“It’s Up to Me Now”
There are moments that burn themselves into your DNA.
For me, it was standing over my dad’s bed knowing the chapter was over—and realizing there was no one else to call. It was holding my dog in my arms for the last time, right in the middle of a world that had shut down from the pandemic.
Everything around me was silent, but inside, something finally clicked: it’s up to me now.
I wasn’t angry anymore. I was emptied out. The markets were frozen, people were scared, and I felt like I was treading water—half drowning, half pretending to be fine.
Money wasn’t the issue; time and direction were. Freedom without purpose can turn into a trap. People see you have time and start expecting you to fix their chaos.
That’s when I learned: you can’t pour from an empty cup.
You have to build a life that refills you before you give to the world.
So I started rebuilding from the inside out.
If you’re a man between 35 and 45, listen up—because this isn’t theory:
Put 15 hours a week into real training. Heavy lifts. Sweat. Iron over excuses.
Get your blood tested and optimize what’s broken. Hormones, vitamins, deficiencies—fix them before they fix you. This changes most men in 30 days.
Bring AI into your daily work. Let it handle the admin, the writing, the re-structure—so you can think and lead again. Outsource something to AI, Try it.
Stop flipping the $300K houses hoping to make a living. Find one partner in the next 90 days and chase the $3 million building instead. Offer them 75% equity, sign the loan, put in 5–10%. Skin in the game is the best education there is. The right WHO brings the HOW, you offering equity is excellent step.
And start building a digital arm to your business. People are selling PDFs of recipes making 5-6 figures; you can sell years of real-world knowledge?!
The world reset. I did too.
You can either keep playing small or design a model that fits the new world. Now’s the time to start creating a Shift - as well as your own personal operating system (OS).
I’m putting my money where my mouth is.
I’m building the online side of my business to share the scars, the wins, and the skills + systems that actually work. It’s a new venture but I want to help people continue their growth without hitting the inevitable wall of change from that growth.
If this hits you—if you’re done grinding on small flips and you’re ready to level up into your first $3 million deal within 90 days—let’s talk.
Subscribe to the Freedom Stack OS newsletter, or better yet, apply for a 1-on-1 or group session.
We’ll map out your reset together.
Because no one’s coming to save you.
It’s up to you now.
And that’s the best news there is.
— Steve
Founder, Freedom Stack OS
Photo location: AMLI hotel Austin Texas - I stay here downtown when traveling to Austin