The Relentless Project

Hosted by Ish Lopez

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152

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Exploring the art of relentless pursuit in every aspect of life. Uncovering the stories of those who refuse to settle for mediocrity, those who never give up, who strive for greatness and inspire us to push beyond our limits. Join us for motivational insights, personal development tips, and powerful conversations that will empower you to achieve your dreams. #TheRelentlessProject RSSVERIFY

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September 6, 20261 hr 54 min

#151 - From Homelessness to Hip-Hop: Surviving the Darkness | The CEE Brown Story

Award-winning hip-hop artist CEE Brown has spent his entire life fighting a brutal, exhausting war inside his own head. After losing his father at just three years old, navigating severe depression, and surviving homelessness at nineteen, he poured his pain and insecurities into a microphone to find his voice. But the darkness didn’t just vanish with the music; four years ago, he reached his absolute breaking point and attempted to take his own life. Waking up from that attempt sparked a radical realization that he was meant to be here, fueling his journey to climb out of the dark and craft his new EP, See You On The Other Side . This is a raw, unapologetic conversation about battling your inner demons, taking back the pen, and writing the story you leave behind. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

August 30, 20262 hr 11 min

#150 - The Blind Leap: Untying Identity From Performance | The Maiah Yankello Story

For many high performers, the ultimate trap is tying their entire identity and self-worth to their daily accomplishments. Former Division 1 track athlete, current BJJ Brown Belt, and high school wrestling coach Maiah Yankello knows exactly how destructive that fragile identity can be when life forces you to pivot. In this episode, Maiah opens up about her terrifying, exhilarating decision to walk away from a secure six-year corporate IT career with zero backup plan, relying completely on her faith to guide her transition into full-time entrepreneurship. We dive into the grit required to unlearn toxic self-expectations, why we must treat our failures as emotionless data points, and the immense discipline required to give yourself grace. This is a raw conversation about breaking free from the corporate safety net, rebuilding your internal programming, and stepping boldly into the unknown. R eal people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

August 23, 20261 hr 17 min

#149 - The Comeback: From Devastating Loss to Pro MMA Fighter | The Luke Martin Story

Two years ago, undefeated amateur MMA fighter Luke Martin sat down with us right before suffering a devastating first loss that nearly made him quit the sport entirely. Refusing to let his story end in a locker room, the former NCAA Wrestling Champion leaned into his relentless DNA of hitting rock bottom only to bounce back one hundred times better. Today, Luke returns to the show as a 2-0 professional fighter gearing up for war at Fury FC, proving exactly what it takes to rebuild your mind after your confidence is completely shattered. We dive deep into the anatomy of his comeback and why the true secret to greatness is learning to embrace the mundane, boring, and repetitive suffering of the daily grind. This is a raw conversation about checking your ego and refusing to stay down when the universe tests your limit. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

August 16, 20261 hr 59 min

#148 - Living for Two: The Pharmacist & Pro MMA Fighter | Cheyenne Hall (Dempsey)

By day, Dr. Cheyenne Hall (Dempsey) dispenses critical medications as a full-time pharmacist, but by night, she steps into the cage as a professional Mixed Martial Artist. Raised in rural West Virginia with a strict family standard of never being average, she carries the heavy, driving purpose of living a life big enough for both herself and the little brother she tragically lost as a child. After suffering a devastating submission loss in her pro debut that almost made her quit, Cheyenne refused to play the victim, battling through severe injuries and depression to win her next four professional fights. We dive deep into the brutal reality of balancing two extreme careers and why true confidence is only built when you stop negotiating with your feelings and let discipline take over. This is a gritty conversation about building undeniable evidence that you can survive the fire when no one else is coming to save you. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

August 9, 20262 hr 21 min

#147 - 20-Sec KO to Double Pro Champion | The Ethan Hayes Story

Most people would quit after hyping up their hometown debut only to get knocked out in twenty seconds, but retired pro fighter Ethan Hayes is not most people. Despite having little natural athletic pedigree, he swallowed his pride, walked back into the fire, and spent the next decade outworking everyone in the room. He transformed that public defeat into asuccesful ten-year combat sports career, battling through devastating injuries to claim professional championship titles in both MMA and Boxing. Today, Ethan has hung up the gloves on his own terms to conquer his most important role yet: being a relentlessly present father and husband. This is a gritty conversation about surviving failure, outworking natural talent, and knowing exactly when to walk away as a champion. R eal people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

August 2, 20261 hr 29 min

#146 - Surviving Suicide & Inherited Trauma | The Ashley Puig Story

Born just twenty-three days after her decorated father died by suicide, Ashley Puig grew up carrying an inherited wound that eventually pushed her to the brink of taking her own life at just sixteen years old. Waking up on a hospital shower floor, she made a relentless promise to build a life that mattered, but she was continually tested by the loss of loved ones, severe health scares, and watching her fitness empire collapse during the pandemic. Standing in the wreckage, Ashley refused to tap out, channeling her grief into her powerful memoir, The Self Love Advocate , to attack the root cause of our mental health crisis: a fatal deficit of self-worth. We dive deep into why self-love requires immense grit, how to break the toxic habit of performing for others, and what it truly takes to be your own strongest advocate. This is a raw, unflinching conversation about surviving the darkest corners of the mind and making the daily decision to fight for your own life. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

July 26, 20261 hr 33 min

#145 - Refuse to Lose: The Amputee Green Beret Who Went Back to War | The Nick Lavery Story

In 2013, Active-Duty Green Beret CW3 Nick Lavery survived a devastating insider attack in Afghanistan, taking four machine-gun rounds to the leg at point-blank range simply because he absolutely hates to lose. After waking up at Walter Reed missing his leg above the knee, Nick did the unthinkable: he flat-out refused a full medical retirement with honor. Instead, he endured a grueling physical and tactical gauntlet to prove he wasn't a liability, making history in 2015 as the first Special Forces operator to return to full-spectrum combat as an above-the-knee amputee. Today, he continues to crush physical crucibles—from the famously brutal Combat Diver course to the BJJ mats—while serving as the CEO of Precision Components and authoring the book Objective Secure . A conversation on resilience, overcoming trauma, and refusing to accept the limits placed on you by others. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

July 19, 20261 hr 5 min

#144 - When Chaos Feels Like Home | The Damien Celaya Story

The tactical community spends a lot of time training for the chaos of war, but almost no one trains you for the deafening quiet that hits when the uniform finally comes off. Retired Army veteran and serial entrepreneur Damien Celaya knows the brutal reality of this transition, battling what he calls "Loss of Tribe Syndrome" and an addiction to stress that often led to self-sabotage. In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Damien opens up about his darkest battles during active duty, surviving multiple suicide attempts, and the immense strength it takes to swallow your pride and ask for help in an alpha-dominated culture. Today, he has taken his broken pieces and rebuilt himself as the founder of brands like Freedom Bear Coffee and Zonk Or Die, proving that your actions must be dictated by your discipline, not your mood. This is a brutally honest conversation about leaving the war behind, creating your own purpose, and rescuing yourself when no one else is coming. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

July 12, 20261 hr 28 min

#143 - Surviving Prison & Owning Your Past | The David Watson Story

David Watson knows firsthand that the most brutal battle you will ever fight is with the person staring back at you in the mirror. After a series of bad decisions led to him spending nearly eight years locked inside harsh prisons across the Bahamas, Mexico, and the United States, David was forced to sit in the heavy, suffocating silence of his own regret. Instead of playing the victim, he chose radical accountability, deciding to completely reconstruct his mindset and blueprint his future from inside a concrete cage. Today, he is a powerhouse entrepreneur, an international speaker, and the founder of the Redemption Club , dedicating his life to second chances and proving that action must always precede motivation. This is a raw, unapologetic story about surviving the abyss, taking absolute ownership of your failures, and refusing to let your past dictate your future. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

July 5, 20261 hr 51 min

#142 - From Teen Father to Tri-Hustler | The Michael Kessler Story

At 18 years old, Michael Kessler found himself staring down the barrel of real-world responsibility as an unexpected teen father. Instead of folding under the pressure or making excuses, he used it as rocket fuel, stepping onto a college campus just four days after his daughter was born and walking out four years later with two degrees. Today, Michael balances a relentless tri-hustle as a corporate security sales professional, a marketing ambassador for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a high school football coach. We dive deep into how the intense pressure of early parenthood forged his unbreakable mindset, the power of brutal honesty, and why true discipline is about quiet repetition rather than loud intensity. This is a raw conversation about owning your circumstances and refusing to let them dictate your future. Real people. Real stories. Real f**king life.

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