Burnout, Breakthroughs & the Power of Slowing Down with Casey Combest

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Welcome back, synergy listeners. We are so excited to be here today with Casey. Casey Combust is a husband, dad to four, including one sweet girl and three wild boys, and the founder of Blue Sky Studios and Blue Sky Podcasting, where he helps over 30 clients bring their podcast ideas to life. He also co owns Common House Productions, crafting videos that actually make people feel something. After hitting burnout this past year, Casey's been learning. Learning to trade, hustle for health, one deep breath and one cup of tea at a time. He's all about meaningful work, honest conversations, and finding joy in the chaos. When he's not in the studio, he's probably playing outside with his kids or bedtime, negotiating like a pro. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the episode. Casey, we are so excited to have you with with us today for this awesome conversation. You're usually sitting on the other side behind the cameras.

That's right. So happy to be here. You guys are my favorite. Don't tell any other clients, but I do love working with y'.

Yeah, we love you too. You boss us around really well. So we're so glad that you're sharing your time with us today. You know, my pleasure getting to know you, knowing that you're a father, you're a serial entrepreneur, business owner. Like burnout.

Yeah. Reading the bio, it reminds me like, yeah, there's a reason.

There's a reason. There's a reason that burnout happened. But tell us, tell us your story in that regard.

Yeah, sure. I mean, there's a lot of places we can enter. But the pinnacle of it came to a head when we had doubled the business in about four months. Months. And so that was exciting and awesome in a lot of ways. It was some of my dreams coming true, but it was just, it was too much. I had in four months. You don't have time to train the staff. You need to support you when you grow 100%. So I came into the studio one day, it was actually April fools April 1st, a little over a year ago, and came in here and felt like I was having some chest pain. Started feeling lightheaded, nauseous, kind of hit the ground. My buddy walked in and he said, man, are you all right? I was like, I don't know. You know, normally I'd be like, I'm fine, just go ahead. But I really didn't know.

Yeah.

And so that was my first panic attack at 40 years old that I'd ever had. And so the next subsequent months, which we can unpack later, there was a little bit of humor in that moment. If I could share that.

Sure.

Because that's such a heavy story, you know? So we called the. After a few minutes, he was like, man, are you sure you don't want me to do something? I was like, let's call the ambulance. Like, I really don't feel good. And so they came in. And mind you, my mind's going to like, I'm having a heart attack. I'm thinking of my kids, like, my wife that I'm gonna leave destitute because I'm in mountains of debt. No, I'm just kidding. But I'm just. I'm doing the math. I'm like, how long will they be okay? And so this guy walks in and he goes, this emt, very nice guy, but he goes, is this a recording studio? And I'm like, dude, I. You have not hooked me up. You have not. You don't know what's.

That's the wrong question.

Yeah, that's the wrong question. He's like, before he even hooked me up to the E. Kg, he was like, man, you ever watch those videos on TikTok of people in the recording suits? And I mean, I looked at Tommy, who at this point is holding my hand. I'm like, I'm gonna kill this guy. Like, if I. If I live there, I'm gonna kill this guy. And so anyways, he hooked me up, and he was like, man, you're. You're fine. You're just having. You're having panic attack. And so there. There's a little bit of humor in the moment, which always appreciate to kind of. To lighten the load a little bit.

Perpetuating the fear of this situation, though, right? Is that.

Absolutely.

Escalate this, please.

Like, yeah, yeah.

When you went through that, like, what. What did you think after, like, you just had this major. I mean, you'd never had a panic. Panic attack before, right? Like, what. What were your thoughts?

Yeah, I mean, the first was sort of coming to grips, a little bit of mourning, even of, like, wow. Like, I'm. I'm struggling with this. This is something that, in the past, I've seen people that have said they had panic attacks or struggle with panic attacks and just been like, man, that's. That's gotta be tough. Like, I just couldn't even relate to where they were. And so the next two weeks were probably the hardest two weeks of my entire life, because I was just trying to figure out what was going on. And that was a journey of talking to counselors, talking to you, my Doctor. Talking to friends and family. And, I mean, quite frankly, it's about a year later, and I feel like we've finally pinpointed the root. The root cause. But there was so much going on that we just had to unpack. You know, it's not a. It's not a one fix solution or a one cause situation. And so, yeah, the next two weeks were awful. I either had a panic attack every day or fought off panic attacks throughout the day. And really, at the end of that two weeks, I was at a pretty low spot. And I think that was when I finally. I think I called you, and I was like, kelly, I. I don't know. We had. We had been talking, right? But I was like, I'm. I'm done. I can't do this anymore. Like, this was. It was really hard.

Yeah, it's hard to watch that, too. Right.

I just have a couple of questions. You know, I think about what you must have felt like, number one, just, you know, having. And what have been described as panic attacks before and being. I've never personally had one, but I've. I've worked with multiple clients that have had them, and I think about, you know, what you must have thought as you were reflecting in that, you know, just as you were having them repeatedly. But over the course of the next two weeks, as a man, as a father, and now having panic attacks, I guess my first question is, did you have any anxiety or things leading up to that period of time? Like, had you struggled with any other symptoms prior to those panic attacks?

Yes, is the short answer. I didn't know it at the time, though. At the time, I just thought, you know, wow, I don't. I don't feel right. Like, I remember vividly about two months prior, laying on the couch at night, completely exhausted, and I just started, like, convulsing. Like, my whole body was shaking. My hamstrings, my quads, my chest. It was strange. And I was like, what is going on? You know, but it wasn't sort of the whole kit together, so to say. And then the day previously, I was playing music at church, and I was in the middle of singing a song and got really lightheaded to the point where I could not finish singing the song, which was incredibly embarrassing. And I, you know, apologize the congregation. I was like, hey, guys, I'm so sorry. We're gonna have to do this one at the end, you know, and they were incredibly gracious. So, I mean, there were a lot of things pointing up to that, and I can think probably six months earlier. Just little things here and there, but those were two big ones. About nine months before that, I hurt my back really bad playing soccer. That's a big part of what I enjoy doing, which it's. You know, I'm playing an hour and a half to two hours each time I'm playing. And a lot of times I was playing multiple times a week, and I hurt my back. And now I look back and I'm like, that was my body just saying, you're done. You got to stop. Like, you're. You're pushing this too hard.

And so our body does send us those warning signals, right? Those little warning signals that we oftentimes just brush off. Like, I'm just tired, or it's been a long day, there's been extra stress. And we don't really say, hey, my body's talking to me and I'm not listening.

Or even the back injury, I was like, wow, I hurt my back. I need to stretch more. And it was like that. That's true. You know, I didn't need to stretch more. But that wasn't what was going on. There was a deeper issue.

The engine light was going off and. And, you know, circling back to, you know, just being a man and feeling those symptoms. Right. And being the head of your household, I can imagine. Were there some other emotional things that you looked at? Like, yeah, you're shaking heads.

Yeah.

I'm just curious of. Of what some of those were. And first of all, I just want to also thank you for being vul. Having these conversations, too, because I think that more people that are listening to this can. Are going to be able to relate, because these are sensitive topics that most don't talk about until the crash happens. So if we could do anything to try to intercede sooner.

Yes. Yeah.

And that's. That's one of my. The reasons I have talked about this on podcast and written blog posts about in articles and magazines and things like that, because, Lori Kelly, I cannot tell you how many people I spoke to. And I was like, man, is this. I described the situation. I'll tell them what happened. And they would. I would say, have you ever had this? And they're like, oh, yeah, man, that was like five or ten years ago. I went through that, or my cousin or my brother or so and so. And it is the quietest thing that men don't talk about.

Yes.

Anxiety and stress. Like, I. I think some of it is we're coming out of that age. I'm like, I said, I'm 40. So I'm right on that cusp of millennial. And like, our generation just, we still don't talk about emotional issues or emotional health. This. This younger generation are much better at that. And so I think of so many men encounter it just as this quiet secret that they deal with, or they just quickly get medication and, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but they just get some type of SSRI or something to dull the feeling and not dig a little deeper to see what's going on.

Yeah.

And an eight or ten minute visit, you know, at a traditional doctor's office is here's the symptom. Right. Here's the pill for that symptom. You know, treating symptoms when really taking time to really explore, you know, all of what's going on in your life, you know, what's. How are you sleeping? What are you trying to.

Don't get me wrong, none of that stuff is, is fun. Like, I get why. And I put. And I, I don't want anyone here in this to hear me say, like, that is demeaning. Like, I got on medication for a period of time and it was really, really helpful. So I' there's anything wrong with that, but I think if you don't do the digging, that's where the problems can lie.

Yeah.

And I'll give you credit for doing the digging. Right. You were like, I finally got what I wanted with my business. It's growing. I have all this growth, but what should I be doing? And really what do I need to be focusing on in order to truly heal? So what did you dig into? What were your first decisions after that challenge?

So, funny enough, I spoken with a counselor in town who, he runs the counseling clinic. Just a really great guy. And we had spoken, he was a guest on a show. And I was like, man, I'd love to come see you sometimes for like, some performance coaching or something like that. And so I called him that same day that I had called you at the end of the two weeks, and I was like, man, we're gonna have to meet about some different stuff today. Not performance coaching. All right. So that was really, really helpful. Seeing him. I think that it took quite some time and I can dive into, like, some of the practical things that really helped. But it took a long time to discover that a lot of the reason I was working so hard, working my fingers to the bone, is just this perpetual toxic shame that I felt like I just didn't feel like I was good.

Because I think that's so pervasive. Right. I think most of us walk around with some wound that we're compensating or overcompensating for. And shame is one of those wounds.

Yeah. Yeah. So we spent a lot of time working through that. And again, that wasn't the only thing going on, but that was one of the biggest factors. Actors and. And honestly, I just didn't have the tools in the toolkit to deal with this. Like. Yeah, I sort of knew how to deal with my anger growing up. You know, things that happen when you're playing sports and you have to sort of. Sort of learn some coping skills. And then in college, I'd go into counseling, like, just a couple sessions to kind of work through some things that I was dealing with and learned how to deal with my anger. But, I mean, there was a. Various. Various emotions that I did not know how to deal with. And shame was a big one. I just had no idea how to deal with that. Loneliness was another one. How do I deal with that? There's just so. So many more emotions that God gives us to help us, but we also need to learn how to cope with.

Those and recognize them.

Well, you said. I mean, Kelly, I've. I've quoted you quite a few times on this, and people are always like, wow, that is such a great phrase. So I'm serious. Be excited. I don't know what else you said. You've got to learn. Or you said something about metabolizing those emotions.

Yeah.

And it's such a good word. Like, you do have to learn how to metabolize those.

Yeah. So, yeah. When you feel that emotion, recognizing that. But emotions are energy in motion. So we need to have movement. We need to have a way of getting it out, because most of us are taught just to suck it in, tuck it in.

Yeah.

Stuff it down, and it's going to show up in the body.

Yeah. Especially gals. Guys are. That's. That's our favorite coping mechanism. And it's not a coping mechanism. It's not helpful.

No, it's not helpful at all.

So you had mentioned becoming aware of shame and that that was a, you know, an emotion that was one of the driving forces to what led to panic, as I heard you say. And I was just wondering how long it took you in. In the counseling to really name it to. To connect with. That's what, what it was. Is that something that you had maybe had insight to before and then this time was like, this is what it is. Or was it just a profound new this is shame.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, obviously I'd heard the word my entire life and I'd felt shame, like in a healthy way, which there is a good side of that, like we need to feel, oh, wow, I shouldn't have hurt you, Kelly. That was, that was wrong. I need to apologize for that and repair our relationship or something like that. But the, the toxic shame was deeper. That was something that had to be explained to me. And it wasn't so much that the counselor said, this is what you're struggling with. It was just as we talked around, was kind of one of those things. It just, we kept point poking it a little bit and I was like, hey, let's spend some time here. What is that again? And just that. And then I was able to sort of see the, the proof in the pudding, so to say, like, wow, I'm driving myself so hard and if I am tired, I, I, you know, I'm a self motivated, like, come on, man, get up, you got to do this. Like, and again, some of that's good, but when that mo for life, like, that's not good, that's not healthy. And so it was something that certainly took some time to uncover. But that's again why I think it's so helpful to have a professional counselor sort of guiding you through something like.

This, giving you the space to process that. Right. And so I just commend you as a man for number one, your second call was to a counselor. Like, how many people do that? Honestly, I just think that's profound. And I think we should all be open to, like, who can I seek and get help from that's reliable and have a safe space to process out those emotions. So I want to say that.

Thanks.

We need more men willing to connect with their emotions. We need all of us. Right? But men especially, they're leading the family in a very profound way. And I know you've got four little bitty people in your life that are so, so very important to you, and you strive to be that leader for them and show them how to manage their own emotions. Right?

And I can't tell you on that note, how many times over the last year there's been a moment where one of my kids, they're feeling fear or they're feeling, you know, sort of an unhealthy shame, or they're feeling even anxiety. And before, I mean, what a gift this has been because now I can walk those kids through this, like, and, and I'll. It's hard to see from the outside and I'm, I'm. I feel like the last few months I've seen it more. But our kids family dynamic is completely different now. Like I, I know how, because I have coping skills now. I can help them develop these coping skills. You know, it's so, it's such a wonderful gift that this has been.

Do you feel like before you were just unaware of their emotions and just didn't tap into that?

Sure, or I would just cope with it the way I had been coping with it. All right. Hey, I'm sorry, you're saying let's, let's keep going, let's go do something else. Let's get distract distraction. Let's. Oh, you're sad, man. I'm so sorry to hear that. Well, look, hey, look, let's go get some ice cream or let's go play ball or something like that. Better.

Making it better.

Like that. That's a good dad, right? Yes. But they need to process that and they need to develop their skills so that they're not in the situation. I am at 40 years old having to develop these skills.

Yeah. We were talking earlier about not having the skill set that we need to deal with all of this emotion and trauma that we do have as adults. I don't think we were taught that.

No.

You know, I think the younger generation, I mean, we didn't have trauma in our vocabulary back then unless it was like a physical trauma. Hands chopped off. That's trauma.

Right.

So we were just talked to suck it up. But I do think that learning that skill set is incredibly impactful. And I think in generations past, we had more of a networking, an organic networking where people sat together, they talked more. We just had organic therapy back then. And now our society is so fragmented, so electronic, a lot isolated. So you mentioned loneliness earlier and I kind of chuckled under my breath. Because you have four kids and a wife and a business. How in the world do you have time and space to feel lonely? Like, tell me more about that.

Yeah, and that one was certainly a secondary thing that we had to work through. There were other items that were higher on the agenda, but it was really funny when I think it was probably our third or fourth session as we were working through the emotions and we described a situation that was happening. It was actually a dinner and where all the family is sitting around. And as you can imagine, with four kids under nine, it's chaos. Just people are throwing. It looks like something you see on a movie. It's like people are throwing food. There's seven conversations going on with six people. How do you do that? I don't know. Half the kids are naked. Like, it's just. It's just crazy. And so I'm describing, you know, this situation that had happened and how I was. What I. My reactions were. And he was like, well, let's stop there for a second. What emotion were you feeling right there? And, I mean, it was just like that. I knew I was like, loneliness. He was like, whoa, that's pretty cool. And so we spent some time thinking about that. But, yeah, it's amazing that we can feel so unknown in the midst of so much busyness. And I think so many people feel that.

I think the same thing, and that's why I brought it up. I think loneliness is an epidemic. I think it's very common in business owners. I think it's very common in those of us that are kind of out ahead of the pack. Like, we don't know who to go to. And so I think it needs to be talked about more. So what are you doing now to satisfy that loneliness or to be known? Right.

Yeah, yeah. We. Thankfully, about a year before all this happened, maybe a year and a half, we began going to a different church that we got really plugged into a small group immediately. And so from that, we've started a men's group that meets bimonthly. In addition to that small group, we do events throughout the month with each other, or we might just go hang out or something like that. Like, true, deep Christian friendships. And I mean, that alone has been just huge. Like, being able to have a small group of guys that I can be honest with and they can be honest with me. That reciprocal part of the relationship's huge.

Yeah. And I was going to ask, do you feel like you can be honest?

Yeah, absolutely. Okay.

That's good. That's really, really good.

Yeah. I feel like that connection, that deep connection, accountability, you know, when you're really in a group that is like, mind, it sounds like biblically centered. Right. The rule book is you're guided by, you know, God's word, and then you have, you know, that accountability, that connection. I can imagine. Well, they say iron sharpens iron. Right. And that's not easy for a lot of men to connect either. And I'm. And again, we're talking men here today, but there's a lot of women, truly, that have a harder time connecting for all kinds of reasons, too. But I do. I feel like in the men that I have treated, you know, many of them. Them don't have those groups where they might hang out, go to the hunting camp and that. It's very superficial, maybe, you know, conversation, but that really deeper. How are you really doing?

Right.

Like how. Going for you, you know, asking those challenging questions and being in an environment that you trust enough that you can be you, putting pride aside and be you.

Yeah. I think at the end of the day, we want to be known. Right. But so many of us put those walls up and don't give other people the opportunity to really get to know us. It's cool when you can find that group that you do feel like you can be yourself and.

Yeah.

And if you don't that support.

Right. If you're listening and you don't have that, find it. Like it's not something that can be found.

That can be found. Absolutely.

But you got to seek it out, you got to be intentional, and you got to look in the right places. I mean, we have to qualify that. Right, too, because you really do have to look in. In those right places. Because as we say, often, you know, you're the average of the five people you hang out with the most. You know, these are people that are giving you advice. You know, these are people you're sharing some, you know, significant details with, and you should be able to do that. So find it in the right places, too. So seek it out, be intentional and. And look in the right places for it.

So you said that your healing journey you found to be a blessing. Oh, yeah, right. There's been a lot of good that has happened as a result of that crisis that you had.

Yeah.

And you've mentioned the physical part, which we're dealing with, the mental part, which you're dealing with. With the counselor. What about the spiritual part? Like what.

What's.

What surfaced there?

Yeah, I think so much of my routine spiritually was in a great spot. Like, I was reading and praying every day, which that was one of the most devastating parts of that two weeks is I couldn't sit down and read and pray. Like, my body was just seizing of. Of, you know, anxiety. So so much that I couldn't do that. So, I mean, I had a lot of great routines, but I think some of the seeds that the Enemy planted when I was a kid were really starting to sprout at 40. I think the biggest one was just loving the things of this world and trying to build my kingdom instead of worrying and seeking first the kingdom of God, particularly. I remember maybe about three weeks before that, I was in here one night late working, you know, really hard to try to get. Get everything done. I'd finally almost trained somebody to. To take that role from me as far as the editing goes. And I remember just having this, like, sinking feeling of like, okay, we've got all our bills paid. We've got plenty of money past that. Like, is this all there is? And I was just like, oh, how have I, like, fallen for this trick? And then I just quickly. Because I had. I had not. Didn't have anything to cope with, you know, the skills to cope with that. I quickly was like, all right, let me just finish this and move on. Like, I didn't want to process. I didn't want to take time to do that. And so I've spent a year doing that, you know, because I didn't in that moment. But I think that's the biggest one. It's just there were so many things of. Of this world that I just fell in love with. And I was like, man, this is going to satisfy me. Like, I want Jesus, but I want the plus. I want these other things, you know, Jesus plus gospel sort of thing where Jesus tells us that he's the way, the truth and the light. That's it. Like, we don't need anything else. Like, that's it. And it's. Our hearts are just so. Or my heart is so weak and it just wants to pursue other things so badly.

So I heard you. I heard you say Casey, you know, initially, immediately, you really pharmaceutically did, in the short term do that. So that was first. That was one of your steps. You made the phone call to get counseling. You reached out, out to Kelly for guidance in your overall health and well being as a medical provider. What were some. And then you joined a small group that was in the months to come that wasn't right away. So those were the things I heard you say right away. Bridge that gap for us between those first three steps to the two months out.

Yeah, yeah. And thankfully I was in that group beforehand. It just. The dynamic changed a little bit and. Which was so weird because before I was an entrepreneur, I was in ministry, so I was very much used to, like, consoling or being there with somebody rather than being like, I'm a mess. Help me. Being the one that, you know, took 45 of the time to talk about their. Their things going on. But, yeah, the months following, I think I quickly realized I could not keep up the pace of life that I've been running on. In addition to working 60, 70 hours at that time, I was coaching my son's soccer team and assisting My daughter's soccer team, you know, volunteering, doing other things. So I mean, it was like an immediate, like, okay, we've got to pull these things back. There's too much going on. And that's been, I think, a year of training, you know, just training through that. Like, I'll start feeling really good a couple months and I'll start getting a little busier. A little busier. And then I'm like, oh, why am I doing this again? You know, so it's. Some of that is just my nature of like being a go getter and wanting to, to be around people and love on people and contribute, but I'm having to learn some new, new boundaries for life, for sure.

So saying no more than saying yes or at least sifting through the filter first. What should I be doing? Not what, what I can be doing, but what should I be doing?

Yeah, a lot of like, wow, I really, I would love to do that. I just can't, like, I just can't do that. And that is the first time I've ever had to do that in my entire life, you know, because in the past I would just, just found a way to make it happen. So that's been tough.

I think many, many, many listening can absolutely relate. And in that I, you know, I, I can be doing it. What would he want me to do? You know, it's that whole beacon of, you know, where, where do you want me, Lord? What should I be doing? And that's a constant, you know, when the, the nature of our being is the go getter, as I hear you say, it is very, very hard to say no. Very hard to say no.

Absolutely.

Yeah. I can only imagine the difficulties of making some business decisions. So what has happened in the business since all of this change has happened? Are you continuing to grow and God has just.

Yeah, that's been the craziest thing. Yeah, I think it was very evident the month or two after when I'm still really struggling to get 40 hours of work in or 30 hours at moments. Just how the business just kept growing. The Lord continued to bless it and I was just like, I don't have a whole lot to do with this, do I? Okay, thank you for showing me this, you know, because I mean, the year prior I'd worked so hard to like, you know, get new leads and work my sales funnel and yada yada and do all this stuff. And it was just like, yeah, that, that's not really up to me. You know, we, I think the proverb is like, We. We plant, but God grows it, you know, and so there was a lot of. A lot of learning about that.

That's incredible. So I've heard you say the right size business. I've heard you say that in another podcast that you did a few years ago. How does your business, like, what would you say about the size of your business now and where you want to take it?

Yeah, I feel like I'm just getting to the point where I'm a little excited about growing again and kind of. I know what that would look like. And I think we have some steps to move forward in the next six months with that, which is really exciting. But I will say last week, after a really positive phone call with. With some people about helping us do that, sort of some fears started coming out of, like, oh, no, am I going to get back there? And so, I mean, that night I went home, I had dinner with the family, and I went on the back porch and I had to journal for a while and really process stuff like, yeah, yeah, that could happen again. But the Lord is guiding me and leading me, and I'm. I'm going to listen to him this time.

You know, I love that. I mean, I think that's a common story for business owners. You know, we get to a certain point and I've had it happen in my business. I had a health challenge, and I had to majorly pull back and restructure, and that didn't feel good. That did not feel good. And so it's. It can be. It can be challenging, but can it can be the best blessing? Because when you do restructure, you restructure in a way.

How can this run without me? Or if I. If I do need to pull back.

What does that look like? Yeah, and it teaches you the value of your team, like having a strong team and really pouring into them. So it's not all you.

That's right. Right.

That has to show up 100% every day and push, push, push. So I commend you for that, too.

Yeah, Hard, hard lessons to learn.

Yeah, we all have to learn on there, right, Lori?

Yeah, especially for us. I mean, I've. Knowing you ladies, I feel like we all share that. We love what we do, you know, we love helping people. And so it's hard when.

Yeah.

You know, how does this look where we can keep doing that? But yes, the business can still run.

Yes.

Yeah. You know, when you say yes, you know, Lori, what do you think about that? Or yes, you know, yes, we can relate 110% I think when I look in the rearview mirror of the things my greatest growth, growths in life were the biggest obstacles or difficulties or circumstances. And when you reframe them as opportunities and you shift your mindset and when that happens early, you know, when the big things happened at, you know, younger 30s and then happened, you know, in the mid-40s, it's. Each time those big things happen, it's quicker to the point where you can say that, okay, this. What opportunity are you trying to teach me in? This. Right. You know, sometimes when it, you know, when it was first happening, it would take me weeks to get to that point.

Right.

But now it doesn't take me, you know, weeks to. It's very quickly that I see it more as an opportunity. Okay, what are you trying to teach me here? So. And they're big things. And, you know, sometimes it's not necessarily about knowing. You know, I hear Kelly say about her team, definitely about her team, you know, that, you know, you can. They'll rise up. But when your team gets pulled away, too, because that can be a circumstance. It's. It's. He teaches you how to innovate because that's what you have to do in these times. You have to be an innovator. You have to be a creator, and you do have to sometimes just sit back and go, okay, where are you taking me?

Me?

Where are you taking me? It's all yours. Anyway. Oh, God's. Anyway.

So, Casey, what would you say that your role is in your family, in the world of wellness? Like, you know, what. What things in your family are you responsible for? To make sure that you guys are harnessing a lifestyle that promotes wellness in.

General for your family to complain if my wife doesn't cook healthy meals.

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's.

That's. Most guys.

Some guys say, I'll just do what my wife tells me. I mean, hear all kind of answers for that question.

Yeah, thankfully. Because I, I got to know you guys. My journey is probably a little different than some folks. I remember after about a year of doing the show, I was. I was convinced. I was like, all right, these ladies do know what they're talking about.

It took a year.

Well, I mean, some of it was like, I. I had seen, you know, some of those things true in my life, but just didn't know how. Have language for it or know how to say it. And so I kind of told you, hey, I'd love to walk through the program together and did that. And it was really, really life changing. And Helpful. And shortly thereafter, my wife did. And so I can't imagine how hard it would be not having both of us on the same page.

Yeah.

But even now, you know, if we have a meal where we're like, hey, we just need to order out or something like that, like, it's just a crazy weekend or crazy night, like we were both on the same page of like, all right, well, let's think about the meals after that or the meals kind of leading up to this crazy night that's going to be in four nights, you know. But yeah, I think my role as a, as a father would be the same that we spoke about with emotional health is like just making sure that my kids have the right tools. Like, they may decide that they just want to eat chick fil a pizza and hamburgers when they're older, but at least they'll know like, the reasons why we want to eat healthy. Clean proteins and we want to have plenty of fiber rich foods. And then sometimes as a dad, I kind of on the side of fear of like, because this is going to happen if you don't. And so then my wife steps in and she's the voice of reason of like, well, that is being a little dramatic. Let's talk about why healthy fibers are good and stuff like that. But yeah, to lead my family, I mean, I want them to have the tools no matter what decision they make, at least they know.

Yeah. And then what would you say your biggest obstacle in that is? Like, what gets in your way.

With, in regards to leading or in regards to like just making those healthy decisions?

Leading?

Yeah, I'd say busyness, you know, is a big one. Kelly. I would say not just the business that I have, but the business our kids have. They're getting to the age where they play sports and they want to do these things or be in gymnastics or dance or things like that. And that's an extra practice, an extra event. And I mean, I looked at my wife last night and as we were kind of looking over the next few days and I mean, there's four or five different meals that we're going to have to really think strategically about because of busyness. And so, and some of that I want to guard against. Like, I don't want our family to be the family that's gone every weekend and every night of the week. But some of it is, you know, planning and think, being strategic as we're approaching the week or just knowing what's coming down the pipe.

Yeah. You know, I want to go back to how we even started is burnout. You know, burnout shows up in so many different ways, different symptoms that people have there. There's often so many red flags leading up to the crash of that. It's very common. You know, burnout is very, very common. But I think what we were able to do to really dig into today, and I'm so glad you shared your story to do it, is that it doesn't have to be that way. You. You know, there are signals, there are warning signs that you're heading that way, and there is help, you know, lean into those friends. You. You already had a friend set. It was interesting. You already had that. You were, in essence, the go to for them and didn't see yourself as maybe them for you. So leaning into those, maybe it's just taking what you currently have and in your mind, changing it around for who's serving who at that point, utilizing what you have available, but knowing that there is hope for that and being willing to accept help, counseling, calling people you already knew. Like, you already knew Kelly, but you knew you could reach out to Kelly. Because sometimes, you know, we have tons of people in our. I say it's our, you know, it's our phone, Rolodex, right? You have people that you know. Right. It's a matter of remembering that you have them, and they want to help you. They want to be there for you, and so knowing who you have. So I'm so glad that you were able, that you shared your story, because I think more and more people are getting to a place right now. We're seeing it left and right in our practices, and we're actually seeing it left and right in our peer groups. In our peer groups. And it's hard to watch. We've all tapped at the door of it. If you're in pursuit, you own a business, you're tapping on the door. And, you know, it's. It's something we have to, like you said, have a healthy fear on a regular basis. Because even once you've kind of made it through that period of time, it's very easy to go back. So having to have a healthy fear of that, too.

Thank you so much for being here today.

Yeah, my pleasure.

On this side of the camera for a change. And we just appreciate you so much.

No, my pleasure. And I appreciate what you ladies do. I know as a listener, myself and my friends and family who listen, like, we just. We love what you're doing. Y' all keep making the world a better place.

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