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"The Wife of a Fighter" with Julie Donovan & Jess Pauga- High Altitude Martial Arts/Elevation Fight Team · Caught on the Mike...

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_03: Listener discretion is advised.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_03: Life starts when you discover what you want to fight for.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_03: In many episodes of this podcast, we have talked about a fighter's journey or the life of a fighter.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_03: But what we have not discussed is a fighter's home life.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_03: In this very special episode, I have Julie Donovan, wife of elevation fight team coach Cody Donovan, and Jeff Pounga, wife of recent UFC Diny, Zach Ponga.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_03: It's not about the life of the fighter, but the wife of the fighter.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_03: Ladies and gentlemen, this is Caught on the Mic.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_03: On my show, we talk a lot about a fighter's story, the mindset that brings them to the big game, the conditioning, the ambition, and we talk a lot about what a fighter or coach sacrifices to see that dream through.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_03: What is commonly missed, however, is the impact it has on families good, bad, ugly, otherwise.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: What it's like to see a loved one go through training, how they handle a victory, or better yet, how they stomach a loss.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: With me today are the wives of two fighters and a coach, essentially, former fighter.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_03: I've been excited to do this episode for a long time.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_03: I have Julie Donovan and Jess Pounga on the show today.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_03: How are you ladies doing?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: Doing great.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: How are you?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: How are you?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_03: What a lovely afternoon.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: How's the weather in Colorado?
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_03: Is it freezing or what?
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's definitely freezing.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're um not I don't, I think we're like in the single digits right now.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's pretty cold.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'm in Nebraska and the air is kind of crisp here.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_03: I want to go outside and use my fancy inflatable hot tub.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_03: I don't do the ice bath thing.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I am not a savage, but me neither.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: Me neither.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, if you are not following Jess's husband, Zach, on Instagram every day.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_03: He posts videos from his ice bath, and I don't know how he does it, especially in Colorado.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: He's crazy.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_03: So without any further ado, maybe we go one at a time.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: Introduce yourself, tell who you're married to, and you know, tell a little bit about your story.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm Julie Donovan.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: I'm married to Cody Donovan.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_02: He um is a retired fighter.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: He is a UFC vet.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, fought for Bellator and um transitioned to coaching when he retired maybe six years or so ago.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we owned a martial arts academy in Denver called High Altitude Martial Arts.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_02: Just moved to a brand new facility, um, 12,000 square feet, huge, um, beautiful new training center.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_02: So um, I am a mom to three.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_02: I have a daughter, Cora six, Maive is four, and Conan is 11 months.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I also run the gym and I do real estate and uh I run Cody's professional and personal life.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Jess Pauga.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_01: I am married to Zach Pauga, and we met in middle school.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: So we've been together for a really long time, and I've been through the football, the rugby, and all of his pro sports, including um his new adventure of MMA.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: And um we have been doing this crazy thing called life together.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: We got married in 2013.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and he started fighting when my oldest daughter Moana was born.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: So about five years ago, which is how we got introduced to Cody and um Julie.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: So we've been great friends since, and the partnership and and how they work together for their careers has been really amazing.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we're getting ready for an upcoming fight this February in two weeks.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really exciting.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but we're in the thick of preparing and and documenting everything that's going on right now.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_03: I have been watching the transition from the old location to the new one.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: Holy crap.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_03: 12,000 square feet, just so people kind of have a perspective of it.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_03: I don't talk about what I do for a living as my day job, but I'll I'll give a hint.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_03: I manage businesses, and let's just say it's in the retail sector.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_03: Your average big retail store is 17,000 to 22,000 square feet.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_03: So to have a martial arts facility that's kind of close in that range, like 12,000 square feet, that's that's a lot of ground to cover.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's beautiful.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's beautiful though.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they have tons of classes and everything.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: We got to see it when they opened um over the holiday weekend, and it is it is gorgeous.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: And just the amount of classes that they get to teach in there too, it's really cool to see the transformation and the growth for them.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: But I know they do a lot of hard working in there too.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's it's pretty much um a wild beast at this point.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we we've owned the gym now for 12 years, and it went from 100 students and we're right around 700 now.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_02: COVID, during COVID, we had 350 students, and um, even though we closed, we still had 250 paying members.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_02: So the loyalty for for the gym is there, and they knew that they'd have to, well, they don't have to, but to keep us help keep us afloat, they still paid their tuition.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: So we were able to pay our staff.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and then once we opened up after COVID, we just doubled in size into Wow.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_03: And for those of you that are kind of new to my show or you're just now kind of hearing things uh for the first time, Cody and Zach have both done my show.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Zach's actually done my show twice now, which has been fantastic.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_03: But one thing that I notice and maybe I attribute to some of the success of the gym and the growth of the gym, is there's a consistency of mindset with all of the people that are students and kind of the product that comes out of that.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: Like great leaders, great people.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: What do you say is kind of Cody's sense of core values that really brought the two of you together?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_02: Well, both we're both Vietnamese.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, you talking about me and Jess or me and Cody?
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_02: You and Cody! This is entertaining.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_03: I told you it would be entertaining.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: So we actually went to the same high school together.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: We Cody swears he met me in high school.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I worked for the dean's office, and he thinks I gave him a dean's note to come see the dean.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_02: I don't recall this, but he does.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_02: And then we just kind of ran into each other over the years.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I have a picture of me and some girlfriends with some random fighters after a local fight, and one of them has to be him because he was kind of cute, you know, like just fought and looks a little cute.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_02: So we took a picture with him, you know.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_02: I was total, total MMA fan, fangirl or whatever you call it.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_02: And then um, we have mutual friends and we just kind of kept on bumping into each other.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but in the beginning, I think we were so different that um that's what the attraction was because he's he's very um personal and outgoing, and I'm kind of reserved.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um we we definitely balance each other out.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's it's the opposites attract thing to a certain degree.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_03: And how about you and Zach?
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: Like you have been together for a long time.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_03: You said that you've been together since junior high, which is amazing, especially in this day and age.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, this post-social media world, it seems like long-term relationships like that are kind of a challenge.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_03: So, what are some of the values that you know brought you and Zach together?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I think it it was one of the things where you you really have to know that you want to be with that person.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: And it wasn't falling in love with the person that he is, but knowing how to fall in love with the person that he's becoming.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, every single time we've shifted from one sport to another or um, you know, a new group of friends, or whatever the case, it's always you're learning and you're growing and encouraging that from one another.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's not, you know, I don't like who you're becoming or or whatever it is.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's really I love who you are becoming and I want you to be the best version of yourself, knowing that you have so much more to give.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so every time he's kind of transitioned from one step to another, he's just more experienced and seeing it in a different light and and watching him become a father and a great friend and a great mentor to so many different people, it is he also encourages and brings that out in me as well.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and this whole relationship that we have with the Donovan's has been quite amazing, to be honest.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, they have Cody and Zach have an amazing relationship to begin with.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: So they they work really well in the in the ring, outside of the ring.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then just being able to connect with Julie has been phenomenal because she's really been able to share with me her experience when she was with Cody through their fight career.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, someone to confide in about some of the hard things that we go through, but really knowing that it's worth it.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then our kids are about the same age.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: So it really is, um, and I don't know how how you know often this happens, but it's it's a family friendship.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's not just, oh, I have to go see my family friends.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's like me and Julie get a hangout, Zach and Cody get a hangout, and the kids get to hang out.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it it's always a really great time when we get together.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: That's where I was going with and why I wanted to give you both an opportunity to kind of describe that from a value standpoint, is because whether you realized it or not, and I'm going to put on my serial box behavioral science hat here, you described the coach, the mentor, and mentee relationship really well in the way that you both described your husbands.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_03: So you you essentially kind of outlined why the relationship is so strong.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: It's Zach's constant willing to learn, and the fact that Cody's a seasoned vet.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: Like he has seen it, he has been through it, and you two have a very similar parallel, it sounds like the guys are in the other room playing uh Warhammer as we speak, while our children playing playing in the playroom.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, definitely a finger finger.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: You know what's funny is like that that is something that I uh just like I love, and it it is warmed my heart since getting to know the guys a little bit.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_03: As I'm sure that MMA fans would be shocked to learn some of the awesome stuff that those two guys are into.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: The way their brains work and they love these like Warhammer DD kind of things.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, best storytellers.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like, don't ask me to tell you a bedtime story, ask your dads because they are amazing at it.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: And um, a long time ago, Zach, I don't know how he got me to, but he got me to do a campaign for one of his DD things.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I did it with him, and I think we played for a good year or two.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think Cody and Zach are trying to find time to do another DD campaign, and maybe Julie will will maybe we'll we'll show up.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, maybe.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_01: But um, I remember he he like stole my money after he helped me build this character, and I was so mad at him that I just like wasn't playing anymore.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_01: But the storytelling and the way that these guys' brains just work in creating these whole new worlds and situations is just so unreal.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: Like, like I don't know how they're they're so creative, and I think that really translates for both of them in the fight scene too, because they want to see these situations and they're breaking them down, and they're it's really cool to see and have those conversations with them too.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, just hearing it from um their perspective.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_03: And so, Julie, you heard Jess basically pitch to you to be in a D uh campaign here.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, does she?
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure she knows the story about how your sister got you to start Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_03: Why don't you tell that for my listeners?
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_03: How you ended up starting jujitsu?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: I had been, you know, at this point, me and Cody have been married for eight years, and I was I was around it all the time.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: I supported it, I watched all the students, I went to all the tournaments, but I had zero desire to do it.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um and then Cody would, you know, have a few glasses of tequila and he would kind of throw it in there like, I really wish you would do some jujitsu.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: But finally, my sister, uh, we were playing each other in fantasy football.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_02: And if I lost, I had to do three classes of jujitsu.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_02: And if she lost, she had to do a jujitsu tournament.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I lost, I did my three classes, and then I stuck with it because I actually really do like it.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe I should have started a long time ago.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it took I I have like the the personal space thing.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't I didn't really want to be touched by other people and the sweaty, and I just had zero desire to do it.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: But now, you know, I love it and I wish I do did start earlier.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: And watching my daughters do it, maybe just started her first class the other day.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: But watching Cora do it and knowing that I can actually speak to it, like I know what she's trying to do, it's special.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's not like me on the sideline pretending like I know what I'm doing.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's you are actually involved.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_02: So you, you know, you know those parents that are like never taking a class and or play a game of football and they're like trying to tell their kids what to do better.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: It's kind of hard to take them seriously when you're like, you've never even tried it.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_02: So my sister's a purple belt now, and then um Pora is uh gray white, so I'm still the lowest ranking family member.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_03: Again, another great point because that's something I constantly fight, having to overcome is my personal bubble.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_03: I'm somebody that loves my bubble, and if people get too close into my bubble, I get really weird, and which is crazy because I am naturally a social guy.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_03: Like when people get inside my space, I get in my own head about that, and that's something you really have to overcome if you're doing a martial art like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, isn't it?
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, there's um there's no no boundaries at this point, right?
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: You're north-south with somebody and it's not a great place to be.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like uh one of my friends, little girl, she's four, she took her second class the other day, and this little boy who had been there longer, it's the game, you know, there's they're supposed to take someone's supposed to take the other kid down and get on mount, and then you know, the parents they they know each other, so they were joking.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, Your your son was mounting my daughter.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_03: How have you found that adapting to that martial art for yourself has changed you or influenced your day-to-day life in the real world?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_02: I think for me it's more um understanding the culture of the gym and what Cody has been trying to build this whole time.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_02: It'd be it's hard for you to so I write the blogs and things for the um gym.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_02: It's hard to write about it if I don't if I never did it, because I wouldn't understand, right?
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: And if I'm trying to get a member to join um and I didn't do jujitsu, it there's it's a missing, something's missing.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like I wouldn't understand it.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um but since I do do it, I understand Cody's vision, like I understand uh what his his end goal with with the gym is.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_03: So transitioning from football to rugby to life as a police officer and now as a pro fighter for Jess, how has that been for you to watch from the sidelines in a similar stance for Julie becoming involved with the jujitsu culture?
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so um I will say I'm I'm Zach's biggest fan outside of his mom and his dad and and everything.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, I really um when people ask me like, hey, who's your favorite team, or like who's your favorite player?
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's like, well, whatever team Zach's playing on, or whatever.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I really enthralled myself in learning all the football rules.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: He played all through high school.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and he also played all through college.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, really had those rules down.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_01: The transition from football to rugby was extremely intense, especially with him um getting a let go from the after the Texans and everything, too, and really trying to find his new what am I good at and learning a lot about him where he just needs to always have something, some kind of outlet, some kind of physical outlet to be able to be him.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then learning all of the rugby rules, I was like, okay, that was a touchdown, but what is it really called?
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and how many points was that?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, a touchdown would technically be a try.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: And how do you score there?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: And and learning about the rucks and all of these other things.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_01: It's a completely different language, but it a lot of people think that football and rugby are similar from an outside perspective.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, then transitioning to the law enforcement was was really scary, you know.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we were married at that point, and I think just not knowing if he was going to be home.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I would shoot up in the middle of the night, like looking at my phone.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_01: And if he didn't text me, um, it'd be really scary that, like, is he okay?
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I I'd I can't like necessarily call him, but I'd text him and see if if that was all right.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_01: And it was this constant worry, right?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and now he tells me, I don't want to be a detective or police officer anymore, I want to fight in the cage.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, now you're asking for it, where before you didn't know if it's gonna happen or not, but now you want to do it.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, my parents and myself, like it was it was really scary to think about you're gonna go and get yourself locked in this cage.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: But the reality of it is you know who your opponent is, you're training for it, and there's no unknown weapons.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: You can't like no one's gonna bring a gun into the cage.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they're just gonna bring the skills that they've been working on, and he's been working on his skills and everything, too.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: So the reality of it is as scary as fighting is and violent it is, it's still safer than him being on the street.
• 19:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I I willingly support that piece of it.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and really just love to see how he breaks down and strategizes um in and outside of the ring every day.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really cool just to see his growth and um what he brings to our family to really push us to also think of those things outside of the box, too.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's amazing.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_03: And watching Cody progress from fighter to coach simultaneously being business owners, like it's kind of a same similar question.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like, how has your mindset grown alongside that?
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_03: And what's your interpretation of that trajectory been like?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know, people ask me a lot, um, is it is it easier now that Cody doesn't fight?
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_02: And I would say um it's it's probably worse because um he even though he's not physically physically fighting, he's his heart is in there with all his fighters, right?
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_02: Like he sacrifices a lot for them.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: He gives them a lot.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like he some of them he thinks of them like as as they're his sons, right?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: Some of them are um he he's always like a mentor to a lot of these uh fighters.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: So watching him and his fighter um lose, it it affects him just like it would affect him if he was the the one fighting, right?
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then that of course we translates to us because um like we want it was his 40th birthday.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: Curtis Blades fought um Derek Lewis, right?
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and he got knocked out.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, me and my sister and some of my family members and our children surprised Cody in Vegas for his 40th birthday.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, we were like surprise, and he's very sad and upset.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, he tried to um turn it around and be present because we were there, but he was heartbroken, like absolutely heartbroken for Curtis, for himself, for um uh Harley.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_02: You know, just the it's it's really heartbreaking.
• 21:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I would say the same thing happened with um Zach most recently.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: I was in Vegas for that again.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um so it is it is hard um to watch them, but you're also like super proud when you see all three of them, you know, walking out, walking out to the cage together, and you know that they put in so much work together and um that they're they're there and they're gonna do the best that they can, you know.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, my heart and my mind is with you on this, just for the simple fact, what just happened this last two weeks?
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: He basically Jumped off of a fight in Vegas with Razak and then was in Brazil the next week.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_02: He was supposed to go straight from Vegas to Brazil.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, wow.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_02: But um he wanted to see the kids for one day.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_02: So we changed his ticket, and then he's on the shuttle to Razak's fight, and the UFC calls him and they're like, hey, you need a COVID test within the next 24 hours.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: And Cody's like, How?
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm going to the arena right now.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like, there's no way I can do this.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_02: So they actually had to move his fight flight to Brazil another day.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: So he was home with us for two nights.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_03: Well, win for you and win for him.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_03: He gets some time with the kids in between all of this.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_03: So that's a nice break.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_03: And that's a good segue to the next bit is how has the fight game influenced both of these gentlemen as fathers?
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, for for Zach, it really gave him something worth fighting for more than just himself.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: And he talks about it a lot.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but more than him talking about, he really shows it, he really means it.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: He loves those kids and he would do anything for them.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: And he's such a great father and he's so present.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I would say that's something that him and Cody really have in common as well.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: Cody's very present with the kids, and they, like I said, we we can all get together and no one's being left out or not taken care of because everyone's just here doing what they love to do and spending it with great people.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, he really does just have this drive, and it's nothing can change that.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_01: Nothing, no one can take that away from him, right?
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but he loves being a dad to both Django and Moana and and they play and wrestle.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: And um, when he was gone filming for the uh tough season um for six weeks, we really felt it.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think the first few days it was okay because he we're used to him being gone for like four or five nights for other people's camps and his fights.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but that six week was really, really hard on them.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I think when, you know, we were coming down on the last final two or three weeks, it was like they really were wanting their dad, you know, that that presence is always there.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: And um, that was hard on them, but but we did it and it was worth it.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_01: And he came home and they were so happy to have them pick him up from school.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's always exciting when when they get to see each other.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: So when he is gone, we go and pick him up from the airport and they like rush him at the elevator or the escalator when he comes up, and it's always a good time when he comes home.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_02: Cody is uh just like Zach, he's um a very present dad.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_02: He gives the kids all their baths.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_02: I only do it if he's like out of town or something.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: He changes tons of diapers, you know.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, so he's always super helpful.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_02: He loves them and he loves spending time with them.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_02: So when he is away, it's hard for him, but he knows that it's for them, right?
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I don't know if you if you ever have noticed, but um, whenever he walks out or he's if he's in the cage, he used to make like kind of weird hand signals.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: It used to be a C for Cora, and then it had to be um an M for Maeve, and now he just does three fingers and it's for his three kids, and they watch for it every fight, but that's like how he that's how how much he loves his kids.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: Like he does that for them to show them that like I'm I'm doing this for you, I think about you, even though you're not here.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_02: And it's he's trying to build something for them bigger than just what it is now, right?
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: Like we all it's we know it's a job and we know that the fight, it's a fight, the UFC and whatever else is not always gonna be here.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we hope like the legacy of the gym and Cody's legacy is actually what I strive for.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I think that's what Cody wants to is to that that his kids remember him as somebody who worked really hard, who loved everybody, who took care of everybody, um, who sacrificed a lot for them to give them everything that he uh didn't have when he was growing up.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_03: Oh man.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_03: How do you think that becoming girl dads influenced both those guys?
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_03: Because that had to lend to a sense of empathy that maybe neither of the guys had as much of before.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_03: I know it did me.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_03: Like, and I'm only speaking from personal experience.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_03: The guy I was before I had a daughter versus the guy I became after I had a daughter, two totally different people.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_03: And a lot of my friends, when I talk to them, they're very similar in like that same mindset.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if Zach will ever admit it, but he is so different with Moana.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: He has such a soft spot for her and would do anything for her.
• 26:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you wouldn't know, you wouldn't know that about him because he has such a calm, cool, collective um personality all the time.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: He's always put together, he's really tough, you know.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: But if she needs him anything, he will drop everything for her, do anything for her.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that also means pushing me, pushing me aside because she wants her daddy and they have this amazing bond that I would never want them to give up.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we're a little scared of the teenage years, or at least I am, but he he says it's not gonna happen.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's not gonna happen to us, but we'll see.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I think that the whole girl dad thing is just amazing just to have just to see a softer version of him that nobody else experiences and getting to know him a lot deeper because of his relationship with with the girl with the with Moana.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I've noticed Cody's whenever I'm looking through his Instagram, like I think I've even seen a story at one time or another where he did a tea party or something with with your girls, Julie.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_02: He lets them do, you know, their nails and his nails, and he's he's terrified for teenage years, and even Cora being in first grade, you know, the the things that first grade drama is even starting, you know, is so bad, and he's just terrified.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_02: But um, you know, he we hope that we were raising them to make good decisions um when we're not around.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: But now that we have a son, it's it's changed Cody in um in even like a you would you would say he was even more softer, right?
• 28:18
  unknown: With the boy.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_02: He feels so much more um responsible, basically, like for for cre for raising a strong man, you know, like he's the where I tell him like we're raising someone's husband, someone's dad, like he he doesn't want the girls to see um like a lazy dad that doesn't help around the house because they want he wants them to marry somebody who will cook and clean and he wants Conan to treat women right and all that.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: So he's like trying to balance the the girl dad, but now raising a strong son.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_02: And if you know Cody, he does a lot of um men's work, so he's always mentoring a lot of men too.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_02: So now he gets to do it with his own son, and I think he's super excited about that.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_03: Man, I I feel like I'm just repeating myself in my uh agreement with the both of you because I know again, leaning from my own personal experience, my daughter taught me empathy, but my son taught me the cadence of accountability and what it means to be a uh, you know, model my actions uh in the way that I would want him to react in things in life.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm gonna tell you right now, I wish I could tell you that the teenage years are really easy, but they are not, they're not at all.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know how many times my wife says, they're teenage girls, Michael.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh my gosh.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: My dad already, multiple times for my teenage years.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_03: In terms of the fight game and your experience in the fight game, what you've observed and what you're currently observing, in terms of wins and losses, how is that impact different on the home front?
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_02: Ironically, even if they win and it's not a win that they thought was the win that they wanted or the win that they thought they would have, that can almost be um they don't celebrate it necessarily as a win either, you know.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_02: So uh they're very hard on themselves.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: They're like their worst critics, right?
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_02: Cody will critique like his coaching, his corner work, um, things that they worked on, his game plan, whatever.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: So I think win or lose, they um they still I think that they're gonna celebrate the work that they did and what they were able to do because there's always gonna be good things from the the fight, right?
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: Like um Zach's last fight, he was he looked great when he went out there, you know, he just got caught.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_02: So they're gonna talk about all the things that did go well and what they need to to do next time, but it's it's hard for them to be present when there is a devastating loss.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: And we have to, we know that, like, but we we have needs too.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_02: So we're like, you know, we have like it's it's you're trying to be you're you're a dad, um, you're a husband, but you're also a coach, and you you need to fake it for your kids, right?
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Like you are sad and you really don't want to do anything, but you're gonna have to, or um the same thing with us, like we give them we give them some time to well, I give them some time to mourn and then uh gotta get right back on the horse and keep going.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_02: And that's a that's a coach now.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think a fighter is gonna have it's it's a a lot harder, I would think, right now.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would I would definitely agree with it.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's like win or lose, they're a team, and there's always room for opportunity.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, we love winning and it's fun.
• 31:47
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, Zach went undefeated through his amateur career in his first five pro fights, you know, and it was amazing.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: We were having such a great time.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but they're always going constantly back to the drawing board and figuring out how do we, you know, you did this and it worked out, but this is how we can do it better.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: And just watching Cody and Vinny and Zach and just breaking all of these things down is really cool to see.
• 32:10
  SPEAKER_01: But win or lose, they're gonna have these great conversations.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_01: And um, they need that time.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: If it during a loss, it's just a lot more apparent of what needs to be fixed and what needs to be addressed.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: And um, like Julie said before, the both Vinny and Cody take it just as hard as Zach would.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_01: And and you know, Zach feels like he's letting them down and they feel like they're letting him down.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_01: And um it's so important about who you put in your corner and who you surround yourself with.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and with the gym, you know, that community that the Donovins have created is a lot of why these guys are so successful if they really buy into it and they really are thinking that this is the family that's going to get them to where they want, you know.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think Zach said it earlier in the week about it, it's really important about who's in your corner, who's gonna hold you accountable, who's gonna push you to be a better version of yourself and help you evolve and not just say, hey, you're winning, I'm getting paid, you're getting paid, see you next fight.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's, you know, how do we keep this going?
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_01: And um not only that, but they they really care about it as well.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think when Zach was training with Alistair way back when he got knocked out.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: Like Zach got knocked out in training by Alistair.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: And and they said, you know, you need to take the time, the appropriate time to get better.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: And because we we care about you as a person and we know you can do well, and we want you to have a long career in this.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so that's really important that that this is more than just a fighter coach relationship.
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's this whole team that they're selected to be in there for a reason.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's more than just to win, it's to create this legacy that they've created and everything too.
• 33:53
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_03: I love the uh repeated cadence of talking about legacy because I I know that's important, not just for fighters, but just for people in general, uh, to make sure that the best thing that they can leave behind is like markers of what your character is all about.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_03: And I think both the guys do a fantastic job of such.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's been a great pleasure for me getting to know both of them through this avenue of podcasting.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_03: Julie, uh, you've been in on this mixed martial arts portion of things for a long, longer portion of time than you know, Zach and Jess.
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sure you've noticed firsthand the evolution of the sport and how it's almost a different sport now than it even was five years ago.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um is is that a fair fair assumption on my part?
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I would say um when Cody was in the UFC, it was it it was still it wasn't new, but it was different, right?
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like the um just the way it ran.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_02: There wasn't like a dedicated travel team, you know, it was a lot of people kind of get things done yourself and then we'll uh reimburse you later.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_02: But now now it's like a well-oiled beast, you know.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think the things that have changed that I've noticed is um I don't I wouldn't say like it's like a show, but it's like there's a lot of there's a lot of personalities right in the fight game and um and and personality sells like back then I feel like it wasn't as big, you know.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: We Connor was just becoming Connor and there was George who is just George.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_02: He didn't like have like crazy hair and just throw things at people and just act crazy all the time, you know.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_02: He was just George and a fighter, and everybody still really liked him.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: So it's evolved into more of like an entertainment um thing to me.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I see that, but I also see how much it's grown.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_02: Like the fight team alone at the gym, there's every day we have you know, 20 people who want to join the fight team.
• 36:09
  SPEAKER_02: We have people who um maybe would want to fight, but they just want to kind of learn martial arts and see if it's something that they would want to do.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I think the sport has evolved a ton, um, but the production has evolved a ton.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_03: Whenever I encounter people and I can tell that they haven't watched it at all or haven't watched it for a long period of time, it's the perception of the athleticism in the sport as well.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_03: I had to explain it, and man, I I don't want to insult any fighters in any way, shape, or form by what I'm gonna say, but there used to be a perception that it was essentially human cockfighting back in the day, and now it's like high-level like athleticism.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_03: Like the training is different now, it's more precise.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_03: There's like a lot of fitness science involved now that wasn't as prevalent in the early days of mixed martial arts.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_03: So it's been really enjoyable to watch the sport evolve as those personalities, like you say, uh, have evolved as well.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so that's kind of gotta be an exciting spot for you, Jess, and for Zach, to be getting in on this whole new phase of mixed martial arts where it is kind of structured more so in a way like um what people would consider traditional sports are to a certain degree.
• 37:33
  SPEAKER_01: I would definitely agree with that.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've we've always been a fan of MMA.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: Me and Zach have always watched together and everything too.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_01: Well, not as much as we do now.
• 37:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, we don't miss one now, but before, you know, we we tune in and it was really, you know, the striker versus the wrestler or the jujitsu against the thing else, you know, the karate.
• 37:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it was really interesting to kind of see where there's one specialty.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_01: At this point, you really gotta hit all your bases and have at least a little bit of a foundation everywhere and training those things where you may not be the the the expert in every single one, but you know a little bit about every single different mixed martial arts.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's the really cool thing about it now.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's really turning into mixed martial arts where you're not you're not just a striker, not you're not just a grappler, you're not just doing judo, you're you're really learning a combination and then making it your own unique style of being able to uh fight another man or woman.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_01: So it's interesting to show to showcase your skills that you've been working on and surprise somebody if they don't think you have those skills, or you know, showing someone that you really do have a gap and you might need to go back and and start taking some theater classes in a different martial arts.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_03: So you just talked about how people are trying to join the fight team through the school and such, and I've got a personal observation, and I think I've made this observation on several episodes of the podcast over the past couple of years, is there is just something different about the people that come out of your school than any other um martial artists I've ever talked to?
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_03: And I and you know, I'm I'm not gonna act like I'm some world-traveled martial arts reporter or anything along those lines, but there's a certain level of character and integrity that I really appreciate with the people that come out of high altitude and the elevation fight team people.
• 39:39
  SPEAKER_03: What is it that separates you guys from everybody else and that creates that mindset?
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's our culture, and that's what we work on every day.
• 39:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we don't uh we put our product second, um, staff training third, and then marketing is very last.
• 39:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that just kind of happens if everything else is happening.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_02: But um, if somebody's in there messing with our culture, uh we will have a have a little meeting with them and try to get them back on track.
• 40:12
  SPEAKER_02: But if they can't fit in with the culture, then they'll probably have to leave.
• 40:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's something that we've worked so hard to achieve.
• 40:21
  SPEAKER_02: And it's it's this really cool balance of um, you know, like shirtless, sweaty, six-pack men with four-year-olds running around screaming, playing zombie, right?
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_02: Like we somehow have made this place where um everybody can go, and it's not weird.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yeah.
• 40:42
  SPEAKER_03: When I was there back in July, um, I brought my best friend from high school.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_03: He lives out there in Denver, and I was in I was there in July, and you know, our necks were hurting because they were snapping around so much from the who's who that was walking through those doors.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_03: But everybody was courteous, um, they were gracious in my interactions with them, and it was fantastic.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_03: It was there's a lot of people that go out there and say, don't meet your heroes, you're only gonna be disappointed.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_03: I was not even the slightest bit disappointed.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_03: It was like it was a big cultural difference in that school than other places I've been in, and you gotta know, I come from the music industry, man.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_03: Everybody's fake.
• 41:29
  SPEAKER_03: So so it was it was awesome, and it's it's been a fantastic experience getting to know everybody.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_03: So, big question for each one of you is what is a lesson you've learned about yourself through this whole process?
• 41:49
  SPEAKER_03: If you were to sum this all up, what's something you've learned about yourself?
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think for me, it's um I'm stronger than I think I am.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: I think there's been times where I, you know, if if if somebody, if a friend of mine told me, hey, I'm doing this and I'm I'm gonna have to go through six weeks by myself, or I'm gonna have to do this, and I'd be like, oh my gosh, I can't believe that's happening to you.
• 42:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um at this point, it's like for me, I was like, I almost kind of thrive in it where I know I can do this.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like I got this.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_01: I can reach out to Julie when I need to, or whatever the case, you know, like we we have each other's back, this community that's been created, this culture that's there, um, really reaches out to one another.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_01: But I think that I something that I felt like I always had to do by myself.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_01: I know I'm strong enough to to reach out to um mother-in-law's family, um, friends to really get through what we need to so that we can continue to evolve and grow.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I might have been too shy or too scared at one point to ask for that help, but just that strength that I've seen in Zach and coding and venting everything really has um shown me to that I'm I'm stronger than I I I thought I was um in all aspects.
• 43:03
  SPEAKER_03: So fantastic.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: How about you, Julie?
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um she's super mom over here.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_01: She won't help you, but she is super mom over here.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_01: And she the way that she handles the three kids with like almost every weekend, especially when they're at fights back to back to back, like I really do look up to her.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_01: She'll even say, Hey, so the guys are gone.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_01: Do you want to come over and do a play date?
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_01: And it literally saves my life.
• 43:29
  SPEAKER_01: So um, it's just amazing to see her how well she's literally super mom.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think she really embodies that.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it it's amazing to see because she does such a great job, and then she's also managing this business behind the scenes, um, Cody's life.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think we booked his flight for um Zach's fight, and within seconds, Julie's like already had it all figured out, and we were texting about whether we were gonna go together or not.
• 43:56
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just amazing to see how on top of everything she is for her kids.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_01: And um her husband and everything, too.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: So definitely mentor for me.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: I'm learning from the pro who's done it for a while, which is really fun to have.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_03: That's fantastic.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_03: How does that feel to hear that?
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um she's she's being extra sweet.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_02: True.
• 44:21
  SPEAKER_02: I I tell people I'm just trying to survive.
• 44:23
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, it it may look that it may look gracious on the outside, but um, you know, it's it's it's a busy time, right?
• 44:31
  SPEAKER_02: It's a crazy season in our lives.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um opening the gym between Christmas and New Year's was crazy.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I um I joke, but I'm kind of serious.
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like we almost got a divorce.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I got fired.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_02: I think I've been since rehired, but no official word yet.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's rough, you know, like we're we're in it together, Cody and I, but that means we're also like in it together, right?
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_02: So sometimes it's hard to turn it off.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we bring home all the good, all the bad, we share all the joy and all the problems that it comes with the two.
• 45:04
  SPEAKER_02: So um just trying to learn how to balance um wife, mom, gym owner, um, and still and still be able to give the kids what they need, Cody what he needs, and because I can't just give the business what it needs, right?
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_02: Because that's what you feel like you feel like it's your job, right?
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_02: So you that that should come first, but it's really all the other stuff that needs to come first.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_02: So I think I've learned to balance things uh pretty well, especially with him traveling so much and um me trying to give my my kids like a life to remember, I guess.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like I don't want them to remember like dad was gone, and I want them to remember like all the things that we did because dad was gone, because dad's working so hard for us.
• 45:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, like the other day, Cody was like, I want that car, and Mabe's like, Why don't you just buy it?
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_02: Like, what's up, you know?
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_02: So they it's it's funny that they I think they know like dad works really hard and they're proud of him.
• 46:10
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it's uh this is this is funny because I've never shared this, but when I was out there in July, it was kind of it sounded like it was just kind of a passing comment.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_03: But you know, Cody and I were standing in the front entrance of the the uh old school, and you know, he was kind of showing me around and showing me a few things, and he did make mention of that in in regards to legacy.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_03: That you know, he he said, you know, he grew up a lot differently, and he's just super proud of the life that he's able to give his kids uh because of this hard work.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_03: And it really stuck with me because I can even still hear his voice in my head when I'm recalling that.
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_03: But that that really did stick with me because I I'm a very of a very similar ilk, and uh, so it's it's it's great to see everything come to fruition and the type of people that both Zach and Cody are, but this is also a tribute to the both of you because you know the saying behind every strong man stands a stronger woman.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I tell the fighters get um get you a good corner woman.
• 47:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like you you need a you need a bad bitch in your corner.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I say.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_02: It's true.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_03: Amazing, amazing.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_03: So, with all that said, my sum-up question generally is on every episode of the podcast is what is your advice for making the world a better place right now as you see it?
• 47:47
  SPEAKER_01: Be kind to one another.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_01: We need more love.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, be be a good person.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you don't know, you don't know everyone's struggles, and uh and just uh think outside of you and your own personal bubble and and send the text or send a message to somebody that um you don't really think needs it, they need it.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_03: Ah, I love that.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_03: Ladies and gentlemen, you can see both of those guys together on February 18th.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_03: Zach's really it's it's kind of his first official UFC fight.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_03: That's not it not tied to the tough show.
• 48:27
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm excited for that.
• 48:28
  SPEAKER_03: I'm excited to see both of those guys walk to the ring.
• 48:31
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not gonna lie to you, I don't need to shine ass or like make up any stories or anything along those lines.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_03: I get chills every time I see those guys come up.
• 48:42
  SPEAKER_03: I feel good.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_03: Wins, losses, whatever.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_03: I live for the nights that I see my friends from elevation and high-altitude martial arts walk to the ring on UFC events.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_03: So it has been a pleasure getting to know them.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_03: And now I am really excited to get to know the both of you.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_03: I hope we get to run into each other in the real world sometime.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you'll have to come check out their new gym since you saw the old one.
• 49:07
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_03: So, truth be told, I'm probably going to be in the area sometime this spring, and then I'll also be back in August.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_03: So I'm hoping I can make that trip happen.
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_02: Come stop by and maybe we can do some interviews with some guys there.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_03: That would be amazing.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_03: Jess, Julie, thank you very much for doing the show.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_03: The world is a better place with you in it.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_02: Awkay, thank you.
• 49:34
  SPEAKER_02: It's fun.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_03: I want to thank my guests, Julie and Jess, for doing this episode of the podcast today.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_03: You can find high altitude martial arts on all forms of social media and search them out highaltitudema.com.
• 49:49
  SPEAKER_03: Extra special credit goes to Julie Donovan for coming up with the concept of this episode outside of the box.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely loved it.
• 50:00
  SPEAKER_03: While you're cruising things on social media, make sure you give Caught on the Mike a follow on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook.
• 50:09
  SPEAKER_03: You can also search out past episodes on YouTube.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_03: Visit me at www.cotonhe.com.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_03: This has been Caught on the Mike with Michael Clark.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_03: I'm Michael Clark.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_03: Until next time, thank you.