Kevin Dahlstrom, longtime CMO, entrepreneur, rock climber, and Twitter legend, discusses owning time, living close to nature, visualization, being a girl dad, and the trade-offs of VC-backed business. They also explore the importance of authenticity on social media, defining success, buying back time, functional fitness, toxic achievement culture, parenting challenges, and expressing gratitude.
Deliberately define your ideal lifestyle and work towards it, even if progress is incremental.
Challenge societal definitions of success and focus on relationships, experiences, and personal growth.
Pursue functional fitness activities aligned with personal interests to maintain a healthy body throughout different stages of life.
Deep dives
Defining Success and the Power of Twitter
In this podcast episode, host and guest explore the question of how to define success. They discuss their own personal experiences and perspectives on success, sharing insights from their own journeys. The conversation touches on the power of Twitter and how it can be used as a personal journal and platform for personal growth. They emphasize the importance of staying true to oneself and not conforming to external expectations or chasing engagement for the sake of growing social media accounts.
The Importance of Deliberate Choices and Lifestyle Design
The podcast delves into the significance of deliberate choices and lifestyle design. They highlight the value of defining an ideal in-state life and working towards it, even if progress is incremental. The speakers discuss how seasons of life and age impact the choices and trade-offs one makes, emphasizing the importance of reflecting on one's priorities and aligning daily activities with long-term goals. They also challenge the fear that often holds people back from pursuing a better life and highlight the potential benefits of taking calculated risks.
Fitness and Health as Pillars of a Successful Life
The episode emphasizes the importance of fitness and health in building a successful life. The speakers discuss how being physically fit positively impacts various aspects of life, from relationships to daily energy levels. They advocate for considering fitness as part of a lifestyle rather than a short-term goal, highlighting the value of pursuing functional activities that align with personal interests and inspire continued dedication. They also stress the compounding nature of fitness and the significance of making choices aligned with maintaining a healthy body throughout different stages of life.
Finding Meaning in Life Beyond Financial Success
It is a common misconception that financial wealth guarantees a fulfilling life. Many billionaires and people with financial success find themselves bored and struggling to fill their days with meaning. This is because they often become one-dimensional, lacking other interests and dimensions to their lives. Even with millions in the bank, they can be miserable if they don't know how to spend their time. The key is to gradually gain more control over the work done, so that the majority of it is something that brings personal fulfillment, even if it is not financially rewarding.
Breaking Free from the Status Game
Society often defines success by material possessions and status, which can trap people in a never-ending cycle of trying to attain more. However, true fulfillment comes from building a multi-dimensional life. It is important to challenge the notion of what success looks like and focus on relationships, experiences, and personal growth. By deliberately diversifying one's identity and finding passion outside of work, people can break free from the status game and live a more fulfilling life.
[Ep. 21] Owning your time. Living close to nature. Rock climbing daily. Do you have to wait until “retirement” to enjoy these? Or can you uproot your family and move to your mountains in your 40s. We discuss the importance of where you live, opting out of status games, millionaires with no hobbies, visualizing your success, being a girl dad, pegging self-worth to net-worth, the trade-offs of VC-backed business and functional fitness well into your 50s.
Kevin is a longtime CMO, entrepreneur, rock climber and Twitter legend.
