Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Turning Point That Built a Mission | Bill Strahan
60 Plays1 month ago
Bill Strahan is a co-founder of WayForward, serial entrepreneur, has started multiple companies, has been in the tech industry and fitness industry, and is one of the most influential people in Todd's life. We talk about shifting perspective, asking hard questions for the sake of growth, friendships, and his first WayForward trip.
Recommended
Transcript
Intro
00:00:57
Todd Pinkston
All right.
Introduction to Bill Strahan
00:00:58
Bill
We're here.
00:01:00
Todd Pinkston
Hey,
00:01:02
Bill
beck you Becky is so thrilled. Todd's doing a podcast.
00:01:06
Todd Pinkston
hey I'm here with Bill Strahan. Serial entrepreneur, dear friend, started multiple companies. He's been in the tech industry, the fitness industry, and the machining industry, and and he has had a profound impact on my life.
00:01:21
Todd Pinkston
One of the most influential people in my world that shaped me. I'm excited to get to sit down with Bill today. I'm sure this will be the first of many. Bill, welcome. Excited to to talk. So Bill, tell me when was the last time
Unusual Habits and Personal Realizations
00:01:33
Todd Pinkston
you checked your email? Bill,
00:01:35
Bill
Just a few moments ago.
00:01:37
Todd Pinkston
Before that.
00:01:38
Bill
Oh, a few days ago.
00:01:41
Todd Pinkston
Bill, what'd you eat for dinner last night?
00:01:44
Bill
steak.
00:01:45
Todd Pinkston
How much?
00:01:46
Bill
couple pounds.
00:01:49
Bill
and and i And I ate it at, I say last night. It actually wasn't last night. It was this morning. i I worked late. I was on the phone with Mitch for a long time. I got in the house about 11.50 and cooked a ribeye and had a ribeye and some cherries at like 12.10. Yeah.
00:02:08
Todd Pinkston
And by a ribeye, you mean like couple pounds.
00:02:13
Todd Pinkston
Anything this morning?
00:02:15
Bill
Oh, no.
00:02:17
Bill
Caffeine because I only slept five hours.
00:02:17
Todd Pinkston
Bill. God, dude. Hey, I love you. i am I'm so grateful for you in my life.
00:02:23
Bill
unless
00:02:25
Todd Pinkston
You are one of those guys that that to me, you shift the perspective. You help me see from a different angle. I'm excited get to give talk with you. I always love time to sit down with you, but I'm super excited for just to share that with others, that this is a gift that others get to get to hear from you. and And so this can go wherever you want it.
00:02:43
Todd Pinkston
Excited to to see where the Lord takes it.
Backpacking Epiphany: Letting Go of Control
00:02:46
Todd Pinkston
and But where I would love to start is on a cold, snowy day, roughly early August in 2013. You're on a backpacking trip with a group of guys you've been working out with. You were super reluctant to go.
00:02:59
Todd Pinkston
and And we're on day four and all of a sudden a snowstorm comes in. And there's a moment where you're under a tarp, you're in shorts. One of the guys might have asked about hypothermia.
00:03:11
Todd Pinkston
And in that moment, something changed in you. Tell me about it. What happened during that time?
00:03:19
Bill
Well, let let me back up a little bit. I love you too, and it's great to be here, and I'm thrilled you're doing a podcast. So we were exactly where you described.
00:03:28
Bill
I don't remember when the question of hypothermia occurred, that that didn't that didn't affect me too much. But when we're about 45 minutes into this experience, which I'm not that cold at that point, and somebody asks about frostbite, was like, guys, there wouldn't be that that many humans here if we were so fragile.
00:03:45
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:03:54
Bill
However, We were on the side of a mountain in a pretty good driving storm with a tarp over us and ice building up and and I could feel the part of me that is just kind of a part that's always been there, the part that just starts churning, the part that starts making plans and figuring things out and okay, well if this continues and it builds up this much, at what point you know do I need to like start to start to exert control over the situation. And I've said for years, you know I don't have control issues.
00:04:32
Bill
I have issues when I'm not in control. Being in control is great. I have no issue being in control. I have out of control issues. But my whole life, i i I had done that. And sometimes to my detriment, sometimes to my benefit,
00:04:49
Bill
But regardless, it it wasn't in an area of choice. It wasn't like I was choosing to do it. And in that moment, i could I could just feel the little bit of of stress and energy and start to grow, and I'm starting to to think about, it well, how do I handle this, and how does this occur? And all of a sudden, it it was just, you know, it wasn't words, but it was just like God reached down and just touched me and just said,
00:05:18
Bill
Bill, you don't have to control things. there's someone There's someone more powerful than you who does that. And your only job right now is to just sit there and be cold.
00:05:30
Bill
And it was the most profound moment probably of my life because instantly I'm looking at the areas of my life where I wasn't just...
00:05:33
Todd Pinkston
Mm-hmm.
00:05:43
Bill
sitting there. I wasn't just being where I was. I wasn't saying, well, my job right now is to love being with my wife. It's not to control this thing and take care of this. Or my job right now is to enjoy this time with my kids.
00:05:58
Bill
Or sometimes my job right now is to just experience the pain of things that can occur in relationships and not try and fix them. And it was literally almost embarrassing. You know here it is. I've been my forties.
00:06:11
Bill
It was literally the first time in my life that I've ever just taken a step back and realized I don't have to control and manage everything or try to control and manage everything.
00:06:23
Bill
And I just took a deep breath and felt the tears come up. And just, it was like God said, I've got it.
00:06:35
Bill
Just work hard on the things you need to. And right now, there's nothing you need to do. Just just be cold. And so I sat there and I was moderately cold.
00:06:46
Bill
Life's never been the same. Good times.
00:06:49
Todd Pinkston
Why has life never been the same? I mean, such a it it's such a simple realization that changes things.
00:06:52
Bill
so
00:06:58
Bill
it
00:07:00
Todd Pinkston
How how has it changed?
00:07:03
Bill
it It is a simple realization, but some of the most powerful things are simple, not necessarily easy, but some of the most powerful things are simple. and Spend less than you make, invest it, simple.
00:07:18
Bill
I mean, anyone should be able to do it, and that's powerful. I think what was so changing about it was
00:07:27
Bill
once you have awareness, you can't unaware yourself. you you Once you realize that something is so, something is true, once you realize that, you can't unrealize it.
00:07:41
Bill
And sometimes that can be confronting. i think there are people who turn to drugs and other distractions to try and pull themselves away from the awareness that they actually have.
00:07:51
Bill
But once I had the awareness that this This isn't something I've been choosing to do. This is just what I thought life was. I thought life was trying to control my environment and bend it to my will constantly.
00:08:04
Todd Pinkston
Thank
00:08:04
Bill
And once I was aware that that was what I did, then inside that awareness, all of a sudden now I have this choice. was like, okay, well, I need to finish this product and get it on my website. I'm going to try and control that.
00:08:16
Bill
This person over here is doing this, and I'm not going to try and control that. All of a sudden, a whole new a whole new life unfolded because the number of times that I could just say, you know what?
00:08:33
Bill
I'm just okay with that. Or I'm not okay at the moment, but I'm going to work towards okay. I don't have to control it. And you you can't unaware of yourself.
00:08:43
Bill
My life since then, I've at least had the awareness that I have choice in this matter. I can either control the things I want to control or I can decide I have no control over there and I'll just let it go.
00:08:59
Bill
And before that moment, I only had one path because there wasn't the choice to, you know, you can't take the fork in the road if there's no fork. And so that was kind of where I was before.
00:09:14
Todd Pinkston
Bill, one of the things I admire about you the most is the way in just a simple statement or phrase, you can you can totally shift my perspective. like
Influence of Family and Early Lessons
00:09:23
Todd Pinkston
I remember walking into the gym one day.
00:09:25
Todd Pinkston
It was like year three of Way Forward, and we were going to have to spend like 25 grand on lodging to rent a place for the summer. And I walked in, and our budget was probably $150 or something crazy. And walk in, I'm like, Bill, you're like, how you doing?
00:09:41
Todd Pinkston
Like, terrible. We're going to have to – it's going to cost us $25,000 for lodging this summer. And you just look back at me without even breaking stride. And you're like, man, isn't that great when it will be $100,000? was like, what?
00:10:01
Bill
When you get spend 100 grand, not have to, you get to.
00:10:01
Todd Pinkston
What?
00:10:04
Todd Pinkston
and And in just that moment, you you shifted my perspective of like, yeah, because that will mean more people are on trail, more people are impacted. Won't that be awesome? And so like you're you're my go to call when it comes to like, I need to see this from a different angle.
00:10:20
Todd Pinkston
How did you learn to think like that? Like who who impacted your thinking in life to where you don't just take the first glance at something, but you you think hard about how to look at it from a different angle.
00:10:35
Todd Pinkston
you You have, you know, conditioned yourself in that way. How'd you get there?
00:10:41
Bill
but that's That's a really great question.
00:10:45
Bill
I'm gonna be a little all over the map with this, which is you know just me being consistent with who I am. I think first of all, I really had the privilege of growing up with three very influential men, my dad and both of my grandfathers.
00:11:00
Bill
And sorry.
00:11:11
Bill
I just realized today today is my dad's birthday. yes Just give me a moment.
00:11:20
Bill
Oh, wow. Okay.
00:11:25
Bill
Yeah, be back to once you're aware of something, you can't unaware yourself. so was That was an interesting moment to suddenly be aware of what today's date was. Okay.
00:11:34
Todd Pinkston
Mm-hmm.
00:11:35
Bill
I have no idea why that occurred. In any case, I was very fortunate to have those three men because they they poured into me in in their areas of expertise and the and and in their areas of passion and it was clear you where the overlaps were.
00:11:54
Bill
And all of that involved a degree of problem solving. My dad was a businessman and an entrepreneur and and I got exposed to that. I also got to be a part of it. His father was a dentist but his passion was his ranch and he had thousands of acres down near Hamilton and so I got to experience being on the ranch with him especially in the summers and repairing things and fixing things. and oh you You want to ride the mini bike, but the mini bike is broken. So I'm going to show you how to fix it.
00:12:20
Bill
And all of those things were treated. I should also mention my mom's father teaching me electronics and and basic engineering and all sorts of things. just They influenced me so heavily.
00:12:36
Bill
my My dad was very big into kind of the the self-help, self-improvement, that type of thing. There was a period of time when he was in Amway, and and so you get the multi-level marketing, influencing people, and and kind of a positive thinking approach.
00:12:52
Bill
I still remember... I still remember just how much he had been influencing me when I was in school. This was probably maybe 10th, 11th grade.
00:13:03
Bill
And I told my math teacher, I said, you know, it really is a negative way to phrase this. You should call these math challenges, not math problems. And teacher just looked at me like I was crazy, but that's okay.
00:13:16
Bill
But there was another moment that that immediately came up when you asked the question. And it was, my dad had asked me one day, i was i was maybe 12 or 13, my dad had asked me, what great thing would you attempt if you knew you couldn't fail?
00:13:36
Bill
And and he was he was talking about this idea
00:13:40
Todd Pinkston
you
00:13:41
Bill
And my my first thought was was, oh my gosh, I totally see what you're saying. you know If you knew you couldn't fail, you wouldn't try anything, because where's the fun in that? It's the not knowing, you know it's the adventure of do I succeed or not?
00:13:57
Bill
And then he describes his thoughts on it, and it's clear that what he meant was, if you knew you couldn't fail, then you're certain to achieve this great outcome what would What would you go do?
00:14:09
Bill
And when I had this almost almost like mental vertigo situation of, oh, wow, I totally interpreted that in a radically different way. And I told him mine and he's like, huh.
00:14:24
Bill
I think a lot of problem solving was heavily influenced by my by those men. But then early on, I started to realize there's so many different ways to approach something and and more often than not you just have to look at things from from a perspective until you get until you get the perspective that you want. it's If you were trying to attach two things and there was a bolt hole on one side of it but you're only looking at this side, okay well you don't even know there's a solution.
00:14:59
Bill
It's only when you take something and you start to look at different ways and you say, oh And so, like in the example that you gave, one of the things i often ask is, is there a positive framing to this same thing? Is there, is this, because the negative ones tend to come up automatically.
00:15:17
Bill
They protect us. You know, if you're standing close to the edge of a cliff, your brain immediately tells you the negative, careful, you might fall off. And so the negatives come up automatically. I think you have to train and practice the, is there is there another one that is better in some way, whatever that might be, whether it's it's a happier thing or a more empowering thing, or it makes you realize things are possible that you didn't see.
00:15:41
Bill
So I practice it for sure.
00:15:41
Todd Pinkston
yeah
00:15:43
Todd Pinkston
I remember one time on trail, you told me, you know, breakdowns often precede breakthroughs, but the problem is we avoid breakdowns so often. What, what does it look like in your life to pursue breakdowns? Not for the sake of a breakdown, but because you know, that's the the situation in which breakthroughs often occur more readily.
00:16:13
Bill
Two different things come up when you ask that. One is in the area of relationships.
Embracing Challenges and Seeking Feedback
00:16:19
Bill
It's very easy to to become avoidant when things become painful.
00:16:27
Bill
And continuing to risk a difficult conversation, continuing to risk pressing into something, not in a controlling way, but just continuing to assert, like, this is a boundary or this is a need and continuing to lean into that, even though maybe it hasn't worked before. Maybe it's something you've leaned into for 10, 20 years.
00:16:51
Bill
Continuing to do it, you have to accept. I have to accept. This may be a complete breakdown. this This may be, I'd like to talk about this, and then later it's a fight or...
00:17:05
Bill
you know or or some emotional distancing that you don't want in a relationship. And it can be pretty nasty.
00:17:12
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:17:13
Bill
At at least least it can for me. I'm volatile by nature, and I continue to work on it pray for softness. But if you're not willing to risk that type of breakdown, I'd rather have a bunch of fights with my wife and have a passionate, romantic, connected relationship than to never fight at all.
00:17:37
Bill
There's some woman I've never met that I've never had a fight with. And I also have no joy in that whatsoever. I don't know her name. I don't know who she is, but it's true we've never had a fight. and That's not the goal of my wife. i'd rather I'd rather have a tremendous breakdown and continue to pursue.
00:17:54
Bill
Don't always do it, but but I know the value in it. from a From a business, you know, relationships, it's probably pursuing difficult conversations and accepting that this may end in tears or fighting.
00:17:59
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:18:05
Bill
In business, it's just constantly risking the the failure.
00:18:11
Bill
You know, I get that little, even in little things, and the things I do these days are not that important, But I still get that little knot in my stomach of, you know, what if nobody likes this? Or what if people think this is stupid? Or what if they say I've done it all wrong?
00:18:29
Bill
But if you're going to do anything, you got to be if you're not failing somehow, you're not doing anything.
00:18:37
Bill
Or you're not doing anything important.
00:18:41
Todd Pinkston
oh Bill, so yeah from the world standards, you've been incredibly successful. mean, you and Becky have started multiple companies. You know, you've had an exit.
00:18:55
Todd Pinkston
You've accomplished a lot. you're an influential person, but you still struggle with some of those, what if this doesn't work out?
00:19:03
Todd Pinkston
Like some of that some of that negative talk. and you know for For me, you have been somebody that the Lord has used in my life to...
00:19:14
Todd Pinkston
to counteract that that looming question I've had you know of, do I have what it takes? and that that was That was a question I spent so much in my 20s trying to prove to the world, I have what it takes.
00:19:27
Todd Pinkston
And you have you've been a voice in that in that space in my life. For you, what is what does it look like to continue to go below the line, figure out what the the negatives are that are that are driving you and what does it look like to explore those, expose them and and find healing in it?
00:19:55
Bill
thinking.
00:20:04
Bill
i'll so I'll start myself talking by saying you've played a similar role for me in your willingness to jump into the mess of life and the willingness to call me out, to challenge me, etc.
00:20:17
Bill
i think the general idea is I have to have people that
00:20:26
Bill
I don't know if call me out is the right idea. I have to have people with whom I know that I'm being transparent enough that they, they know the questions to ask and I trust them enough to answer those questions and then see where the conversation goes.
00:20:46
Bill
That's what it comes down to. yeah I remember once reading that you know people who are on deserted islands, those types of things, they tend to go crazy because there isn't any feedback.
00:20:58
Bill
you know part Part of how we decide, like, what what do humans interact like? How does this all work? Is the feedback that we get as kids. You get these feedback loops where you know you're get negative feedback from bad interactions and you get positive feedback from good interactions and it starts to mold your behavior differently.
00:21:16
Bill
But that's not just a childhood thing if you're trying to be up to anything other than just reaching adulthood. It continues to be a thing of feedback, but you have to seek it out. you As a child, you can't escape it. You are under other people's authority, so it's inescapable. you you will get that feedback.
00:21:36
Bill
But to choose it and subject yourself to it, I gave i was talking with my son Mitch recently about the conversation that I had with you. about one time when my wife and I had planned a trip to Africa and I was all kinds of upset and, and I had all my reasons and boy, they were great.
00:21:55
Bill
And I, I was talking to you because talking to you about it was one of my ways of saying, here's some, here's, here's some of my life and I trust you enough to share it and to know that you'll have the right questions to ask.
00:22:09
Bill
And you asked me, are you loving your wife? Like Christ loved the church. You didn't do it in a mean way.
00:22:17
Bill
And i I won't repeat my response to that, you know, just out of a sense of decorum.
00:22:25
Bill
But even in the response, you know, I was laughing because because i had been so perfectly called out. So back to that deserted island thing, all of us are capable of putting ourselves on islands.
00:22:40
Bill
all All of us are capable of emulating that deserted island just by not sharing anything. And so if I don't let you see what my life really is on some level, I've isolated myself.
00:22:52
Bill
And if you're a good justifier, you can convince yourself of anything. So oh certainly prayer, asking for a conviction, but mainly surrounding myself with godly men who aren't.
00:23:11
Bill
There's so many terms that come to mind. who aren't chicken poops, and who are willing to say, hey, Bill, like you did on that call. And that call, that was that was a pivotal moment for me.
00:23:24
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:23:24
Bill
that was That was life-changing.
00:23:26
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:23:27
Bill
So I think inviting that kind of scrutiny, and it's an easy thing to miss because somewhere in the transition from childhood to adulthood, you don't realize you've given up the feedback that you got from somebody's scrutiny that you couldn't control, and you're not coached to go seek that scrutiny in other people.
00:23:47
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:23:53
Bill
I think part of part of handing your kids off to adulthood is not just recognizing it, like making sure they know, like, I know you're an adult. I don't have any authority over you anymore.
00:24:05
Bill
But I think part of that handoff is also to to encourage them to seek out that scrutiny that they used to get when I was in control.
00:24:18
Todd Pinkston
what a What are some of the things that you've struggled with just in terms of like the the the lies that have kind of that that have driven you for a while?
Struggles and Accountability
00:24:28
Bill
Oh man. Probably the biggest struggle for me, totally unfiltered, is just pornography.
00:24:34
Todd Pinkston
Mm-hmm.
00:24:34
Bill
the
00:24:37
Bill
you know It's funny, I can't can't use the term struggle without hearing Matt Chandler on stage giving his opinions on struggle. Anyway, at I'll stop there. that's been That's been probably the single biggest struggle.
00:25:00
Bill
There are other areas that I feel like I've really sought change in, in particular in the last 10 years. I don't know that I would call those struggles, though. I think if I had to pick something that I that i truly struggled with, it was just pornography.
00:25:17
Bill
And that's still a struggle. I've talked with my...
00:25:26
Bill
yeah i have I have some people that I talk to about that on a regular basis. And i think in the area of a struggle, if you're if you're not discussing it and you don't have some kind of plan and you're not treating it as important, then I do agree that's that's not a struggle.
00:25:49
Bill
so And it can be a struggle even when you're winning.
00:25:53
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:25:53
Bill
you you You can go months. Are you still struggling after months? Yes. not Not because I'm struggling and I gave in, but because I'm struggling in all the times I wanted to.
00:26:06
Bill
So as far as the lies, I would say that.
00:26:09
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:26:09
Bill
if If that ever quits being a struggle, I might be able to point to something else that bubbles up. Yeah.
00:26:18
Todd Pinkston
oh Bill, thanks for sharing. I, uh, I always know I'm going to get the real you. and And so much of, so much of way forward has been shaped by its founders. You being one of them and the authenticity of just being willing to go there.
00:26:34
Todd Pinkston
The, the, the one I thought you were going to say is friendship, you know, that on that first trip, you know, you shared, I mean, here, here you were, i mean, you were, you were like a man amongst boys on, on trip zero, you know,
00:26:47
Bill
Okay.
00:26:51
Todd Pinkston
We didn't know if you were actually going to show up. You flew the plane thinking you might you know ditch last minute. But you were. I mean, we it was kind of that like, man, everybody wanted to be around you. Everybody looked up to you.
00:27:02
Todd Pinkston
You were the guy at the gym that, you know, you were older than us, but you whipped our tails in every workout. And and it was just fun. It was fun to be around you. And then to hear you share on trail that you struggled to believe that people actually were your friends.
00:27:17
Todd Pinkston
Yeah. I just remember sitting around the circle. I remember where we were and thinking, holy cow, like I love being around this guy. And to, to think that that talk is inside of you just blew me away.
00:27:32
Todd Pinkston
and And it also opened the door for me to be honest with what was going on going on inside of me. Like I might not have that same lie, but I have other ones that are that are that are dominating my thoughts.
00:27:45
Todd Pinkston
And so I just you know just need to know 12 years in, Bill, are we friends?
00:27:51
Bill
Now that you've had me on your podcast, i think I think it would be rude not conclude that we have we have a deep and profound friendship, Todd.
00:28:04
Bill
And it means the world to me.
00:28:06
Todd Pinkston
Cheers.
00:28:06
Bill
I cannot imagine. I'm about to be 58. I cannot imagine this journey, this life without having thought in it.
00:28:19
Bill
What, what would that path look like? i don't know, but I have no interest in it. and, and since I, since I went straight to board the pornography and didn't talk about the other one,
00:28:34
Bill
That's changed a lot for me. And I i don't...
00:28:37
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:28:41
Bill
that is That is moving out of struggle a bit. It feels...
00:28:48
Bill
I'm dipping my toe in the water of comfort. i've got I'm up to my big toe. And the comfort, you know, the number of times that you've said...
00:29:01
Bill
Things you know like I can bring a different perspective on things.
00:29:05
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:29:06
Bill
And I remember talking to you about it. And man, it's it's it's so easy to deflect. At my core, the idea of doing anything that improves someone else's life.
00:29:21
Bill
Come on. i will go I will go through pain and sacrifice, sometimes for a stranger, because that's just how I'm built.
00:29:32
Bill
But if you tell me I'm actually succeeding at it, i get this part inside that's like, eek, nope, you don't get back away. And I used to deflect those things with humor and have that have that time on trail. Jordan Maxwell, he gave me a model and I've worked it ever since. and And that's changed a lot.
00:29:53
Bill
Recently, hearing my son, he was having some hard times and he and I were talking about it. And it's happened a few times over a couple months. One day he called me and he just said, Dad, he said, no one changes my perspective like you do.
00:30:13
Bill
And he said, you i can count on you to see a side of it that I don't.
00:30:20
Bill
And hearing it come from him,
00:30:24
Bill
Boy, there's nothing I want more to be true. So i'm I'm dipping my toe in that, in just being okay with it. And and i I will trust that if i ever if I ever swing the pendulum too far and I become some pompous guru, but people like you will say, down Bill.
00:30:46
Bill
oh I love people. And
00:30:54
Bill
Just the idea of making a difference, there's there's nothing that excites me more. So now I embrace it. I embrace that I actually can do it, not because there's something great about me, because but just because I'm willing to have the conversations.
00:31:10
Todd Pinkston
It's
00:31:11
Bill
I embrace it more than I ever have.
00:31:14
Todd Pinkston
awesome. Bill, you're the best version of you that I've ever been around right now. love hearing you talk about Mitch. I feel like there's been lot more stories about your son as of late. You're working together some, but think you're just in a really sweet season where you're getting to some the fruit.
00:31:34
Todd Pinkston
some of the the fruit of, of investing there. And, you know, you're, you're a little further down the road than I am. My kids are younger, but man, I just look forward to those days, like the interactions you're getting to have with him, the ways things have come full circle and, and, you know, him thanking you, him affirming you in the, in the ways that you've invested in, or just the space you've created. And, and I just look forward to it.
00:31:56
Todd Pinkston
So I love, I love hearing that. And it, it makes me, uh, It gives me that extra motivation now when the house is busy to
00:32:10
Todd Pinkston
to invest in those ways it'll pay off later. So thanks for that.
00:32:15
Bill
hundred per cent
00:32:15
Todd Pinkston
All right, switching switching gears a little bit. So you and your wife, Becky, incredible duo. I mean, she'll be on here at some point. This is her idea.
00:32:26
Todd Pinkston
you know She pushes long enough. She gets she gets the job done. Now, you guys are awesome. I mean, you've started companies together. You guys work well together. You spend a ton of time. You travel together. like You guys have have an amazing relationship.
00:32:39
Todd Pinkston
And it you know in 2013, you guys had an exit in the company you started.
Creating Lasting Impact
00:32:47
Todd Pinkston
And you knew you wanted to do something with a portion of that money.
00:32:54
Todd Pinkston
Tell me, how did it how did it get to the place where you're asking questions to hundreds of people and then eventually find some Yahoo who says this?
00:33:05
Todd Pinkston
Tell me the story.
00:33:07
Bill
it It was really amazing timing. So we had sold the company and I just remember having the feeling that while I think it's important to give a portion of what you make, all of a sudden having a lump sum is different than just a monthly, you know, okay, well, I got a monthly amount that I'm that sending to charities or church or or whatever.
00:33:34
Bill
And I remember thinking, This has the potential to to do something disruptive, which is, I like that to begin with. I like disrupting things. I've disrupted a few things in a good way.
00:33:46
Bill
Bad way too, but I try to focus on the good way.
00:33:49
Todd Pinkston
Thank you.
00:33:52
Bill
And I remember the the first conversation with Becky where I just said, there's an appeal in creating something that outlasts me I think it's part of the appeal in children. Part of the appeal in creating anything is the idea that, okay, well, you know, people talk about leaving a legacy, that kind of thing.
00:34:09
Bill
i don't mean a legacy in the sense that, you know, well, centuries from now, they will remember my name. I don't care if they remember my name next week. If you make the world a better place, somebody's living in a better place. Somebody's living with a better outcome.
00:34:25
Bill
They don't need to remember your name, make the difference and and move on. And, And I remember that appealed to me. And so I talked to Becky about it. And so we started asking the question of ourselves initially, well, okay, if you could spend some amount of money, if you could mark an amount of money that's substantial enough to make a difference, what would you do?
00:34:46
Bill
what What would be the thing that would change the world? And wow So we didn't have an immediate answer. We we knew the concept. We knew high-level view, but we had no idea what that was.
00:35:00
Bill
It wasn't just a go find a charity and and dump it there.
00:35:01
Todd Pinkston
Thank you.
00:35:03
Bill
It was go find something that will be changed by this or doesn't exist. And we started to move towards the doesn't exist. We started asking people around us. a lot.
00:35:14
Bill
We started, at one point Becky posted on Facebook and we got a ton of, I would do this, I would do this, I would do this. There was a ton of conversation around it.
00:35:26
Bill
And when we went on the trip, I asked that question, i think it was at breakfast that I asked the question. And i said, if money weren't the limiter, if money wasn't the limitation, what what would you do?
00:35:35
Todd Pinkston
What question?
00:35:41
Bill
What would you Oh, wow, it's never occurred to me until just now, my example of my dad.
00:35:47
Todd Pinkston
Yes! I was going to bring it up.
00:35:48
Bill
Son of a gun! Yeah.
00:35:53
Todd Pinkston
To which, Bill, I fell for the trap. I mean, I should have said, well, that's no fun. I mean, if money wasn't an issue, then what are you going stay up all night worrying about?
00:35:57
Bill
There's no
00:36:01
Todd Pinkston
mean,
00:36:04
Bill
Golly, you're right.
00:36:04
Todd Pinkston
And if money's not an issue, why start a nonprofit? I mean like
00:36:08
Bill
Well, now, if money's not an issue and if failure wasn't possible, those are different things. but But it is interesting the the
00:36:16
Todd Pinkston
thought about that when you said it.
00:36:16
Bill
it isn't
00:36:18
Todd Pinkston
I didn't know if you had ever made the connection.
00:36:20
Bill
yeah no it it is interesting the similarity. and i And I think, yeah, I think all those thought exercises are valuable. But the question was, if money weren't the limitation, what would What would you do what would you do to to To make the world a better place.
00:36:37
Bill
To impact people. you know By a better place, I don't mean like you know cleaner environment.
00:36:41
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:36:41
Bill
i mean By the world, I mean people. what What do you do to change the world as far as people?
00:36:44
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:36:51
Bill
That morning, I remember a couple of answers. I remember do remember one of the men talking about like stopping sex trade. And it really spoke to him.
00:37:02
Bill
I could tell. And I was, I was moved by that. I think he answered before you. So when you said, would do this, was, I was looking at you like, okay, we're going backpacking.
00:37:19
Bill
Backpacking does not change the world.
00:37:23
Todd Pinkston
Oh.
00:37:23
Bill
It should be clear the degree to which I had no idea what we were doing. Keep in mind, I was on the trip because for whatever reason, I blame God, for whatever reason, that day in the gym, was like, hey, do do you still want me to go? And you're like, yes. Will it be life-changing? Yes.
00:37:39
Bill
And I gave you a hard time. I still don't i and even know. and was just like, all right, I'll go. What did I just say? That's the only reason I was there. I still didn't know at breakfast if I was actually going on the trail.
00:37:52
Bill
i just I just kept taking each step, and I'm texting Becky. It's like, hey, we're at breakfast. I don't know. I might be home in a couple of hours, or I'll talk to you in a few days because I still didn't know.
00:38:05
Todd Pinkston
yeah
00:38:06
Bill
In any case, you said this, and I'm looking at you like, What? But then, to go back to the beginning of the conversation, that side of the mountain, it's like, you know, not everyone goes through life trying to control their environment the way that I did.
00:38:27
Bill
So that's not what's available to them. But what's available is is awareness. And and in in my belief, it's an awareness that comes from seeking knowledge god's heart seeking seeking what God has for you and and maybe even seeking who God sees you as versus who you see you as.
00:38:53
Bill
And the awareness of, like, you don't have to try to control everything. It's simple. It shouldn't take 40-something years and five days on trail to come to this, hey, and let me shortcut you.
00:39:06
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:39:09
Bill
You don't have to control everything.
00:39:10
Todd Pinkston
yeah
00:39:11
Bill
It's that simple, but it's not that simple because that wouldn't have gotten through. and and so when you said it at breakfast, it was like,
00:39:23
Bill
what are you talking about? And then on the side of the mountain, I was like, oh, i get it He doesn't want people to go on backpacking trips. That's, if you went on a backpacking trip and had a good backpacking trip, that would be the booby prize.
00:39:39
Bill
that's not That's not what way forward trips are about. He wants people to get this, not a snowstorm under a tarp. Conceptually, like a breakthrough and awareness that leaves you free to choose in areas that you didn't even know you had a choice?
00:39:57
Bill
Yeah, I'll take that. and And what more to want for other people? so So many people are are imprisoned not always by their choices, but they're imprisoned by the things they do automatically because they don't realize they have a choice.
00:40:15
Bill
You can be imprisoned by that. I was imprisoned by have to control everything. I'm not God.
00:40:20
Todd Pinkston
Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:22
Bill
He can control everything. i can work really hard on the things I want to have occur.
00:40:27
Todd Pinkston
yeah
00:40:27
Bill
And so when when I got off the trail and I got home, I told Becky, was like, I know what I want to do. And I told her all about it. And she's like, let's do it.
00:40:39
Bill
Let's have the Pinkstons over for dinner. All right. And blindside them because there's fun in that too. What are we having dinner for?
00:40:50
Todd Pinkston
Just to hang out. yeah
00:40:54
Bill
Surprise!
00:40:57
Todd Pinkston
Bill, you said – we'll get to dinner, but you said something that I want to just highlight. Like the – living in the bondage or living imprisoned, i think we so dramatically underestimate how much that robs us.
00:41:14
Todd Pinkston
When we we don't we know that we don't have life the way that Scripture talks about, but we don't know why. and that And it's that we're in bondage to our own thoughts. It's that we we can't break out of this thing. We're stuck in a rut.
00:41:33
Todd Pinkston
And so didn't even tell you last time we talked, you know the podcast was going to have one name. I told you if it got to a million subscribers that it'd become the Toddcast. I'll still hold true to that, but it's no longer called what it was.
00:41:42
Bill
Right. Love it. Yes.
00:41:44
Todd Pinkston
Now it's called Unstuck and Alive.
00:41:46
Bill
log
00:41:46
Todd Pinkston
it's that It's that idea that we need things that that act as catalysts in our life to get us unstuck.
00:41:57
Todd Pinkston
And it was, i mean, Brewster said it, I think you were at the retreat down at his ranch where he, you know, he said it, that that's what way forward does. it It helps people get unstuck and find life.
00:42:06
Bill
yes
00:42:10
Todd Pinkston
and so you, you mentioned that kind of in just in the, in the process of talking about, what happened in you. And then we also saw that happen in the guys like, man, that trip was remarkable. i mean,
00:42:22
Todd Pinkston
marriages are together now that that probably would not have been. i remember John at the end of the trip saying, you you know i've you know we've we've been doing a Bible study together for five years, but I feel like now I really know you guys.
00:42:34
Todd Pinkston
And it's just true. You can work out alongside of each other. You can even open up the Bible and you know and talk about scripture together. But until you get to a place where, you know, you're real and raw and vulnerable with each other.
00:42:46
Todd Pinkston
There's just a, there's a layer, whether it's an intentional mask or just a layer that keeps you from really knowing somebody.
00:42:55
Bill
Totally. And it it takes time to break that down.
00:42:56
Todd Pinkston
and so for sure. And I think it takes, it takes other people. There is this, uh, momentum effect where when one person shares something, another person feels like, man, I can go there too.
00:43:12
Bill
Well, and and I'm sorry, when I say time, I mean, it takes it takes a concentrated and consistent time with people.
00:43:12
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:43:19
Bill
So if we're if you're on trial for five days, you didn't sleep at all, that's 120
00:43:25
Bill
I could spend one hour a day with that same group for 120 days. None of that would have occurred. it's It's the concentrated time because you don't have the time in between to reset and rebuild the facade.
Building Trust and Genuine Connections
00:43:40
Bill
At some point, like you start stripping the facade away and there's no time to be like, wait, no, I have my life all together.
00:43:40
Todd Pinkston
yeah
00:43:46
Bill
Let me put my facade back up. And instead you're like, oh, wow. Well, that all got stripped away and people still love me and people still want to pour into me. oh well, this is a place I've never been.
00:43:59
Bill
And you never get to an hour at a time.
00:44:01
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:44:05
Todd Pinkston
So I interrupted you. Pick him back up at the store. You invited Aaron and I over for dinner. A few glasses into La Pinta.
00:44:17
Bill
That's kind of funny. Maybe for y'all, did i even have?
00:44:21
Todd Pinkston
I don't know.
00:44:22
Bill
Maybe. I tend to not drink at all.
00:44:24
Todd Pinkston
mean, it was it it was it was a celebratory night.
00:44:24
Bill
oh
00:44:26
Todd Pinkston
So you might have had a sip.
00:44:29
Bill
I might have had a sip.
00:44:29
Todd Pinkston
so You certainly didn't have any hard ketones.
00:44:32
Bill
No, I didn't.
00:44:37
Bill
So Becky and I invited y'all over to just say, okay, well, we've asked a lot of people what they would do. I apologize, even though you didn't know it, for thinking, what moron. When you said this, I would do this.
00:44:54
Bill
And instead, we're going to say it with you, and now now it's a good idea.
00:45:01
Bill
and so oh And so we told you, like, hey, like let's do it. let's will we'll We'll throw a safety net underneath this that gives it time to get on its feet.
00:45:17
Bill
And let's do it.
00:45:23
Todd Pinkston
Bill, I think one of this i mean one of the things that's fascinating about the story, like we did not know each other that well. We had we had worked out and...
00:45:36
Todd Pinkston
I mean, had a very casual friendship at the gym. You'd come to the Bible study some, but it wasn't like we, you know, we didn't know we didn't know each other's families. We had not spent a lot of life together.
00:45:48
Todd Pinkston
So you really are are stepping into the big unknown. You know, you don't know me that well. You certainly don't. i mean, outside of six days on trail, you don't know what this is.
00:46:02
Todd Pinkston
You had seen a little bit of the product and and And you and Becky wanted to to jump in. Like what what had what what had prompted you guys?
00:46:09
Bill
Well, I'll,
00:46:13
Todd Pinkston
Like what made y'all feel comfortable doing that? You're certainly a risk taker. You're an entrepreneur. I mean, you you operate with a level of of risk and ambiguity that most people are uncomfortable in.
00:46:27
Todd Pinkston
But just like what what's it like in that moment to to step into something like that, not knowing what it's going to look like, but trusting?
00:46:37
Bill
well outll I'll add a little bit to that and then fully answer the question. the i had donated to Young Life with you, even though you know it took months from the time I said I would until the time I did.
00:46:51
Bill
But it it turns out that was all just good timing as well. Who knew?
00:46:55
Todd Pinkston
Did that check cash?
00:46:58
Bill
That one did.
00:46:59
Todd Pinkston
That
00:47:00
Bill
Yeah, we' we'll come to that. Hey, who hasn't written a hot check or two, okay?
00:47:08
Todd Pinkston
one did. The first check to wave forward was a hot check. You know? i mean mean...
00:47:14
Bill
bey Becky forgot to transfer funds, which is comical because the number of the number of things I could start by describing with Becky forgot, I don't need, I could lose a finger or two and I'm still using one hand for those.
00:47:31
Bill
Becky has very high attention to detail and she gets things done. And the fact that she wrote a check the way forward and didn't transfer the funds to make it, anyway, that's that's just fun.
00:47:42
Todd Pinkston
that
00:47:42
Bill
But
00:47:42
Todd Pinkston
Nothing makes you feel like you've just been a part of a the scam.
00:47:43
Bill
but
00:47:46
Todd Pinkston
You know, like a couple inviting you over for dinner, telling you they want to start a business with you.
00:47:46
Bill
you know
00:47:51
Todd Pinkston
It's a nonprofit. They're going help get it funded.
00:47:55
Bill
wait.
00:47:56
Todd Pinkston
And then after, you know, a couple more conversations, they write a check and it bounces. Yeah.
00:48:00
Bill
So our software company, our very first hire, we hired this kid from New York. His name's Roman. Freaking awesome guy was still there when we sold the company, Roman Pacheco. Hey, Roman.
00:48:14
Bill
His starting date, we didn't realize this at the time, he moved from New York, no money. we We just told him you have a job. Our first employee, we didn't have names on the office doors or anything. We just rented an office in this little place.
00:48:29
Bill
We had two little tiny rooms. We had something come up with the kids his first day. He gets to the office. There's no nameplate. The door is locked.
00:48:40
Bill
We're not there. And we get this call on our cell phone, kind of in a panic. And he said, i was really terrified. All of a sudden, I realized today's April 1st. And I thought, certainly nobody would do this.
00:48:52
Todd Pinkston
Oh.
00:48:52
Bill
He looked.
00:48:55
Bill
so So Becky and I kind of have a history of this. We're like, no, no, Roman. We just had something come up with the kids. Go get a coffee. We'll be there in an hour. And so same with you. look No, we'll transfer the funds. The check will clear. We just, we we have a history.
00:49:11
Bill
I already had a degree of trust for you, even though I didn't have the friendship that that later blossomed. But the the degree of trust I had from you, you did all your reps in the gym.
00:49:24
Bill
No, the degree the degree of trust I had for you in and just who you presented yourself as and who you showed up as, that was that was the reason that i i wanted to
00:49:31
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
00:49:38
Bill
I wanted to support Young Life, but I also supported wanted to support what you were doing. you You just immediately struck me as... You're transparent with where your heart is.
00:49:50
Bill
You're out to make a difference. I want to support, I want to support Todd Pinkston's mission because I do think you have a mission. And when the mission was Young Life, I wanted to support that.
00:50:04
Bill
I'm never going to go to Young Life. But I did go on way forward. And so now all of a sudden I do have both these things, which is I knew you well enough. I want to support your mission in life.
00:50:15
Bill
I just do. And then all of a sudden your mission in life had just changed my life. Well, I'm in in every way. Let's do this. Let's let's go. Because, yeah, I was I was 100 percent in. And so that was exciting. It was it was.
00:50:35
Bill
It didn't feel risky because what's the risk? I mean, my worst outcome is you managed to get us on the trail for, I'm going to say, I'm going to say, let's just, let's go out on a limb, a less than premium backpacking experience.
00:50:57
Bill
And you managed to get us. If what way forward was going to become was,
00:51:01
Todd Pinkston
Hmm. Hmm.
00:51:02
Bill
premium experience. Oh my gosh. And so i I felt zero risk because the worst outcome was we spend some money. Some people go on trail.
00:51:13
Bill
One life has changed. You know what? if you If you had told me before the trip, hey, Bill, you're going to realize you don't have to be in control of everything and you're going to have choice in an area of your life that you're currently out of control in and you don't even know you could have choice.
00:51:32
Bill
Would you pay $100,000 for that? I'd be like, sure. Give me my $100,000 awareness. Well, so if we spent $100,000 and got one guy who had a similar experience, okay, good.
00:51:47
Bill
Impacted his life like mine. There wasn't, so what's the risk?
00:51:54
Bill
yeah I mean, man, I just didn't even feel any risk in it. It was some lives will be changed. I'm in.
00:52:04
Todd Pinkston
I Even hearing you say that now, I mean, I think back, knowing me where I was 12 years ago, that's a lot of risk.
Reflecting on WayForward's Success
00:52:17
Todd Pinkston
But I believe when you say it, because I mean, I remember a couple years on trail, you know, I would always talk about my fear of this not working.
00:52:28
Todd Pinkston
and And one year you just said, I'm You went around the circle and said, hey, guys, have you been impacted by your time on trail? Or have you seen anybody impacted by a previous trip?
00:52:40
Todd Pinkston
And everybody was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, they went around to a tee. And you said, well, you can stop worrying about that because it's worked. And I just it. It sunk in with that comment of like, what are you worried about?
00:52:57
Todd Pinkston
Like, why do you why do you worry about achieving some sort of thing called working without, as opposed to just looking around and saying, it's working? And I think that was shaped by you. That was shaped by your your perspective.
00:53:13
Todd Pinkston
And it it it took countless times of you reminding me of that. And so thank you.
00:53:19
Bill
You're welcome.
00:53:20
Todd Pinkston
So 12 years later, our friendship has grown. You know, you've you've you've jumped into different pursuits. But what, how are you different now than you were back then?
00:53:36
Todd Pinkston
Way forward related or not? Just what what has the Lord done in your life over the last 12 years? Hmm.
00:53:45
Bill
I would say one of the big ones is is being more comfortable. you know, like like I said, i got I got my big toe in the water.
00:53:54
Bill
I think being comfortable that
00:54:00
Bill
some some of this still has some difficulty in saying, wouldn't it be insulting if I said, God made me as a unique individual with all his love and care, he produced this person and that person can make no difference or impact whatsoever.
00:54:17
Bill
well That would be pretty insulting to God.
00:54:22
Todd Pinkston
Yeah. Hmm.
00:54:23
Bill
The flip side is it fills feels threatening to embrace it. And and i have some i I have some understandings why now of like some ridicule that happened in my life at a young age that a very young Bill made those decisions about what that means and what that feels like and how to prevent it.
00:54:48
Bill
And I'm fine with that. That did a lot of great things for me. But just like I don't have to be in control, I don't have to keep abiding by decisions that, you know, third grade me made.
00:55:00
Bill
Third grade me did his best, but they're not binding. And so I think one of the bigger changes for me has just been that, you know what?
00:55:11
Bill
Keep your heart in the right place and try and impact as many lives as you can and embrace it. And if you shy away from it, you're squandering any ability that you have. I do think God gave me a good ability to bring a different perspective.
00:55:25
Bill
i I do think he gave me an ability in some situations to be persuasive and occasionally occasionally when somebody is is stuck, to unstick them. There there is some, like, well, let me let me see if I can kind of pull in an emotional and rational framework that challenges where you are and what you think is true.
00:55:51
Bill
And if it challenges in a way that is good, you might end up in a place that's much better. And so i've I've embraced that more. in in a very different way.
00:56:07
Bill
I'd say another big difference between me and the bill of, was it 13 years ago? Was that it?
00:56:12
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
00:56:16
Bill
i I think the vulnerability and the openness
00:56:23
Bill
that that I'm willing to engage in and engage in quickly. the If you and I were to go to dinner right now, I'd talk with you about anything instantly.
00:56:36
Bill
I wouldn't do it with a stranger. But yeah, those types of things. there was There was one more lurking in there. that i Oh, I...
00:56:53
Bill
Okay, like there'' there's a couple. One of them is the ability the ability to to The ability to not be okay with something and and not be angry about it, but just to continue to assert, well, i'm not okay with it.
00:57:06
Todd Pinkston
Hmm. Hmm.
00:57:10
Bill
And a younger version of me was just still so full of piss and vinegar was like, well, I'm not okay with it. I'm really not okay with it. You need to change it now. And okay, yeah, there's a reason my fists are balling up. You know, it was just horribly unhealthy. And it was so easy for me to go to anger, not going to anger when I'm hurt.
00:57:30
Bill
I had started to already kind of come to grips with, but not going to anger when
00:57:40
Bill
i'm i'm I'm in a conflict with someone independently of the hurt. That's really changed. And so it's allowed me to be able to say, man, I'm not okay with that thing.
00:57:53
Bill
I'm not pissed about it. It's just I don't accept that it is the way it is. And needs it needs to change. and And continuing to be okay with that.
00:58:05
Bill
Yeah.
00:58:07
Todd Pinkston
awesome.
00:58:08
Bill
What else you see?
00:58:10
Todd Pinkston
Oof.
00:58:12
Bill
Yeah.
00:58:14
Todd Pinkston
You know, I, what when out when we were when we were talking earlier about growth, I do think,
00:58:22
Todd Pinkston
you are You are constantly growing. like It's one of the things I admire about you. I mean, some my favorite times are like walking into your shop and for 30 minutes, you will literally just walk me around and show me all the things that you've modified or changed. I mean, before the you know the the recording started, you were telling me about the wheels on your chair. Like, I just...
00:58:45
Todd Pinkston
I love how you are.
00:58:45
Bill
I demonstrated.
00:58:47
Todd Pinkston
I love how you're constantly growing. and And so I know I'm going to get that. Like when I'm in Dallas, I carve out a chunk of time because I want to come be with you.
00:58:57
Todd Pinkston
And selfishly, it makes me better. And so, you know, I think it was last year I'm skiing with Trip and you called and you said, hey, you know, and you had the story about why you were doing it. And you said,
00:59:11
Todd Pinkston
so I've decided I've caught, I'm calling five people, uh, because I want to ask them to tell me where my blind spots are. I trust you. I love you. And I, and I think you know of some that I probably don't know of.
00:59:23
Todd Pinkston
so go for it.
00:59:28
Todd Pinkston
I'm on the lift and I'm like, like right now, you're like, yeah, I mean, I'm ready.
00:59:35
Bill
Come on. I figured you'd just lay it on me.
00:59:38
Todd Pinkston
to which I needed a little time. But you know in that, and I took some time, I took a couple of weeks to to think through, because that's a tender question. And also, I mean, it's a tender spot to be invited into.
00:59:53
Todd Pinkston
And I wanted to give honest feedback. and And in that conversation, the way that you received it and the way that you put the, put actions into place around the things we talked about, they were, none of them were a surprise to you.
01:00:15
Todd Pinkston
And I think, is that the notes?
01:00:18
Bill
Those are my notes from the conversation. i i keep them right there. Sorry, go ahead.
01:00:23
Todd Pinkston
And I have like two pages of notes, but yeah,
01:00:27
Bill
much more concise.
01:00:28
Todd Pinkston
and I think the you know the way that the way that you make people feel is different now than it was 10 years ago.
01:00:39
Todd Pinkston
The way you care about Becky now is different than it was 10 years ago. The way that you are... Yeah, pressing into struggles is different now than than the way it was 10 years ago.
Personal Growth and Identity
01:00:51
Todd Pinkston
The way you're following Jesus is different now than it was 10 years ago.
01:00:55
Todd Pinkston
And man, I've had the joy of being on trail with you several times. And I feel like those are just kind of markers where you get to see what what has changed and and and dive deeper in a condensed period of time.
01:01:10
Todd Pinkston
And i've just I feel like I've seen... I've seen life for you continue to develop and and you've become a more powerful leader, a more aware leader, and in in a lot of ways softer without losing your edge. Like you're still as competitive and driven now as you've ever been. And there's a softness to you that I think you makes you more approachable now than you've ever been.
01:01:34
Bill
Thank you.
01:01:35
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:01:37
Bill
Yeah, i I was telling somebody. It was only three people, by the way. I don't know if I can handle five people. who Dang.
01:01:49
Bill
I was telling somebody about that the other day, and the the three people that I asked, none of them, I think, still know who the other two are. You don't know, do you?
01:02:01
Todd Pinkston
I don't think so.
01:02:02
Bill
Yeah.
01:02:03
Todd Pinkston
i could, no, I don't.
01:02:03
Bill
So... No. So anyway, i I was talking about that the other day and i was talking I was telling somebody about doing that and about my three takeaways.
01:02:15
Bill
And my my three takeaways that that I decided were kind of most important for me to learn in that was don't monopolize conversation. You you don't have to be the center of it. And and that was that was great feedback because like it's never it's never my goal to monopolize a conversation.
01:02:33
Bill
I'm just excited and out it comes. And so hopefully storms are starting here. so hopefully our connection stays good.
01:02:42
Todd Pinkston
you had You did have a little glitch. You said the three things I took away were, and then you froze.
01:02:46
Bill
but yeah Keep them in suspense. It's all in the delivery. And tune in for episode two.
01:02:57
Todd Pinkston
a
01:02:58
Bill
but and One of them was don't monopolize the conversation. and and And that was a big one. I never tried to monopolize it. I'm usually, I get excited when I get around other people and but Another one was the, like, check your ego sometimes.
01:03:16
Bill
You know, you do have an ego. You're pretty good about it, but sometimes, man, check your ego. And then the third one was watch your language.
01:03:26
Bill
Like, you're your occasional tacky joke has made my wife really uncomfortable, and I have to defend you to her. And that last one, so you said, let me give it some thought.
01:03:40
Bill
Guy number two said, let me give it some thought. Guy number three was like, I got it for you right now. It's like, okay.
01:03:49
Bill
eight Now, how awesome is that? Because if this is what I'm after, was like, heck yes.
01:03:51
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:03:54
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:03:55
Bill
And he said, yeah, it was it was the tacky conversation.
01:03:57
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:03:58
Bill
And so that's probably another way I've changed a lot is i I'm so prone to it. And i I worked really hard to identify, like, why does that hold a pill for me? And I eventually figured out why. And, man, now I'm so grateful for that guy for just going, I got it right now.
01:04:18
Bill
i was like, lay it on me.
01:04:20
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:04:20
Bill
And when he said, i have to defend you to my wife, like what kind of friend am i that you're having to convince your wife I'm actually an okay guy to be around?
01:04:25
Todd Pinkston
hmm hmm
01:04:33
Todd Pinkston
hmm yeah
01:04:34
Bill
Oh, I wanted to vomit. And how cool is that that I have men in my life? Some of them take a while because they say, i need to get an ISBN number. You know, I got to figure out how many pages long I want this to be. And that's great.
01:04:50
Bill
That's great. But I also got that guy who says, I'm ready.
01:04:52
Todd Pinkston
o Yeah.
01:04:55
Bill
Let's do it.
01:04:56
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:04:57
Bill
I'm blessed. Those are awesome men to have in my life.
01:05:00
Todd Pinkston
yeah Well, Bill, I can't speak for the other two, but I can speak for the other two that all three of us would say how awesome to have you in our lives.
01:05:11
Bill
Thank you. thank you
01:05:12
Todd Pinkston
Just, I think the the way that the way that you approach life is inspirational. The way that you see things, even, I mean, Going back to the comment about you know having having having life change, would you pay $100,000 for it? i mean Most people don't think about it in that scope.
01:05:34
Todd Pinkston
You do. like you The way that you invest, you invest wisely. not just in the market, but you invest your time wisely, and you invest your money wisely in things that that you care about.
01:05:47
Todd Pinkston
and And it shows like the, it produces in your life continual growth. And then those around you are inspired. And so for me, i'm I'm grateful for you.
01:05:58
Todd Pinkston
You make me a better man. For the thousands of people that have been on a way forward trip. you were catalytic in their life to creating those moments.
01:06:07
Todd Pinkston
Without you and Becky being willing to jump in and take that risk that you say was no risk, there is no organization that creates those those experiences for them.
01:06:18
Todd Pinkston
And so probably one of the sweetest... Moments for me was this last summer after you had gotten off trail and John Hinckley's crew was in the cabin next door.
01:06:29
Todd Pinkston
And I took you over there and to to literally get to take a step back and watch you interact with these guys. One, you care. like You care about the people that you don't even know their name yet.
01:06:43
Todd Pinkston
And you care about them. You care about the experience they just had. like That shows your heart. but two, to get to hear them tell you thank you was just really sweet. And man, I just, like, I wish I could have captured it as they're talking to you and you're like, you're a legend.
01:07:01
Todd Pinkston
I mean, you know, you say, yeah, you don't care if they know your name, but the fact that you're the guy that helped create what they just got to experience, there was so much gratitude in them about that.
01:07:15
Bill
Mm-hmm.
01:07:16
Todd Pinkston
And so I hope you know that. like i know I've heard you say things like, you know outside of your kids, youre you're most proud of being a part of WayForward. And man, that like how dear that is to me just to get to work on it with you.
01:07:27
Todd Pinkston
but not just what it has produced as an organization, but the impact that you have been able to produce in people's lives. And so thank you.
01:07:38
Todd Pinkston
and I love you. I am grateful for your friendship. And so, Bill, I want to just rapid fire to finish things off. I want your quick answer, not thought through, off the cuff.
01:07:47
Bill
Okay. All right.
01:07:52
Todd Pinkston
Bill, do you believe in aliens?
01:07:55
Bill
Nope.
01:07:56
Todd Pinkston
Bill, Bitcoin, are you in or out?
01:07:58
Bill
In.
01:08:01
Todd Pinkston
i laughed when I wrote that one. What's your favorite meal?
01:08:06
Bill
it's taken, cherries.
01:08:09
Todd Pinkston
yeah had If you could meet one person dead or alive, who would you pick?
01:08:13
Bill
Oh, I have to think on this one. One person dead or alive.
01:08:21
Bill
I'll go with Apostle Paul, and I don't think I ever would have answered it that way ever before in my life, but that's what came in.
01:08:29
Todd Pinkston
if you could If you could set up a workout that you feel confident you could beat just about anybody in, what would the workout be?
01:08:36
Bill
It would be 60 rounds for time.
01:08:43
Bill
of one ring muscle up and one 405 pound deadlift.
01:08:49
Todd Pinkston
I love it.
01:08:49
Bill
I think I'm taking it.
01:08:58
Todd Pinkston
Bill, who's your hero?
01:08:59
Bill
Oh man. I have so many heroes in my life. That's all over the map. So many of the, my hero.
01:09:11
Bill
I try to always answer a question. I hate the I can't answer that question.
01:09:19
Bill
It depends on the context. I got to do it all that way.
01:09:22
Todd Pinkston
who who can Who came to your mind first?
01:09:27
Bill
Literally,
01:09:31
Bill
i'
01:09:36
Bill
Literally what came up was just a splash of men's faces.
01:09:42
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:09:42
Bill
I saw you and Jason Cates and John Marshall and just all these guys where I'm just like, my gosh.
01:09:45
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:09:50
Bill
Like I see the the other day Jason Cates did something that I would have been a little timid to do. And it was such a good example. And I was like, dude, thank you for doing that. You've Thanks for being the man who will do that because it's an example for me and it needed to be done.
01:10:07
Bill
And so what I saw when you asked the question was like just billboard men's faces. I can't pick one of those. a I tried.
01:10:17
Todd Pinkston
If you had to give a consent concise
01:10:18
Bill
Can't pick one.
01:10:21
Todd Pinkston
summary or or description of what a WayForward experience is, what would you say?
01:10:33
Bill
A WayForward experience is is getting that unstuck. it's It's different from the rest of life. Life is driving a car. When your car is stuck in the mud, it's a totally different set of actions you take to get it out of the mud.
01:10:49
Bill
You don't just drive it. You do something unique. You might get dirty while you're doing it if it's if it's stuck in mud. Way forward, you might get dirty. You might get your boots wet.
01:11:00
Bill
You might get mud on your clothes. But it gets into the mess of things in a way
01:11:04
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:11:09
Bill
that teases apart things that don't get unraveled otherwise.
01:11:13
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:11:13
Bill
The busyness of life, you're constantly pulling the knot tight, and a way forward trip is long enough in the right environment to untie some knots.
01:11:25
Bill
and And God will show you things you haven't seen before. And i live long enough to learn wisdom from your adult kids. I agree with with what my son Mitch says.
01:11:37
Bill
If you know the outcome, it's not an adventure. And way forward is that. You don't know the outcome. That's why when you said, I would do this, I'm like, we're going hiking. No, the the outcome was that moment on the side of the mountain.
01:11:51
Bill
Part of my brain is saying, he said concise. the The outcome was that side of the mountain. that That was the outcome. I didn't know that was coming. I thought we were going hiking. Life-changing.
01:12:04
Todd Pinkston
i
01:12:04
Bill
Life-changing.
01:12:06
Todd Pinkston
That is concise, Bill. i didn't have to I didn't even have to take a break.
01:12:09
Bill
But it was almost one breath. By my standards, it was moderately concise.
01:12:12
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:12:14
Todd Pinkston
oh All right, final one.
01:12:16
Bill
Just, okay.
01:12:17
Todd Pinkston
if you could If you could hold a world record in one thing, what would it be?
01:12:24
Bill
Kindness. I don't know how they assign records. I've spent a lot of my time not being very kind.
01:12:30
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:12:33
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:12:33
Bill
And I've worked on it for a long time. If I could be the best at anything, It doesn't mean softness. It doesn't mean getting trampled on.
01:12:43
Bill
you You can be strongly kind. I would be the best at kindness. People would say he's the kindest guy I know.
01:12:54
Todd Pinkston
love it. Hey, Bill, if somebody wanted to follow you, if somebody wanted to learn more about you, where can they find your stuff?
01:12:56
Bill
Ready?
01:13:01
Bill
My Instagram is at Bill Strahan. That's the easiest way to start tracking things down. My Instagram stuff is all over the map.
01:13:12
Bill
Post my phone number. i don't i don't care. i mean, what calls am I going to get? I would answer them.
01:13:19
Bill
And to that point, can I ask a question yet?
01:13:22
Todd Pinkston
Of course. Well, hold on. Is shirtless bill still a thing?
01:13:26
Bill
Shirtless Bill. I have not posted a shirtless bill Instagram post since I was called out on my ego.
01:13:36
Todd Pinkston
Hmm.
01:13:38
Bill
And so that's something that I've questioned a bit. I didn't delete the account, so I still have the shirtless bill Instagram. But I haven't made a post to it because I'm not sure that I can do that.
01:13:53
Bill
And honor what I'm working on with my ego. And I don't know if it will make sense to have a shirtless bill account with a bill with a shirt on.
01:14:05
Todd Pinkston
Paradoxical. I like it.
01:14:07
Bill
it it might be, or I might find a way to be playful with it.
01:14:11
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:14:11
Bill
But if i if I do anything with it, it will be something that I'll be checking in with the guy in my life who challenged me on my ego.
01:14:20
Todd Pinkston
I
01:14:21
Bill
that that's how i That's how I keep myself from being the guy on the deserted island.
01:14:27
Todd Pinkston
love it All right, what's your question?
01:14:31
Bill
Are you guiding my trip this summer?
01:14:33
Todd Pinkston
Are you going on a trip this summer?
01:14:35
Bill
Yep, let's do it
01:14:38
Todd Pinkston
Pick the dates, Bill.
01:14:43
Bill
It's got to be August, I think. I need your later date.
01:14:45
Todd Pinkston
i would love a guy I would love to guide your trip this summer.
01:14:49
Bill
Awesome.
01:14:50
Todd Pinkston
I love every opportunity that I get to spend in the mountains with you on an adventure, unsure of where it'll, where it'll end up.
01:14:57
Bill
No idea where it ends up. And if I can't fill the trip up, anyone who hears the podcast, come on.
01:14:59
Todd Pinkston
Come on.
01:15:03
Todd Pinkston
Let's go.
01:15:03
Bill
You can get more of this.
01:15:03
Todd Pinkston
know,
01:15:06
Todd Pinkston
Bill, I do love for your 50th birthday, you did a Friends of Bill trip. And one of my favorite comments was, what if nobody goes? What does that say about me? And then one person signed up and you said, I might have to change the name, Friend of Bill.
01:15:24
Bill
Hey, that challenged my imposter syndrome and my friendship.
01:15:27
Todd Pinkston
Absolutely.
01:15:28
Bill
That was challenging in all kinds of ways.
01:15:30
Todd Pinkston
Yeah.
01:15:31
Bill
So.
01:15:32
Todd Pinkston
I feel it every time that I that i raise my hand up to put a group together, for sure. Even though I believe in it, there's something about there's something about going for it. What if nobody says yes to go with you?
01:15:43
Todd Pinkston
And it's it's good. and and And that's part of the reason why the podcast is here, is is just another step into being uncomfortable for the sake of blessing others.
01:15:53
Todd Pinkston
Bill, you are you are a gift to me. I could talk to you for hours. We have had many hour-long, hours-long conversations, some over dinner, some over sushi, some just hanging out, but I love you. i hope this is a gift to other people just to get to hear some insight from you. I know we'll be doing many more, but I'm grateful for your friendship.
01:16:13
Todd Pinkston
I'm grateful for all the ways you've blessed me, my family, better husband, a better dad, better leader because of you. And so thanks for all that. I love you, Bill.
01:16:23
Bill
I love you too, Todd, and thank you.