Life After Addiction with Tim Stoddart

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You know, if like, a guy like me can do it, then, then you can do it. There's. There's nothing I've ever done in my life that's more important than, than getting sober. And you know, a lot of people get thrown off when they say that because it's like, well, what about your wife? What about your kids? But the reality is, like, if I don't have my sobriety first, then I lose all of that.

This is Reclaim in Advance, a social impact project where we host vulnerable conversations with modern day high performers exploring the lowest points of their personal or professional life, how they recovered, and their life on the other side of hardship. My hope is that you'll realize you aren't the only one who goes through tough times and there is a way out. Through these conversations, you'll gain inspiration from the grit and honesty of our guests and you'll learn practical tools and science backed frameworks that empower you to take on new challenges, regardless of how difficult they may seem at first. So if you're ready to join in, let's get started. Today we'll be learning from Tim Stoddard. As the CEO of Stadze Inc. And partnering copy blogger, Tim teaches people how to create multiple streams of income. Tim is also an addiction recovery advocate and the owner of Sober Nation, a platform that helps people find help get sober and start their recovery. As a heads up, this episode contains discussions around substance abuse. If this subject is upsetting to you, please take care while listening or feel.

Free to skip to another episode. Hey Tim, how's it going today?

What's up, Terry? Great to be here, man.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to this conversation because we've talked a few times, but we've never talked about about topics that are about to get as deep as we're about to. So just to level set, do you mind introducing yourself and letting us know what you're up to these days?

Man? Not at all. No. My name is Tim Stoddart. Man, what am I up to these days? We moved to Denver a little more than a year ago. We moved to Denver last December, so we've been loving it, just enjoying the snow. We live right across a lake in a neighborhood in Denver called Sloan's Lake. And so we just spend a lot of time out in the lake and letting the kiddos run around. Other than that, I'm like a super repetitive person. I work out every morning. I go to Muay Thai Tuesdays and Saturdays, and I do sparring on Saturdays and wake up at the same time every day. I basically eat the same shit every day. So my life runs on repetition, but that's actually the way I like it.

Yeah, I'm the same way as, well.

I'm pretty boring.

I mean, I don't need much to be happy. I mean, I need my family. I need time for my fitness. I mean, there's a few hobbies I have, but mostly just working and looking after the kids. And I'm very much a creature of habit. Like, if I find a meal I like, I'm like, I'm going to have that tomorrow, too. Like, why am I. Why would I rock the boat? Doesn't seem to make sense to me, but I know that things weren't always as great as they are right now for you. And as you know, one of the points of the show is to. To go to those darker times when you were having some challenges in your personal, professional life to share that out as well as the path you took towards resolution. So with that said, what would you like to share in regards to your background?

Yeah, I. I've been an open book about my sobriety and about. I don't want to say my past life. It's just life really changed for me when I took my last hit, my last drink, whatever. So I've been Sober since I'm 37 now. I got sober when I was 24. Gosh. What is the date? Is March. March 3rd, 2010. That was the. The last time I used. And ever since then, I've been, like, super into it. Like, I've never even taken a Benadryl. And it's not necessarily because I think of it in terms of this, like, this higher standard. Right. I don't think I'm better than anybody. I just. I'm scared. Really. Like, I'm scared to even dip my toe in it or mess around with it a little bit. So, yeah, I'm super grateful for it. I've built. I built like, some. Some companies in. In this space, and I feel just really grateful that I've. I've been able to talk to other people and get involved with other people's lives and. And let people know that, you know, if, like, a guy like me can do it, then Then you can do it. There's. There's nothing I've ever done in my life that's more important than, than getting sober. And you know, a lot of people get thrown off when they say that because it's like, well, what about your wife? What about your kids? And of course my wife is my best friend. She's the coolest person in the world. My kids are like, hysterical when I'm a dad, you know, that's like, what a privilege. But the reality is, like, if I don't have my sobriety first, then I lose all of that. And some people get it, some people don't. But for me, it was never like, hang out and drink on the weekends type deal. It was always from the very beginning, since I was like 13 years old, just overly obsessed about, about everything really. Like, I'm a pretty obsessive person. I, I go hard when I find something, I latch onto it. And you know, like, drug use was certainly that way for me. So it's never been some sort of, like, hanging out. Let's enjoy ourselves. Let's have some like, really cool experiences. It was always, always like, really, really dark. So that's why I just, I don't mess around with it at all. I. It's the most important thing I have in my life and it probably always will be.

Yeah. My, my Last drink was March 15, 2015.

Cool.

And just like you, I mean, I'm a dad now. I have things to do, so I don't, I don't have any kind of curiosity in regards to drinking again. And there, there is a fear that just like one sip would put me down the wrong path. But I also don't think it's worth it. I mean, I have shit to do, you know what I mean? Like, I don't want to wake up in the morning slow because I have a hangover or something like that, or God forbid, just like have my kids see me wasted and, you know, that's, that's their dad, you know, who they're supposed to admire and you know, like, I'm passing on the couch, eating Cheetos and shit like that. So that's, that's not who I want to be. But I had some pretty dark times too. And my wife was with me during that time. So, I mean, I'm very indebted to her as well for even putting up with my stuff. But I was actually hospitalized as a result of it, and that was the wake up call that I needed finally to get some real help. But I'm wondering, was there a time in your career as an addict, if you want to call it that, where you're just like, so dark, so down, so, like, you know, what the hell's going on? That was the wake up call, the rock bottom for you as well.

I've told this story a couple times. I don't dwell on it too much because it makes me feel, like, shameful. Although it's been long enough and I've forgiven myself. Right. But I think it's an interesting point to make because it wasn't like the worst thing that ever happened to me, right. When you think about that, you think about consequences. I mean, I've been arrested a million fucking times. I can curse, right? Is that cool? It's all good.

I guess it is now. Yeah.

Okay.

Set the standard.

Cool. You could take the boy out of Philly, right? I've been arrested too many times. You know, like, my record was terrible. I was like, never going to get a job. I was never going to be employed. I had like, some violence happen to me and got my ribs kicked in once. And like, you would think that those kind of things would be the things that make somebody say, okay, maybe this is enough. But the lowest point really was with my mom. My mom was very young when she had me, and I'm the oldest son is me and a little sister. But I'm also the oldest in like my whole family. So my mom's side of the family and my dad's side of the family. My dad's side of the family is all immigrants. They're from Scotland. I'm the oldest of all of the cousins. And my mom didn't really have that big of a family. And like my Scottish family, they're like a clan, you know, so in a way, my mom sort of became part of like my dad's family. And so it's not, it's not just like, I'm the oldest out of me and my sister. I'm the oldest out of everybody, but, like, by far, just because my parents were so young and I always knew that that, like, meant a lot. You know, it was like my mom didn't really have anything and. And basically being a mom was her whole life, right? Like, she had this, this little, this little baby boy and you know, my sister came close after, but it's like my mom sacrificed everything just to raise us. And. And when I was. How old was I? Okay, so I was, I was 22. And it was, it was pretty gnarly back then. Like, I was, you Know, you go through levels, right? And I was, like, using. Using where you're, like, on the street, and. My mom had a brain tumor. It wasn't technically cancer. I'll give you the gist of it. Basically, she had a ball of hard blood. So what happens is our brains, as we learn things and forget things, and synapses move around. It's a very rare disease that she caught. Well, we all get these little bleeds in our brains because our brains move, and it's totally natural. The blood just dissolves back into the rest of your body for whatever reason. My mom caught this disease where that stopped happening, and she just ended up with a big. You could think of it as a tumor, just a big ball of hard blood, like the size of a walnut right on her brain stem. And she was talking about her arm tingling a little bit. And I remember we were at the shore, and I could just tell she was uncomfortable. My mom's so tough. I didn't really think that much of it. And then one day, her eye was pointing in the other direction, and then one day her face started drooping a little bit, and we're like, damn, what's going on? So we got the MRI and they seen what was in her brain, and there was only one doctor in the entire country that would actually operate on her because it was, like, on her brainstem. You know, you can't mess that up, or you're just super dead. And we all flew out to Stanford because that's where this doctor was. I couldn't fly out there. I was a carpenter, and I was building this guy a fence, and just. I was, like, so selfish, you know, I couldn't think of going out there with my family. I was like, I have to finish this fence. I have to get this job done. And I flew out the next day, and on the plane ride, I was so sick from the withdrawals. I don't know if anybody listening to this have ever dealt with opiate withdrawals before, but you get very, very sick. And I was sick on the plane. I got to the hotel. I was sick, and my mom came in. When I finally got to the hotel, and my stepdad was wheeling her in in a wheelchair, and she asked me if I would go to the pre op with her. And like I said, I'm like my mom's oldest son. You know, I was. I was a mess at that time in my life, but I'm still, like, I've always had, like, a stoicism about me. I think, like, it's Weird to say that about yourself, but I'm. You know, I just. My mom could confide in me. I would give my mom some strength. And that's basically what she was asking, asking for, like, will you come with me and give me a little bit of strength? And I. I said no, because I was just so absolutely sick, I couldn't even think about doing it. And, man, I just remember lying in the bed in this random hotel room, and it was in Stanford, so I was looking out of, like, this. This beautiful field in the college campus, and just sitting there thinking, like, this is, like, how did I get here? Right? Like, this is the lowest I've ever. I've ever felt I've ever been. And then, like, you know, I'm throwing up and stuff. And. Yeah, like, that. That wasn't the last time that I ever used, but it was definitely the last. It was. It was like the end of the road, right where I just knew, like, this. This can't last forever. I'm either gonna die or my mom's gonna die, and I'll have to live with this my whole life. Or, like, I gotta figure it out. And, you know, luckily for me, it's not like I was hiding anything. Like, everybody saw how sick I was, you know, and so. And so when we got home, my dad asked. Like, I said, my family's Scottish. There's a team in Edinburgh called Hibernian. And there was a soccer game on, a football game, and my dad and my uncle asked me over to watch it at my grandma's house. And I remember just being like, you want to watch the soccer game? And they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, come on over. And I was like, okay, I'll see you soon. And I basically walked in the door, I was like, what's up, guys? And they're like, hey, Tim, I think you have a problem. And I was like, yeah, I think I do, too. And I was. I went to. I went to a treatment center. Like, yeah, the next day. The next day.

As you're talking, it's interesting how similar some parts of our story are. So on my end, my mom had a benign brain tumor, and luckily she was able to treat it through medication. But obviously, it's one of those things that scares you when you hear that. And you're talking about Stanford University as well. When I was working at Facebook, it was, like, years ago. I was staying near there, near the campus, and even drove by. And while I was there. This is so weird. Jesse Jackson happened to be staying at the same Hotel as me. And he's asking me all these questions, and I was like, holy cow, this is Jesse Jackson. I used to live in Chicago, so he was a hero of my parents, at least. But I was just so out of it. Out of it just because I was drinking still, even during. While I was doing this orientation for Facebook, that I couldn't even have a conversation with a guy. I'm like, I'm meeting a civil rights icon, and I'm trying to end the conversation as quick as possible so he can't smell the alcohol in my breath. So it's like. It's crazy how it impacts your decisions, how you can show up, how you can support people. Because even, like, flying sometimes when I was traveling, I used to try to time it so I would get to that city before the liquor store closed. And that was always the thing, like, holy cow, how am I going to survive in San Antonio without getting some kind of beer before I go to sleep? So the way that addiction can control you is amazing. But we don't have to feel that way anymore. You know what I mean? So you mentioned earlier having some kind of guilt or whatnot. And I always say the best apology is changed behavior. So you and I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore. We're done apologizing. It's just like, all right, just don't do that shit anymore, and that's it. But on your end, obviously, you have successful businesses, but you have not left the community that needs your support in regards to other individuals getting sober. So can you just talk to us about. Okay, so you go to some kind of treatment facility. You get clean there. What happens next? Like, what happens after you walk out those doors into the real world? Like, how are you supporting yourself? How do things change after that?

Yeah, man. Like, I look back at it now, and it was such a great time in my life. And I didn't realize it was then, but with a little bit of time in between, I see it with, like. I don't know if I'd say with fondness. Like, it wasn't that. It was just appreciating that period of, like, getting to figure myself out. So I went to a place called Today Incorporated. It was like a public. I think it was like a Medicare facility right outside of Philly. And, you know, I think the first moment that it really started was I went to treatment in October, and it was at the edge of a soy field, and it was like, my second to last day there. I was on Medicare. So, like, you Know, they gave me 28 days, and thank God they did, but it was the second to last day. And I remember sitting on this picture bench outside and seeing the soy field was like this beautiful brown autumn color and thinking to myself, like, man, I cannot remember the last time I appreciated the fall. And I grew up in the Northeast. Like, the fall is so beautiful up there. And that was a real moment where I was like, okay, like, maybe there's something to this. Like, maybe there are such little appreciations that I've just discarded because I thought I knew what was really important to me. So I leave there. And so my mom at the time was living in a neighborhood in Philly called Germantown. And it's a tough place. I remember walking up and down Germantown Avenue, like, two or three days into it and, you know, seeing some of my dealers and just seeing the SEPTA buses go by. And, I mean, I love Germantown. It's like a beautiful neighborhood, but just gave me that feeling where I felt like I never left, right? I was like, I just had this transformative, somewhat transformative experience. It's hard to get anywhere in 28 days. And you don't realize that until you're actually going through the process. It's like three or four years, really, until you get your head out of your ass. But it just really felt like, damn, I feel like nothing happened. And I had a cousin. Like I said, my family's all from Scotland, and so, like, they're either drunks or they got sober, too. And my cousin lived in Florida, and he had been sober, like, three years. And I called him just like, hey, cuz. Like, he's older than me. Technically, he's my dad's cousin, so I guess he'd be my second cousin. I always. I just call him Cuz. And I was like, hey, cuz. Like, I don't know what to do. And he just said, come stay on my couch. I was like, I can't do that. I'm a carpenter. I got my business. I got clients. I got my dog. And I don't even know how to explain it. I just. I believed that he wanted the best for me. It was just like a blind faith, basically. He was like, tim, I don't know how to explain this to you. Like, just. You have to just trust me. I promise everything's gonna be okay. And, like, I'm gonna take care of you. And I didn't have any reason. There was so much in my inside screaming, like, stay here. These are where all your friends are. Your Family's here. This is who you are. Like, you're a Philly kid, right? How are you gonna leave this? But there's just something inside of me that just said, like, okay, it's a leap of faith. And I got on a plane and I went to Fort Lauderdale. I stayed on his couch for two weeks, and he funded me a couple hundred bucks to get into a halfway house. And I was in a halfway house. Like I said, I was a carpenter. So I got a contracting job, and I got paid 12 bucks an hour, and I walked to work every morning. I remember it was so different because, you know, in the Northeast, we build houses with wood, and in Florida, you build houses with metal because of the hurricanes. And so, like, learning, like, I was doing this new skill all over again and just feeling. I don't even know. It wasn't necessarily lost. It just felt like in a fantasy world, you know, Like I'd never really gone anywhere. Then there's lizards running around and palm trees and, like, this beautiful blue ocean. And, man, like, this is the part I'm talking about where it was such a great time in my life, because I would. I would wake up early, and I would walk to work, and I'd get paid 12 bucks an hour, and I come home, and we had a basketball court at my halfway house, and I'd play basketball with a bunch of other kids that were trying to get their life figured out. And, you know, I'll start going to meetings for anybody that, like, understands fellowship meetings. And I would meet some people, and I would see some guys that seemed like they had their lives together and had healthy relationships, and I would really start thinking, like, damn, I can have that. You know? Like, I really think I'm worthy of. Of having just peace, basically. And that's where it all happened for me, man. South Florida. It's. It's like a shit show of a place. And, like, the Florida, man, is a real thing, for sure. But I love Florida. I got such a spot of gratitude in my heart for. For Florida and just the. The brothers and sisters that I met down there, and just the relationships I made that I. I could not have done it staying in Philly. No question. I had to get out of there, and that's. That's where I landed.

As you're talking again, there's so much overlap because I went through a program as well, and I met this guy. His name is Paulie. This guy, Paulie from Philly. Like, biggest Eagles fans ever. He was always wearing the hat and all this Stuff. Huge fan, just full of life. A young kid who had this zest and this charisma where you just wanted to know him and you wanted to see him win. And he passed away shortly after leaving that facility. He went back to drugs. And I think about you, and you're around the same age he was back then and how easy it is to go the other way. But to your point, it's like, people, places and things, right? And your cousin saying, look, get down here. You're better off fighting an alligator than you are hanging out with your old friends. Like, I think that's a lesson for a lot of our listeners. Like, hey, if you're going through something and you have to go back to the same situation, you might not want to go back to the same situation. And, Tim, that's why I didn't go back to corporate, because I just knew the way the machine worked. I worked at enough agencies and tech companies to know that, sure, they'll be understanding the first couple months or whatever, but when you need space, sometimes you just need space. And you don't have to explain why you don't want to go to happy hour for the fifth time. It's like, I don't want to do these things right? So I think entrepreneurship is a way for people who maybe have had challenges in the past, like we have, or just need space or autonomy to find that and to monetize their talents outside of this corporate system that in many ways is set up. You are set up for failure just because of all the social pressure that goes with one thing or another. So as you're talking again, that's why I want to talk to you, because I felt the vibe, and it's not disappointing.

Thanks, man. I totally agree with what you were saying. I mean, my father, he's a medic. He's been affiliate paramedic. Well, he stopped. He's off the truck. That's what they call it now. He was a medic for 20 years. And, I mean, I've had a couple times where my dad called me going to calls with my friends that died of overdoses. And, like, my dad has to be the one that called me saying, like, hey, man, I had a call at Gideon's today, and, like, Gideon died, and it's just a weird thing. Like, not only is it me losing my friend, but it's my father being the one to, like, try to save my friend. So, you know, I mean, look, I love Philadelphia with all. With, like, all my heart. My. My wife's from New England. And, you know, I remember I had that moment where her dad was trying to talk about my son turning him to, like, a Patriots fan. And my wife's got, like, four brothers, and it was like, all four of her brothers and her dad and me, and it was just really that moment where I had to look them all in the face and be like, guys, I don't know how to say this to you. Like, I love you guys, but it's just never happening that my son is rooting for any other team ever than the Eagles. And I'll fight every one of you, and I don't know what that means to you, but, like, you need to know that this means more to me than it means to you. Uh, so, yeah, like, I, I, I love my city. I love where I come from. But, yeah, it's just. It's hard. You know, it's. I, I guess the way to say it is you don't have to make it that hard. Like, there actually is an easier way to do it, and if it's just easier to go to a different place, like, you don't have to put that burden on your shoulders. You don't have to be like, oh, but like, I can do this. I can do this. Like, why? You know why? Because the, the consequences are you dying in the bathroom of, like, a breakfast diner off of Germantown Avenue with a needle stuck in your arm. And that's, like, totally happens all the time. So you don't, you don't have to make life hard on yourself. You can just choose, they say, the easier, softer way. Right. And that's, that's what I always recommend.

Yeah, it's funny now I'm thinking about my mom, because she's from New Orleans, and unfortunately, her mom passed away when she was 12 and just had, like, this horrible panic attacks. Just, like, not, you know, not be able to process it and get through it. Well. And as she got older, this, this doctor's like, you should just leave. You should just go to a different city. And she, she moved to D.C. and started working for the FBI, and that's how she met my dad, and that's how, you know, I'm here. So there's two instances of when someone left their town and things worked out pretty well. And I'm not encouraging our listeners to do that, but it's like, you might have to do something drastic to become the person that you are meant to be, and you're going to go through an identity shift, and it's going to be hard letting Go of the people, places, and things that you're used to. But it's like, if you see where the path is headed, you know what I mean? It's like, you're going to the hospital, I'm going to the hospital, we're overdosing, whatever it is. Like, something's got to change. And if you don't, then I'm not saying it's your fault, but it's like, you can't be too surprised either.

Yeah, I would say it's. Well, I would say it's your fault. Like, it's no one else's fault. And that's one of the insidious things about addiction, is you want so badly just to be left alone because you think that you're not hurting anybody, but you really, really are, because no one's on an island. And in the same way that, like, you have to take responsibility for. It's a tough line to walk, right? Because on one side, I would say if you want to get sober, you need help. You can't do this whole thing on your own. And, like, you really can't. You need help, and you need to stomp your ego, and you need to reach out to somebody and just be like, hey, I need help. But at the same time, that first step, right, that first, like, reaching out your hand, no one can do that for you. Like, you always have to be the one to pick up the phone. You always have to be the one to say, like, you know what? I don't want to feel this way anymore. Like, I just. I have to do something. So it's. It's sort of like this. This dichotomy where, like, two things can be true at the same time, right? Like, you're in full. You have full responsibility over your life, and no one else is going to do it for you, but you can't do it by yourself. And that makes a lot of sense when you go through the process and you go through the journey. But that. That first step, man, like you. You really have to be the one to just. To just take that leap, take that leap of faith like we talked about. And I feel so lucky because there's not. There's not a whole lot I did differently from all of my friends that died. It was just that one moment where I can't explain it. I remember so clear as day. It was just the septibus going down Germantown Island. I could still hear it and just being like, oh, man, I don't want to be here, and I don't Know, was that me, like, making a conscious choice to do something? Was it just like a gift that I was given? I'm not really sure. I don't try to figure it out. I just. I just try my best to help the next person in line.

Yeah, I want to hear more about that in a moment, but I want to ask a qualifying question first. And I'm going to ask you a question that I'll answer it from my perspective. But I'm wondering when you stopped feeling like a screw up. Because again, as an addict, you screw up a lot of stuff. So I'll answer on my end. And again, I was drinking heavily when I was in corporate. Ended up getting laid off. Wasn't pretty, wasn't pleasant. And I carried some guilt with that even into my independent career, just not feeling I should charge as much and just often overdoing it to make sure that I'm not underdoing it. And also not also kind of feeling like a fraud at times, right? Because everyone's like, oh, you worked at.

This company and that company, that's amazing.

And I lied about why I left. So it just wasn't very clear and very honest, to be honest for once. But the moment I stopped feeling like a screw up is when I had this contract with this college and I just tried to crush it my first semester. Just tried to do really, really well, and they invited me back. That's the moment I realized, okay, you're not a screw up anymore. Because someone could have said, hey, we're done, dude. They're like, no, they were glowing. They're saying, we want you back. And that's when I felt validated. That's when I felt alive. That's when I felt a sense of purpose. So I'm wondering, what was that moment like for you when you realized, you know what, I was screwing up before, but I got this now.

The truth is, I don't. I haven't had that. That moment really, in the same way that you have. I. So I'll answer it. I want to give you an answer, and I hope this isn't a cop out answer, but I've tried to stop looking at the world in binaries. I'm okay with waking up in the morning sometimes and feeling like, man, I just still feel like a loser. I talk about this on podcasts a bunch. I got a real hard time with my speech when I was a kid. I couldn't say the. I couldn't pronounce Rs, so, you know, for instance, it would be like Instead of mirror, it'd be Mira. And I had a ton of speech training, which really, really helped me, but those things really stick with you. And I still lay in bed at night having a perfectly great day. And then for whatever reason, that time that I was getting picked on by a bully in sixth grade and I didn't say the thing that I should have said still pops into my head. And then Adult Tim was just like, dude, that was in sixth grade. What is wrong with you? But those thoughts still come in my head all the time. And then there's the other side, where I make more money than I need by far. And I always thought of myself as a poor kid and just thought, this is who I am. I'm going to work for 14 bucks an hour my whole life, and I'm going to swing a hammer. And was kind of fine with that. I really believe that. I don't like when people make those distinctions where it's like, oh, I used to be a janitor, and now I'm a Whatever. What's wrong with being a janitor? Like, all work is noble, you know? And so I have these battles in my head a lot, thinking, like, you know, I'm still just that kind of scared kid that would get bullied, but, like, on the other side, I'm super successful. So. All right, I rambled a little bit there, talking about how I don't like to think of things in terms of binaries. However, I will say that the times that I feel most like I have something to give to the world is when I'm writing. And everything that I really have in terms of my business came from being a writer. And that's why I'm such a Seth Godin fanboy. And now I'm really kind of getting deep on it. I had left the halfway house. I was making enough money to pay rent. I had a roommate. I had a little room, and I was so happy. Like, I had my own bathroom in this apartment in Florida. I'd never had my own bathroom before. And I bought this laptop in a pawn shop, and I popped in the CD of a Seth Godin interview, and he had just written Purple Cow. And so it was in Success magazine. My sponsor, basically my AA sponsor, bought me a subscription to Success magazine. It used to have those CDs in it, which cracks me up every time I talk about that. It's only like 12 years ago, right? And so I remember I put the CD in, and I was cleaning my room. And at the end of the interview, Seth Godin Said, you know how they always say, like, what's advice that you'd give to somebody? And so we said, start a blog. Don't tell anybody about it, and write in it every day. And that's just what I did. I didn't know why I did it. There was a product back then called Blogspot. It was like a Google Blogger account. I started a Blogspot blog, and I just wrote every night about the most random things. You know, I remember writing a story about walking my dog. I remember writing about making a perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Like, I would write about getting sober. And that's really how I became an SEO, because I didn't tell anybody about it. And then people started leaving comments on it. I'm like, who the fuck is this person leaving a comment on my blog about, you know, being grateful that I'm not in withdrawals anymore? And so, like, I'm kind of telling two stories at once. That really was the beginning of my journey into SEO and digital entrepreneurship. But really more than that, anytime I'm writing, I don't know, I really feel like it's just sort of the thing that I'm supposed to share with the world. And when I'm sitting behind a keyboard or even with my notebook, I'm one of those kids that brings a notebook with me anywhere. And I can put my thoughts down in a way where on this podcast, I feel like I jump around a lot. My brain moves really fast, but if I can write things down, I feel like, oh, okay, I have something that's worthy to share with the world. And if it wasn't for that. So, I mean, yeah, probably that moment when I started writing on that Blogspot account, and I just didn't tell anybody about it, right? I would hit publish every night, and I'd be listening to deadmau5 at, like, one in the morning, just writing these terrible, ridiculous blogs and feeling like, damn, like, I think I'm. I think I can be somebody. And it. I've been doing it ever since.

I think there's a benefit in getting those reps in, but not craving or expecting the immediate impact of it. Whereas now a lot of creators are like, oh, I posted on LinkedIn yesterday. No one liked it. What's going on? I'm like, well, you're. That's part of life, you know, you have to kind of get used to that part. But let's. Let's talk about a few other things that came next because you started writing and we. Fast forward. You're now the Owner of Copyblogger and have a few other companies. Do you mind just sharing that part? And then I want to hear more about. I believe it's called Sober Living on the end of that as well.

Sure. It's called Sober Nation. And yeah, I'll give you the whole journey. A lot of times I've built like a portfolio of stuff now, and people say, like, oh, God, there's so much going on. Really, there's. There's not. There's like one team that kind of manages the whole thing. And this is how my team came into fruition. So I was blogging every day and I was writing about getting sober a lot. And it was always those articles that people would comment on because, I mean, the whole reason you're doing this podcast, you want to know that there's people out there that. That felt the same way that you feel right now. And. And I just. I turned it into a place for people to really share them stories. Like, the smartest thing that I ever did, and I didn't do it on purpose is I just opened Sober Nation up. I just. I coded a couple of things to allow people to, like, post their own personal stories. And, you know, on the Facebook page, people would submit like, little selfies of themselves and say, like, you know, six months sober today or whatever. And this was back when Facebook was like, cool and fun, but those pictures would go like, super, super viral. And it's just what it turned into. And, you know, I was blessed again by falling into this space that was very clinical and very. What do I say? Like, there was a very specific. There was a correct way of doing addiction treatment. Right? And here I am just some kid building this huge community, almost by accident, of people that other behavioral healthcare professionals, like, want to be in front of. And so all of a sudden, I'm getting phone calls and I mean, you know, I. Executives and stuff. And I'm still eating peanut butter and Jimmy, like we talked about. I'm like, what are you calling me for? And I remember I was reading Moz for the old school SEOs like me. There was this thing called the Moz Blog, and you could submit your articles to the Moz Blog. And there was this dude. What was his name? He's the CEO of a company called Nifty Marketing. And he wrote this whole article about why he decided to create a local SEO company. And he talked about an experience he had in this blog where his dad asked, like, why are you going to start a marketing company? There's like tens of Thousands of marketing companies, like, how are you any different? And it was that moment he realized, like, oh, okay, I have to be different. It's not about being better. I have to be different. And this was also the same time that Purple cow came out. And it's like, you don't want to be the best cow. You want to be the purple cow. You want to be different. And so I just had this thing. I was like, oh, damn, maybe I'm actually onto something. Maybe I can take this whole creative enterprise, this social network that I made, and turn it into an actual service. And that's how Staadze, my SEO agency, came about again, was just way more successful than I anticipated. I figured I can make some money, I can go to the movies on the weekends and like a real company. And I'm super grateful for that, right? But the whole time I was reading this website called Copy Blogger. You know, I'm. I'm doing Sober Nation. I'm writing my blog post on Sober Nation every night. Just staying up, writing them by myself. I'm. We bought this tiny little office above a Starbucks. Like, God, this was so much fun. This was like such a fun time in my life. And there was like six of us crammed into an office, like literally smaller than the office in my home right now. And be on beanbags and laptops. Like that real typical thing, building this agency. And then the whole time I'm reading this website called Copyblogger with these amazingly talented writers and this team of people that I don't know, they seem like this club, this badass writers club that knew this amazing way of building online businesses. And so all of the stuff that I was learning, I mean, I would just. What's the expression? Like great artists steal, you know, I would read the article from Copyblogger and I don't know, I'll just make up an example. Let's say it was like three ways to tell if you're meant to be a great writer, right? I would just take that and go on Server Nation and be like three ways to tell if you need detox, right? And then I would just like really rip off of it as much as I could. That's how I learned how to format headers and bullet points and where to put quote blocks and, or block quotes. Excuse me. And you know, how to SEO an article while simultaneously telling a journey. And, you know, around my 10 year anniversary of sobriety, I was put in a position where I met Darryl and I was able to meet Brian Clark and I met Gardner and it just so happened. It was almost like it was meant to be. Like, the whole thing came full circle. And like, right after my 10 year anniversary was when I really, I wrote the check and I bought the majority share of Copyblogger. It was me and Clark for a while. Since then, I bought out Clark completely too. So now I'm like the sole owner. But yeah, the whole thing was just. It really came around full circle. And that's why I'm so passionate about Copyblogger, because it's really where I learned how to do everything. And I feel like a big responsibility to, you know, carry that torch.

Just hearing your journey in general has been amazing, so, so thanks for that. I'm sure you picked up some new fans as they're listening as well. But I want to leave the last word up to you. I'll give you a few options. Do you have a personal philosophy you'd like to share that motivates you, that keeps you going? Maybe it's a quote, but what kind of parting wisdom do you want to pass along to the audience here?

Sure, it's the most boring parting wisdom ever, but it's why I love people that are in shape. Because life is about repetitions and everybody wants there to be a better way, and there's not a better way. It really is why I'm just always around other people that are into fitness, because there is no, like, it's not happening. You cannot get stronger unless you lift the weight. And it's not just lifting the weight, it's lifting it over and over and over and over and over again. The same exact motion, the same exact repetition over the course of years. And Arnold talks about this in his book Total Recall. And I really loved that book. It's probably like the best biography I've ever read. And reps and sets, man. Reps and sets. Like everyone always says, like, how did you do it? How did you do it? I was like, it's just, I didn't do anything special. I promise. I don't have any hacks. I just did the repetitions over and over again. And that's why when you said that, I really, really gravitated towards that because people that. People that are in shape get it. And I'm not trying to make this a fitness podcast. It's just, it's a mentality that you only learn by seeing the results of doing repetitions over and over again. And when I say repetitions, I mean it quite literally. The same exact thing over and over again. And what happens is you realize that the first thousand you do do not get you anywhere. And that's the whole point. You have to do a thousand reps before you get to the point where 1001 might actually show a little bit of progress. And it's not going to be that much progress. It's a lot less than you want it to be, right? But man, if there's like one thing I could just shake the whole world and let them see, it's just exactly that. Reps and sets. All of your problems, everything you ever want in life. The secret to life. Reps and sets. That's all it is.

Amazing. Thanks, Tim. I appreciate this.

Thank you for having me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my story. If anybody wants to talk whatever about anything, hit me up. It's all good.

And that's our show for today. And if you're looking for more tools and tactics to help you level up and overcome setbacks, head over to Terryrice co Reclaim, where you'll gain access to two free resources. The first is the High Performance Playbook, where I share my top performance techniques. You'll also gain access to the Forge section system, a program that gives you the framework to create a powerful vision for your life and the daily habits needed to make it happen. And if you're interested in joining the Reclaim and Advance movement, here are a few ways to get involved. First, subscribe and leave a review. This is the best way for us to spread the word to new people. Second, if you have a favorite takeaway from this episode, please take a screenshot and share your takeaway on Social Tag me at Teryrice and so I can see it and share as well. And lastly, this one's pretty simple. Just do one random act of kindness.

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But this is your chance to start a ripple effect that can have a positive impact on those around you, including yourself. And remember, success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts. I hope you'll continue on this journey with me, and I'll see you next time. Reclaim in advance is hosted by me, Terry Rice. Megan Dome is our managing director, and our editor is Dan Lardy. Thanks for listening.