At 10 years old, he stood in a cold bus station and vowed to do whatever it took to escape scarcity.

He succeeded, founding, scaling, and exiting a natural remedies company.

But Ret Taylor’s real transformation began on a frozen mountainside on Denali, when he finally admitted the truth: he was idolizing the wrong thing.

In this episode, Ret unpacks the invisible script that drives so many entrepreneurs: the belief that value only comes from struggle. He reveals why the advice to "follow your passion" can be so dangerous, sharing how he built a purpose-driven company only to find himself trapped in a "zone of competence," staring at spreadsheets instead of living his truth. This isn’t just a story about exiting a company. It’s about identity, alignment, and the quiet courage to let go of the oars and trust the current.

We unpack:

• Why following your passion can be dangerous advice—and the subtle difference between passion and true alignment.

• How to stop idolizing "the hard thing" and finally let go of the oars.

• How a single coaching question helped him let go of worry and unlock the solution to save his business.

• Why your deepest lessons are found in your biggest challenges.

• How nature and discomfort can bring you back to yourself.

• Redefining what it means to live a rich life beyond the bank account.

About Ret Taylor:

Ret Taylor is a transformational coach, retreat leader, and recovering entrepreneur. He helps high-performing founders and leaders reconnect with what truly matters by guiding them into the wild—both outside and within. Through his practice Reconnect // Rise, Ret blends nature, challenge, and deep inner work to spark what he calls a “deep remembering”—of strength, clarity, and the wild man within. His upcoming book, The Misogi Challenge, explores how discomfort can bring us back to ourselves.

This is a conversation about success. But more than that, it’s about what it costs—and when it’s time to choose alignment.

Connect with Ret:

Website: https://www.rettaylor.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rettaylor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rettaylor_/

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