The Output Habit

The maxim of “document, don’t create” really helped me get started in creating content. It took the pressure off to be “creative” so I could just focus on being real. But at some point, I started to doubt myself. I realize that I do a lot of the same things every day. Now I see that as a good thing because I’m trying to be consistent and build good habits. But does that get boring for anyone watch...

When you hit a dead end, sometimes the best way forward is to go back to the beginning and start fresh. As I seek to find my as a content creator, I sometimes find that I have drifted a bit into the weeds. When that happens, I find it’s best to return to my roots and think through where I was trying go and why I started in the first place.

I’ve become a big believer in the value of taking action. Better to just start, make some mistakes, and learn by doing than to overthink everything and never get going. However, not all action leads to progress. When we start doing something new, we’re usually not very good at it. Without a commitment (and a process) for getting better, we can very easily stay mediocre, even if we’re technically “...

I’ve realized that I have been avoiding talking about some of the negative experiences on my content-creation journey. And there are probably various reasons for that: pride, embarrassment, wanting to stay optimistic & upbeat, not wanting people to feel sorry for me, etc. But I’ve also realized that if I’m going to stay true to my values of authenticity, transparency, and honesty, then I need to f...

Building a brand is all about communication. A lot of that has to do with what you say: communicating who you are and what you’re about. But, as anyone with a decent marriage will tell you, communication is a two-way street. Thus, any successful relationship (whether a friendship or a business partnership) requires a trust that is only possible through listening.

My guest for this episode of The Output Habit Podcast is Forrest Dawkins. Forrest is a fellow businessman, fitness enthusiast, and disciple of Christ. We set aside some time to talk about supplements,  coaching, fitness, social medial, the 75 Hard challenge, and the importance of developing consistency in our lives. Forrest is an independent health coach with Optavia and you can follow or contact...

Whenever we start thinking that something is beneath us, we’d better watch out. Not only might we be exhibiting a type of pride that leads to destruction, but may also be in danger of missing out on opportunities that we have wrongly prejudged.

We often keep our gifts, talents, and creativity to ourselves because we think it’s “not good enough”. But where do we get that idea? Who says it’s not good enough? How good does it have to be so that it’s “enough”? Usually what we mean is that it’s not as good as something or someone else. But does that really mean it’s not good enough to bless someone else? That it doesn’t have value? What you h...

I started the Output Habit Podcast about a year ago. It was right around the time I started refining my training to focus specifically on obstacle course racing. In this episode, I talk about some of the lessons that I’ve learned throughout that process and how they relate to other areas of life outside of athletics.

In this pre-race episode, I talk about the two ditches we want to stay out of when it comes to work or training: laziness and burnout. It’s good to work hard. Sometimes we’re too easy on ourselves and stop short of the greatness we’re capable of. Our laziness causes us to miss out on what we could have accomplished, the good we could have produced, or the difference we could have made. It’s also g...

Quantity or quality? When it comes to marketing and brand-building, it’s ideally both! But when time is limited, quantity needs to have priority and perfectionism needs to be discarded. Keeping the steady flow of communication about the brand (who I am, what I’m doing, and what I’m about) is more important than taking a lot of extra time to make sure everything is polished.

Sometimes we get so worried and worked up about a situation that we make it much worse in our head than it is in real life. We can put ourselves through through 100x more hardship in our own minds than our bodies will ever have to endure. I was guilty of this type of inflation last weekend. The difficulty I had imagined for myself going into my race was far greater than what I actually had to deal...

“Success” can be a very subjective word. It often means different things to different people. A lot of it comes down to your expectations. I try to find that sweet spot where realism and idealism meet - given what I am capable of at this point, what is the best possible result that I could expect? At the same time, the risks need to be weighed against the possible rewards. If I push myself as hard...

In this episode, I continue on the theme of priorities from the last episode. Because we were not created to be single-faceted beings, only doing one thing every day throughout our lives, we have the responsibility of managing multiple aspects of life: faith, family, finances, health, hobbies, etc. As a result, we all have to make choices between multiple good options like: spend time with my fami...

My business is supposed to support my family, not the other way around. That’s always worth noting because the business will always take whatever time and effort I can give. It’s important to keep my priorities straight and always remember who and what is supposed to come first in my life.

In this episode of the Output Habit Podcast, I give another update on how my TikTok project is going, how I’m using LinkedIn to document the process, and I share an unexpected retail story that left me feeling encouraged.

After one week into my Tik Tok experiment, I document the results so far and share some of my initial observations.

When I had Darren Doane on the podcast, he was kind enough to offer some very specific advice tailored to my personal business context. In this episode of the Output Habit Podcast, I talk about the first steps that I’ve taken to apply that advice and my initial thoughts as I make these adjustments.

In this episode, I take some time to reflect back on my interview with Darren Doane and think a little deeper about a couple of the things he said. The emergence of parallel economies that we see happening in the world right now presents some interesting opportunities for those who are paying attention and are prepared to communicate who they are and what they value.

I'm excited to share this special episode of the Output Habit Podcast with you! My guest this week was Darren Doane of the Doane Creative Agency and he shares about how he is starting to pivot again in his business. For the past 3 years he has been teaching himself how social media and brand building work and has become one of the most thoughtful people in the world on these topics. Now he is eval...

With the amount of low-hanging fruit in the world we live in today, from inexpensive technology to social media platforms to direct sales opportunities, it has never been easier to build a business and build a brand that can make a significant impact for the Kingdom of God.

The recent birth of my 6th child gave me the occasion to reflect on our family philosophy and link it to my recently shared mission statement. It all connects!

The fourth and final episode in this mini-series is about measures. If our mission statement answers the question, “Where are we going?” then our measures answer the question of “Are we there yet?” Or at the very least, the measures tell us if we’re getting closer. In this episode, I break down the 6 measures I have identified that tell me if I am making progress toward my own personal mission sta...

There may be more than one way to get from point A to point B. But it is our values that will determine which route we take. Do we want the fastest way? Do we want the safest way? Do we want the most scenic route? Identifying those things that are most important to us will not only help us set a good destination, it will also make sure we are taking the path that makes the most sense.

This is part 2 of my mini-series on writing a personal mission statement. In the last episode, I identified what I believe to be my mission in life - what I’m supposed to accomplish. Today, I dive into the strategy that I see as being the most effective in accomplishing that mission.