Why did this founder fire himself from his own company? That's what I wanted to find out when I sat down with Steve Kamb, founder of Nerd Fitness. We've known each other for a long time, and I've watched him build an incredible audience and business. But then, to my surprise, he "fired" himself – twice! Steve shares the surprising truth about chasing growth, the pitfalls of wearing the wrong hat in your own business, and how he rediscovered his passion for writing. His journey is a powerful reminder that sometimes, the true path to fulfillment means stepping away from the very thing you've so diligently built.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Firing myself (twice!) from Nerd Fitness

05:37 The five years I spent in the wrong seat

07:20 The "If you're not growing, you're shrinking" myth

10:37 How I realized writing is what lights me up

12:55 When to double down on strengths vs. fix weaknesses

18:19 The curated "all I do is win" internet vs. real life

20:20 Sharing my failures: cancer, Google changing, divorce

23:09 The overwhelming positive response to vulnerability

24:06 How my book was born and evolved

30:17 My visit to the Museum of Failure

33:55 My PACT framework: Pause, Accept, Change, Try

40:22 Everything old is new again in content

49:00 The value of Craft + Commerce and community

56:14 Longevity in creative work: falling in love with the craft

1:02:43 How to Try Again: Where to find the book

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Kit: https://www.kit.com

Follow Steve:

How To Try Again (Book): https://howtotryagain.com

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Nerd Fitness: https://www.nerdfitness.com

Featured in this episode:

Kit: https://www.kit.com

How to Try Again: https://howtotryagain.com

Nerd Fitness: https://www.nerdfitness.com

The Museum of Failure: https://failuremuseum.com