PAC Talk with Pieter Vodden
by Pharos Echo Park
Welcome to the PAC Talk where we help you explore your capacity to move better, push further and achieve your limitless potential through fitness, nutrition, recovery, and lifestyle. I’m your host Pieter Vodden, co-owner of PHAROS Athletic Club in Echo Park. Thanks for tuning in and Welcome To The PAC!” Please make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening to this show and if you loved this show please leave us a 5 star review in the iTunes store. It is the currency of podcasts and it really goes along in helping us grow our show. If you are in Los Angeles swing by to our gym at 1316 Glendale Blvd in Echo Park. Check out our website here for class times and follow us Pharos and <a href="https://
Episodes
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Why HYROX, ATHX, and DECA Are Booming wiht Pieter Vodden
Fitness advice keeps swinging between extremes. One side says go hard or go home. The other says zone 2 and a few strength sessions are all you need. At the same time, competitions like HYROX, ATHX, and DECA are growing fast, and many people aren't sure whether they're ready to enter one or how…
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CEO, Mama + HYROX Winning Athlete: Going After What Matters with Rose Avera
What does it take to build a business, raise a family, and keep pursuing goals of your own? In this episode, I reconnect with longtime friend Rose Avera—the very first coach I hired back in 2014. Since then, Rose has co-founded Florida’s Cali Coffee with her husband, Craig, become a mama, and...
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Stop Failing Your Morning Before It Starts | PAC Talk Mini Ep
Stop Failing Your Morning Before It Starts If you’ve ever hit snooze and immediately felt like you failed yourself, this Shorty episode is for you. A client’s goal of becoming an early bird, set herself up to start each day feeling like she failed a test. Listen in to see how we redirected her...
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Built to Last: Defining Your Gold Standard
Built to Last: Defining Your Gold Standard Highlights from our conversation with gym owners across the country about resilience, purpose and building something that lasts. Piet and Emylee break down the four-pillar framework — Economics, People, Brand, and Self — that's kept Pharos Athletic Club...
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From Tracking to Trusting: A 9-Month Body Composition Check-In with Emylee Vodden
Welcome back — this is a new kind of conversation for us. Real check-ins with real Pharos members and coaching clients, no script, just an honest look at where they actually are. This one is with Rachel. I've been coaching her for the past nine months through a huge life transition — stepping out...
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“Got the Zoomies? Two Bare-Minimum Ways to Get Present”
“Got the Zoomies? Two Bare-Minimum Ways to Get Present” Meditation didn’t click for Emylee until she realized she wasn’t supposed to solve anything—only “sit with it,” notice and be present. In this Mini PAC Talk, she shares two simple “gateway habits” for slowing down when life feels like…
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Peptides Explained: BPC-157, GLP-1s, NAD+ and the Wild West of Sourcing with Vincent Ronquillo
Peptides are everywhere right now — BPC-157, the Wolverine Stack, GLP-1s, NAD+, MOTS-C, GHK-Cu. You've probably heard at least one of them by now. So what are they actually, what does the science support, and where does the hype get ahead of the evidence? In this conversation, Emylee + Pieter...
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Preventing ACL Injuries, Raising the Next Generation & Balancing It All with Dr. Sofi, PT & Gym Owner
Five years ago Dr. Sofi first joined Pac Talk. A lot has changed since — for her business, her body, and for Piet too. This episode is a full catch-up covering three big things: how to actually prevent ACL injuries in young athletes, why she's dedicating part of her career to training the next...
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Boxing, Bodybuilding and evolution in the Pharosphere with Graham Jenkins
Seven years ago, Graham Jenkins walked into Pharos Echo Park a month before COVID hit. Today he's the head boxing coach, about to step into a head coach role at the club — and about to take on the biggest physical challenge of his life. In this episode, Piet sits down with Graham to talk about...
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One Week After ACL Reconstruction: The Unfiltered Recovery Report
One Week After ACL Reconstruction: The Unfiltered Recovery Report | PAC Talk Podcast with Pieter Vodden No script. No filter. Just an honest breakdown of what week one after ACL reconstruction actually looks like. Piet's ACL was completely detached. He opted for a patella tendon graft — the gold...
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Strava World Records, Rebirth in an Avalanche and leadership in the Pharosphere with Josh Phillips
Piet sits down with Josh Phillips — GM of Pharos Idyllwild and Pharos Palm Springs — for one of the most wide-ranging conversations in Pac Talk history. Five years in the making and worth every minute. Josh grew up in Idyllwild, got hooked on weightlifting at 14, spent years as a trail runner and...
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Your Diagnosis Doesn't Define You — It Just Changes the Plan with Emylee Vodden
Your Diagnosis Doesn't Define You — It Just Changes the Plan Have you ever been told to “just rest” after an injury… only to feel like you were being asked to stop being yourself? In this Shorty episode Emylee jumps in to give an update after Pieter’s ACL reconstruction surgery and being a high...
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Don’t Set Yourself Up to Fail. Listen to This First with Emylee Vodden
Have you ever left an appointment, seminar, or coaching session completely inspired… only to find yourself slipping back into old habits within days? This week, I share a simple story that completely changed how I think about behavior change. You’ll learn why motivation isn’t enough, how your...
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Why You're Working Harder But Not Seeing Results: The Built to Last Webinar Recap YOU Need to Watch
If you've ever thought: "I don't feel like myself." "I shouldn't be this tired." "Why am I working so hard for so little return?" this episode is for you. In this webinar replay, Emylee and Pieter from PAC BioPerformance explore the Core 4 systems that influence how you feel, recover, perform…
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The Guy You Call When the Apocalypse Happens: Military, Movement & Longevity with Andy McKenzie
If the apocalypse happens tomorrow and Piet gets one phone call, it's going to Andy McKenzie. Ex-British military, parachute regiment veteran, rehabilitation specialist, strength coach, and one of the most quietly brilliant minds in the health and performance space. Andy joined the military at…
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Your Morning Routine Should Start the Night Before
your morning routine should start the night before” If your mornings feel rushed and stressful, this episode will show you how a few minutes of preparation the night before can completely change the way you start your day. Don’t forget you have a chance to win a free $3000 90-day health and...
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From Overwhelm to Momentum: My Simple System for Getting More Done With Less Effort
From Overwhelm to Momentum: My Simple System for Getting More Done With Less Effort In this mini episode, Emylee shares the simple framework she uses to turn overwhelm into execution. After years of building Pharos and coaching high performers, she realized the most productive people aren’t doing...
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The Science Behind the Most Popular Recovery Peptides BPC-157, TB-500 & the Wolverine Stack: with Vincent Ronquillo
In Part 2 of our peptide series, Piet sits down again with Vincent Ronquillo — biology researcher, CrossFit athlete and co-founder of Z-Peptides and Pharmazine — to break down the two most talked about recovery peptides in the game right now: BPC-157 and TB-500, otherwise known as the Wolverine...
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🚨 We’re giving away a $3,000 90-Day 1on1 coaching program with Pieter and Emylee! 🚨
🚨 We’re giving away a $3,000 90-Day 1on1 coaching program with Pieter and Emylee! 🚨 After decades in the fitness industry, we realized something: What used to get people results… isn’t always working the same anymore. Stress, recovery, hormones, sleep, longevity, and real life matter more than...
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Pressure Cuts Diamonds—but only if you know what to do under pressure
Pressure cuts diamonds—but only if you know what to do under pressure. In this episode, I break down the 3-step framework I use when stress, fear, and panic start to take over. From interrupting the fight-flight-freeze response… to planning for the worst… to using a simple military-inspired...
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What Are Peptides and Are They Safe? Everything You Need to Know Before You Start ft. Vincent Ronquillo | Pac Talk Ep. 1
Peptides are everywhere right now — but most people have no idea what they actually are, where they come from, or whether they're safe. In this first episode of a four-part series, Piet sits down with Vincent, Pharos Palm Springs coach, biology researcher, and co-founder of Z-Peptides and...
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Pac Talk Mini Ep: Take This Small Action Today—You Don’t Know Who Needs It
I woke up this morning to an email I didn't expect. A Pharos member named Shannon had sent out a newsletter to his entire list — unprompted, unasked — praising the Repair class and inviting his readers to come try it. I burst into tears. This mini episode is about that moment. The power of an...
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She Lost 10 Inches Off Her Waist in One Year — And She's Just Getting Started T'ara Smith
T'ara has been part of the Pharos community for years — powerlifting meets, Limitless Challenges, stops and starts. But it wasn't until she did the Pharos Accelerator in November that everything clicked. One year later she's down 10 inches off her waist, 4% body fat, and maintained her muscle —…
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Training Smart After Years of Training Hard: Max's Journey to His Best Body at 40
Max has been a Pharos member since 2018. He's done every program, won the Limitless Challenge, and spent years lifting heavy. He's also spent the better part of 15 years dealing with a recurring back injury that kept derailing his progress. In this episode, Piet and Emylee sits down with Max to...
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From Burnout to Build: How to Achieve Sustainable Fitness
What if the secret to sustainable fitness isn't doing more — it's doing less, better? Emylee shares a simple but powerful realization: she used to read 24 books a year. Last year she read six — and read three of them multiple times. The same principle applies to fitness. There's a season for…
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From Limitless Challenge Winner to Mentorship Member: How Josh Found His Fitness Barometer
Winning a fitness challenge is one thing. Staying consistent when life gets in the way is another entirely. In this episode, Piet and Emylee sit down with Josh — Pharos Palm Springs member, Limitless Challenge winner, and someone who travels constantly for a high-demand social career. Josh came...
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How Small Wins Lead to Long-Term Transformation
What does it actually take to go from starting over — twice — to never missing a week? In this episode, Piet and Emylee sit down with Carlos, a member of the Pharos mentorship program, to talk about the real journey behind building a fitness lifestyle that lasts. Carlos came to Pharos as a…
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This Is Where People Fall Off (Even When They’re Doing It Right)
“Results are sooooo hard…’” That’s what one of our mentorship clients said on her check-in this week after gaining 2 pounds of muscle and losing 2% body fat in 6 weeks. So I asked her— “What’s been the hardest part?” Her answer? “Dealing with neural scans even though I’m working hard.” The…
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Loyalty, Systems & Stories: How We Built the Pharosphere
If you are in the Pharosphere, then you will know that relationships and people are at the core of our business. We are noted for our bells and whistles, but the loyalty we have fostered is due mainly to the personalities that give life to our spaces. In this episode of Pac Talk, I had the...
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Act Despite How You Feel: Why Action Comes Before Confidence
Act Despite How You Feel: Why Action Comes Before Confidence | PAC Talk Podcast with Piet and Emylee Vodden In this episode, we close the gap between insight and execution. After a week of reflection, awareness, and intention-setting in the Accelerator program this episode is a reminder that...
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PAC Talk Mini: Shift Your Mindset to Find a Way In, Instead of Always Finding a Way Out
In this episode, we explore the quiet internal battle that determines whether people follow through—or fade out—on the things that matter most: the voice that looks for a way out versus the voice that finds a way in. Using real conversations from a recent Accelerator group call, we break down how...
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PAC Talk Mini Ep: The Curse of The High Achiever & How To Overcome its Hold on You
High achievers—this one’s for you! If you constantly feel: • Like nothing you do is ever “enough” • Guilty when you rest • Stuck because things aren’t perfect yet You might be caught in the curse of the high achiever. 🎙️ In today’s mini episode, I’m sharing: • Why dissatisfaction isn’t the...
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PAC Talk Mini Ep: Let’s Talk About Failing Your Goals
Let’s talk about failing your goals. Because if I’m being honest, I’ve fallen short on almost every goal I’ve ever set. And for a long time, I let that mean something about me. That I was undisciplined. That I couldn’t finish what I started. That no matter how hard I tried, it was never good...
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The Goal Setting Framework For Work And Life That Keeps Us Moving Forward In 2026
The Goal Setting Framework For Work And Life That Keeps Us Moving Forward In 2026 In this reflective solo episode, Emylee shares the exact 3-pillar framework she uses to set goals at Pharos—and in her own life. Recorded during a quiet early-morning drive down the mountain after the annual...
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The Business of Strength: Leadership Is Built Under Load with Joe Riggio
Joe Riggio (Varsity House, Business of Strength) joins Pieter Vodden to talk about what really separates gyms that grow from gyms that fade out: business fundamentals, leadership, culture, and having the humility to get coached. They go back to the early Jim Jones days—why traveling for education...
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The Power of Jiu-Jitsu: Confidence, Community & Combat with 4x World Champion Omar Salum & David Carrillo
Brazilian Ju Jitsu Is coming to PHAROS Palm Springs !!!!! This week I sit down with one of the best in the business, 4x Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World Champion Omar Salum, and his partner David Carrillo. We talk through the history, evolution, training, and importance of the sport, and explore why it…
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The Power of Bare Minimum Habits: Inside the 7-Day Results Accelerator Q&A
In this episode of PAC Talk, Emily and Pieter open the doors to the 7-Day Results Accelerator and share a behind-the-scenes look at how they guide members through fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle strategy — all through the lens of bare minimum habits that create momentum. You'll hear a live...
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Unlocking Your Body’s Signals: Biometric Scanning, Gut Health & Nootropics with Mitzi Avila of Cyto-Wellness
In this PAC Talk episode, Pieter sits down with Cyto-Wellness founder and traditional naturopath Mitzi Avila to break down one of the most overlooked performance tools in the fitness world: biometric scanning. Mitzi explains how her Meridien-based scan can read over 2,000 internal markers—from...
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The History of Strength & The Quest for Longevity with Michael Joseph Gross
In this live PAC Talk session, coach Pieter Vodden sits down with writer and strength-training historian Michael Joseph Gross to explore what strength really means — not just for performance, but for longevity and quality of life. They trace the history of strength culture from ancient Greece to...
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DAY 2 of the 7 Day Accelerator: NUTRITION — Fuel vs Joy vs Results
You don’t need a better diet — you need a better philosophy. Today’s session is one of the most transformational of the 7-Day Results Accelerator. In this 30-minute conversation, Piet and I unpack how to break free from diet culture and step into a sustainable, empowering way of eating that...
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PAC Talk Mini w/ Pieter Vodden: How Lifestyle Shapes 90% of Your Results
Most people think training starts and ends in the gym — but that’s only two hours of your day. The other 22 hours? That’s your lifestyle, and it’s where true progress happens. In this PAC Talk Mini, Pieter Vodden breaks down the underestimated power of lifestyle — sleep, recovery, relationships,...
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What’s the Best Part of your Day: How to Engineer Yourself for Positivity with Emylee Vodden
In this PAC Talk Mini, host Emylee Vodden shares a simple nightly ritual she practices with her kids — one that’s quietly reshaped how she approaches gratitude, leadership, and growth. Each night before bed, she asks them: “What was the best part of your day?” Sometimes the answers come easily....
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The Secrets Out…New 7 Day Results Accelerator with Emylee Vodden
In this PAC Talk Mini, Emylee Vodden shares a big update from the Pharos team: after nine years and more than 20 Limitless Challenges, she and Pieter have built something new— a digital school and 7-Day Results Accelerator designed to help you reset your focus, rebuild momentum, and create a...
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What’s the Difference Between Being Pushed, Pulled, or Held — and How to Know What You Need
Most of us default to one style of “help,” even when another would serve better. In this PAC Talk, we break down the difference between Push, Pull, and Hold—and give you a quick self-check to pick what you need today. Push = pressure + accountability to raise your ceiling (targets, deadlines,...
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Life After CrossFit: Redefining Fitness, Longevity & Menopause with Leka Fineman
In this episode of PAC Talk, host Pieter Vodden sits down with multiple CrossFit Games champion Leka Fineman about what comes after competition. Leka opens up about: Stepping away from elite CrossFit after burnout Discovering a new sense of purpose through surfing and longevity training…
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Pac Talk Mini w/ Emylee: Joy Amid Suffering Description
Emylee shares her mom’s decade-long fight with trigeminal neuralgia and the lesson it forged: lead with light. Joy can coexist with pain—and sometimes you borrow someone else’s light until your own returns. If you are in Southern California come train with us Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild…
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The Marathon Mindset—Gratitude That Gets You Moving: Pac Talk Mini with Emylee Vodden
Not toxic gloss—action. Emylee defines “relentless positivity” as acting despite how you feel: micro-joys, gratitude, and forward motion when the marathon gets long. Name the hard, then move anyway. If you are in Southern California come train with us Echo Park Redondo Beach Idyllwild Palm…
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From 90 to 100—Coaching the Gap
Most of us get to 90%—then stall. Emylee riffs on remodel chaos, human nature, and why coaching, accountability, and a good crew carry you across the finish line. If you’re stuck, borrow a tribe and close the gap. If you are in Southern California come train with us Echo Park Redondo Beach...
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80% Done, 100% In: Emylee Vodden & Alex Camacho on Data-Driven Fitness, Mindset & AI
Emylee sits down with artist-entrepreneur Alex Camacho—the force behind Acid Queen Jewelry—for a real talk on fitness, mindset, and building a business that lasts. We cover her athlete-to-artist journey, how the Limitless Challenge reframed goals, why “80% done is 100% perfect,” and how to use AI...
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Anticipate the Need: From Goof-Ups to Growth | Pac Talk Mini
We’ve all missed alarms, overextended ourselves, or completely goofed up a plan. In this Pac Talk Mini, Emylee Vodden shares how a simple client message turned a potential scheduling disaster into a reminder of the power of planning, accountability, and community. Instead of stressing about...
About this show
Welcome to the PAC Talk where we help you explore your capacity to move better, push further and achieve your limitless potential through fitness, nutrition, recovery, and lifestyle. I’m your host Pieter Vodden, co-owner of PHAROS Athletic Club in Echo Park. Thanks for tuning in and Welcome To The PAC!”
Please make sure you subscribe wherever you are listening to this show and if you loved this show please leave us a 5 star review in the iTunes store. It is the currency of podcasts and it really goes along in helping us grow our show.
If you are in Los Angeles swing by to our gym at 1316 Glendale Blvd in Echo Park.
Check out our website here for class times and follow us Pharos and <a href="https://
Hosted by
Pharos Echo Park