Update 1: Pushing all the chips on the table

Trading in the books on the left for the books on the right.

…& trading in my life path, too.

After weeks of contemplation I concluded that being open about this will bring more good than harm.

I was concerned that some would consider this an attempt to grab attention.

…& then I realized I’m facing the possibility of dying sooner than expected and people’s opinions won’t matter.

That’s one of the positives I’ve found from being diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. You do things more for yourself now. Things you’ve probably put off or were afraid of doing.

What I thought was a long-covid cough ended up being non-small cell lung cancer at 39 yrs old. ~60 days ago the scans showed that I have cancer in both lungs, bones, lymph nodes, and brain.

I was told, ‘if the medicine doesn’t work, you have ~6mos to live. If they do, there’s a ~10% chance you’ll live longer than 5 years.’

That’s fucking sobering.

What will I do with the time? If the meds do work (avg. is 2yrs), what will I do with the next 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60 years?

Will it be what everyone wants me to do or be? Or what I think I’m supposed do? Or, will I be my authentic self and do the things that really help me come alive?

The emotional roller coaster is indescribable. One day you’re coming to grips with mortality and the next you’re like, ‘F it. Let’s go balls to the wall and maximize whatever time I have left.’

There is so much about this experience I could write on already that it’s actually overwhelming (in a good way).

One post & newsletter at a time I’ll get it out. My hope is that you’re able to use what I write to help you do what it is you’re here to do.

Summed up, it’s: Have Ideas. Do Them

My first lesson - I’ve been pushing off doing the thing I was put here to do.

For years, I was trying to build businesses, work for promising companies, and become a thought leader in a space to help me eventually build the thing I cared about…

…instead of just building the thing I cared about.

For a time, I thought I wanted to be an ecommerce thought leader like Web Smith or Ezra Firestone or Dylan Whitman, people I admire a lot.

For a time, I thought I wanted to be a marketing thought leader like Peep Laja, someone I admire a lot.

For a time, I thought I wanted to be a sales thought leader like my friend Kevin Dorsey, someone I admire a lot.

…but I never actually cared to become like them. I just wanted their thought leadership success and clout.

In reality, I’ve always wanted to become Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain.

I’m pushing all the chips on the table for however long I have left. It won’t be overnight, so here’s my focus in the near term:

1. Continue sales training w/select clients @ Winning by Design.
2. Build Uncharted Spirits
3. Build Teaquila Farm, the urban farm Stacie Vanags and I started.
4. Build content for ‘Have Ideas. Do Them.’
5. Train for Mavericks

More to come.

Have ideas. Do them. You don’t know how long you actually have.

🏄‍♂️