A Quick Check-In
Not a ton of time to write, but a weekly check-in on building
It’s been a pretty solid weekend.
Emilie and I hosted some friends for dinner last night, and we’re heading to Golden Gate Park for much of the afternoon. Life is good.
Lori Santos has said many times over that happiness is a twofold combination: satisfaction with where you are, and satisfaction with where you’re heading. So during the times we feel satisfied, it’s important to appreciate it while also pushing toward tomorrow.
Check-in on Progress
The last few weeks, I wrote about how I’m studying two complex topics in my CSCS curriculum: bioenergetics (the ways food becomes energy) and the endocrine system (how hormones and stress influence skeletal muscle). I’m not comfortable enough with either to move on, so I’m taking the next week to polish both topics before moving on to my next two chapters: adaptations resulting from aerobic training and anaerobic training.
Exam Date
I’m expecting to sit for the CSCS exam toward the end of February, 2024. The exam has a ~55% pass rate, so I’m taking time to master topics, prioritizing depth of knowledge over speed as I digest the curriculum in my free time.
Business Model
Two updates to share here:
After rejoining Instagram a few weeks ago, I was absolutely gutted to see a dearth of fitness experts targeting the combat sports community. This might sound stupid, but I had no idea they existed, and I have little interest in competing with them.
Like lawyers and real estate agents, much of the professional services industry is differentiated by strong marketing. (1) that’s a terrible competitive moat, and (2) I really suck at marketing. This has me rethinking the population I’d like to target.
I kicked off Venture for America’s latest validation challenge, and I’ve started having calls with a different population of folks: bankers and consultants.
Much of my MBA cohort went into high-stress, highly intense work environments (i.e. the McKinsey and Bain consultants of the world). I was an outlier, heading to the west coast for a job in Tech. The consultant lifestyle my classmates are experiencing is fundamentally incompatible with a strong, healthy lifestyle: low sleep, high stress, and chronically elevated cortisol levels. Little time for exercise and family.
I’ve been having chats with many of my former classmates to understand challenges they’re facing as they ride out their newfound high-status careers. I’m wondering how best to apply the skillset I’m building as a Strength & Conditioning specialist to improve the quality of life they’re experiencing.
In all honesty: things feel like they’re moving slowly. I decided to study for the CSCS exam back in August. Eight weeks later, I’m not satisfied with the progress I’ve made.
But we’re heading in the right direction, and like I said above, life is really good these days.
Onward.