E41: Mental and Physical Toughness for the Backcountry: w/ Dustin Diefenderfer of MTNTough

We are Open Circle uses MTNTough training as a foundational component of their physical and mental training for work and life.

Episode 41 of We are Open Circle’s Beyond Listening Podcast saw Dustin Diefenderfer join Adam and Miriam to share the journey that led him to founding MTNTOUGH - discussing the power of the outdoors, entrepreneurship and finding fulfilling work.

For the full podcast, check out the episode here.

In this episode, we cover... 

  1. His spirit of adventure: rejecting a corporate career and seeking work that inspires.

  2. The core of MTNTOUGH’s mission: transforming lives and learning in nature.

  3. What he has learned from the ever-evolving journey of entrepreneurship.

Dustin Diefenderfer is the founder of MTNTOUGH, a fitness app and community designed to train physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Immersed in the outdoors from a young age, Dustin pursued charitable work in Ethiopia and Uganda before founding the company in 2016.

Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...

  • The uncertainty inherent to the outdoors is vital for reconnecting with ourselves.

”I think that the unexpected unknown, that being outside with your team throws at you is where that real leadership shines, because taking a team outside and then a blizzard rolls in... it's like these leaders emerge that you weren't even sure were there.”

  • MTNTOUGH have grown a culture based on teamwork, support and communication.

”We do a lot of team workouts, where you're counting on your team members... and so because we're working through adversity together as a team, it makes working through adversity on a project, much easier. All great teams know that the team gets stronger through adversity and us just being able to do that day in and day out has been really, really special.”

  • Life is constant education - never stop learning.

”There's no failure if you're always learning, it's that falling forward concept. It's never a failure if it's just: ‘Hey, what can we learn from this?’ And apply those learnings moving forward and just testing and adapting and learning and testing and adapting and learning...”

The best place to find Dustin Diefenderfer and MTNTOUGH is here.

See you next week! 

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We are Open Circle has partnered with MTNTough to provide training for the physical and mental preparation for our wilderness experiences.

All listeners get 3 months free: Use code OC3MO: http://lab.mtntough.com?code=oc3mo

Plus! All participants in our We are Open Circle wilderness-based programs receive 6 months free upon enrollment and payment in full.

Jamie Slevin