Podcast Summary

The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Make America Strong: How This Marine Is Bringing Strength, Jobs & Grit Back To America | Grant Broggi | Ep. 65
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: David Rutherford
Guest: Major Grant Broggi (Marine Corps Officer, Owner of The Strength Co.)

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Major Grant Broggi, Marine officer and entrepreneur, as he shares his journey from growing up in Marine country to leading troops, running gyms, and building a thriving American-made strength equipment business. Through an engaging and candid conversation, Broggi and host David Rutherford explore the power of community, the value of hard things, and the enduring ethos of the U.S. Marine Corps—while delving into the challenges of business, military life, and fostering grit in the next generation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Marine Corps Upbringing and Choosing Service (02:50–10:00)

• Broggi’s childhood in Beaufort, SC, steeped in Marine culture, shaped his identity and career path.
• He discusses the omnipresence and influence of the Corps in his community and family.
• “For me, if I ever was going to serve, it was very clear, like, I am going to be a Marine. Like, that was the only deal.” – Broggi (09:00)
• 9/11 was a formative moment; while he didn’t realize it at the time, reflection showed how those events stirred a call to serve.

2. The Impact of Faith and Military Community (11:55–18:16)

• Major Broggi credits his father—a preacher at a church serving many military families—with showing him the value of community service and sacrifice.
• The rotating nature of military life means churches anchor and support families through constant transitions.
• “Whether they're getting shot at or not, like that level of, hey, I'm doing this for my care for country is huge.” – Broggi (13:30)
• The communal spirit at church helped prepare Broggi for the communal and supportive aspects of the Corps.

3. The Citadel: Military Education and Brotherhood (19:27–26:54)

• Broggi outlines the history and function of The Citadel, differentiating it from federal academies and explaining its unique culture.
• The “hard things” ethos is discussed, drawing direct lines between Citadel discipline and later success.
• “There’s something about, ‘What’s the hardest thing that the average guy won’t do? I want to do it.’” – Broggi (24:17)
• He encourages young men to seek out challenge and structure instead of the common path.

4. Peer Influence, Strength, and Confidence (32:07–38:03)

• The military school experience forges peer-driven excellence—nobody wants to be the one who lets the group down.
• In Broggi’s platoon, physical strength became a tool for confidence and cohesion.
• “If you can get a 20 year old kid to deadlift 350 pounds, like, he's a better NCO. 100% guaranteed he's a better NCO.” – Broggi (36:50)
• Physical strength is both a personal and professional asset, offering “a level of confidence” transferrable to broader ambitions.

5. From Leading Marines to Leading a Business (40:29–47:37)

• Transitioned lessons from platoon leadership and strength coaching to civilian entrepreneurship.
• Starting The Strength Co. gym was a crash course in business; Broggi learned quickly about market realities and the importance of delegation.
• “Most of the human population doesn’t want to do hard things.” – Broggi (49:25)
• Marine Corps training made him unafraid to hire and delegate early—key to scaling his business while on active duty.

6. Resilience in Crisis: COVID and the Birth of American-Made Plates (59:40–70:16)

• The pandemic forced a radical pivot: Broggi turned his gym equipment into local “micro gyms” and began renting out gear.
• As demand for gym equipment exploded, he started cold-calling U.S. foundries to manufacture American-made weight plates.
• “I just like, Googled United States foundries. A list pops up...I am a Marine captain. I just left active duty, my gym was shut down, I have a great plate design, no one makes plates in the USA. Will you help me?” – Broggi (62:28)
• Waupaca Foundry took a chance—launching The Strength Co.'s plate business, which now supports American manufacturing jobs and offers a buy-American message.
• “If you want to support people that wake up in Waupaca, Wisconsin, walk into a foundry with fire, you know, burning and iron melting...that’s what we provide and it’s better and we care about it.” – Broggi (69:04)

7. Military Culture and the Next Generation (72:35–78:09)

• Broggi addresses shifts in military culture—dispelling fears over “woke” changes and emphasizing the enduring Marine Corps standards.
• “The people are the same...there is something happening that I think the preponderance of the force likes.” – Broggi (73:10)
• Recent speeches from military leadership re-asserting fitness and lethality resonate with younger recruits, who, in Broggi’s view, are hungry for standards and meaning.
• “There's something happening in young men—they're thinking about the world, they're thinking about what they should do, thinking ‘I should have a family...’” – Broggi (77:00)

8. Legacy and Final Thoughts (78:38–82:11)

• Host David Rutherford expresses profound respect for Broggi’s commitment to both military and civilian communities.
• Broggi shares where listeners can learn more and get involved with his gyms, coaching, and American-made plates.
• Personal note: Broggi is currently deployed and looking forward to reuniting with his family at Thanksgiving.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Service and Growth:
  “I can do this at any point in my life. I can come back and, like, be the king of concrete...I can’t serve forever.”
  — Grant Broggi (08:35)

• On Strength and Confidence:
  “If you get someone strong, you help them get through a lot of hard stuff in life.”
  — Grant Broggi (41:45)

• On Marine Corps Standards:
  “We already have two physical fitness tests a year...the Marine Corps had changed nothing.”
  — Grant Broggi (73:20)

• On Building American Industry:
  “We make USA products no matter what here in America, and they're better than anything that you can import...we create jobs for other American citizens.”
  — Grant Broggi (69:04)

• On Lessons Learned:
  “I will never walk into a business ever again and think about it the same.”
  — Grant Broggi (51:03)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Intro to Guest & Marine Corps Culture: 02:50–06:59
• Family, Community, and Faith: 11:55–15:52
• The Citadel & Military College Experience: 19:27–26:54
• Strength and NCO Confidence: 36:18–38:03
• Entrepreneurial Leap and Delegation: 47:37–52:51
• COVID, Gyms, and Manufacturing Plates: 59:40–70:16
• Military Cultural Shifts and New Generation: 72:35–78:09
• Outro & Where to Find Grant: 81:11–82:11

Where to Find Grant Broggi

• The Strength Co. (Online store, coaching, and American-made strength equipment):
  www.thestrength.co

• Twitter/X:
  Grant SSC (Grant Storing Strength Coach)

Tone and Style

The conversation is candid, energetic, and motivational, blending tough love with camaraderie and practical advice. Both guest and host use stories and humor to connect military principles with entrepreneurship, community, and personal growth.

This episode is a blueprint for how grit, service, and American-made values can drive personal and national strength—whether in the weight room, the marketplace, or our communities.