Hungry & Hopeful
I was very early in my speaking journey – hungry, hopeful, and doing everything I could to convince someone, anyone, to hire me to speak.
My youngest daughter, Brooke, was along for the ride whether she knew it or not.
One evening, I brought her to an NSA Carolinas Chapter banquet to hear a prominent, highly successful woman speaker share the real blueprint of a speaking business – the hours behind the stage lights, figuring out systems, the setbacks, and the relentless preparation before anyone ever says “yes”.
When we walked out of the banquet room, I turned to her and asked, “So, what stood out to you from her message?”
She stopped walking, turned to me and without hesitation, she said:
“Dad, I didn’t know how hard you have to work before you get to do what you love.”
I gave her a huge hug and said, “Baby girl, if you keep that wisdom with you, you will be unstoppable in whatever you choose to do in this life.”
She was 14 years old and she got it.
The Shovel Is Non-Negotiable
That moment has lived in me for years and it applies to every leader, every team, every person chasing something that matters.
The work before the work is real.
The unglamorous, unrecognized, non-Social Media worthy work of showing up and digging – that is where the foundation is built.
We live in a world that broadcasts the highlight reels of the stages, championships, and ceremonies.
But no one applauds the cold calls. No one sees the nights you wondered if it was worth it (I’ve had so many of those nights, friends! Maybe you can relate?).
Yet that is where everything is forged.
I read this quote in 2018 when I started this journey and it reinforces Brooke’s thought:
“I’ve seen God move mountains yet I still have to pick up my shovel and dig.”
Here’s what I’ve learned from 25+ years in the high-performance world of motorsports and nearly a decade building something of my own:
- The shovel is non-negotiable. You don’t get to skip the digging. Not in racing. Not in business. Not in life. You actually cheat yourself when you skip this.
- Discomfort is the contract. When you commit to doing what you love, you sign an agreement to do a lot of what you don’t love first. That’s part of the deal.
- Gradually, then suddenly. The work feels invisible until it isn’t. Champions aren’t built in the big moments. They’re built in the thousands of quiet, micro-moments before it.
Celebrating Brooke!
This past Saturday, Brooke walked across a stage at University of North Carolina Wilmington and accepted her college diploma.
And next month, she starts her first job in sales for ADP.
She’s stepping into her own shovel season! Yes, the beautiful, messy, necessary work before she fully steps into what she was made to do.
I couldn’t be more proud of her (and all three of my children!).
But more than proud, I’m in awe because the wisdom she shared at 14 is wisdom she’s going to need for the rest of her life.
And so will you
Post-Grad Family Pic (minus our son, Blair, who is serving in the military)
Your 3 Shovel Action Steps This Week
ACTION STEP 1 – Personal Diagnostic: Sit with this question today: What “shovel” work are you currently avoiding or resenting? Name it. That resistance is data not judgement. Often it’s pointing directly at something important for you.
ACTION STEP 2 – Reality Check: On a scale of 1-10, how consistently are you showing up for the unglamorous work this week – not just the high-visibility work? If your number is below a 7, ask yourself: what’s one small shift I can make tomorrow morning?
ACTION STEP 3 – Team Exercise: In your next team meeting, ask this question: “What’s one piece of the process we’ve been skipping or rushing that’s costing us performance?” Then listen. The answers will surprise you and give you a runway to dig together.
Pick Up Your Shovel
Every day you pick up your shovel and dig, you’re building something.
Even when no one is watching.
Especially when no one is watching.
Keep digging! 🏁
Mike