Advertise on podcast: PAC Talk with Pieter Vodden

I woke up this morning to an email I didn't expect. A Pharos member named Shannon had sent out a newsletter to his entire list — unprompted, unasked — praising the Repair class and inviting his readers to come try it. I burst into tears. This mini episode is about that moment. The power of an unexpected kind word. The difference it makes when someone takes 30 seconds to tell you that what you're doing matters. Shannon didn't have to do it. He just did it because he meant it. My message is simple — if you have someone in your life who deserves to hear something good today, tell them. Praise their effort over their results. Let them know you see them. You have no idea what that moment could mean to someone. At Pharos our mission is to be a light in your day. But I'll tell you — the light shines both ways. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

T'ara has been part of the Pharos community for years — powerlifting meets, Limitless Challenges, stops and starts. But it wasn't until she did the Pharos Accelerator in November that everything clicked. One year later she's down 10 inches off her waist, 4% body fat, and maintained her muscle — and she's coming back for the April Accelerator to keep going. In this conversation with Emylee, T'ara breaks down what made the difference. Not the hardest program she's ever done. Not training like a bodybuilder. Just a personalized roadmap, a community checking on each other, and one week at a time. She talks about updating her roadmap in real time as her life changes, why having someone evaluate your goals makes all the difference, and why sometimes you just need another pair of eyes to see how far you've actually come. This one is for anyone who has been on a long health journey and just needs to know they're still on the right track. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max has been a Pharos member since 2018. He's done every program, won the Limitless Challenge, and spent years lifting heavy. He's also spent the better part of 15 years dealing with a recurring back injury that kept derailing his progress. In this episode, Piet and Emylee sits down with Max to talk about what changed when he stopped trying to push through the injury and started building around it. The result? More muscle, less body fat, zero back pain — and the strongest his lower half has ever felt, without a single heavy deadlift or back squat. They cover the Bulletproof Your Back program, pendulum squats, why tall guys with long femurs probably shouldn't be back squatting, the identity crisis that comes when you can no longer do the thing you've always done, and why 10 grams of creatine might be doing more for your brain than your body. They also get into nutrition — why eating in a deficit without hitting protein is the worst thing you can do, how Max went months without feeling bloated for the first time in years, and why tracking macros isn't meant to be forever. This one is for the OG gym goer who's been at it for years, is dealing with injury, and needs a smarter way forward — not a harder one. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the secret to sustainable fitness isn't doing more — it's doing less, better? Emylee shares a simple but powerful realization: she used to read 24 books a year. Last year she read six — and read three of them multiple times. The same principle applies to fitness. There's a season for going all in, absorbing everything, building capacity. And then there's a season for strategy — figuring out the one to three things that actually move the needle without burning you out. A Pharos member recently completed the January Accelerator and came back months later shocked at how simple it actually was. No overwhelm. Just the right levers pulled consistently across fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle. If you're tired of starting over, this one's for you. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winning a fitness challenge is one thing. Staying consistent when life gets in the way is another entirely. In this episode, Piet and Emylee sit down with Josh — Pharos Palm Springs member, Limitless Challenge winner, and someone who travels constantly for a high-demand social career. Josh came into the mentorship not because he was lost, but because he needed a new set point. A new barometer for what consistency actually looks like when you're juggling work travel, social obligations, late nights, and a very real sweet tooth. What came out of 12 weeks together wasn't a six pack plan. It was a framework for real life — three different strategies for three different kinds of weeks. The bare minimum week that keeps the wheels on. The fit for life week that moves the needle. And the high achiever week that reminds you what you're capable of. We talk about: Why high achievers often struggle most with the middle groundHow to manage fitness and nutrition when you travel constantlyThe hardest part of the mentorship nobody talks about — confronting yourself weeklyWhy men's health and vulnerability rarely get discussed honestlyThe sweet tooth hack that changed Josh's relationship with foodWhat 25,000 steps in New York counts for and when the gym isn't the only answerWhy consistency always beats the best workout you've ever had This one is for the high achievers, the travelers, the social butterflies, and anyone who knows what they're capable of but keeps getting in their own way. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it actually take to go from starting over — twice — to never missing a week? In this episode, Piet and Emylee sit down with Carlos, a member of the Pharos mentorship program, to talk about the real journey behind building a fitness lifestyle that lasts. Carlos came to Pharos as a curious beginner. He went all in on his first six-week challenge, burned out, and didn't come back for six months. Sound familiar? When he returned, he had one simple ask — hold me accountable to showing up three days a week. That's it. What happened over the next 12 weeks changed everything. Body fat down. Muscle mass up. A shoulder that went from a 7/10 pain to a 3. And more importantly — a completely new identity. Carlos is now the kind of person who schedules gym time before social plans, who walks to the gym, who shows up in spite of how he feels. We talk about: Why going all in is often the worst thing you can doThe bare minimum philosophy and why it actually creates more resultsOvercoming gym apprehension and imposter syndromeHow body recomposition works when the scale doesn't moveThe mental shift that separates people who stick with it from those who don'tWhat the Pharos mentorship program actually looks like week to week This one is for anyone who has started and stopped, who thinks the gym isn't for them, or who just needs someone to say — you're worth showing up for. If you're interested in the Pharos mentorship program, DM us or visit jointhepac.fit to learn more. Thanks for listening, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, like and share—we really appreciate it! 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Results are sooooo hard…’” That’s what one of our mentorship clients said on her check-in this week after gaining 2 pounds of muscle and losing 2% body fat in 6 weeks.  So I asked her— “What’s been the hardest part?” Her answer? “Dealing with neural scans even though I’m working hard.”  The hardest part is not actually following the program. It’s trusting the process.  Especially when you’re not getting instant feedback or consistent validation.  Most people quit in the “neutral” phase… Right before things start working. If this is where you are right now—don’t miss this episode. And if you want help staying consistent when it gets hard, our next Accelerator starts April 20 — a chance to dive in and get a personalized roadmap realistic for your life.  Thanks for listening, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, like and share—we really appreciate it! 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are in the Pharosphere, then you will know that relationships and people are at the core of our business. We are noted for our bells and whistles, but the loyalty we have fostered is due mainly to the personalities that give life to our spaces. In this episode of Pac Talk, I had the opportunity to work out with our leadership team and then sit down for one-to-one conversations with each of them. My hope is that you will get to know them better… who they are, what they do, how they found fitness, how they found PHAROS, what journey they are currently on, and what dreams they have for the future. These people are the muscle behind the machine. They fuel our business, gift us their talents, and take us passionately into tomorrow. This is their story. In this episode, we talk with: Laura: The administrative rock and systems expert.Tori: The creative force and cinematic director.Josh: The GM leading the charge in Palm Springs.Dan: The head coach bringing empathy to the barbell.Shep: The veteran coach and Echo Park GM. Thanks for listening, don’t forget to follow, subscribe, like and share—we really appreciate it! 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Act Despite How You Feel: Why Action Comes Before Confidence | PAC Talk Podcast with Piet and Emylee Vodden In this episode, we close the gap between insight and execution. After a week of reflection, awareness, and intention-setting in the Accelerator program this episode is a reminder that transformation doesn’t happen when you feel ready — it happens when you act anyway. "Motivation is Unreliable" We unpack: •How waiting for motivation keeps us stuck •Why action builds confidence (not the other way around) •How to put behavior before belief and momentum before doubt This episode is for anyone who knows what to do… but has been hesitating.
Press play, take the step, and let action do the convincing. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the quiet internal battle that determines whether people follow through—or fade out—on the things that matter most: the voice that looks for a way out versus the voice that finds a way in. Using real conversations from a recent Accelerator group call, we break down how self-sabotage often shows up disguised as logic, comfort, or “being realistic.” From the idea of first-mile lies in running, to the familiar pattern of joining the gym with good intentions and quitting a few months later, this episode looks at how identity—not motivation—drives consistency. We talk about why telling yourself “this time is different” doesn’t work if your past actions say otherwise, and how repeated non-follow-through trains your brain and body not to trust you. Through stories of weight loss, addiction, gym intimidation, and starting something you’re not good at yet, this episode highlights a critical truth: belief isn’t built through words—it’s built through reps. This conversation also tackles humility, accountability, and the importance of being willing to look inexperienced, uncomfortable, or imperfect in order to grow. Whether it’s quitting smoking, walking into the gym for the first time, or simply showing up when it would be easier not to, the question stays the same: are you finding a way in, or are you looking for a way out? If you’ve ever struggled to see something through, felt stuck in a cycle of starting and stopping, or questioned whether you’re “just the kind of person who quits,” this episode will challenge that narrative—and give you a framework to start rewriting it through action. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High achievers—this one’s for you!  If you constantly feel: • Like nothing you do is ever “enough” • Guilty when you rest • Stuck because things aren’t perfect yet You might be caught in the curse of the high achiever. 🎙️ In today’s mini episode, I’m sharing: • Why dissatisfaction isn’t the enemy—but unmanaged, it will stall you • How perfection keeps high achievers stuck • Why “bare minimum habits” beat overachievement every time You’re not lazy. You’re not falling behind. You might just need permission to do less. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk about failing your goals. Because if I’m being honest, I’ve fallen short on almost every goal I’ve ever set. And for a long time, I let that mean something about me. That I was undisciplined. That I couldn’t finish what I started. That no matter how hard I tried, it was never good enough—so why even try? But here’s what I’ve learned: the problem was never the goals. It was the story I attached to them. In today’s episode, we want to reframe how we think about goals—especially if you’re looking back at this year feeling disappointed, behind, or tempted to say, ‘Why bother?’ Goals are meant to give you direction, but not define your worth… When you shift your focus from outcomes to effort and the actions you can control, you enjoy the process and actually get results that last.  If you’ve ever let missing a goal give you permission to quit—or stop dreaming altogether—this one’s for you. If you’re a coach, gym owner, or someone trying to build strength that carries into the real world—this one is for you. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Goal Setting Framework For Work And Life That Keeps Us Moving Forward In 2026  In this reflective solo episode, Emylee shares the exact 3-pillar framework she uses to set goals at Pharos—and in her own life. Recorded during a quiet early-morning drive down the mountain after the annual leadership retreat, she reflects on the progress the team made in 2025, the lessons learned, and the clarity that comes from reviewing both the wins and the challenges. She introduces the three types of goals that guide every decision at Pharos:   •  Financial – supporting stability, reinvestment, and long-term health.   •  Community – delivering on the promise of results, connection, and service.   •  Cohesion – building systems and infrastructure that keep the team aligned and the experience consistent. Listeners will learn how to use this exact framework in their own lives by brainstorming everything they could do, then identifying the one to three “rocks” that will truly move the needle in the next 90 days. Emylee breaks down how to think in quarterly pushes, avoid overwhelm, and build a year that feels intentional—rather than rushed. Interested in working with us to get a plan of action for you? Join our 7-Day Results Accelerator kicking off each Monday in January 2026 for anyone craving momentum, clarity, and a roadmap they can actually stick to. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com Connect with Joe Joe's Instagram Business of Strength IG Joe's Website If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Riggio (Varsity House, Business of Strength) joins Pieter Vodden to talk about what really separates gyms that grow from gyms that fade out: business fundamentals, leadership, culture, and having the humility to get coached. They go back to the early Jim Jones days—why traveling for education builds confidence, camaraderie, and “earned” self-respect—and how that same mindset became a blueprint for building better businesses. Joe breaks down the origin of Business of Strength (from early workshops to mastermind groups), why most gym owners hit the “coach-owner paradox,” and how perspective, systems, and community can pull you out of the weeds. They also recap their Cactus to Clouds attempt—training prep, pacing, hydration, gear, and why you don’t do this hike casually. The conversation widens into endurance vs. strength, VO2 max and longevity, fatherhood, resilience, and why doing hard things on purpose makes real life easier. If you’re a coach, gym owner, or someone trying to build strength that carries into the real world—this one is for you. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com Connect with Joe Joe's Instagram Business of Strength IG Joe's Website If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brazilian Ju Jitsu Is coming to PHAROS Palm Springs !!!!! This week I sit down with one of the best in the business, 4x Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion Omar Salum, and his partner David Carrillo. We talk through the history, evolution, training, and importance of the sport, and explore why it is becoming the most popular martial art in America. The best news is: we’re bringing it to Palm Springs in January for both adults and kids. You’ll have the opportunity—whatever level you’re at—to work with Omar and his team. Build self-defense, confidence, skill, ability, and athleticism. Alongside our boxing program, this will help you go into 2026 with a greater sense of awareness and purpose. David and Omar are on a mission to help people, and it’s a privilege to be able to share part of this journey with them. And this is just the start… Listen, enjoy, and share with anyone you think may be interested. Memberships will be on sale soon, with discounts for existing gym members. 💪 Join the 7-Day Results Accelerator to build clarity, momentum, and sustainable joy in your routine. pharosathleticclub.com Connect with Omar, David & My Gracie Hemet Omar's IG My Gracie Hemet IG If you are in Southern California come train with us  Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm Springs Follow Pharos, Piet and Emylee on Instagram for more fitness related content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.