Read on to learn how our BuildWitt team meeting went and what I learned running 100 miles over the weekend!
Weekly Update
The first official BuildWitt team meeting was in the summer of 2019. After a year of working on BuildWitt, mostly by myself, I began building a small team to help scale the impact of storytelling in the Dirt World.
It was only five of us, so we had a fancy dinner to celebrate our recent achievements (maybe a few small videos and websites at the time) and then met as a team the following day in our Airbnb.
Fast forward three years, and we had nearly 80 BuildWitt team members fly into Nashville from across the country to attend our latest meeting this past week.
A meeting like this costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we’re still considered a small start-up. Why invest so much into our people when money is in thin supply?
Our core thesis is the Dirt World must invest more in its people to solve the worsening workforce challenge. Many business owners don’t like hearing this, but the solution to their problem starts at home before it’s about “attracting” more people.
One of our values is “be the example,” so if we were suggesting to the Dirt World that they invest more in their people while failing to do so first, why the hell should anyone listen?
Team meetings are, in my opinion, one of the best investments we’ve made. Since we’re largely a remote workforce, bringing our people together face to face is essential to remind everyone of our purpose and feel like part of the team.
What did we do?
We updated everyone on where we stand in a big picture sense, all the teams shared about their part in the “BuildWitt Customer Journey,” and we spent a lot of time together. We’ve invested a lot into our culture, and it’s remarkably rewarding to see it all materialize over only a few days.
Someone recently asked me what I’m most proud of. I’m most proud of the team of people we’ve built. I have no chance at “Making the Dirt World a Better Place” alone. The best investment any business can make is in people, and it’s so fulfilling to see our investment paying off. They're the ones who will make the Dirt World better, and it's my job to do everything I can to care for them along the way.
Lesson Learned
I ran 100 miles over 22 hours this past Saturday to Sunday. While I have a long list of lessons learned on my social media channels, the biggest was about the essential role of failure.
I first attempted a 100-mile race in February of 2021. After 64 miles and 15 hours of running in the woods of Texas, my left knee was alarmingly swollen, and I called it quits.
I’ve eaten many slices of humble pie, but this was a big one. I felt terrible after. Sure, my body hurt, but my ego was even worse off.
Rather than roll over and decide that finishing a 100-mile race wasn’t for me, I poured the lack of desire for more failure into preparing for my next attempt—the Hennepin 100.
The major change before this attempt was the addition of strength training. I’ve trained harder in the past six months than ever before, and as a result, I’m stronger than ever.
Not only is my body stronger, but I’ve sharpened my mind. Thanks to this year’s fundraising, I’ve heard “no” more than I can count. While challenging at the moment, all the failure’s only further calloused my mind.
The result? I finished running 100 miles two hours faster than planned. Failure sucks at the moment, but boy, am I thankful for it in the grand scheme.
Podcast
This week on the podcast, Alex and I sweep up many of the questions listeners have asked but we’ve left behind. If you’re wondering what my top book recommendations are or why I always drive on BuildWitt trips, wonder no more.
