This week, Gunnar and Jen are joined by Don Saladino and Ed Coan in Nashville for a mentorship weekend. Don and Eddy are two of the most respected names in strength and fitness, brought together for a coaching combine built on connection over content. Don talks candidly about his 27 years in the industry, the brutal early days of chasing clients with fliers and answering machines, and the deal he still offers every young coach who calls him: work a real gym job for 18 months, then he'll mentor you for free. Nobody's ever taken him up on it.

Eddy opens up about the training system that made him the most decorated powerlifter in history — reverse-engineering every number from his goal lift backward, writing down every rep for over three decades, and never changing a program that was already working. The conversation turns into a masterclass in patience, authenticity, and why real coaching expertise can't be faked, no matter how good someone looks on social media. They also dig into mentorship itself: who shaped each of them, what it means to actually invest in another coach instead of just answering DMs, and why connection, not algorithms, is still what builds a career that lasts.

Whether you're a coach trying to figure out how to stand out in a saturated industry or just want to hear how two legends think about longevity, this one's full of hard-earned wisdom from two guys who've done it the long way.

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About Don:

Don Saladino is a wellness industry leader and coach known for helping individuals build strength and longevity through sustainable training. Since launching his career in 1999, he has become one of the most trusted voices in fitness, combining practical training strategies with an approach centered on consistency. His philosophy is rooted in the belief that stacking small wins through daily “micro-momentum” leads to lasting transformation.

Today, Saladino leads a global fitness community through the Don Saladino App, which delivers strength-focused training to users in more than 100 countries. The platform offers dozens of programs for every fitness level. Whether someone is stepping into fitness for the first time or rebuilding after years away, Saladino’s mission is to serve as a trusted coach who makes strength and longevity achievable for every stage of life.

About Eddy:

Widely regarded as the greatest powerlifter in the history of the sport, Ed Coan has set over 70 world records across his career and remains the benchmark by which elite strength is measured. Coan began lifting in a friend's basement before high school, training on makeshift equipment with no squat rack, no bench, and no deadlift platform — just the will to get stronger. By 16, lifting barely 150 pounds, he was already putting up numbers that outpaced men twice his size.

Competing primarily in the 220-pound weight class, Coan went on to total more weight than any lifter in history regardless of class, posting a career-best total of 2,462 pounds (squat, bench, and deadlift combined) while weighing just 220 pounds.

Produced and Edited by: The Cast Collective (Nashville, TN)

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This week, Gunnar and Jen sit down with Brent Yates, founder of Aion Vest and author of The Gravity of Up, to trace a story that goes way beyond weighted vests. Brent opens up about the years he calls his transformation: a divorce, a bout with MRSA, the 2007-2008 financial crisis, a point where he admits he'd checked out on life entirely, and how a chance encounter with a trainer in Phoenix while he was rebuilding both his body and his business became the foundation for everything that followed.

From there, the conversation traces his path from running a pipeline construction business in the oil and gas world to tearing his shoulder in a long-drive golf contest at 60, which sent him looking for a better way to train — and eventually building Iron Vest from scratch. Brent's longtime business partner Kelly even makes a surprise virtual appearance to talk about the leap of faith that brought her from the hotel industry into health and wellness. They dig into why Brent chose to align his brand with people like Gunnar, the difference between teaching and selling, and his philosophy on failure: you don't need to hit a home run every time, you just need to keep getting on base.

Whether you're rebuilding after a setback of your own or just curious how a guy in his sixties built a category-defining fitness brand from a personal need, this one's full of hard-won perspective on reinvention, trust, and betting on yourself long after most people would've stopped.

Thank you to our sponsors for supporting the show!

TRAINHEROIC: Trusted by top coaches since 2012. Plans start at just $10/month– And you get your first 14 days free. Head to https://www.trainheroic.com/thekidstable to start your free trial now.

MOMENTOUS: If you want to try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine, head to https://www.livemomentous.com/creatine and use code KIDSTABLE for up to 35% off your first order.

About Brent:

A serial entrepreneur and bestselling author, built Aion out of his own transformation. We view mind, body, and spirit as one system, and everything we make is meant to give you the tools to work on all three at once.

As recounted in his #1 best-selling narrative "The Gravity Of UP," Yates confronted a low point in life, grappling with crumbling health, a deteriorating body, and a feeling of total hopelessness. Determined to change his life, he sought tools to elevate it to unparalleled heights. Surrounded by exceptional mentors, he found answers in faith and discovered his calling: inspiring and guiding others.

As part of his healing journey, Brent turned to movement—walking, strength training, and daily activity—as a foundational tool for change. But he found himself searching for something more: a way to add intensity, focus, and impact to everyday movement. That’s when the idea for a new kind of weighted vest was born.

Frustrated by bulky, uncomfortable options on the market, Brent envisioned a vest that was sleek, functional, and built to challenge the body while supporting the mind. Aion became that solution—a patented, premium weighted vest designed to elevate every step, strengthen posture, and promote total wellness. What began as a personal need became a movement for all those committed to transformation.

If you're standing where Brent once was, ready for something to change, this is where that starts for you too.

Produced and Edited by: The Cast Collective (Nashville, TN)

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