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#21 - Building, Riding, and Rising: Business, Bikes, and Mental Grit with Trent Sanders
44 Plays4 months ago
In this episode of Mindset Mutiny, I sit down with Trent Sanders, co-founder of Mutt Society and managing partner at 36 Creative—a guy who knows how to build businesses, push limits, and make an impact. We dive into everything from the grind of entrepreneurship to the freedom of two wheels, the mental battles that come with both, and why surrounding yourself with the right people changes everything.
We break down what that experience meant, why sharing your story matters, and how mindset plays a role in every challenge—whether it’s in business, on the bike, or in life.
This one’s raw, real, and packed with hard-hitting takeaways. Tune in. 🔥
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Transcript
Introduction to Trent Sanders and Mutt Society
00:00:21
Mike Ivanov
Today's guest is a powerhouse in branding, business and impact. He's the managing partner of 36 Creative, an award-winning brand agency and the co-founder of Mutt Society, a nonprofit getting kids on bikes. A giver, a lover, an adventurer.
00:00:38
Mike Ivanov
He lives with full throttle passion for family, business, and mountain biking. If you're ready for real insight and relentless drive, let's dive in. Trent Sanders, welcome to the show, brother.
00:00:52
Trent Sanders
Thank you, Mike. I appreciate it, man. I'm pumped to be here.
00:00:55
Mike Ivanov
Yeah, man.
00:00:55
Trent Sanders
Thanks for taking the time.
00:00:57
Mike Ivanov
Hell yeah, dude. So I'm glad we can link up. You got tell me, you know, where you're at. like i We were talking before we pressed record here. and yeah You got yourself in a predicament here.
Spontaneous Cross-Country Trip
00:01:09
Trent Sanders
but the Yeah, my buddy, ah im actually my partner in Mutt Society um bought a a ludicrous ah RV out in Bend, Oregon. and And so he invited me the earlier this week.
00:01:24
Trent Sanders
I said, no, man, there's no way I can do it. I got so much going on with work at 36, with Mutt Society, with everything. And I denied the ah request. And then I told my wife and showed her the picture. And um she forced me to come. So the coolest part of the story so far, without any of the future adventures driving back, is that ah my incredible wife actually encouraged me to do a cross-country trip with my one of my best friends.
00:01:52
Trent Sanders
Pretty rad.
00:01:52
Mike Ivanov
Hey, man. that I always say, like you know you have to have a very strong woman behind you, you know and and obviously, that's speaking right now.
00:01:53
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:02:01
Trent Sanders
Yeah, absolutely, dude. Absolutely.
00:02:03
Mike Ivanov
so So you're at the ah RV dealership now, sitting in the salesman's office. after After what?
00:02:09
Trent Sanders
Uh,
00:02:10
Mike Ivanov
How many how many hours have you been traveling?
00:02:12
Trent Sanders
we got up at, three o'clock, 3 AM m in, uh, Salem, New Hampshire, did a couple, couple of, uh, transfers on the old airlines and, um,
00:02:23
Trent Sanders
Yeah, we're chilling here and we're going to, i guess Crane has a, Crane, Oregon has ah hot spring. So that's our first destination. it's about two and a half hours away.
00:02:34
Mike Ivanov
Oh, that'll be cool. And then you're goingnna you're going to drive it all the way back here to to New Hampshire.
00:02:39
Trent Sanders
Yep. couple days, couple days on the road.
00:02:41
Mike Ivanov
Oh, man.
00:02:42
Trent Sanders
You can't, you can't do that.
00:02:42
Mike Ivanov
That'll be a good experience.
00:02:44
Trent Sanders
Yeah. You can't do that without an adventure somewhere along the way. So we're looking forward to the unknown.
00:02:48
Mike Ivanov
Dude, that's awesome.
00:02:49
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:02:51
Mike Ivanov
That's awesome. Well, dude, I wish you safe travels. you know we'll We'll kick this thing off
Reconnection and Speaking Engagement
00:02:55
Mike Ivanov
tonight. But, um you know... Tell me, tell me, well, let's actually first, you know, you came back into my life after, you know, a couple of years, I'd say right now you were, um we linked up, I think, and remind me if I forget, but when I did that charity bike build, you know, I think that's when we kind of started chatting a little bit and then I kind of learned about Mutt Society.
00:03:15
Mike Ivanov
um So that was really neat. And I think that, you know, we talked at a special time, you know, obviously, you know, my story, you know, with my difficulties with some of the mental health things that I've dealt with over the years. And, you know,
00:03:27
Mike Ivanov
It's funny kind of how the universe aligns, right? I told you that you know a couple days before. So it was like a few year gap, right? I think between when we talked.
00:03:35
Trent Sanders
Yep.
00:03:35
Mike Ivanov
Is that accurate? ah it's just kind of, it's kind of crazy. So i was told you, was meeting with my mentor. It was a Sunday night um and we were chatting and he was challenging me with a bunch of things that, you know, are way outside my comfort zone, which is the whole point. Right.
00:03:53
Mike Ivanov
And he says, I need you to, I need you to do more speaking engagements this year. And I was like, all right, yeah, like no problem. You know, I hadn't really given it much thought and, you know, whatever he tells me to do, I'll just, I'll just do it, which is great. Um, so Tuesday, right. A couple days later, I'm sitting at my desk and my work and I get a text from you and I'm like, Oh damn, Trent, holy shit. Like blast from the past. And, uh, and then it like, it just popped up on my phone. It says, Hey, I have a speaking engagement for you. And I was just like, i literally, ah wish somebody had a camera on me when that happened. Cause I just sat there for a second and I just like, I looked up at the sky and I was just like, what? Like this,
00:04:29
Mike Ivanov
there's no way. And before I even responded to you, I just screenshotted it and sent it over my mentor. And he and he just texted me back. He's like, there is no coincidences. And I was like, you know, yeah.
00:04:39
Trent Sanders
Very nice.
00:04:40
Mike Ivanov
And I, and I loved it. And of course, like before I even heard anything from you, I'm like, and I'm like scared shitless. So like, who knows what it's going to be. And I'm like, dude, I'm in, you know, like, like tell me more. Um, so, you know, thank you for reaching out and, uh, tell me a little bit about how you got kind of tied up with that organization.
Growth and Mission of Mutt Society
00:05:00
Trent Sanders
Um, you know, the brand Mutt Society has, ah has grown pretty significantly just awareness wise over the last couple of years. Um, you know, I, full transparency, i think not just in our space, but in every space, uh, money's been tight the last couple of years. Fundraising has been tough.
00:05:22
Trent Sanders
Um, But we've just kind of been trucking along and through our ambassador program, which is, you know, some professional athletes and then bunch of kids, some in need, some not. ah We've just in some ways supported the community, but gotten out into the community. And we've had a couple of conversations earlier in 2024 with some individuals in Canada.
00:05:47
Trent Sanders
ah Tanya on our board is is from Canada as well. um So it's kind of spread north. And, you know, people understand we're just trying to get kids on bikes. People understand that we have a passion for giving back, trying to leave a mark on this crazy world.
00:06:04
Trent Sanders
And so, you know, they're doing some things ah up north and reached out to see if there was a way to collaborate. um They had eight kids that were aspiring to be ah more professionally involved in the sport, but didn't have the means to do so. so we gathered up, I think we did three downhill slash cross-country enduro bikes um for them, delivered them up in Portland, Maine where when they were down visiting family, and and then just started a ah really fruitful conversation.
00:06:39
Trent Sanders
um Dan, who is leading that, and his son, Caleb, who does the um more of the bike-centered charity, um you know they just started talking about how they could connect us with different grants, organizations up there that we might be able to help. and And yeah, just one thing led to the other. And they asked for a couple of my friends or athletes that I knew that if they had an inspiring story, that um but I should invite them and get some traction there. And and honestly, man, i I'm just going to jump back for anybody listening. Hopefully there's a little bit of value here, but
00:07:20
Trent Sanders
I was introduced to Mike from ah one of my buddies, Ethan, with
Biking as a Mental Health Tool
00:07:24
Trent Sanders
the initiative that he did for the veterans. ah It was a mission 33.
00:07:30
Mike Ivanov
Mission 22. Yeah. Yep. ye
00:07:32
Trent Sanders
Mission 22. And and we started talking and i was going through a time in life. And there was this dude that I'd never met, had one conversation on the phone that told me.
00:07:44
Trent Sanders
uh, I'll get emotional if I go too far into it, but you know, I texted you for some reason, you were the person I texted and said, man, I'm having a hard time. He said, dude, go out and ride your bike. And, uh, and I did, it helped. And for some reason it just kind of dropped off from there. You know, you and I going back and forth, get this opportunity. And for some odd reason you pop into my head two, three years later.
00:08:07
Trent Sanders
uh, and here we are. So you're, so Mike's one of the speakers at the, uh, we believe, um, event up in, it's in May, up in up in Canada, right around New Brunswick.
00:08:18
Mike Ivanov
and May 15th, man.
00:08:19
Trent Sanders
So, yeah.
00:08:20
Mike Ivanov
Looking forward to it. you know like What was really kind of badass about it is you kind of undersold the shit out of it, which... You know, so you totally undersold it.
00:08:28
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:08:30
Mike Ivanov
You know, i was like, all right yeah I'm going to go, you know, don't go talk with, you know, like couple people he's probably got together or whatever.
00:08:34
Trent Sanders
Couple kids.
00:08:35
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. And he's like, let me get you on on with like the organizer. And then like, you started getting official real quick and I talked to Dan and super, super sweet guy, man. He's like, he's just a great salt of the earth person.
00:08:47
Mike Ivanov
Like just tell he, he cares about what he's doing. And so i told him my story, you know, I told him about, you know, my struggles with mental health and, and, and, you know the deep story. i don't think I've ever even told the whole story on this podcast, which there's probably should be some time for that.
00:09:01
Mike Ivanov
Um, but you know, my entire story and then how bikes saved my life. And, um, and I just pass that along to people, right? It's all about, it's all about movement. You know, when we're in these bad places, mentally, we tend to get stuck and we're just sitting still in our heads and, and getting moving is really what matters. And I found that so many different things, you know, since finding bikes, but get on the phone with Dan telling the stories like, yeah, you know, I think, I think you should come talk to the group. And I'm like, cool.
00:09:25
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. And I'm like, sounds great. And he's like, yeah, so I'm going to need the speech by like the end of the week and you can send it to production. And I'm like, what you like what are you talking about? He's like, yeah, yeah, send it to production. He goes, I'm going to get you like 10 minutes in front of 8,000 people. How's that sound? And I'm like...
00:09:40
Mike Ivanov
oh holy shit, man. I'm like, wow, Trent, he really ah he really came through on this one. But it's funny because, you know, you think about the way the universe aligns and, you know, i never was a big believer in this, but I told you, I'm talking to mentor. He's challenged me or this.
00:09:53
Mike Ivanov
You pop back into my life from like three years ago and we had conversations pretty deep, really fast, you know, like one phone conversation and we were getting into some some some shit that most men don't want to talk about when it comes to their feelings and how they, you know, what they're dealing with and how they're feeling.
00:10:07
Mike Ivanov
um But that's like one of the most important things. And then with what you're doing with Mutt Society, it all kind of comes together. And and then you know i talked to Caleb and he's like, yeah, you know before this big event we're going to do, come up and we'll we'll go for a big group ride with everybody and everybody from my foundation, and Empower to Ride, like all this stuff. And I'm like, man, I'm like, you know what?
00:10:27
Mike Ivanov
Like there's a plan here. Like there's a plan here for me. There's a reason this all I've been through all this shit. And, ah you know, so that just kind of like adds more energy to to me. And I just know I'm in the right place doing the right things.
00:10:40
Mike Ivanov
And, i you know, I got to thank you for keeping me in mind. um And I think it's going to be it's going
Therapeutic Activities and Mental Health
00:10:45
Mike Ivanov
to be amazing. I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you I was. the most scared I've ever been to get on stage from 8,000 people.
00:10:50
Trent Sanders
Yep.
00:10:51
Mike Ivanov
But at the same time, I know that's what I'm built for. Um, and, and I know that when I get up there, there'll be massive energy. And the fact that I can tell my story pretty, pretty raw.
00:11:02
Mike Ivanov
Um, and, and it's, it's hard to hear sometimes for some people, but in front of all those people, you know, third, was it third grade to 12th grade? Um, they know people suffering with the same problems I have, you know, and they, and maybe their parents, their friends, their, anybody, right.
00:11:16
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:11:19
Mike Ivanov
And if I can help them understand that, and even the people that aren't suffering on how they can help, you know, support the people that are, um, I think it could change a lot of, lot of people's, you know, minds and, ah and, uh, and help them.
00:11:31
Mike Ivanov
And, uh, and it's all through bikes, man. It's, uh, It's very special. That's really what it comes down to, Trent. So, you know, thank you, um you know, for for reaching out when you did a long time ago, because if you hadn't, you know, we wouldn't be sitting here today.
00:11:47
Mike Ivanov
I wouldn't be having the opportunity to go speak to these people and I wouldn't have the opportunity to change a lot of young people's lives, I truly believe. So it's just kind of cool, man, if you ask me.
00:11:58
Trent Sanders
Yeah, if I can, can I jump into that real quick?
00:12:01
Mike Ivanov
Yeah.
00:12:01
Trent Sanders
this Just, you're just stirring things up. We've had a challenge over the years um explaining or educating people on why the bicycle is so valuable.
00:12:13
Trent Sanders
And I, you know, the word that comes up is given up. I haven't given up, but I've realized that there's such a challenge there that, that Maybe there is just more of a specific target of people that we need to speak to that really understand the value of the bicycle and can help support that mission. Because if you haven't, when when I say to someone that that has been ah taken out of depression by rock climbing or something else, they might see the parallel, but they just, some people that haven't had the experience that you and I have had just don't understand how powerful anything like that. We just happen to focus on bikes, but anything like that can,
00:12:57
Trent Sanders
um you know, it can bring you out of some really solid valleys. And so, you know, we've been asked over the years, you know, why not just money? Why not just food? ah You know, the the basic elements of survival.
00:13:10
Trent Sanders
And I understand that argument. We've done some, you know, maybe one step out of that, but like, you know, art app supplies to some kids that are, you know, that need them.
00:13:21
Trent Sanders
um But the power of the bike and what it can do to free in the mental state and giving, freedom in general, just transportation. Um, for some it's, you know, a way to get to work.
00:13:35
Trent Sanders
There's some so much value to that, that I think if you're listening to this or if you listen to Mike's speech, uh, in May, um and haven't had that, you know, perfect parallel, just dig into it a little bit mentally because there's a real, so much more of a power than having the wind blow through your hair, even when you're bald, uh,
00:13:56
Mike Ivanov
Yeah, I know it's kind of tough for the wind blowing through my hair, but I've gotten used to it over the years.
00:14:00
Trent Sanders
yeah Yeah, we're in the same boat.
00:14:01
Mike Ivanov
I still feel it on the scalp, you know?
00:14:04
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:14:05
Mike Ivanov
ah Listen, you're you're right. And, you and um you know, you're right about the parallels, right? You know, lifting, running, jujitsu, rock climbing, swimming, whatever. You know, there's – people get lucky to find that.
00:14:18
Mike Ivanov
um And what it is is it heals the mind and I think it feeds the soul. Yeah. there's nothing like moving your body. And I always tell people like when I was at my worst and you know I'm laying on the floor of my apartment, panic attack after panic attack, you know can't move, having major problems and you know obviously wanting to take my life at at some point in time, it was like 10, 19 to 20, 19.
00:14:43
Mike Ivanov
You know, I would never have thought a bike or anything like that would have worked. But I can tell you, when I got on that bike that day that my therapist challenged me to get on a bike and ride, first, like, time getting on the bike, every symptom was there. All the panic, anxiety, the numbness in my hands, my stomach, the sweating, like just every panic symptom you could have.
00:15:03
Mike Ivanov
think of was coming at me. It's almost like the brain didn't want to get better and it knew once it got on the bike everything was going to disappear and I'd get a jump on it, you know. So that day I got on that bike, you know, I was in Everett Mass at the time and I took a ride down through East Boston on a bike that I had bought when I was back in the year 2000, I paid my mom and dad installments to buy this bike. It's a Cannondale Jekyll with like the attitude adjustment on the, on the rear shock, you know, it's like a really like a low grade Fox float shock. He probably can't get parts for it anymore, but you know, rode it and as I'm pedaling, you know, I'm 15 minutes in and you know, I'm really, I'm pretty out of shape at the time, you know, and fitness has obviously changed my life and in the course of, you know, my future, but
00:15:46
Mike Ivanov
I just, all of a sudden everything disappeared, man. The pedaling just like, it sucked me into the moment. um and And the brain was just focusing on all the inputs coming in from the bike and then paying attention where you need to be.
00:15:58
Mike Ivanov
And it was just that distraction that we all need that none of us can get nowadays. You know, when you're sucked into your phone, you know, all the constant sound that's going on around you and the distraction, um the emails, the texts, the alerts, everything coming you. It's like for that 45 minutes,
00:16:14
Mike Ivanov
Nobody could touch me. It's kind of like when you jump on an airplane and and your phone doesn't work. You know, it's kind of like you're you're just there with with yourself. But the danger of being by yourself without doing activity is is the brain sometimes can kind of get a handle on you. But the bike freed me from every single thing that was chasing me.
00:16:33
Mike Ivanov
And I used it to kind of just bolster my health, my mental health. I kind of just said, okay, when I go back to the bicycle, I can get relief. um And I needed relief because I was in a really bad place. so And I just kept riding. And then I started that charity, you know, bike. And then I started meeting people that i were out riding and they all have very similar stories. You know, you talk to a lot of veterans.
00:16:53
Mike Ivanov
There's a lot of groups out there um that I've actually got to meet through um the bike. MTB Vets, um Ride It Out MTB, like all these different ah groups, kind of like yourself, but they bring veterans out.
00:17:05
Mike Ivanov
And they get them on bicycles.
00:17:06
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:17:06
Mike Ivanov
And then you hear the stories of like, hey, I was suffering with massive PTSD, ah same as you know same issues, all the symptoms. And then they would talk about some of the issues as far as you know you know thoughts of suicide and things like that.
00:17:20
Mike Ivanov
and they're like, dude, when I get on the bike, it all goes away. And like the bike has saved me. And I'm like, wow, I'm talking to the same, like kind of people are understanding what I, you know, what I'm dealing with here, riding this bike, you know?
00:17:29
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:17:30
Mike Ivanov
So when you say it, you're right. It's hard for people to understand how a bicycle would change someone's life. But if you just got on a bike after a bad day and you just rode it and you didn't think about it, you'd understand every aspect of what I'm saying.
00:17:44
Mike Ivanov
um So you kind of have to just spread the word and then do like what you're doing, get on this bike, let's go ride. And then people be like, wow, I feel amazing after riding that bike.
00:17:51
Trent Sanders
Thank you.
00:17:52
Mike Ivanov
Wow. I left feeling was great. Like, because it's more than just going out for a run. Right. And I think that's kind of the issue where I like, I tell people like to go run too, cause that's really been very therapeutic for me.
00:18:03
Mike Ivanov
Um, but it's very, you have to be in a certain condition just to start running right where the bike you can, you know, you have that rolling kind of that, like, you know, rolling resistance where you can coast a little bit, you pedal a little bit, coast a little bit.
00:18:15
Mike Ivanov
Um, And you then you can get the taste of whatever riding you like to do. If you just want to ride on like a a bike path, cool. If you want to go hammer downhill, you know, take the chairlift up and just slam on the way down, like that's cool too. But Trent, I can tell you, I've taken guys out to ride with me that have never really experienced downhill mountain biking.
00:18:31
Mike Ivanov
And, um you know, immediately after they tell me like, hey, dude, like I just feel better. I feel like a better person, you know?
00:18:37
Trent Sanders
Oh yeah.
00:18:38
Mike Ivanov
Yeah.
00:18:39
Trent Sanders
Yeah. 100%. Yeah.
Rediscovering Joy and Purpose
00:18:41
Mike Ivanov
Yeah.
00:18:41
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:18:41
Mike Ivanov
So I'm i sorry. I hijacked you there, but um that it's so it's so important to me. It's so special, you know, and I'm glad you see it.
00:18:51
Trent Sanders
Yeah, it is. I, yeah, more. Yeah. we're Yeah. We're spreading, we're spreading the word and people do start to understand it and we start younger too. I mean, we've evolved a little bit and, uh, you know, we can do a three hour session at some point and talk about this, but, um, you know, we did start to focus on the youth, getting kids on bikes and a lot of it, you know, we've done a Romania trip, got five kids on Santa Cruz Bronson.
00:19:19
Trent Sanders
So, you know, Enduro style.
00:19:20
Mike Ivanov
Nice.
00:19:22
Trent Sanders
Um, but every year with our bike drives, you know, let's say we do, three to 500 kids on bikes a year. And they're just any kind of bikes that we have just to get them on two wheels.
00:19:33
Trent Sanders
And I say this and I watched it happen this year in Lynn. ah I watched one of our athletes, Derek Hines, one of our partners, one of my good friends, just a good human being, um you know, holding the seat of an 18 year old riding a bike for the first time.
00:19:48
Trent Sanders
And that's like, that's powerful to me because then the kids ear to ear, you know, you don't know it might be the,
00:19:49
Mike Ivanov
Oh, wow.
00:19:55
Trent Sanders
It might be the individual that you know might never have gotten a bike. It might be the individual that actually can um can benefit from it, or it might just be ah functional addition, but it's a solid push.
00:20:08
Mike Ivanov
That must've been special to witness that.
00:20:12
Trent Sanders
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Every year we teach kids that are almost adults ride bikes.
00:20:17
Mike Ivanov
Wow. Yeah. So, you know, that's also special, you know, to me because I see you can head off a problem, right? If you get somebody into ah into a passion, right. And I think that, you know, if I can kind of look back as I, you know, kind of started entering some of the issues I was having,
00:20:33
Mike Ivanov
I didn't have anything like all the things I had loved. I had kind of put to the back burner. was focusing on my career. I thought that, you know, hey, you got to you got to work all day, never sleep and do all this fucking shit to be successful. And, you know, i got very distracted. and And that's not actually that's not actually how you do it. Right.
00:20:50
Mike Ivanov
But I pushed away all the passions. I pushed away building cars. You know, that was like something that has always been a love of mine. Literally, the reason I got a job as a kid was to buy car parts. Right. And you know what?
00:21:01
Mike Ivanov
38 years old, the shit still hasn't changed. I still feel like I just work for car parts. You know, my wife probably wouldn't be so thrilled if she heard me saying that, but she, you know.
00:21:06
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:21:09
Mike Ivanov
She's been around 19 years, so she understands that that's like a truth, right? and you know And then it was bikes.
00:21:14
Trent Sanders
Yes.
00:21:16
Mike Ivanov
I you know i loved riding bikes. i remember coming home from school and just going and out and pedaling until I had nothing left to give. um And then i'd you know I'd come home or I'd be down at the jumps hanging out with everybody just on bikes you know to the point where your ass was sore at the end of the night from riding around all day.
00:21:30
Mike Ivanov
um But I pushed all those passions away. And you know I was doing nothing. I was just going to work, coming home, sitting on the couch, watching TV, and then like repeating the process.
00:21:41
Mike Ivanov
And I can sit here and say that once your brain decides that it doesn't need to keep learning and keep progressing, that's when the that's when like the depression kicks in and that's when like you start to feel lost.
00:21:52
Mike Ivanov
um So you know the bike kind of restored that purpose for me and said, wow, the shit that you used to love as a kid, you still love you know as an adult. Well, you need to start to enter all those passions again. So, you know, I did. I started building bikes. that My personal bike, I got in Mountain Bike Magazine. That was pretty sick. I thought that was cool.
00:22:13
Mike Ivanov
So then I had a friend push me to do this charity bike. Did the charity bike. That fucking was amazing, right? And then I'm like, all right, just going to keep riding bikes, keep having fun. then i buy it Then I buy a car. I buy a project car.
00:22:24
Mike Ivanov
I build that car. Made like, you know, whatever, 515 horsepower at the wheels of Turbo Honda S2000. You know, so started getting happier and I'm like, man, like like I love, I love this shit. Why did I stay away from it? So for so long. So what you're doing and is you're giving somebody a passion that doesn't have one. So that 18 year old kid who had never had the opportunity and never had maybe an adult to like take an interest in them and say, Hey, this is how you ride a bike. Like shit that you and I might take for granted because we learned it at such a young age.
00:22:52
Mike Ivanov
Like that's fucking special. You're setting that person up for a different life. Like the guy that before not knowing how to ride a bike and and the guy after two different people. I know people like, yeah, great, Mike. Like the guy learned to ride a bike so much fucking more than that, you know, and that's the opportunity you're offering others.
00:23:06
Trent Sanders
Yeah, i agree.
00:23:07
Mike Ivanov
And it's very special. Trent really is.
Community Giving and Hurricane Maria
00:23:10
Trent Sanders
Yeah, it's cool. you You as well. But yeah, that's that's what it's it's turned into. I mean, we started, was it was Hurricane Maria really got us going because we just met some people down in Puerto Rico that were building trails.
00:23:28
Trent Sanders
We stood at the top of a mountain Inazco, riding some of the best trails of our lives. I have this in our deck. It's just what I say every time.
00:23:35
Mike Ivanov
That's awesome.
00:23:36
Trent Sanders
But it's, um and we were just, you know, let's give a little back.
00:23:36
Mike Ivanov
That's awesome.
00:23:40
Trent Sanders
And then the hurricane hit. and And it was just a pretty, you know, it was just one of those serendipitous things, negatively, of course, because of the hurricane. But where just we were in the right place at the right time to help out and do something for a community. and Um, and then just kind of grew from there. It's honestly almost, I think we're almost in our ninth year.
00:24:03
Trent Sanders
It's pretty crazy.
00:24:04
Mike Ivanov
wow
00:24:04
Trent Sanders
So we've been holding, holding steady. Yep.
00:24:07
Mike Ivanov
It's cool, man. And you got some support from some pro athletes, I think, which is also helps, right? It's always good for getting the word out.
00:24:12
Trent Sanders
ye Yeah, absolutely.
00:24:13
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:15
Trent Sanders
Absolutely.
00:24:17
Mike Ivanov
So what's the next thing for you? I mean, well, what do you got on the map?
00:24:22
Trent Sanders
Um, well, we've, like I said, we've had a ah challenge with some fundraising. So actually the last couple of weeks we've been talking to the board and, um, and we've been saying this, uh, you know, let's go back to the roots.
00:24:37
Trent Sanders
And it's really from that, those Puerto Rico days, let's just live our lives with a good, good heart forward and, and, uh, look for those smaller opportunities.
00:24:40
Mike Ivanov
Thank
00:24:47
Trent Sanders
I think we, for a long time there, we just tried to, you know, but I look at Tony Hawk skate park project all the time, just watching what they're doing and they just have such, such solid funding behind it. So they have this, you know, well-oiled ah organization running and not to say we're, we're, you know, we do all the things we have to do, but it's um you know, we tried to make it this thing that I'm not sure it was, I want to bring it back in this next, in 2025 and like,
00:25:17
Trent Sanders
bring really the heart back into it and have those random things that aren't governed by, ah you know, a plan. I want to look for those kids in the communities just randomly that need something and kind of, you know, in a sense, lead by example, but I don't ever need to be the example. It's just people say a lot, you know, Hey, you're doing such a good job. What a good guy.
00:25:40
Trent Sanders
And, uh, I think, you know, this as well as I do, it's, the The reward's right in the action. Like, there's no... and don't really need thanks for it. I'm not doing it because i want people to see it. um You do things like this with the right mind and just you get the reward immediately.
00:26:01
Trent Sanders
So, and so i want i want to do more i want to do more of that this year.
00:26:02
Mike Ivanov
I like that.
00:26:06
Trent Sanders
ah you know take some of the guardrails we've put on ourselves to you know make things work seamlessly and have a couple perfect programs and I want to bring it back to its roots.
00:26:20
Mike Ivanov
you know So kind of like when you're when you say that, I feel like I talk about identity. you know I always um kind of challenge myself to to kind of figure out what my true identity is, right?
00:26:32
Mike Ivanov
and And you're kind of doing that right now with your business. you know You're trying to figure out, and it's a non-profit.
00:26:37
Trent Sanders
That's exactly right, dude.
00:26:39
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. So you're you're trying to just say, all right, you know, i know who we are. I know who we are now. It doesn't match the identity that I have for when I either started or when I felt the best when I was doing this or or what does it look like when it's right.
00:26:55
Mike Ivanov
um And again, I like that. I like no rules. You know i like that. I like hearing you say that because sometimes... Rules can change, you know, the development of of what you're creating.
00:27:08
Mike Ivanov
um and And any creation, I think, that you create with no rules is always better ah when you're done. um Listen, ah I'll follow rules.
00:27:19
Mike Ivanov
But when it comes to creation, I really don't give a fuck. about what anybody thinks, right?
00:27:23
Trent Sanders
Mm-hmm.
00:27:25
Mike Ivanov
So when you're talking about, hey, like I'm walking down the street of Puerto Rico and I see somebody that's got a bike that, you know, you know has two flat tires and the kid has a passion. Like I want to walk over there and say, hey, listen, come with me.
00:27:36
Mike Ivanov
We got a bike for you, you know? And that that type of shit right there is life-changing, you know? um Like that human being will remember that for the rest of their life. Hey, I was hanging out in my front yard,
00:27:47
Mike Ivanov
um You know, my my parents are, you know, just struggling to put food on the table and and some guy walks by and gives me a bike and and who knows, kid turns into a professional bike rider at some point in his life or, or you know, ah stays out of trouble his entire life and and has a great life because somebody got him, you know, pedaling and got him that freedom that we keep talking about and and that sense of feeling, of feeling great and feeling, you know, feeling one with the world.
00:28:08
Trent Sanders
Yes.
00:28:10
Mike Ivanov
I think when you ride a bike, Especially out in nature, um you just feel like part of the part of the earth. it's It's very interesting. um But what you're doing and and reflecting on where you're at and where you want to be um takes a lot as a person because we get so stuck in looking at what the final image
Core Identity and Authentic Growth
00:28:34
Mike Ivanov
of what it needs to be or we have to kind of hang out in these bumpers of what society says we have to do with with whatever we're creating.
00:28:42
Mike Ivanov
um and right now you're at like a turning point where you're going to like, where this could really change how things go for Mutt's society. Um, so my best advice to you is, you know, um, figure out what the true identity is. Um, and then, you know, be unapologetic about it and make it exactly as you see it.
00:29:03
Mike Ivanov
Uh, you know, when you close your eyes, you know, it's, uh,
00:29:06
Trent Sanders
Yeah, that's cool, dude. And I think, you know, wrapping this whole essence up is assisted by, i know you're not suggesting it's just people in Puerto Rico, but I think and even in my mind for a while there, it was like, let's go to these other countries and help people.
00:29:27
Trent Sanders
And what you start to realize is that you can find the wealthiest town in and the the U.S. or in the world And there's a kid that's been overlooked even by wealthy parents. That's why I try not even to say, I never say poor, but, you know, it's like kids without access or means to have a bike.
00:29:46
Trent Sanders
It could be ah child that, you know, at some point will have a trust fund, but just at that point, they're, you know, their family structure, it isn't supporting their,
00:29:46
Mike Ivanov
Yeah.
00:29:56
Trent Sanders
desire to go outside or have, you know, the access. So it's just, it's anywhere. And, and then the other thing is that I think I got it into my head with some of these programs that you needed to keep supporting, which is what other programs do very well. And it's admirable and amazing and it's needed.
00:30:16
Trent Sanders
But what we really, i think at the core, we just want to make that little spark, like just that, Holy shit, some guy, you gives a shit about me or wow, I had never had a bike, didn't know the freedom it could give me.
00:30:31
Trent Sanders
And it's helped me through whatever it is, struggle or get me to work. It's just that little thing that helps potentially one out of 5,000 kids that we help potentially actually changes the entire trajectory of their life.
00:30:44
Trent Sanders
You can't, you can't give, you can't only support the kids that, you know, you'll change their lives.
00:30:45
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. well
00:30:51
Trent Sanders
It's that you support a bunch to really help a few. um And these are things like i'm I'm just trying to start to remember and and just, like I said, get back to the roots and just kind of, yeah, have the right vibe.
00:30:56
Mike Ivanov
yeah
00:31:06
Mike Ivanov
Well, figure out why you, so yeah, figure out why you started, right? you You know deep down somewhere.
00:31:10
Trent Sanders
Yep.
00:31:11
Mike Ivanov
So, you know, what you have to do is you got to present that to the unconscious, right? So tonight when you go to bed, you know, you just have to sit there and you have to think like, geez, why did why did I start? Why did I start this? what What was the driving force? and And then let it marinate. And then I guarantee you tomorrow you open your eyes, you wake up and you'd be like, shh.
00:31:28
Mike Ivanov
this is what fucking started. And, and this is where we're going.
00:31:30
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:31:31
Mike Ivanov
Um, you know, so that's not like something you can just sit around thinking about all day. You gotta, you gotta, you gotta think about it, shut the machine down and let the unconscious, uh, do the work. Um, cause that's where all the, that's where all of it happens. You know, I read a really cool book about it just recently. Um, super, super awesome book. It was recommended to me too, but, uh,
00:31:52
Mike Ivanov
I met my first, I met this really interesting individual. um he He has his own kind of investment firm and he's done very well for himself. He he turned $100,000 into $1.5 billion. dollars um And he recommended me some reads, you know, that I should read that would change my life. And I've been reading some of his books he's recommended and they are life-changing.
00:32:17
Mike Ivanov
Um, and this, and this is one of them that i'm talking about. So it talks about kind of presenting to the unconscious and letting that, you know, kind of be the deciding force. Um, and then, and then just, you know, allowing the brain to do the work we never do. We always think like, like we're sitting there thinking, but it's like, you don't understand what's going on in the background while you're, you know, while you're asleep or while you're distracted or while
Personal Growth through Discomfort
00:32:38
Mike Ivanov
you're riding a bike.
00:32:39
Mike Ivanov
Um, you know, you can have some great, you know, great thoughts there too. So, uh, what, you know, what you said to me is very impactful. Um,
00:32:49
Mike Ivanov
a lot of people don't, depending on who they, you know, who their family is, don't go outside and aren't in nature. And so really kind of interesting story.
00:32:58
Trent Sanders
Bye.
00:33:01
Mike Ivanov
um When I first got started getting back into riding my bike, I hadn't, hadn't been in the woods in a long time riding, you know, so I just kind of started riding on the street because I was living, you know, kind of living close to the city and, you
00:33:17
Mike Ivanov
I kind had grown really numb, you know, I hadn't pushed myself. hadn't experienced any real like physical pain or anything like that. was just became very comfortable, very lazy. just Just avoiding every discomfort, right?
00:33:31
Mike Ivanov
That's how I thought I could manage my stress, which is to avoid everything. So I got on, I went up to some local trails, just kind of north up in Boxford and ah it took the bike out and you know i was riding clipless at the time because ah you know that's what I had on there.
00:33:43
Mike Ivanov
So yeah you know you need some practice when you're riding clipless, right? like So i'm riding I'm riding and I come up to you know a pretty good hill and I'm like you know trying to navigate my way down and I wipe out and smash my knee and my elbow and i and i start I start bleeding.
00:33:49
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:33:59
Mike Ivanov
And I'm like, I can still remember this. I stood up and I was like, you know what, man? feels great. Like I feel alive, you know, like I've been dead for so fucking long inside here. I'm bleeding my elbow and my knees bleed. And I'm like, that fucking pain feels great.
00:34:17
Mike Ivanov
And I can remember it, it just like woke me up Trenton.
00:34:18
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:34:20
Mike Ivanov
And that was like, kind of just, this is like something that just flashed into my head as we're talking, you know, um, It was special, man. and And at that point forward, I just was like, you know what, dude, like, let's seek the discomfort.
00:34:32
Mike Ivanov
Let's do everything that I'm scared of. And, and let's see what we can do with life. And, you know, my, my entire life has changed since then. You know, I look back, I wouldn't even, didn't even recognize myself, but um I can't wait to see what Mutt Society, you know, comes up with next and and you getting back to your roots will just absolutely like rejuvenate you.
00:34:40
Trent Sanders
Yeah,
00:34:51
Mike Ivanov
um I mean, do you feel that way?
00:34:53
Trent Sanders
yeah I agree.
00:34:53
Mike Ivanov
You feel that way? Yeah.
00:34:55
Trent Sanders
Oh yeah. I'm already, I'm already super pumped about it. Um, I think everybody's that's, that's at the core of it is, is a hundred percent on board. And, um, I think what we should do if you're down is um,
00:35:09
Trent Sanders
after the may event maybe connect on a on you know a different level after you've kind of gone through that and i've had a couple months under my under my belt for um you know changing the course a little bit it'd be cool to to revisit it and it could just be cool for you and i just to have something to look back on in posterity and see the the differences in mindset but
00:35:27
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. get it Get a ride in, you know, enjoy ourselves, you know, but like, um
00:35:37
Mike Ivanov
I just like when I see people doing things that they're passionate about, you know, um like if you're up to me, man, um I've done pretty good in my career so far. I've got a long way to go. you know, I got big plans, but The end game is to disappear. you know The end game is is to to move to Vermont and ride my bike for the rest of my life. like That's the end game. you know Most people are like, oh, what do you want to do? And like, oh I want a big house. I want this. I want that. It's like, dude, I want like a small little house.
00:36:05
Mike Ivanov
Bring my cars up there. you know Ride my bikes. have a coffee shop, you know, uh, that's like a bikes themed coffee shop.
00:36:12
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:36:13
Mike Ivanov
That's my dream, man. That like disappear in Vermont. And, you know, um, I just know, like when I'm up in Burke, you know, and I'm riding trails in Burke and and do like a 25 mile loop.
00:36:24
Mike Ivanov
And like, I just, you think you'd be tired after, but you're not. And then I go kind of sit in the river and, you know, have a couple of drinks. And, uh, I'm like, you know, like, I could die right now and my life would be perfect,
Vision of a Simpler Life
00:36:35
Mike Ivanov
you know?
00:36:35
Mike Ivanov
And, and my, my, wife you know, my wife doesn't ride bikes, but she loves Burke too.
00:36:36
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:36:39
Mike Ivanov
So it's just like a perfect, you know, perfect match. But if it, it would just wouldn't be the same weren't for the bike, right? um
00:36:48
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:36:50
Mike Ivanov
Maybe it's some sort of symbolism. ah you know I haven't quite nailed it. you know Writing that speech for that you know for that event in in May, um some of the lines get me choked up you know when i talk about like I talk about when I was riding. like That was the moment that I took my power back.
00:37:06
Mike Ivanov
um That one kind of twists me up a little bit. ah When I see the words and I go to say them, ah it's it's very powerful. I don't know why, um but that that bike was a tool that – that took me from being gone to being, to being back again. Um, and that's something that most people, I mean, most people don't necessarily live through, you know?
00:37:30
Mike Ivanov
Um, so i feel very fortunate to be here and, uh, that's why I try to spread the word about bikes all the time.
00:37:30
Trent Sanders
Yeah. Yeah.
00:37:37
Mike Ivanov
So what you're doing really resonates with me in so many different ways. And, um, you know, i appreciate being vulnerable to the day you call me, because that's not an easy thing for guys, you know, like us to do. We're supposed to be a society says it would be supposed to be a certain way.
00:37:50
Mike Ivanov
Um, and and not, not talking about, not talking about our feelings is, is, is what most people have taught us over the years.
00:37:51
Trent Sanders
yeah
00:37:57
Mike Ivanov
Um, but you sharing with me as a complete stranger, you know, um, I just felt like I could give you decent advice. You know, it's just, it's just, it's just odd how that works.
00:38:09
Mike Ivanov
Um, And just like I was desperate at the time and I would do anything, you were feeling a certain way and you were like, man, it says go ride my bike. it would go ride my bike.
Community Support and Overcoming Challenges
00:38:21
Mike Ivanov
And, um, right.
00:38:21
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:38:22
Mike Ivanov
And I mean, shit seemed to work out.
00:38:24
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:38:24
Mike Ivanov
Right.
00:38:26
Trent Sanders
Sometimes you need someone to tell you something you already know.
00:38:29
Mike Ivanov
Yeah, yeah. um Unfortunately, we we're not really great at giving ourselves advice. We're really good at giving other people advice.
00:38:37
Trent Sanders
Yeah.
00:38:38
Mike Ivanov
And that's proven. So that's why you have to have good people around you. talk about curating your circle all the time, you know, and having that positive energy around you. And I'm sure you've got that around you. And I've never met, this is what's kind of cool about it is,
00:38:50
Mike Ivanov
I forgot to mention community. Your your driving community ah is is what you're doing as well. So when you, at least from my my perspective, so when you get people on bikes and you do these things, they enter a community that they've never been a part of before and never had access to.
00:39:06
Mike Ivanov
Yeah.
00:39:07
Trent Sanders
Yep. yep
00:39:08
Mike Ivanov
Right. So have I've never met somebody in the mountain biking community that I was like, that person sucks. They're an asshole. I've never ever, and maybe they are once they get off the bike and they're driving down the street or they're at their full-time job. But when we're all on our bikes and you know you meet on a trail somewhere and you're stopping and you're chatting like, I mean, Trent, tell me if I'm wrong here, but I mean, I've met some great people like in the middle of nowhere in Vermont on my bike and we're just sitting there totally stoked out of our minds just
00:39:38
Trent Sanders
yeah heads down a lot of Yeah, there's not a lot of bad is that a lot of bad souls riding through the woods like that.
00:39:39
Mike Ivanov
living life.
00:39:46
Trent Sanders
At least in that moment.
00:39:46
Mike Ivanov
Right?
00:39:47
Trent Sanders
Yeah, 100%.
00:39:47
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. Yeah. It's ah special. So you're giving people a ticket to the community.
00:39:54
Trent Sanders
Yeah, that's that's a cool way to look at it. Definitely.
00:39:57
Mike Ivanov
Yeah. that That's how I see it You're giving them an opportunity to be a part of a club that most people don't get to join.
Conclusion: Embrace Biking for Healing
00:40:04
Trent Sanders
A little glimpse. A little glimpse and an opportunity.
00:40:06
Mike Ivanov
And that, Yeah. And then you let it grow, you know, you let it marinate and you let them grow it themselves. Right. And that's what becomes so beautiful about the whole thing.
00:40:15
Trent Sanders
Exactly.
00:40:16
Mike Ivanov
So, so tell me, uh, the next, the next big ride, where are you guys traveling to?
00:40:23
Trent Sanders
I don't have anything planned. This year is pretty crazy. um You know, I'm out here. we got four or five days driving back. um And then, you know, we start to do a little bit of the, you know, end of summer planning. So we'll get something on the books pretty soon here, but not positive where.
00:40:43
Trent Sanders
We'll see.
00:40:43
Mike Ivanov
It's exciting, man.
00:40:44
Trent Sanders
they They usually they they come up sporadically.
00:40:45
Mike Ivanov
thanks
00:40:48
Trent Sanders
you know yeah and The unplanned adventure is the best one.
00:40:53
Mike Ivanov
So I'm guessing you don't have your bike with you now.
00:40:56
Trent Sanders
No, no, this was last minute. we well We'll be taking like the north route, so it'll be pretty cold. We could have, of course, we talked about it, but we just didn't. don't know there's going to be enough time.
00:41:07
Mike Ivanov
Well, you know, talking to you, man, invigorates me. You know, I didn't get enough time on the bicycle last year. um You know, I was training for some things that didn't allow me get on the bike. um And I can tell you right now, when I look through my journal, I can see that, you know, there was some stressors there that I probably could have wiped out with riding a bike.
00:41:23
Mike Ivanov
um So, you know, talking to you today, we have a little rain here today and the snow starting to clear up. So I might have to get out there and and and start shredding, you know, and Highland opens up, you know, relatively soon and we're ready to rock and roll. So listen, man, I know you got a lot to do.
00:41:42
Mike Ivanov
You got any closing thoughts for us tonight?
00:41:46
Trent Sanders
Just get out there and ride, man. Go ride your bike. that's the That's the thought.
00:41:49
Mike Ivanov
I love it.
00:41:50
Trent Sanders
Yeah. Bye.
00:41:51
Mike Ivanov
I love it, dude. Let's leave it at that.
00:41:52
Trent Sanders
and
00:41:52
Mike Ivanov
Get out there and ride your fucking bike.