What do you do after getting rejected on Shark Tank? If you're Max Valverde, you go viral with a product called Morninghead, build a company worth $250 million, and then launch a quest to become an Olympian—at age 39.
In this episode of Rejection Rehab, EMMY-winning producer and doctor Tom Flaherty sits down with Max Valverde, serial entrepreneur, creator of Dad Bod Goes Pro, and host of parenting podcast, Milkless. Max shares his rejection-to-redemption story: from public TV humiliation to co-founding FareHarbor (acquired by Booking.com for $250 million), to becoming one of the top skimo (ski mountaineering) athletes in the U.S., and ultimately landing a role as an NBC commentator for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Max’s hilarious and humbling Shark Tank rejection story
How he turned a side hustle (Morninghead) into a full-time entrepreneurial path
The behind-the-scenes journey of building and selling a $250M company
Why he trained for the Olympics in his 40s—and what he learned when he quit
How to handle rejection, find internal drive, and design a life you actually love
This episode is about more than just success—it’s about building confidence, failing forward, never letting rejection get you down, and living life on your own terms.
