Built for the Cold

"The fear I saw in that man's eyes—the one I almost executed—is the same fear I now see in people not living to their full potential." – Shawn Pollard

When Survival Becomes the Standard

Some stories don’t just inspire — they wake you up. In this episode, I sat down with Shawn Pollard, and what he shared wasn’t curated or clean. It was real. His life didn’t change on a stage or after a speech — it changed in the middle ...

“Fear disappears after the first step. Doubt? That lingers every day — and that’s where the real battle begins.” – Caleb Katz

Built for the Court
What happens when a former college athlete decides to build something off the field — in a space where the rules aren’t clear and the pressure never lets up? In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Caleb Katz, a Midwest-based attorney and business owner, who went from chasing f...

“We lost everything… but we didn’t lose each other, and we didn’t lose our faith.”

A Dream Built On Faith
Mike and Carmen Kosychek didn’t set out to build an empire—they just wanted enough to buy back time with their kids. One rental property, one goal. But what started as a simple plan quickly spiraled into a high-stakes journey through real estate, radical choices like homeschooling, and a complete life upheaval most people wo...

“The devil lurks behind the door of your doubt, just waiting to throw you off tune.”

Wrapping Up a Season of Resilience

Welcome to the final episode of this season of Built for the Cold. It’s been a season of real talk — diving into death, disease, disappointment, demotion — the heavy hitters that test our resilience. And now we close with two of the most dangerous forces working against us: doubt and drifting. My goal today is to ch...

"Sometimes the drugs in your life aren’t alcohol or substances — they're anything that pulls you from your purpose."

When the Drugs Aren’t What You Expect
In this episode of Built for the Cold, I dig into the not-so-obvious vices that can pull us off course. It's not always alcohol, weed, or harder substances. Sometimes it’s TV shows, video games, people-pleasing, betting, even the gym. Anything that keeps y...

"When two people start to not be on the same path, it’s death by a thousand cuts."

Opening the Door to a Hard Conversation
This episode is one of the hardest I've ever recorded. After 11 years together, my wife and I have made the decision to divorce. It’s painful, it’s messy, and it’s real. I’m not here to place blame—only to share my side of the journey and how resilience is built in the coldest moments of life...

“You don’t have to be okay all the time—but don’t give up.” - Joe Wanner

When It All Feels Like Too Much

I’ve had more than one moment in life where everything felt like too much. The pressure, the rejection, the pain—it piled up. And there were times where I really thought about ending it. I didn’t see a way forward. The weight of it all was just that heavy.

The first time I felt that low was at 17. I had just gotten cut from basketb...

“Yeah, I don’t see anyone in our family becoming that successful.” - My grandmother

Breaking the Chains of the Past
In this first of a two-part series, Joe Wanner opens up about his early financial struggles and how they fueled his determination to break generational poverty. From being born into a large Filipino immigrant family to being the oldest of six, Joe’s childhood was full of love but short on money—and he didn’t reali...

“I was three months behind on rent, living off peanut butter and graham crackers, but I told myself — this is going to make a great story one day.”

The Cost of Ambition
In this powerful continuation of Joe Wanner’s financial journey, Part II of the “Debt” series dives deep into the college years and young adulthood that tested his grit like never before. From working weekends in high school to fund gas and insurance, to being p...

Ever poured everything into a goal—hard work, sweat, and sacrifice—only to come up short? Maybe even get demoted instead of promoted? That gut punch can feel like failure, but sometimes, what looks like a setback is actually setting us up for something greater. No victim mentality here!

Today, I dive into the concept of demotion—whether it’s being cut from a team, passed over for a promotion, or losing something you thought was your...

Sometimes a diagnosis brings clarity; other times, it turns your world upside down. I’m diving into what happens when you finally get answers—whether it’s relief, fear, or a mix of both.

I share personal experiences facing mortality and how those moments shaped me. More importantly, I explore how to take control of your response, find strength, and shift from simply surviving to truly living.  Face life's D's without blami...

Death. This is my personal journey through loss, adversity, and emotional healing. I've had my fair share of experiences with death, family struggles and grinding to accomplish my goals. People see my success but may not know the work I put in, in the quiet!  I'm not meaning to brag with sharing any of my success. It's to encourage you to utilize this system, with whatever D you are facing, that I have developed thro...

I'm introducing the concept of 'Ice Cold Resilience,' focusing on overcoming life's challenges, referred to as the 'D's' without blaming the G-O-D. Despite being a "good catholic boy" I've experienced a lot of D's and I'm sharing the importance of faith in navigating these difficulties. I want my testimony and transformation to give you inspiration and encouragement that y...

I'm sharing the profound impact of life choices and the wisdom gained from experiences. I emphasized the importance of making excellent choices that feed the soul and the value of learning from both personal experiences and the experiences of others. I shared the concept of critical choices that can set one's life back significantly and I'm encouraging you to leverage your life experiences to cultivate wisdom and bec...

Do you know the importance of setting and achieving goals, emphasizing the need for clarity in understanding one's wants versus needs? He outlines eight steps to effectively pursue dreams and avoid nightmares, highlighting the significance of knowledge, sacrifice, and the consequences of inaction. Joe stresses the necessity of building systems to support goals and the importance of having a deeper reason behind one's aspi...

Joe Wanner invites you to join Generation Zero—where excuses, victimhood, and critics hold no power. This podcast brings you three 'cold' segments: Ice Cold Resilience for staying strong in life's storms, Melting Your Cold Audience for mastering cold calls and networking, and Ice Cold Peak Performance Health Systems for building unstoppable health habits. Transform your health, business, and mindset with the coolest ...