- The Movement Memo
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- We were never meant to build alone
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Welcome to The Movement Memo, a bi-weekly newsletter where I share actionable tips to help you live your best day ever, every day.
Today's Programming
Movement: Complete 4 rounds for time:
Quote: Brown on what matters
Youtube: Rim to Rim to Rim Vlog
Events: Mark your calendar for summer ‘25
Today's Movement
Complete 4 Rounds for Time:
• 10 Deadlifts (225/135 lbs)
• 15 Box Jumps (24/20 inches)
• 20 Wall Balls (20/14 lbs)
• 10 Toes-to-Bar
• 50 Double-Unders (100 Single-Unders if not proficient)
Today's Quote
"People think it’s the big moments that make a life—graduations, weddings, product launches. But it’s the quiet mornings. The shared rituals. The steady presence of people who stay.”
We think the founder journey is defined by the big wins.
But it’s not the raise, the launch, or the exit that matters most. It’s the quiet check-ins when you’re on the edge. The steady rituals that bring you back to life. The people who stay when there’s nothing left to gain.
That’s where the real scoreboard lives.
Today's Lesson Learned:
You Weren’t Meant to Build Alone
Founders don’t burn out from doing too much – they burn out from doing it without a tribe.
There’s a part of the founder journey no one warns you about.
It’s not the pitch deck revisions. It’s not the sleepless nights. It’s not the decisions made with incomplete information.
It’s the slow, quiet unraveling that begins the moment your life starts to change—and no one around you really understands it.
When your interests shift.
When your relationships evolve.
When your pace no longer matches the people who used to know you best.
You keep building—but you start to wonder if you’re the one being left behind. Not by the market, but by your energy, clarity, and connection.
The hidden cost of building isn’t exhaustion.
It’s disconnection.
The Mile 13 Effect
You’ll know it when it hits.
When your calendar is full, but your spirit is drained. When your team looks to you for answers, and you have nothing left to give. When you close your laptop after a huge win… and feel absolutely empty.
I’ve been there.
Not just in business—but mile 13 of an Ironman marathon. What’s ironic about endurance races (and entrepreneurship) is that people are only there at the beginning and the end – the messy middle is where you have to endure alone.
And that’s when everything starts to fall apart.
At the ½ way point of that marathon, my legs wobbled. My breath went shallow. The finish line wasn’t just far—it felt fictional.
But I didn’t think about the finish.
All I thought about was the next aid station.
The Coke waiting for me. The cheers from the course workers. The friend running beside me.
It wasn’t effort that got me through. It was people.
That’s the Mile 13 Effect:
When effort is no longer enough, the only thing that carries you forward is who’s beside you.
How I Rewired My System
For years, I believed I could carry the weight alone.
More hours.
More output.
More control.
I optimized everything—my schedule, my diet, my inbox, my identity.
And it worked. Until it didn’t.
I had the freedom, the revenue, the brand.
But not one person I could call when it all felt heavy. That was the real weight.
In 2009, I made two decisions that looked small on paper:
I stopped drinking.
I hired a personal trainer.
But those weren’t business decisions. They were connection decisions.
I didn’t just change my body. I changed my community. And in time—my energy, my clarity, my direction.
Because growth didn’t happen when I moved more. It happened when I stopped moving alone.
The gym became a meeting ground. Workouts became ritual. Community became oxygen.
My compass shifted.
I stopped choosing cities—I started choosing environments.
I stopped chasing perfection—I started chasing purpose.
I stopped performing for attention—I started showing up for intention.
When I moved to Colorado, it wasn’t for the mountains alone. It was for the people. People who sweat with you, laugh with you, ruck with you, and remind you: the work is only half the solution.
The rest is who you do it with.
Movement Is the Medicine
When my nervous system is fried, I don’t reach for productivity hacks.
I move—with others.
If I’m uninspired, I train.
If I’m anxious, I plunge.
If I’m disconnected, I call someone who’s been there.
If I’m numb, I go outside and let nature do what it does.
Movement clears the static. Presence rebuilds the pattern. People restore the signal.
We were never meant to build in isolation. We were designed for rhythm, for connection, for shared momentum.
Why I’m Building Founders Only
Founders Only is the space I wish had existed 15 years ago.
It’s not a mastermind.
Not a group chat.
Not a Slack thread to ignore.
It’s a real-world rhythm.
For founders, creators, and investors who crave something deeper than growth.
Who need:
Ritual
Energy
Truth
And a room where they don’t have to pretend
We ruck. We plunge. We sauna. We move. We breathe. We build.
And we remember what it feels like to be human again.
Because it’s not just about what you build. It’s about staying grounded—surrounded by people who won’t let you lose sight of the real scoreboard.
The Real Scoreboard
Everyone tells you to focus on the product:
The business. The brand. The outcome.
But over time, I realized…
The real product isn’t what you build. It’s how you build.
It’s the rituals that hold you steady.
The people who breathe life back into you when everything goes wrong.
And the environment that fuels your fire instead of draining it.
These are the inputs that compound through markets, seasons, and setbacks.
They’re the system you’re left with long after the business exits or evolves.
They’re your real legacy.
Founders Only isn’t about optimizing your business. It’s about optimizing the builder.
When you stop designing for scale… And start designing for sustainability—you don’t just avoid burnout. You build something that feeds you, lifts you, and carries you forward.
And this—this is what we’re creating inside Founders Only.
Not just a space. A system. Not just a group. A tribe.
It’s the culmination of a 15-year journey—everything I wish I knew when I first jumped into the unknown.
The mistakes I made. The lessons I learned. And the truths passed down from every founder, athlete, and friend who ever poured into me.
These ideas aren’t mine alone. They’re borrowed, lived, and shared.
And now, they belong to us.
Because you weren’t meant to build alone. And now—you don’t have to.
Today’s YouTube:
This Summer’s Events (Colorado Edition):
Lately, I’ve been leaning into events and experiences that place me in communities that increase my surface area for luck and connect me to people who live with the same intensity, the same values, the same desire to train and build something real.
These aren’t events. Their environments—designed for building real relationships, movement, and presence.
Here are 3 events that I am looking forward to this summer. I hope to see you there:
Led by the XPT team in the Colorado backcountry, the Crystal Peak Expedition is a two-day immersive experience designed to stretch your limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
What You'll Experience
Breathwork grounded in XPT’s proven Performance Breathing™ protocols
Contrast therapy sessions with ice, heat, and guided recovery
Mobility and movement training led by world-class coaches
Mindset coaching to sharpen resilience and unlock clarity
A 10+ mile backcountry summit to Crystal Peak (13,852 ft)—Class 2-3 scrambling included
A small, tight-knit group committed to getting more from their bodies and their lives
The Details
Dates: June 6–7, 2025
Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
Group Size: Intentionally small, to keep the experience personal
The HYROX Training Weekend isn’t about grinding yourself into the ground. It’s about dialing in the systems—movement, recovery, effort, feedback—that actually make you better. Led by Rich Ryan, this two-day intensive is designed for those who want to bridge the gap between where they are and where they could be.
What You’ll Get
Direct coaching from two of the most respected voices in Hyrox
Race-specific HYROX workouts with real-time coaching
Trail runs and outdoor sessions that test both pace and performance
Full-spectrum recovery: cold exposure, sauna, breathwork
Candid group conversations that go deeper than training tips
A small, focused group—just 20 athletes—so the coaching stays personal
The Details
Location: Lakewood & Arvada, Colorado
Dates: July 18–19, 2025
Format: Two days of immersive, hands-on training and recovery
There is a difference between doing more and doing it right. This weekend isn’t about volume—it’s about training for performance. You’ll leave with a sharper mind, a stronger engine, and a clear plan of exactly what you need to change to get to the next level.
This isn’t another networking event. It’s a curated 48-hour experience designed to push your body, expand your mind, and connect you with people who get it.
I am hosting this event with Wyatt Ewing to bring together entrepreneurs, creators, and investors through immersive experiences that blend physical challenge, mental clarity, and authentic connection.
What You’ll Experience
Daily workouts and hikes to break barriers and build bonds
Contrast therapy—sauna and ice baths—to reset and refocus
Workshops and keynote sessions that go beyond the surface
A community of high-caliber individuals committed to growth
Who This Is For
Founders seeking meaningful connections beyond business cards
Creators looking to align their physical and mental well-being
Investors interested in authentic relationships over transactions
The Details
Dates: June 20–22, 2025
Location: Denver, Colorado
Real growth happens when you step out of your routine and into a space designed for transformation.
At Founders Only Club, you’ll find a tribe that challenges you, supports you, and walks alongside you as you elevate every aspect of your life.
Know friends, training partners, or co-workers who would take value from weekly tips on a healthier lifestyle, enhanced accountability, and improved routines? Thanks for sharing!
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Publisher: Eric Hinman
Editor-in-chief: Bobby Ryan