Battle Harder
The Battle Harder Podcast is where pain becomes power. Hosted by Coach Rob—a veteran, former cop, actor, and mental health advocate—this show dives deep into stories of resilience, grit, and growth. From overcoming trauma to building discipline and finding purpose, each episode brings raw truth, real conversations, and a warrior mindset to fuel your personal development journey. Turn your pain into progress—one episode at a time.
Battle Harder
Crayons, Combat & Kids’ Books: The Real Story of a Modern Marine Leader
He’s active-duty Marine Corps. He’s a husband and father. He’s also the award-winning author behind Crow From the Shadow, Billy Dipper’s Time to Shine, and Horse the Horsefly. Major Olalu “Lou” Ogunyemi sits down with Coach Rob to talk Marine Corps grit, why real leaders lead last, how to father with presence, and the power of turning pain into purpose.
We cover the myth of lone-wolf masculinity, surviving separations and deployments, morning routines that anchor your mind (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical), mentoring kids who’ve been written off, and Lou’s new leadership book Lead Last: 21 Counterintuitive Principles for Becoming an Effective Leader.
If you’re a veteran, first responder, parent, or anyone rebuilding, this one’s for you.
Guest: Major Olalu “Lou” Ogunyemi — U.S. Marine Corps officer, founder of Parent-Child-Connect, children’s author
Books and Resources: parent-child-connect.com • Amazon and Barnes & Noble (search Olalu Ogunyemi)
Timestamps
00:00 Cold open and intro
02:08 Why a top student chose the Marine Corps
08:55 Failing forward at OCS and learning to lead
15:42 Marriage, deployment, and coming home well
22:30 Fatherhood: boxing gloves on conflict and one-on-one time
30:40 Morning ritual: spiritual, mental, emotional, physical
36:10 From boot camp to childrens books (Crow, Billy Dipper, Horse)
45:05 Mentoring the kids in the back of the classroom
52:20 Lead Last: 21 counterintuitive leadership principles
58:50 Definition of Pain to Progress
1:01:30 Coach Rob’s close
Key takeaways
Lead last: elevate your people, take the shots, give away the credit
Rig the day to win: lock in your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical reps before sunrise
Mentorship beats labels: see the kid, not the behavior
Family first: communicate openly, keep the gloves on, and protect the culture at home
Reframe pain: what happened for you is more important than what happened to you
Connect with Lou
Website and blog: parent-child-connect.com
YouVersion Bible plans: see website
Books: Amazon or Barnes & Noble (search Olalu Ogunyemi)
Connect with Coach Rob and the Battle Harder Podcast
Podcast, coaching, apparel: battlefittedbrand.com
Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @battlefitted