ENTREPRENEUR & FITNESS ATHLETE, BRYCE SMITH, JOINS THE TRIBE!

By: Tanna Kirchmer and Arella Hill 

As our team sat down for an interview with Bryce Smith, one of the first things he mentioned to us was “you’re not your job and your job isn’t you.” What we began to realize as the interview continued on was that Bryce craves for people to truly understand that there is more to our lives than our jobs. While he was playing professional basketball in Sweden, he was introduced to the concept of “Fika” which means “slow down” and “engage.” He soon began to realize that if our society created the time to sit down with others over a cup of coffee or tea that we would thrive more together as a community.

Bryce, a man of many talents, was a D1 College Basketball Player, earned his B.S in Exercise Physiology, competed professionally overseas in Sweden, received his certification as an EMT and Firefighter with LAFD along with numerous CrossFit Certifications. He has competed in The CrossFit Games, continues to train high caliber athletes, and lately has been in full swing of his podcast platforms, Invictus Mindset Podcast, and Human Evolution Project Podcast.

Although Bryce has accomplished many endeavors, he finds the time to connect with others, surrounds himself with good people to create a badass community, and works on his character day in and day out to be the best version of himself.

The “Fika” state of mind resonates with us and we couldn’t be more grateful to bring on an ambassador to help grow the Trident Tribe. To learn more about Bryce Smith and his inspirational mindset and attitude, check out his personal interview below.

What attracted you to get involved with Trident Coffee and our mission?

What attracted me to Trident Coffee was storytelling. I am a believer that everyone has a gift inside of them and sometimes with the right combination of connection, community, and character, it brews the optimal environment to allow people to shine their light and craft their own legacy. At a time where much of the world was in utter chaos following the health care challenges with the pandemic, along with a volatile political climate, I appreciate the emphasis on health and seeking to understand. Everyone has a story we know absolutely nothing about, and the Trident Brand and variety of products allow time to be bookmarked for a moment to gain context. It is an art to truly listen in a world full of distraction, and I believe Trident creates a disney like storytelling experience where people can feel understood and connect on a deeper level.

It reminds me of the Swedish concept of "Fika" which means making time for friends and colleagues to share a cup of coffee (or tea) and a little snack and truly connecting around topics of wellbeing, family, values, and experiences versus a traditional break for a quick caffeine jolt. Trident elicits a magical storytelling experience that reminds us to always slow down in a fast paced world to enjoy time with other incredible humans. 

We are all about health and wellness at Trident Coffee. With that being said, what would you say your favorite exercise is that keeps you fit for life and why?

The Buddha once said, " To keep the body in good health is a duty, for otherwise we shall not be able to trim the lamp of wisdom, and keep our mind strong and clear." I love that Trident Coffee is all about health and wellness as it is at the center of my wheel of life. Health is the foundation for all things that we do and is the vessel that allows us to maximize our true potential. In addition, I am a big believer that movement is medicine. It is a way for us to communicate without words but rather through energy. It allows us to adapt to stress and learn skills that are very transferable to other aspects of life.

As a former Division 1 college basketball player, professional basketball player, and CrossFit Games athlete, health and wellness has become a major part of who I am. Even on the days when my body and mind are a little beat up, we can always find ways to prime our system through exposure training (sauna and ice), through nature walks and vitamin D absorption, through yoga, meditation, breathwork, and/or massage. I am a big believe advocate for making health, fitness, and mindset a non-negotiable and helping share this message to the rest of the world so that all tides may rise and we can all make the rest of our life the best of our life.

Our founder is a Naval Academy graduate and held a leadership position in the Navy; we take leadership principles seriously around here. What is a really good leadership quality that you have found effective in life

What I love about Trident Founder, Eric Johnson, is his uncanny ability to listen, storytell, communicate clearly, and be open minded. Those are all great leadership qualities in my humble opinion. In my world, I really take part in the boots on the ground approach. I like to learn both theoretically, and practically, and then use that knowledge to better communicate with people on my team. I use the art of emotional intelligence to meet people where they are at, use metaphors and analogies to create relatable communication to their level of understanding, and am willing to take extreme ownership if things don't go well. I like to look at obstacles as opportunities and every "no" is inching us closer to a "yes." I try to learn the path and actually walk it consistently as well because the more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know. The excitement and enthusiasm to unlock new doors, new relationships, and new opportunities intrigues me and allows me to live with a childlike level of passion and enthusiasm.

Trident Coffee is all about giving back to the community; we are building something bigger than just great coffee. Do you work with any non-profits or have any that really resonate with you and want to highlight?

I have been very fortunate to connect with the Honor Foundation and take part in their why discovery seminar with founder Joe Musselman. When someone has worked one job in the military for over 20+ years, it's easy to get roped into the psychology that that is their identity and it is hard to begin again. I resonated with this mindset after completing my basketball and athletic career. However, I soon learned about the equator exercise and how to look inward into the world of self discovery. Through hard work, deep thinking, lot's of hard conversations, I developed a better understanding of self. This helped me realize the concept of transferable skills.

Many military personnel involved in special forces are lost after their service comes to an end and the Honor Foundation reinforces your self worth during your transition and provides a new set of lenses. It gives you the tools to achieve what you deserve and new ways to serve after your time in service. It teaches you the importance of teams, leadership, and culture and how to apply the lessons learned, networks built, and experiences had into other arenas of life. It truly helps to unlock human potential in order to continue to play in varying sports within life. Some major takeaways that can help people in their journey's are; every opportunity is an opportunity to begin again, and the most successful people are comfortable having uncomfortable conversations.

Lean into the discomfort and explore uncharted territory as you may be amazed at what you see and learn.

Life is not always about work, downtime is a must. What is a favorite hobby of yours to get your mind off of things?

I believe that we learn more from nature, dogs, and children than anything in the world. Spending time in those three areas will truly ground us and remind us of the important things in life. Something that stands out is true honesty and authenticity. Those three things (nature, dogs, and children) are so beautiful and unafraid to be unapologetically themselves. They live life with the utmost level of curiosity and refrain from judgement. The true love and passion they live with makes me admire their way of living and want to be more connected to earth, our inner child, and nature.

I am a firm believer that a field of rest brings a bountiful crop. It is so important to unplug and reconnect with our soul while we recharge a bit. When I need to disconnect, you can find me at the beach, in a hot yoga class, hiking in the mountains, exploring unexplored areas of the world, fishing, playing, in a hot sauna, experiencing cold water therapy, soaking up the earth's elements, reading a good book, or spending time connecting with loved ones.

Life is such a precious gift and it is so important to take a break from the rat race to enjoy the finer things in life. Then when you return to the real world, you are refreshed and invigorated with new thoughts, new ideas, and new action plans that are ready for implementation.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for tuning in to a bit of my story. You can find me on instagram @therealbrycesmith, or on all podcast platforms with the Invictus Mindset Podcast, and Human Evolution Project Podcast. It would be an honor to connect and learn from you about your stories and connect around some of the topics mentioned above. Life is one big experiment and I am so honored and humbled to connect with such an amazing brand like Trident Coffee. Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail. Craft your own legacy, and stay on the hunt for who you've not yet become! Namaste =)