Choose the Hard Way

Andrew Vontz

Conversations about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. Guests from pro cycling, sports, politics, business, tech, journalism, the military and more. Resilience, grit, mental health, high performance, mindfulness. Host Andrew Vontz is an entrepreneur & founder of One Real Voice, the strategic & coaching consultancy for podcast guests & hosts. Previously, he was a Strava executive; a communications leader at the human performance company, TRX; and a journalist with hundreds of bylines in dozens of top outlets including The LA Times, Outside Magazine, Rolling Stone and more.

  1. Tour of Flanders & Why Our Kids Love Riding the Wahoo Kickr Core w Spencer Martin x Andrew Vontz of Beyond the Peloton

    6 APR

    Tour of Flanders & Why Our Kids Love Riding the Wahoo Kickr Core w Spencer Martin x Andrew Vontz of Beyond the Peloton

    Spencer Martin of Beyond the Peloton / WEDU & Andrew Vontz breakdown Pog's big ride at the 2026 Tour of Flanders and share why their kids love riding the trainer.   — Andrew explains how he set up the Wahoo Kickr Core with Click & Cog so his kids could ride on Zwift + product feedback   —   And we discuss the forthcoming Boulder vs. Hope junior cycling rivalry when Spencer gets his Kickr Core set up for the fam. —   Choose the Hard Way is the podcast about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. — Please hit 5 stars and subscribe wherever you listen + pass this episode along to a friend. And if you want to hear more of Spencer and Andrew discussing bike racing, subscribe to Beyond the Peloton.    — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — JOIN US: Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/   — Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/   —   Beyond the Peloton pod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-peloton-podcast/id1524689002 https://open.spotify.com/show/38KNvwfP4y7ALpBBu1izsI?si=7492eed55a3a4026   — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com   — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod   — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

    34 min
  2. Art O'Connor / Wukar Fit - Iditabike, Ultra-endurance, & Strength Training for World Champions like Keegan Swenson & You

    10 MAR

    Art O'Connor / Wukar Fit - Iditabike, Ultra-endurance, & Strength Training for World Champions like Keegan Swenson & You

    Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz in conversation with Wukar Fit founder Art O'Connor, a strength coach for pro cyclists including World Champion Keegan Swenson, Sofia Villafane, Chase Wark, and athletes of all ages & ability levels working to be strong for life. — Art is a former pro mountain bike racer and now races cold weather ultra-endurance fat bike events like the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350 and the Fat Pursuit 200k where he placed second. His philosophy is lift heavy, ride fast. — As someone who primarily spends my winters in Maine trying to leave as often as possible to go somewhere warm to ride, Art's affinity for racing in below zero temps in the wilderness fascinates me. — Art and I share an appreciation of functional movement and the importance of being durable enough to function in life, not just perform on the bike.  — Art famously completed the Abandon Your Family 500 challenge and joined us for the AYF hot wash, find that episode in the archives.  — Find Art on Instagram @wukarfit and his training programs are available there and at wukarfit.com through the train heroic app. — To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — Scripted and robotic is out, real is in. The communication landscape has changed and yesterday's media training just doesn't work.   — That's why I started One Real Voice to provide the training and narrative development senior executives need to thrive in the unscripted, open-ended communication formats like town halls, fireside chats, and podcasts that are mission critical for their roles.    — I limit the number of clients I work with to go deep, but if you're ready to be great, DM me @hardwaypod or email hello@onerealvoice.com. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

    1hr 18min
  3. Sharice Davids - MMA fighter, Congresswoman, White House Fellow

    18 FEB

    Sharice Davids - MMA fighter, Congresswoman, White House Fellow

    Sharice Davids is a congresswoman from Kansas, a former White House fellow, a lawyer, and MMA fighter with 7 fights including two professional bouts. She joins Andrew Vontz & Jonathan Kaplan on United States of Sweat p/b Choose the Hard Way to share stories about training, fighting, and her hardest workout ever.  — United States of Sweat is the series where politicians and policymakers join us to share stories about fitness, health, and the sports they love. — Please hit subscribe & give this show a 5-star rating wherever you listen or watch. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn't optional. It's now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn't easy. — That's why Andrew Vontz started https://www.onerealvoice.com/ to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — Jonathan Kaplan is the founder of WRITE CADENCE STRATEGIES, helping individuals and organizations navigate Washington, shape policy and manage reputational risk. He also writes RIDING WITH, a newsletter and podcast exploring the intersection of pro cycling, media, business and politics. Find that at ridingwithkaplan.substack.com. — To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn't optional. It's now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn't easy. — That's why Andrew Vontz started https://www.onerealvoice.com/ to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/ — Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/ — Jonathan Kaplan Instagram: http://instagram.com/jonny99kaplan

    47 min

  4. 12 FEB

    Jeff Troesch - Mental Performance Coach to NFL, MLB, NBA World Champions & Olympians

    Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz in conversation with Jeff Troesch, one of the most experienced mental performance coaches in elite sport. For nearly four decades, Jeff has helped athletes and teams win at the highest level, including the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup, Olympic Games, and Grand Slams. — Special thanks to our title sponsor Blockchain.com, the most trusted name in crypto with over $1 trillion in transactions to date. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today. — Jeff has worked with the Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, U.S. Soccer Federation, USA Track & Field, IMG Academy and David Leadbetter's Golf Academies, and has coached Olympic medalists in both summer and winter Games since 1988. — Jeff is also the author of One Day Better, a practical guide to building mental strength drawn from decades inside professional and collegiate sport. You can learn more about him and the book on instagram at https://instagram.com/8020_books. — Applied high performance and behavioral science are two pillars of the method I use in www.onerealvoice.com, my strategic communications practice that helps senior leaders thrive in open-ended, long-form communication formats. I've found Jeff's book to be a great resource that has given me new and practical ideas that I've enjoyed exploring.  — To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn't optional. It's now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn't easy. — That's why Andrew Vontz started https://www.onerealvoice.com/ to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

    53 min

  5. 2 FEB

    Friends, Sweat, & Tears: the Shocking AYF Finale LIVE from Pace Ranch in Tucson

    The dramatic JK Normatec addiction intervention, detonating Mt. Lemmon records, the Dan Swenson World Tour 2026 bid, traveling with SciCon bike bags, and the applied high performance practices of aging parents going big in the desert.  — Spencer Martin of WeDu / Peacock / Beyond the Peloton + Jonathan Kaplan of Riding With join Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz to debrief on their Abandon Your Family LIVE! training camp in Tucson, AZ at Pace Ranch. — Special thanks to Pam Alexander and Tucson cycling community legends Paul and MaryAnn Wiederhold. — JOIN US: — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/ — Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/p/riding-with-friends?utm_source=publication-search — Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/ — ONE REAL VOICE - BE HEARD The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host isn't optional. It's now a mission-critical skill for senior leaders. — That's why I started my consultancy, https://www.onerealvoice.com/, to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. |— With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. —

    1hr 2min
  6. Abandon Your Family 30,000 Roundtable - Spencer Martin, Andrew Vontz, Jonathan Kaplan, Paul Redmayne

    21 JAN

    Abandon Your Family 30,000 Roundtable - Spencer Martin, Andrew Vontz, Jonathan Kaplan, Paul Redmayne

    Tears, chamois cream, glory. Carb slurry was downed by the gallon and tears were shed in garages and at dinner tables around the world as the community collectively gave everything to secure midpack glory at select gravel major and minor races in mid 2026. — This episode is a conversation about the Abandon Your Family 30,000 experience with Choose the Hard Way & One Real Voice founder Andrew Vontz, Spencer Martin of WeDu / Peacock / Beyond the Peloton, Jonathan Kaplan of the Riding With newsletter / pod & special guest Paul Redmayne in the UAE, a 4x outdoor Everester who drops the shocking truth that he rides a 12-inch wide Brooks saddle on his indoor bike. — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — Paul Redmayne: https://www.instagram.com/paul.redmayne/?hl=en — Jonathan Kaplan's Riding With newsletter: https://ridingwithkaplan.substack.com/p/riding-with-friends?utm_source=publication-search — Spencer Martin's Beyond the Peloton newsletter: https://beyondthepeloton.substack.com/ — Choose the Hard Way is the show about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. This episode is about living that philosophy and how you can, too. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host isn't optional. It's now a mission-critical skill for senior leaders. — That's why I started my consultancy, https://www.onerealvoice.com/, to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and in the high-stakes, open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today, no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — JOIN US: — One Real Voice - narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts & high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

    52 min
  7. Jens Voigt on East Germany, Parenting Six Kids, Crashing at 70 km/h and Life after 17 Tours de France

    15 JAN

    Jens Voigt on East Germany, Parenting Six Kids, Crashing at 70 km/h and Life after 17 Tours de France

    Jens Voigt raced the Tour de France 17 times, wore the yellow jersey, won stages in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, and set the Hour Record on the track at age 43. He joins Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz how crashing at 70 km/h changes you in ways the world doesn't see and the long arc of a life in sport. — This episode explores Jens' childhood and upbringing in the former East Germany, his path through a state-run sports academy, and what it was like to build a career inside professional cycling without ever being the protected rider. — This is a conversation about parenting six kids, literally carrying teammates through hard times, aging and how he stays World Tour fast to feel good and have fun. — To support Choose the Hard Way, please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn't optional. It's now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn't easy. — That's why Andrew Vontz started https://www.onerealvoice.com/ to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — Jens Voigt on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejensie/ — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/

    1hr 9min
  8. Patrick J. Murphy - 1st Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress - Former Under Secretary of the Army

    7 JAN

    Patrick J. Murphy - 1st Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress - Former Under Secretary of the Army

    Patrick J Murphy, First Iraq War Veteran Elected to Congress and Former Under Secretary of the Army — Patrick J Murphy was the first Iraq War veteran elected to the United States Congress and later served as Under Secretary of the Army. He joins Choose the Hard Way creator Andrew Vontz for a wide-ranging conversation on service, leadership and responsibility. — This episode explores what it means to engage seriously with people who hold different points of view and why stepping outside an echo chamber is a necessary discipline, not a political stance. — This is a conversation about leadership without performance, curiosity without defensiveness and the work required to stay human in complex systems. — Follow along here for new episodes and reflections and to support this work please become a paid subscriber of https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/. — The media landscape has changed. Scripted is out. Real is in. Being a great podcast guest or host and being able to operate in dynamic unscripted contexts isn't optional. It's now a mandatory skill for senior leaders and doing it well isn't easy. — That's why Andrew Vontz started https://www.onerealvoice.com/ to help industry leaders thrive on podcasts, panels and the internal and external high-stakes open-ended conversations where reputations are built and business is won. — When you're ready to be great, DM https://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod or reach out to hello@onerealvoice.com. — With over $1 trillion in transactions to date, Blockchain.com is your trusted partner on your crypto journey. Go to Blockchain.com to get started today no experience required. — Lauf is the Apple of bike design and they make elegant products that just work better than everything else. Check them out at www.laufcycles.com. — Patrick J. Murphy: https://patrickmurphypa.substack.com/ — Patrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickmurphypa/ — More about Patrick: www.patrickjmurphy.com  — Andrew Vontz's Choose the Hard Way newsletter: https://alwaysthehardway.substack.com/ — One Real Voice – narrative, strategy and coaching for podcasts and high-stakes conversations: http://www.onerealvoice.com — Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hardwaypod — Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewvontz/ —

    58 min
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About

Conversations about how hard things build stronger humans who have more fun. Guests from pro cycling, sports, politics, business, tech, journalism, the military and more. Resilience, grit, mental health, high performance, mindfulness. Host Andrew Vontz is an entrepreneur & founder of One Real Voice, the strategic & coaching consultancy for podcast guests & hosts. Previously, he was a Strava executive; a communications leader at the human performance company, TRX; and a journalist with hundreds of bylines in dozens of top outlets including The LA Times, Outside Magazine, Rolling Stone and more.

Information

  • Creator
    Andrew Vontz
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    143
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Big Truck, LLC
  • Show Website
    Choose the Hard Way

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