Built For More with Jacob O'Connor

Jimmy Sansone (and two of his brothers) is the Founder of The Normal Brand. The Normal Brand is a clothing brand that's rapidly growing across the U.S. and has nine retail locations. Recently, Morgan Wallen has started wearing The Normal Brand at concerts. In this episode, we discuss Jimmy leaving his job as an investment banker to start the company, how they're winning in a tough and crow...

In this episode, I catch up with Olympic swimmer, Katie Hoff Anderson. Katie is a 2x Olympic Swimmer, 3x Medalist, 8x World Champ, entrepreneur, author, and public speaker. In this episode, Katie shares her incredible story. We discuss success at an early age, reconciling feelings of failure when you come up short, and the excitement of being an Olympian. If you enjoyed this episode please share i...

Landon Huslig is the founder of Wichita Life, Wichita's largest independent media company with tens of thousands of followers and subscribers. The Wichita Life brand consists of a weekly email newsletter, a podcast, and daily social media content. In this episode, we discuss the importance of independent media, the value of building a media company, & how to start with no money. If you enj...

Grant Johnson is a college dropout, inventor, and is Koch Industries youngest employee ever at 19 years old. In this episode, we discuss Grant's humanoid (featured in the intro) and go deep and get real about life, success, and how hard you have to work to pave your way in this world. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend. It helps us out a lot. https://podcasts.apple.com/v...

In this episode, I recap my recent 100 mile ultra marathon attempt. I did not complete the race-- I made it 80 miles. I recap race day logistics, key events during the race, and why I didn't finish it. While it's difficult to share your failures, I believe authenticity and realness are key cornerstones for the Real Conversations podcast. Thank you to everyone who supported, crewed, and pac...

Todd is a former NFL football player and now currently a human performance coach, recovery expert, angel investor, and entrepreneur. He works with professional athletes from various sports. In the past few months, Todd has gained a lot of traction on Instagram for sharing science backed, educational content pertaining to human performance and recovery. In this episode, we dive deep into recovery,...

Logan is a country music artist with 1+ billon streams of his music across all platforms with hits including "Better Off Gone", "Grew Apart", and "Albuquerque". He has opened for Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. In this episode, Logan is real and vulnerable discussing what it's like to be an artist, doub...

It's been 4 years since I started podcasting! In this episode, I share 4 lessons that I've learned from my 200+ guests. I share how I got started podcasting, why I do it, and my appreciation for everyone who has listened over the years. If you enjoyed this episode, please share the link with a friend: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-conversations/id1594231832 VM Patch Hat Give A...

In this episode, I'm joined by serial entrepreneur Derek Sorrells. Derek started his first business when he was 19 and sold it a few years later. Fast forward to today and Derek owns a handful of unique retail locations in Wichita-- perhaps the most popular being The Arcade. In this episode, we discuss how Derek got into business, expanding The Arcade from 2700 sqft and 62 games to 10,000 sqft...

This episode features Joseph Holthusen, a division one athlete for Wichita State University and All-American hurdler. In this episode, Joe and Jacob discuss the rigger of being a D1 athlete, how Joe almost died, what legacy we want to leave, and much more. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it, rate it, and review it with this link: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/real-conversations/i...

In this episode, I share in depth how I've been preparing for my 100 mile ultra marathon this July. I'm currently running 6-7x/week and lifting legs 2x/week (upper body 2x/week). Training has been brutal but great. Jon and I also discuss our appreciation for farming and the hard work that farmers do. Thank you to everyone that's reached out and let us know you love the podcast-- we app...

Peter Nelson is a 24x ultrarunner, sauna expert, entrepreneur, family man, and the founder of SISU Sauna. SISU Sauna is exploding in the U.S. as the go-to sauna-- I first experienced one at Todd Anderson's house (Ep. #45). In this episode, we discuss how Peter started SISU, the benefits of sauna, sauna protocols, ultrarunning, and more. This episode was great, you won't want to miss it! If...

In this episode, Jacob is joined by Matt Magnuson. Matt is currently running 11 marathons in 11 weeks to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. From being injured by a drunk driver to running ultramarathons and owning a Recovery & Wellness company, Matt has a fascinating and inspiring story. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a friend. It helps us out a lot. ⁠https:...

In this episode, Ridge comes back on the podcast for the second time. Ridge is a Division 1 Thrower for Wichita State University, 3x All-American and is on course to join the USA Olympic team. He regularly eats 6,000+ calories per day, squats 685lbs x 4, has a max bench of 470lbs all while maintaining a 50 inch box jump vertical and athletic ability. We cover a lot in this episode-- you're going t...

In this episode, Jacob sits down with Grant Johnson and Dane Laughlin (previous interviews are #34 and #42, respectively). Grant is a self-taught developer and college dropout and Dane is a leading expert in the XR industry who has spoken at MIT (x2) and Amazon ReInvent. In this episode, we discuss Grant's Humanoid, the future of technology, what businesses' Dane and Grant would start tomo...

Brady Palen is a Division one high jumper for Wichita State University. He's First Team All American, Top 10 in the NCAA, 4x All-Conference, and 3rd in Wichita State history with a 7'3.25 jump. In this episode, we talk about Brady's crazy dunks in high school, having a pet raccoon, raising cattle, ice baths, and his success with high jump. If you enjoyed this episode please share it wi...

Sydney McKinney is a softball player at Wichita State University where she holds three records, including leading the nation in batting average last season (.522). Last summer Syd played for the Women's National Team (Team USA) in Japan for the All-Star Series. As of this season, she is leading the NCAA in batting average (.539) and just became #10 in NCAA history in hits. She is currently a T...

In this episode, Jacob, Jon, and Quinn recap their STL marathon experience. This is the first official marathon that Jacob and Jon have ran; while Quinn is well-versed and a former Boston Marathon qualifier and finisher. They break down their training, race day struggles, and reflect on the experience. The second half of the episode focuses on actionable insights for people looking to start traini...

In this episode, Jacob heads to Nashville to hang out with Todd Anderson. Todd shares his remarkable story of growing up in a small town, becoming a Walk-On for Michigan State University, and making it to the NFL. Now Todd is a human performance coach, recovery expert, angel investor, and entrepreneur. He works with professional athletes from various sports. In the past few months, Todd has gained...

Logan Mize is a country music artist with over one billon streams of his music across all platforms with hits including "Better Off Gone", "Grew Apart", and "Somebody to Thank". He has opened for multiple headlining acts including: Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Blake Shelton, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. In thi...

Lucy Kovalova is currently apart of the #2 ranked team in Women's Doubles (partner Callie Smith) and #3 in Mixed Doubles. She plays Mixed Doubles with her long-time on and off-court partner, Matt Wright. In this episode, we discuss what Pickleball is, how Lucy got into the sport, how she became the #2 ranked woman in the world, and much more. If you enjoyed this episode please share it with a frie...

Dane Laughlin is only 26 years old, yet is still one of the leading experts in the XR industry developing cutting edge technology. Dane has been asked to speak at notable conferences including MIT (x2) and Amazon ReInvent. In this episode, Dane and Jacob discuss the future of AI and how it will effect life after death. They also discuss ChatGPT, what success means to us, and more. You're not going...

In this episode, Jacob reconnects with Jimmy DeCicco-- the the Co-Founder of the #3 bottled coffee brand in the US, Super Coffee. Jimmy left his Wall Street job to launch Super Coffee. 7 years later and Jimmy has been on Shark Tank, the company has raised $150M+ from investors like: Alex Rodriguez, Aaron Rodgers, Jennifer Lopez and removed more than 10,000,000 pounds of sugar from the American die...

Paul Richardson is a British businessman and entrepreneur. He was instrumental in scaling Gymshark from $4.5M to $1B+ and served as a shareholder and Executive Chairman. He is the former co-owner of AllSaints and is the current owner of the streetwear brand, HERA. HERA has been worn by the likes of celebrities including Hailey Bieber, NBA players, and other household names. In this episode, Paul s...

Rob Gerlach is one of the smartest people I know and is a good friend of mine. He's a registered Patent Attorney, Intellectual Property aficionado, and the Executive Director of Technology Transfer and Commercialization at Wichita State University. What fascinates me the most about Rob is the rate at which he consumes information-- he reads so many books and listens to so many podcasts-- with a le...