I left my full-time career at Liquid I.V. to fully invest in myself and my business.
From an outsider's perspective, it may be confusing why anyone would give up a six-figure salary with benefits, paid time off, and an impressive logo on their resume. After all, isn't that the American dream? Safety and security neatly packaged with a bow.
While Liquid I.V. was a fantastic company with an amazing work culture, it simply wasn't the right long-term fit for me. I joined the company at a crucial point in my life, which provided an opportunity for me to transition from being a full-time Uber Driver, where I completed a total of 19,002 rides over 3.5 years. During that time, I also produced over 150 podcasts as a starving artist.
As the years went by, I found myself unhappy with work that didn't bring me joy and fulfillment. After careful consideration, I decided it was time for me to move on. I knew that this decision would not only benefit me, but also the company itself. They deserved someone who was fully engaged and excited about the work they were doing.
January 15, 2024 marked my last official day, and now a new chapter begins.
In today's blog, I want to discuss how we all experience different seasons in life, the process of reinventing oneself, the significance of embracing change, and what lies ahead for me.
When I reflect on the past decade of my life, I realize that I have experienced various seasons. I sometimes wish that I had been a creator during those times, as having footage of what my life looked like then would provide context to where I began.
At one point, I was a:
And more recently, I have become "Austin Suburb Bob."
Each season I enter brings a completely different design to my life. My beliefs, values, goals, interests, and how I choose to spend my time all change. For example, during my time as an Uber driver, I spent my weekends working late into the night because that's when I made the most money. In my current life as Austin Suburb Bob, my weekends are spent going to farmers markets, doing household chores, and watching movies with Kate. These are two completely different lifestyles, neither better nor worse, or right or wrong. They perfectly fit the chapter or season of life I was or am currently in.
As I transition away from my career at Liquid I.V., I am embracing this new chapter as a full-time entrepreneur and creator. It may initially sound scary, but I know that in order to step into the reality I desire for myself, I need to create more time and space for what truly matters to me. I have to let go of my old identity in order for a new one to emerge.
I recall reading Matthew McConaughey's book Greenlights, where he discussed the season of his life when he shed his identity as a romantic comedy actor in order to embark on a new era in his acting career. What did that look like for him? It meant turning down an $18 million movie contract because the role no longer served or aligned with him. Not long after, he was cast in Interstellar, and the rest is history.
I have no idea what this new season of life will look and feel like; I am discovering it as I go. On top of it all, my partner and I recently rescued a 2.5-year-old Golden Retriever, so things are really changing at the K&B Ranch. It can be overwhelming and exciting at the same time, and that's okay. I trust the path I am on and believe that the season of life it brings will be everything I have wanted, needed, and more.
I admit that I haven't always been skilled at creating a new identity for myself. However, after successfully going through the process once, it became almost automatic, like second nature.
Once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget how to do it. The same applies to shifting away from what no longer serves you and embracing what feels right.
My past does not determine my future.
There was a time in my life when I enjoyed spending my entire weekend partying, eating unhealthy food, staying up until the early hours of the morning, and seeking out environments that provided toxic dopamine rushes. At that moment, I genuinely enjoyed it. However, I reached a point where it no longer served me and I started distancing myself from people and environments that prioritized those habits.
It's not that they were bad people or that I believed myself to be superior to them... I simply realized that my priorities and beliefs had shifted, which didn't align with theirs. And that was okay.
Let me tell you something: if I could go back and change it, I wouldn't. I needed to follow that path and all my previous paths in order to become the person I am today.
Learning to let go of my past decisions, actions, values, and beliefs has been essential in allowing me to create a new identity for myself.
I have always believed that if you don't dream big, you're limiting yourself.
I don't think it's necessary or essential to have a perfectly detailed plan of what I will do every day in the coming months. What does matter is having clarity on the general direction I want to take.
Quitting Liquid I.V. was a deliberate decision. It wasn't a sudden realization that I was done and needed to move on. I had put a lot of thought into this and had been working on my own business on the side for a long time.
If I could instantaneously turn my dreams into reality, my ideal career would include:
Visualizing my future self will empower me to proceed to the next step...
This is where the real work happens.
The reason I have "1%" tattooed on my right hand is not because I strive to be in the top 1% of the world or because I'm in a bike gang. Yes, someone once told me that my tattoo represents a bike gang - I'm not sure if that's true or not, so someone please fact check it for me.
I have it because I truly believe in James Clear's 1% growth mindset, and it's a principle I've lived by for years. By approaching my life one day at a time and hyper-focusing on the priorities for each day, I've been able to maintain consistency over a long period of time.
There's a reason I was able to complete 19,002 Uber rides. There's a reason I was able to create content for almost six years without seeing a financial return. I trust the process and I embrace the 1% growth per day mindset. I've taught myself to value and love the process more than the results because that's where 99.99% of my time and energy is spent - on the journey, doing the work.
So what does that look like for me now, without a full-time job?
Each morning, I identify 4-5 important tasks for the day and go all-in on them. For example, today's tasks are: finalize this podcast script, create content for my coaching program, send out a newsletter for the coaching program, and have two business calls. That's it.
The priorities may change depending on the day, but my commitment to getting them done remains the same because I focus on the daily actions, and that's it.
I don't worry about tomorrow when I still have a list of things to do today. If I did worry, it would be a waste of my precious time and energy. It's not because I think I'm better than anyone else, but because each day we have a limited amount of energy to do high-value work. Whenever I focus on anything other than what I need to be doing right here, right now, I essentially rob myself.
Time will catch up. The small daily actions will accumulate and lead to steady progress. I will get to where I envision myself; it's simply a matter of time.
How different would the world be if people lived for themselves instead of seeking approval from others?
This was one of the most important decisions I made in 2016 when I started to pave my own path in life.
After graduating from Bentley University, a top business school in Boston, I found myself in six figures of debt. Instead of following the crowd and getting a job, I decided to drive Uber full-time while building my first podcast, Purpose in the Youth.
I still remember the expressions on my friends' faces at that time... "You're doing what?" Their faces said it all. They thought it was a foolish decision and a waste of time. They were only spectators, waiting to see how it would turn out.
If I had taken their criticism to heart, I wouldn't have had the confidence to start, and I would likely be doing something I hate just to fit in with my peers.
I refuse to live a life that is not of my own design.
People may have their opinions about my decision to leave Liquid I.V., and that's fine. They're entitled to their thoughts...
But I knew deep down that my true path did not involve working for them. So I had to trust and follow that inner compass.
In August of 2018, I interviewed Brandin Cohen, the founder of Liquid I.V., who shared with me one of his favorite stories that he had personally heard from Scooter Braun, an investor in the company at the time. It was a story about war, where a group burned their ships upon reaching enemy territory to ensure unity and a clear understanding that there was no turning back. With their backs against the ocean, they had no choice but to move forward.
While I don't know how the story ends, the mindset of those soldiers makes it hard to imagine them not succeeding.
I have been building my business while working full-time for Liquid I.V., thanks to effective time management. I was able to smoothly juggle both responsibilities throughout my day without missing deadlines. However, as my role and responsibilities at work increased, I found less time to focus on and grow my business.
At the rate I was going, I could see my business losing momentum, and I was already beginning to resent my work for the company because I no longer enjoyed it.
I saw two options:
1 - Continue as I was and "wait" for the right moment to fully commit to my business.
2 - Create the inevitable moment for myself by burning the boats.
Just as those soldiers burned their boats, leaving them no choice but to move forward, I made the same decision for myself.
When you want to create and step into a new identity for yourself, you often have to let go of something in your life. It could be your career, habits, friendships, or even your environment. Without doing so, it's impossible to step into that new reality and create the life you desire. Embrace change and only look forward.
As my mom said to me on the phone last night, "here's the beginning of how you will live the rest of your life, being an entrepreneur." That really meant a lot coming from her, given that she's been there for me every step of the way and never tried to persuade me to do anything different. If anything, she always challenged my thinking, and I love and appreciate you for that, mom.
Looking at the next few months, I'm going to hyper-focus on a few things and cut out everything else. If it doesn't align, I will pass on it because I simply do not have the time to waste.
Some of my priorities include:
This program is designed to help entrepreneurs, c-level executives, and creators design their life to align with their business and personal priorities. I'm really proud of how the program has evolved in the last 18 months. Seeing some of these clients finally step into a life that is designed specifically for them, what they value, and what they enjoy is a beautiful thing to witness firsthand.
If that's of interest to you, please visit bobbyhobert.com/coach to learn more. I only work with five clients at a time for the 90-day program and am looking to fill all spots by January 26th.
This course will cover everything from creating your personal core values to building a morning routine that works for you, learning how to say no to people, making time for life experiences, and more.
I want to take everything I've learned in the last 7+ years on how to design and step into your dream reality, and I want to help others do the same. There is no exact launch date yet, but please join the waitlist to stay informed about the process and timeline of creating it.
Since resuming the podcast in October 2023 after a hiatus of 16+ months, I am thrilled to be back. I still have a lot of testing to do with solo episodes, guest episodes, and coaching episodes, as I try to find the right balance between what I enjoy creating and what you all enjoy consuming. If you have any feedback, please feel free to reach out to me via DM.
Brands have played a significant role in giving me the confidence to leave Liquid I.V, so I will continue to prioritize this avenue because I enjoy it and it helps support the podcast financially.
So far, I have been fortunate to collaborate with brands such as RXBAR, Google, Hanes, Mack Weldon, Zappos, Dove, and many more. I would love to continue working with brands in the wellness, entrepreneurial, self-improvement, time management, and productivity space. Some dream partnerships would include Athletic Greens, Calm or Headspace, EightSleep, Saucony or Hoka, Plunge or Edge Theory Labs, and any sauna company.
If you know of anyone or if you manage these partnerships yourself, I would love to chat. Please email me: b@bobbyhobert.com.
Once again, I don't believe in having a perfect plan because unexpected things always come up. With that said, I know that 90 days from now, my targets may remain the same or they may completely change. There is no right or wrong in either scenario. I am simply trusting my instincts to guide me in the direction to go and then reassessing my progress.
Michael: Mindset and Relationships
If I had to summarize the key mindset for creating a new identity, it would be: Giving yourself permission to make changes.
This may sound simple, but it can be incredibly difficult to do when you're still attached to your past self or worried about others' opinions.
Both of these are dead ends that won't get you anywhere.
I recently heard Jesse Itzler talk on a podcast about how he understands and accepts that people come and go in his life. He recognizes that he's not the same person he was 10 years ago, so he doesn't expect others to be the same either.
Beliefs, interests, goals, values, and priorities change. And as they do, your environment is likely to change as well. If it doesn't, you may be holding yourself back from fully embracing the new you.
Would your future self be proud of who you are today?
When I say "proud of who you are today," I'm referring to the decisions, actions, and choices you make on a daily basis.
Do these align with the person you aspire to become?
Are you shaping an identity that reflects who you want to be in the future, or are you heading down a path that goes against your own desires?
It doesn't matter if the new year energy and motivation have faded; you still have the power to make changes.
I want 2024 to be the year when everything changes, not just for myself, but also for YOU!
Start creating your new identity today.
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