What if the secret to mastery is hidden in the way children move — not in how adults train?
In this long-awaited Breaking Normal conversation, Daniel Eisenman sits down with Matt Bernstein, founder of Ape Co Movement in Boulder, Colorado — a student of movement, father of three, and one of the original disciples of Ido Portal’s philosophy.
Matt shares how a single video — Ido Portal on The Paleo Diet, CrossFit, Gymnastics, Motivation – RawBrahs (https://youtu.be/gWSxC3hkQUw), created by Daniel and his brothers years ago and featuring Nahko Bear’s music — completely changed the trajectory of his life. That viral film inspired Matt to train six hours a day, six days a week under Ido Portal in New York City, eventually founding Boulder Movement Collective (2015) and evolving it into Ape Co.
From turning down a venture-capital acquisition to realizing that shutting down Ape Co Denver was one of his greatest successes, Matt’s story is about rediscovering movement, humility, and what it means to grow through grace instead of grit.
Together they explore:
• 🌱 The art of being a gardener, not a carpenter, as a parent and teacher
• 💡 Why the journey is the destination
• 💫 How grace outweighs grit in growth
• 👶 And why children hold the secret to everything
The episode ends with Daniel unboxing a custom Breaking Normal leather belt — a handcrafted gift from Clayton & Crume (https://claytonandcrume.com) — symbolizing strength, story, and legacy.
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Follow Matt Bernstein:
Instagram → @mattbernstein.apeco (https://www.instagram.com/mattbernstein.apeco)
Ape Co Movement → https://apecomovement.com
Connect with Daniel Eisenman:
Instagram → @danieleisenman (https://www.instagram.com/danieleisenman)
Podcast → Breaking Normal
Tribe Vitamins → https://tribevitamins.com — the world’s most primal, animal-based superfoods 🦬🔥🍯