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Why is self-discipline so hard—and how do you build more of it?

In Episode 12 of Run With The Cheetahs, Russell Anderson and Jerry Freistadt dive deep into one of the most misunderstood keys to success: discipline.

They discuss why motivation alone won’t save you, how comfort can quietly sabotage progress, and the habits, systems, and mindset shifts that help extraordinary people stay on track.

This episode is packed with practical wisdom on routines, accountability, resilience, and creating momentum through small daily wins.

If you’ve ever struggled to stay consistent—or know you’re capable of more—this conversation will hit home.

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

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Health and wellness aren’t just part of the equation—they are the foundation of everything.

In Episode 11, Russell Anderson and Jerry Freishtat explore how physical activity, clean eating, and disciplined habits impact every area of life—from mindset and confidence to relationships and financial success.

Jerry shares his philosophy of “extreme health,” explaining why most people have never truly experienced what it feels like to operate at their best—and how once you do, there’s no going back.

This episode dives into the power of daily commitment, the importance of building a strong foundation, and how small, consistent actions can create massive long-term results.

If you’re looking for a practical, no-excuses approach to improving your life, this conversation delivers.

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

Your Brain Is Lying To You! w/ Rene Rodriguez

Your subconscious mind is processing 11 million bits of information every second — and it's making most of your decisions before you even know it. In Episode 10, Russell and Jerry welcome one of the most powerful voices in leadership and behavioral neuroscience, Rene Rodriguez, for a conversation that will fundamentally change how you see yourself and the world around you.

Rene is a 30-year veteran of applying neuroscience to real-world leadership and influence, a bestselling author (Amplify Your Influence), and a sought-after keynote speaker who has shared stages with some of the biggest names on the planet.

Together they dig deep into the science of cognitive bias — why your brain isn't seeking truth, it's protecting your identity — and what you can do about it. From self-serving bias to confirmation bias, from the Dunning-Kruger Effect to a CIA spy's perspective trick, this episode is packed with insights you can apply immediately.

You'll walk away knowing:

• Why your past experiences are distorting your present decisions
• How to reframe traumatic memories and change their hold on you
• The step-by-step process for rewiring your subconscious identity
• Why confidence follows courage — never the other way around

As Russell puts it best: "Bias doesn't make you wrong. It makes you unaware." This episode is your first step toward awareness — and awareness is where extraordinary begins.

Guest: René Rodriguez (Amplify Your Influence)
Website: https://www.meetrene.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/learnwithrene
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@learnwithrene

🎧 Listen, learn, and start running with the cheetahs.

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

In Episode 9 of Run with the Cheetahs, Russell Anderson talks with author Jerry and his son, entrepreneur Justin Freishtat, about one of life’s hardest pivots: moving from victim to victor when everything collapses. From divorce and losing millions to fraud, lawsuits, and starting over, they share the honest, unpolished version of what adversity really feels like and how to climb back.​

They break down:

• The moment Jerry decided to stop living as a victim and rebuild his life after a brutal divorce and financial wipeout.​
• How Justin went from a $20M hedge fund and a luxury lifestyle to losing his income, his net worth, and his marriage—and why his network and personal brand kept him in the fight.​
• The concept of “the gap”: the time you stay in despair before you decide to move, and how experience shortens that window.​
• Why controlling your health, habits, and inner work matters more than ever when the external world is on fire.​

This episode is for anyone feeling stuck, blindsided, or broken by circumstances and needing proof that the comeback really can beat the setback.​

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Run With The Cheetahs, Russell welcomes back author Jerry Freishtat to explore one of the core pillars behind every high-performing life: mindset. They define mindset as the invisible operating system running in the background of your life, influencing how you think, act, lead, and recover from adversity.​

Together they discuss:

• Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, and why people with a growth mindset believe they have real input into their destiny while fixed-mindset thinkers feel controlled by outside forces.​
• How we all carry multiple mindsets (about work, relationships, money, other people) and why this is actually good news—because mindsets are malleable.​
• What Jerry learned from Carol Dweck’s research on children and the environments that either nurture creativity and initiative or stifle them.​

Russell shares how Shad Helmstetter’s book What to Say When You Talk to Yourself reshaped his understanding of self-talk and the subconscious mind—and reads a deeply personal morning declaration he uses to reinforce the man he chooses to be every day. They contrast traditional affirmations with the idea that consistent, aligned actions may be the most powerful form of self-talk you can have.​

A standout segment is their breakdown of Price Pritchett’s “5 C’s of Negative Thinking”:

• Complaining
• Criticizing
• Concern (worry)
• Commis­erating
• Catastrophizing

They explain why, from a performance standpoint, your biggest gains often come not from adding more positive thinking, but from ruthlessly eliminating these five patterns from your daily life.​

Other topics in this episode:

• The “cheetah mindset” and how elite performers think about bad days and failed attempts.​
• Why talent is overrated without work ethic, resilience, and a growth-oriented frame of mind.​
• How high achievers handle challenges, health issues, financial pressure, and family struggles—why the problems don’t disappear, but the response changes.​
• Practical ways to start your day with intention (your “golden hour”) instead of defaulting to old mental habits.​
• The importance of questioning your own thinking: “Why do I believe this? Why am I afraid of this risk? Where did this mindset come from?”​

Jerry leaves listeners with this challenge: you can’t go back and create a new life, but you can start today to create a new ending. Your current mindset is not a life sentence.​

Resources mentioned:

• Book: Run With The Cheetahs – the foundation for this podcast.​
• Book: Mindset by Carol Dweck.​
• Book: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself by Shad Helmstetter.​

New episodes release every two weeks. Explore additional articles and tools at runwiththecheetas.com.​

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

Why Your New Year’s Resolutions Are Already Dead (And How to Actually Change in 2026) 🔥 | Run With The Cheetahs

Most New Year’s resolutions don’t survive the first week — and it’s not because you lack motivation.
In this no-BS episode, Russell Anderson and author Jerry Freishtat dismantle the lies that keep people stuck and hand you the exact playbook high achievers use to build extraordinary lives.

In just 60 minutes, we destroy the old thinking — and rebuild what actually works:

💥 What you’ll learn:

💥The 4 levels of commitment (and why “I’m trying” really means “I’m not doing it”)

💥Why keeping your options open guarantees mediocrity

💥The brutal “Man in the Mirror” conversation almost nobody is willing to have
(yes — we read the AI prompts that hit like a truck)

💥Jerry’s real 5:00 AM morning routine at age 65 — no fluff, no alarm clock, gym every single day

💥Win the Day vs. Win the Moment — the only system that actually works

💥Damage control: what to do the day after you completely blow it
(Cliff Brooks’ 5,000-calorie Thanksgiving example)

💥Why obsession beats balance, comfort is a curse, and average is a sin

If you’re tired of false starts, half-commitments, and waking up a year from now in the exact same place, this episode is your reset button.

👉 Do ONE thing the second this video ends.
Jerry guarantees you’ll feel the dopamine shift in under 10 minutes.

📘 Grab the book — Run With The Cheetahs (companion to the podcast):
https://amzn.to/xxx

🎧 Subscribe so you never miss an episode (new drops every 2 weeks)

⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – This episode was supposed to be about commitment… we went way deeper
02:11 – The quotes that set the tone
06:40 – Who’s really writing the chapters of your life?
13:20 – Can you recover from a terrible decision? (Scar tissue = self-esteem)
18:45 – The 4 levels of commitment (most people live in the dangerous #3)
26:10 – Why “eat healthier this year” is absurd
32:30 – Man in the Mirror: the AI roast no one asked for
41:15 – Win the Day vs. Win the Moment — start RIGHT now
48:20 – Jerry’s exact 5 AM routine (65 going on 45)
55:10 – Damage control after you fall off the wagon
59:30 – Embrace the Battle

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

What does it really take to transform your body and your life in your 50s… and come out with ZERO regrets at 65?

In this raw, no-BS episode, Jerry Freishtat (author of Run With The Cheetahs) and his legendary “Alpha Lion” bodybuilding coach David Johnston (6’2”, 250 lbs onstage, 22 years coaching champions) drop life-changing truth bombs:

✓ Why 90% of people quit the hard things… and the 10% who make it actually ENJOY the suffering
✓ How Jerry went from “normal 50-something gym guy” to state bodybuilding champion under David’s brutal training
✓ The real reason most New Year’s resolutions die in January (and David’s genius “pre-prep” strategy that almost guarantees success)
✓ Why chosen discomfort > forced discomfort — and how walking into the fire on purpose callouses your mind forever
✓ David Goggins-level wisdom: “A lot of us don’t know another world exists… because it’s on the other side of suffering”
✓ The mindset that lets you look back at 65 and honestly say: “I have no regrets — I went to war and I won”

If you’ve ever wanted to know what separates the cheetahs from the herd… this is it.

Whether you want to build your dream physique, your business, or simply a life without regret — this episode will light a fire under you.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro: Living a life with ZERO regrets
04:20 – Meet David Johnston – The Alpha Lion of bodybuilding
12:30 – From overweight kid to 250-lb stage beast
22:40 – Why obsession is a gift, not a disease
32:15 – Jerry’s insane body transformation in his 50s
41:00 – The brutal truth about contest prep suffering
55:10 – David’s “moderate discomfort” philosophy that changed everything
1:08:00 – How to actually keep your 2026 New Year’s resolutions (start THIS week)
1:20:00 – Embrace the Battle – the mantra for an extraordinary life

👉 Get Jerry’s book “Run With The Cheetahs” (the companion to this podcast): https://www.runwiththecheetahs.com

👉 Follow or train with David Johnston: all links in comments & description below

If this episode hit you hard, drop a “EMBRACE THE BATTLE” in the comments and share it with someone who needs to hear it.

No excuses. Do the work. Run with the cheetahs.

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1

Send us Fan Mail

At 57 years old, after 30+ years of lifting, Jerry Freishtat stepped on stage for his FIRST bodybuilding competition… and walked away the Maryland State Champion 🏆💪

In this raw and inspiring Episode 05 of Run With The Cheetahs, Jerry shares the full story most people never hear — the truth behind discipline, mindset, and becoming someone entirely new.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll discover:

🔥Why less than 10% of wannabe competitors ever make it to the stage

🔥The brutal 80/20 truth about getting shredded (hint: it’s NOT the workouts)

🔥How Jerry survived months of extreme dieting, 90-minute daily cardio, and a coach who screamed, “Just f**ing quit now!”*

🔥The mirror moment that proved he was no longer the same person

🔥The childhood lie he carried for 30 years — and how he finally crushed it

💥 Plus:
The mindset shift that turns “I have to do this” into “Bring it on!”
Rocky Balboa wisdom 🥊
Tough love, daily micro-wins, and why Jerry believes:
👉 “Discipline is the strongest form of self-love.”

If you’re tired of quitting on yourself…
If you’re done waiting for New Year’s…
If you need proof that ordinary people can still do extraordinary things —
this episode will light a fire under you 🔥

Once you learn to love the battle, you learn to love the results.

📘 Grab Jerry’s book: Run With the Cheetahs: Your Climb to an Extraordinary Life
👉 https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG

🔔 New episodes every 2 weeks — subscribe & hit the bell so you don’t miss out!

Episode 5

💬 We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback!

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Startup Advisor | Speaker | Author

Russell Anderson
Founder & President, ACS Creative | Marketing & Design (30+ years)
Serial Entrepreneur | Forever Student of Business — and Life

🎵 Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big thanks to Michael Fath for The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio

Jerry Freishtat
CEO of Wealth Climber | Serial Entrepreneur | Investor | Advisory for Startup Entrepreneurs | Speaker | Author | Committed to innovation, growth, and making a positive impact on the world.

Russell Anderson
Founder, President ACS Creative; Marketing & Design (30+ years of growing brands; global and local)
Serial Entrepreneur, Forever Student of Business - and Life

Buy the Book and Audiobook!
Amazon Audiobook
https://a.co/d/jbuW7Bh

Amazon Book Purchase
https://a.co/d/7Kq3MrG


Intro/Outro Music Credit
Big Thanks to Michael Fath for the use of The Emerald Isle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hva33IEU3SY&list=RDHva33IEU3SY&start_radio=1