10x Ironman Chris Boettcher

Chris is a 10X Ironman race finisher. He talked about fitness and the healthcare system. Chris is also a former Physical Therapist. He is really good at what he does and wants to spread his knowledge to the most people he can. Throughout the years, he has developed different techniques to incentivize and motivate people to care for their health and work on their fitness. Where to find Chris
Chris on Twitter

Transcript below… (May contain typos):

[00:00:00] Chris: You know, you, you get into how can they continue to pay clinicians more with inflation? Like there’s almost no way for them to be able to. [00:00:13] Mike: Welcome to the 2 cent dad podcast, where we interview dads to discuss their journeys of intentional fatherhood while doing work they care about and living a life of purpose. [00:00:23] I’m your host, Mike Sudyk. [00:00:31] Good morning. I am excited about today’s episode. It’s not every day you get to talk with a 10 x iron man. I’m Chris Becher. He’s a father, 10 x Iron Man, ex physical therapist now doing the Lord’s work coaching men to, to doing some amazing physical feats, but also, um, spiritually. And I’m excited to have you on. [00:00:52] Chris. Thanks for being here. [00:00:54] Chris: Yeah, thanks Mike. It’s, uh, it’s great to be able to connect with you again this morning. Uh, looking forward to our [00:01:00] conversation today. Yeah, [00:01:01] Mike: man. Well, Chris, um, is a really cool guy. I met him, uh, via Twitter and we have a special relationship because I signed up for Ironman, uh, 70.3, which is a half Ironman, Waco, which I’m doing. [00:01:14] I probably will have done this after the, the episode is, is live it’s next week. Um, but you were, um, very instrumental in just helping me in early training stuff and, and I really appreciate that. So that’s how I met Chris and we started talking about some of the work he’s doing and, and all of the training he’s done and just, I just want to hear, so I feel like there’s so much I wanna talk to you about Chris and ask you, so , I’m trying, I’m struggling where to start, um, but I wanted to start out. [00:01:43] Um, when I was a kid, I remember I was like really young. I remember watching on tv, the World Championships in Kona and seeing these people doing Ironman and just thinking they’re absolutely crazy for one. And then for two, thinking about how the heck could you ever do this? Like, it was like a full-time job to [00:02:00] train for these races. [00:02:01] Like it’s just, it’s bananas and um, it’s wild to think I’m doing half of that race, but then to think about you having done it 10. I wanted to hear about just how did you get into doing Ironmans initially? Like tell me about that journey. Like did you just wake up one day and you’re like, I’m gonna do an Ironman, and then you start training for [00:02:18] Chris: it or what? [00:02:20] Uh, I would say part of it was being very naive and probably thought so I had just, uh, finished racing collegially track and field for a couple of years. A buddy of mine was like, we should get bikes. And I, I had a six month gap between finishing up undergrad and starting PT school and, uh, so we kind of jumped into it and we were, had a position where we both worked doing some bartending stuff at night. [00:02:48] And so we had basically the entire day to just ride our bikes and train and just, you know, be foolish. 22 year olds. And then he had a friend who had just raced Ironman, Wisconsin the [00:03:00] year before. And had signed up for Ironman, Louisville, and so we basically got peer pressured into doing it. We, we had done, I will say we had done a sprint triathlon, uh, maybe an Olympic distance one the year before, but just barely tipped our toes into it. [00:03:15] I mean, the amount of training that those two require versus the full, uh, I had no idea the difference. And so we signed up and, um, had, like I said, about four months to be able to prepare ourselves. Three of us went down there and, uh, you know, I, I was able to, I didn’t really have any expectations and I think that was a, a good thing for my first one because I really didn’t know what I didn’t know. [00:03:40] I just knew I needed to make sure I could finish and, uh, put together a, a solid race and finish six in my age. And one of the guys that came down, he had finished fourth and if, if you know anything about Ironman, they have a set number of slots available for each age [00:04:00] group. And so there was three spots available. [00:04:03] So friend of mine, it wasn’t even on my radar of like going to K or anything like that. Well, we go to Monday morning after the race. They always have the, um, basically where everybody secures their slots. And so the guy that finished fourth, a friend of mine, we, we went over there together, uh, had some breakfast and then they started going through and it got to our age group and two of the top three guys already had secured spots, so it rolled to four. [00:04:31] So he got his. The fifth place guy wasn’t there, so it rolled to me at six and there I was, um, and I, and I had put together a, a fair race. I went just over 10 and a half hours, but like didn’t really have any expectations with it at all. And so there I was trying to figure out how I was gonna get to Hawaii cuz the race, it was the last qualifier for that year and I had six weeks to figure out how to get. [00:04:55] Louisville, Kentucky, just finishing, you know, didn’t really have a lot of [00:05:00] funds to how am I gonna make this work to go, you know, race something that I may never get the opportunity for again. So, yeah, that’s, uh, a some luck and a whole lot of just being a naive young kid. That’s [00:05:13] Mike: amazing. So then tell me, tell me the story about Hawaii then. [00:05:16] Did you, did you end up then going, right? I mean, tell me about [00:05:18] Chris: that. Yeah, so basically the, the friend of mine, uh, Tom, who. Uh, finished fourth, him and I went out there together. There was one other guy that went out there with us that was just gonna sort of be our, our cheerleader, kind of our, our guy that was gonna help us kind of move, uh, move things around. [00:05:36] And the three of us just had a blast. Again, no expectations just kind of went out there and, uh, just took it all in. You know, everything from, uh, Ironman Village to, they, they do this, they do this race. It’s not even a race. It’s like a one mile little fun run. It’s called the underwear run. And so it’s literally like all these triathletes, all these spectators that just come in two or three days before and you do this one mile underwear [00:06:00] run. [00:06:00] And so we, we did everything that we could and just, you know, it was just being able to like, have conversations with some of the pro-athletes and you know, you’re going to all these little dinners and things like that and so you’re just, to me, there’s very few opportunities in sports for the amateur athlete to be so up close and personal with, you know, the best in the world. [00:06:22] You know, in my opinion, what these guys are able to do and the amount that they push their bodies is, is like on the next level compared to even, you know, the athletes that are paid, you know, millions and millions of dollars. Uh, these, these pro athletes, you know, some of them barely, barely can, uh, provide for their families, but they’re out there just doing everything that they can. [00:06:40] So I, I just, I have so much respect for, for those guys and, uh, just their willingness to have conversations with, you know, guys like me who are just kind of getting started in the sports. Just had had so many questions and, uh, so many things I didn’t know. . [00:06:58] Mike: So the, so then you, so then you [00:07:00] obviously got the bug Right. [00:07:01] You know, and, and kept, kept going after it with Ironman stuff. And you did that for a season, right? And, um, meanwhile you’re a, you’re a physical therapist at the time, [00:07:09] Chris: right? Yeah, so I, I took, let’s see, I finished up in, um, that race was in October of that year. I started graduate school in January. And continued to train. [00:07:21] Um, did, did some other small races. Uh, and then in the middle of my pt, um, education, I did race one more time, uh, as far as like a full distance event. Um, but, uh, kind of actually that was the only race I’ve ever, like, completely blown up. Was able to finish, but, uh, it was, it was ugly. And part of that again was I had this expectation that now I needed to qualify. [00:07:44] And so that, that put a little bit extra pressure in just, you know, I think I was 23, 24 at that time and just realized that like, I can’t go in with a time expectation. I need to, from this point on, I need to race the day. I need to race myself as opposed to worrying about what everybody else is [00:08:00] doing. So that, that was a really good lesson for me to learn early on, uh, after having some early success. [00:08:06] Uh, and that allowed me to just continue to focus on myself and as I got. The early stages of my PT career. Uh, I raced, I think I did six, six or seven more over the course of the next four years, and, uh, was able to, you know, really kind of take it to the next level and, uh, get back out there a couple more times and just, um, yeah, just I felt like, uh, after I, I, I got married in 2015 and um, was able to go back out there with my wife and. [00:08:38] After doing that, it was, it sort of was, I don’t wanna say the final chapter at, at that phase of my life of, I, I didn’t really feel like I had a whole lot else to prove. I knew I wasn’t gonna be able to, you know, go to the pro level and actually, you know, provide for my family with, with Ironman. So, uh, it was the amount of time and energy that I was pouring into it. [00:08:59] Uh, I felt [00:09:00] like in some ways I was stealing from my wife. And so I just decided at that point to kind of close the chapter. , um, at, at this point, you know, it’s been seven years since I’ve raced, uh, at that distance. And so, who knows? I, I, I still would love to get back into it. I, I’ve, I’ve floated around with the idea of maybe starting up again next year. [00:09:20] Uh, and it’s really for the kind of the purpose of I want my kids to see me raced. I think that’s very important, and that’s why I know, you know, you’re, you’re pushing yourself and you know, something with you going down to Waco. Next week, having your whole family around. Uh, I mean, that just kind of gives me chills thinking about watch, having my kids see me cross the finish line. [00:09:38] So, yeah, man. [00:09:40] Mike: No, that’s, that’s awesome. I think that that balance there though is really essential. Cause it’s like you, you recognize that, hey, this is taking away from maybe my relationship with my wife and then. And with your kids. And, but at the same time, you don’t want to fully pull out of those things that are you’re, that are pushing you to be better. [00:09:58] Also, modeling [00:10:00] that to your kids. I mean, there’s a, there’s a balance there that I think is really important. Um, you know, and you kind of recognize that, right? So you’re kind of in between that, you know? Cause I, I see that same thing with some guys that, that are either big into like Iron Man or, or body building or whatever, and it’s like, They’re doing that at the detriment of the relationship with their, with their kids. [00:10:21] Right? It’s like, it’s like self-improvement only goes so far if you’re, if you’re, if you’re subtracting from the relationship that you’re in, you know, especially your kids and your spouse. And, and I think that’s something I’m really cognizant of, and I know that you’re really in tune with, and I think it flows into some of the coaching that you’re doing with guys with Ironman training and, and some other of these retreats that you’re doing with, with your brother Brett. [00:10:42] You know? So can you talk about that and kinda what you’ve seen maybe. We’re kind of skipping ahead a little bit, but, cause I want to hear about your journey with, you know, um, being a PT and then now kind of what you’re doing now. But, um, tell me a little bit about maybe how you kind of made that transition or what you’re seeing and then what you’ve seen with some of the guys that [00:11:00] you’ve been working with. [00:11:01] Sure. [00:11:02] Chris: Yeah. I think you hit, that, hit the nail on the head when you talked about finding balance because at the time I felt like I was stepping away from Ironman for the right. But unfortunately it did leave a major gap in my life and I realized very quickly that that was my passion and that it was, it was keeping me from recognizing some of the other things in my life that were very frustrating for me. [00:11:28] Uh, you know, things like student debt, things like just the brokenness of the healthcare system and just not feeling. , this is really where I belong. Uh, and unfortunately what that did or what that just left this huge hole in my life where, uh, my shift then went to, okay, I’ve got this debt, I’ve got this broken career. [00:11:49] I don’t really have any other skills outside of physical therapy, or at least that’s what I told myself. Mm-hmm. . And so then all of my time and energy was kind of poured into the financial side [00:12:00] of it is how can I be, you know, the best provider, best provider? Get outta debt. Uh, and I just, I just, it, it consumed me, you know, I, I, I, I did do a lot of self education on the financial side of it, which I do think was necessary because my education didn’t prepare me for that. [00:12:15] So it, it was, it was a necessity, but then it became almost compulsive for me, where it was just like, all I wanted to do was listen to financial podcasts and follow the markets. And it, it was just the, the rat race, uh, over and over. and it unfortunately took me several years to really do something about it. [00:12:37] Uh, and and so then kind of going back to what you were talking about earlier, I think this happens a lot with guys when it comes to their health as well, because we’re, let’s say we’re a college athlete, high school athlete. You know, uh, I, good friend of mine, Jordan Goldstein talks about this stuff all the time, but he basically, we, we have a purpose for our bodies, and that purpose [00:13:00] is, you know, you could call it a conquest, you call it an adventure, whatever it is. [00:13:03] But when we’re competing against each other and trying to push ourselves to the next level, it gives our bodies purpose. And all of a sudden when our sports competitions are removed and we go through this transition of life, Having other responsibilities as provider, provider for our family or dad, husband, all these different things that are pulling us in different directions and we have no purpose for our bodies because our competition has been removed. [00:13:30] Now we just kind of fall off the tracks and it can be very easy for us to all of a sudden just focus on money and just chasing the almighty dollar over and over. and, uh, so it’s, it’s something that, you know, with our men’s groups and with, even when it comes to health, you know, for some people they just, they need to put something on the calendar, you know, whether that’s a Half Iron Man or a 5K, or, you know, getting into some other kind of, of competition. [00:13:59] Uh, [00:14:00] it at least allows us to kind of focus that energy into a, a goal in a pursuit of something so that we can have something to strive for as men. Uh, I think. , it’s part of its comfort. You know, we are just used to being comfortable and, uh, it’s really hard to break free from that when you don’t really have anything to chase. [00:14:20] But I, I just believe we all, we all need a little something to chase on the physical side to, uh, to be the best versions of ourselves. [00:14:28] Mike: I could not agree more with that sediment. I think that is definitely how I felt about the whole Ironman thing and signing up for it. It was like, I’m not one to just go work out, to work out, like I have buddies. [00:14:38] I’d be like, oh, just go to the gym. You. three times a week and we just lift a little bit or whatever. It’s like, that’s great and I understand that, but it’s like, I need something on the calendar, you know, I need, and, and I think what I found with the group that’s doing Waco is like, you kinda are like all these other guys are training. [00:14:53] Yeah. I’ve never actually met any of them in real life. Like in person, you know, until, I’m not gonna meet until next week. And it’s like, [00:15:00] but at the same time, I knew they were all kind of scared about this goal. Like it was, it was a stretch goal for all of them, you know? And it’s like, hey, we’re all pushing ourselves to this thing and. [00:15:10] It. Yeah, there’s just, it’s, it’s a unique thing. I think you, you hit the nail on the head. It’s like, as men, I think having, having the competition, cuz it’s like, I’m not competing with those guys, but I kind of am. You know, it’s kinda like, I don’t wanna show up there and be like way behind, you know? It’s like I wanna put in the work so I can be, do you know, I wanna, I wanna do, well, you know, I’m not racing them and racing myself, but it’s kind of like you, you need that. [00:15:31] And if you don’t have that, I think it’s a very unhealthy thing, you know, mentally and physically obviously. [00:15:38] Chris: Yeah, and it, it’s, we become kind of our own worst enemy. Uh, whether that’s because of isolation or lack of self belief, but I think those things just can take us down a very dangerous road. Uh, and that ultimately takes away from, you know, it, it’s not really a selfish thing to our, you know, To us. [00:15:58] Like we don’t look at it as like, I’m [00:16:00] isolating myself because I’m being selfish and I don’t believe in myself because I’m selfish. But it becomes, it becomes that because it’s stealing from our families and it’s stealing from our kids. And, uh, it’s, it’s one of those things that, um, I didn’t realize it for, as I mentioned a long time. [00:16:15] But you, for me, c allowed me to reflect on a lot of these things and realize that like I was not putting my best foot forward. I was going through the motions and I used the word numb a lot. I just. Numb. Like I was, I was doing things, I was trying the best that I could in the moment, but I, I didn’t really have, I didn’t really have a passion for life and that, yeah, that just, I, I, you know, our daughter, I think like the first year and a half of her life, it just, um, it’s, it’s time. [00:16:46] I’ll never get back and I’m, I’m glad I recognized it when I did, but it, you know, being a new dad, It was hard enough in itself, but then when you just feel like you’re completely going through the motions, uh, it’s, yeah. [00:17:00] It’s, it’s not, not something I want to ever experience again. Let you put it that way. [00:17:03] Yeah. [00:17:04] Mike: I’m with you on that. I mean, I think I’ve had seasons of that and the becoming your worst enemy. You say that that’s, that’s an interesting way to put it. Um, I, I, I don’t, maybe you can expand on that. What, where my mind went with that is like, it, it really centers around like self-talk and like how you’re viewing your. [00:17:22] you know, your own self worth. Right. You know, you’re like, and I think when you audit that and you realize that you’re, you’re not in a good spot in, in the way that you’re talking to yourself. You know, I think I read somewhere, it’s kinda like if you, if you talk to your spouse the way you talk to yourself, like, it probably wouldn’t end well and it’s like, yeah, that’s, that’s true. [00:17:41] Yeah. I, I probably do that a lot worse than , than I would like, um, And I think that, you know, becoming your own worst enemy is, is a good way to put it. I’d like to, I’d like to Chris to, to pry in a little bit to kind of the spiritual side of things. You know, if you could share a little bit, um, I know the thread you just shared the other day [00:18:00] about just this journey of the last, what, you know, year and a half or so from Covid to now and, you know, leaving your, you know, maybe thinking about leaving your job, then you got fired and there was kind of a wake up call and you’re like, okay, I gotta act on all these things that I’ve been kind of working. [00:18:16] tell me a little bit about kind of what, what you feel like God was doing in your life and kinda where that’s at and, and how that relates to some of the work you’re doing with these retreats and, and what you’re seeing in, in the lives of men, um, that are making some of these changes. [00:18:30] Chris: Yeah, so we’re gonna jump deep, Chris, so No, you’re fine. [00:18:33] You’re good. It’s just like that . Yeah, no, that, that’s, that’s fine. I’m just trying to figure out where to start with it here. So I guess I’ll, I’ll go back to kind of that level of broken. That I was kind of experiencing my life and just the opportunity to reflect and realize that it really did come down to, to me and the decisions that I was making on a daily basis to determine where I was going forward with it. [00:18:57] So, you know, I started to understand [00:19:00] some of the, the brokenness of this world, whether it’s education systems or healthcare systems, and it was like, it’d be really easy to just complain about these things. And I did that for a long time, but at, at some point I just needed to do something about it. And for me, that just meant I needed to focus on myself because I can’t reinvent these things and, and, you know, snap my fingers and, and create a solution to it. [00:19:24] But, Thank you for listening [00:19:25] Mike: to the Tucson Dad podcast. I wanted to take just one minute to tell you how this show is possible, and that is through my Business EC group. We help software companies get more done by building them amazing developer teams. Now, those teams come alongside their in-house developers to help them build more and build faster. [00:19:47] We are a purpose driven company, which means that we use our profits to help support non-profit work in the locations that we. We operate in the US, in Michigan, and also in Chenai India. You can check us [00:20:00] out@teamwithec.com. Again, that’s team with ec.com. So if you’re hiring software developers or you know someone that’s hiring software [00:20:08] Chris: developers, check us out. [00:20:10] Mike: Love to talk to you. [00:20:13] Chris: I can have a small impact in my circle. And whether that’s just to get people to think a little bit differently or to challenge themselves on a health level so that they aren’t dependent on a healthcare system. But what it, I think the first step for me was understanding that I wasn’t alone. [00:20:32] And uh, like the thread I talked about yesterday was how, for me, tribe is everything. And that’s why now I’m, I’m so big on, you know, building brotherhood and building tribe. because on our own, our own, you know, you talked about self-talk. We, we put ourselves in kind of a prison and we feel like we’re completely isolated from the world and that just keeps us from moving forward. [00:20:54] And it really wasn’t until, you know, my brother and I decided, okay, we’re gonna, we’re going to start this [00:21:00] podcast with really no idea of what we’re doing besides just trying to have conversations. And at first it served as just kind of a sounding board for him and I to get our thoughts. And, you know, we share very similar beliefs. [00:21:12] And even though he’s my, he’s my brother, it was another person to just like understand that like, we’re not alone, we’re not crazy, and there are things that are broken, but like, let’s get down to the roots of these things and figure out, you know, how, how can people make an impact in their own individual lives that they may not even be aware of. [00:21:33] For whatever reason, the media or, you know, different entities are not giving them the correct information or they’re giving them too much information that they can’t really sort through. So we just started talking about things and then slowly but surely felt confidence in what we were doing. I would say, I would’ve told you, you know, a year ago that I, I was terrified of just getting in front of this microphone and mm-hmm. [00:21:56] uh, it, it felt extremely uncomfortable. It felt way outta my comfort. [00:22:00] and I just needed to keep showing up and doing it. And I think that was God just preparing me for something else. And I had, I don’t think either one of us would’ve told you we planned on being podcasters long term or anything like that. [00:22:14] It was, it was something that, it was a season that we needed to go through to prepare us for something else. And as we gain confidence, then we started to just reach out to people that, you know, we admired what they were doing and we just wanted to have conversations. and that just kind of fueled us. And, you know, we were learning from them and we were getting to understand their experiences, but more than anything, it just built up, uh, our network and our belief that these people wanna do something big just like we do. [00:22:42] And there’s no reason that you know, where they started from and where we’re starting from. You know, we can, we can accomplish something very similar and maybe we can come alongside each other and help each other in the process. You know, all of these different conversations just continued to add [00:23:00] up. And by the time I got to January, you know, I, I felt a lot more confident in myself. [00:23:05] And, uh, you know, for me, that was when I almost lost my job because I, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t take the jab. And, uh, you know, eventually was able to get the religious exemption. But that was, that was probably the turning point for me that said like, okay, like it’s game on. Like I’m not gonna allow somebody to dictate my ability to provide for my family. [00:23:26] Mm-hmm. . And when I realized that like, this isn’t about health anymore, but this is about something much bigger. Absolutely. You know, we need to, we need to kind of prepare ourselves. Take personal responsibility in as many areas of our life as we can. So, you know, the next few months it was continuing to just have these amazing conversations and develop more and more self belief and our ability to do something else. [00:23:51] And as we found this tribe, you know, guys like you and Boyd and, and all these different guys that I was able to network. , I realized [00:24:00] that this is extremely powerful and if I feel like I didn’t have this a year ago, there has to be a whole bunch of other guys that feel exactly the same way. And so then it was, it was like, okay, how do we start organizing this? [00:24:13] How do we start, you know, figuring out the best way to, to help guys, you know, take back their health, build community, and uh, and just be able to have, have relationships and have a, a foundation in their health that. , you know, take advantage of the rest of their life through, you know, all kinds of, of life’s, you know, challenges that are gonna come our way. [00:24:34] So then, yeah, then, uh, end of May rolled around. Uh, I was feeling very confident with the direction that things were going, but, um, you know, God had his way of kind of playing a, playing a, a different card and, uh, I lost my job. And, uh, so then at that point, uh, I told myself like, I will never go back to traditional, he. [00:24:56] I don’t care if I have to, you know, get to the point where [00:25:00] I’m, you talked, talked about a 401k earlier, like clear out a, you know, I need to clear out my 401k to invest in myself right now. Like, that’s what I’m willing to do. I just, I can’t imagine sitting on my hands going back to doing something that I know is gonna make me feel the same way when I think there’s an opportunity here for something so much. [00:25:20] So really the last few months has just been, you know, continuing to, to build and network and, um, understand a whole lot of areas of, of business that I had very little exposure to, uh, going through school. And so, yeah, we’re just continuing to, uh, to build and, um, try to, try to create a, I would say, Something that, maybe not competition so much for healthcare, but more of an alternative that like mm-hmm. [00:25:48] you know, if you really want to avoid this broken system and, and build community with, with guys who are trying to create something else. You know, it’s really about, let’s take advantage of, of [00:26:00] creating health habits for you right now and having people come alongside you to help you with that so that maybe when you’re 50, 60, 70 years old, you’re not dependent. [00:26:10] what I believe is going to be an even more broken system over the next, you know, 15, 20 years. Yeah. [00:26:16] Mike: I feel like there’s a lot of different directions we could take the conversation now, but , I think it’s exciting to me to see the, the whole c um, I don’t know what a word to describe it, debacle. Um, you know, huge. [00:26:31] The whole thing that happened with Covid was kind of a wheat from the chaft kind of moment, you know, where you had people. On the spiritual side, either got closer to God and or didn’t, you know, just kind of were like, they were lukewarm, so they just were like whatever, you know, like whether that was, you know, attending church or whatever. [00:26:47] But then on the physical side, it’s like some people just leaned into their vices and then some people were like, no, I’m gonna make a change and use it as an opportunity to better themselves. And I think that that’s really cool to see [00:27:00] like such a, such a scenario play out. It’s a disruption event, right? [00:27:05] It’s either, it’s and, and it’s gonna, when you emerge from it, you’re gonna be better in certain ways. Like I think the people that leaned into a deeper relationship with God are pro, are at a better spot now. , the people that are now lean into health, you know, bettering themselves, healthwise, I think like you, they’re like, they kinda took a step back and they’re like, wait a second, this whole system is kind of questionable. [00:27:27] Right? And, and, and you’re like, they’re forcing this and they, it’s like, this doesn’t add up. And so all these things that I was thinking about. So it, I think that’s really cool to see. And I think you’re, you’re a, you’re a piece of this new era I think of, of he. That is, that I think is coming in, you know, I, I don’t know what you see, but it’s like if you look 10, 20 years down the road, it’s like, I don’t think our traditional healthcare system is gonna look the same. [00:27:52] I think it’s right for disruption. It’s bloated, it’s got a bunch of bureaucracy, it’s controlled by big pharma. It’s like you have all this stuff [00:28:00] that’s making it right for disruption and, you know, I’m, I’m, I’m excited to see what’s gonna emerge. Because I think there’s so many dollars that’s flowing into this old system that it’s like, as you, as you have like the Chrises of the world or like these other like alternative places that can achieve a much better result at much lower, you know, price. [00:28:21] I think people are gonna start to change that buying behavior. Sorry, I feel like that was kind of a little bit all over the place there, but I, I’m, it’s something I’m real excited about and I think it’s, it’s gonna play out, it’s gonna be a huge disruption to the status quo in terms of he. . [00:28:33] Chris: Yeah. Uh, so what you touched on earlier, as far as, I think people kind of had a fork in the road of which direction they took with this, and I think those of us that use this as an opportunity to kind of level up and think more critically, uh, obviously we’re gonna go in a direction that should lead our families and our communities in a positive direction. [00:28:53] But then I think it also serves as we’re gonna be able to serve as kind of a beacon for those that went the other way. [00:29:00] and hopefully help to steer them back. And I’m not sitting here and saying I’ve got it all figured out. Cause that’s far from the truth. But I do, I do believe that the direction of my life is moving in a much more positive direction than if I would’ve went the other, the other way. [00:29:14] Yeah. And I think if we can continue to, you know, grow together, those of us that are, are trying to level up and, and make the most of these opportu. Uh, people are going to start eventually asking questions. Even if they went the other, the other way, they’re gonna realize that this is not working and there has to be an alternative. [00:29:35] What these guys have over here. Like I want that, I wanna be a part of that. And I, it just creates, that energy is contagious as far as I’m concerned. I mean, I saw that when, um, we went out to, my brother and I went out to Zach Hummel’s Do Hard Things conference. When you put 50 or 60 people in a room that have, uh, the best interests of each other in that room and there’s [00:30:00] not a lot of ego and there’s, and there’s just genuine positivity and a willingness to like actually want to get to know these people. [00:30:08] It’s something that, like, you can’t, I can’t even like put it into words cuz it’s not something I’ve really experienced in my life to have that many people that genuinely care about. . But I, I think there’s just, there’s gonna be so much opportunity to, to see what we can do when we show an alternative that is obviously bearing fruits in our life. [00:30:30] And, uh, you know, I think that’s just, that’s just God’s work right there of like showing people the way to, uh, to, to just be more positive, more grateful, um, just, you know, trusting in, in, in our faith and all these different things that, uh, I believe, you know, Create a, a more, uh, impactful life and just a, a more positive life, um, on this earth. [00:30:53] So, uh, and then kind of going to the, the healthcare side of it, there’s certainly going to be an [00:31:00] opportunity. Uh, I just, you know, you look at Medicare and Medicaid are, are virtually insolvent. They’re stealing from future years, uh, payments and all these different things that they’re doing right now. And, you know, you, you get into how can they continue to. [00:31:15] Clinicians more with inflation. Like there’s almost no way for them to be able to continue to, to raise what they’re paying these guys because they just don’t have the funds for it. They’re actually cutting reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid and they’re creating more documentation for clinicians. [00:31:31] And so you’re, you’re spending more time doing documentation than you are patient care. So the patient care continues to decline, and I can go on and on as far. issues that I’m continuing to see that I, I don’t believe translate into better healthcare. Mm-hmm. , uh, and I think more and more, um, clinician burnout and that that could actually be the kind of the straw that breaks the camel’s back because you’re gonna, you could potentially see huge shortages and like, [00:32:00] let’s say, you know, my parents were both doctors. [00:32:02] You see this a lot where, you know, generations of doctors and all of a sudden mom and dad. You don’t want to go to med school. Like the system’s broken. Yeah. And so all of a sudden you get this, this huge wave of, of people that don’t want to go into healthcare and you’re just left with this, this massive shortage. [00:32:19] And, uh, as you, as you get this rising population of baby boomers that are gonna need more and more healthcare. So yeah, I’m not trying to be doom and gloom about the system, but I do think an alternative and those, those people that are willing to think outside the box. Help people earlier on, more of like a preventative side. [00:32:39] Mm-hmm. . Uh, and that’s, that’s always been my biggest issue with healthcare is it’s, it’s so reactionary. Uh, it’s just bandaid solutions and anything that, uh, I think it all goes back to profits. It’s, it’s hard to, it’s hard to profit from something that’s preventative, uh, versus something that when you have a serious problem, you can sell them whatever you want for, whatever, for whatever amount you choose, kind [00:33:00] of. [00:33:01] And, uh, so getting, just getting people to think about preventative medicine and taking their health more seriously. And, uh, I do believe Covid is gonna show that that’s, you know, that’s gonna help us. It’s gonna help us to, to show, kind of peel back the curtain of, uh, how broken the system is and. Uh, hopefully have people make some more decisions to, to take advantage of getting their health in order in their twenties, thirties and forties instead of waiting until, you know, they’ve got diabetes and heart disease when they’re 65. [00:33:32] Yeah, [00:33:32] Mike: absolutely. No, I think, and I think you guys are, you guys are part of that. You and, and Brad and, and obviously you’re collaborating with other guys, um, like Boyd to do these events, to do training, to do coaching, consulting. I mean, that is part of the grassroots effort in my opinion. To, to kind of answer that, right. [00:33:50] It’s the proactive approach. And I think it’s interesting to think about the economics of how does that, how does that, how does that catch up or calibrate to [00:34:00] like, so right now you pay all these premiums and then they go into this big system and then you pay all these huge fees to the doctors. It’s like, If those dollars flowed more into preventative, into the preventative side, it’s only actually a sliver of probably the amount that you would, that you need for the current system. [00:34:15] Right. But the incentives aren’t aligned for one. And then for two, like how do you have companies that come behind that and say, Hey, we’re gonna fund these initiatives because they’re a big, you know, employers are a big part of, you know, what are paying some of these premiums and some of these things. No, I think it’s, I think it’s really interesting. [00:34:31] So, um, so tell us about Chris. How, how do people get in touch with you and kind of just what, what, what’s on the horizon for you and Brett and some of these events that you’re doing? Um, can you talk about that, kind of give, give a little pitch on kind of what you’re up to and how someone can get in touch with you or work with you and what that would look like? [00:34:48] Chris: Yeah, sure. So we’re actually right now organizing our, our next men’s group. We’ve got one started here in about three weeks. So you’re having a tough time right. Finding community [00:35:00] and, you know, you know, you need to take action, but you’re not really sure what that looks like. Um, our groups are designed, uh, for we need to via Zoom, and then we have our, our regular, uh, chat that we put together goals and challenges and just build that community through our, our telegram chat and, uh, kind of go into different topics each week. [00:35:19] Talk about things like nutrition, fitness, finance. Uh, just all these different things when it comes to relationships that as men, you know, we may, we may have a hard time having conversation locally, you know, we’re maybe not on the same wavelength with people, or they’re just not ready to have those tough conversations. [00:35:35] So it’s been amazing to us to see what happens when like-minded men come together, uh, and are willing to take action and are, are looking for input and are also willing to, in some ways be vulnerable. You know, being able to, to share some things. They may not otherwise have have told, you know, their spouse or their best friend at work, things like that. [00:35:56] And so we’re seeing a lot of life change there. Guys are, are doing some pretty amazing [00:36:00] things. So you’re looking for community, uh, reach out. I’m available by DM for that. Um, and then also when it comes to health, you know, my brother and I are, are working, doing like a two on one program with individuals right now. [00:36:12] Even if you’re looking to lose some weight, uh, we talk a lot about insulin resistance, which I believe is at the heart of almost all chronic disease that we see, right. Getting people to understand what that is, how that makes them feel. You know, even when you’re in your twenties and thirties, things like brain fog and always being tired and all these, these things that we just attribute to life and stress when in actuality it has a lot more to do with what we’re putting into our bodies. [00:36:37] And the slow increase in insulin resistance that’s taking place. So being able to just develop health habits for long term success, uh, laying that foundation early. Part of it, of course, is weight loss. Everybody wants to lose weight, and we’re, we’re comfortable being able to, to take care of that, but most importantly it’s how do we make you a better dad? [00:36:57] How do we make you a better husband so you [00:37:00] can run around with your kids? We, I always joke around like, my goal is to. Be able to run around with my great grandkids. Like that’s, yes, that’s sort of my, uh, my pinnacle is if I get to 85, 90 and I’m, I’m still out in the backyard like I made it . Yes, [00:37:15] I agree. [00:37:15] I’m, I’m on a hundred percent, a hundred percent. Same page. . [00:37:19] Uh, and then, uh, finally, uh, boy and I are gonna be, uh, putting together some things here over the next, uh, couple of months. We’re planning on a. Of training camps, uh, specific for, for triathlon, uh, in April and May out in the southeast. And from there, um, you know, that can be for anybody. [00:37:37] If you’re just a runner and you’re looking to build community with some guys who are pushing themselves. You know, we’re trying to, to open up Ironman, open up triathlon. Uh, unfortunately it’s kind of taken on this sort of elitist mentality. We’re trying to break down some of those barriers and just get people to understand that it’s really all about challenging yourself on an individual level. [00:37:56] Being able to connect with, uh, the right guys to, [00:38:00] to, uh, to push you to build that community, build that tribe. And, uh, so we’re gonna do some in person retreats as well, uh, over the, I guess that would be early 2023. So that’s kind of, uh, where we’re at If you, if you’re interested in any of those things. Uh, my direct messages on Twitter are, are always open. [00:38:16] I’m at Chris Becher nine, and, uh, yeah, I, uh, just looking forward to the next few months. It’s, it’s every day. I’m kind of just taking it one day at a time. Uh, allowing God to, to work and, uh, close doors when he needs to, and, uh, open the doors and, and he never seems to let me down. That’s [00:38:34] Mike: awesome. Thanks Chris for being on. [00:38:35] I really appreciate it, man. And, and I’m, I’m definitely, uh, a huge fan of what you’re doing and, and wanna help you in any way possible and I think anyone that can connect with you is, is gonna level up their game For sure. So, so thank you and, and thank you for just the help that you’ve been for me just personally in, in these last few months. [00:38:53] Chris: Yeah, absolutely. Mike. I, I’m so thankful for, you know, us, our ability to connect, uh, over the last few months and, uh, [00:39:00] your encouragement. And I’m, I’m excited to, to see you guys, you know, rock and roll here next week. I’m gonna have a hard time, uh, keeping up with all you guys on that Ironman. One thing they need to do is update that app cuz that thing is awful when it comes to tracking athletes. [00:39:13] So we’ll see if I can crash my, my phone a few times trying to, uh, figure out how to keep an eye on all you guys on the course. That’s great. Cool. Well, thanks Chris. Yeah, brother. I, uh, I appreciate it and, uh, really thankful to, uh, be on. Thank you for listening to the Two Cent Dad podcast. If you enjoyed this podcast, [00:39:33] Mike: please share it with another dad who you think would benefit. [00:39:37] That’s really the best thing you can do to help this show. A, gets the word out, but B and most importantly, helps another. Be better at his role as a father. And that’s what this show, that’s what this podcast, that’s what the website, that’s what the blog everything exists for. So if you could share it with another dad who would find value in it, and you can always head over [00:39:57] to the website to sent dad.com, [00:40:00] the number 2 Cent [00:40:00] dad.com. [00:40:01] And if you have any feedback, feel free to email me, mike tuesday dad.com. I must also thank the sponsor EC group. If you’re looking to hire software developers or you need extra development capacity. Check out team with ec.com. [00:40:17] Thanks.