The Upgraded Man

In 1910, a former president stood at the Sorbonne and delivered what would become one of the most quoted passages in American history. But Theodore Roosevelt wasn't a polished motivational speaker that day. He was a man who had buried his wife and mother on the same day, disappeared into the Badlands for two years, and rebuilt himself from nothing. That's the man behind "The Man in the Arena" — and that context changes everything.

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In this debut episode of the newly rebranded Upgraded Man Podcast, host Chris Anderson lays out the foundation for everything to come. After years of running the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris is honing in on a clear mission: helping men who refuse to stay complacent become better versions of themselves, one day at a time. This solo episode introduces the five pillars that will guide every future conversation, every guest interview, ...

This is a milestone moment. In episode 500, host Chris Anderson pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to stay consistent for nearly a decade of podcasting, the relationships that changed the trajectory of his business, and the biggest announcement in the show's history: the Elevate Media Podcast is officially becoming The Upgraded Man Podcast.

Chris gets candid about starting in the corner of his living room with Captain...

Most men don't lose their relationships because they stopped trying — they lose them because they never understood what actually creates lasting attraction and respect. In this episode, Chris sits down with A.D. the Kingmaker Dunbar, a former engineer who invested over $200,000 and years of study into understanding relationship dynamics from every angle imaginable — from Muslim men with multiple wives to former pimps and pickup art...

Have you been doing everything right — putting in the work, staying consistent — but you still can't break through to the next level? This episode is for you.

Chris Anderson shares the timeless "Three Feet from Gold" story from Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich and unpacks what it means for every entrepreneur, business owner, and father who's on the verge of walking away.

In this episode:

• 📖 The full "Three Feet from Gold" ...

In this episode, Jim Ferry of Volition Capital pulls back the curtain on growth equity — the often-misunderstood middle ground between venture capital and private equity. If you're a founder wondering whether outside capital is right for your business, this is a must-listen.

What you'll learn:

• The difference between venture capital, growth equity, and private equity (and where you fit)
• The 3 reasons founders seek growth equi...

Did you know 15 to 20% of the population has dyslexia, yet most schools are still failing these students? In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, host Chris Anderson sits down with Russell Van Brocklen, a dyslexia educator and researcher with over a decade of experience helping students overcome learning differences through a brain-based approach rooted in Yale research.

Russell breaks down exactly why the traditional school ...

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris Anderson sits down with Chanda Coston, business strategist, CEO, and founder of the HEB Foundation, to explore how high-achieving entrepreneurs can regain control of their time and focus on what truly moves the needle. Chanda shares her proven methods for calendar audits, time blocking, task batching, and the “automate, delegate, eliminate” approach to simplify business operations...

Are you building a business… or did you accidentally build a job?
 

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris Anderson sits down with entrepreneur and investor Chaz Wolfe to break down how to build a business that doesn’t own you. From mindset shifts to delegation, hiring, systems, and profit planning, this conversation is a blueprint for entrepreneurs who want freedom without sacrificing growth.
 

Chaz shares how he scaled m...

In this episode, Chris sits down with digital marketing expert Shane Barker to break down the real impact of reviews on Amazon and beyond. Shane shares practical insights on managing negative reviews, building brand trust, and why reputation management is no longer optional for modern businesses. Whether you sell on Amazon or rely on online reviews to drive growth, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies you can appl...

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, we sit down with Jon from Fiscal Advocate to talk about why understanding your numbers is non-negotiable if you want to build a healthy, scalable service business. We break down how business owners can get clarity, create a strong financial foundation, and make smarter decisions that support long-term growth.

What we cover:

• Why most service business owners struggle with their numbers
• ...

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris Anderson welcomes Jeremy Vest, a veteran YouTube strategist. With two decades of experience, Jeremy provides a no-nonsense guide to achieving sustainable growth, moving past the common pitfalls that keep over 90% of creators from even reaching 1,000 subscribers. This is a crucial conversation for anyone looking to build a media company, from aspiring creators to small business own...

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris Anderson welcomes Jay Setchell, a remarkable guest whose life journey embodies extreme resilience. Raised on a farm, a Marine Corps veteran, an entrepreneur, and a corporate leader, Jay has faced and overcome unimaginable challenges, including dying three times, a debilitating accident that left him paralyzed, and 73 surgeries. He discusses how these experiences shifted his entire...

We dive into an honest conversation with Roy Ward, CEO, President, and Founder of Pre-Game Athletics, on why he moved from a 20-year career in the reactive medical device industry to pioneer a proactive movement focused on preparing for peak performance. It’s not about just "warming up"—it’s about committing to a ritual that fuels you mentally and physically.

In this episode, we challenge the idea of preparation as a forced habit, e...

Chris Anderson speaks with Dr. Brian McCarley about his journey from a head athletic trainer to a long-time successful chiropractor, guiding entrepreneurs, business leaders, and families.

• From Athletic Training to Chiropractic: Dr. Brian recounts his career shift, explaining that the late-night, intense lifestyle of an athletic trainer was incompatible with being a newlywed. This led him through a brief stint in the business wor...

What if we told you that the whole concept of work-life balance sets us up for disappointment? Brace yourselves for an enlightening discussion where we challenge the narratives surrounding pursuing a harmonious life and the misconceptions about entrepreneurship. We dive into honest conversations about the grind in reaching our life goals and the sacrifices we need to make for long-term success. It's not about working 24 hours a mon...

In this episode of the Elevate Media Podcast, Chris Anderson sits down with viral marketing expert and AI creator Austin Armstrong to break down the real art of going viral without chasing shortcuts. From posting 20 to 25 times a day on Facebook to building micro SaaS with vibe coding, Austin shares exactly how he has generated billions of views, built multiple seven-figure businesses, and stacked numerous streams of income using s...

A deep dive into data-driven marketing and entrepreneurship with Dr. Alexa D'Agostino, covering two decades of experience and insights.

• Persistence vs. Delegation: The biggest hurdles to scaling are a lack of persistence for those under $1 million and a CEO's inability to delegate and focus on strategy for those over $5 million.
• Data is More Than Numbers: Data is defined as buying behavior, what customers hate, when they click, a...

In this episode, Chris breaks down Elon Musk’s Neuralink: the promises, the problems, and the real concerns no one’s talking about. From medical skepticism to ethical red flags, data transparency, past animal testing issues, hacking risks, and the spiritual implications of tampering with the brain, Chris unpacks whether Neuralink is a revolutionary idea or a dangerous overreach.
 

MAIN TALKING POINTS:

• What Neuralink claims it can ...