They went against the herd… and came out stronger. 

In this season finale of the Against the Herd Podcast, host Armando Cruz pulls together the most powerful moments, lessons, and mindset shifts from Season One, all through the lens of pain, purpose, and resilience. 

Whether you're battling burnout, stuck in chronic pain, or just tired of cookie-cutter health advice, this episode brings it all home. 

You’ll hear: 

* Why pain is the beginning, not the end 

* The hidden thread that connects healing and identity 

* How high performers reclaim purpose after setbacks 

* What actually works (long-term) for health and energy 

* The proven frameworks real people used to transform 

This is more than a recap. It’s a blueprint for what’s possible when you stop following the crowd and start listening to your body, your story, and your calling. 

🎯 Subscribe and join the movement. Season 2 is coming... 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

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In this episode of Against the Herd, we break down some of the lessons learned from sitting down with legendary high school running coach Doug Soles, who helped build one of the most dominant cross-country programs in the country. 

But this isn’t just about running, it’s about resilience, leadership, and the hidden system behind long-term performance. 

Discover how Doug helped athletes overcome injury, setbacks, and burnout by rewriting the playbook, turning pain into purpose and performance.

You’ll learn: 

* Why most people treat pain the wrong way 

* The leadership model that builds unbreakable athletes 

* How to cultivate physical and emotional resilience 

* The real reason talent isn’t enough and what actually creates results 

* How to train through adversity without breaking down 

This is a masterclass in high-performance health, mindset, and recovery. 

🔗 Learn more at: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes that help you eliminate pain and defy convention. 

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In this episode of Against the Herd, Coach Doug Soles reveals the untold story of how he built cross-country dynasties at Great Oak and Herriman High School using systems, mindset, and leadership, not just talent.

 Discover why Terminator Mode, identity shifts, and recovery systems are more powerful than raw speed and how you can apply these same strategies to your own team, business, or comeback journey. 

This is more than a coaching masterclass. It’s a roadmap to excellence for anyone building greatness from the ground up. 

🔥 What You'll Learn: 

* The mindset that separates champions from competitors 

* How to turn average runners into national contenders 

* Doug’s take on injury recovery, mental toughness, and identity 

* The real reason most teams never break through 

* Non-negotiables that drive elite performance in sport and life 

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CONNECT WITH COACH DOUG SOLES 

📸 Instagram: @doug.soles.3 

📕 Get his book "Becoming Varsity: How to Become a Championship Level Distance Runner" - https://a.co/d/1vxsU9v 

📘Get his book "Building Championship Cross Country Programs" - https://a.co/d/58RygAS 

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🎧 Subscribe for more episodes featuring world-class coaches, high performers, and non-conformist thinkers redefining what’s possible in health, success, and performance. 

📲 Want to go from suffering to unstoppable? Text EXPLORE to 305-741-0560 to schedule your free call.

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In this episode of Against the Herd, performance coach and best-selling author Armando Cruz shares what actually works when it comes to lasting health, energy, and resilience (no gimmicks, shortcuts, or fluff). 

You’ll discover the anti-hack framework used by elite performers to build sustainable systems for physical, mental, and emotional optimization, and why most people fail because they’re solving the wrong problem. 

💥 What you’ll learn: 

* Why hacks give you short-term highs but long-term burnout 

* The 5 foundational systems that lead to real, lasting results 

* How to stack small wins into massive transformation 

* Why consistency is better than novelty when it comes to performance 

* A client case study that exposes the myth of “quick fixes” 

🎙 Hosted by Armando Cruz, helping high performers eliminate pain and reclaim purpose 

🔗 Learn more at: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly episodes that flip conventional health advice on its head 

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In this episode of Against the Herd, we sit down with Alex Gonzalez, a high-level real estate consultant and family man who radiates connection, resilience, and mental precision. 

After suffering a devastating Achilles rupture, Alex’s journey to recovery wasn’t linear; it was packed with setbacks, experiments, and breakthroughs. 

We dive into the threshold anchors he uses to snap into high-performance states, the recovery tools that actually worked, and the mindset shift that helped him turn pain into fuel. 

💥 In this episode: 

* What most people get wrong about injury recovery 

* Using environment and triggers to change your state instantly 

* How to stay connected to purpose during physical setbacks 

* High-level thinking from a real estate operator who plays the long game 

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CONNECT WITH ALEX 

☎️ 305-345-2459 

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🎙 Hosted by performance coach & rehab expert Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more at https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly stories that challenge the herd mentality 

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In this powerful solo episode of Against the Herd, performance coach and bestselling author Armando Cruz breaks down what it really takes to reclaim your identity after setbacks, whether it’s injury, burnout, betrayal, or a crisis of purpose. 

You’ll learn the internal process high performers use to rebuild their confidence, clarity, and mission, and why most people stay stuck in survival mode long after the setback is over. 

💥 What you’ll learn: 

* Why setbacks often cause identity loss and how to reverse it 

* The step-by-step framework to rebuild your inner foundation 
* How to use pain and failure to craft a deeper sense of purpose 

* Real-world stories of clients who found power in their lowest moments 

* The difference between bouncing back vs. coming back stronger 

🎙 Hosted by resilience expert Armando Cruz 

🔗 Explore more tools to rebuild and rise: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe to Against the Herd for weekly insight that challenges convention and delivers real results 

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In this powerful episode of Against the Herd, visual storyteller and entrepreneur Kirsten Rincon shares her personal battle with chronic pain, misdiagnoses, and medical dead-ends. 

But instead of giving up, she reclaimed her healing by transforming her environment, mindset, and habits. 

We explore her transition from journalist to founder of Media Corner, how intentional design became her medicine, and why your space is a silent player in your pain or recovery. 

💥 In this episode: 

* How to transform your home and workspaces into healing environments 

* What to do when doctors dismiss your pain 

* The hidden impact of creative expression on health 

* From chaos to clarity: rebuilding your life from the inside out 

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CONNECT WITH KIRSTEN RINCON 

Youtube:  @kirstenrincon  

Instagram:  @kirstenrincon  

Instagram:  @media__corner  

Webpage: https://www.mymediacorner.com 

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🎙 Hosted by performance coach & pain specialist Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly stories that defy convention and fuel resilience 

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In this solo episode of Against the Herd, performance specialist Armando Cruz reveals how to design your space for healing (mentally, emotionally, and physically). 

You’ll learn how to eliminate subtle stressors, create order from chaos, and build an environment that acts as your ally, not your enemy. 

From digital detoxes to natural light to the healing power of nature itself, this episode gives you a blueprint to reclaim calm, focus, and energy.

 💥 What you’ll learn: 

* Why most homes and workspaces are secretly making you sick 

* The hidden connection between clutter, anxiety, and inflammation How to use design, light, and sound to promote healing 

* Why nature is the ultimate medicine and how to bring it into your life 

* A personal story about transforming one client’s environment and life 

🎙 Hosted by bestselling author & physical therapist Armando Cruz 

🔗 More tools to transform your health: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly episodes that challenge the system and fuel your performance 

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In this raw and inspiring episode of Against the Herd, Valeria Rodriguez shares her unbelievable journey: being shot in the chest, enduring multiple traumatic accidents, breaking bones, and battling through a broken brain. 

But her story isn’t about pain... It’s about power. 

Valeria is an educator, Ironman, and visual artist whose work has literally launched into space. 

From the Peace Corps to glacier treks in Patagonia and classrooms across Miami, she’s turned adversity into fuel for growth. 

If you’ve ever faced setbacks that made you question your strength, this conversation will reset your perspective on pain, healing, and human potential. 

💥 In this episode: 

* Surviving life-threatening trauma and brain injury 

* Using curiosity and nature as healing tools 

* Rebuilding identity after a crisis 

* The science of storytelling as a path to recovery 

________ 

CONNECT WITH VALERIA 

Instagram: @valeriasketches 

Instagram: @valeriar1 

Website: https://www.valeriasketches.com

 _________ 

🎙 Hosted by performance coach & storyteller Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more at https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for more interviews with resilient non-conformists

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It’s not your fault. 

You’ve been sold a 1-dimensional health model in a 7-dimensional world. 

In this episode of Against the Herd, performance coach and pain expert Armando Cruz reveals his 7-Dimensional Health Framework. The same model he’s used to help high performers eliminate pain, reclaim energy, and create aligned lives that actually work. 

Most people chase symptoms. 

This episode shows you how to chase root solutions instead by addressing what’s missing, not just what’s hurting. 

💥 What you'll learn: 

* Why focusing only on physical health creates burnout 

* The 7 dimensions that drive true healing and resilience 

* How to self-assess which areas of your health are underdeveloped 

* Real-world examples of how this framework transformed lives 

🎙 Hosted by bestselling author and physical therapist Armando Cruz 

🔗 Explore more tools and coaching: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe to Against the Herd for weekly drops that challenge the conventional and deliver results 

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One man: James Drake, chaplain, pastor, HYROX competitor, triathlete, and spiritual powerhouse. 

In this electrifying episode of Against the Herd, James shares how he integrates faith, physicality, and focus to build resilient health from the inside out. 

He opens up about what traditional medicine and fitness often miss, how music shifts your biology, and why addressing pain beyond the body is key to true transformation. 

Whether you’re an athlete, entrepreneur, or spiritual seeker, this episode will expand your definition of what “health” really means. 

💥 What you’ll learn: 

* How to build unshakable health through faith, movement, and mindset 

* Why emotional and spiritual pain often show up physically 

* How music and rhythm can regulate your nervous system 

* What it’s like to compete on Beastmaster & American Ninja Warrior 

_______ 

🌟CONNECT WITH JAMES DRAKE🌟 

Instagram:  @JamesBryanDrake 

 Youtube: @JamesBryanDrake 

X: @JamesBryanDrake 

Tik Toc: @JamesBryanDrake 

https://christchurchmiami.org/ 

https://6essentialsforyourbody.com/ 

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🎙 Hosted by performance coach & non-conformist health expert Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more at https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for more high-performance stories that challenge the status quo

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It’s built in the quiet, focused, aligned moments when your mind, body, and spirit are connected. 

In this solo episode of Against the Herd, performance expert and faith-driven health coach Armando Cruz breaks down the Faith, Focus, Fuel Framework, a method he’s used with high performers to create health that lasts far beyond willpower and supplements. 

You’ll discover how to align your inner world with your physical goals, why your beliefs matter more than your routines, and how to fuel yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically...even during chaos. 

💥 In this episode: 

* Why faith (not religion) is the root of lasting health 

* How to use focus to cut the noise and stay centered 

* What “fuel” really means for high performers (it’s not just food) 

* Real-life stories of clients who rebuilt from burnout and pain 

* The inside-out approach to resilient living no one is teaching 

🎙 Hosted by best-selling author & performance coach Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly episodes that challenge the norm and spark true transformation 
 

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Alex shares how “vision stacking” helped him create clarity across business, body, and relationships. 

He breaks down the health wake-up call that forced him to slow down and speed up in the right direction. 

If you’re a high performer looking for more energy, deeper meaning, and results that actually last... this episode is for you. 

💥 What You'll Learn: 

* The truth about burnout no one talks about 

* How to shift your identity for lasting health 

* Why your environment determines your energy 

* Real estate success without sacrificing your family or body 

🎙 Hosted by performance expert & legacy coach Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for more interviews with non-conformist entrepreneurs

 _______ 

🌟Connect with Alex Pardo🌟 

https://www.StorageWins.com 

https://www.AlexPardo.com 

https://www.youtube.com/alexpardo 

https://www.facebook.com/alexpardo15 

http://www.instagram.com/alexpardo25

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In this solo episode of Against the Herd, performance expert and pain specialist Armando Cruz reveals why most people (and most doctors) are chasing the wrong target and why pain relief doesn’t always mean healing. 

You’ll learn how to listen to your body’s signals, decode what pain is really trying to tell you, and use it as a guidepost for healing, not a problem to silence. 

Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, burnout, or recurring injuries, this episode gives you a new lens and the strategy to finally get to the root. 

💥 In this episode: 

* Why pain is communication, not malfunction 

* The dangerous trap of short-term symptom relief 

* How to decode the hidden message behind your pain 

* A story of a client who healed by shifting his mindset and environment 

🎙 Hosted by bestselling author & performance physical therapist Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for more episodes that challenge the status quo and guide you to lasting results

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In this launch episode, host Armando Cruz shares the mission behind The Resistance. It's a call to those who’ve been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to “just live with it.” 

If you’ve tried everything and still feel stuck in pain, burnout, or low performance... this is your new home. 

🔥 What to expect from this season: 

* Real stories from non-conformist entrepreneurs, athletes, and thought leaders 

* Systems that eliminate chronic pain and optimize health from the inside out 

* Bold, unfiltered strategies that challenge the status quo in medicine, mindset, and movement 

If you've been told you're too intense, too different, or too much, you're exactly who this is for. 

🎙 Hosted by performance coach, physical therapist & bestselling author Armando Cruz 

🔗 Learn more: https://www.CruzCountry.com 

📩 Subscribe for weekly episodes that fuel resilience, rebellion, and results

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