#60: From Point A to Point B: How I Built a Life I Never Planned!

Jan 15, 2026

Discover how a physician-scientist transformed into an entrepreneur and Ironman triathlete by following unexpected paths. The host reveals five life lessons, emphasizing the importance of trusting your instincts while seeking advice. Learn how to identify your unique strengths and weaknesses and build a complementary team around you. Hear about breaking down daunting goals into achievable steps and embracing curiosity over rigid planning. Ultimately, it's about designing a fulfilling life based on what you do best.

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ADVICE

Ask For Counsel But Trust Yourself

Ask for counsel from people you respect, listen, and consider their viewpoint.
Ultimately trust your own judgment because your gut has data others don't.

INSIGHT

Know Your Superpower And Kryptonite

Identify your superpower and your kryptonite honestly to shape where you add value.
Surround yourself with complementary people who cover your weaknesses so teams perform better.

ADVICE

Cut Steps To Deliver What Matters

Cut unnecessary steps and focus on deliverables that matter to accelerate progress.
Use efficient paths from point A to point B to get more done faster.

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Madrone Springs Ranch and Bed and Breakfast Website

Summary:
I share five lessons that shaped an unexpected path—from physician-scientist to entrepreneur, Ironman triathlete, podcaster, and ranch/inn owner—and how you can use the same principles to build a life you didn’t plan but absolutely love.

What you’ll learn:

Why it’s smart to seek counsel—but essential to trust your own judgment.
How pairing medicine and business created a career at the intersection of evidence, incentives, and impact.
A simple way to identify your superpower (and your kryptonite) so you can build the right team around you.
The “big picture → incremental steps” approach that carried me from daily core work to marathons to Ironman.
How to move forward when you don’t have a master plan—just take the next best step.
The power of focusing on strengths and designing work (and life) around what you do best.
Why my podcast exists: translating rigorous evidence into accessible, agenda-free guidance.

Key moments:

Choosing medicine vs. business—and discovering it was never either/or.
Reframing a PhD: deliver peer-reviewed papers, not a door-stop dissertation.
From “don’t look old” to four full Ironmans and 15 70.3s—one step at a time.
Building Madrone Springs Ranch by following curiosity, not a 10-year plan.
Accepting getting "older": prioritize durability and finishing over speed.
The “Chief Beauty Officer” principle—surround yourself with complementary strengths.
Why I launched Live Long & Well: evidence first, no hype, no conflicts.

Takeaways:

Ask for advice, but trust yourself.
Know your superpower—and your kryptonite.
If you have a vision, work backward into small, consistent steps.
If you don’t, take the next best step and let the path reveal itself.
Build your life around what you’re genuinely good at.

Try this this week:

Write down one decision where your gut disagrees with the chorus—what is it telling you?
Make two columns: strengths and weaknesses. Identify one task to delegate or drop.
Pick one small step that moves your long-term vision—or your curiosity—forward.

If this episode helped you, share it with a friend who’s between Point A and Point B. And if you’re new here, follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next.