Why did this founder fire himself from his own company? That's what I wanted to find out when I sat down with Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness. We've known each other for a long time, and I've watched him build an incredible audience and business. But then, to my surprise, he "fired" himself – twice! Steve shares the surprising truth about chasing growth, the pitfalls of wearing the wrong hat in your own business, and how he rediscovered his passion for writing. His journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the true path to fulfillment means stepping away from the very thing you've so diligently built.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:10 Firing myself (twice!) from Nerd Fitness
05:37 The five years I spent in the wrong seat
07:20 The "If you're not growing, you're shrinking" myth
10:37 How I realized writing is what lights me up
12:55 When to double down on strengths vs. fix weaknesses
18:19 The curated "all I do is win" internet vs. real life
20:20 Sharing my failures: cancer, Google changing, divorce
23:09 The overwhelming positive response to vulnerability
24:06 How my book was born and evolved
30:17 My visit to the Museum of Failure
33:55 My PACT framework: Pause, Accept, Change, Try
40:22 Everything old is new again in content
49:00 The value of Craft + Commerce and community
56:14 Longevity in creative work: falling in love with the craft
1:02:43 How to Try Again: Where to find the book
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Kit: https://www.kit.com
Follow Steve:
How To Try Again (Book): https://howtotryagain.com
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Nerd Fitness: https://www.nerdfitness.com
Featured in this episode:
Kit: https://www.kit.com
How to Try Again: https://howtotryagain.com
Nerd Fitness: https://www.nerdfitness.com
The Museum of Failure: https://failuremuseum.com