74. Ryan the Pilot

What happens when the career you dreamed about actually works out?Jon Kreye picked up a Nikon DSLR in high school and started shooting his friends’ senior portraits. Twelve years later, he’s a full-time photographer who has worked with brands like Vrbo and Expedia, shot in the Swiss Alps and St. Lucia, and published two coffee table books on cabin culture.But the best part of this conversation isn’t the highlight reel. It’s what Jon is learning along the way.We talk about taking the leap from a W2 job, what makes a place worth remembering, and how Jon came to own his faith in college. We also get into raising two young daughters, staying patient through the toddler years, and choosing to be present when there’s always more work to do.If you’re building something and trying not to miss your life while you do it, this one’s for you.Know someone who needs this reminder? Send it their way. And tell us in the comments: what would it look like for you to slow down this week?Subscribe for more honest conversations about faith, family, purpose, and everything in between.Because following Jesus isn’t just for Sundays.Guest: Jon KreyeHosts: Mitch Bauer & Andrew HeussChapters:00:00 Introduction & How Jon Got Into Photography02:00 Finding a Niche in Airbnb Photography04:00 Guest Expectations & Hosting Stories09:50 The Leap to Full-Time Entrepreneurship15:40 Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels17:15 Family Life & Fatherhood32:30 Jon’s Faith Journey & Salt Company41:20 Faith & Parenting50:00 Future Vision & Growing the Business57:20 Gear, Technical Setup & Creative Philosophy01:02:30 Coffee Table Books: Up North & Back to the Woods01:05:00 Jon’s Approach to Social Media01:11:30 Final Message: Slow Down & Be Present

What does grace look like from the front seat of a squad car?Kyle Fowlkes was born in Detroit, raised in Minneapolis, and has lived more lives than most: pro bodybuilder, strength coach, and now a Minneapolis police officer. He’s answered active shooter calls on his lunch break and worked a seven-hour standoff while still in field training. But some of the most important moments happened in the quiet ones, like a conversation with an addict in the back of his squad car that changed how he sees everyone, himself included.We talk about bodybuilding and the issues fitness can hide, policing in Minneapolis today, and why Kyle chose the badge to help people and be someone kids in the city can relate to.Then it goes deeper. Kyle opens up about growing up without a father, moving from Detroit shelters to Edina, his mom’s sacrifices, and the family who took him in and treated him like a son. He talks about learning to see God as Father, letting go of old excuses, and leaning fully into Christ.And yes, we close by singing “Amazing Grace” together.Everyone needs grace. Same amount. Every time.0:00 – Prayer & Coming to God as You Are4:10 – Meet Kyle Fowlkes6:00 – Going Pro in Bodybuilding & What It Was Hiding10:20 – Minneapolis Police Stories: Active Shooter & the “Churro Incident”18:20 – Policing Minneapolis Today25:20 – The Squad Car Conversation That Changed Everything30:00 – Why Kyle Became a Police Officer36:00 – Accountability, Pride & Surrender38:30 – Finding Church & Acceptance44:00 – Growing Up Without a Father & Finding God as Father55:30 – From Detroit Shelters to the Harris Family1:05:00 – Parenthood & Leading With Humility1:08:00 – Singing “Amazing Grace”1:10:30 – Final Advice: Die to Yourself & Give Your Life to ChristJesus first. People always.👉 Subscribe for more real conversations about faith, family, and purpose.

In this episode of Always Sunday, we sit down with entrepreneur, adventurer, and founder of "The Brand Club" Steve Weigel. From ascending El Capitan and doing back-to-back half Ironmans to undercover anti-trafficking work in Thailand, running Ivy, and building The Brand Club, Steve shares honest stories about purpose, finding identity beyond work, and why real growth only happens when you choose discomfort.In this episode, we talk about:- Brand building and creating an ecosystem around people - Near-death moments ascending El Capitan and sleeping on the wall- Why prevention is just as vital as rescue in humanitarian work- The rise and evolution of Ivy Longboards & Adventures- Navigating identity loss after leaving a career or losing a job- Faith, church culture, and living your values through action- Why life is a game of discomfort over outcomeTimestamps:00:00 – Introduction & The Power of Brand Storytelling04:30 – Back-to-Back Half Ironmans in Converse06:45 – Ascending El Capitan & A Near-Fatal 2,000-Foot Fall19:40 – Moving to Thailand & Anti-Trafficking Work27:30 – The Power of Prevention in Humanitarian Work31:35 – Building Ivy: Creating Belonging & Adventures39:05 – The Brand Club & Branding as Becoming44:00 – Dealing With Job Loss & Shifting Identity Away from Work58:00 – Faith, Growing Up a Pastor’s Kid & True Community01:07:40 – Singing Blink-182 & The Value of Choosing Discomfort

We were so blessed to have our friend Mark Dowdle on Always Sunday.Mark is an ultrarunner, endurance athlete, Team USA Backyard Ultra competitor, Arrowhead 135 champion, and one of the most genuine people we know. Over the last few years, we’ve watched him go from working odd jobs and chasing the dream of becoming a professional athlete to competing at the highest levels of ultrarunning and building a massive community around running, faith, and pushing yourself beyond what you thought was possible.In this episode, we catch up on everything — ultramarathons, backyard ultras, extreme endurance, training, recovery, sponsorships, social media, turning running into a career, and what it actually feels like when the dream starts becoming reality.But this conversation goes much deeper than running.Mark opens up about his relationship with Christ, fasting, surrendering control, handling success and influence, imposter syndrome, marriage, identity, and learning not to let race results or social media define who he is.It’s a conversation about ultrarunning, faith, fitness, suffering, purpose, friendship, and figuring out what really matters when the race is over.We’re grateful for Mark, grateful for his friendship, and grateful we got to sit down and have this conversation.If you're into ultrarunning, endurance sports, backyard ultras, mental toughness, fitness, faith, or simply hearing from people willing to push themselves to the limit, you’ll enjoy this one.0:00 – Stewarding Influence, Scripture & Mark’s Faith Journey12:09 – Fasting, Faith & Redefining Success24:16 – Influence, Evangelism & Running With Christ34:25 – Quitting His Job & Chasing the Pro Athlete Dream46:00 – Success, Identity & Being a Man of Your Word56:00 – Becoming Sponsored, Social Media & Theo Von1:06:30 – Ultra Running Longevity, Recovery & What’s Next

Can you find real peace on your own, or do you need something bigger than yourself?Peter Gaustad joins Mitch Bauer and Andrew Heuss for one of our most open, honest conversations yet. Peter grew up in the church, drifted into doubt, and found his way to meditation, Wim Hof breathing, and teachers like Abraham-Hicks while searching for peace. We talk about it all with curiosity, not judgment: surrender, prayer, grace vs. works, objective truth, and whether spiritual practices can do what only Jesus can.There’s plenty of fun along the way too: quitting nicotine, the Pokémon card craze, Heydays in North Branch, raising little kids on no sleep, Red Dye 40, keeping a wedding simple, and the time we accidentally went viral on a foot forum.Wherever you are on your faith journey, there’s a seat for you in this conversation.0:00 – Catching Up & Quitting Nicotine5:00 – How We Went Viral (For the Wrong Reason)7:30 – Motocross & Heydays in North Branch10:30 – Pokémon Cards, Collectibles & Nostalgia16:30 – Parenting Young Kids25:00 – Keeping Wedding Planning Simple29:00 – Kid Personalities, Birth Order & Red Dye 4038:50 – Faith, Doubt, Meditation & Surrender58:00 – Worldviews, Christianity & Grace1:17:30 – Consciousness, Abraham-Hicks & Moral Truth1:36:00 – Prayer, Spiritual Practices & Do You Need Church?1:55:30 – eye2eye Optical & Wrapping UpCheck out Peter’s family business, I2I Optical in Fergus Falls, MN.“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28Jesus first. People always.👉 Subscribe for more real conversations about faith, family, and purpose.

This week on Always Sunday, Andrew and I sit down with Kolby Gartner — entrepreneur, believer, and guy with a wild testimony, for a conversation that goes everywhere: road rage as a mirror for the soul, a supernatural dream that changed the trajectory of his life, speaking in tongues, free will vs. predestination, and why Sabbath rest might be the most underrated discipline in a hustle-obsessed world. If you're chasing "worldly success" while trying to stay "godly significant," this one's for you.Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & meet the crew00:56 – The great bald vs. hairline debate02:30 – Road rage confession (and what it revealed)07:45 – How the guys met Kolby07:56 – "Who is Kolby Gartner?" — identity in Christ11:06 – Kolby's story: growing up Lutheran, chasing curiosity15:56 – The dream/vision that changed everything20:46 – Road rage revisited: hating the sin, not the person22:47 – Experiencing the spiritual realm33:00 – Learning to speak in tongues41:00 – Free will vs. predestination54:00 – Men of the Kingdom Bible study & his mentor Dean1:03:41 – Taking the entrepreneurial leap as a believer1:09:00 – Sabbath rest & avoiding burnout1:14:14 – "The best ability is availability" — ego vs. rest1:17:00 – Social media, algorithms & guarding your mind1:19:33 – A finite mind chasing an infinite God1:21:43 – Where to find Kolby + his AI agent business1:23:00 – Final advice: stay intellectually honest, follow Jesus🎙️ Produced by Dan the Podcast Man🤝 Co-hosted by Andrew HeussIf this episode encouraged you, subscribe and leave a review, it helps more than you know.

In this episode of Always Sunday, Levi Kissack joins the show to share his powerful journey from a Wyoming ranch to finding a new life in Minnesota. Levi opens up about his battle with addiction, the quiet struggle of hiding it from those closest to him, and the life-changing moment of surrender that led him to faith. We also discuss the incredible legacy of his brother Nate and the vision behind the coaching program for Christian dads.00:00 – Introductions and small talk (the coffee debate)08:06 – Meeting Levi Kissack: Background and moving to Minnesota10:34 – Growing up on a ranch in Wyoming18:32 – The transition from real estate to finding a new purpose21:42 – Identity-based transformation: The vision for the "Always Sunday" coaching program24:14 – The struggle with addiction and the cycle of hiding it27:14 – Levi's brother Nate: An 8-year battle with leukemia31:21 – The turning point: A step toward faith on a walking path34:54 – Surrendering to God and the moment of sobriety38:40 – Redefining the Gospel: Grace, shame, and the new creation51:52 – A brother's final moments: Sharing a prayer of salvation57:51 – Finding hope in suffering: Why this world isn't our home01:03:25 – The refining process: Overcoming pride and finding joy in the Lord01:08:45 – A simple prayer of salvation01:12:08 – Final reflections: Leaning on community and God's strength01:13:42 – Closing wisdom from Proverbs 23

After taking a break back in February, life looks a lot different now. In this first episode, Mitch sits down with his new co-host Andrew in the new studio to talk about the real reason we’re back: Jesus.00:00 - Intro: Welcome to July 3rd and the return of the podcast 01:50 - How Mitch and Andrew met (The Sauna & The Training Group) 06:20 - Meeting people where they are: Dealing with loneliness at 30 10:15 - Andrew’s Background: Growing up Quaker/Baptist vs. owning his faith 14:15 - The 2020 Baptism and the struggle with discipline 18:30 - Being "Mad at God" during seasons of adversity 21:20 - Andrew’s Journey: Transitioning from the Catholic Church 25:10 - The Lunch that changed everything: Defining "Surrender" 30:30 - Tangible Life Changes: Temperament, Parenting, and Peace 35:00 - The "Always Sunday" Studio & Dan the Podcast Man 38:40 - The Sauna & Cold Plunge Debate: Fad vs. Lifestyle 42:30 - Community in the heat: Why people open up in the sauna 45:45 - Navigating Conviction: The "Failed" Fast and moving forward 49:15 - Deep dive into "Dungeon Crawler Carl" (Andrew’s current read) 54:10 - Spiritual Awareness: Guilt, Momentum, and the "I Am" Trap 58:20 - Truth vs. Perception: Colors in Heaven and Final Thoughts 1:00:45 - Closing: Fast, Pray, Give.Enjoy! Love you too

Ever wondered what it takes to go from crashing on couches to cruising at 35,000 feet? In this episode, we sit down with a hilarious Delta pilot and my friend, Ryan Moffett, who shares his journey from humble beginnings (sleeping on couches) to flying with the big leagues. We talk about the struggles, the triumphs, and the unexpected detours—this episode is littered with laughs, insights, and plenty of turbulence. Buckle up—it’s a fun one!-Enjoy!-Love you too

Welcome back! In this episode, we bring together two individuals—one Republican and one Democrat—who have never met and had no prior knowledge of each other. The only thing they knew was that the other person votes differently from them. Can a Republican and a Democrat find common ground in a world of political differences? Join us for a light-hearted and hilarious conversation where opposites attract—or maybe just agree to disagree over some friendly banter and unexpected laughs. Who knows, by the end of the episode, they might just discover they're more alike than they ever imagined! Enjoy! Love you too