I Spent a Week in a Cave & Here’s What It Taught Me | Zach Homol

Zach Homol knows how to do hard things.

He’s been a powerlifting world record holder, Kentucky and New York Strongest Man, an Ironman competitor and ultramarathoner. He’s built businesses, opened a gym, coached others, spoken on stages, and created the Do Hard Things community.

But one of the hardest things Zach ever did required almost no physical strength at all.

He spent a week in a cave in total darkness.

No phone. No social media. No sunlight. No endless stream of information competing for his attention.

And in the silence, Zach began confronting something deeper about himself.

Despite everything he had accomplished, he was rarely content.

There was always another goal. Another challenge. Another thing on the horizon.

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ZACH HOMOL & HIS DEFINITION OF PERSONAL FREEDOM

In this episode of The Personal Freedom Podcast, Zach and I explore what happens when ambition, even healthy ambition, becomes an inability to simply be where you are.

We talk about his experience in the cave, his years in powerlifting and Strongman, transitioning into ultramarathons and endurance sports, faith, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, social media, smartphones, discipline, identity, and learning to protect your peace in a culture that never seems to slow down.

Zach also shares his journey from working as a coal miner to building his own gym and businesses, and how his definition of success has changed as he’s gotten older.

Today, his definition of personal freedom is surprisingly simple:

Contentment.

Not abandoning ambition.

Not becoming passive.

But learning to stop living entirely for the next achievement and recognizing the life that’s already happening in front of you.

We get into:

• One week alone in a cave in total darkness• Ambition vs. contentment• Powerlifting, Strongman and world records• Training for 100-mile ultramarathons• Why doing hard things prepares you for life• Faith and identity beyond achievement• Fatherhood and changing priorities• From coal miner to entrepreneur• Building the Do Hard Things community• Protecting your peace• Smartphones, social media and distraction• Why modern life feels so fast• Learning to slow down• Finding freedom in the present moment

This is a conversation about strength — but probably not the kind of strength you’d expect from a former world-record powerlifter.

It’s about developing the strength to finally say:

What I have is enough.

ABOUT ZACH HOMOL

Zach Homol is an entrepreneur, gym owner, keynote speaker, personal development coach, health and fitness coach, and founder of the Do Hard Things community.

A former powerlifting world record holder, Zach was also the 2018 Kentucky Strongest Man and 2020 New York Strongest Man before shifting his focus toward endurance challenges, including Ironman events and ultramarathons.

Today, much of Zach’s work centers around helping men challenge themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually through coaching, community, conferences, and the Do Hard Things Men’s Retreat.

For more about Zach’s upbringing and experience coal mining and opening a gym/the Do Hard Things Community, check out this discussion with friend of the show, Kyle Shepard - Do Hard Things with Zach Homol.

FOLLOW ZACH

X: @zachhomol_Substack: Zach’s Substack - Do Hard ThingsCommunity: Do Hard ThingsInstagram: Zach Homol

Follow Zach for his writing and conversations on faith, fitness, fatherhood, personal development, entrepreneurship, discipline, and what it means to Do Hard Things.

The Personal Freedom Podcast shares the stories of people who chose a different path—overcoming adversity, rebuilding their lives, pursuing purpose, and defining freedom on their own terms.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who may be looking for their own way out of the wilderness.

RV Life_Digital Nomad _Fisherman that is trying to be a better Hunter_Lover of poems and songs_An enjoyable drinker, eater, and breather_A man who is rebuilding something greaterThere are rainbows in the storms.

Signing Off,The Personal Freedom Podcast, Mac Dohm

Want to Share Your Personal Freedom Story?

Almost everyone has a personal freedom story.

Maybe yours involved rebuilding after heartbreak.

Maybe it meant leaving behind a toxic environment.

Maybe it involved taking a risk, changing direction, rediscovering your faith, starting over, pursuing a dream, or simply waking up to the realization that you were meant for something more.

If you have a story you feel called to share, I’d love to hear it.

You can apply to be a guest on The Personal Freedom Podcast by booking a 1-on-1 Personal Freedom Story Pitch conversation with me.

This podcast is about real people, real crossroads moments, and real stories of growth, resilience, and freedom.

How You Can Support the Show

Check out my nomadic art gallery for pictures, posters and prints showcasing my life on the road! Use the Code FREEDOM for 20% off.

Art Gallery:

https://macnomadicfineartfromtheroad.pic-time.com/

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New episodes every week featuring conversations about:

* Purpose

* Adventure

* Creativity

* Faith

* Relationships

* Recovery

* Rebuilding

* Mindset

* And the ongoing pursuit of personal freedom

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who may need the reminder to keep pursuing freedom in their own life.

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