Ten Thousand Miles

Vic Pepe
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The road to success is full of hard work and determination. It is never easy - you just learn to handle hard... Here, I interview people who "make it look easy" but leave it all on the field daily to do so.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    The Addiction Nobody Warns You About | Climbing Edition

    Ever felt that rush? I remember that first time, the pure dopamine hit of climbing, a powerful form of motivation that felt like a true addiction. This experience wasn't about drugs, but about the sheer happiness found in pushing limits. It's a great life lesson in self improvement. Everyone wants to climb the ladder. But do you know why you're climbing and what it's going to cost you? In this raw, honest solo episode, Vic breaks down one of the most important questions in leadership, business, and life: What is the ladder of success, and is it worth the climb? Drawing on a career that spans the music business (Alice Cooper), Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, JP Morgan Chase, five CIO roles, and executive advisory work, Vic shares the neuroscience behind status-seeking, the psychology of ambition, and the very real sacrifices high achievers make on the way to the top. This isn't motivational fluff. This is the truth about what success actually demands. In this episode: * Why your brain is hardwired to chase status (dopamine, serotonin, and survival hierarchies) * The difference between ambition as identity vs. ambition as expression * How to know if you're climbing the wrong wall * The trades every high achiever makes: relationships, health, faith, and presence * Why climbing fast and climbing right are two very different things * The identity collapse that happens when the badge is gone * How to raise yourself by raising others * Why are the most successful leaders the ones who bring people with them Key Concepts Discussed: Victor Frankl on purpose | Maslow's hierarchy of needs | Jordan Peterson on competence hierarchies | Leon Festinger's social comparison theory | Eudaimonic well-being (Aristotle) | The EKG climb: why success is never a straight line Chapters: 00:00 The First Hit of the Ladder 03:45 Why Your Brain Is Wired for Status 07:20 The Ladder as Meaning Making Structure 10:10 The Trap Baked Into the Structure 13:30 The Boardroom Moment That Changed Everything 18:00 The Climb Is Not a Straight Line 22:15 Your Reputation Leads Before You Do 26:40 The Trades You Make on the Way Up 33:10 Identity Collapse at the Top 37:00 How to Climb and Stay Whole 40:20 Self Examination: Was It Worth It? Tags / Keywords: success mindset leadership lessons climbing the corporate ladder executive leadership career advice ambition and success work life balance CIO career what does success cost purpose driven leadership Vic Pepe Ten Thousand Miles podcast leadership podcast business podcast career growth dopamine and success status hierarchy Jordan Peterson hierarchy Maslow hierarchy of needs Victor Frankl purpose #LeadershipPodcast #SuccessMindset #CareerGrowth #TenThousandMiles #ExecutiveLeadership #Ambition #CIOLeadership #BusinessPodcast #VicPepe #climbingtheladder

    36 min

  2. 4 MAY

    Behind The Scenes With Eric Gales!

    Join us as we dive into the creative process of a musician who believes every performance is unique. He shares his approach to live music, emphasizing following intuition rather than a rigid song list. Discover how this artist crafts his music live, making each night a fresh experience. Guitar legend  ⁨@EricGalesBand⁩  - Gales joins Vic on Ten Thousand Miles for a conversation 35+ years in the making. From picking up his first #guitar at four in a music-filled #memphis household, to signing his first record deal at 16, to his recent Oscars performance and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame — Eric shares the highs, the heartbreaks, and the inspiration that have fueled nearly five decades in music. Eric opens up about the emotional making of "Stand Up" from Crown, the gut-punch of having an early record rejected by his label, the brothers who guarded him through the industry, and the gift he believes was given to him from above. https://youtu.be/DJHLkLOFEVA?si=CcKyarH3VfZzdvCM He also gets candid about gear — Magneto, Kiesel, PRS, Dunlop, Seymour Duncan, and his Mark Bass Raw Dog signature amp — and shares hard-won wisdom about letting life be life and using music as the most powerful outlet there is. Learn more about Eric: ericgales.com Chapters * 0:00 Intro * 1:18 The Gift * 3:19 Interview Begins * 5:47 Picking Up the Guitar at Four * 18:06 The First Big Disappointment * 24:15 Crown, "Stand Up," and a Vocal for the Ages * 33:00 Life Be Life: Controlling What You Can * 51:36 Advice to His 16-Year-Old Self Keywords: Eric Gales, Eric Gales interview, Eric Gales guitar, Crown album, Stand Up Eric Gales, Blues Hall of Fame, blues guitar, rock guitar, Memphis blues, guitar legends, Ten Thousand Miles podcast, Vic Pepe, Rick Beato, Joe Bonamassa, Magneto guitars, Kiesel guitars, PRS guitars, Raw Dog amp, guitar players podcast, music industry stories. Hashtags: #EricGales #TenThousandMiles #BluesGuitar #GuitarLegends #CrownAlbum #BluesHallOfFame #RockGuitar #GuitarPodcast #MemphisBlues #StandUp #GuitarPlayers #MusicPodcast #VicPepe #GuitarInterview #BluesRock Please Comment, Like, Share, and Subscribe! #shorts #shortsfeed #podcast #leaders #stories #podcast #courage #business #Success #Leadership #Motivation #Inspiration #SelfImprovement #PersonalDevelopment #GoalSetting #Mindset #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSuccess #LifeGoals #PositiveThinking #AchieveYourGoals #SuccessMindset #LeadershipSkills #MotivationalQuotes #SuccessTips #LeadershipDevelopment #InspirationalVideos #SuccessStories #money #life #rockandroll #music #CEO #COO #CFO #CAO #nextjob #goodtimes #success

    54 min

  3. 27 APR

    The Symbolic Reasoning Breakthrough Nobody's Talking About - Dain Ehring

    In this insightful podcast, we explore the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence with an expert in symbolic reasoning. Learn about the future of AI as we discuss various aspects of machine learning, neural networks, and the logic behind advanced systems. This conversation touches on innovation in AI, offering a glimpse into how these technologies are shaping our world. Vic Pepe sits down with #entrepreneur and innovator Dain Ehring for a powerful conversation about the future of #artificialintelligence financial services, compliance, risk, and the massive shift from the Information Age to the Intelligence Age. Dain shares his work with QGI, Quantum General Intelligence, a deterministic AI platform built for highly regulated industries like financial services, lending, compliance, underwriting, and risk management. Unlike traditional large language models, deterministic AI is designed to provide traceability, auditability, consistency, and defensible decision-making.Vic and Dain dive deep into: AI in financial servicesDeterministic AI vs generative AI Compliance risk and regulatory pressure AI hallucinations and why they matter The future of underwriting and lending How AI will impact jobs and productivity Autonomous agents and personal AI assistants The rise of user sovereignty Why AI will expose the bell curve How entrepreneurs and small businesses can use AI today 00:00 Show Teaser 00:54 Introduction to Dain Ehring & AI Background 03:24 The Problem with AI in Financial Services (Probabilistic vs Deterministic) 07:14 Real-World AI Efficiency Gains and Limitations 11:39 AI Risk, Lawsuits, and Compliance Challenges 17:04 What is Deterministic AI and Why It Matters 22:24 Use Cases: Compliance, Underwriting, and Risk Management 29:39 The Future of AI, Autonomous Agents, and Human Impact Subscribe to Ten Thousand Miles for more conversations with leaders, founders, innovators, and people shaping the future. Please Comment, Like, Share, and Subscribe!

    1hr 13min

  4. 20 APR

    Athletic Luxury Comes Alive! - Andrew Redvanly

    Please Comment, Like, Share, and Subscribe! From Bootstrapped to Brand: How Andrew Redvanly Built a Luxury Athletic Wear Empire from Scratch | Ten Thousand Miles Podcast What does it take to build a premium athletic apparel brand with zero fashion industry experience, no investors, and a launch line that only came in white because you ran out of fabric budget? Everything. Andrew Redvanly, founder of Redvanly, sits down with Vic Pepe on the Ten Thousand Miles Podcast to share the unfiltered story of how he turned a passion for sports and an obsession with quality into one of the most talked-about luxury athletic wear brands in golf and performance fashion today. Andrew breaks down how he invented the elastic waistband trousers out of pure survival instinct, not genius, and how that accidental innovation became the cornerstone of a brand now worn by Rick Shiels and generating serious international momentum. From three white polos launched on Shopify in 2013 to 75 employees and a global footprint, this is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, product development, and what it actually takes to compete against giants like Peter Millar and Lululemon without a single outside investor. In this episode, you will learn: * Why Andrew launched with no business plan, and why that was the right move * How Redvanly's signature elastic waistband was born out of an inventory problem, not a brainstorm * The real impact of the ambassador deals with Rick Shields and PGA player Johnny Vegas * Why the first 4 years of online sales were basically zero, and what finally changed * How to scale hiring decisions without killing your business * What athletic luxury actually means and how Redvanly executes it at every price point * What is coming next, including the Desmond trousers and a potential blazer line If you are a golf enthusiast, a men's fashion buyer, an entrepreneur building a consumer brand, or someone who refuses to sacrifice either performance or style, this conversation is for you. CHAPTERS 00:27 Welcome and Introduction 01:15 What Makes Redvanly Different 02:28 Andrew's Background and the Origin Story 04:49 The Risk of Starting Young and Going All In 07:04 How Andrew Learned to Make Clothes with Zero Experience 08:54 The White Line Launch and Early Inventory Realities 09:54 Going to Market on Shopify and Selling Wholesale to Country Clubs 12:27 Progress Over Perfection and the Entrepreneur's Seizure 15:18 Why Online Sales Were Flat for Years and What Changed 16:40 Expanding into Sweaters, Merino Wool, and Cashmere 19:20 The Performance Meets Luxury Philosophy 21:25 The Waistband Origin Story and the Inventory Problem That Changed Everything 26:11 Why Starting First Is What Gets You to the Breakthrough 27:10 Filling Knowledge Gaps and Learning from Everyone 29:19 Hiring, Delegating, and Building a Team You Trust 31:34 Knowing When to Pull the Lever and Invest in People 36:11 Business Discipline, KPIs, and the Monthly Business Review 38:14 Business Acumen from Day One vs. What Andrew Had to Learn 41:22 The Evolution of Golf Fashion and the Tiger Effect 43:53 Competing Against the Big Brands and Staying Consistent on Quality 48:31 Defining Athletic Luxury from the Inside Out 50:34 What a Redvanly Blazer Would Mean and What Is Coming Next 53:30 International Growth, Japan, South Korea, and Staying Focused 57:19 Brand Ambassadors as Growth Engines vs. Distribution Tools 01:01:42 Closing Thoughts, Vision for the Next Two Years, and Where to Find Redvanly Redvanly website: https://redvanly.com Topics covered: luxury athletic wear, performance apparel, golf fashion, men's athletic clothing, entrepreneurship, bootstrapped brand building, apparel startup, golf clothing brands, athletic luxury, Redvanly review, Redvanly pants waistband, Rick Shields ambassador, PGA fashion, men's golf outfits, golf lifestyle brand Subscribe for new episodes every week. Drop a comment below and tell us your favorite performance apparel brand and whether you have ever tried Redvanly. #Redvanly #LuxuryAthleticWear #GolfFashion #MensGolfStyle #Entrepreneurship #PerformanceApparel #TenThousandMilesPodcast #VicPepe #AndrewRedvanly #GolfLifestyle #AthleticLuxury #BootstrappedBusiness #GolfClothing #MensActivewear #StartupStory

    1hr 7min

  5. 13 APR

    Why You Can't Pass Up an Active Roster Opportunity - NFL O-lIne - Evan Brown

    From Undrafted to the NFL: Evan Brown's Road to the Houston Texans | Ten Thousand Miles Podcast What does it really take to make it to the NFL when everyone tells you you're too small? Houston Texans offensive lineman Evan Brown sits down with Vic Pepe to tell the unfiltered story of his journey — from go-kart racing as a kid to winning a state championship at Southlake Carroll, playing college football at SMU, going undrafted, and clawing his way through six NFL franchises to earn a starting role. In this episode: * Growing up in Southlake, TX and playing alongside future NFL players Kenny Hill and L.J. Collins * What it's REALLY like to play in one of the most elite high school football programs in America * The truth about balancing 60+ hours of football with a full college course load at SMU * Going undrafted — and why that wasn't the end of the story * Career stops with the NY Giants, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and now the Houston Texans * The mindset that keeps elite athletes mentally locked in, play after play * What separates guys who make it from those who don't — and it's not always talent * The rarely-discussed reality of being an NFL offensive lineman: zero rotation, 100% of snaps, and your opportunity comes only when someone gets hurt * Center vs. Guard: the mental and physical differences broken down * How Jeet Kune Do and martial arts principles show up in the NFL trenches (feat. a Randy White story you won't hear anywhere else) * Goal-setting, resilience, and Evan's simple but powerful philosophy: "Don't let one turn to two" Whether you're an aspiring football player, a sports fan, or someone who just loves a great underdog story, this episode is for you. Chapters: * 0:00 - Intro * 0:34 - Meet Evan Brown | Houston Texans Offensive Lineman * 1:46 - From Go-Karts to Football: Evan's Unexpected Origin Story * 3:38 - High School Football at Southlake Carroll & the State Championship Run * 6:32 - Choosing SMU: Being Told He Was "Too Small" * 11:42 - The Reality of College Athletics: 60+ Hour Weeks & Time Management * 19:33 - Going Undrafted: Draft Day & the UDFA Process * 22:55 - Signing with the NY Giants & His First NFL Snaps * 26:03 - Fighting for a Roster Spot: Soaking In Every Rep * 34:10 - NFL Career Journey: Browns, Lions, Seahawks, Cardinals & Now the Texans * 38:25 - The NFL Mindset: Goal-Setting Through Setbacks & Roster Cuts * 41:37 - Center vs. Guard: Breaking Down the Most Overlooked Position in Football * 46:56 - Emotional Control & Playing Even-Keel Under Pressure * 51:48 - Advice for Aspiring Football Players: What Actually Gets You There Ten Thousand Miles is the podcast that goes deep on the journeys of athletes, entrepreneurs, and leaders — mile by mile. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. Like this video if Evan's story fired you up. Drop a comment — who should Vic talk to next? #NFL #HoustonTexans #EvanBrown #OffensiveLine #NFLStories #UndraftedToNFL #FootballPodcast #TenThousandMiles #SMUFootball #SouthlakeCarroll #NFLMindset #SportsMotivation #TexansFootball #CollegeFootball #NFLJourney #FootballLife #SportsLeadership #NFLPlayer #GoalSetting #GritAndDetermination That's your full production-ready description. Want me to save this as a file you can keep as a template for future episodes? Please Comment, Like, Share, and Subscribe!

    53 min

  6. 6 APR

    The REAL Human Diet vs. What Big Food Wants You to Believe

    Is Everything You Know About Food WRONG? | Dr. Ken Berry on Carnivore, Proper Human Diet & Metabolic Health** What if your doctor has been giving you the wrong nutrition advice your entire life? In this eye-opening episode of *10,000 Miles*, host Vic Pepe sits down with Dr. Ken Berry — board-certified family physician, bestselling author of *Lies My Doctor Told Me*, and one of YouTube's most trusted voices in metabolic health — to break down why the foods we've been told are healthy may be slowly destroying us. Dr. Berry shares his personal journey from weighing nearly 300 lbs and being pre-diabetic in his mid-30s, to reversing his own metabolic disease through diet alone — and how that experience transformed his entire medical practice. --- **In this episode, you'll learn:** - Why sugar, grains, and seed oils are the three ingredients wrecking your health - What the "Proper Human Diet" spectrum really looks like (low carb → keto → carnivore) - The anthropological case for eating red meat that no one talks about - Why the American Diabetes Association's diet made Dr. Berry *more* sick — not less - The truth about cholesterol, statins, and heart disease - How ultra-processed foods are engineered for profit, not your health - Why vegetable seed oils didn't exist before 1910 — and what that means for your body - The connection between ancient foods and modern brain health --- **Resources mentioned:** - *Lies My Doctor Told Me* by Dr. Ken Berry - *The Atkins Diet Revolution* by Dr. Robert Atkins - *The Paleo Diet* by Prof. Loren Cordain - *The Primal Blueprint* by Mark Sisson - *Guns, Germs and Steel* by Jared Diamond - American Diabetes Society: [americandiabetessociety.com] --- **Connect with Dr. Ken Berry:** YouTube: Search "Dr. Ken Berry" Book: *Lies My Doctor Told Me* Community: Ken's private member group (link in his bio) --- **Connect with Vic Pepe & 10,000 Miles:** Subscribe for new episodes every week Like, comment, and share if this opened your eyes --- **Timestamps:** 00:00 – Introduction 01:22 – Dr. Berry's background & personal health crisis 05:18 – How he discovered the proper human diet 08:57 – Responding to skeptics: Where are the studies? 12:58 – The ancestral argument for eating red meat 17:00 – America's diet 250 years ago vs. today 21:15 – Why grains, sugar & seed oils are dangerous 28:22 – Vegetable oils: a 100-year experiment on humanity 37:27 – The "why" behind avoiding sugar and processed food 45:17 – The profit motive behind ultra-processed food 53:35 – Could the world sustain a carnivore diet? 01:01:33 – How Dr. Berry built a YouTube channel that changed lives --- *#CarnivoreDiet #ProperHumanDiet #DrKenBerry #MetabolicHealth #KetoDiet #LowCarb #Type2Diabetes #FoodIsMedicine #10000Miles #VicPepe*

    1hr 5min

  7. 30 MAR

    ERIC GALES | Life Changed the Moment This Happened

    Eric Gales, Eric Gales interview, Vic Pepe, Ten Thousand Miles Podcast, guitar virtuoso, blues rock guitar, guitar legend, guitar prodigy, best guitar players in the world Eric Here: www.ericgales.com In this powerful in-person interview, Vic Pepe sits down with #legendary guitar virtuoso @EricGalesBand one of the world's greatest blues-rock #guitarists, for a raw and unforgettable conversation about music resilience, adversity, and success. Often compared to Jimi #Hendrix at a young age, @EricGalesBand Gales shares the truth behind the hype, the pressure, and the journey of becoming his own artist. From being a child prodigy to navigating personal struggles, setbacks, and redemption, Eric opens up about what it really takes to survive, evolve, and thrive in the music industry. In this episode, you will hear how Eric developed his signature guitar style, how his collaboration with @JoeBonamassaTV led to the critically acclaimed album Crown, and how real-world events, including the impact of George Floyd, shaped his music and message. This is more than a guitar interview. It is a deep conversation about mindset, personal growth, identity, and the path to greatness. Whether you are a musician, entrepreneur, or anyone chasing success, Eric Gales’ story will inspire you to keep pushing forward. If you are passionate about guitar, blues rock, music history, or personal development, this episode is a must watch. Subscribe to Ten Thousand Miles Podcast for more interviews with world class performers, leaders, and innovators. #EricGales #GuitarVirtuoso #BluesRock #JimiHendrix #JoeBonamassa #TenThousandMilesPodcast #VicPepe #MusicPodcast #GuitarPlayer #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #Success #EntrepreneurMindset #ArtistJourney Well, let's just say what it is, man. Playing at the #academy awards? That's quite the achievement! The glamour and #prestige of performing alongside such #stars is an incredible #experience.

    59 min

  8. 24 MAR

    Bad Leadership Is Destroying Companies ***Here's How To Fix It*** EP105

    In this solo episode of Ten Thousand Miles, Vic Pepe takes on one of the most critical and often overlooked forces inside any organization: leadership. Not the polished version you read about in books, but the real impact leadership has when it goes wrong. Vic breaks down how bad leadership quietly erodes companies from the inside out. From lack of clarity and indecision to poor #communication and tolerating mediocrity, he explains why companies rarely fail because of competition and almost always fail because of internal factors. Drawing from decades of experience leading large teams and organizations, Vic shares real stories from the front lines. He dives into the true cost of poor leadership, why top performers leave first, and how culture collapses long before the numbers show it. He also outlines what great leaders do differently. Clarity over complexity. Decisiveness over hesitation. Accountability at the top. And most importantly, building other leaders, not just managing outcomes. This episode is a raw and practical look at leadership for anyone building, leading, or trying to fix an organization. If you lead people or aspire to do so, this is one you do not want to miss. Please Comment, Like, Share, and Subscribe!

    38 min
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About

The road to success is full of hard work and determination. It is never easy - you just learn to handle hard... Here, I interview people who "make it look easy" but leave it all on the field daily to do so.

Information

  • Creator
    Vic Pepe
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Ten Thousand Miles
  • Show Website
    Ten Thousand Miles