It's 9AM

The picture at the finish line

I was looking at an old photograph yesterday.

It wasn’t a professional shot, just a blurry digital of a finish line from a race I barely remember.

I looked younger.

Leaner.

Maybe a little more certain that the world owed me

It doesn’t

I spent a lot of my twenties waiting for the perfect moment to launch.

Waiting for the stars to align,

for the bank account to swell,

for the permission slip from someone in a suit to tell me I was ready.

I thought big dreams required big ceremonies.

They don’t.

They just require you to be a special kind of idiot.

I’ve run a few hundred-mile races.

If you look at the map at mile zero, you might quit.

The distance is an insult

Your toes object

You end up with chafed places and bits and spots

But if you look at the next tree

The next aid station

That, you can do.

Business is the same way.

I’ve started companies that almost went under more times than I can count on both hands.

I’ve sat in the dark wondering if the Grand Experiment was just a slow-motion car wreck.

But the what if that keeps me up isn’t what if I fail.

It’s what if I kept going?

We are 100% of what we focus on.

If you focus on the obstacle, you become a critic.

If you focus on the movement, you become a creator.

I hear people say, I’d start that business, but I don’t know enough.

Or, I’d write that book, but who would read it?

Jack London didn’t ask for a consensus before he went to the Arctic.

He just went.

Most of our lives are shaped by catchphrases we didn’t write.

Don’t rock the boat.

Wait your turn.

I’m telling you to grab the oars.

Chances are everywhere you look

You just have to be looking

Someone asked David Goggins what he was training for

Are you getting ready for something?

He said I don’t want to get ready

I want to be ready

And I felt that

Feel that

I want to live that too

I have a list of eleven projects going right now.

It’s messy. It’s loud in my head.

Some of them will be Wins.

Some will be Losses.

Most will be Draws that I’ll have to spit-shine and try again.

But I’m not waiting for permission to tell me it’s time to grow.

The horizon doesn’t move toward you while you’re standing on the porch.

You want a big life?

Build a small habit of being brave.

Every.

Single.

Day.

GRIT CHECK
A monthly letter for people who refuse to quit.

Most motivation disappears five minutes after you close the tab.

Grit Check is different.

Once a month, you’ll get something real in your mailbox.

Not another email.
Not another notification.

A handwritten letter from me.

Inside you’ll find:

• A personal letter — stories about grit, gratitude, and the quiet victories that keep us moving when things get hard.
• Small surprises — motivational stickers, a bookmark with a grit quote, a journal prompt card, sometimes even a packet of tea to enjoy while you read.
• A moment to pause — a reminder that progress isn’t loud… it’s built day by day.

And when you join, you’ll also get an instant bonus:

📚 A free ebook box set packed with stories about resilience, gratitude, and pushing through the hard seasons of life.

Members also get:

• Early access to new projects
• Member-only Q&As
• Random surprise perks during the year

Think of it as a monthly reset for your mindset.

Something you can hold in your hands when the week gets heavy.

Join Grit Check

Monthly: $12/month (cancel anytime)
Annual: $99/year (almost 4 months free)

Spots are intentionally limited so every letter stays personal.

If you want something real showing up in your mailbox each month…

Join Grit Check today and get your first letter next month.

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Let’s build a little more grit together.

5 Books. $5. One Penny a Page.

Hey it’s Chris,

When I did the math on this deal I realized something crazy.

It’s a penny a page.

Seriously.

One single cent.

Are you kidding me?

So here’s what happened.

Someone emailed me and said:

“Thanks for the free books, but I can’t spend $20 on the massive boxset right now.”

And honestly?

I get it.

That’s a big upfront commitment.

Even if it is the best thriller deal on planet Earth
(and I don’t throw hyperbole around lightly).

Some people want a taste first.

Which reminded me of something.

Back when I worked corporate in Orlando, I asked a girl out to a tapas bar downtown.

Tapas are those tiny little Spanish dishes.

Little bites.

Little tastes.

Before the big meal.

And that night involved happy hour drinks, some incredible food, and a kiss under a Florida full moon that probably cost me a lot more than a penny a piece.

Worth it though.

Which brings us back to books.

So if the Massive Thriller Boxset feels like too much right now…

Here’s the tapas version.

MISSION BRIEFS

5 books
$5 total

That’s one penny a page of thriller action with The Shadowboxer.

Even better?

Inside the boxset there’s a link to grab another free book — PROTOCOL.

So technically you’re getting about 5½ books for five bucks.

Not bad for the price of a gas station coffee.

But this deal won’t stay up long.

So if you want the starter set before diving into the big boxset, grab it here:

MISSION BRIEFS

Five books.

Five bucks.

One penny a page.