Kimber shares her journey from working in schools to finding her true calling in fitness â a path that started with a pair of five-pound dumbbells, YouTube workouts, and a goal to feel strong again. As a single mom navigating lifeâs challenges, she found purpose in helping others build strength and confidence through movement.Colton and Kimber talk about everything from womenâs health and hormone changes to why strength training is essential at every age. They dive into the mindset behind setting goals, using vision boards to dream bigger, and the importance of staying strong â physically, mentally, and emotionally â through every season of life.Itâs an inspiring, real conversation about resilience, growth, and what it means to lift yourself and others up, one rep at a time.
In Episode 77 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton jumps on the mic for a solo update packed with stories, lessons, and takeaways.
He kicks things off with a story about scoring a rare Cybex hack squat â a full-circle moment that takes him back to his early days flipping gym equipment and hustling on Craigslist. From there, Colton gives an inside look at how Priority Fitness is leveling up â new apparel, sharper systems, and a massive install job that tested the teamâs endurance and efficiency.
He also shares a quick financial lesson about business credit cards affecting personal credit, and closes with a reminder to stay disciplined without losing your humanity â tracking your progress, but not letting the numbers run your life.
Itâs an inside look at leadership, growth, and building something great one rep (and one long day) at a time.
In Episode 76 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton breaks down what heâs been learning about intermittent fasting â from the science behind it to the real-life results heâs seeing.
He dives into how fasting works, what happens inside your body during the process, and why timing your meals might be more important than you think. Colton explains concepts like autophagy (your bodyâs âclean-up crewâ) and mTOR (the system that builds and repairs), plus how things like sleep, cold exposure, and meal timing all play a role in better health and longevity.
He also shares his personal experience with 24â48 hour fasts, mental clarity, and new habits that have boosted his discipline, energy, and focus â along with a few practical takeaways for anyone curious about trying fasting themselves.
In Episode 75 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton dives into the idea that âpractice makes perfectâ â and why consistent self-reflection might just be the real key to growth.
Fresh off a team meeting, Colton shares lessons on communication, leadership, and getting comfortable with discomfort â from filming yourself to improve how you speak, to analyzing your own habits the way youâd critique a squat in the gym.
He also introduces a simple but powerful drill for anyone who wants to build confidence on camera or become a better communicator: the â2-2-2â method â two minutes muted, two minutes audio-only, and two minutes combined.
This episode is all about getting honest with yourself, owning your weaknesses, and taking small, intentional steps to get 1% better every day.
In Episode 74 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton reflects on how the â10x is Easier Than 2xâ mindset has completely reshaped both his personal growth and the direction of Grizzly Fitness.
He breaks down what it means to think bigger, move faster, and stop wasting time on small, busy work that doesnât move the needle. Colton shares how this shift led to real business changes â including updates on Grizzlyâs 7th location in Baraboo, a new property purchase in Princeton, and plans for a revamped office and podcast studio.
From leadership lessons and showing appreciation to your team, to fasting for 43 hours and training the mind through discomfort, this episode blends strategy, mindset, and real-world updates. Colton also dives into how AI tools like ChatGPT and Grok can help you learn faster, make smarter decisions, and push your curiosity further.
He wraps up with a reminder that âleaders are readersâ â and why picking up a book today can change the next six months of your life.
In this solo episode, Colton dives into his latest personal experiments and mindset shifts. He breaks down his first intentional 24-hour fast, training for a five-mile Turkey Trot with his family, and how he's balancing lifting, running, and mobility work.
He also gets practical about planning your days, using tools like Google Calendar to stay disciplined, and why writing things down matters more than people think. Colton closes with thoughts on leadership, letting others lead, and the power of second chances â in business and in life.
In Episode 72 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton sits down with financial advisor and former teacher Jim Carriveau to break down the basics of money.
Jim shares how he went from teaching for 18 years to helping families build wealth, and the financial lessons most people donât learn soon enough.
They cover:
Where to start: emergency funds, Roth IRAs, 401(k)s
How compound interest actually builds wealth over time
Term vs. whole life insurance â whatâs worth it
Why income protection/disability insurance matters more than people think
Retirement savings benchmarks for your 20s, 30s, 40s, and beyond
Itâs a simple, real conversation about money, planning ahead, and not waiting until itâs too late.
Colton goes solo to unpack a packed week: flying into Vegas for a mastermind, maintaining his 5:30 a.m. routine in a new time zone, logging miles before breakfast, and why discipline beats âvacation mode.â He recaps key takeaways from two heavy-hitters:
Steven Kotler (Flow State): protect 60â90 minutes of uninterrupted deep work to unlock 5x productivityâand stop yanking teammates out of their flow.
Russell Brunson (Offers & Selling): every business needs a compelling high-ticket offer and more one-to-many selling (think webinars) so buyers can learn without the awkward hard-sell.
Youâll also get a couple stories youâll actually remember: accidentally trying to open Russell Brunsonâs door at Pirateâs Cove, the Broncosâ wild 33â32 comeback after being down big, and a hotel âmystery moistureâ fiasco that led to a room swap.
In Episode 70 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton sits back down with Holden Smith for his third check-in â and this one hits hard. In just a couple of months, Holden has:
âą Dialed in a rock-solid sleep routine
âą Built real discipline with early-morning workouts
âą Swapped late-night gaming for reading and self-improvement
âą Taken his daily steps to a whole new level
âą And most importantly â dropped over 90 pounds
Holden talks openly about whatâs changed in his mindset, whatâs still tough, and how the âhard daysâ are actually becoming the most rewarding ones. They break down new goals â more miles, more books, more growth â and set their sights on 365 pounds as the next milestone.
In Episode 69 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton sits down with Ellie Apland â one of the very first people to help bring Grizzly Fitness to life. From day one, sheâs been in the thick of it â from reupholstering equipment and sweeping up sawdust to managing locations and helping shape the culture that still drives the team today.
Colton and Ellie look back on the early days â the chaos, the mistakes, the learning curves â and how those moments built the foundation for what Grizzly Fitness has become. They talk about how far things have come, whatâs changed across six locations, and why hard work and loyalty still matter more than anything.
Itâs a raw, funny, behind-the-scenes conversation about growth, leadership, and remembering where it all started â proof that big things are built one small, messy step at a time.
In Episode 68 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton records just before flying out to Las Vegas for a mastermind weekend with other gym owners â complete with hot seats, guest speakers like Russell Brunson, and a heavy dose of learning, reflection, and networking.
Before he heads out, he opens up about his current fitness and life routine â whatâs been working, whatâs slipped, and how heâs keeping balance while still pushing for growth. He dives into supplements, sleep, and the power of sticking to a structure (even when life gets hectic).
From there, Colton gets real about business and relationships â why delegation doesnât mean disconnection, how to protect yourself from costly mistakes, and the importance of mutual respect and open communication on any team. He closes with a challenge to have the hard conversations youâve been putting off â whether thatâs with a coworker, friend, or family member â because bottling things up never makes life better.
In this solo update, Colton lays out whatâs coming next for the showâthree guests already booked, more interviews on deck, and a simple âapply to be onâ processâthen gets practical about finishing the year strong. He reframes the late-fall/winter stretch as an advantage: pick a cold-weather hobby (skiing/snowboarding, snowshoeing), double down on indoor wins (treadmill walks + books, courses), and treat the season as your âlearning blockâ instead of a shutdown.
On the business side, he shares a useful lens shift: study other industries as a customerâcar lots, restaurants, big box storesâto spot what actually works, then bring those insights back to the gym experience (especially for first-timers). He also hits money habits for payday: avoid impulse buys, âsleep on it,â keep only a lean checking balance, and auto-move a chunk to a high-yield savings every week so youâre deciding with logic, not a full account.
In Episode 66 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton checks in before heading to Vegas for a weekend with other gym owners (and a session with marketing legend Russell Brunson) â but not before dropping a handful of big reminders to help you finish the year strong.
He talks about investing in yourself through books, courses, and mentors, and how understanding different industries can shift your perspective on your own business or career. Colton also dives into finding time for the things you love, taking risks that matter, and using self-reflection tools like ChatGPT to understand yourself on a deeper level.
In Episode 65 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton shares what heâs been working on behind the scenes at Grizzly Fitness and Priority Fitness â and why having a clear vision matters just as much for your personal life as it does for a business.
He talks about using the âVivid Visionâ framework to map out where the company should be three years from now, why buy-in from your team is everything, and how aligning business goals with personal goals creates real momentum.
Colton also dives into the challenge of chasing too many things at once, the importance of finding mentors whoâve been where you want to go, and why you should be careful whose opinions you let shape your dreams.
In Episode 64 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton reflects on finishing the year strong and why you shouldnât wait until January to set new goals. He talks about his own routines â from early morning walks and reading, to sauna sessions, fasting, and strength training â and how those daily disciplines add up over time.
Colton also dives into conversations with Holden about patience, consistency, and battling the inner voice that tells us to quit. He shares why health and fitness are a long-term game, not a quick fix, and how to stay focused when progress feels slow.
The episode closes with takeaways on consistency, trying new challenges (like running barefoot or brushing your teeth left-handed), and finding ways to keep growing through the last quarter of the year.
In Episode 63 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton sits down with longtime friend and former Grizzly member Mason Adams to talk about his journey of turning things around. Mason shares what life was like working long shifts, becoming a dad, and watching his weight climb to 385 pounds before deciding something had to change.
He walks through the steps heâs taken since â cutting out drinking and fast food, meal prepping, running with a weighted vest, and journaling â and how those choices helped him lose over 150 pounds. Mason also reflects on what pushed him to finally make the change, how itâs impacted his daughter, and even how his progress motivated his own dad to drop 100 pounds.
In Episode 62 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton dives deep into the habits, mindset shifts, and daily practices that are helping him stay locked in â and how you can use the same tools to level up your own life.
From stacking quick wins like no snoozing your alarm and making your bed, to rewiring your brain with better inputs (books, podcasts, gratitude, and reflection), Colton shares the small shifts that create massive momentum over time. He also talks about building a culture of accountability at Grizzly Fitness, the importance of not burning bridges, and how perspective vs. perception can change the way you see challenges.
Whether youâre just starting your journey or looking for ways to keep pushing forward, this episode is full of practical takeaways to help you get 1% better every day â and invest in the future version of yourself.
In Episode 61 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton shares the personal changes heâs been making in his own life â and how you can use the same tools to level up yours. This isnât theory; itâs the real practices that have been helping him gain clarity, build momentum, and focus on what matters most.
From writing down weekly goals and daily gratitudes, to asking yourself deep questions that uncover what you really want, Colton walks through simple but powerful habits anyone can apply. He also dives into âThe Big Moâ â the idea that momentum can carry you further than motivation ever could.
Whether youâre chasing fitness goals, career growth, or just trying to be a better version of yourself, this episode gives you a framework for reflection and action. By the end, youâll be inspired to grab a notebook, write it all out, and start shaping the future you want to see.
In Episode 60 of The Grizzly Life Podcast, Colton welcomes back returning guest Holden Smith for his second check-in.Â
Back in Episode 54, Holden shared his bold goal of losing 130 pounds by May.Â
Now, heâs back with a full update on where the scale is today, what daily changes have stuck, and the adjustments heâs made along the way.
Holden talks through the habits that are working, the struggles that caught him by surprise, and the mindset shifts that keep him moving forward. From nutrition tweaks to his step routine to how his everyday life looks different now, this episode gives you a real, unfiltered look at what sustainable progress actually feels like in the middle of a big transformation.
If youâve ever set a massive health goalâor youâre in the thick of chasing one right nowâHoldenâs honesty and persistence will give you the encouragement to keep pushing and keep showing up.
In this episode, Colton shares the biggest takeaways from his recent trips to Nashville and Orlando. At the Nashville gym summit, he dives into conversations around taxes, building stronger communities, and expanding gym services with offerings like stretch therapy and nutrition coaching. From the Orlando summit, he unpacks Patrick Bet-Davidâs Your Next 5 Moves, highlighting the importance of always thinking several steps ahead. Colton also speaks deeper into the concept of the shoshin mentality âapproaching life with a beginnerâs mindsetâand explains how vision boards can serve as a practical tool to bridge the gap between where you are today and the future self youâre working toward.