Strong & Awake

Season 5, Episode 6 | "Committing's great, but until you come up against not wanting to do it at all, not wanting to show up and you show up anyways, that's actually day one." Everyone wants accountability. What most people actually want is someone else to do the work for them. Dane and Mitch unpack the trap of outsourcing your agency to the perfect guide, program, or community, and why any good g...

Bonus Episode | "You're heading into a season that is built to pull you away from the things that are most important to you. The opportunity is for you to wake up." Most people wait until January to reset. By then they're playing from behind, hungover from three months of accidental living. Dane and Mitch make the case for starting now, before the storm of holidays, colder mornings, and cultural d...

Season 5, Episode 5 | "If everything is busy, if everything's a priority, what does that mean? It probably means you don't have clarity of what's a priority and that you're on the string getting pulled." "I don't have time" is rarely about time. It's about clarity, agency, and the stories we tell ourselves about being busy. Dane and Mitch unpack why we can suddenly find hours when a doctor gives u...

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...

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 a...

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 terrib...

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...

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 wh...

Season 4, Episode 8 | "You will get so much further with consistent modest execution." Everyone says they have a time problem. Most of them don't. Dane and Mitch break down why the overwhelm you feel isn't really about the clock, it's about how you're relating to complexity, comfort, and your own capacity. They walk through time blocking as an honest budgeting exercise, why cramming your to-do lis...

Season 4, Episode 7 | “Worry feels like doing something—but it changes nothing.” In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch explore the pervasive grip of worry and its role as a symptom of deeper internal chaos. They challenge the notion that worry is a solution, instead presenting it as a false sense of control over life's inevitable chaos. Through personal stories and historical examp...

Season 4, Episode 6 | "Do you wanna look perfect or be perfect?" This episode of Strong & Awake challenges the notion of perfectionism and its impact on personal growth. Mitch and Dane explore how the pursuit of perfection often becomes a barrier, preventing us from taking action and learning from our experiences. They discuss the importance of embracing wholeheartedness—bringing your full sel...

Season 4, Episode 5 | Why do we crave the reward without the effort—comfort without discomfort?  In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch dismantle the patience myth, exposing how chasing shortcuts steals your momentum and growth. You’ll discover why leaning into the uncomfortable gap rewires your mindset, how community holds you when you’d normally bail, and simple daily rituals...

Season 4, Episode 4 | "Are you sure you want to give up the whole thing?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge the notion of seeking relief from discomfort and explore the transformative power of voluntary discomfort. They discuss how embracing challenges, rather than avoiding them, can lead to personal growth and maturity. Through personal stories and insights, they ill...

Episode 3 | "When you are stuck and don't have the energy, are you a co-conspirator with your bad day?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch explore the power of voluntary discomfort as a catalyst for personal growth. They discuss how to break free from the cycle of victimhood and take agency over your day, even when it feels like everything is happening to you. Through personal s...

Season 4, Episode 2 | "Are you chasing fool's gold or real confidence?"  In this Strong & Awake episode, Dane and Mitch dismantle the myth of flashy confidence to reveal that true confidence is forged in quiet, disciplined practice. Through Craig’s roof-and-ladder challenge and examples from The Millionaire Next Door, Steph Curry, and Kobe Bryant, they show that confidence isn’t innate or...

Season 4, Episode 1 “What is the thing you don’t want to do that you know you’ll be better for if you do?” In this Strong & Awake episode, Dane and Mitch strip away the myths of time scarcity and willpower to expose procrastination as a misguided fight-or-flight response. They reveal how a simple “3, 2, 1” countdown or one small action—one push‑up, one breath, one piece of macaroni—can shatter...

Season 4 Trailer Welcome to Season 4 of Strong & Awake by Men & Women Of Discomfort. In this special kickoff episode, Mitch introduces the theme of the season: overcoming the everyday obstacles that trip us up—like procrastination, perfectionism, overwhelm, and worry. But rather than avoiding them, MWOD invites you to face them head-on through voluntary discomfort. Get a glimpse of what’s...

Season 3, Episode 8 | "What if your dream vacation isn’t a destination—but a skill?" Most people chase travel and adventure as a way to escape the grind, but what if the life you're craving isn’t found out there—it’s forged right here, in your daily choices? In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge the lie that adventure requires a plane ticket and show how the way we relate...

Season 3, Episode 7 | "Is peace available in the midst of your chaos?"  In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge the notion that balance and comfort are the ultimate goals in life. They argue that living in perpetual comfort leaves us weak and asleep, and that true fulfillment comes from embracing voluntary discomfort. Through candid discussions, they explore how the pu...

Season 3, Episode 6 | "Don't let cultural norms rob you or trap you into a false sense of what is possible and isn't possible." In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge the pervasive myth that extraordinary achievements can be reached without extraordinary effort. They explore the allure of shortcuts and the cultural obsession with instant results, urging listeners to embrac...

Season 3, Episode 5 | "Are you ready to confront the comfort that's keeping you asleep?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge listeners to step into the realm of voluntary discomfort to unlock a life of true freedom. "Freedom from" is a journey from the familiar to the unknown. Comfort, while enticing, often leaves us stagnant and unfulfilled. Through personal anecdotes...

Season 3, Episode 4 | "Does it have to be this way?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch explore the profound impact of voluntary discomfort on mental health. They challenge the cultural norm of seeking comfort and immediate gratification, arguing that it leads to anxiety, depression, and a sense of unrest. By embracing discomfort intentionally, individuals can achieve a deeper,...

Season 3, Episode 3 | "Are you treating your relationships like a project?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch challenge the common misconception of equating productivity with relationship success. They explore the discomfort of choosing presence over efficiency, sharing personal stories that highlight the tension between productivity and genuine connection. The discussion empha...

Season 3, Episode 2 | Comfort is Costly. In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch tackle the often daunting topic of personal finance, exploring how voluntary discomfort can lead to financial freedom. They share personal stories of overcoming debt and the transformative power of making uncomfortable financial decisions. From budgeting to tackling debt, the conversation offers a fresh...

Season 3, Episode 1 | "Why do we crave change yet struggle to achieve it?" In this episode of Strong & Awake, Dane and Mitch tackle the perennial challenge of New Year's resolutions and why they often fail. They explore the common pitfalls of quick fixes and the allure of comfort, offering a compelling argument for embracing voluntary discomfort as a path to genuine transformation. Through per...