Strong & Awake

Everybody craves ease, convenience, and comfort. Humans are wired for it. But when our lives revolve around comfort, it leaves us weak and asleep. This podcast is an invitation to flip the script on comfort, to get the life you want through voluntary DIScomfort. This is Strong & Awake, a Men & Women Of Discomfort Production.

Strong & Awake is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Strong & Awake, a education show with 0 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #4

  Learning the Hard Way: If You Were Stronger This Would Be Easy | Season 5, Ep. 4

  Sep 12, 202630 minS5

  Season 5, Episode 4 | "The experience of arrival is actually more like, 'I'm coming up to something that feels uncomfortable again.'" Alex Honnold pushed back when scientists claimed his brain was wired differently. He still feels fear. He's just changed his relationship with it through practice. Dane and Mitch unpack what that means for the rest of us who write off elite performers as genetically gifted and use that story to let ourselves off the hook. The hard thing stays hard. Growth doesn't remove the discomfort, it changes how you relate with it. If you've been waiting to arrive at the version of yourself that finds this easy, this one's for you. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Alex Honnold and Fear 03:15 Discounting the Elites 08:35 No Such Thing as Arrival 12:10 Separating Practice from Performance 14:41 Drop the Fantasy 23:15 Start Before You Feel Ready Mentions: Alex Honnold - Free solo climber who recently scaled Taipei 101. Referenced for his interview on Diary of a CEO and his pushback on the "wired different" narrative from Free Solo. Kobe Bryant - NBA legend. Used as an example of how we discount elite performers by framing their capacity as innate rather than earned. Free Solo - Documentary featuring Alex Honnold's climb of El Capitan, including the brain scan sequence discussed in the episode. Diary of a CEO - A popular global podcast hosted by British entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett. Anchor Actions: Drop the Arrival Narrative: Name one area where you've been waiting to "arrive" so the hard part goes away. Write down what you'd actually be doing if you embraced the discomfort in a small way. Then go do that thing this week. Separate Practice from Performance: Pick a skill you care about. Schedule three practice sessions this week (even if it is just a small part of what the performance would entail) where the goal is not to look good but to be bad at something slightly harder than yesterday. Find Your Fear Rep: Identify one thing you've been avoiding because it still feels scary. Do it anyway. The point isn't to stop feeling fear. It's to change your relationship with it. Never Settle Promo Join Us: Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io Connect With Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter) Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content. At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding. *Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies. Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io) Mentioned in this episode: Sponsor: Never Settle Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius. If you want to learn more about how they can help make your vision a reality, head over to neversettle.it/MWOD Never Settle Promo

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #3

  Learning the Hard Way: The Two Faces of "All or Nothing" | Season 5, Ep. 3

  Sep 7, 202636 minS5

  Season 5, Episode 3 | "Starting a fire is not the same as sustaining a fire." Most of us are great at starting. New program, new diet, new commitment, big Monday energy. Then by Thursday the fire's out and we're wondering what's wrong with us. Dane and Mitch unpack the two faces of all-or-nothing: the grand gesture that strokes the ego, and the total abandonment when things get boring. They talk about why rest belongs at the beginning, not the end, and what it actually looks like to build a bed of coals instead of lighting matches all day. If you're tired of the rise-and-fall cycle, start here. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:01 The Fire That Wouldn't Start 05:58 Two Faces of All-or-Nothing 08:09 What a Strong Start Looks Like 09:23 Working From Rest 11:11 Finding First Gear 12:21 Kindling And Coals Metaphor 19:53 Collapse Shame And Humility 28:15 Practical Steps And Community Mentions: The Christian rest tradition - Referenced for the idea that rest precedes work rather than following it, a frame available to anyone regardless of faith background. Anchor Actions: Find First Gear: Pick one area where you keep starting and stopping. Instead of going all-in again, identify the smallest unimpressive action you can repeat daily this week. Boring is the point. Do the Unsexy Ask: When someone you love says "there is one thing," do that thing. Especially if it's the mundane thing you were hoping they wouldn't name. That's where the real all lives. Rest First, Then Work: This week, flip the order. Rest before the hard thing, not after it. Notice what changes when you stop treating exhaustion as the finish line. Never Settle Promo Join Us: Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io Connect With Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter) Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content. At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding. *Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies. Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io) Mentioned in this episode: Sponsor: Never Settle Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius. If you want to learn more about how they can help make your vision a reality, head over to neversettle.it/MWOD Never Settle Promo

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #2

  Learning the Hard Way: Settling Fake It Till You Make It | Season 5, Ep. 2

  Aug 31, 202627 minS5

  Season 5, Episode 2 | "You don't actually have to fake it till you make it at all. But what you have to do is start." Fake it till you make it sounds like permission to be inauthentic. It's actually the wrong conversation. Dane and Mitch take apart the phrase and expose what's underneath it: the belief that you need confidence before you begin. You don't. You need to move. Early on, feeling terrible at something is the signal you're in the right place. If you've been waiting to feel ready, competent, or confident before you start, this episode is for you. Never Settle Promo Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:42 Start Without Faking 05:52 Confidence Comes Later 08:02 Practice and Reps 10:33 Ready Is a Trap 14:20 Constraints and Alternatives 20:37 Minimal Viable Motion 23:45 Are You in Motion? Mentions: Brad Stulberg - Author of "The Practice of Groundedness" and his latest, referenced here as a New York Times bestseller on the way to excellence through the hard way. Strong & Awake S05E01 - Prior episode on optionality and what prevents us from starting. Anchor Actions: Start First: Pick the thing you've been putting off until you feel ready. Do a rep this week. Bad form, low confidence, all of it. The feeling of being terrible at it is the signal you're on the right path. Rewire the Signal: When something feels uncomfortable or hard, stop treating it as a warning to back off. Treat it as confirmation you're in the position that produces growth. Name it out loud when you feel it. Audit Your Reasons: Write down the reasons you haven't started. Ask whether they're actually reasonable or just reasonable-sounding. Most of them are the second thing. Join Us: Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io Connect With Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter) Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content. At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding. *Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies. Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #1

  Learning the Hard Way: You Don't Have to Decide Yet | Season 5, Ep. 1

  Aug 21, 202627 minS5

  Season 5, Episode 1 | "If you form yourself to what's easy, you'll look pretty indiscernible from everyone else." You're forming yourself every day, whether you know it or not. The question is which direction. Dane and Mitch kick off Season 5 with a reframe on what "learning the hard way" actually means: not stumbling through crashes or just punishing yourself, but choosing a way that is hard as a skill worth practicing. They dig into the false promise of optionality, why more choices leave us weaker instead of freer, and what it costs to keep every door open. If you've been drifting while calling it flexibility, start here. Never Settle Promo Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:22 The Hard Way 04:58 Choosing 06:24 False Promises Exposed 09:19 The Myth of Optionality 14:17 AI and Agency 17:21 Practice Shapes You 23:06 Narrowing Mentions: Hamnet - The play based on Hamlet. Dane references a central moment of one character giving up their life for another. Seth Godin - Author and marketer. Referenced for his piece on "the infinite tail." Chris Anderson - Author of "The Long Tail." Referenced as the origin of the long tail concept in creative markets. CrossFit - Referenced for the phrase "getting comfortable being uncomfortable." Anchor Actions: Pick One Hard Way: This week, identify one specific area where you've been taking the easy path. Choose the harder route on purpose. Not to prove anything. To practice the skill of choosing. Close a Door: Optionality is quietly making you weaker. Pick one option you've been keeping open "just in case" and close it. Commit to what's left. Refuse the Rescue: When someone offers you an easy out this week (including yourself), or when you're tempted to offer one to a friend, pause. Ask if the hard thing might actually be the gift. Join Us: Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io Connect With Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter) Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content. At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding. *Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies. Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io) Mentioned in this episode: Sponsor: Never Settle Never Settle is the creative tech and marketing agency that has been MWOD's creative partner— helping with branding, designing our website, and various growth marketing projects. When we started MWOD, we knew we had something that could help a lot of people, but communicating and enrolling people online to build their life around voluntary discomfort is a tough sell. We needed a partner who could understand what we were really doing and help translate that into an online presence that moved people. Never Settle is that partner. They took our vision and made it clear. No small feat for an organization promoting the one thing nobody wants to do. They’re genius. If you want to learn more about how they can help make your vision a reality, head over to neversettle.it/MWOD Never Settle Promo

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Strong & Awake

  Season 5 - Trailer

  Aug 15, 20261 minS5

  Season 5 Trailer Some ideas run our lives, and we don't pause to question them. "Wait until you're ready." "If it's right, it should be easier." "That's just how you are." They sound like wisdom... Season 5 of Strong and Awake is about the promises the culture repeats until we mistake them for truth, and the harder, truer way underneath them. Join us! Join Us: Our Membership Community (MWOD) is where we embrace discomfort as a path to personal development. Remember, it's probably not for you... but if we're wrong about that, or if you want to find out for yourself, visit us at MWOD.io Connect With Us: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter) Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast and any related materials from Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD) or Flying S Incorporated are for general informational purposes only. You should not use this information as a basis for making decisions without consulting your own medical and legal professionals. We aim to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we make no guarantees about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or comprehensiveness of the content. At Men & Women Of Discomfort, we promote agency and encourage you to carefully consider the input we offer. If you find it helpful, we invite you to take advantage of it, but do so with the understanding that you bear the responsibility of due diligence. By using our content, you acknowledge that you are taking opportunities at your own risk. Thank you for understanding. *Transcript Note: The transcript of our podcast is AI-generated and may contain errors. We aim for accuracy but appreciate your understanding and feedback on any discrepancies. Copyright 2026 Men & Women Of Discomfort (MWOD.io)

  ListenShow Notes

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.