RIDEOUT: The Other Side of Hard

Tayler Holder has 19 million followers on TikTok, millions more across social media, and a story that goes way beyond being an internet star.

Tayler grew up in tiny Alvarado, Texas, racing dirt bikes and chasing adrenaline from the time he was a kid.

He left traditional high school after ninth grade to train and race motocross, then eventually shifted his focus to Vine, Musical.ly, and social media.

He moved to Los Angeles determined to figure it out, literally hanging around the apartment complex where the biggest creators lived until he started meeting them. That hustle eventually led to Magcon, massive social growth, TikTok, the Hype House era, and ultimately building his own creator house called The Compound.

We also get into Tayler’s love of fighting. He trained with Ryan Garcia, sparred Canelo Alvarez, fought Gib in front of a massive crowd in Miami, and later took a fight on four days’ notice for $50,000 and won by second-round knockout.

Then everything changed.

Tayler talks about the public accusations made against him, which he denies, losing brand deals, spending huge amounts of money on attorneys and crisis PR, financial collapse, and reaching such a dark place that he attempted to take his own life. He also tells the story of a former business manager who he says used his American Express account without permission and failed to file his taxes.

Eventually, Tayler left Los Angeles for Nashville, wrote “Drive” with Shay Mooney, bought a farm, started pursuing country music independently, and began trying to build a completely different life.

We talk about fame, validation, money, fighting, mental health, faith, music, and what happens when everything you thought mattered disappears.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Tayler Holder

(00:31) Followers and Brand Deals

(01:05) ROKA Gift and Sponsor Shoutout

(01:54) Small Town Texas Roots

(02:17) Rodeo Life and Adrenaline Kid

(03:30) Vine Beginnings and Early Content

(04:46) Dropping Out for Motocross

(09:21) Brutal Pit Bike Crash Story

(14:55) Sponsor : ROKA

(16:35) LA Hustle to Boxing Camps

(28:55) Sparring Canelo Up Close

(29:27) Canelo Shoulder Attack Lesson

(29:53) First Fight Nerves

(30:19) Backstage With Jake And Tyron

(31:51) Sponsor: Timeline

(33:23) Vine To TikTok Explosion

(36:06) Monetizing Followers And Brands

(36:58) Hype House Drama To The Compound

(48:42) Accusations Rock Bottom And Faith

(58:59) Money and Validation

(59:45) Hometown Crabs and Haters

(01:00:35) Accusations and Financial Freefall

(01:01:10) Business Manager Betrayal

(01:04:16) LA Teen Years and Learning Music

(01:06:48) Friendship Ends Over Politics

(01:08:18) Nashville Move and New Start

(01:09:55) Farm Life and E-Bike Chaos

(01:17:21) Indie Music and Mental Health
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Missy Franklin is one of the greatest swimmers of all time. She made her first Olympic Trials at 13 years old, and four years later she went to London and absolutely dominated—four gold medals, a bronze, and a world record in the 200 backstroke.

But what I loved about this conversation is that we spent just as much time talking about what happened when things stopped going perfectly.

Four years after London, Missy went into the Rio Olympics carrying enormous expectations, injuries, sponsor pressure, and the weight of trying to recreate the greatest week of her life. She didn't make a single individual final and describes those eight days as some of the hardest of her life. After bilateral shoulder surgeries and fighting for 18 months to get back, she eventually had to retire at only 23 years old.

We talked about all of it—the insane suffering swimmers put themselves through, making the Olympics as a teenager, what it actually feels like to win a gold medal, breaking a world record, turning down life-changing money to swim at Cal, failing publicly in Rio, and learning that sometimes the way you lose says more about you than the way you win.

Missy is also in a completely different chapter now. She's a mom of two, she's training for HYROX, she's somehow learning to love running, her husband Hayes is racing professionally in triathlon, and they're building Gold, a goal-setting platform for athletes.

I really loved this conversation. Missy is exactly who you hope she is—positive, competitive, thoughtful, and completely honest about both the incredible highs and really difficult lows that came with her career.

Hope you guys enjoy this one.

Follow Missy: @missyfranklin88

Please subscribe to The Other Side of Hard, leave a comment, and let me know what you think of the episode.

Learn more about the show, my upcoming book, and everything we're doing at theothersideofhard.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Missy Franklin

(00:18) Why Swimming Hurts

(00:52) Swimming vs Running

(02:45) Husband Triathlon Journey

(05:55) Missy Finds Hyrox

(06:37) Sponsor Gifts Moment

(07:24) Growing Up in Colorado

(09:31) Teen Olympic Trials

(12:56) Sponsor: Roka

(14:36) Support System and School

(19:42) London Olympics Breakthrough

(31:54) Record Heat Magic

(32:14) Celebrity Shoutouts

(32:32) Gold Medal Reality

(34:11) Parent Reactions

(34:45) Sponsor: Wild Roman

(35:46) Motherhood Moments

(37:19) Learning To Fail

(39:40) Staying Amateur

(41:54) NCAA Glory Days

(43:34) Pro Pressure Spiral

(45:27) Rio Trials Heartbreak

(50:36) Retirement And Next
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Former UFC fighter Ian Heinisch sits down with Ken Rideout for one of the wildest stories ever told on The Other Side of Hard.

Ian grew up in Colorado as an elite wrestler with the talent to compete at the highest levels, but drugs, alcohol, arrests, and self-destruction quickly began overtaking his life. After leaving school and spiraling further, he moved illegally to Canada, worked door-to-door sales, was arrested and eventually deported.

Back in Denver, Ian began trafficking ecstasy before being caught in a sting operation. Facing serious charges, he fled the United States for Europe.

What followed was extraordinary.

Ian eventually landed in Tenerife, where he says he became an international cocaine mule, traveling through Colombia, Venezuela and Aruba and swallowing packages of cocaine to transport them back to Spain. He was eventually caught, sentenced to prison, and spent roughly two and a half years incarcerated in Spain before being returned to the United States.

His trip home included Rikers Island and an 11-day prisoner transport back to Colorado.

Once free, Ian committed himself to mixed martial arts. He rapidly climbed through the sport, reached the UFC and broke into the top 10 — while privately battling another devastating addiction to opioids.

Ian opens up about finding sobriety through his Christian faith, his rise through the UFC, serious health problems, concussion-like symptoms that ultimately forced him away from fighting, and the difficult process of rebuilding his identity once again.

Today, Ian is an entrepreneur, works in crypto, and serves as president of Bare Knuckle Ice Wars.

This is a conversation about addiction, prison, survival, fighting, faith, purpose, and the possibility of completely changing the direction of your life.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Ian Heinisch

(00:43) Wrestling Roots and Drive

(02:51) Addiction Takes Hold

(07:47) Rehab Ranch and Expulsion

(23:27) Canada Hustle and Chaos

(30:49) Border Hustle Into Canada

(32:28) Holding Cell Withdrawal Chaos

(37:16) Courtroom Slip And Deportation

(47:33) Denver Ecstasy Operation Sting

(55:37) Europe Run To Coke Mule Trips

(01:03:53) Cali Jungle Connections

(01:05:41) Parties Culture Shock

(01:08:15) Swallowing Balloons

(01:12:38) Airport Bust Tenerife

(01:19:15) Prison To Rikers

(01:35:05) Rikers Survival Night

(01:38:16) Marshals Transfer Nightmare

(01:40:33) MMA Rise and Oxy Spiral

(01:43:48) Faith Turnaround and UFC Run

(01:50:24) Health Crash New Purpose
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Bernard Pollard earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s most feared hitters — and became known throughout New England as the “Patriot Killer.”

In this episode, Bernard sits down with Ken Rideout to talk about the mentality behind his violent style of play, growing up angry in Fort Wayne, Indiana, using football as an outlet, choosing Purdue, and making the jump from a three-call high school defense to the complexity of major college football.

Bernard takes Ken inside his NFL career: representing himself, getting drafted by Kansas City, refusing to pay a $45,000 rookie bar tab, the hit that tore Tom Brady’s ACL, being cut after Scott Pioli arrived from New England, battling with John Harbaugh in Baltimore, winning a Super Bowl with six broken ribs, and experiencing firsthand how ruthless the NFL business can be.

He also opens up about the dysfunctional culture he encountered in Tennessee, the decision to turn down another opportunity with Oakland and retire, and why walking away ultimately helped him become a better husband and father.

Today, Bernard says football was his talent — but teaching, training and developing players is his gift. He shares how Jalen Ramsey became one of his first major training clients and why coaching athletes gave him a new purpose after football.

This is Bernard Pollard beyond the hits.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

Wild Roman: wildroman.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT15”

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

00:00 Meet Bernard Pollard

00:34 Embracing the Villain

01:30 Born to Hit

02:32 NFL Safety Rules Debate

04:54 Helmet Pads and Optics

06:24 Fort Wayne Roots

11:31 Anger as Fuel

21:28 Purdue and Going Pro

32:32 Sideline Coaching Tension

33:47 Teachers Versus Coaches

36:00 Protecting Jalen’s Development

37:03 Blackballed From Coaching

38:24 Gruden Example and Ad Break

40:11 Deion Sanders Training Summer

44:34 Declaring and Tiller Fallout

54:46 Draft Day and NFL Reality

01:00:48 NFL Culture Shock

01:01:15 Player Development Mentor

01:01:53 Megan’s Big Sacrifice

01:02:59 Training Camp Reality

01:04:59 Rookie Bar Bill Standoff

01:07:59 First Money Lessons

01:12:27 Brady Hit Fallout

01:17:28 Baltimore to Super Bowl

01:28:14 Owning the Bad Game

01:28:39 Cut Loose in Baltimore

01:30:33 Exit Physical Sabotage

01:33:08 Landing With the Titans

01:34:30 Titans Culture Shock

01:39:45 Walking Away From Money

01:42:14 Retirement and New Purpose

01:50:04 Family Growth and Farewell
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Kent McGowen spent years enforcing the law. Then he spent nearly two decades behind bars.

Kent is a former Houston police officer and Harris County deputy who was convicted of murder after fatally shooting Susan White while serving a felony retaliation warrant in 1992. Kent has maintained for more than three decades that the shooting was justified and that he was wrongfully prosecuted.

He takes Ken through the entire case: the informant and stolen-gun investigation that started it, White’s threats, the warrant, the forced entry, the moment he says White pointed a .32-caliber pistol at him, and the three shots that changed his life forever.

Kent also details his allegations of misconduct by prosecutors and investigators, his first conviction being overturned on appeal, the disastrous second trial that sent him to prison, and what he witnessed during 19 years inside the Texas prison system.

He ultimately walks Ken through the letters that finally brought outside attention to his case, the people in law enforcement who came to his aid, his 2021 release, and the fight he says is still far from over.

Thank you to our sponsors

Our Title Sponsor ROKA: www.roka.com/ Code “RIDEOUT”

AMP Fitness: amp.ai/rideout

Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/

Chapters

(00:00) Meet Kent McGowen

(00:42) Early Policing Days

(04:46) Texas Law Enforcement Breakdown

(06:43) Informant and Gun Crew

(10:27) Sponsor Break Roka

(12:08) Buy Bust Gone Sideways

(16:41) Susan White Arrives

(25:32) Threats and Retaliation Case

(29:59) Phone Records No Link

(30:38) Midnight DA Intake

(33:17) Warrant Delay Whiteout

(35:12) Sergeant Orders Warrant Run

(39:11) Calling Suspect First

(40:48) Door Knock Escalation

(43:59) Legal Theory Unlawful Warrant

(47:34) Forced Entry And Shooting

(55:19) Aftermath And Scene Chaos

(58:39) Deputy Matt And Prior Contact

(01:02:50) Captain Harper Statement Shift

(01:03:43) Fax Cover Sheet Fallout

(01:04:40) Grand Jury Pressure Tactics

(01:10:27) Sealed Indictment Arrest

(01:12:43) Denholm and the Corrupt Clique

(01:20:45) Prosecutor Harassment Campaign

(01:26:21) Conviction and Appellate Bond

(01:30:32) Appeals Victory and State Pushback

(01:33:52) Appeals Win Streak

(01:35:33) DA Targets His Wife

(01:37:53) Airport Intimidation

(01:41:01) Hiring Cogdell

(01:43:56) Lawyer Chaos Spiral

(01:45:51) Trial Strategy Disaster

(01:50:29) Eleventh Hour Warning

(01:56:25) Coked Up Closing

(01:58:00) Guilty and Bond Revoked

(02:00:34) Processed Into Prison

(02:03:17) Safekeeping Shock

(02:04:40) Intake and Sociology Interviews

(02:05:20) Case File Shock and Hidden Discovery

(02:06:57) Zimmerman Takes the Case

(02:08:31) How Prosecutors Rig Cases

(02:09:53) First Units and Bench Warrant Detour

(02:11:11) Goree Unit and Karla Faye Tucker Cell

(02:14:13) Jury Confusion and No Protective Custody

(02:16:48) Price Daniel Unit and Dangerous Cellmates

(02:19:50) Juan Flores Heart Attack Crisis

(02:28:59) Retaliation Transfer and Solitary

(02:30:07) Pack Unit Life and Surviving on Anger

(02:32:15) Visits, Parole Setback, and Journaling

(02:34:05) Parole Setoff Trap

(02:34:51) Corruption And Beatings

(02:37:57) Parole Shakedown Revival

(02:41:17) Letters That Got Help

(02:46:21) Immediate Release Decision

(02:50:12) Walking Out After Loss

(02:56:07) Life On Intensive Parole

(03:01:10) Aftermath And New Cases

(03:03:17) Fundraising And Wrap Up

(03:04:54) Host Outro And Subscribe
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