Hey Reader,

What if trying to stay perfectly balanced all the time is actually slowing you down?

Because building something meaningful doesn’t always happen in perfect balance.

Sometimes there’s a season to go all in, put your head down, and push harder than usual.

The key is knowing when it’s time to sprint, and when it’s time to pull back, recover, and reconnect with what matters.

That's one of the things that really stuck with me from this episode of The Happy Hustle Podcast with Tayson Whittaker, founder and president of Outdoor Vitals.

Tayson started the company at 23 years old with $500 in his pocket, no investors, and no fancy business playbook.

Today, Outdoor Vitals is a multimillion-dollar outdoor brand.

And he did it without handing control of the company over to outside investors.

We talked about what that journey actually looked like, including the messy parts.

One of my favorite lessons was about constraints.

When you don't have unlimited money, people, or resources, you're forced to get creative.

Tayson used Kickstarter campaigns, built a loyal community, stayed focused on what his customers actually needed, and kept finding ways forward.

Another lesson hit me right between the eyes:

Stop trying to do everything.

Tayson has watched entrepreneurs build eight-figure businesses around essentially ONE product because they were willing to go deep instead of constantly chasing the next shiny object.

But my favorite part of our conversation was his philosophy around doing hard things.

Tayson practices something called a Misogi, intentionally taking on a challenge where success isn't guaranteed.

He's done 100-mile solo hikes, ultramarathons, and Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim in the Grand Canyon.

Why?

Because voluntarily doing something really freaking hard changes your relationship with adversity.

That business problem suddenly doesn't seem so impossible.

The stressful week feels manageable.

You remember what you're capable of.

And THAT is where entrepreneurship and well-being come together.

Sometimes you sprint.

Sometimes you recover.

Sometimes you climb the freaking mountain.

The important part is knowing what season you're in and making sure your ambition doesn't permanently steal your health, family, relationships, or joy.

Tayson and I also get into bootstrapping, AI, focus, Kickstarter, family, the outdoors, and how he's still excited about the company he started more than a decade ago.

If you're building something right now and trying to figure out how to grow without burning yourself into the ground, you'll dig this conversation.

​Listen to the full episode here.​

Then hit reply and tell me this:

What's the hard thing you're choosing to tackle right now?

Keep Happy Hustlin',

Cary and The Happy Hustle Team

P.S. Looking for a place where you can actually get focused AND be around good humans? Our friends at Kiln have built some seriously awesome coworking communities for entrepreneurs, creators, and innovators who don't want to build alone. If your home office is starting to feel a little too much like... check them out at kiln.com.​