MAPS 15 BOGO: https://maps15bogo.com Buy any MAPS 15 program and get a second one free. Choose from MAPS 15 Minutes, Symmetry, Strong, Powerlift, Performance, Muscle Mommy and Forty Plus. Lifetime access, no subscription, 30-day money back guarantee. In this episode the guys sit down with Michael Smoak — public speaker, podcaster and host of the fastest growing podcast in wellness, The Higher Up Podcast — for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Michael shares the full origin story: being called overweight by his best friend at 20, losing 60 pounds in ten months listening to Mind Pump, spending seven years building a knowledge base in isolation before posting his first TikTok at 26, quitting his corporate sales job after one month when the promise he made himself came true, and building to three million followers across platforms. He also opens up about the five months caring for his father as he died from a portal vein blood clot with no treatment available, recording his father’s voice on a lapel mic 60 days before he passed, delivering the eulogy at 27, how his dad’s death became the catalyst for his faith, how the lonely chapter is a necessary part of any man’s growth, and the Purpose Progression tour he is currently running. The guys also discuss the rise of young men turning to faith at unprecedented rates, how to evolve your friend group without a formal breakup, and what purpose actually looks like in practice. GUEST LINKS Michael Smoak: https://www.instagram.com/higherupwellness The Higher Up Podcast: available on all major platforms The Purpose Progression Tour: https://laylo.com/laylo-higheruptour/m/wpPOi3 LINKS Mind Pump Store: https://mindpumpstore.com Maps Fitness Products: https://mapsfitnessproducts.com Instagram: @mindpumpmedia 35;39 - Recording his father on a lapel mic 60 days before he died 39:49 - Grief, ego dissolution and what his father’s death taught him about faith 45:44 - How he went from atheist to Christian — Yellowstone, his father’s death and surrendering in the car 51:50 - The revival of young men turning to faith and his role in it 55:36 - The lonely chapter — how to evolve your friend group without a formal breakup 📚 Free Mind Pump Guides: Fat Loss Guide: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/how-to-lose-fat?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID Hardgainer Guide: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/hardgainer-guide?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID Squat Like a Pro: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/how-to-squat-like-a-pro?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID Flat Tummy Guide: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/flat-tummy-guide?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID More at: https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/free-resources?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID Take the guesswork out of your training and follow a proven program designed by Mind Pump. https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-products?htrafficsource=youtube-organic&hcategory=MPSHOW&el=postID 📱 Other Channels: Mind Pump Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@MindPumpClips Mind Pump TV: https://www.youtube.com/@MindPumpTV Elite Trainer Academy: https://www.youtube.com/@EliteTrainerAcademy