JP Dinnell Podcast 065: Try Harder

Guest: Jerred Moon | Hosts: JP Dinnell, Lucas Pinckard | Release Date: December 20, 2024

Overview

Theme & Purpose:
This episode features a deep-dive conversation with Jerred Moon—Air Force veteran, entrepreneur, author, and influential figure in the strength and conditioning community. Together with hosts JP Dinnell and Lucas Pinckard, Jerred shares how lessons from his upbringing, military career, and business journey have shaped his philosophy of "trying harder"—not just in fitness, but in parenting, leadership, and entrepreneurship. The discussion ranges from personal stories and practical strategies to mindsets for high performance and building resilient families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jerred Moon's Upbringing and Early Lessons

Timestamps: 01:19–08:51

• Moved frequently in childhood due to his father's Army career; learned to flex between introversion and necessary extroverted moments for integration and problem-solving.
• Close sibling relationships and a tight-knit, adventurous childhood community, particularly at Fort Irwin, California.
• The value of letting kids experience (some) danger to develop intuition and resilience.
• Parenting approach—balancing preparedness with letting kids struggle and figure things out independently:

  "I'm definitely more hands off. She's more hands on... But one thing we agree on is doing the harder thing—whether it’s about diet, sleep, screens—we pick the tough decisions." — Jerred (05:59)

• Influential early moments: patient father who always answered "why," and a cousin’s blunt nudge into fitness sparking Jerred’s lifelong passion.

2. Transformative High School and Athletic Experiences

Timestamps: 09:16–15:14

• Shift from "skater kid" to athlete, building bridges among diverse student groups.
• A pivotal defeat in a crucial track tryout motivated him to self-educate and train harder, later influencing his evidence-based approach to fitness and performance.
• Early lessons in deliberate practice, outworking perceived natural limits, and carrying those mindsets into adulthood.

  "That was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because... it sent me off on this spiral of just learning." — Jerred (12:24)

3. The Path to the Military and Developing Excellence

Timestamps: 15:17–35:22

• Initially discouraged by his father from joining the military; eventually chose the officer route in the Air Force influenced by family, a sense of calling, and brother’s example.
• Strategic, disciplined approach to earning a pilot slot in ROTC:
  • Reverse engineering the ‘Pilot Candidate Selection Method’ (Pixum).
  • Focusing on what could be controlled—exceptional fitness, GPA, and leadership ratings.

  "Now I know what to reverse engineer... the hardest one is Commander's rating—so you gotta impress the hell out of that man the whole time." — Jerred (17:59)

• Overcame an initial failure on a pivotal aviation skills test by deeply analyzing and practicing, ultimately maxing it out at his second attempt.
• Candid about imposter syndrome at elite pilot training, and how preparation supplanted self-doubt.

4. Coping with Setbacks & Building Resilient Career Paths

Timestamps: 35:31–44:51

• Sidelined from flying fighters due to injury and changing Air Force policies.
• Chose action over victimhood—pivoted to public affairs while staying close to special operations & pursuing a pararescue officer (PJ) track.
• Real-life impact of shifting military needs, organizational friction, and being ‘a product of your circumstances.’

  "You weren't a victim to your circumstance. You said, okay, this is what's going on. What can I do with this situation, what work do I now need to put in?"—JP (35:22)

• Weighing family against career opportunities as he neared a second potential "almost" (PJ), finally choosing to transition to civilian life for the sake of family stability and entrepreneurship.

5. Transitioning to Entrepreneurship: Mentorship, Discipline, and the Content Game

Timestamps: 44:51–56:21

• Strategic financial discipline (paying off all debt, leveraging VA home loan) enabled a risky entrepreneurial jump.
• Early struggles offset by a powerful mentor—"She gave me 30 years worth of mistakes and mindset corrections all within six months." (47:31)
• The value of humility ("I know nothing, what do I learn?") and consistent, focused effort.
• Pioneered podcasting in 2014—no analytics at first, relied on outside feedback and experiments.

  "I would commit to an episode number before I paid attention to metrics... Most people look at Joe Rogan and get it wrong—be educational, not just entertaining." — Jerred (53:12)

6. Business Coaching Philosophy: Systems, Constraints, and Delivering Value

Timestamps: 58:09–62:08

• Approach to business coaching: Systems-driven, objective, and rooted in military checklists.
• Rejects the “consult-ant as celebrity” model; focuses on measurable improvement and troubleshooting real constraints.
• Advises entrepreneurs to build personal brands as leverage and insurance—protect your pivotability, and know that potential clients will look you up.

  "A personal brand is just a spark... If you want to set an entire forest on fire—which let's call that your market—you need a big giant fireball... It's also your insurance policy for when you want to do new things." — Jerred (63:02)

7. Parenting, Standards, and “Doing the Hard Thing”

Timestamps: 88:42–94:07

• Jerred and his wife’s principle: "Do the hard things without hesitation"—applies to sleep, nutrition, discipline, screen time, and family routines.
• Strict, value-driven parenting yields children who are enjoyable to be around, highly engaged, and resilient.

  "It's not like parenting is done… but at the same time, I just love being with my kids right now... It's because of a lot of the harder things that we had to do when they were younger." — Jerred (94:07)

• Both emphasize explaining the “why” behind rules to foster critical thinking and self-motivation in kids.
• The importance of unity between parents on standards, providing a stable and consistent environment.

8. Daily Structure & Habits for High Performance

Timestamps: 82:53–86:28

• Early riser (5:00–5:15am); starts with making coffee, then writes for an hour—aiming for a powerful idea in 200 words.
• Prioritizes morning walks for layered accountability (dog, steps, movement).
• Flexible workout timing; family time prioritized, regular training continues.
• "Layered accountability"—build habits around built-in triggers and responsibilities.

  "I got a GSP, German Shorthaired Pointer... you can’t not walk or run those things." — Jerred (85:19)

9. Mindset, Motivation, and Legacy

Timestamps: 75:44–78:01; 101:50–102:31

• Critical distinction: “There are those who do, and those who don’t.” — Only focus deep effort on those ready to put in the work.
• The power of accountability: "Don’t try to force or convince people, but provide accountability for those who do want it."
• Closing mantra:

  "Try Harder... make an attempt in which failure is unreasonable. That doesn't mean you can't fail, but put in the prep, do your research—so that the chances of failing are very, very minute because you've done the work." — Jerred (101:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Parenting:
  "She [my wife] has really high standards... we do the hard things without hesitation." — Jerred (86:36, 87:05)
• On Failure & Preparation:
  "Make an attempt in which failure is unreasonable." — Jerred (101:54)
• On Building a Personal Brand:
  "A personal brand is just a spark... you set on fire what is proportionate to the size of your fire." — Jerred (63:02)
• On Early Podcasting:
  "I had no idea how well we were doing... then someone sent me a screenshot, 'you're top three in all of health and fitness.'" — Jerred (52:08)
• On Military Setbacks:
  "You weren't a victim to your circumstance... You said, 'What can I do with this situation? What work do I now need to put in?'" — JP (35:22)
• On Consistency in Content:
  "97% of podcasts don't make it past the third episode... just commit to the process." — Lucas & Jerred (52:49–53:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro / Childhood & Military Family: 00:00–08:51
• High School & Athletic Mindset: 09:16–15:14
• Military Path & Overcoming Barriers: 15:17–35:22
• Entrepreneurship & Business Structure: 44:51–58:09
• Personal Brand & Modern Content: 62:08–65:13
• Parenting Philosophy: 88:42–94:07
• Daily Habits and Personal Structure: 82:53–86:28
• Closing Thoughts & Try Harder Mantra: 101:50–102:31

Flow & Tone

The conversation is candid, practical, and filled with stories—balancing actionable advice, humility, and the ethos of high personal standards. The tone is supportive, yet tough-minded—emphasizing resilience, discipline, systems, and the power of "trying harder" in every area of life.

Final Takeaway

This episode distills Jerred Moon’s philosophy: chase discomfort, choose the hard path, do the work needed in advance, and apply that mindset relentlessly to parenting, leadership, business, and life. Whether you’re building a brand, raising kids, or outgrowing your last big challenge, the lesson is clear: Try Harder—make failure unreasonable by out-preparing, outlasting, and outworking.