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Listen "Put Something Big on the Calendar with Marc Hodulich"
Episode Synopsis
On this episode of the Circuit of Success podcast, host Brett Gilliland interviews Marc Hodulich, the founder of 29029. Marc talks about his goals with his business, which are not to be the biggest or most profitable, but to have an impactful community, build a legacy, and have something that lasts. He also shares his journey to success, the importance of peak performance in life, and his experience as an entrepreneur. Marc encourages listeners to take risks and put something big on their calendars.
Full Youtube Episode Here!
Speaker Brett Gilliland: Welcome to the Circuit of Success. I'm your host, Brett Gilliland. Today, we've got Mark. Hodulich with this, Mark. How you doing, my man? Speaker Marc Hodulich: I'm great, Brad. How are you? Speaker Brett Gilliland: I'm good. I like those pictures back there. Looks like you got some, mountain maybe, mountains and a leg, get some kids, stuff going on, creating experiences. Speaker Marc Hodulich: Europe ski trip, dog, kids, all the things. Speaker Brett Gilliland: A white picket fence. You got it all, man. Well, cool. I am excited to have you today. So you are an avid adventurer, your accomplished entrepreneur, father of two boys, married, founded and exited multiple companies. One of them, which I'm assuming is what that red hat is right there, is the two 09:02 nine. And, we'll look forward to talking about all that stuff. But before we do that, I'd like to dive in and kinda learn about the past, man. What's the background? What's the story you've got that's made you the man you are today? Speaker Marc Hodulich: Well, thanks for having me. It hasn't been a linear journey. I'll tell you that. But, But briefly, yeah, look, I had a great childhood growing up. My dad was a runner. I got to be a competitive runner in late middle school to high school or in tracking college. And I think, you know, for the basis of just discipline and commitment to a goal, didn't achieve my goals at all as a college runner. I ran at Auburn and as much as I love the school. I probably shouldn't have been running in the SEC. I was good enough to make our travel team and ass kicked at every race that we went to. So, you know, it was a humbling experience, and then always just kinda dream big. Right? Kind of felt like I knew what my life would be like if I moved back to Burring him out, Pamela, where I was originally from. And right after school moved up to New York Gilliland, you know, it's kind of knowing what the goal is, but having no idea how you're gonna figure it out. I knew I wanted to live there. I knew I wanted to be in consulting or work in finance. It was a tough market. It was right after two. And, yeah, it was just a really tough time to find a job in the world of finance. And so I did everything from sell payroll door to door at ADP to work at Thomas Pinks, telling luxury clothing goods to, working at caterer, and it took me about four months to find a really good management consulting job, but I wasn't unwilling to put in really hard work that maybe I felt like my degrees and my background and my skill set maybe weren't aligned with. I was just willing to put in the work to try to find the Gilliland, yeah, you know, I kinda just, met my wife in New York. We have married seventeen years now. And pretty quickly in the world of management consulting. I know it's not what I wanted to do a long time. Still had always that side hustle mentality and had founded a business off to the side and eventually was able to to kinda leave my consulting gig and do that full time. And that's kind of change into the world of event production, a lot of live events, community building, and finds me where I am today, which is, you know, running a company that I founded with my partner that we sold and bought back called twenty nine and twenty nine. And, that stands for the height of Everest, twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet. And we built a really cool community and endurance concept really gives people a story to tell. You know, o over a course of a weekend, you know, you're gonna go to Sun Valley or Whistler or Jackson Hole, and we're gonna present a challenge of can you hike up a mountain and take a gondola down? Continue to climb it until you hike twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet. So kinda very quick transition to where I'm at now, but Yeah. Never it's never easy, and I think a lot of people don't see all of the challenges, failed businesses, jobs you didn't wanna work to kinda just see the lifestyle that you have now or or the position you're in now. And, I'm only able to be here because this learning from my mistakes, but also having really great trusted relationships along the way that finally found the right way to leverage all those in this current business that running out. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Well, it's awesome to see. I mean, that you you talked about the community. I mean, the the twenty nine zero two nine is amazing. I mean, I watch through Jesse's, social media stuff, Jesse. It's with social media stuff. That's how I originally got turned on to it and then through your stuff. It's just amazing. It's an amazing community. And Gilliland it's something that people, I think of all walks of life can try to go accomplish. And so my question for you, if there's a thousand people that do it, how many people are finishing it? Speaker Marc Hodulich: Depends on the location, but, I'd say, on average, around sixty eight percent, right, sixty eight to seventy percent finish it. Well, compare that to a marathon where you get about a ninety eight percent finisher rate. A lot of people are surprised by that. Marathons have an tremendously high, finish your rate. And then compare that to something that I've done as well, the leadville trail one hundred, which is one of the most famous, the kind of mountain ultra marathons, hundred mile run. That's Hodulich a thirty five percent finisher rate. So I don't wanna say we're we're in the middle. It's it's really hard. It takes a long time. But, it's so approachable. We had a participant Jim Fisher who finished our event last year in whistler, eighty years old. Right? Oh, wow. And he said that it's from that is frustratingly doable. Like, you just moved slowly walking for thirty five straight hours. Right? And so if you're willing to forego sleep, or a little bit of sleep, it's amazing what you can accomplish if you just keep moving. And, you know, most people do get to sleep three, four, five hours. Right? But we're talking about one night of your whole life versus being able to say, hey, I win to Jackson Hole or Whistler or Sun Gilliland and climb that mountain 12:15, seventeen times until I climbed the height of everest. I sacrifice one night of sleep, you know, almost once a month. I do do that. I do I do them all. Right? And it's, to be able to tell that story, but learn about yourself and the skills that you learn and the patience to discipline the commitment that the compassion, the empathy, all those things that happen because it's not a race. It's self scored. And you have thirty six hours to to keep track of your own hikes up the mountain. And, and be really rewarded with a a a pre turnkey experience. So not a not a super high finish rate, but at the same time, You don't have to be an accomplished endurance athlete. And for most of our participants, they've never done, ten k, ten k, or even a half marathon before before set up for the event. Wow. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. And what you talked about there is the mindset, man, the the to being able to do that, because I think so many times that little space here in our heads tells us we can't do this. We can't do that. It's dangerous. No sleep. Or maybe you got a condo there. Maybe you're sleeping outside. Whatever it is people are doing. The negative self talk is used. Right? And that's in business, that's in just anything in life. So what have you done throughout your life to to kind of flick that guy, that negative self taught guy off your shoulder and and compete and accomplish anyway. Speaker Marc Hodulich: I mean, look, I think it's it'd be wrong for me to say that I got it all figured out. But what I tell you is I'm constantly putting myself in a position where, I'm gaining confidence through completing things. And I think that's the only way you really figure it out is that the voice inside your head that's telling you you're not good enough. You're not fast enough. You're not strong enough. You're not smart enough. You're not working. Whatever that is, as you actually accumulate these small wins. And those wins happen a lot in training. Right? I mean, you don't You get this red hat if you finish. Right? If you've gone twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet, you you earn this red hat. And, you earn that red hat through five or six months of training. Right? It's getting up in the morning when you didn't want to. It's going for a hike in the rain. It's doing the workout in the gym for your hip flex. It's all of those little things that add up to the finish line, and most people only see the finish line. So I think you're able to do it on a consistent basis. Look, today I finished my run, and I was in a little bit of a rush for a call, and I would normally go in cold plunge. And I'm gonna plunge up my house for well over a year, and I do it every day. It's gonna be a mental challenge to do it later today. I'm not hot after a run gonna be dark by the time it's a chance to do it. You know, it's it's it's gonna be out of my routine. But you get a small win from doing something like that. Right? You start developing that set. I think you just if she constantly put yourself in a position, where you have an opportunity to quit on yourself, and you realize that you didn't, you sharpen that tool. So when you're doing something really big like a twenty nine and twenty nine, you're able to rely on some past experience there.
Full Youtube Episode Here!
Speaker Brett Gilliland: Welcome to the Circuit of Success. I'm your host, Brett Gilliland. Today, we've got Mark. Hodulich with this, Mark. How you doing, my man? Speaker Marc Hodulich: I'm great, Brad. How are you? Speaker Brett Gilliland: I'm good. I like those pictures back there. Looks like you got some, mountain maybe, mountains and a leg, get some kids, stuff going on, creating experiences. Speaker Marc Hodulich: Europe ski trip, dog, kids, all the things. Speaker Brett Gilliland: A white picket fence. You got it all, man. Well, cool. I am excited to have you today. So you are an avid adventurer, your accomplished entrepreneur, father of two boys, married, founded and exited multiple companies. One of them, which I'm assuming is what that red hat is right there, is the two 09:02 nine. And, we'll look forward to talking about all that stuff. But before we do that, I'd like to dive in and kinda learn about the past, man. What's the background? What's the story you've got that's made you the man you are today? Speaker Marc Hodulich: Well, thanks for having me. It hasn't been a linear journey. I'll tell you that. But, But briefly, yeah, look, I had a great childhood growing up. My dad was a runner. I got to be a competitive runner in late middle school to high school or in tracking college. And I think, you know, for the basis of just discipline and commitment to a goal, didn't achieve my goals at all as a college runner. I ran at Auburn and as much as I love the school. I probably shouldn't have been running in the SEC. I was good enough to make our travel team and ass kicked at every race that we went to. So, you know, it was a humbling experience, and then always just kinda dream big. Right? Kind of felt like I knew what my life would be like if I moved back to Burring him out, Pamela, where I was originally from. And right after school moved up to New York Gilliland, you know, it's kind of knowing what the goal is, but having no idea how you're gonna figure it out. I knew I wanted to live there. I knew I wanted to be in consulting or work in finance. It was a tough market. It was right after two. And, yeah, it was just a really tough time to find a job in the world of finance. And so I did everything from sell payroll door to door at ADP to work at Thomas Pinks, telling luxury clothing goods to, working at caterer, and it took me about four months to find a really good management consulting job, but I wasn't unwilling to put in really hard work that maybe I felt like my degrees and my background and my skill set maybe weren't aligned with. I was just willing to put in the work to try to find the Gilliland, yeah, you know, I kinda just, met my wife in New York. We have married seventeen years now. And pretty quickly in the world of management consulting. I know it's not what I wanted to do a long time. Still had always that side hustle mentality and had founded a business off to the side and eventually was able to to kinda leave my consulting gig and do that full time. And that's kind of change into the world of event production, a lot of live events, community building, and finds me where I am today, which is, you know, running a company that I founded with my partner that we sold and bought back called twenty nine and twenty nine. And, that stands for the height of Everest, twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet. And we built a really cool community and endurance concept really gives people a story to tell. You know, o over a course of a weekend, you know, you're gonna go to Sun Valley or Whistler or Jackson Hole, and we're gonna present a challenge of can you hike up a mountain and take a gondola down? Continue to climb it until you hike twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet. So kinda very quick transition to where I'm at now, but Yeah. Never it's never easy, and I think a lot of people don't see all of the challenges, failed businesses, jobs you didn't wanna work to kinda just see the lifestyle that you have now or or the position you're in now. And, I'm only able to be here because this learning from my mistakes, but also having really great trusted relationships along the way that finally found the right way to leverage all those in this current business that running out. Yeah. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Well, it's awesome to see. I mean, that you you talked about the community. I mean, the the twenty nine zero two nine is amazing. I mean, I watch through Jesse's, social media stuff, Jesse. It's with social media stuff. That's how I originally got turned on to it and then through your stuff. It's just amazing. It's an amazing community. And Gilliland it's something that people, I think of all walks of life can try to go accomplish. And so my question for you, if there's a thousand people that do it, how many people are finishing it? Speaker Marc Hodulich: Depends on the location, but, I'd say, on average, around sixty eight percent, right, sixty eight to seventy percent finish it. Well, compare that to a marathon where you get about a ninety eight percent finisher rate. A lot of people are surprised by that. Marathons have an tremendously high, finish your rate. And then compare that to something that I've done as well, the leadville trail one hundred, which is one of the most famous, the kind of mountain ultra marathons, hundred mile run. That's Hodulich a thirty five percent finisher rate. So I don't wanna say we're we're in the middle. It's it's really hard. It takes a long time. But, it's so approachable. We had a participant Jim Fisher who finished our event last year in whistler, eighty years old. Right? Oh, wow. And he said that it's from that is frustratingly doable. Like, you just moved slowly walking for thirty five straight hours. Right? And so if you're willing to forego sleep, or a little bit of sleep, it's amazing what you can accomplish if you just keep moving. And, you know, most people do get to sleep three, four, five hours. Right? But we're talking about one night of your whole life versus being able to say, hey, I win to Jackson Hole or Whistler or Sun Gilliland and climb that mountain 12:15, seventeen times until I climbed the height of everest. I sacrifice one night of sleep, you know, almost once a month. I do do that. I do I do them all. Right? And it's, to be able to tell that story, but learn about yourself and the skills that you learn and the patience to discipline the commitment that the compassion, the empathy, all those things that happen because it's not a race. It's self scored. And you have thirty six hours to to keep track of your own hikes up the mountain. And, and be really rewarded with a a a pre turnkey experience. So not a not a super high finish rate, but at the same time, You don't have to be an accomplished endurance athlete. And for most of our participants, they've never done, ten k, ten k, or even a half marathon before before set up for the event. Wow. Speaker Brett Gilliland: Yeah. And what you talked about there is the mindset, man, the the to being able to do that, because I think so many times that little space here in our heads tells us we can't do this. We can't do that. It's dangerous. No sleep. Or maybe you got a condo there. Maybe you're sleeping outside. Whatever it is people are doing. The negative self talk is used. Right? And that's in business, that's in just anything in life. So what have you done throughout your life to to kind of flick that guy, that negative self taught guy off your shoulder and and compete and accomplish anyway. Speaker Marc Hodulich: I mean, look, I think it's it'd be wrong for me to say that I got it all figured out. But what I tell you is I'm constantly putting myself in a position where, I'm gaining confidence through completing things. And I think that's the only way you really figure it out is that the voice inside your head that's telling you you're not good enough. You're not fast enough. You're not strong enough. You're not smart enough. You're not working. Whatever that is, as you actually accumulate these small wins. And those wins happen a lot in training. Right? I mean, you don't You get this red hat if you finish. Right? If you've gone twenty nine thousand, twenty nine feet, you you earn this red hat. And, you earn that red hat through five or six months of training. Right? It's getting up in the morning when you didn't want to. It's going for a hike in the rain. It's doing the workout in the gym for your hip flex. It's all of those little things that add up to the finish line, and most people only see the finish line. So I think you're able to do it on a consistent basis. Look, today I finished my run, and I was in a little bit of a rush for a call, and I would normally go in cold plunge. And I'm gonna plunge up my house for well over a year, and I do it every day. It's gonna be a mental challenge to do it later today. I'm not hot after a run gonna be dark by the time it's a chance to do it. You know, it's it's it's gonna be out of my routine. But you get a small win from doing something like that. Right? You start developing that set. I think you just if she constantly put yourself in a position, where you have an opportunity to quit on yourself, and you realize that you didn't, you sharpen that tool. So when you're doing something really big like a twenty nine and twenty nine, you're able to rely on some past experience there.
In God we trust