Built For Legacy

Dr. Grant Elliott is a chiropractor and the founder of RehabFix, home to the biggest online back pain program in the world. After his own competitive cycling career was derailed by low back pain and failed by outdated, traditional care, Grant became a "master of movement and education" and built a massive online following before he ever opened a practice. He's a pioneer in taking chiropractic and rehab 100% online, helping people a...

Jake Ryan is a former NFL linebacker who played for the Green Bay Packers alongside Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, and Julius Peppers. Drafted in 2016 out of Michigan, Jake spent six years in the league across the Packers, Jaguars, and Ravens before two ACL tears and a back injury forced him to walk away from the game. In the years that followed, Jake co-founded Huega House — a San Diego-based lifestyle apparel and hat brand b...

Bryce Smith is a former professional basketball player (San Diego State, Cal State Northridge, Sweden), CrossFit Games athlete, and the founder of AllSmith — a San Diego-based coaching, apparel, and lifestyle brand built on the belief that we are forged, not found. In this conversation, we go deep on Bryce's personal story — losing both of his parents, the identity shifts that came with transitioning out of competitive ...

This episode is a personal reflection on 2025 and Q2--Q4 guest highlight recap. I talk about some personal and general challenges from the year and share 10 lessons I took away from the experience. 

Chapters:
00:00 - My Reflection & 10 Lessons from 2025
15:29 - Jason Stewart - Full episode
17:41 - Brandon Turner - Full episode
19:36 - Built For Legacy Rebrand (solo) - Full episode
21:45 - Kendall Reu...

In this episode, I sit down with Will Stull and Cole Mueller, two of the six runners from The California Traverse documentary — a 640-mile nonstop relay from San Diego to San Francisco that pushed a global team of ultra-athletes to their physical and mental limits (premiered November 2025). We get into everything you didn’t see in the film: the funniest behind-the-scenes moments, the breaking points that nearly took the...

Noah Oliver is a former Navy EOD specialist turned entrepreneur and founder of Flowhold, a San Diego–based MMA and BJJ training apparel brand built around the idea of “flow state.” After six years in the military and earning his MBA, Noah explored multiple ventures—from Amazon FBA to surf ponchos—before launching Flowhold in 2018 while still in business school. What began as a socks company evolved int...

Sloan Clymer is a pro MMA fighter, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and no-gi specialist at Legion American Jiu-Jitsu in San Diego (founded by Keenan Cornelius). He earned his black belt from Cornelius—being the coach’s second-ever recipient—and has competed in organizations & events like Lights Out Xtreme Fighting, WNO, EBI, Subversiv (holding a win over Nick Rodriguez), and ADCC trials. In this conversation, ...

Kendall Reusing is an 8-time world champion black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, founder of Jiu Jitsu Accelerator (JJA), and host of the Get a Grip Podcast. She’s also one of the most respected commentators and entrepreneurs in the BJJ world. In this conversation, we discuss her competitive journey, building a personal brand in Jiu-Jitsu, and her impact on women in the sport. We also talk about her entrepreneurial drive, how sh...

In this special highlight episode, we revisit 5 of the most impactful pro athletes featured on the show — each of whom successfully transitioned from elite sports to entrepreneurship. 

You’ll hear from: 

Shawne Merriman - how the legendary NFL Linebacker got ahead of the business game with his “Lights Out” brand (02:28) 

Chris Leben - what motivated this UFC icon to open his own MMA gym and mento...

After 90+ episodes of The Nichols and Dimez Show, it’s time to evolve.

In this special rebrand announcement episode, I break down why the podcast is now called “Built for Legacy with Chris Nichols — and what that really means. You’ll hear how the show has naturally shifted toward the stories of high performers making bold transitions into entrepreneurship: from pro athletes, veterans, and creators who are bui...

Brandon Turner is a professional skateboarder, longtime member of the legendary Sk8Mafia crew, and protégé of Chad Muska. He’s also the Founder of West Side Recovery, a San Diego-based rehab center helping people overcome addiction through purpose and community—an effort inspired by his own personal journey. In this conversation, we discuss his evolution from skateboarding icon to recovery advocate, his viral “Tri...

Jason Stewart is Founder of Epic Fighting (SoCal based MMA promotion), Stewart Estates (real estate group), and Epic Exoctics (exotic car rentals). In this conversation, we discuss how Jason stays calm under pressure, his approach to stress management, and how his unconventional upbringing shaped his mindset. We dive into his journey buying a house at 21, launching a successful MMA promotion in Southern California, and building a b...

This episode is an audio exclusive highlight reel recap of the first three months of 2025.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:51 - Ryan Williams - Full episode
06:22 - The 4-Hour Workweek Review (solo episode) - Full episode
08:48 - Tony Azevedo - Full episode
12:14 - Mitch Aguiar - Full episode 

Partners:
LEGACY KAPSULE: https://www.legacy-kapsule.com/
JNGL ATHLETICO:  https://jnglathletico....

Mitch Aguiar is a former Navy SEAL, professional MMA fighter, and the Founder of MASF (Mitch Aguiar Smashin’ Frog) Supplements, Violent Hippie (a BJJ academy & merch brand), and Adopt-a-Cop BJJ (a non-profit that helps police officers learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu). In this conversation, we discuss Mitch’s strong Navy family influence growing up and why he decided to become a SEAL, the rise of his competitive fighting c...

Tony Azevedo is a five-time Olympian (2000-2016), Olympic silver medalist, and widely regarded as one of the greatest water polo players of all time. Since retiring in 2017, he has been on a mission to grow and evolve the sport through his entrepreneurial ventures, including 6-8 Sports—a platform featuring a stats & analytics app, digital game desk, college showcase series, and training academy—as well as Azevedo Wa...

In this solo episode, I share my review and top takeaways from Tim Ferriss's book, "The 4-Hour Workweek" (2007). Tim Ferriss is an entrepreneur, investor, author, and podcaster. I credit Tim as being one of my earliest inspirations of eventually starting my own podcast and living my life as a "human guinea pig", since 'The Tim Ferriss Show' was the first podcast that I had ever listened to consistently. The format of this book foll...

Ryan Williams is Founder of Industry Threadworks and Archive 3PL, an apparel manufacturing company, and a warehousing fulfillment service, respectively. He is a former Navy SEAL who pursued the path of entrepreneurship with prior ventures in apparel and fitness equipment. In this conversation, we discuss what it’s like working with his wife as CEO, relationship dynamics in business, and what drove him to become a Navy SEAL an...

This episode is an audio exclusive personal reflection on 2024 and Q4 guest highlight recap (October through December).

Chapters:
00:00 - My Reflection on 2024
08:34 - Shawne Merriman - Full episode
09:57 - David Meltzer - Full episode
13:38 - Taylor Cavanaugh - Full episode
16:24 - Juan Leija - Full episode

Partners:
JNGL ATHLETICO:  https://jnglathletico.com?sca_ref=5391573.ojJfvDfSXJ  ...

Juan Leija is the owner of iconic Onnit Gym in Austin, TX and a Fitness & Strength Coach. He is one of the first team members of supplement and fitness brand, Onnit, alongside Aubrey Marcus and Joe Rogan. In this conversation, we discuss Juan’s role in the early days of building Onnit, his relationship with Aubrey Marcus, and the dynamic journey of Onnit Gym throughout various changes in the business over the years. We al...