ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What does real determination actually cost?
Aaron Singerman has a story that most people only know one chapter of. He grew up in New Orleans, survived Hurricane Katrina, became an intravenous heroin and cocaine addict, lost people he loved to violence and overdose, and found his way out through fitness and bodybuilding.
He broke into the supplement industry with nothing but hustle — became editor-in-chief at RxMuscle, co-founded Blackstone Labs at a kitchen table, and then left to launch REDCON1 in 2016. Within four years, REDCON1 went from 5 employees to 150+, expanded to 80+ countries, and landed on shelves at Walmart, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Dick's Sporting Goods, and military base exchanges worldwide.
Then came the federal indictment. A guilty plea. Fifty-four months sentenced. Eleven months served at FPC Pensacola. He wrote his memoir from a prison cell, came home to his three sons, walked back into REDCON1, and never stopped building.
In this episode, Shawn French sits down with Aaron for one of the most raw and honest conversations The Determined Society has ever had. This isn't a highlight reel. It's the version of determination that doesn't look good on social media — the kind that costs you everything before it gives you anything back.
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WHAT WE COVER
→ Growing up in New Orleans and early lessons from his father's clothing store
→ Hurricane Katrina — what forced displacement and starting over really feels like
→ Falling into intravenous heroin and cocaine addiction and the losses that followed
→ How bodybuilding and fitness became the lifeline that changed everything
→ Breaking into bodybuilding media at RxMuscle under Dave Palumbo
→ Co-founding Blackstone Labs and where things went wrong
→ Launching REDCON1 — and the military mission behind the name
→ Building a global supplement empire from scratch, twice
→ The federal indictment, guilty plea, and what prison actually taught him
→ Writing his memoir behind bars and the mindset that kept him going
→ Fatherhood, legacy, and raising three boys while rebuilding everything
→ What real determination looks like when no one is watching
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CONNECT WITH AARON SINGERMAN
📖 Memoir — RedCon Rising: And Falling. And Rising Again.
🌐 Website: https://aaronsingerman.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronsingerman/
👤 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaron.singerman/
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-singerman-b6a03a35
🏋️ REDCON1: https://www.redcon1.com
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CONNECT WITH SHAWN FRENCH
🔗 All links: https://ln.run/AMgIt
If you have ever been knocked down, counted out, or forced to start over — this episode is proof that rock bottom is not the end of the story.
Leave a review, share this episode with someone who needs it, and subscribe so you never miss a conversation with someone who refused to quit.
— Shawn French
The Determined Society
The Determined Society is hosted by Shawn French — a show for people who refuse to quit. Every episode goes beyond the highlight reel to explore the real stories behind resilience, reinvention, and the relentless pursuit of a life built on your own terms.
Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all others.. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it — and leave a review. It helps more than you know.
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