Dear Reader,
Breaking a world record isn’t glamorous. It’s dark. It’s painful. It forces you into places most people never go.
Rowers call it Fire Lung — that moment when your heart pounds so violently that blood leaks through your capillaries and vaporizes in your breath. You taste copper. Your chest burns. You fall on your back and stare into a tunnel of black.
Most people run from that feeling.
Rachel Egner ran toward it.
And she didn’t start this journey until she was 50 years old.
That’s what makes her story so powerful.
It’s not about talent.
It’s not about youth.
It’s about discipline, consistency, and the courage to keep showing up — in sport, in business, and in life.
The same mindset that carried her through world-class rowing is the mindset she and Steve used to grow Steve’s Plumbing from two weeks of cash to real financial freedom. Rachel proves something I believe with my whole heart:
It takes discipline and a high pain tolerance to win big.
Today you’ll hear how she broke records, built wealth, held her family together through a life-changing scare, and why the $100 Million Mindset isn’t really about money. It’s about designing a life you don’t need a vacation from.
You’ll also hear how deeply I love the Egner family.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
Note that on the front end, it displays “in this episode, you’ll learn” as the heading for this section.
- How Rachel became a world-class athlete at 50 years old
- Turning fitness discipline into business consistency
- The power of partnership with Steve Egner at Steve’s Plumbing
- From two weeks of cash to millions in net worth
- Using a Maui condo as both an investment and employee reward
- Surviving Steve’s widow-maker heart attack and redefining priorities
- Lessons on fitness, faith, and financial freedom
- Why the $100 Million Mindset is more about life quality than a number
Episode Chapters & Summary
Late Start, World Records
“I didn't start until I was 50 … and now I have three world records.”
Rachel Egner shares how she began serious athletic training in her 30s and didn't find rowing until 50. Her story shows that elite performance is possible at any age through consistency and curiosity.
Key Takeaways:
• It's never too late to start competing.
• Consistency beats talent.
• Curiosity opens the door to mastery.
“Once I learned to row properly, I found I was pretty good at it.”
Rachel's CrossFit journey led her to rowing during COVID, where she trained relentlessly until breaking American and world records. Her “hate-turned-passion” story proves that grit transforms weakness into advantage.
Key Takeaways:
• Skill is born from struggle.
• You don't need to love it to get good at it — you need to keep showing up.
• Passion often follows discipline.
“I've been chasing Benita Clausen in Norway since my first World Championship.”
Rachel talks about the friendly rivalry that pushes her further each season. Chasing greatness in others sharpens your own standards and fuels long-term motivation.
Key Takeaways:
• Competition reveals character.
• Rivals can be mentors in disguise.
• Chasing excellence beats chasing comfort.
“We had two weeks of cash reserves when we started.”
Todd and Rachel recall the early days of Steve's Plumbing — juggling calls, kids, and cash flow. Rachel's daily discipline from training mirrored how they managed the business: show up, track metrics, improve incrementally.
Key Takeaways:
• Fitness habits build financial habits.
• Structure creates stability.
• Do the small things consistently to earn big results.
“You told us to get to $100,000 in reserves — I thought you were crazy.”
Rachel shares how they grew from scraping by to building multi-million-dollar net worth through steady behavior — budgeting, investing in 401(k)s, and buying real estate strategically.
Key Takeaways:
• Wealth is a behavior, not a windfall.
• Simple systems work when you work them.
• Financial discipline compounds like interest.
“We wanted our plumbers to use the Maui condo as motivation.”
Rachel and Steve turned their dream vacation property into a company incentive. Top salespeople earn a week in Maui — a perk that builds loyalty and culture while keeping the investment productive.
Key Takeaways:
• Reward systems build retention.
• Lifestyle benefits motivate more than bonuses.
• Align rewards with your values and vision.
“He had a widow-maker heart attack — fitness saved his life.”
Rachel recounts Steve's medical scare in Maui and how it reshaped their perspective. Health became the ultimate wealth. They restructured work to prioritize time together and trust their team.
Key Takeaways:
• Health is the foundation of freedom.
• You can't scale a life you don't sustain.
• Delegate to live — don't die doing it all yourself.
“It's not about the money — it's about the life you build with it.”
Todd and Alan close by highlighting Rachel's real $100 Million Mindset: fitness, faith, freedom, and fulfillment. Her story isn't about revenue targets — it's about designing a life you don't need to escape from.
Key Takeaways:
• The goal is a life that feels rich, not just a bank that looks it.
• Success is measured in peace and impact.
• Discipline in body, money, and mind creates true wealth.
