The Zach Nichols Podcast - Battle of the Eras EP. 14 Review! | ZNP EP. 79

Episode Date: November 22, 2024

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guys, it's Josh Martinez. I'm at the Zach Nichols podcast. Listen, I've kept quiet the whole season, but at this point, I'm ready to say my piece, so tune in. I'm going to speak my mind now, so tune in. Welcome back to the Zach Nichols podcast. I'm here with the big co-host, Little Feduccini. That's right.

What's all right? We'll call him trim fetuccini today. Trimcini, Trimcini, King Alfredo. But, of course, more importantly, The face of season 40, Josh Martinez. The Cubano. My first favorite Cuban with my second favorite being on my shirt today. Yo, thanks for being.

The fact that I'm first. You are my first ever, Cuban. That's huge. That man, say hello to my little. Hello to my little friend. And first of all, you swagged out. You look great, bro. You're really, really here.

Yeah. He came out to flight, no bags, no nothing. Like, let's do this fucking podcast, man. We should have just done it in the car. We really did. Actually, we started in the car at brunch. Oh, yeah. Me and we have had a day today, all right.

We missed you. There's a lot of things. Some of us have corporate jobs. Some of us have kids. We have a life. I know. Three kids. I was wiping butts while you guys were eating brunch.

Listen, I could have been wiping butts. You don't know. You're always wiping butts. No one sees more butts than you, Pierre. See more? So that was episode 14. Yeah, it was. 14 episodes.

Mm. We got a lot to talk. We got a lot to call. It was a long road. It was too short-lived for me. I would have loved to see you go a little bit further. But 14 episodes so solid. That was probably like one or two episodes before the final.

Maybe probably two, I would guess. If I had to guess, I don't know for sure. I don't read spoilers. But another one. Another one, dude. Yeah. Sucks, man. I mean, listen, I'm going to be sort.

honest with you and I told Pierre this in the car I was like I was good for a while because I got off of 40 and it hit me and I was fucking depressed I was like I can't believe this shit happened again went to Bali had a time after that I was home for a month and I went and filmed the the projects and I kind of disconnected from the challenge world for a little bit like while all the hype in the beginning of the season was going on I wasn't home that's good so it was healthy for me very very good. Last night, it hit you. I watched it with my family and it absolutely crushed me. And like to the point where I was like, I don't want to do any exit interviews. I don't want to show up. I didn't want to do the podcast today if I'm being honest with you guys. I was like, I'm not doing any interviews. I'm

not doing anything. That's it. That season's done. I'm moving on. And then I thought about you. And I was like, if I do that as Zach, I'm like, I could come up with a bullshit excuse to Pierre. But if I do that as Zach, this man will never talk to me. So I was like, I have. I have. I have to show up and I'm kind of glad thank you guys for having me because I kind of just want to let it all out. It's like therapy. Dude, 100%. That's how I'm looking at this podcast today.

This blue sofa. I'm going to vent. I'm going to speak my fucking mind. Can I curse on here? Of course. Yeah. No, it's not a kid show. I'm going to speak my fucking mind, let it all out and I want to move on.

But there's a lot of shit that I just need to get off my chest. I agree. But something you got to remember, Josh, is there's people that have done the challenge 10, 15 times that have never won and will never win. So you got to stop being so hard on yourself because it's not just you could be in the best shape of your life and not win. You can be in the best mental shape of your life and not win. Think about it this way. I did a season in my first season and I won.

Every season after that was a loss, a loss. And not only were they losses. There was like three, there was a third place and I think two second places in there. I was the first guy to lose an outright final to a girl. Not that that's a bad thing, but I was the first, and it was Kara, right? So you don't have to be so hard on yourself. It's not just like, dude, one person is going to win, one guy and one girl. You were there, though.

You were, like you said, you are a representation of era four. That's huge. You made it to the final, what, six, five, seven. Six guys, yeah. Yeah, that's an accomplishment. a lot of people will never win the challenge. A lot of people have gone. Like think about Brandon Nelson, no offense, love Brandon.

He's never made it past halfway. You've only made it past halfway. Right? And I'll say this. Corey's never won. He's done what, 11 seasons? Right. And that's a perfect example because what I was going to say is when people say,

hey, you've never been to a final. There's two ways to look at it, which is obviously you'd want to get to that point. And it is a huge accomplishment. But people don't know what you're capable of in there. Yeah. And being in the dailies, being in the eliminations, those are all three different things. But when you're in a final, and Fessie has spoken to it about the USA2 final specifically, which you were one elimination away, we don't know what you're capable of. And I cannot wait to see when that does happen.

Unfortunately, time quite short this season. How many more do you think you got left in the tank? Dude, I, it's, it's tough because I truly woke up this very morning. morning and I you know I I'm very fortunate that they continue to call me and give me the opportunity which I thank God for I don't know what the fuck I did right but I did something right and you know I had the chance to go on the next one but I'm I woke up this morning and I was like I think I need to take a break and there's something that I got to work on and this is a thing that everybody loves to throw my record and everybody loves to throw that shit in my face

But the reality is with every season that I do, I walk away from me, a better man, a better competitor, a more confident version of myself. So I gained a lot from 40. Even though I didn't make the final, I truly gained a lot. And I like took notes on like, all right, what the fuck do I need to fix? I'm 30 right now. I started this shit when I was, I was 24, 23. Like I literally my first season was looking at your biggest and I was like, that's that fucking snap motherfucker right there? Oh, hell no.

Yeah. A solid 250. I couldn't run two miles. I was fresh out of a Big Brother win. It's like, I don't want to do this shit. And now my heart's in it. I'm in it. Like, I can't walk away from it.

Yeah. Until I see it through. Two things. And that's what's hard. Two things. Yeah. So let's go back to War the Worlds too. Oh, sorry.

We're laying in that room, which we did for hours because it was just basically. Our bond to this day. From that room. That bond hasn't broken, by the way. Right. From my end. That was, yeah. I know, me too.

I went on and he became a whole dad. Yeah. I'm like Peter Pan and Hook right now. But so we were laying in that room, and you were second season. Second season. Juiced up, right? Like, you, like, the experience was still there. And I remember saying to you, I'm like, Josh, dude, I said, I don't know how more I got left in the day.

And you were like, no, dude, like, come on. Like, you're only 34. Like, you got this. Like, you can't stop now. This is my second season. Like, I wanted to. And I was like, bro, just trust me. I've done the last five straight.

I did it before that. I was like, bro, I am tired. Now, that's number one. So now you're in those shoes where you're, now you get where my mindset was. That's wild that you put it like that, but 110%. But now my,

my second, second point, there's days where I'm watching the show or like everyone, like the day everyone leaves, I'm like, I feel like Peter Pan and all the lost boys are back going. And I'm like,

damn, I would do a, lot, not anything, because I got kids and stuff, but I would do a lot to be in your shoes. Now, what happens, though, is when you go on season after season and you continue to make it further, going there, you start to enjoy the process of getting there in the first half of the season. Way, like, you hate that part. Because you're like, let's just weed all these people out and get to the meat of this season. And that's when the game was true.

That's when the game probably truly starts for you, because you're probably like, listen, I'm good until we get down to the final five or six. So that's kind of like the difference of being a fresh face on the show is like you're just everyone there. It's a party. You have fun. But then as you do them over and over and you do stay longer every season, you're like, bro, these first five weeks, I just want to go. I want to sleep through them. Like when the game starts when like it starts to get toxic.

You know that point where everyone can't be friends anymore? Yeah. And now it's like alliances have to go against you. You've got to start making the tough decisions. That's the point now in your career that you're going there and you're like, okay, Let's just get this first half the season out of the way. Let's get past All-Star break. That's where you're at now.

But I will say there are millions, tens of millions of people in the world that would trade for your spot. Me being one of them. So go. Every chance you get until you have response. I want to hug you right now. Before you get through. Are you trying to make me cry? Is that what we're doing here?

Yeah, that was the goal. Peter was like, is that what the fuck you brought me here for? Pierre was like, is that what the fuck you brought me to? Well, we have a bat. Pierre was like, how long until you can get him to crap. I was like, I'm telling you, right? I'm telling you, no way, we never did that. A lot, but go.

Take that because, A, you know, the pay to go, just to go is great. But with every experience, A, you get to learn a lot about yourself, but it's just a fun situation. And when you can't go every time, you're going to wish to holy heavens that you could. And that's where I'm at. And that's why I understand a guy like CT or bananas, because it truly becomes part of your DNA. and you can be like, oh, I'm going to grow up and move on, and you can. But eventually that you get that tickle. 100%.

So try to block out everything else and just realize, like, go. Dude, and that, I mean, you fucking, this is truly a therapy. I don't even know we're doing an interview anymore or we're doing a podcast. This is therapy. Guys, this is therapy for me. Because I came, like, on the whole car right here, I was venting to Pierre. I was like, I have all these other opportunities, like, that are, knocking at my door and my heart is so tied in with the challenge and i think it's there's something

so special about this show man and there's something about you know even the people that bro we fucking did i was 24 when i filmed with you until this day i feel that bond you get what i'm saying like friendships the relationships everything is so fucking intense and genuine but it's such it's a one of a kind of experience that no i've done two other shorts since filming 40 nothing compares to the challenge nothing Nothing. Nothing. Not even Big Brother.

That was my fucking first, I don't know, my first, like, that's the show that I loved. Champion in the house, too. Round of applause for the champ. I love you, buddy. That's my first, like, that was my first love. Like, that's what got me into reality TV. And, like, the challenge is so special. And I think I'm at the point where it's like, I'm healthy.

I'm young. Like, I'm still, you know, I'm 30. I'm still in. I think I'm getting to my prime. I don't even think I'm at my prime. You don't. Yeah. And I'm growing.

With each and every experience, each and every single season, bro, there's nothing like being on a TV show competing against some of the best, bro, competing against Jordan and props to fucking, you know, Kyland and Corey and Johnny and all these people. And I have to show up and I have to give it my all. And that brings out something inside of me than no other experience could. That makes you feel alive, huh? Dude, I feel alive. My adrenaline, like, I'm just, I'm, I'm showing up and I'm like,

I'm forced to be the best version of myself. Right. And no other experience gives me that. So I've grown so much just even doing 40. If I'm being honest with you, I felt I got there. When I got the call, it was so excited and I was so hype. And I got there and I saw the lineup. And in the hotel, I was like, what the fuck am I doing here?

Like there was this feeling of I don't belong. And that feeling I couldn't shake that off to halfway through the game. I was like, I, what have I done? Like everything that everybody on the internet was throwing at me, was eating me up for the first half of the game. And the only people I vented to about that, surprisingly, it was Carr and Casey because they were my bunkmates.

And I was like, guys, I don't, I, you know, I don't fit in. I don't belong here. I don't like, every single person has been to a final, has won, everybody stacked. Every era has brought something. And then as the show went on, I realized I was like, all right, like,

there's a reason why I'm here. There's a reason why God put me on the show. There's a reason why this is part of my story and part of my journey. And I think like right now if you tell me do I want to go back on the show Fuck yeah I do but I'm also like I think I know I need a break that's cool too I think taking seasons I'm like are taking a season yeah between seasons taking a little breather is healthy for my mental health mm-hmm but I still have something approved to myself bro not to anybody else

Because I know I have what it takes I do I know I have what it takes I don't need anybody else to believe that Obviously they're gonna throw my record and throw everything at me but it's like I know I can make it happen. I know I can get that win. So it's like I'm so, my heart's sewing it now that I can't walk away from it. Well, and for some perspective. That concludes the free preview of the Zach Nichols podcast. So go to Patreon and subscribe to see the rest of the shit that we talk.

Go do it now.