Podcast Summary:
What Are You Made Of?
Host: Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Episode: From Digital Nomad to Super-Connector: Chris Reynolds on Building a Global Founder Community
Date: December 10, 2025
Main Theme
This episode features Chris Reynolds, entrepreneur, podcast host, and global community builder. Chris shares his journey from a blue-collar Missouri upbringing to becoming a digital nomad and ultimately a "super-connector," founding communities for high-performing entrepreneurs. The discussion revolves around resilience, the digital nomad lifestyle, the power of community, and the lessons learned from connecting and learning from billion-dollar founders.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Foundation: Grit and Work Ethic (00:24 – 03:09)
- Chris’s Roots: Grew up in Missouri in a blue-collar, farming family, instilling deep work ethic and resilience.
- Key Mantra:
"Always constructing, never deconstructing. That was my mantra. It still is."
(Chris Reynolds, 01:37) - Shared Blue-Collar Stories: C-Roc and Chris swap tales of manual labor and how it laid the foundation for their entrepreneurial persistence.
2. From Corporate to Nomad (03:11 – 06:50)
- Early Career: Chris began in the mortgage industry during the subprime boom and bust.
- Catalyst for Change:
"It was a really unethical place for anybody to be, and I was just shocked."
(Chris Reynolds, 03:54) - Inspiration: After reading The 4-Hour Work Week, he built online businesses and embraced the digital nomad lifestyle, booking a one-way ticket to Costa Rica in 2011.
- Nomad Beginnings: First months in Costa Rica were a thrilling mix of fear and excitement.
3. Navigating Uncertainty & Building Momentum (06:51 – 09:28)
- Dealing with Uncertainty:
"I just have this faith that if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I'll be taken care of."
(Chris Reynolds, 06:50) - Embracing Adventure: Chris moved from Costa Rica to Peru and Ghana, running a "charity adventure" business.
- Long Road to Success:
"It took a good probably three years or so … before things started to make a significant shift."
(Chris Reynolds, 08:26) - Entrepreneur House Origin: Founded one of the world's first co-living spaces for digital nomads in Barcelona (2014-15), acting as a hub for global entrepreneurs.
4. The Entrepreneur House: A Living Case Study in Community (09:29 – 13:53)
- Forming the Community:
"Not just an entrepreneur … an entrepreneur that is willing to pack up his or her computer and go live abroad."
(Chris Reynolds, 10:19) - Culture & Dynamic: A focus on intentional community, with regular events and strong camaraderie.
- Notable Outcomes: Romantic relationships, life-long friendships, and business growth among participants.
- Reflection:
"It was almost like college all over again … everybody is just incredibly excited and having a good time and building business."
(Chris Reynolds, 11:27)
5. Evolution to the Founders Community (14:19 – 16:19)
- Transition Post-Nomadism: After pandemic and personal change, Chris shifted to a more scalable, online-first community model.
- COVID Response: Launched a free mastermind to help entrepreneurs navigate uncertainty.
- Growth:
"We kept running it, running it, running it. And then next year when we could travel again, I decided to do our first in person events and then … call it a community … and then we've continued to build it ever since."
(Chris Reynolds, 16:13)
6. Curating High-Caliber Experiences (16:45 – 18:45)
- Target Audience:
"People that had seven figure businesses and higher."
(Chris Reynolds, 16:45) - Innovative Events: From kidnapping survival courses to flying stunt planes and desert retreats in Morocco.
- Unique Access: Built out events with billionaires.
"We hang out with a billionaire, open Q&A sessions. He dives into our businesses, tells us what he would do, what he would not do."
(Chris Reynolds, 18:29)
7. The Art of Relationship-Nurturing (18:49 – 21:24)
- Connection as a Superpower:
"I always ask, is there anybody you're looking to get connected with or any way we could support you? … I think those individuals, believe it or not, don’t have a lot of people asking that question because of their status."
(Chris Reynolds, 19:05) - Facilitating Powerful Meetings: Chris arranges calls between high-profile guests and founders, e.g. connecting Sam Goodner (Flash Parking) and Ron Lynch (GoPro marketing legend).
- Creating Value:
"Afterwards they’re always like, Chris, what can we do to help you? … I just get jazzed from that."
(Chris Reynolds, 21:17)
8. Lessons from Billionaires (21:49 – 26:43)
- Common Traits:
"They're just like you and I … we all want the same thing. We all want to be happy, we all want to be around good people … That is all the universal similarity amongst all of us."
(Chris Reynolds, 21:49) - Humility & Responsibility:
"Being responsible for thousands of lives … they form this humility."
(Chris Reynolds, 22:44) - Relentless Focus & Consistency:
"They really love and believe the thing that they're building … Most all of them, you know, spend at least 10 years in their first thing."
(Chris Reynolds, 23:28) - Patience and Compounding Growth:
"Year 10 to 20, that was nice. 20 to 30, that was really nice. And that's just the consistency and longevity that they have that so many people give up beforehand."
(Chris Reynolds, 24:41) - On Losing Touch: Most billionaires Chris meets haven’t forgotten their roots. Real disconnect sometimes happens at high-six or seven figures, often coupled with ego.
9. The Power of Staying Committed (27:13 – 30:56)
- Long-Term Vision:
"I'm going to finish a series of a hundred billion dollar founders … But man, as long as I'm around entrepreneurs … that focus on growth and scaling … I'm just going to continue to plug away and do it."
(Chris Reynolds, 27:13) - Consistency as a Superpower:
"It showed me the importance of long term growth. Staying consistent at one thing and compound interest on staying consistent at one thing."
(Chris Reynolds, 28:30) - Finding Your "Marriage" in Work:
"What are you married to in business, in your work, what are you married to? … Will you miss out on so much potential if you do [keep bouncing]?"
(Chris Reynolds, 29:24)
10. Final Takeaways for Entrepreneurs (30:56 – 31:17)
- Value of Patience and Urgency:
"I have a phrase: patient urgency. You got to be urgent with the things you know you need to be doing, but you have to have patience with this process."
(Mike C-Roc, 30:16) - From Transactional to Attractional:
"We created what I call an attraction model instead of chase."
(Mike C-Roc, 30:50) - Chris’s Call to Action:
- Podcast: The Business Method Podcast
- Community: M3 Club
- Instagram: @chrisreynoldslive
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Always constructing, never deconstructing."
(Chris Reynolds, 01:37) - "If I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I'll be taken care of."
(Chris Reynolds, 06:50) - "It was almost like college all over again … having a time of their life."
(Chris Reynolds, 11:27) - "They really, really love and believe the thing that they're building is helping the world … They're not like getting into the NFT or crypto thing or the AI thing."
(Chris Reynolds, 23:28) - "It showed me the importance of long term growth. Staying consistent at one thing."
(Chris Reynolds, 28:30) - "Patient urgency … because like you said, it could take 10 years … if you know you're on the right path."
(Mike C-Roc, 30:16)
Key Timestamps
- 00:24 – Chris shares his background and foundational grit
- 03:21 – Corporate life and mortgage crisis experience
- 04:24 – Decision to become a digital nomad
- 05:12 – Emotional journey: fear, excitement, and adventure
- 06:50 – Navigating uncertainty and forming new business
- 09:28 – Shift: founding Entrepreneur House, community-building
- 10:19 – Cultural dynamic of co-living with entrepreneurs
- 14:19 – Evolution into the founders community, COVID adaptation
- 16:45 – Designing and evolving high-level in-person events
- 18:49 – Relationship-nurturing tips for connecting with billionaires
- 21:49 – Lessons learned from billion-dollar founders
- 23:28 – Consistency, vision, and patience as key to major success
- 27:13 – Chris’s vision for the future and ongoing projects
- 28:30 – Podcasting’s impact on consistency and growth
- 30:16 – Patience, urgency, and attraction in entrepreneurship
- 31:00 – Connect with Chris Reynolds
Episode Tone
Conversational, motivational, and practical—rich with honest storytelling, candid insights, and applicable advice for entrepreneurs and builders at every stage.
