Fit For Radio
He Was Told He Wasn’t Smart Enough — Then He Built a Business | Halsey Schider
Halsey Schider grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, where being active was simply part of his DNA. He played football, rode bikes and skied before eventually becoming a professional helicopter pilot by the age of 20. But while building a successful career in aviation, Halsey was also quietly battling alcoholism. In this powerful conversation on the Fit For Radio Podcast , Halsey opens up about a journey that includes addiction, sobriety, fitness, entrepreneurship, fatherhood and mental health. Diagnosed with a learning disability as a child and placed in special classes throughout middle and high school, Halsey grew up carrying the assumption that he simply wasn't very smart. It wasn't until he became an entrepreneur that he began to understand that his brain wasn't lacking—it simply learned differently. That realization helped reshape how he viewed himself and what he was capable of accomplishing. Halsey also gets candid about his struggle with alcohol. While becoming a professional helicopter pilot in his 20s, he was simultaneously becoming an alcoholic. After years of struggling to control his drinking, he quit alcohol and tobacco cold turkey at 30. He credits sobriety with changing the trajectory of his life and opening the door to everything that came afterward. Fitness became another outlet. After getting sober, Halsey redirected his addictive personality toward food and exercise, eventually going from barely running a mile to routinely running 15-plus miles. But he eventually learned that sustainability matters more than being hardcore. Today, he runs, strength trains and focuses on consistency rather than perfection. That mindset has carried into his business life. Halsey is now the CEO of Sellacopter and North American Aircraft Brokerage , helping buyers and sellers navigate aircraft transactions from negotiation and purchase agreements through escrow, inspections and closing. He also hosts The Helicopter Podcast , interviewing people throughout the aviation industry. And perhaps most importantly, Halsey opens up about where he is today. Married since his 20s and now the father of a 14-month-old daughter, Aubrey, Halsey talks openly about the challenges of fatherhood, the IVF journey that preceded it, and the impact this new chapter has had on his mental health. It's an honest conversation about redefining yourself, overcoming the labels other people put on you, getting sober, finding balance, and understanding that mental and physical health aren't destinations—they're ongoing journeys. This is a story about finding out who you really are when you stop letting other people define you.
