Former Marine Brian “Tosh” Chontosh joins Denise Thomas for a clear-eyed conversation about struggle, comparison, and leadership. Tosh explains why morning routines are overrated, what it really means to be kind — to others and yourself — and how most people are chasing the wrong things. 

In this episode, Tosh and Denise dig into the mind’s mind, the lie of perfection, and why effort matters more than outcome. From his time in combat to ultra-endurance events and founding Crooked Butterfly Ranch, Tosh breaks down how to stop performing and start leading. 

Topics Included:

• Morning routines, self-kindness, and mindset
• Struggle with self-doubt, expectations, and comparison
• Crooked Butterfly Ranch and Diesel Day philosophy
• “Mind’s mind” and the left-hand check-in framework
• Leadership, effort, and growth through challenge and adversity

Resources Mentioned:

• “Chop Wood Carry Water” by Joshua Medcalf
• “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield
• The “mind’s mind” and “left-hand check-in” frameworks (developed by Tosh)
• Crooked Butterfly Ranch
• Diesel Day
• Tosh’s podcast: The Crooked Butterfly Podcast
  

Community Highlight:

This week, we’re highlighting Louise Goodman, a coach at CrossFit Bytown in Ottawa, Canada, and the founder of Unbroken Recovery, a nonprofit offering CrossFit classes for people in recovery. The idea started seven years ago when Louise and a sober friend attended a Friday CrossFit night class that reminded them of an AA meeting. That spark led to the creation of a dedicated recovery class, which has since grown to 160 members and now operates out of multiple gyms. Louise hopes to one day open her own nonprofit CrossFit affiliate. 

Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here → https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/CrossFit-Community-Stories/tt-PrkSJ 

Share Your Thoughts: 

Let us know what you think about the podcast and how we can improve here → https://crossfit.surveysparrow.com/s/The-CrossFit-Podcast—Feedback-Survey/tt-lf9Gf?ep=010