029: On Being Healthy-ish + Building A Brand (And Life) With Lasting, Long-Term Value with Derek Flanzraich of Greatist

Do you ever feel like everyone else is running circles around you while you're walking through quicksand toward success?

If you're like me, you're probably nodding your head vigorously, right? I thought so. Whether it's business success, achieving that ever-elusive "healthy lifestyle," or making an impact in the world, the pressure to perform is real. A lot of times I find myself all tied up in mixed messages: one day someone's telling me to do what works for me, the next day they're telling me a $500 supplement is the answer to all my problems. One day I'm encouraged to go slow and steady, the next I'm being sold a recipe for overnight success. My life naturally ebbs and flows - sometimes I'm in periods of fast growth and rapid success, but most of the time it's about those small shifts or baby steps.

So when  websites, blogs, celebrities, influencers, etc etc etc etc tell me one thing but show me another, it can begin to feel like there's this pressure to keep up. Especially in the "health and wellness" space.

The one site I have always turned to for no-bs advice that actually works for me and respects who I am is Greatist. It's a website and media company that truly talks the walk and walks the talk of living a healthy, happy life in a realistic, authentic, true-to-you way. Have a little too much to drink this weekend? That's cool, we'll help you feel better. No time for a workout today - like, really, no time? Don't stress about it. Having trouble at work or making friends as an adult? We feel you. Greatist never judges, has always "been there too," and never pretends like we need to overhaul our life to make it what we want it to be.

I've been die-hard obsessed with Greatist since they launched in 2011 - you'll hear more about why in today's episode. I know a lot of brands say they're all about this...but Greatist is one of the only ones that actually means what they say. It's not about being the healthiest all the time, it's about being healthy-ish. And as today's WANTcast guest told me, it's not about being the greatest all the time. It's about working on greatness like an artist works on art. It's about being a great-ist.

Derek Flanzraich is an entrepreneur on a mission to give everyone a healthyish attitude. He is the CEO & Founder of Greatist, a next-generation media startup working to make healthy living cool and build the first truly trusted healthy living brand for this generation. Derek's been building brands and organizations that last since his dog-walking business at 10 years old, so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to create something with long-term value and meaning.

I love our conversation so much. In this episode, Derek and I talk about building a brand that lasts, taking hits and making compromises, and the gaping hole in the health and wellness industry that led Derek to found Greatist. We also talk about the state of masculinity, the future of gender neutrality, the three things anyone can do to live a "healthy-ish" life, and why health and wellness can't just begin and end with food or exercise. We had a blast together - he is truly a WANT Man through and through. So down to earth, so genuine, and so the embodiment of this brand he's created. I mean, anyone that can play Drake-related games with me and not think I'm a crazy person is an A+ human being in my book. Don't ask. Just take a listen.