Intensity Is Everything

Many founders, like myself, find themselves in a rut or hitting a plateau!

I've spent the last few weeks examining my podcast and other projects, looking into the processes, output, and results. One thing stood out to me: my intensity was lacking. It's easy to fall into the trap of going through the motions and feeling productive while just filling time with low-effort work.

When I look back at my 21-22-year-old self running 3 profitable companies, I was glued to my desk from 9 am to 10 pm almost every night, and I loved it! Now, I'm working on bringing that intensity back to achieve my goals.

For the podcast, I have set a clear goal for the remainder of the year:

Podcast Goal: Identify 20 guests to interview by year-end. Seventy percent will be big guests I am confident I can secure. Twenty percent will be big names that require hard work and the right channels. The last ten percent will be Hail Marys that will require significant effort to book.

Taking July off from the show taught me I was running myself into the ground. My favorite part of the podcast is meeting interesting people and learning about them. I felt pressured to release an episode weekly, leading to interviewing people out of necessity rather than desire. This pushed me away from what I loved because I thought missing an episode meant failure.

Now I know the show is about me, not the guests. If I'm not fully committed, I won't perform well, resulting in low-quality episodes. Learning to prioritize myself is crucial, as it will elevate the show.

Three key takeaways for any founder or entrepreneur:

1. Intensity is everything: If you're hitting a plateau or feeling stuck, work harder because someone else is!

2. Be Selfish: It's easy to forget about yourself in business. Focus on yourself, and everything else will follow!

3. Audit Yourself: Going through the motions and thinking you're accomplishing a lot is common. Recognize it quickly and push yourself harder!

Everyone is capable of building a successful business, career, or life; it just depends on how badly you want it!