Episode 11: Navigating Crisis—Trauma Bay Decisions, High-Stakes Composure, and Physical Resilience with Dr. Justin Westphalen

A true crisis strips away all theory, leaving only your baseline preparation and your ability to execute under pressure. In Episode 11 of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel sits down with close friend and emergency room physician Dr. Justin Westphalen to unpack the word crisis—dissecting what life-and-death moments in the trauma bay teach us about mental composure, acute decision-making, and long-term physical resilience.

Dr. Westphalen operates where chaos is the standard, balancing high-stakes clinical emergencies with an uncompromising commitment to endurance, strength training, and longevity. In this episode, he and Travis break down how to stop panic from hijacking your judgment, what separates those who fold under pressure from those who demonstrate real load-bearing strength, and how to build a physical and mental baseline that holds up when everything goes sideways.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The Anatomy of a Crisis: How Dr. Westphalen defines and manages high-stakes emergencies in the ER, and how to maintain emotional neutral when seconds count.
• Triage Thinking: Practical frameworks for cutting through noise and identifying the single most critical variable to solve first when chaos hits.
• Building Crisis-Proof Capacity: Why rigorous physical training and joint health are your best defense against aging, injury, and sudden physical trauma.
• The Discipline of Chaos: How to lock in training, disciplined nutrition, and recovery even with unpredictable, sleep-deprived shift schedules.
• Decompression Protocols: How to step out of high-adrenaline environments without carrying the stress into your family and daily life.

Whether you're leading a team through high-pressure volatility, navigating personal adversity, or preparing your body and mind for life's inevitable storms, Dr. Westphalen delivers a masterclass in holding the line when crisis strikes.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

Episode 10: The Science of Resilience—Bouncing Back vs. Holding the Line

Everyone has a plan until life hits them in the mouth. When pressure mounts and time grinds on, mere survival isn't enough—you need a framework that prevents structural failure. In Episode 10 of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel conducts a deep-dive word study into resilience, dissecting what it actually takes to absorb high-impact adversity and rebound stronger.

Moving past generic clichés, Travis traces the Latin roots (resilire—to rebound or recoil) and breaks down the mechanical formula of resilience: Strength under pressure over time. From real-world case studies to the critical distinction between passive recovery and active capacity, this episode delivers a blueprint to reinforce your foundation before the storm hits.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The Physics of Resilience: Understanding the load-bearing formula and why uncontrolled pressure over extended time erodes even the strongest baseline.
• The Etymology & Mechanics: Tracing resilire to understand why true resilience isn't just about taking a punch—it's the kinetic energy required to snap back into position.
• Subscription vs. Recovery Model: Why treating mental toughness as a daily non-negotiable deposit outperforms waiting for burnout to force a reset.
• Preventing Active Strength Decline: Practical tactics to shore up your physical and mental margins so you don't break under sustained duress.

If you’re weathering a grueling season or preparing your mindset for heavy resistance ahead, tune in to build resilience that holds the line.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

Grit, Years of Rebuilding, and the Backcountry Mindset with John Cleveland

True resilience isn't proven when life goes according to plan—it’s forged when everything gets shattered and you refuse to stay down. In this episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel sits down with close friend, author, and avid backcountry hunter John Cleveland to unpack an unbelievable story of grit, survival, and relentless mindset.

After enduring a catastrophic leg injury that led to dozens of grueling surgeries, John didn’t just fight his way back to walking—he returned to punishing backcountry elk hunts, demanding training regimens, and published his own book. John joins Travis to break down how to endure relentless medical battles, silence the victim mindset, and hold the line when giving up would be the easy choice.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• Surviving the Crucible: The physical and psychological toll of a devastating injury—and the exact mental framework required to face repeated trips to the operating room without breaking.
• The Backcountry Standard: How high-altitude elk hunting demands radical self-reliance, patience, and deep physical endurance.
• Writing the Scars: The process of capturing hard-earned lessons on the page and why documenting your struggle serves others.
• Refusing the Victim Card: Why extreme personal responsibility and consistent daily standards beat circumstance every time.

If you’re facing a brutal physical setback, a long recovery, or a season where the hill feels too steep to climb, John’s story will reset your standard for what is possible.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

The Physics of Momentum: Auditing 2026 and Dominating 2027

Starting from a dead stop costs everything. But once the bar is moving, the physics work for you. In this episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel delivers a no-fluff check-in on your 2026 standards and a tactical blueprint to attack 2027 at full speed—long before January 1st arrives.

Forget waiting for a new calendar page to find motivation. Grounded in the mechanics of the flywheel and the raw physics of mass in motion, this episode breaks down how to engineer unstoppable drive and kill the silent friction dragging you down.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The 2026 Reality Check: How to objectively audit what moved the needle this year versus what created wasted drag.
• The Physics of the Flywheel: Why early effort feels heavy and unrewarding—and how daily micro-weights trigger exponential breakthrough.
• The 3 Momentum Killers: The subtle compromises, inconsistent cadences, and emotional negotiations that drain your speed.
• The "Zero-Stop" Rule: How to eliminate the brutal energy tax of restarting so you hit 2027 at full cruising speed.

If you’re done with the cycle of starting, stalling, and waiting to reset, tune in to build momentum that outlasts the friction.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

Running Across America: The 2,500-Mile Journey with Patrick McGlade, Author of Six Miles Per Hour

What does it take to wake up every single morning and average 30 miles on foot across an entire continent? In this episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel sits down with friend, veteran ultra marathoner, and author Patrick McGlade to break down his coast-to-coast trek across America—a 2,553-mile journey to raise funds and awareness for juvenile arthritis, and the inspiration behind his book, Six Miles Per Hour.

Patrick opens up about the physical toll and mental battles of running across the country, how those grueling months shaped his perspective on humanity, and the endurance mindset that carried him from the open highways into some of the most punishing 100-mile mountain trail races in the world.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The Coast-to-Coast Blueprint: The origin, logistics, and grit behind running 2,553 miles from California to Georgia for a cause bigger than himself.
• The Six Miles Per Hour Mindset: Why steady, unsexy forward progress will always outperform bursts of fleeting motivation.
• The Reality of Daily Friction: How to stay focused when your body is broken, the weather turns hostile, and you still have 20 miles to go before sunset.
• The Good in People: Patrick’s surprising takeaway from meeting everyday Americans on backroads and small towns across the nation.
• From Highway to High Altitude: How lessons from the transcontinental run translated into competing in brutal mountain ultras like Leadville, Ouray, and Bighorn.

Whether you're training for an endurance milestone, fighting for a meaningful cause, or grinding through an uphill climb in work and life, Patrick’s story is a masterclass in putting one foot in front of the other.

(Note: Patrick's book Six Miles Per Hour chronicles his 2010 run across America in support of juvenile arthritis.)

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

The Math That Changes Everything: Launching The Parent Math with Sam Feeney

Time isn't just passing—it's compounding, and the math of parenthood and legacy is non-negotiable. In this special release episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel sits down with close friend, neighbor, and author Sam Feeney to mark the official launch of Travis's new book, The Parent Math.

Together, they dig into the origin of the book, the raw conversations that shaped its message, and why looking hard at the numbers isn't about guilt—it's about waking up to intentionality before the clock runs out. Sam brings a unique perspective as both a trusted sounding board throughout the writing process and a voice dedicated to helping people live deliberate, meaningful lives.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The Origin of The Parent Math: The personal catalyst and pivotal moments that turned an idea into a published reality.
• The Reality of Finite Time: Why doing the actual "math" on our relationships cuts through daily distractions and clarifies what truly matters.
• Behind the Process: An honest look at the discipline, doubts, and daily routines required to write and finish the manuscript.
• From Awareness to Action: Practical takeaways on how to transition from simply "being busy" to showing up with genuine presence for the people you love.

Whether you're looking to recalibrate your priorities, build a deeper legacy with your family, or push through your own creative finish line, this conversation offers a powerful reminder to make every single day count.

The Parent Math is officially available now.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

Vision Answers Where, Purpose Answers Why: What Holds Up When Passion Runs Out

Vision gives you a destination, but purpose is the only thing that survives when the initial excitement fades. In this episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel breaks down the critical distinction between fleeting passion and genuine purpose—and why having an anchor outside of yourself is what pulls you through the 4:30 a.m. alarms, the cold garages, and the seasons where nothing feels easy.

Drawing on lessons from military selection pipelines, Herb Brooks' 1980 Olympic hockey team, and the sobering arithmetic of finite time with family, this episode delivers a blueprint to stop running on emotional fumes and start building around a standard that lasts.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• Purpose vs. Passion: Why passion is an unreliable mood, and how true purpose acts as a load-bearing foundation that keeps you moving when motivation disappears.
• The Selection Filter Mindset: How candidates survive the crucible of BUD/S and Ranger School by radically micro-chunking time and focusing outward on teammates instead of personal ego.
• The Arithmetic of Finite Time: Why understanding the non-negotiable math of our days shifts your focus from "how much can I get done?" to "who am I actually doing this for?"
• A 4-Question Purpose Audit: A concrete, practical framework to strip away borrowed expectations, identify your real "why," and hold the line on the days you don't feel like it.

If you’re tired of restarting your habits every time excitement dies down, tune in to discover what it actually takes to anchor your discipline in purpose.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.

From Melbourne to the NFL: Overcoming 2 ACL Tears with Adam Gotsis

Making it to the NFL is hard enough—doing it from Melbourne, Australia, while battling back from two separate ACL tears demands a different level of resilience. In this episode of The AM Lift, host Travis Hovel sits down with NFL defensive lineman Adam Gotsis to break down his against-all-odds journey from Australian rules football to the gridiron, and how relentless mental toughness carried him through devastating physical setbacks.

Adam shares what it takes to rebuild your body and mindset when everything gets stripped away, how to endure the lonely grind of long rehabs, and what pro-level standards really look like in the trenches.

What you’ll get from this episode:

• The Aussie-to-NFL Pipeline: How Adam discovered American football in Melbourne and transitioned to elite Division I college ball at Georgia Tech.
• The Rehab Mindset: The mental discipline required to endure the dark days of two major ACL tears and fight back to peak physical performance.
• Overcoming Odds & Skeptics: How to perform when the deck is stacked against you and draft stock hangs in the balance.
• Daily Standards in the Trenches: What sustained professional habits look like when your career depends on physical dominance and consistency.

Whether you're battling back from an injury, facing a major career pivot, or trying to lock down your personal discipline, Adam's story is a masterclass in putting your head down and getting the work done.

Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode of The AM Lift.