Education

RIDEOUT: The Other Side of Hard

The Other Side of Hard, hosted by Ken Rideout — raw, gripping conversations with people who’ve pushed past the breaking point. Stories of resilience, redemption, and what’s waiting on the other side.

Latest Episodes:

The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of an Olympic Champion | Missy Franklin Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Missy Franklin is one of the greatest swimmers of all time. She made her first Olympic Trials at 13 years old, and four years later she went to London and absolutely dominated—four gold medals, a bronze, and a world record in the 200 backstroke.

But what I loved about this conversation is that we spent just as much time talking about what happened when things stopped going perfectly.

Four years after London, Missy went into the Rio Olympics carrying enormous expectations, injuries, sponsor pressure, and the weight of trying to recreate the greatest week of her life. She didn't make a single individual final and describes those eight days as some of the hardest of her life. After bilateral shoulder surgeries and fighting for 18 months to get back, she eventually had to retire at only 23 years old.

We talked about all of it—the insane suffering swimmers put themselves through, making the Olympics as a teenager, what it actually feels like to win a gold medal, breaking a world record, turning down life-changing money to swim at Cal, failing publicly in Rio, and learning that sometimes the way you lose says more about you than the way you win.

Missy is also in a completely different chapter now. She's a mom of two, she's training for HYROX, she's somehow learning to love running, her husband Hayes is racing professionally in triathlon, and they're building Gold, a goal-setting platform for athletes.

I really loved this conversation. Missy is exactly who you hope she is—positive, competitive, thoughtful, and completely honest about both the incredible highs and really difficult lows that came with her career.

Hope you guys enjoy this one.

Follow Missy: @missyfranklin88

Please subscribe to The Other Side of Hard, leave a comment, and let me know what you think of the episode.

Learn more about the show, my upcoming book, and everything we're doing at theothersideofhard.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Missy Franklin

(00:18) Why Swimming Hurts

(00:52) Swimming vs Running

(02:45) Husband Triathlon Journey

(05:55) Missy Finds Hyrox

(06:37) Sponsor Gifts Moment

(07:24) Growing Up in Colorado

(09:31) Teen Olympic Trials

(12:56) Sponsor: Roka

(14:36) Support System and School

(19:42) London Olympics Breakthrough

(31:54) Record Heat Magic

(32:14) Celebrity Shoutouts

(32:32) Gold Medal Reality

(34:11) Parent Reactions

(34:45) Sponsor: Wild Roman

(35:46) Motherhood Moments

(37:19) Learning To Fail

(39:40) Staying Amateur

(41:54) NCAA Glory Days

(43:34) Pro Pressure Spiral

(45:27) Rio Trials Heartbreak

(50:36) Retirement And Next

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International Fugitive to UFC Top 10 | Ian Heinisch Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Former UFC fighter Ian Heinisch sits down with Ken Rideout for one of the wildest stories ever told on The Other Side of Hard.

Ian grew up in Colorado as an elite wrestler with the talent to compete at the highest levels, but drugs, alcohol, arrests, and self-destruction quickly began overtaking his life. After leaving school and spiraling further, he moved illegally to Canada, worked door-to-door sales, was arrested and eventually deported.

Back in Denver, Ian began trafficking ecstasy before being caught in a sting operation. Facing serious charges, he fled the United States for Europe.

What followed was extraordinary.

Ian eventually landed in Tenerife, where he says he became an international cocaine mule, traveling through Colombia, Venezuela and Aruba and swallowing packages of cocaine to transport them back to Spain. He was eventually caught, sentenced to prison, and spent roughly two and a half years incarcerated in Spain before being returned to the United States.

His trip home included Rikers Island and an 11-day prisoner transport back to Colorado.

Once free, Ian committed himself to mixed martial arts. He rapidly climbed through the sport, reached the UFC and broke into the top 10 — while privately battling another devastating addiction to opioids.

Ian opens up about finding sobriety through his Christian faith, his rise through the UFC, serious health problems, concussion-like symptoms that ultimately forced him away from fighting, and the difficult process of rebuilding his identity once again.

Today, Ian is an entrepreneur, works in crypto, and serves as president of Bare Knuckle Ice Wars.

This is a conversation about addiction, prison, survival, fighting, faith, purpose, and the possibility of completely changing the direction of your life.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Ian Heinisch

(00:43) Wrestling Roots and Drive

(02:51) Addiction Takes Hold

(07:47) Rehab Ranch and Expulsion

(23:27) Canada Hustle and Chaos

(30:49) Border Hustle Into Canada

(32:28) Holding Cell Withdrawal Chaos

(37:16) Courtroom Slip And Deportation

(47:33) Denver Ecstasy Operation Sting

(55:37) Europe Run To Coke Mule Trips

(01:03:53) Cali Jungle Connections

(01:05:41) Parties Culture Shock

(01:08:15) Swallowing Balloons

(01:12:38) Airport Bust Tenerife

(01:19:15) Prison To Rikers

(01:35:05) Rikers Survival Night

(01:38:16) Marshals Transfer Nightmare

(01:40:33) MMA Rise and Oxy Spiral

(01:43:48) Faith Turnaround and UFC Run

(01:50:24) Health Crash New Purpose

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Brutal Hits, Broken Bodies & the Business of Football | Bernard Pollard Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Bernard Pollard earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most feared hitters — and became known throughout New England as the “Patriot Killer.”

In this episode, Bernard sits down with Ken Rideout to talk about the mentality behind his violent style of play, growing up angry in Fort Wayne, Indiana, using football as an outlet, choosing Purdue, and making the jump from a three-call high school defense to the complexity of major college football.

Bernard takes Ken inside his NFL career: representing himself, getting drafted by Kansas City, refusing to pay a $45,000 rookie bar tab, the hit that tore Tom Brady’s ACL, being cut after Scott Pioli arrived from New England, battling with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, winning a Super Bowl with six broken ribs, and experiencing firsthand how ruthless the NFL business can be.

He also opens up about the dysfunctional culture he encountered in Tennessee, the decision to turn down another opportunity with Oakland and retire, and why walking away ultimately helped him become a better husband and father.

Today, Bernard says football was his talent — but teaching, training and developing players is his gift. He shares how Jalen Ramsey became one of his first major training clients and why coaching athletes gave him a new purpose after football.

This is Bernard Pollard beyond the hits.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

00:00 Meet Bernard Pollard

00:34 Embracing the Villain

01:30 Born to Hit

02:32 NFL Safety Rules Debate

04:54 Helmet Pads and Optics

06:24 Fort Wayne Roots

11:31 Anger as Fuel

21:28 Purdue and Going Pro

32:32 Sideline Coaching Tension

33:47 Teachers Versus Coaches

36:00 Protecting Jalen’s Development

37:03 Blackballed From Coaching

38:24 Gruden Example and Ad Break

40:11 Deion Sanders Training Summer

44:34 Declaring and Tiller Fallout

54:46 Draft Day and NFL Reality

01:00:48 NFL Culture Shock

01:01:15 Player Development Mentor

01:01:53 Megan’s Big Sacrifice

01:02:59 Training Camp Reality

01:04:59 Rookie Bar Bill Standoff

01:07:59 First Money Lessons

01:12:27 Brady Hit Fallout

01:17:28 Baltimore to Super Bowl

01:28:14 Owning the Bad Game

01:28:39 Cut Loose in Baltimore

01:30:33 Exit Physical Sabotage

01:33:08 Landing With the Titans

01:34:30 Titans Culture Shock

01:39:45 Walking Away From Money

01:42:14 Retirement and New Purpose

01:50:04 Family Growth and Farewell

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The Cop Who Went to Prison for 19 Years | Kent McGowen Aug 21, 2026

Show notes

Kent McGowen spent years enforcing the law. Then he spent nearly two decades behind bars.

Kent is a former Houston police officer and Harris County deputy who was convicted of murder after fatally shooting Susan White while serving a felony retaliation warrant in 1992. Kent has maintained for more than three decades that the shooting was justified and that he was wrongfully prosecuted.

He takes Ken through the entire case: the informant and stolen-gun investigation that started it, White’s threats, the warrant, the forced entry, the moment he says White pointed a .32-caliber pistol at him, and the three shots that changed his life forever.

Kent also details his allegations of misconduct by prosecutors and investigators, his first conviction being overturned on appeal, the disastrous second trial that sent him to prison, and what he witnessed during 19 years inside the Texas prison system.

He ultimately walks Ken through the letters that finally brought outside attention to his case, the people in law enforcement who came to his aid, his 2021 release, and the fight he says is still far from over.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Kent McGowen

(00:42) Early Policing Days

(04:46) Texas Law Enforcement Breakdown

(06:43) Informant and Gun Crew

(10:27) Sponsor Break Roka

(12:08) Buy Bust Gone Sideways

(16:41) Susan White Arrives

(25:32) Threats and Retaliation Case

(29:59) Phone Records No Link

(30:38) Midnight DA Intake

(33:17) Warrant Delay Whiteout

(35:12) Sergeant Orders Warrant Run

(39:11) Calling Suspect First

(40:48) Door Knock Escalation

(43:59) Legal Theory Unlawful Warrant

(47:34) Forced Entry And Shooting

(55:19) Aftermath And Scene Chaos

(58:39) Deputy Matt And Prior Contact

(01:02:50) Captain Harper Statement Shift

(01:03:43) Fax Cover Sheet Fallout

(01:04:40) Grand Jury Pressure Tactics

(01:10:27) Sealed Indictment Arrest

(01:12:43) Denholm and the Corrupt Clique

(01:20:45) Prosecutor Harassment Campaign

(01:26:21) Conviction and Appellate Bond

(01:30:32) Appeals Victory and State Pushback

(01:33:52) Appeals Win Streak

(01:35:33) DA Targets His Wife

(01:37:53) Airport Intimidation

(01:41:01) Hiring Cogdell

(01:43:56) Lawyer Chaos Spiral

(01:45:51) Trial Strategy Disaster

(01:50:29) Eleventh Hour Warning

(01:56:25) Coked Up Closing

(01:58:00) Guilty and Bond Revoked

(02:00:34) Processed Into Prison

(02:03:17) Safekeeping Shock

(02:04:40) Intake and Sociology Interviews

(02:05:20) Case File Shock and Hidden Discovery

(02:06:57) Zimmerman Takes the Case

(02:08:31) How Prosecutors Rig Cases

(02:09:53) First Units and Bench Warrant Detour

(02:11:11) Goree Unit and Karla Faye Tucker Cell

(02:14:13) Jury Confusion and No Protective Custody

(02:16:48) Price Daniel Unit and Dangerous Cellmates

(02:19:50) Juan Flores Heart Attack Crisis

(02:28:59) Retaliation Transfer and Solitary

(02:30:07) Pack Unit Life and Surviving on Anger

(02:32:15) Visits, Parole Setback, and Journaling

(02:34:05) Parole Setoff Trap

(02:34:51) Corruption And Beatings

(02:37:57) Parole Shakedown Revival

(02:41:17) Letters That Got Help

(02:46:21) Immediate Release Decision

(02:50:12) Walking Out After Loss

(02:56:07) Life On Intensive Parole

(03:01:10) Aftermath And New Cases

(03:03:17) Fundraising And Wrap Up

(03:04:54) Host Outro And Subscribe

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The Wall Street Executive Who Had Everything—Except Peace | James “Jet” Davies Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

James “Jet” Davies spent more than two decades inside high finance, eventually becoming CEO of Deutsche Bank’s broker-dealer for the Americas. But behind the titles, money, and success was a life that was beginning to unravel.

James joins Ken to trace the entire path—from growing up in London and attending an elite all-boys school, where he experienced emotional and sexual abuse, to studying law at Bristol after being rejected by Oxford, entering one of London’s top law firms, and eventually making the leap to Deutsche Bank.

He takes Ken inside the brutal culture of London trading floors, the explosion of derivatives, the 2008 financial crisis, and the strange reality of climbing higher while questioning whether any of it was making him happier.

Then, in 2019, James crashed. He opens up about self-harm, therapy, his marriage reaching a breaking point, and the process of separating his identity from money and status. When Deutsche Bank ultimately chose not to extend his contract in 2024, the career he had spent nearly 25 years building was suddenly over.

Instead of going back, James and his partners bought an 85-acre campus in the Berkshires and transformed it into The Time—a retreat space built around nature, connection, and creating the kind of reset James once desperately needed himself.

It’s a conversation about ambition, trauma, money, rejection, burnout, and what happens when achieving everything you thought you wanted still isn’t enough.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet James Jet Davies

(00:30) Strava Rivalry Origins

(01:39) Marathon Times Talk

(02:14) London Roots and Schooling

(03:09) Inside Elite Boys School

(06:02) Abuse and Trauma Unpacked

(07:52) Therapy and Healing Stages

(10:10) How Predators Gain Access

(12:28) Roka Eyewear Sponsor

(14:08) Warning Signs at Boarding

(15:42) Strict Discipline and Bullying

(17:04) Single Gender School Effects

(18:59) American Schools and Parenting

(22:21) Secondary School Shift

(27:49) Competition Winners and Losers

(28:56) Sports and the Jet Nickname

(30:06) Parents Expectations and Success

(31:21) Finding Your Own Path

(32:35) Loving Work Now

(33:09) Parents Pushing Kids Away

(34:17) Trauma Surgeon Passion

(35:57) Skincare Ad Break

(36:58) Oxford Rejection Story

(39:57) Brutal Oxford Interviews

(43:34) Setbacks Build Resilience

(45:37) Bristol And Posh Crowd

(46:08) Law Firm Pipeline

(47:45) Derivatives And Leverage

(49:35) Market Manipulation Rant

(52:37) Deutsche Bank Jump

(57:54) Legal Dept Vs Traders

(59:02) Breaking Into Trading Desk

(01:00:16) UK Trading Floor Vicious

(01:00:53) Trading Floor Hazing

(01:02:51) London Finance Wild West

(01:04:50) Back to Legal and Redemption

(01:06:43) Structured Finance Explained

(01:07:45) Crisis Unwinding and Promotions

(01:10:46) Post Crisis Pay and Talent Shift

(01:14:09) New York Move and Culture Shock

(01:17:13) American Optimism vs UK Cynicism

(01:23:46) 2019 Leadership Pressure Cooker

(01:26:43) Mental Health Crash in Finance

(01:29:53) Self Harm Confession

(01:31:23) Therapist And SSRIs

(01:32:50) Couples Session Breakthrough

(01:33:55) COVID Reset And Career Shift

(01:36:51) Leaving Deutsche Bank

(01:40:31) Buying Berkshire Retreat Campus

(01:45:04) Running Thyme Retreats

(01:46:26) Hospitality Lessons And Rules

(01:49:13) Upcoming Running Retreat Promo

(01:53:48) Life After Finance Mindset

(01:58:30) Wrap Up And Subscribe

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From Small-Town Kid to Everest, Equinox & IRONMAN CEO | Scott DeRue Aug 14, 2026

Show notes

Scott DeRue has spent his life creating experiences that push people beyond what they thought was possible.

Ken sits down with his longtime friend and current CEO of The IRONMAN Group to talk about growing up in small-town North Carolina, being told during his first performance review that he “wasn’t smart enough,” walking away from a lucrative consulting career in search of purpose, becoming a University of Michigan professor and eventually the youngest dean of a top business school, and leaving the security of academia to help lead Equinox through the COVID crisis.

Scott also shares how mountaineering became one of the defining forces in his life, what it took to climb Everest and complete the Seven Summits, the terrifying risks of the Khumbu Icefall and descent from Everest, and why getting to the summit is only half the job.

Now leading The IRONMAN Group, Scott explains why he believes the company is ultimately in the “dream fulfillment business,” what he learned from rebuilding Equinox, why athlete feedback matters, and the decision to bring the men’s and women’s IRONMAN World Championship back together in Kona.

Ken and Scott also revisit the 2023 Gobi March in Mongolia—the race where they first met and Ken somehow went from having never run an ultramarathon or camped to winning the entire thing.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Scott DeRue Intro

(00:32) Gobi March Bond

(01:46) Small Town Roots

(02:02) Schoolwork And Drive

(05:08) Sports And Pole Vault

(06:05) UNC And Water Skiing

(09:08) From Bio To Business

(09:46) Boston Consulting Start

(11:16) Sponsor Break Roka

(12:56) Brutal Review Lesson

(18:41) Quarter Life Crossroads

(21:02) PhD Path To Michigan

(25:58) Rapid Rise To Dean

(28:34) Transformational Teaching

(30:43) Money Vs Purpose

(32:41) Restroom Empire Moment

(34:43) Loving the Work

(35:04) From Professor to Dean

(37:26) Youngest Dean Pressure

(38:52) Mission Driven Leadership

(40:28) Sponsor Break Amp

(41:04) Mountaineering Origin Story

(46:16) Seven Summits Quest

(50:02) Everest Risks and Resilience

(52:18) Khumbu Icefall Focus

(55:46) Summit and Descent Dangers

(01:03:35) Equinox During Covid

(01:08:51) Rebuilding and Ironman Pull

(01:10:13) Ironman Obsession

(01:10:43) Taking the CEO Call

(01:11:50) Ironman Beyond Triathlon

(01:12:51) Lifestyle and Identity

(01:15:03) Feedback and Responsibility

(01:15:33) Kona War Stories

(01:18:00) Dream Fulfillment Mission

(01:20:38) Kona Together Again

(01:22:10) Designing Wave Starts

(01:24:44) Midnight Finish Magic

(01:29:43) Will He Race One

(01:30:20) Gobi March Memories

(01:34:04) Wild Characters and Lessons

(01:39:27) Gratitude and Wrap Up

(01:40:23) Subscribe and Sponsors

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Jail, Navy SEALs, Fentanyl & the French Foreign Legion | Taylor Cavanaugh Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Taylor Cavanaugh’s life has been a cycle of achievement, self-destruction, and rebuilding.

Before becoming a Navy SEAL, Taylor had already been expelled from school, arrested repeatedly, survived a violent car crash, and served time in county jail. After multiple branches of the military turned him away, the Navy finally gave him a shot.

Taylor made it through BUD/S and Hell Week and eventually served with SEAL Team 7 as a communications specialist, JTAC, and sniper. His deployments took him to Yemen and Iraq, where he called airstrikes, worked alongside local forces, and operated under rocket and mortar fire.

But outside the teams, the same patterns that had followed him since his teenage years never fully disappeared. An aggravated assault case nearly sent him to prison. Another alcohol-fueled incident and a positive steroid test eventually ended his SEAL career.

Civilian success followed, but so did Adderall, Xanax, opiates, and eventually fentanyl. Taylor went from working in real estate development and venture capital to withdrawing alone in Hawaii, living out of his truck, nearly broke and contemplating suicide.

Instead of ending his life, he bought a one-way ticket to France.

Taylor walked through the gates of the French Foreign Legion, surrendered his passport, was given a new identity, and started again at the bottom. He spent years running, cleaning toilets, training in the French Alps, deploying to Estonia and conducting jungle operations against illegal gold mining operations in French Guiana.

Today, Taylor has turned the discipline that helped rebuild his own life into a coaching business focused on consistency, personal responsibility, and controlling the controllables.

This is Taylor Cavanaugh’s story. Follow Taylor: @tcavofficial

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Taylor Cavanaugh

(00:20) Gloucester Rough Edges

(01:27) Marine Base Upbringing

(01:48) Pilots And Air Ops

(04:53) JTAC Danger Close

(07:38) High School Hustle

(09:26) College Chaos And Crash

(11:49) Rain Means Change

(14:09) County Jail Reality

(17:06) Sponsor Break Roka

(19:43) Denied Then Navy Shot

(22:56) BUDS Cold And Hell Week

(29:26) Darkest Conditioning Runs

(30:26) Running Form and Gait

(31:54) Marathon Mindset Curse

(33:03) Gobi Desert Stage Race

(34:57) Skincare Ad Break

(36:29) Joining SEAL Team 7

(37:19) Peer Evals and Rankings

(38:18) Comms and JTAC Track

(41:10) Sniper School and Stalking

(45:10) Low Vis Intel Ops

(46:54) Yemen Deployment Tension

(48:56) Iraq Rockets and Base Build

(52:32) Assault Charge Fallout

(55:19) Court Deal in Boise

(57:21) Paying Restitution Hard

(57:48) Jail Then Back To Training

(58:39) Probation In SEAL Life

(01:00:13) Jimmy Buffett Golf Cart Bust

(01:02:03) Steroid Test Career Fallout

(01:06:22) Leaving Teams For Construction

(01:07:27) Adderall Xanax Spiral

(01:09:28) Opiates Return Then Fentanyl

(01:12:32) High Functioning VC Hustle

(01:16:07) Hawaii Withdrawal And Acid Ride

(01:19:07) Homeless Suicidal Turning Point

(01:23:03) One Way Ticket To Legion

(01:24:43) Paris Hostels And Legion Gate

(01:26:38) Passport Taken New Identity

(01:27:23) Gate Shock Pullups Test

(01:29:11) Barracks Vibes Recruit Types

(01:30:34) Kenyan Runner Visa Hack

(01:33:37) Gestapo Interviews Selection

(01:36:32) Starting Over Cleaning Toilets

(01:38:04) French Guiana Jungle Ops

(01:40:39) Ukraine War Estonia Deployment

(01:44:48) Barracks Fights Discipline

(01:49:36) Legion Running Culture

(01:52:34) Amazon Survival Gold Mines

(01:55:19) Gold Flakes Oil Bugs

(01:56:11) Amazon Jungle Hellscape

(01:57:11) Thriving in Humidity

(02:00:13) Running Shoes and Boots

(02:01:57) Social Media Sparks Exit

(02:12:32) Discipline and Agency

(02:18:00) Coaching and Consistency

(02:23:33) Closing Thanks and Plugs

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Four Brain Surgeries, Total Deafness, and Refusing to Break | McKinnon Galloway Aug 07, 2026

Show notes

McKinnon Galloway was diagnosed with NF2 at 16 after a routine MRI for a volleyball concussion revealed two brain tumors. What followed was years of chemotherapy, a phase-one clinical trial, four brain surgeries, radiation, facial paralysis, a cerebral stroke, and the complete loss of her hearing.

Her third brain surgery became life-threatening when doctors discovered that her tumor had developed an extensive blood supply. McKinnon nearly bled out, woke up fully deaf, and learned that complications had prevented surgeons from placing the auditory brain implant she expected to receive. Months later, another surgery left her struggling to walk and unable to move one side of her face.

McKinnon also opens up about her father’s alcoholism and suicide, the strength she inherited from her mother, the realities of navigating healthcare and insurance, and the daily isolation that can come with deafness.

Rather than disappearing into everything she lost, McKinnon built a platform that bridges the deaf and hearing worlds. Now followed by more than one million people across social media, she advocates for better deaf technology, clearer patient communication, and a more personal approach to medicine through her mission of “Humanizing Healthcare.”

Follow McKinnon on Instagram: @mckinnongalloway

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet McKinnon

(00:48) Living With NF2

(02:26) Growing Up Charlotte

(04:20) Diagnosis At Sixteen

(05:44) First Brain Surgery

(08:16) Recovery And Questions

(10:30) Roka Eyewear Sponsor

(12:15) Costa Rica Sea Turtles

(13:42) College And Family Strain

(15:34) Trials Second Surgery

(18:14) Losing Hearing Completely

(20:55) Third Surgery Near Death

(25:09) Deafness And Implants

(27:08) Post Op Complications

(30:56) Surgery Complications

(32:54) Sponsor Break Amp

(33:39) Mom Teaches Independence

(35:37) Dad Addiction Spiral

(40:55) Losing Her Father

(45:03) Faith Trip Bethlehem

(47:46) Radiation And Recovery

(53:29) MRI Scare And Boston

(57:20) Living With NF2

(59:51) Marriage And Work Talk

(01:00:50) Insurance Costs Reality

(01:02:44) Ambulance Bill Fight

(01:03:48) Fees Everywhere Now

(01:05:14) Tipping Gone Wild

(01:06:18) Driving While Deaf

(01:07:43) Handicap Parking Clash

(01:10:01) Hardest Part Socializing

(01:11:48) Hope for Nerve Repair

(01:13:20) Deaf Tech Advocacy

(01:14:00) Social Media Origin Story

(01:17:06) Handling Online Trolls

(01:19:49) Perks of Being Deaf

(01:24:14) Humanizing Healthcare Mission

(01:26:49) Authentic Content Approach

(01:28:53) Brand Deals and Contact

(01:29:53) Daily Work and Pivots

(01:31:02) Wrap Up and Subscribe

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A School Shooting, a Shipwreck, and the Long Run to Sobriety | Mishka Shubaly Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Mishka Shubaly has lived several lives: gifted student, touring musician, Columbia-trained writer, addict, shipwreck survivor, ultrarunner, Yale professor, and the editor who helped Ken Rideout turn his life into a book.

Mishka joins Ken for a deeply personal conversation about growing up with a distant father, leaving home for college at 15, surviving a deadly school shooting, and watching his family lose everything shortly afterward. He recounts years of destructive drinking and drug use, getting shipwrecked in the Bahamas, walking for miles without food or navigation, and drinking his own urine shortly before being rescued.

They also discuss the realization that finally pushed Mishka toward sobriety, the furious first run that changed his life, becoming an ultramarathoner, nearly joining a reality dating show, and how a cold email led Jeff Bezos to write the foreword to his book. Ken and Mishka reflect on addiction, anxiety, ambition, friendship, marriage, and the difficult process of believing that the life you have built might finally be enough.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Mishka Joins the Show

(00:44) Writing the Book Together

(02:09) Authenticity Over Advice

(03:57) Running Shoe Rabbit Hole

(08:31) Frugal Life and Family Roots

(12:48) Sponsor Break Roka Eyewear

(14:24) Kids and Wastefulness

(17:46) Sober Anxiety and Control

(21:57) Ibogaine and Rewiring the Brain

(23:29) Mishka’s Upbringing and Rocket Scientist Dad

(27:34) Family Struggles and Parenting Reflections

(32:42) Sponsor Break Wild Roman Skincare

(33:46) Divorce Year and Dad Moves Away

(34:39) Early College Leap

(35:35) Fights and Trouble

(36:02) Campus Shooting Trauma

(38:29) Divorce and Downward Spiral

(44:35) Addiction and New Perspective

(48:50) Success and Enough

(51:39) Family Pressure and Anxiety

(57:36) From Acting to Writing

(59:09) Dad Fallout and No Kids

(01:03:46) New York and Columbia MFA

(01:06:34) Playing It Cool

(01:07:12) Celebrity Sauna Stories

(01:09:31) Columbia Encouragement

(01:11:40) Ivy League Aid Debate

(01:13:33) Loans And Burnout

(01:15:12) Music Life And Hoarding

(01:18:39) Shipwreck Setup

(01:22:06) Running Aground

(01:25:30) Survival Walk Breakdown

(01:30:44) Rescue And Aftermath

(01:33:39) SEAL Prep Coincidence

(01:35:46) Dating Show Tease

(01:36:05) Reality Show Doubts

(01:37:58) Dark Side of Reality TV

(01:40:13) Lawyer Negotiation Tactics

(01:42:20) Dodging the Dating Show

(01:44:36) Sobriety Turning Point

(01:48:49) First Furious Run

(01:52:55) Ultra Lessons and New Highs

(01:54:39) Kenya Stage Race Adventure

(01:57:09) Love as the New Anchor

(01:58:54) Withdrawal and Anxiety Hell

(02:01:49) What’s Next Creatively

(02:04:15) Bezos Foreword Story

(02:06:44) Final Thanks and Subscribe

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One Life, Two Hearts: Surviving Cancer, Loss and Heart Failure | Dr. Dawn Mussallem Jul 31, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Dawn Mussallem was a young medical student when she collapsed and doctors discovered a 15-centimeter tumor wrapped around her heart. She was diagnosed with stage IV diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and told she had only months to live.

She endured chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and radiation while continuing medical school, eventually graduating first in her class. But surviving cancer came at another cost: the treatment severely damaged her heart.

Dawn developed advanced heart failure, received a pacemaker and defibrillator, lost her husband to sudden cardiac death and spent years fighting to stay alive for her daughter. In 2021, with her organs beginning to fail, she accepted a donor heart from a woman who had used intravenous drugs and carried hepatitis C.

That transplant gave Dawn a second life.

Now an integrative oncologist, endurance athlete and Chief Medical Officer at Fountain Life, Dawn joins Ken Rideout to share what she learned through cancer, grief, heart failure and transplantation. They also discuss the fundamentals of longevity that matter most, including fiber, complex carbohydrates, strength training, VO2 max, heart-disease screening, organ donation and the role of nutrition in cancer survivorship.

This is a story about accepting what you cannot control, refusing to surrender your purpose and making every day of a borrowed life count.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Dr Dawn

(01:11) Ohio Roots and Early Running

(02:35) Raising Healthy Kids

(06:05) Athletics and Strength Training

(09:15) College Fitness and Ms Fitness

(10:41) Sponsor Break Roka Eyewear

(12:22) Carbs Fiber and Performance

(19:26) Path to Medicine and Mayo

(23:21) Cancer Diagnosis and Survival

(31:18) Chemo And Transplant

(32:08) Hospital Bike Breakthrough

(33:14) Exercise As Medicine

(34:18) Transplant Process Explained

(35:17) Isolation And Infection Control

(36:26) Radiation And Tumor Limits

(37:29) Heart Failure After Cancer

(38:39) Fertility And IVF Struggles

(41:07) Surprise Pregnancy Discovery

(43:40) Postpartum Heart Failure Reveal

(46:25) Diagnosis And Mayo Recovery

(48:57) Devices And HRV Talk

(50:36) Fountain Life Heart Data

(53:44) Lifestyle And VO2 Priority

(57:31) Precision Genomics Testing

(01:01:32) Next Gen Lipid Drugs

(01:02:16) Metabolic And Inflammation Tests

(01:04:37) Loss And Resilience

(01:07:21) Diet For Heart Reversal

(01:10:35) Near Death And Transplant Listing

(01:15:51) Donor Heart Dilemma

(01:19:55) Transplant Recovery And Gratitude

(01:23:35) Integrative Oncology Explained

(01:26:05) Insurance And Breast Cancer Care

(01:28:04) Hormone Blockers And Symptom Relief

(01:32:09) Closing And Subscribe

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