Choose Hard with Cody McBroom

What happens when three friends in a group text decide to turn a shared passion for fatherhood into a business? You get Dad Gang, a brand that started with just $250 and has since sold over $30 million in hats. In this episode, I’m joined by co-founders Bart and EJ to pull back the curtain on one of the most inspiring entrepreneurship stories I’ve heard in years.
We dive deep into the "origin story" of Dad Gang—from selling out their first 100 hats in 36 hours to building a community of over 14,000 dads who support each other through the "forever marathon" of parenting. Bart and EJ open up about the hard transitions they made, including the moment EJ realized his daughter needed his presence more than his paycheck, leading him to resign from a 15-year career with no backup plan.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The Power of the Niche: Why they ditched "corny" dad gear to create a streetwear-inspired brand for the modern father.
- Operational Excellence vs. Marketing Magic: How staying in their "lanes" allowed them to scale to a million hats sold without the typical friction of a partnership.
- Fatherhood as Training: Using the challenges of parenting as a catalyst for personal growth and spiritual discipline.
- The "If You Know, You Know" Philosophy: The meaning behind their iconic side-hit and why community is the real product, not the apparel.
- The Lean Startup Model: Why they prioritize efficiency and profit over head-count and ego.
Whether you're an entrepreneur looking for the blueprint to scale or a dad trying to be the best role model for your kids, this conversation is a masterclass in choosing the hard path to build a life of alignment.
Connect with Dad Gang:
Website: dadgang.com

Instagram: @dadgang.co

Facebook Group: Dad Gang VIP (14,000+ members)

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INQUIRIES – ⁠[email protected]

Are you addicted to the scale moving? Do you struggle with an "all-or-nothing" personality that sabotages your progress after one bad meal? In this high-intensity Q&A episode, Cody McBroom tackles 10 listener questions that bridge the gap between elite physique science and the psychology of high performance.
From the "Maintenance Mental Block" to the truth about functional training and the pitfalls of "soft" self-care, Cody delivers a masterclass in brutal honesty and logical decision-making. Whether you’re a parent trying to instill discipline in your children or a 35+ trainee looking to stay athletic into your 50s, this episode provides the "Choose Hard" blueprint for leveling up every area of your life.
✅ Mastering the Maintenance Phase: How to stop viewing "protect" seasons as wasted time and channel your addiction to progress into other areas of life.
✅ The Logic of Rest vs. Avoidance: Distinguishing between genuine recovery needs and just being "soft" by using third-person perspective and brutal honesty.
✅ Training for the Long Game: Why age doesn't dictate volume, but skill acquisition and joint-friendly exercise selection do.
✅ Rewiring the 'All-In' Fallacy: Using the "Is that really true?" technique and if-then statements to build resiliency after a slip-up.
✅ Legacy and Success: Why "ignorance is bliss" in business and how the evolution from Boom Boom Performance to Choose Hard changed Cody's perspective on the difficulty of success.

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In This Episode, We Cover:INQUIRIES – ⁠[email protected]

Can you truly build world-class strength while training for an ultra-marathon? For years, the "interference effect" told us that cardio kills gains—but the science says otherwise.
In this definitive solo episode, Cody McBroom breaks down the Hybrid Athlete methodology: a training system designed to make you a more capable, resilient, and high-performing human being.
Cody dives deep into the research, debunking the myth that aerobic work eats away at muscle tissue. Instead, he explains how improving your aerobic capacity actually enhances your ability to build muscle by boosting mitochondrial health, nutrient delivery, and recovery between sets.
Whether you want to look like a bodybuilder but perform like an elite athlete, this episode provides the step-by-step blueprint to fueling, programming, and periodizing your way to a hybrid physique.
- The Science of "Both": Why the interference effect is a myth of improper dosing, not biological incompatibility.
- Mitochondria as Muscle Fuel: How zone 2 training improves oxidative capacity, allowing you to handle more lifting volume.
- The 6-Phase Hybrid Blueprint: From auditing your baseline to managing "stress buckets" and building a weekly split.
- The High-Low Model: Consolidating high-intensity stressors to maximize CNS recovery.
- The "Hybrid Tax": How to calculate your fueling needs and utilize intra-workout carbs to prevent "bonking" without ruining your body composition.
- Injury Prevention: Why unilateral work and posterior chain training are non-negotiable for runners who lift.
📌 Read The Ultimate Hybrid Athlete Training Guide, Here: 
https://tailoredcoachingmethod.com/hybrid-training-program-the-step-by-step-guide-to-strength-running/

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In This Episode, We Cover:INQUIRIES – ⁠[email protected]

What separates a "personal trainer" from a world-class coach? It’s not just the sets and reps—it’s the ability to manage the psychology, the environment, and the identity of the person in front of you.
In this deep-dive coaching roundtable, Cody McBroom is joined by fitness industry legend Luka Hocevar (Vigor Ground Fitness). Together, they pull back the curtain on what it takes to achieve mastery in the craft of coaching. They discuss the delicate balance of General Physical Preparation (GPP) vs. Bodybuilding, why "Accountability is a love language," and how to use the "Alter Ego" effect to break through client plateaus.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The Decathlete Approach: How to balance concurrent training goals without sacrificing aesthetics or performance.
- The "Alter Ego" Strategy: Why your clients might need to step into a new identity to overcome their hardest personal barriers.
- Environment vs. Genetics: Why your community is often the loudest signal in your biological success.
- The Art of Communication: Why listening is a coach's most underrated tool and how to tailor your "coaching language" to different personalities.
- The Mastery Gap: Transitioning from "knowing" to "doing," and the non-negotiable systems required to run a high-level coaching business.
- The Intuitive Eating Transition: How (and when) to move a client from rigid tracking to sustainable, value-based eating.
Whether you are a coach looking to level up your craft or an athlete trying to understand the "why" behind your program, this conversation with Luka Hocevar provides the blueprint for high-performance living.
Connect with Luka Hocevar:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lukahocevar/ 
- Training/Gym: https://www.vigorgroundfitness.com/ 
Connect with Cody:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codymcbroom/ 
- Training/Coaching: https://tailoredcoachingmethod.com/ 

GET 20% OFF ALL CHOOSE-HARD MERCH, USING CODE PODCAST20 AT CHECKOUT: https://choose-hard.shop/ 
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"I have a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control." When Oprah Winfrey shared those words, it sparked a global conversation about the "Obesity Gene." But is your DNA a locked door, or just a map?
In this episode of Choose Hard, Cody McBroom breaks down the science of the FTO gene, hunger hormones, and the "Thrifty Gene" theory. While biology dictates your starting line, it does not dictate your finish line. Cody dives into the landmark studies proving that while genetics "load the gun," your environment and habits "pull the trigger."
[Take The Obesity Gene Quiz—See Where Your Genetics Stand, HERE!]
In this episode, we cover:
- The Science of Fat Distribution: Why your DNA determines where you store fat (and why you can’t spot-reduce).
- The FTO Gene Deep Dive: How this specific variant affects "food noise," satiety, and your brain's reward system.
- The 30% Eraser Effect: How physical activity can effectively "mute" genetic predispositions to weight gain.
- Epigenetics & The "One-Legged" Study: A mind-blowing look at how exercise literally rewrites your internal software.
- Neutralizing the Signal: How high-protein diets, fiber, and sleep quality act as "pharmaceutical-grade" tools to quiet genetic hunger.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re fighting an uphill battle against your own biology, this episode will give you the scientific proof that you have more control than you think. Your blueprint is not your destiny.
Resources Mentioned:
- The GIANT Consortium Study on Fat Distribution
- The University College London FTO/Ghrelin Study
- The Karolinska Institutet Epigenetic Study (The "One-Legged" Cycle Study)
—
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INQUIRIES – ⁠[email protected]