OUTSIDERS BLOG
6 Things Taking the Risk Has Taught Me in 6 Years
On May 4th, 2020, I made a decision that changed the trajectory of my life.
Not by buying a gym.
Not by becoming a business owner overnight.
Not by having everything figured out.
I simply decided to bet on myself.
After 15 years in the corporate world, I walked away from stability to accept a full-time position at Outsiders CrossFit because deep down I knew I was meant for something different.
At the time, I had no idea what the next six years would look like.
I didn’t know I’d eventually become the owner of the gym.
I didn’t know how many people would become part of my life through these walls.
I didn’t know how difficult the journey would be.
And honestly, I didn’t know if any of it would work.
I just knew staying where I was no longer felt right.
Looking back now, that one decision taught me more about life, leadership, fear, growth, and purpose than I ever imagined possible.
Here are six things taking the risk has taught me over the last six years.
1. YOU WILL NEVER FEEL FULLY READY
I used to think successful people had some magical certainty before making big decisions.
They don’t.
Most of the time, they’re just scared people choosing to move forward anyway.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that waiting until you feel “ready” is usually just another form of fear. If I waited until I had all the answers, enough money, enough confidence, or guaranteed success, I never would have made the leap.
Growth almost always starts with uncertainty.
You don’t become confident before taking action. Confidence is built afterward through the struggles, failures, wins, and moments you survive that once felt impossible.
The reality is this: the biggest opportunities in life often require you to move before you have proof it will work out.
And sometimes that leap changes everything.
2. COMMUNITY MATTERS MORE THAN ALMOST ANYTHING
When I first got into fitness, I thought workouts were the most important thing.
Six years later, I can confidently say the people are what matter most.
I’ve watched complete strangers become family inside this gym. I’ve seen people walk through the doors insecure, overwhelmed, anxious, and uncertain only to slowly transform because they finally found a place where they belonged.
Over the years we’ve celebrated marriages, babies, sobriety milestones, weight loss journeys, personal records, and huge life victories together.
We’ve also stood beside each other through injuries, grief, setbacks, anxiety, and hard seasons of life.
That’s the power of real community.
In a world where so many people feel disconnected, isolated, and unseen, having people who genuinely care about you changes everything.
The workouts help people get fitter.
But the relationships help people heal, grow, and keep going.
3. HARD THINGS DON’T GET EASIER — YOU JUST BECOME STRONGER
There’s this misconception that eventually successful people stop struggling.
That hasn’t been my experience at all.
Every new level comes with new challenges.
At first, I worried about simply making it work. Then I worried about leadership, finances, staffing, growth, systems, retention, and how to carry responsibility for something much bigger than myself.
The problems never disappear.
But over time, your ability to handle them changes.
What once felt overwhelming eventually becomes manageable because struggle builds resilience. The early mornings, difficult conversations, setbacks, failures, sacrifices, and uncomfortable seasons all shape you into someone stronger.
Most people spend their lives trying to avoid discomfort.
But discomfort is usually where growth lives.
The gym teaches that every day.
You don’t get stronger avoiding resistance.
You get stronger moving through it.
Life works the same way.
4. LEADERSHIP IS SERVICE, NOT STATUS
When I was younger, I thought leadership meant being the loudest person in the room or always having the answers.
Now I understand leadership looks much different.
Leadership is responsibility.
It’s staying calm when things get chaotic.
It’s having hard conversations when they’re necessary.
It’s showing up consistently even when you’re exhausted.
It’s setting the tone for the people around you.
It’s putting the mission above your ego.
Some of the most meaningful moments over the past six years haven’t come from business success. They’ve come from helping people believe in themselves again.
That’s what real leadership does.
It serves.
It helps people grow into who they’re capable of becoming.
And honestly, leading people has forced me to grow just as much as anyone I’ve coached.
5. SUCCESS MEANS VERY LITTLE IF YOU LOSE YOURSELF CHASING IT
There were seasons over these six years where I became obsessed with growth.
More members. More revenue. More ideas. More expansion. More goals.
Ambition is not a bad thing. In many ways, ambition is necessary.
But I’ve learned there’s a difference between building a successful life and building a meaningful one.
If success costs your health, your relationships, your peace, or your values, eventually it stops feeling like success.
The older I get, the more I value alignment.
Being healthy.
Being present with my family.
Leading with integrity.
Creating impact.
Building something that genuinely changes lives.
That matters more than appearances or outside validation ever will.
The goal is not just to build a bigger business.
The goal is to build a life you’re proud of living.
6. TAKING THE RISK WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT
Not because it’s been easy.
It hasn’t.
There were moments I doubted myself completely. Moments of exhaustion, fear, stress, financial pressure, uncertainty, and mistakes I wish I could redo.
But despite all of that, taking the risk changed my life.
It introduced me to incredible people.
It gave me purpose.
It challenged me to grow.
It made me a better leader, husband, father, coach, and human being.
Most importantly, it taught me something I hope everyone reading this understands:
You don’t need guarantees to begin.
Sometimes the thing standing between you and the life you want is simply the willingness to trust yourself enough to try.
Maybe your risk looks different than mine.
Maybe it’s changing careers.
Maybe it’s prioritizing your health.
Maybe it’s starting over.
Maybe it’s chasing a dream you’ve talked yourself out of for years.
Maybe it’s finally believing you’re capable of more.
Whatever it is, don’t spend your entire life waiting for certainty.
Because certainty rarely comes first.
Action does.
Sometimes I look back at the post I made six years ago announcing I accepted a full-time job at a gym and smile.
At the time, I thought I was just changing careers.
In reality, I was stepping into the life I was meant to build.
