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The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
Make America Strong: How This Marine Is Bringing Strength, Jobs & Grit Back To America | Grant Broggi | Ep. 65
01:13:00
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- [02:51]
Major Grant Brogy
Hey, I don't care if you're in the style of strength training I'm doing, but, like, here's what my company is. We make USA products no matter what here in America, and they're better than anything that you can import, and you're gonna pay more. And, like, we create jobs for other American citizens. David Rutherford wants a home gym. He's like, yep, I want to, like, walk out of the gym when I don't want to do something hard. Look at my plates, be like, there's a Marine that made these plates in America. And, like, I support that.
- [03:19]
David Rutherford
Well, I mean, I'm all fired up right now. What you're talking about is, is the essence of what America represents. Just your story alone. Like, guy grows up, got a pastor's son, going to the Citadel, going to Marine Corps, going to combat, running young men, teaching them how to strengthen, get hit with a pandemic, comes up with a business idea, blows it up. Now you're making American iron man. And that's the story that I think is coming back in Americ America. One of the things that I've learned in my life is that if you want to go to war, you gotta have Marines. Now, there's a reason for this. And that reason dates all the way back to the late 1700s and throughout every stage of the United States. Our development, our prowess from a military stance. The one unit that has always been at the tip of the spear for that entire time is the Marine Corps. And, you know, there's a lot of people out there that'll say rangers lead the way, or seals are the tip of the spear. All that, it's all bull. The reality is, is that the core is the heartbeat of the military. They do the best training, they have the best committed human beings, and they're willing to go anywhere, anytime to get the job done. And always the dirtiest deeds. So today I am absolutely fired up to bring on one of Jordy's close friends, Major Grant Brogy, who is also the owner of the strength company as well, starting strength coach. And we've got him over in Okanawa right now, which is so cool. That's why it's an early morning for us right now. But we're so fired up to welcome Grant to the show. Grant, thanks for coming on, buddy.
- [05:30]
Major Grant Brogy
Hey, that was pretty good intro. We might have to play that for the 250th Marine Corps birthday ball.
- [05:35]
David Rutherford
You know, that's funny that you're saying that, because I. I've got an open invitation. I'm not sure about the. The. The D.C. so one of my closest friends is a major in the reserves for marsoc. He's a MARSOC intel officer. And he's. Yeah, yeah. Amazing, phenomenal guy. I met him when we were at the Agency together and. Former Marie Recon guy and. And now, like, when he was at the Agency, he ended up getting his degree and then masters, and then he was like, oh, I think I'll go back in. And he went in as a Naval intel office, which was for the very short period of time. He did it like the greatest thing that ever happened, because I just was like, aha, you wanted to be Navy. You know, the whole thing. And then he couldn't handle it, and so he. He flipped and he became a Marine Corps officer, as he should be, but nothing but respect for your grant. Tell me. Tell me a little bit about why the Marine Corps for you. What was it? When did it start? And because that's. That's like. That's those. Every time I get a chance to engage with a Marine, particular Marine officer, it's like, man, there's some deep correlation to the. The inspiration of. Of why they chose the Corps.
- [06:59]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, No, I think it's interesting. Good question. I'm from Beaufort, South Carolina, where I grew up. So I grew up about 10 miles from Parris Island. My dad's a preacher, still is this day, community Bible church down there. You know, over 30 years he's been down there. So I grew up around a lot of Marines, a lot friends, you know, in church and playing sports and stuff, like the sons of drill instructors. Like, you know, a lot of Marine culture there in Beaufort. So it's very familiar to me. At the same time, it was kind of like, you know, hey, you're gonna go to college and, you know, go do something different. You're not gonna go to the military like other people go into the military. And, you know, I say that tongue in cheek in case my mom listens. But, you know, now out of the five kids they've had, you know, two of us are Marine officers. And so there's definitely being from that area that it was never a question of branch. Like, 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. I went to the Citadel while I Was in the Citadel. I didn't commission out of there. I had a bunch of buddies go in the army, go in the Marine Corps. I graduated, took a job, and I remember I was a concrete plant manager and I supervised, you know, 30 concrete truck drivers. And like 23 years old or something, you know, I got a company truck, you know, and it's like, oh, man, like. Like, I made it. I'm really cool. And a guy that was a year ahead of me was in Afghanistan. They hit an ied. They blew up. One of those Marines, like, lost a leg. And I remember him calling me and talking to him. And I remember sitting up like, I'm in this tower, like a concrete plant. It's like literally a tower. You, like, look down, you're like, sand's coming in, you know, cement, fly, ash. You're managing all that. And I just thought, like, I can do this at any point in my life. Like, at any point in my life, I can come back and, like, be the king of concrete. And I wasn't the king of concrete, right? But my point is, like, I could do this anytime. I can't serve forever. And so, yeah, I walked in the recruiting office on actually September 11, 2011.
- [09:08]
David Rutherford
Oh, wow.
- [09:08]
Major Grant Brogy
It's like, I want to join. Yeah. I think that's part of. So, like, new. If I was going to George, it'd be a Marine. And then I see it now as I lead 140 people and, you know, see the difference in generations. You know, it's a lot different. You start to be like, oh, man, like, you know, a 37 year old's a lot different than an 18 year old. But. But for me, it was. It was 9 11, right? It's like, hey, I'm in algebra class and this thing happens and like, you should serve your country. And so I didn't know that at the time. Like, I am Joining because of 9 11, right. But now as I look back and like a little bit of age or my belt and you reflect, you're like, oh, I was a byproduct of being a teenager when this thing happened and, you know, wanted to be a part of something bigger myself. And yeah, being where I'm from, from, it had to be the Marine Corps. So here I am.
- [10:01]
David Rutherford
Well, I tell you what, I love Beaufort, South Carolina. A good buddy in the teams that got married there, you know, and it's just. You're right. There isn't. There is an era of that dedication to Camp Lejeune and the whole idea of Parris Island. The whole, it's like, it's this storied fable that kind of bleeds into every aspect of the culture a lot more than it does out in Pendleton, in all the different little towns that surround Pendleton, because those are like sleepy surfer beach towns, nouns and stuff. But when you go through that area of, of that part of South Carolina and, and even it bleeds up into North Carolina, I think too, for sure, you just feel that, that sense of, of pride that is built into the communities. And it's really fascinating to me, you know, how easily, you know, kids allow that to penetrate into their consciousness of what they, they can become in the future. Right. Oh man, I've got this incredible option. Being a part of the core is something that's, it's noble. There's a, there's a legacy in it and it just kind of infects you. Did your, did your father, as a preacher, did he. I mean, obviously you probably got a very intense, deep faith based on, on his influence. But did he also lay out the groundwork for you and the importance of what serving your country or the military and support of the military was about as well?
- [11:55]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, I think so. You know, dad, my dad is like a 100% an evangelist. Like, he is there to like tell people Christ died for your sins. You need to know him. And I think he has enjoyed like a transient crowd. What I mean by that is like his church, it's a relatively large church, but because it's near Marine Corps and Navy base. There are two Marine Corps bases and a Navy base. It's like, hey, everyone's like on three orders, so you get a lot of people coming through. And I think my dad never served. His dad was in the Navy, my grandfather was in the Navy. But he really developed an appreciation for, for people that just constantly will answer the call. And I think sometimes, you know, we watch the movies and you do SEAL stuff or whatever and you think like, you know, like, there's like this super cool high speed stuff that happens, but the service and the sacrifice of like Americans that say, hey, in my life I'm going to do 20 years, whatever it is, I'm in the reserve, so it's a little bit different. But like for your average guy that's active duty and it's like every three years I'm going to stuff my wife and kids like into a car, move them across the country, they're not going to know anybody. I'm going to bring them to a new place and you know, the completely new environment, new High schools for kids, like new all these things and you realize like man, you know, whether they're getting shot at or not, like that level of hey, I'm doing this for my care for country is huge. And so what I would say is to answer your question is my dad like really appreciated that because he would see people over the years, you know, in the church for over 30 years and people come back, they get stationed again and he's just like, well, I've been here the whole time, like I'm, I'm still driving my Chevrolet Cavalier and like doing the same things. Like you've gone to all these different places and had new problems. And so yeah, he definitely put a level of respect in, in service and you know, it was, it was very, yeah, he appreciated a lot.
- [14:01]
David Rutherford
Yeah, well, I would imagine, you know, I mean one, when you're somebody's minister, pastor, you know, the whole idea of that is it, it roots you in the community right through that faith. It creates the, the, the, the familial support network that you know, if, if, if you are. But when you're in that, like you said, that transitory experience of the military and you show up, where do you, you know, if, if you child in what you go find your, your church and to have that person there like your father who understood that, that complexity, that challenge in particular for the, the, you know, the kids and the, and the wives, I think for us it's, it's, you know, I had somebody articulate this to me, you know, yesterday. You know, our ability to compartment allies is so, so. I don't want to pick the right word. It's so functional. Right. We just, once you learn how to do that by going through the training regimen, then it just seems to seep into your personal lives. And for us it's like one base, another unit. It's the same. We just figure out how to integrate. But your family, your kids in particular, going from those high schools to high schools or grade schools, it's such a challenging. So to have a church community is really powerful. And then also somebody that understands that those challenges be so welcoming, you know, I bet. Did you guys have, was it a type of church where you'd put on the potluck dinners and you'd have the fundraisers and all that. Was it like that growing up?
- [15:53]
Major Grant Brogy
It, yeah. I mean typical Southern Baptist and non denominational church. But yeah, it's like Thursday night, meet the pastor, come in, you know, my dad's going to talk to the new folks, you know, Every other Sunday it's, you know, potato salad and pulled pork, barbecue and coleslaw and everyone coming out and, and you as a child, you take all that stuff for granted and you don't realize. And I mean, I take the pulled pork for granted too, but I just mean the community. Like you don't realize how important it is because like now I went to church this morning, you know, I'm going to a Baptist church out here in Okinawa and it's called Cozy Baptist Church. Retired lieutenant colonel, he's a preacher. And it's good. And I like agree with like 80 of everything that like is being said. But what I tell people is, you know, every week I say I got five seats in this little Subaru Stella and I take up three of them. So, you know, I can bring like two people with me in this tiny Okinawan car. But like, I go Every Sunday at 10 if you want to come, like, you can come with me. And so I always have two or three guys that'll come and they're just like, man, like the community aspect, like, like happy parents, happy kids, like people filled with the Holy Spirit. And it's no matter where you go and like you can have like differences in theology and stuff and like all that's important, but it's like you go every Sunday. And like I'll have, there's, there's a captain, a lieutenant that have been coming with me and like, they'll just see me on Wednesday. They're like, sir, I can't wait for church on Sunday. And I'm like, yeah, like I, I can't wait either, right? And so it's, it's neat and, and so I, I say that ref collecting on my dad's church, like not realizing, hey, I, I show up to Parasyl, I'm a. Staffs are about to be a drill instructor and like go through a cycle and my wife's mad and you know, I got a two year old. That's crazy. And it's like, I don't really know what to do. Like, the house is great. You know what I should do? I should just like take everyone to church and like, we're gonna eat barbecue and someone's gonna like read a Bible verse and I'm gonna feel better. And like that is like the, the thing that I have control of. And so yeah, no, I've this deployment in particular and obviously over my life, as I've gotten older and gotten married and had a kid, I've really been like, wow, my dad's Ministry there's been. Been powerful and to the core. And to the core. I mean, I went up to the preacher the first Sunday I was here before I went on the float. I was like, I'm about to leave for like four months, but I'll be back. I was like, my dad's this guy. He's like, marines have come to this church from your Dad's church for 15 years.
- [18:16]
David Rutherford
Wow.
- [18:16]
Major Grant Brogy
And I was like, oh, that's cool. Right? It's like a. It's like a culture inside of a culture. So kind of exciting.
- [18:22]
David Rutherford
That's. That's really cool. And, you know, so, you know, one of the interesting things is, I think as you go in and you. And especially you go in as an officer. And I had a good friend, Hugh Middleton, that went to the Citadel, and he was a lieutenant when I was a new guy at Team one, and then he did a stint over at Damn. And we actually worked together when I was at Blackwater. We did. We did a. We ran a kind of like a FID mission through Azerbaijan and we, we retrofitted their base. But we. I got to know Hugh pretty good during then, and. And he talked about the Citadel and, you know, you know where the Citadel is, the history of the Citadel, you know that there's more of that legacy that's built in if you graduate from that institution. Can you tell all the listeners a little bit about what the Citadel is, the what kind of, you know, education you get there and then how. Also it's part of that community as well, too.
- [19:28]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah. So it's kind of similar. So, you know, you have the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard and West Point. And those are your senior lever, senior military academy academies. And then you have six senior military academies just like your Virginia Tech, Sax A and M Citadel, VMI. And basically what it means is they have ROTCs on the campus with active duty service members and you can go in and join the service from there. So the Citadel is one of the six senior military academies in the US and there's like two factions of the Citadel. There's the Citadel. That is, hey, I'm from South Carolina. I'm really proud to be a Southerner. My dad went here on. He became a lawyer in Charleston. And he wears the ring, and Pat Conroy wears the ring. And I want to wear the ring. And I'm going to get hired over here because I went to the Citadel and I love that side.
- [20:18]
Jacob Goldstein
Right.
- [20:19]
Major Grant Brogy
Like. Like I do. And that's the whole side that a lot of my Buddies went into. And there's another side, which is, like, really interesting to me, where it's people that are looking for a senior military academy. Like, maybe they didn't get into West Point. Maybe they didn't get a naval academy, or maybe they didn't want to, because the Citadel's history itself is, like, really cool. Like, star of the West, 1961, you know, January 6th, Citadel cadets started the Civil War. Like, forget whether it's, like, wrong, right? That whole thing, it's just like, hey, the history here is profound, of people in service for their country and maybe more local, right? But it's, like, for their country. And so the service history there is cool. And what was interesting with my buddies is I played rugby there and met a bunch of guys is I ended up being a bunch of friends with guys from New England, and they came down to this, like, school that was a part of secession, but it was a respected senior military college. And so you have, like, one side of the Citadel that's like, hey, Southern heritage. I went here. Some of those guys serve, like, a good amount of them, but maybe they don't. They just want to, like, walk around the state with the ring. And then you have, like, the other side that's like, hey, this, like, long military tradition. I can go in commission out of here. And the culture there is really. I mean, it's. It's really fun. And like, any organization, I'm sure it was, like, the same in your teams, right? It's like, there's people I've met, they're like, ah, seals. They're the worst. And it's like, citadel guys, they're the worst. You know, whatever. They're the worst. And I'm always like. It's always a mixed bag. We're still dealing with, like, the population, but for the most part, like, yeah, I'm, like, really proud to be a citadel alumnus. I think the history and the culture there is cool, and it's been great. And now 14 years of service, even if it's a marine officer or a guy that I don't think is good or think you should do things different, it's like, you got common ground. Hey, brother, we both did that, and it's really cool. Right now, I'm the battery commander in a battalion landing team and the operations officer, this little grad, he was a year. A year or two behind me. And it's like, common ground, like, already, right? The same thing, like, talking to you. Never talked to you before, but I'm like, service guy. You Make a joke about E5s in the pre show. And I'm like, yeah, guy gets it. And so it's like, you just get down, but, yeah, sit a little. Good spot. Go dogs. Not a good football team, but go dogs.
- [22:41]
David Rutherford
I just love the fact, you know, because there is so much focus, obviously, on, you know, the. The four major academies, whether it's, you know, in particular, Naval Academy in. In the. In West Point. But, like, I've. I've had the incredible opportunity to influence a couple young men that ended up going to VMI and was able to learn about VMI when, as the. As a result of them going. And, you know, I think what a lot of young people, in particular, young men right now is, you know, you can go to these institutions and get a do of, you know, the. The ROTC or NROTC programs, get that discipline, and then, you know, choose whether or not you want to go serve or not. Do you think that these type of institutions are. What is the challenge in terms of, you know, because a lot of kids are like, oh, I want to go to college and party and have all that.
- [23:42]
Major Grant Brogy
What.
- [23:42]
David Rutherford
Why do you think that these. These institutions like the Citadel and VMI and the others are such a benefit for young men right now who aren't quite sure, do I want to go and, you know, do five years or do 14 like yourself, or do I just need the. The. The. The discipline, the structure? Well, how would you talk to young men making a decision about joining those, trying to go to those places?
- [24:08]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, no, it's an interesting way to put it. And I think the, like, the current generation of guys turning 18, it's just. There's. There's a lot shifting. And I thought one. At one point it was maybe shifting in a weird way. And then now I see guys and seems like maybe, like, shifting back. I think the interesting thing about military colleges is it's generally, you know, like, young men that believe in higher education, which is good, but they're like, hey, I don't just want to go and, like, party at a frat house. Like, and there's something inside of people, and I don't know what it is, and I love it. And, like, I think that I possess some of it where it's like, what is the hardest thing? Like, what's the hardest thing that the average guy won't do? And just because, like, the average guy doesn't want to do it, I want to do it. I don't even know what it is. But, like, most people won't do it. So I want to do it. And I think the military academies draw a lot of that. I mean, I look at myself and I, you know, Citadel, my brothers are, like, all geniuses, really smart, smarter than me. But I went, like, four years dean. Listen. And I look at my college, and I think if I was not in the Citadel, where it was like, you will go back to your room at 1900, and you will study until 2100, and someone will come in every hour to make sure that you're studying. And you will be on campus from Monday to Thursday, except if you have this GPA. Then on Wednesdays, you're allowed to leave after 1400, but you have to be back by 2100. And on the weekends, if the football team win, you can spend the night out on Saturday, or if you have a 4.0, there's all these rules. And I, yeah, for me, it was perfect. It was like, this is exactly what I need. But in general, I think for. For young guys, it's, hey, yeah, you can go. And I, like, my brothers went to University of South Carolina. I'm a Gamecock fan. I got a nephew at the University of Georgia, and I'm super proud of him. He's in, like, a good Christian fraternity, and, like, so there's a lot of stuff you can do. But I think there's something of, hey, yeah, anyone can go and get drunk at some local town and skip a bunch of classes and get Ds and, like, end up with a degree and be like, yeah, I went to wherever. And at the military colleges, is it the hardest thing in the world? No. Are you going to face many more hard things? Absolutely. But there's something of, like, at that age that I respect in folks that says, you know what? I don't want to do the common path. I don't want to do the normal, easy route. And is the Citadel as hard as, like, doing something else? Like, of course not. Right? Like, it's not crazy, but it's. It's. It's. You're setting yourself apart a little bit and be like, hey, I'm not going to do just what every kid wants to do.
- [26:55]
David Rutherford
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David Rutherford
God Bless America.
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- [32:07]
David Rutherford
And I think that's it. I think, you know, that's kind of that the thing, you know that if you're, if you even have a modicum of ambition, right, you know, and you. Or, or that little bit of entrepreneurial spirit or the adventure or wonder loss in you. Like I think a lot of people, kids think that those types of places stifle that. And I think the inverse is true. I think it gives you a framework to then you can actually really go out in the world and have a structure that you can apply in. If it's the military and you get that adventure or it's, you know, starting your own business or, or whatever it is, you know, it's. It gives you the structure and the confidence. That for me is what I really seen about guys coming out like my, my first platoon aoic a guy named Landry was down at Texas A M and, and you know, all I would ever hear about are them building that damn structure and, you know, and. And lighting it on fire and, you know, whatever it was. And, you know, but it was more so like the esprit de corps that. That existed within his group. And can you talk a little bit about that culture, that connection to guys in terms of pushing yourself, how that works, and then how, you know, how that kind of peer. It's not. What is it? It's like a pure. A pure influence, a positive peer influence to stay within those boundaries because they lead to a good place.
- [34:01]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah. And I think I'll. I'll transition from the. From the Citadel. Take it kind of in the business a little bit. But again, the Citadel, for example, you go through your knob, they call them your freshman, and it's like, you know, you're shining shoes, you're shining brass, you're running around funny and fast and all this stuff. But you don't want to be the guy that keeps the group back. And a lot of times, you want to be the guy that propels the group forward. But the main thing is, I don't want to be the guy that is the problem that makes first squad look bad or Delta Company look bad or whatever the case is. And so there's this, hey, I'm gonna, like, do my stuff, and then I'm gonna make sure that my roommate did his stuff, and then I'm gonna go next door and do it. And it. It builds like this. This cohesion of, hey, you know, we're this. And we're better than Charlie Company, even though, like, we're all 1st Battalion, which we love, which is better than 2nd Battalion. And then, like, you zoom out, like, on a grand scale, and you're like, oh, I'm doing something that's, like, completely different than what my. That peers across the United States are doing. But. But I think you're thinking about confidence and, like, building something into young men, I think is huge. And I've seen that a lot in the gym, and it's kind of what led me to open my business is when I got my first platoon, and it's so different now. I'm deployed now. Like, I'm talking to you. Deployed on a podcast. When I first got my platoon, where I first got my unit, it was like, hey, Lieutenant Brogy, you'll be in Afghanistan 90 days. Like, here's the training schedule. Like, get ready. And, like, that was the mindset. And there was no talk of, like, liberty. Am I going to have time off when I'M in Okinawa, am I going to be able to go to Tokyo? It was like, you're going to a combat zone and you're going to shoot a bunch of rockets and cannon, artillery and like, make sure that your guys are ready. And you're like, oh. And I remember going to my platoon and looking at me like, man, these guys are like so tiny. And at the time I'm 220 now, I was probably £200. I was like, these guys like need to lift weights. And you see like these corporals and it's just a different thing. And I don't want to. We could talk all day probably, David. But it's, it's like when I was lieutenant, all the, all like your E4s, E5s, E6s were stacked and like you're the guy with like a national defense. Right? Yeah. Like, and you're like, oh, they've like all done stuff. And it's interesting now. We've gone through this period with like no war.
- [36:18]
David Rutherford
Yeah.
- [36:19]
Major Grant Brogy
Where it's like, it, it's like now you look and it's like, well, you, you've come to Okinawa four times, which is good, right? Like, all that I'm not taking away. It's like so much of the service is chance and timing and you know, what's going on in the world. But I say all that to say, you'd have a guy, he'd already been to combat. Here I am, like, haven't. But like, he's timid or he's shy. And so for me it was like, everyone's going to lift weights, we're going to lift weights. And I always say I'm bringing it back to like the Citadel, like doing hard things, doing something different. It's like if you can get a 20 year old kid to deadlift 350 pounds, like, he's a better NCO. Like 100% guaranteed he's a better NCO because when he walks into a room now or he goes into a PT session, he's like, I'm stronger than you. Which means I'm better than you. Like, you might be smarter than you me, you might like have other things about me. Your family may have, like a higher income, whatever, but like, I'm stronger than you and, and like the amount of confidence, I've always loved that. And so everywhere I've gone in the military, not just because it's what my business says, but I'm like, get strong. Like, if you get strong, you have like a level of confidence and it's the same kind of thing with the military schools or people that join in the military. It's like a guy that's like at the Citadel, like, is there anything like super special that happens there? Yeah, there is. Like, because everyone that graduates, like, I did something that you wouldn't do. You make fun of me because you in partied for four years and I held standards. I got up, I ran the stairs, you know, I did whatever it was. And yeah, I think that's like the culture and the difference. And like, I encourage young men. I mean, I have a daughter now. I don't know if I'd want her to go there, but if I have a son, I'd be like, yeah, you got like, yeah, go sittle. Like, you gotta go sit. It's like harder. It's different. Yeah, hopefully that answers that.
- [38:03]
David Rutherford
No, it's. That was brilliant. Thank you. And I also love the idea about cultivating strength. Right. There's a lot of different ways to do that. You know, I remember when I showed up, I thought I was, you know, Billy Badass, you know, graduating buds and I go to 18 Delta and then I show up at team one and like, dudes are monsters. You know, there's, there's guys that are just huge and they're, and they're. When they're going into the, you know, we're doing, you know, 7:30 muster start PT and these guys are going into gym and they're just throwing lead around for an hour and a half straight and not, you know, not, not, not 35 pound dumbbell dumbbells. These dudes are like, God, the 75s and they're just repping out and I'm just like, oh shit. Like, this is copy. This is really hard. Like I have to get strong, you know, and, and, and I think that mentality in particular for young men is such a positive thing, right? And Jordy and I talk about it all the time and he talks about, you know, him meeting you, you know, him, him wanting to improve and, and you know, you needing some video editing, which I thought was phenomenal, you know, but it's like, it's like that, that, that relationship that comes out of getting strong, right? And I, and I, and, and I think that's just a phenomenal way to. What is it? Position, how to. How to increase opportunity for yourself, right? The stronger you can be, the more confidence you have. Then you can flip that confidence into ambition and then you can begin to aspire to whatever it is, whether it's, you know, doing multiple Combat deployments in the core or starting a business or whatever it is. So can you tell us where that fascination or the. The. It's not fascination. The recognition that there's a correlation between strength and success. And then what. What really launch. Launched you down that road to want to build an organization that not only produces or teaches strength and conditioning, but also produces the equipment for it. I think that's really the fascinating aspect of it for me.
- [40:30]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, I mean, my first battery, Tango battery, definitely. That was where I, like, cut my teeth as a coach. Like, I wanted people to get strong. I saw the benefits I had in my own life. You know, I grew up Southern Baptist. This, like, very strict household, you know, weren't allowed to do a lot of things. And like, you go to the Citadel and you're seeing a bunch of friends and they like, oh, I was all state this. That was Allstate that. I was like, I ran around a red ring in Awana. Like, I like, don't like, you know, like, I'm like nothing. But then I went to the gym. It's like the ground's level at the foot of the cross. Like, if I'm stronger than your age, like, I like that at the Citadel. And I. I lifted a bunch of. And then I did that with my platoon. And what I saw was the change in, you know, mindset of human beings. And I like. I do enjoy, like, helping folks, but it's like, man, if you get someone strong, you help them get through, like, a lot of, like, hard stuff in life. Like, if they, like, there's nothing I like better. Like, you bring someone in, teach them how to deadlift. They're adding five pounds each workout. They're doing fine. It's like a, you know, 180 pound guy. He goes, deadlift. 240. He gets for set of five. He comes in two days later, it's 245. It's not heavy. Like, you're still, like, working form technique. He's been training three weeks. He goes to pull up, but it's the first time there's like some real resistance to where he thinks like, oh, I don't know. And he like, let's go. It's like, I can't, and I hate to do this, but it's the reality. You just yell at the guy, you just freaking scream at him and you're like, don't be a P U S S y. Grab the ball, your shins into the ball. Push the floor away. And all of a sudden he's got one Out. And you're like, don't stop, stop. Do the second one. Don't be a whatever. Like, you just like berate him. And then he gets through a set of five and they finish and they let go and they look at you and it's this look of like, I never thought I could do that.
- [42:24]
Jacob Goldstein
Yeah.
- [42:24]
Major Grant Brogy
And I'm like, back at them. Like, you have no idea. You're gonna deadlift 315 for 5. Like you're just getting started and there's like a breakthrough. So I say, I have to say I really like the, the way that it affected people. And then I kind of started my gym on accident. I had the coaching, starting strength credential. I was still in the Marine Corps. I didn't know if I was gonna get in or out. And I was coaching another guy. Actually opened the business with a partner. And I didn't mean to, but I was coaching him, but I didn't realize I was coaching him for him to get his credential. And he's like, I'm gonna open a gym. Will you open it with me? And I was like, I'm Marine. I'm about to go to the Republic of Georgia for three months. Like, I can't open a business. He's like, okay, cool, I'm gonna open it anyway. I was like, well, I'm not gonna be left out. And so I was like, oh, no, yeah, we'll be partners. So I opened the business. That was a hu experience. After like six months, I bought him. I was like, I want the whole thing. And anyway, that, like, I wanted to develop, like, what I see in Marines that have, like, already gotten through this barrier of, hey, I want to sign up for the Marine Corps. And then, like, you know, we get a coachman strength. Like human beings want. Must want this. And so that's why I started the gym. And then the gym was tough. It was really tough at first because you, like, can't just, just put a sign up and charge money and expect to be successful. And like, I thought, like, I have this product that I know is really effective. Like, I'll just be rich. And it's like, no, Grant, you won't be rich. Like, you have to like, market to people and like, you can't yell at 70 year old women. Actually, like, most people like to be yelled at in the gym setting. But. But I, like, it was like a crash course. And I'm like, still active duty. I'm like, man, this is like hard. And then there's the whole thing is Where I'm like, everyone should deadlift £500. And then I'm like, maybe David Rutherford. Like, if we just, like, keep them deadlifting 400, it's okay, right? And, like, keep happy, not like a ninja. And he doesn't have to eat a bunch of cottage cheese and drink a bunch of milk. And so it was. It was a crash course for me. But the intent was teach people, you know, that doing hard things, like, one, if you increase your physical strength length, you will live longer. Hands down. Physical strength adaptation. If you get stronger, all aspects of physical fitness includes improve. And, you know, everyone should get stronger. And like, it was like, hey, I'm not trying to make people always ask me, like, yo, you own a powerlifting gym? I'm like, nothing from the sort. Like, no. Like, I own a gym where guys that work behind computers realize they're getting older and, like, want to impact their kids need to get stronger. And they've never. They weren't on team One. Like, they don't know how to lift. They've never seen guys throw 75s around. They have no idea what to do in the gym. And I want to bring them in, make them feel comfortable, like, teach them how to get strong. And then, like, then you. The reason they stay customers is because they see, you know, the change in their life, and I get into the making a business stuff. But I feel like you probably have some thoughts after all that.
- [45:24]
David Rutherford
Yeah, I. I think. I mean, it's interesting, you know, you're. You're in the midst of this other career, and, you know, an officer in any branch of the service is. Is. Is intense because, you know, anytime you're responsible for other human beings, in particular other young, younger human beings trying to figure things out, in particular other younger Marines, I would imagine that's always stressful. The younger Marines that I used to hang out with were always taxing their officers.
- [45:59]
Major Grant Brogy
Nothing's changed there. Nothing has changed.
- [46:01]
David Rutherford
I'm sure. I'm sure. So, you know, but to use the vehicle of something that's innate, I think in. In the organization itself. Like, you know, I think for me, it's always, you know, being a part of corps, there's a necessity built in for strength. And so to be able to teach them to do it the right way and then. And then all of a sudden to discover that, oh, this is something that I would want to do with civilians as you're active duty. I'll tell you what, when I was active duty, I freaking hated civilians. I didn't want to Talk to them. I couldn't take them. They drove me nuts. Much less even wanting to, you know, work with them to develop any strength. I mean, I didn't even consider working with, you know, human, you know, civilians, adults, until, you know, much, much later. And what I do for, you know, in terms of coach and motivational coaching. But you know, I think starting that business, what did it teach you about yourself in terms of how, how much could you stretch yourself? How much? Because it's about time commitment and time allocation and the frustrations. I mean, any business you start requires literally. I mean, you have to think about it around the clock. And that's what I think a lot of people don't get when they, when they go into entrepreneurs. They think they've got a cool idea. You know, like you said, you're just going to throw up a sign and the gates are going to flood. But that's not how it does. How do you manage all that at the same time?
- [47:38]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, that was. So I got my starting strength coaching credential and I had a one car garage there in California and I had been coaching a bunch of marines. And so starting strength had like a coach's directory and there's like a pen on a map to show where you were. And so I said, hey, I'm $100 for 60 minutes. And starting strength is like a very. If someone wants it, like they want it, right? Like if, like it's. Most people don't know what it is, but if they know what it is, they know it works and they want it. And so I think it was a hundred dollars an hour. And I remember I was every Saturday I had like a calendly link or some crap. And like every Saturday I'd coach for like eight hours. It'd be like 7am like some stranger from Las Vegas would like drive to California because I was turning a coach. Next guy. Next guy. Next. Okay. And I remember talking to another coach, and his name's Andy Baker, strength coach. He's on like pretty popular next and stuff. And, and I remember complaining to him and he was like, oh, well, what if you doubled your price? And I was like, well, what do you mean? He's like, well, you're complaining that you never have a Saturday off, but like, what if your price was doubled? Like if you made $1,600 instead of $800 on that Saturday, like, would you be happy? I was like, oh yeah, that'd be great. He's like, well then just double your price price if you like lose Some clients, like, it'll be fine because, like, you'll make up for it. I was like, okay. So I doubled the. So I doubled the price. And, like, I was still booked out. I was like, this is incredible. Like, I'm gonna be the man.
- [49:05]
David Rutherford
Yeah.
- [49:06]
Major Grant Brogy
And then I was like, well, what? I had eight racks at once. And I just, like, ran around the room and like, coach David Squad, and then Coach Jordy Squad. And then I went over here to this guy. I'm like, then I'd be like, the richest guy ever. Like, what a great idea. And so, you know, that's. That was the. Like, open the gym. And then you open the gym and you just.
- [49:24]
BambooHR Advertiser
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- [49:26]
Major Grant Brogy
You just realize, like, okay, one, like, most of the human population doesn't want to do hard things. Even in Orange County, California, you know, later, South Carolina. But, like, where. Where, like, people, like, care a lot about fitness. It's like, it gets hard every time they come in. It gets harder. It takes a long time. Like, strength training isn't free. There's no, like, hey, six weeks to six abs. It's like, no. You come in here and, like, commit your life for 90 minutes three times a week. And, oh, by the way, everything you do outside the gym is going to affect your performance. You have to do those things. And so I was, like, struggling with this identity of, hey, I could make this easier and I might have more clients, but the thing that I believe in is that it needs to be hard and difficult. And, like, those are the people that I actually want to teach. And it was really difficult. Like, at a largest thing, it's like, I'm still a Marine. I got 18 months left at that point of active duty time. And so every moment that I'm not not working marining, I'm like, in this gym. And I. I just immediately like every business I had ever walked into. And I think I'll never walk into a business ever again my entire life until I die. And, like, think about it the same, right? It's like when you walk in and, like, the bathroom's clean, the trash can's empty, like, the person up front is friendly and, like, it's not the owner. And you just, like, start to realize, like, wow, like, it's really difficult to, like, build this organization or this thing that, like, values everything that I want, even when I'm not, you know, in there. And so it was good, though, in the sense that being a Marine made me hire people immediately. Made me, like, delegate immediately. And I tell Marines all the time because a Lot of guys. It's really interesting with young guys because they're all YouTubers. Like, sir, you have like, a lot of YouTube subscribers. I'm like, I don't have a lot of, of YouTube subscribers. Like, let me show you accounts. They're like, but you, like, you know, they were like, really fascinated with that. They're like, I want to open a business. And it's like, man, there's like so much more to it than, you know, what meets the eye. And so it was a steep learning curve for me. Of most people, I think, like, particularly vets or like, they go in the gym or fitness industry, they go in and they do everything themselves, which is great. And like, you can make an honest living if you do everything yourself, but if you do everything yourself, like, you get capped out. And then the other thing that happens is you start like, hating to do the thing that you built your business about because, like, you know, you're making the cake instead of like, whatever.
- [52:06]
David Rutherford
Yeah.
- [52:07]
Major Grant Brogy
And so that was, that was a big curve for me and the Marine Corps. Being in active duty at the time really helped me, like, nope, I need like a gym manager. I need coaches. I need to not be in there. And I think that's really helped me a lot as I've expanded into equipment and done other things. And like now, like, I have been away from my business going on 10 months now, and obviously, as you know, you're never away from your business. I'm like, I'm like on a boat in the middle of floating off the coast, Papua New guinea, like, trying to get a drone wi fi to like, find out, you know, what sales metrics are. Like, you're never away from it, but. But it did teach me a lot in terms of, like, you gotta delegate and use people and then how do you not lose the identity of the business itself?
- [52:52]
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- [53:27]
Major Grant Brogy
When you're in.
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- [56:03]
David Rutherford
Well, I, you know, I think the other thing is too within, you know, the gym industry is probably one of the most difficult industries to be successful in and particular with all the big box gyms and all that stuff that are competitive, but it, you know, if you get a great gym culture, you know, I think that really becomes what attracts people and then results, right? You come in and the training's dialed in, the culture's good. And if you got this whole energy and it becomes this little, like going back to what your dad did as a church. It's a church for strength, right? It's a church for cause. The one thing that I've always had in the gym is every time I'm dealing with, you know, a ton of crap in my life, if. If I go in and start pushing steel, it goes. It. It subsides right there. Because I'm focused on my own improvement. I'm focused on, you know, getting, you know, actual physiologically stronger. But that always translates into greater mental, emotional strength as well, too. And when you can provide that whole thing to people, it's infectious. And I think, you know, that's what great gyms out because, you know, it's. You know, Jordan, I've talked about it. You know, what is. What is the essence of. Of. Of really the sophistication of building strength? What is the program, the pro. The program, the programmatic approach, and which programs work well, which programs don't work well? You know, and I also think, you know, after the kind of the. The.
- [57:44]
Dude Wipes Advertiser
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- [57:44]
David Rutherford
The CrossFit, you know, era of whatever that was, and, you know, I think people would go in and they felt that family stuff, but, you know, next thing you know, they're hurting their shoulder, they're hurting their back, because they're. It's all for speed and time and the competitive aspect. And so it kind of faded. And, you know, and then this other. Other stuff emerges, but, like, a great, solid gym culture pulls people in in a very. Like, I had a real good buddy of mine. His name was Derek Christensen. He was a former Marine, you know, very into, like, programmatic how it works. This is the system. And he had the opportunity to build a really big gym in. In Boston called Revolution Fitness. And. And then, you know, the economy collapsed and he lost the gym. And, you know, you know, you. And what he ended up hearing for years afterwards is whatever came in to replace the facility, there was never the culture there. And so it becomes such an integral part of. Of those dynamics is to be able to go to a place where you're welcome, where people are paying attention, you know, and you feel like the culture is like, you can blend into it with this hard work. And that's one of the cool things that I think, you know, as Jordi was describing you, to me, that really made an impact. And so it's interesting. But I'd like to just pivot real quick and talk about, you know, getting into manufacturing. Can you tell us the story about what prompted you? Because running a facility in and of itself, as you said, is difficult. But now getting into the manufacturing industry, which is people have no idea how hard it is to actually produce, to make things and then sell them. And so I think it's just a really cool story about how you started your own kind of barbell and weights company. So would you share that with us?
- [59:41]
Major Grant Brogy
So, like, the short version would be had the gym actually had two gyms there in California. You know, had maybe 140 members between the two. And the weight training program is built around a barbell, plates, squats, presses, bench presses, and deadlifts. And it's like, hey, you don't need a bunch of stuff. Like, this is what you want to do. 2020 happened. Gyms were required to shut down. I shut down for about 50 days. And during that time, the second that they said you'd shut down, I unbolted every power rack. So I had two jams, each had eight racks. I had, you know, 22 barbells, however many pounds of plates. And I, I, I felt like I was in the Marine Corps. I got felt. I just gotten out. I'd been out for three months. But I plotted where everyone lived, all my members, and I, like, picked locations on the map. Like, okay, this guy lives near David Rutherford. I know he has two car garage. I can build a gym in there. Dave can go to his gym, Bob can go to his gym, Jim can go to that gym. And like, this, this little garage gym will service nine members. And I can keep them paying their membership if they go to that. Okay, boom, got it. You go put this out. My employees are like, what is happening? Like, you want me to, like, bolt things to the ground? I don't know anything about anything. And so I remember feeling like I was like, advanced party. I'd like, go, I drop all the equipment off. I've been pre drill holes now put this in, put this, blah, blah, blah. It's like we're start setting this stuff up. And it was great. Like, it was working really well. 2020, as weird as it was, there was like a common sense of, like, people wanting to help out. And it's like all my members were really fired up. They knew I just, just like active duty. So they're all paying. And like, we got all these Micro gyms set up. We set up like, I don't know, like 45 gyms or something.
- [61:25]
David Rutherford
Wow.
- [61:25]
Major Grant Brogy
And then out of my stuff I'm like, I got nothing left. So I started like calling warehouses and I found this warehouse somewhere and they're like, we have 9,000 pounds of iron. We'll give it all to you for 60 cents a pound. I was like, what is it? They're like kettlebells plates, you know, they rat off bunch of stuff. I'm like, I'll take all it. They're like, what? I'm like, yeah, I want all it. They're like, well, you haven't even looked at it yet. I don't care. I want all it. So I get it. Then I'm like dropping that stuff all over. And then I'm out of weights again. And then so I started making rental packages. I'm going to get to the manufacturer. Started making rental packages. It was a wooden bench that we made. It was the Home Depot squat rack. So it's two homer buckets with concrete and a four by four in it. And it's a barbell that I bought Chinese made like from some wholesaler. And it's like 200 pounds of weights. And I'm like getting some new software where like you sign a liability waiver and then you're gonna like rent this gym equipment for 200amonth. And at checkout you can pay another 200 bucks, drop it off at your house. And like I'm starting like this like rental stuff and it's like for Southern California. Some news channel does like a thing on me, Louisiana Times, like does an article like Marine business shutdown, like whatever. I'm like, man, I'm really making it. And I remember being there when I night and someone like in the chat box on the website be like, do you ship to New York? And I just remember looking at it and be like, no, like I'm in Costa Mesa, California. Like I like I. Do you understand how much a barbell weighs? And they're like, we'll pay anything. Will you ship to New York? And I remember it's like it's like midnight. I'm like in my house. I haven't like slept in days. I'm like, what item are you looking at? Like 45s. Any number of 45s. Will you ship to New York? I was like, what's your address? So guy like sends me his address. I'm like, on ups.com, like no corporate account at the time, know nothing about shipping. And I'M like, yeah, it's $700. Send you 445. He's like, how can I pay you? I'm like, all right, cool. So I got like make a PayPal link, like send it to some guy in New York and he like checks out. I remember being in my gym, like four rusted 45s I bought from some warehouse. I'm like, shrink wrapping them together because my dumb self thinks that it's if one pack 180 pound package will be cheaper than four 45 pound packages. Right? Not true. Shrink wrapping it together, cutting. There's like asses and elbows everywhere. Duct tape. And like this package, like, I'm super not proud of. I'm getting dropped off at ups. I just thought, oh, like, what if I just made my own plates? And I say that now and I say it flippantly and I say it funny, but that is like how it went. And so I just like Google search, like United States foundries. Like a list pops up. It's like this foundry that's like form field. Hi, I am a marine captain. I just left active duty. My gym was closed down. I have a great plate design. No one makes plates in the usa. Well, know you help me. Nothing. You know, New foundry. Hi, my name is Grandpa. Like, I like stuff and Wapaka Foundry, where we've been with since 2020. Largest foundry in America. But Kevin Row, great friend of mine now, like would have never thought, like, I'd be like, yep, that guy like changed the trajectory of my life. Like, hey, Grant, can you send over your like AutoCAD design? And I'm like, autocad. Like, I know exactly how a plate should be made because I'm a lifter. And no one makes these in America. Like, I don't know AutoCAD. So I call. What do I do? Call a marine. Hey, you're like an engineer, right? Yeah. Do you have AutoCAD? Yeah, I have like the student one. It's going to have a water marker on it here. Let me tell you everything about the plate. We make the design, send the design off. They come back and it's like, I remember. I just, I'll fast forward. I'm like, there was a moment where like I have this Excel document. I'm sitting in my backyard on this like crummy table. I'm on my laptop and I've done like how much all the tooling for all the different sizes will cost. I have all the designs up. My laptop's like plugged into a TV and I Have, like, how much money I need to go in. And I'm like, okay, like, in three months I'll break even. And I'm like, and in like the next three months, I'll make money. And I remember, like, sending it to, like, a couple people I trust. Be like, am I crazy? Crazy? And they're like, yeah, you're crazy. I was like, yo, I only need like 120 grand. Like, I just refinanced my house and like, it's Covid like, my gyms are gonna be ruined. Like, I should do this, right? Like, you should definitely not do that. You should see if the Marine Corps take you back active duty. And I kept like, punching the numbers. Like, do it again. I'm like, well, let's say there's like 10% of unknown costs. I don't know. And I'm like, yeah, I still feel like I should do it. Like, I should do it. And I don't know. I just like, pulled the trigger and got into it. And that has been like a wild five years. It's been great.
- [66:30]
David Rutherford
I, I dude, that those are the COVID stories I love more than anything. I mean, those and, and there was so many of them that emerged out of the fitness industry that people were like, no, you're not going to tell me I'm shutting down because health is actually what's going to get people through this thing. This is, this is ridiculous. But for you to actually go start cold calling foundries, that is my favorite part of the whole thing, man. Like, that's like 1970s shit right there. Like, I'm gonna figure it out.
- [67:06]
Major Grant Brogy
And it would have never worked had that not been going on. So, like, what I now know about with pack of foundry binning with them, number one, like Auto Agriculture Foundry for the U.S. we're talking John Deere, Dodge, Chevy, you know, GM. Like that, that is their stuff. Like, what do we know about that time frame? All that stuff tanked because everyone stopped doing everything. And it's like, they're also scrambling, right? I don't think they're probably on a podcast saying, like, and then Grant Brogey called and our lives have changed forever. But they're also scrambling and they're looking for people that use conversion iron. And like, it was like, it was a great fit and yeah, but it was, it was, it was really shocking. And that took, I think, where that took my business. Like, we still have like, online coaching services still the gyms, we still do that. But what that taught me as a business owner was about real scale. And there's like culture. And I think this is like a thought about, I think of reflect on so many things this year. Being deployed, being away from my wife, my daughter. But it's like the Marine Corps, like the Marine Corps culture, like it does not change. And part of it's because it's the smallest organization. Like a lot of crazy stuff happens, but it's like the Marine Corps culture, you know, it is what it is. And like you talk about like my gyms, it's like when you're in the gym and you're, you know, you're yelling and you're screaming and you're with people, like you create this culture but like that's really hard to like make big. It's really hard to say now I'm gonna have 50 of these gyms across the country because like everyone has to think like you do operate like you do. And what I've really enjoyed about the plate business and the barbells and the equipment that we make is it's hey, I don't care if you're in the style of strength training I'm doing. Maybe you're into powerlifting, maybe you're in a CrossFit, maybe you're into whatever. But like here's what I like, here's what my company is. We make USA products, no banner wise but here in America. And they're better than anything that you can import and you're going to pay more. And like we create jobs for other American citizens and like if you don't want that, like can you find cheaper plates from China? Sure, yes, 100%, go get them. But like if you want to like support people that wake up in Waupaca, Wisconsin, walk into a foundry with fire, you know, burning and iron melting and a truck driver that then takes it to a machine shop in Appleton, Wisconsin and machines it down with a guy that's taking a file on every single plate and then it goes to like a guy and you know, slinger, Wisconsin, it's going to E code it black and then come to my warehouse or my brother in law is going to receive the truck. Like, like if you like that style of business, like that's what we provide and it's better and we care about it. That has been like what my focus been on. Still have the gyms, love every customer that I have. But it's been like, hey, I think there's a part in this market where there's, it's like David Rutherford wants a home gym. He's like, yep, I want to, like, walk out of the gym when I don't want to do something hard, look at my plates, be like, there's a Marine that made these plates in America. And like, I support that. And so that's kind of what we've been after.
- [70:16]
David Rutherford
Well, I mean, I'm all fired up right now. Like, I'm going to, like, hang up on this and I'm going to go start buying some dumbbells and plates, dude, for sure. I, I just, I, you know, I think what you're talking about is, is, is, is the essence of what America represents, right? And, you know, I mean, just your story alone, like, guy grows up, got a pastor's son, you know, five. Four other brothers or brothers and sisters.
- [70:44]
Major Grant Brogy
Brothers. One sister. Yep. Five total.
- [70:47]
David Rutherford
Five kids growing up on pastor's life. Going to the Citadel, going to Marine Corps, going to combat, running young men, teaching them how to strengthen, get hit with a pandemic, comes up with a business idea, blows it up. Now you're making American steel, right? American iron man. And, and, and you're selling it in the. With that tone. Like, I, I mean, that's the story that I think is coming back in America. And, and what I. What, what. I'm curious. And, and this is something that, you know. Cause you're still in it, right? You're still in. Where I believe the heartbeat of America lies is that's within military service. Right? And, you know, that's what all the other stories kind of bleed out from, right? They come from this focus. Commitment of problem solving and unity and mindset and culture, and that's what you represent. Are you seen because of Pete and what's going on, the new focus? I mean, I swear to God almost like pissed myself multiple occasions in his speech to all the admirals and generals last weekend. No more fatties, right? You know, what a. What a great message to young men who want to do something hard and improve themselves. Are you seeing that, that shift or change with new guys coming in? And then also, are you seeing a shift in a change within your business and people wanting to get strong? People kind of gravit towards both those ideals. Are you seeing that up close and personal?
- [72:36]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, I think what I'd say. And in the select Marine Corps Reserve now activated currently. I think there was a time there, it's probably like 2018 to 2022 or three where like all the folks that I came in under that were retired, we're like, what's going on with this woke bs? Is it terrible? Like, it must be awful. And you know, I'm very proud of beer, Marine. I do think it's the best.
- [73:10]
Jacob Goldstein
And.
- [73:11]
Major Grant Brogy
But. But I'm not actually blowing smoke. But what I would tell people is I was like, I don't see, like, what you're concerned with. Like, you are concerned that, you know, men are putting on dresses in formations or, like, wearing furry costumes. And like, I don't see that. Like, I see the same Marines that make the same dumb jokes that, like, still watch Terminal Lance, like Dr. White Monsters to have way too much nicotine. Like, here's the changes I've seen. When I came in, you dipped Copenhagen and you drank coffee. And then at some point it was like, oh, you do monsters and you dip Copenhagen and like, you don't really care about coffee. And then now it's like, hey, you still drink monsters, but you only do Zen. And like, no one dips. And. And like, if anyone smokes, everyone thinks it's crazy, right? It's like, like, those are the shifts that I see. Like, I'm not like, the. The people are the same. I say that all to say there is something happening that I think the preponderance of the force likes. And I've watched the Internet meltdown over the past week after Secretary of Defense slash war Secretary of War speech each. And the Marine Corps had changed nothing. Guess what? We already have two physical fitness tests a year, and one of them is combat related. Guess what? We already have to get body weight tested two times a year. And the body fade doesn't change. Like, even his in the document about reservists, which I am, like, nothing changed. Like, not zero. Things changed for us. And so the Marine Corps, it's just like, oh, yeah, cool. Like, the guy at the top, like, thinks the thing that I have to do. That's awesome. And also on that, I was making the joke this week. I'm like, only in the Marine Corps does the government shut down. And all of us dumbasses wake up at five in the morning and show up to a formation in green on green with a globe out at 5:30 in the morning, knowing we're not going to get paid and just be like, oh, yeah. And then someone's like, the government shut down. It's like, well, I still have to be here, right? And some staff sergeant's like, yep, you still have to be here. It's like, oh, okay, good to go. And you just pt it's in your work. So. But I do think there is somewhat of a change in the tight, like, the younger formation, like, appreciates the change, and they appreciate that the standard that they have to do is being upheld. And yeah, I think it's going to be really interesting. Like, and, you know, I got to be a little careful as I'm still in it, I think. But I think that he, I think he did a good job. And like, but, you know, telling the force like, hey, like, you need to be lethal, you need to be all these things. I, I, I, I've said jokes a couple times this week. I'm like, hey, what I've seen in 14 years, I can only imagine what general for 38 years has seen. Like, I'm actually okay if he's at 18% body fat because, like, I need his brain on his body. Right? So, but, but like, that's not the point he was making. Was, was, was well said. But, but yeah, I think, I think it's exciting times. And you know, it's like, it's like the, it's like the commercial that I saw as a kid. Maybe it impacted you, David. It's like, you know, the, the waves on the beach and the seals, right? And it's like those things, like, matter and like, that speech, like, there's been so much talk about it, and there's been a lot of talk in the formation, General. You know, you get up as like a major, you know, I'm. And you get in front of a formation. It's like when Iran was papping off and there was a minute there, we're like, at sea. And I'm like, oh, man. Like, we're going to the fifth Fleet. Like, we're like, we're going in this is it. Like, we're doing the thing. And like, you get the Marine somewhere and like, you go to talk to them, like, all right, guys, like, who's tracking Iran? They just like, look at you blank stairs. And you're like, all right, like, answer. You're like, you try to tell them, right? And that's part of, like, being an officer. But I will say, Charlie Kirk got killed. I got in front of the formation and I'm like, hey, today is 9 11. I am in front of you today because 911 is occurred. Like, that's why I'm standing here as a Marine major. And I didn't know it at the time. That's why I'm here. It's like something happened yesterday that was super strange and out of the ordinary. Are you guys, like, aware the formation wouldn't shut up? Like, they had all the Opinions like, they were like, I can't believe. And it was like, so there's, there's something happening in like young men. They're like thinking in a way that I've seen a change from the last like five to 10 years. They're thinking about like the world. They're thinking about what they should do. They're thinking like, hey, I should have a family. Like, I should have a wife, I should have a kid. And I think like where the Secretary of War, like, what he's. I think he's like going really hard to like make a point of, like, this is what we're here to do. And yeah, it's, it's. I think it's exciting. It's exciting.
- [78:10]
David Rutherford
Well, I, I can't. I mean, I, you know, I, I was in that transition before transition period. I went in in 95, you know, we were the least funded we had ever been in. I don't even know how long. I mean we were big barn and steer stealing just, just to conduct, you know, basic. I had drills out at Nyland, California and it. And then, you know, 911 happened. Everything changed. And you know, it.
- [78:38]
Jacob Goldstein
I.
- [78:39]
David Rutherford
My last deployment with the agency was in, you know, the fall 2011 in Pakistan and got out and you know, and then, you know, had my friends keep going and the transition kind of began at that right when you came in and you were at the end of the gwat. And now you're in this next phase and you know, hopefully we can continue in, in a peaceful state. But there's a lot of kinetic things going on around the world and you know, I've got some friends in some pretty high places right now and you know, everybody's focused on, you know, what's happening. But I think the main focus that I'm hearing is right where you're at, right in the heartbeat of what the future fighting force is going to be prepared to do. These young kids who are coming in, who have no idea what the GWOT was, who have no idea what any of it was. I mean, a lot of these kids weren't even born when 911 happened. And so it's a different thing. So, so it's on you, specifically your shoulders to tell them. Everything that you kind of explained today about your journey is to infuse that motivation into these young war fighters. And I gotta just tell you, man, I've really been looking forward to the conversation with you. I have profound respect for you. One just because of what you're doing, but the other is because of how much Jordi admires you and how much he just how highly he speaks of you. And I'll tell you what, Grant, after listening to you, I'm so thankful. I feel so blessed that you are out there leading young Marines, teaching them how to be strong and then also what you're doing for the civilian community of this country and for the local workers of Wisconsin and what you represent. So. So I cannot thank you enough for taking the time while you're on deployment over in Okinawa to spend with our audience and to share your beliefs and what you're faithful in. And I really think it's a huge impact. Can you just share where people can find everything that you're doing, Your strength, your gyms, where they can purchase your equipment, the whole thing. And then what you got next coming up, that would be what? Wonderful.
- [81:12]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, absolutely. I appreciate you having me on. It's been. It's been great. It's been fun to watch, you know, Jordy help. Help you launch this thing. And I've. I've been following from the start and I care about his success, but it's been fun to see. See yours as well. But yeah. My website, www.the Strength Co is our store. You can get to our coaching pages or blogs from there. You know, anything you're interested on if you want to see what. But I'm up to. I'm not super active these days. Getting more active as I get closer back to being in America. But I'm on X Grant SSC Grant Storing strength coach. I do like free form checks and breakdowns and post photos of coffee and church and barbecue so you can check that out. But yeah, go over to the Strength Co to check everything out. But yeah. Thanks for having me on, David.
- [82:01]
David Rutherford
Thank you, Grant. God bless you and get back safe, buddy.
- [82:05]
Major Grant Brogy
Yeah, man. Couple more months and Thanksgiving. It's gonna have a whole new meaning this year. Looking. Looking forward to see my daughter.
- [82:11]
David Rutherford
Oh, amen to that. Amen to that.
- [82:24]
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- [82:55]
Major Grant Brogy
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