistent: it’s not the food or the plan. It’s the story you keep telling yourself.“I have no discipline.”“I’m broken.”“I always screw this up.”Kevin explains how identity becomes the ceiling — and how to raise it, one small action at a time.If you’ve ever flipped from “clean eating” to chaos, or punished yourself with workouts to “make up” for food, this one hits home.We get into:Kevin’s own story of binge/restrict and emotional eatingHow identity and self-talk shape long-term successWhy “just be more disciplined” is trash adviceThe power of neutral thinking for chronic dietersHow to break the shame loop around foodKevin’s 3-phase coaching model: Foundation → Fat Loss → FreedomWhy perfection is the enemy of real changeWhy coaches need to stop moralizing foodThe Baby Bear Zone: finding a middle ground that actually worksKevin’s new challenge: HYROX training and rebuilding a healthy identityFind Kevin on Instagram: @kpd.fit

Megan Grimord grew up in a house where dieting was the norm and food was loaded with shame.​By 14, she was stuck in a cycle of restriction, bingeing, and purging — a pattern that followed her into adulthood. But now she finds herself, after having her first child, in the best shape of her life.In this episode, Megan and I talk about what it takes to heal your relationship with food — especially when you’ve been taught to fear it your whole life.We unpack how calorie tracking can be a tool for freedom, not control.How bingeing isn’t always emotional (sometimes it’s just your body begging for food). And why intuitive eating alone rarely works without education and accountability.Then we go deeper into motherhood, postpartum depression, and the massive identity shift that happens when your body changes and your needs come last.Megan shares her own experience recovering from a C-section while raising a premature newborn with a sick partner and zero sleep. Her advice? Do less, better.This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt broken by food, overwhelmed by motherhood, or trapped in a loop of “start over Monday.”We get into:Megan’s recovery from binge/restrict eatingWhy food shame keeps people stuckThe surprising benefits of macro tracking for emotional eatersWhy intuitive eating needs structure to workHow “mom culture” online glorifies burnout and martyrdomSimple postpartum recovery tips (that aren’t garbage advice)Why “less is more” is the only way forward for most womenPractical advice for mastering one habit at a timeReframing failure as experimentation — not proof you’re brokenHow life transitions can fuel growth, not stall itFind Megan on Instagram: @megan_grimord