Jeremy Axel introduces the episode, the podcast, and himself. Jeremy lives in Denver with his wife and two children. Cohost Doug introduces himself, discussing his family and his love of the outdoors.

What is true grit? Doug says that it is all about being able to face challenges head-on. Jeremy and Doug believe that their grit is key to their lifestyles and the way they view the world.

What does grit look like? For Doug, it looks like waking up and embracing the day. Jeremy says that his grit showed when he learned how to become a better husband and father for his family.

Grit is tied to humility for Jeremy, and it is a key part of his self-image. He did not choose to become tough, instead he was born into a situation where grit was necessary for his survival. Doug says that his childhood was similar.

You cannot truly show up for anybody else if you cannot show up for yourself. For Doug, self-reflection is a key part of how he shows up for himself.

Doug recounts his experiences in his childhood moving to accommodate his father’s career. He believes that his experiences shaped him and made him better able to adapt to new environments.

What does it mean for failure to shape you? We structure our lives around avoiding failures and mitigating mistakes.

Playing sports gave Jeremy and Doug an outlet to deal with their emotions and have a level of agency.

Not allowing failure involves significant sacrifice, and Jeremy became very used to sacrificing his own needs to succeed. These sacrifices are another important part of grit.

Doug tries to keep his professional and personal life segmented to make sure he is fully present in both. Learning to prioritize at a young age influenced his outlook.