I've had an idea of who I am and what I wanted to do before I die for a long time, but I really haven't been doing them. I was putting everything else first. Then I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was told, 'if the medicine doesn't work, you have about 6mos to live. If the meds do work, they may only work for 6mos...or 10 years, but average is only 2 years.' Well, that's fucking sobering. So now I'm prioritizing the things I put off before it's too late. That means I have to, first, heal and, second, figure out how to do the ideas I have always had. This newsletter will document the healing process, which includes healing diet, healing stress response, healing immune system, and healing identity... it will also document the progress on the ideas I'm doing: Uncharted Spirits, Teaquila Farm, and Mavericks training. The hope is that my sense of urgency and the 'how' in my efforts helps you, too. I just want to leave things better than I found it, regardless of how much time I have left. Have ideas. Do them. đââď¸
No. 2: Have Ideas. Do Them.
Have ideas. Do them.
You likely don't care about the career stops, but it's important to understand the message at the bottom.
Stop 1: Real estate sales...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Excelled at a new home builder, then went solo and sold $10M in my first full year, then hit the Great Recession. I went up with the boom, down with the crash.
Stop 2: Inside sales for a startup...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Excelled at sales process/scripting creation and execution. Learned & gained the most experience here. Earning potential embellished, I end up losing money.
Stop 3: Build Ecommerce agency...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Built the start of something great, worked with brands like MVMT Watches, Blenders Eyewear, others cool brands. Stop 2 limited my runway and I didnât have other outside resources. Had to sell to my partner.
Stop 4: Built partner program at Klaviyo...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Thing Iâm most proud of in my career. Chased title and much bigger salary.
Stop 5: CMO of payments company with new technology...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Banking on huge payout, but technology never materialized. Transitions into a turnaround company. Pandemic hits.
Stop 6: Build Ecommerce consulting company...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. Bootstrapped and on pace for $500k in first full year. Business partner (& brother) has stroke while surfing. We shut it down. *Heâs fully recovered now.
Stop 7: SaaS sales consulting & training with Winning by Design to pay bills & fund building Revflow. Still current.
Stop 8: Build Revflow payments company...to start collecting funding for a âworld exploration companyâ. A new disruption has emerged, likely shutting it down.
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Whatâs wrong with this timeline?
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We have less time than we think. Not doing the thing you intended to do is the ultimate waste of life, especially if you really believe itâs your lifeâs purpose or mission.
Priorities are shifting quickly.
I donât know what it actually looks like or how we (my brother & business partner Jake Vanags) will actually build it...
...but Iâm finally making Uncharted Spirits my priority before itâs too late.
Have ideas. Do them.
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đââď¸
I'm Chad Vanags and I want you to take the ideas you've had and finally do them.
I've had an idea of who I am and what I wanted to do before I die for a long time, but I really haven't been doing them. I was putting everything else first. Then I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was told, 'if the medicine doesn't work, you have about 6mos to live. If the meds do work, they may only work for 6mos...or 10 years, but average is only 2 years.' Well, that's fucking sobering. So now I'm prioritizing the things I put off before it's too late. That means I have to, first, heal and, second, figure out how to do the ideas I have always had. This newsletter will document the healing process, which includes healing diet, healing stress response, healing immune system, and healing identity... it will also document the progress on the ideas I'm doing: Uncharted Spirits, Teaquila Farm, and Mavericks training. The hope is that my sense of urgency and the 'how' in my efforts helps you, too. I just want to leave things better than I found it, regardless of how much time I have left. Have ideas. Do them. đââď¸
No. 9 TLDR: You read that headline right, Iâm realizing that cancer is healing me; we created a death plan; itâs time for me to become metabolically, athletically, and mentally elite...and I want to help top performers do the same; finishing Supply Run 1, starting SR2, need applicants; Iâm very much over the Ironman training, finally back to muscle building and surfing so I can take on Mavericks. The sections: ⢠Section 1: Cancer Updates ⢠Section 2: Becoming Elite Updates ⢠Section 3:...
No. 8: [Tl;Dr] - Scan results were good. Not a ton of progress, but no growth and anytime that happens itâs good; phase 3 of healing protocol is moving into the âmind bodyâ connection; my new life will be focused on helping others get my clarity, drive, and performance, without my disease; 24 hours until we depart for Supply Run The sections to jump to and skim: ⢠Section 1: Cancer Updates ⢠Section 2: Have Ideas. Do Them. Updates ⢠Section 3: Uncharted Spirits Updates ⢠Section 4: Teaquila...
**Itâs been 3.5 months since Iâve sent this newsletter. Lotâs happening. Good and bad. Plan moving forward is to send 1x a month. My goal is to use this journey to help others in any way I can, PLUS this actually helps me heal. This one is a bit longer because of âcatching upâ. Thank you for being a part of this journey (& kudos to you if you read the entire thing haha). No. 7: [Tl;Dr] - The mental / emotional side of this is the hardest, but Iâve had some breakthroughs in recent weeks;...