There's a version of you waiting on the other side of the hardest thing you've ever done. Most people never find out who that is. This episode is for the ones willing to try.

In the debut episode of What Remains, hosts Nathan Baumeister and Matt Carlson turn the mic on themselves, sharing the stories, setbacks, and personal reckonings that led them to build Okape. From elite youth soccer in Chicago and a volleyball club ranked 14th in the country, to competitive gymnastics, rock climbing, pole vaulting, and two decades in the startup trenches, this is a conversation about what physical pursuit teaches you about yourself, and how those lessons follow you into every hard thing that comes after.

They go deep on the fear that makes you quit something you love, the discipline of doing hard things in small areas so you can do hard things in the big ones, the difference between chasing a result and becoming someone, and why the finish line was never really the point.

This is the show's origin story. And it starts with two people asking the same question they'll ask every guest: after everything you've pushed past, what remains?

In this episode:

00:00 - Intro: The edge of what you thought you could do 01:42 - What this show is and why we built it 02:31 - Matt's story: from club soccer in Chicago to building one of the top volleyball clubs in the country 07:11 - What remains when the sport ends 09:29 - Nathan's story: gymnastics, fear, pole vaulting, and learning to climb 15:10 - How do you know it was fear? 18:16 - The genesis of Okape: building a business around transformation 23:44 - Coal shoveling and glimpses: the truth about chasing a big idea 35:00 - Doing hard things to prove something to yourself 48:17 - The man in the arena, and why the attempt is the point 52:14 - The question: after everything you've pushed past, what remains?

About the hosts:

Nathan Baumeister is an entrepreneur, avid athlete, and co-founder of Okape. Matt Carlson is a lifelong competitor, youth sports coach, and co-founder of Okape, whose programs have transformed the lives of more than 10,000 athletes. Together, they believe that physical pursuit is one of the most powerful tools for self-discovery there is.

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What Remains is a podcast by Okape, the achievement-gated performance apparel brand built for people who earn what they wear.

Join Nathan and Matt, the co-hosts of What Remains, as they explore their ambitious journey of undertaking six extreme physical challenges in 2026, pushing their limits and uncovering internal breakthroughs. This episode introduces their motivations, the meaning behind Okape, and the exciting adventures they have planned, including mountain hikes, ultra marathons, and open water swims.

Before the actual show launches, this gives you a bit of introduction to who Matt & Nathan are, and the reason behind starting What Remains and Okape.