Strength through Adversity|Forged part 1 (DH 25) - a podcast by Shawn Walchef

The Forged brand was born on the battlefield and built to give back. With military experience and tireless dedication, the team behind Forged always pushes forward, no matter the challenge.

Running a business is never easy. But through adversity comes strength.For Forged CEO Michael Sauers, a former Navy SEAL, and Marketing Manager Samantha Bonilla, a former Marine, the brand means pursuing a higher purpose and giving customers that same strong feeling when they put on a Forged shirt or compete in The Murph Challenge.

“Anybody can go put an American flag on a shirt,” Mike Sauers said on this episode of the Digital Hospitality podcast. “But you’ve gotta give meaning to that shirt.""There’s dedication, sacrifice and lots of adversity that’s been overcome in this brand — and your brand!” 
We joined up with the amazing couple for a hike up a mountain in San Diego where we learned how Forged is growing their brand online and offline by providing value and giving back every day.Taking Mike’s SEAL background and Sam's Marine experience to grow the Forged brand, this hike covers a lot of ground. Headed to the top of the mountain, the two discuss how they live the brand and raise funds and awareness for veterans and active duty with some of the savviest marketing campaigns Cali BBQ Media and Digital Hospitality has ever seen. 

Sounds busy right? It is. Still, Mike and Sam take time to be active.“We typically try to plan at least one hike a week,” says Mike.

Climbing up the mountain, Mike and Sam are both on the job but also living their truth of sharing their stories of how life has shaped them and how they build their business. For Mike, becoming a SEAL was in his DNA. With a lifetime love of competitive sports and the great outdoors, Mike’s active body and courageous heart made joining the Navy SEALs the move to stay on the move. Wired the same way? He’ll tell you how to get involved.“Nowadays with all the technology it’s actually fairly easy to research the process,” says Mike. “If you go on the site there’s information and they’ll hook you up with an actual Navy SEAL recruiter. They’ll basically brief you on all the requirements.”

The SEAL requirements included aptitude tests that measure physical, mental and psychological categories. Needless to say, Mike passed these tests, but as a SEAL rookie and later a SEAL leader he keeps it real on how human and humbling the process is.“Any Special Ops training isn’t easy,” says Mike. “You know it’s gonna be hard. You have to that that mindset before you even step in.”
Sounds kind of like relationships, right? 
Stronger Together:Just like their service backgrounds, Mike and Sam have grown through the challenges of dating with the sense of appreciation and humor to smile about it. Mike has opened up Sam to conquering fears in life while Sam has helped Mike grow professionally.

“Before me and Mike started dating, I never went to the ocean, lakes, nothing. Fish scared the shit out of me!” says Sam with a laugh. “Mike booked a snorkeling trip. I wouldn’t go in, I refused.” With a few curse words and the reminder that he paid for the trip, Sam took the plunge and the rest as they say is history.“I jumped in and it was the greatest thing ever. I haven’t been out of the water since.”
The next hurdle? Well actually it’s a mountain: skiing. Before they hit the slopes though, the two are still on their very literal and figurative climb to build Forged. 

“It didn’t start when we had all these followers,” reflects Sam who now manages a Forged following of over 124k on IG alone. “It took time to build that content.” As the Marketing Manager at Forged, Sam knows this better than anyone.https://www.instagram.com/p/B8zMvDYAtUS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

While Mike didn’t at first take to social media – kind of like Sam to the water – Sam helped Mike make that plunge that turned Forged into the powerhouse it is today.

Further episodes of Digital Hospitality: A Cali BBQ Media Podcast

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