Andrea Ager (sorry, Montalvo) is passion personified. She attacks everything she does with her whole heart, whether it’s running track, competing in CrossFit, coaching her AgerBomb seminars, or sharing her faith. As a high-level athlete and an instructor, she knows it’s crucial to never stop learning about training and nutrition for herself so that she can better serve her clients. Andrea’s drive to never stop improving has inspired some crazy decisions, like leaving the CrossFit coaching staff to branch out on her own and moving halfway across the country to train for the Games with a team she’d never met (and get to know a certain guy better 😉).

Andrea’s a Colorado native now living in New York, but we used to train together in LA back in the early days of CrossFit so you know this episode includes some reminiscing about Regionals (RIP), references to He Who Should Not Be Named (that’s Dave Castro for you uneducated folk), and a discussion about the realness of competition depression and the danger of letting your performance as an athlete define who you are. We share some pros and cons of being your own boss, make fun of the “Instagram models” New York is overrun with, and explain the necessity of having several pursuits if you’re going to make it as an entrepreneur. I ask Andrea to talk about her experience with Faith RX’d, and she gives the Cliffs Notes version of how she met her husband (first year of marriage insights included! Listen up kids).

It’s a conversation between two old friends with a great vibe and a ton of helpful info for people interested in setting out on their own. It’s a little deep, a little silly, a little weird (just wait for the gummy bear analogy), and a lot awesome.

Enjoy!

– Ryan

HIGHLIGHTS:
0:30 The end of the AgerBomb era?
1:30 Noah Ohlsen is a bad influence
2:30 New York, LA, and Denver
7:00 Harrowing biking experiences
8:00 AgerBomb seminars: 102 in 5 years
9:30 Athlete evolution: your body is a canvas
12:00 How to make something happen? Just start doing it
13:00 Branching out from L1, and how to give yourself feedback
16:00 Your relevance depends on your vibe
17:30 The competition depression is real: what happens when you let your worth be dictated by your ability
19:00 The connection between faith and self-worth (what you love to do isn’t who you are)
22:00 Everyone is on a spiritual journey, just at a different point on the path
24:30 How honest are we about our weaknesses?
28:00 Faith Rx’d for dummies
35:00 The competitor mindset
36:30 Don’t Judge Ryan’s Wallballs, or, the devastating effects of injuries
42:30 Happiness vs. joy
44:15 Why Andrea doesn’t compete anymore, and why you can’t just have one pursuit
55:00 You’re not going to the Games
59:00 Let’s talk about Marriage (there’s a weird gummy bear analogy in here, and probably a sex joke)
1:02:00 Misconceptions about that perfect person
1:03:30 The Peter story
1:08:00 Physical transformations, and how much it matters
1:11:00 What sacrificial love looks like, and why we need hope that doesn’t change
1:15:30 AndreaAger.com for seminars and workshops