And the 4 Pillars of Freedom that got me there

2025 is the best year to start or reinvent your business.

It’s never been easier. That phone or laptop you’re reading this on? It’s the only physical tool you require. And the product can come out of your head. You don’t have to make anything “tangible.”

It’s never been more profitable. The only limitation is your mind. Software and knowledge can be scaled infinitely. That means that whether you sell 100 or 1,000,000, it doesn’t cost you any more to create it.

It’s never been faster. You can go from idea to transaction in a matter of hours. I never build products until I’ve sold them. Because I know that I can create my minimum viable product (MVP) in an afternoon in most cases.

In a recent interview, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman said:

“We’re going to see 10-person companies with billion-dollar valuations pretty soon…in my little group chat with my tech CEO friends there’s this betting pool for the first year there is a one-person billion-dollar company, which would’ve been unimaginable without AI. And now [it] will happen.”

You may not dream of a billion-dollar company. But, it’s reasonable to aspire to 7-8 figures. You can do it without the IQ and stress you imagine it takes.

My 4 Man Team

At the end of 2013, I was making tens of thousands of dollars each month online. It was blowing my mind. Did you think I felt excited? Definitely.

Not only that, but I was having a blast doing it. I felt like a rock star. I was traveling the world with my 3 best friends shooting YouTube videos and podcasting with the top performers in the world.

Our show was ranked number 1 on iTunes for years in the fitness and nutrition category. I signed autographs at athletic events, and people recognized me at airports.

And those tens of thousands each month turned into hundreds of thousands over the next two years. Even more exciting.

And it had little to do with “hard work.”

And a lot more to do with play.

Rewind to 2011, 2 years before the cash came rolling in. I was running a CrossFit gym. This was the most successful business I had so far. My life revolved around it. I was there 7 days a week, 363 days a year. I worked hard then.

I made about $4,000 per month from it after covering all the staff and gym bills. Barely more than what I was making in the Navy 6 years prior, but at least I was working on my terms. Just enough to have a house, a car, and buy groceries.

In those 6 years, I started several other businesses. I hoped to make more money doing something more inspiring than the gym. I shut them all down. They didn’t make the cut.

But in 2011, I learned about this podcasting thing. It reminded me a lot of the radio DJs I grew up with, but different. I always thought that job would be a fun one, but I didn’t consider it career-worthy enough to give my full attention.

Podcasting sounded like the least “job”-like thing I wanted to give my attention.

The barrier to entry was low. I didn’t need permission from a radio station to get in there. I could just do it.

So I did.

Did I do it for the money? No.

Did I believe I would make money doing it? Yes.

Did I know how or how much I would make money with it? No.

It started with my buddy Chris Moore and me meeting at a coffee shop in Memphis, TN on Wednesday mornings. He had read “The 4 Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferris and used one of the strategies in the book to convince his corporate job to allow him work from home once a week. He didn’t work for them, though; he met with me to do a show and focus on writing.

Pillar #1: Time Autonomy

The foundation

This is when you get to choose when you work. Chris didn’t wake up one morning and have complete control over 100% of his days. He did it 10% at a time.

First, he negotiated Wednesday mornings. Which turned into entire Wednesdays. Which turned into him showing up at 10 or 11 am every other day of the week and leaving at 4.

He never actually negotiated anything after the initial Wednesday morning deal. He just kept showing up less. Kind of like the movie Office Space.

He became more productive and valuable at work, despite being away more than his colleagues. In fact, when he finally quit, they tried their damndest to retain him.

Autonomy over his time made him more effective, even if that wasn’t the goal. There’s a gem here about creativity boosting productivity. But, I’ll save it for a future newsletter.

For many people, this is step 1 to moving toward more freedom.

Pillar #2: Task Liberation

Free yourself from what you don’t love

I achieved this by starting my CrossFit gym in the first place. I chose what I was doing, big picture. But early in the business, I did a lot of things I didn’t want to do. Over time, I learned to delegate, and almost every single task became… optional.

First, the cheapest tasks; then the tasks I hated the most.

I delegated my way into an open schedule. The gym was running without my presence.

I spent more of my time reading and taking online courses to find the next level.

Most people starting their first business dream of doing what they love. But they rarely see all the other things that must happen. The list of tasks they don’t actually want to do. Delegating is a skill. It is what provides you with genuine control over your time and tasks.

Delegate tasks. Focus exclusively on your genuine desires.

Don’t worry, Chris also unlocked task freedom eventually.

Pillar #4: Creative Sovereignty

Play with purpose

I know I’m presenting the pillars out of order. Growth is rarely linear 😉

Freedom over time and task?!! What will you do then?

Create, explore, and innovate on your terms.

There’s that famous question for finding your passion. You know the one, “what would you do if you couldn’t fail?”.

Fun exercise, but the mind cannot comprehend the concept. You won’t know until you get there.

I achieved the closest to it. The bite of failure had lost its teeth. I had my basic needs met with a modest income. I spent my time by my choosing, completing tasks I cared about, and creating a new direction for my life.

Fuck Around – Find Out

With each episode we recorded, I became more energized. My creativity blossomed. New possibilities emerged.

Experiments in my garage with guests and trial cohosts ensued on the weekends. After a few months, we brought Doug Larson in to be a permanent cohost with Chris Moore and me. Chris Norman, aka CTP (Chris the Producer), became our director, videographer, sound engineer, editor.

We formed the team and established the name for the show, Barbell Shrugged.

But this didn’t result in cash flowing in by the tens of thousands immediately. For the next 18 months, we dedicated ourselves to making the show great. We spent our own money to travel to guests. CTP sold some musical instruments to invest in cameras and computers.

We didn’t make more than $1,000 in a month during the first year and a half.

But that all changed in August of 2013. CTP and I attended a digital marketing conference and spent $7,000 on the tickets. I had to move quite a bit of money around and talk to business partners to access the money. I was living from month to month.

I walked into the conference excited. But, that feeling quickly turned to failure. It seemed like everyone was making a lot of money online. All I had was a YouTube and podcast audience. Not much money coming my way.

But when I shared with people what we were up to their eyes would go wide and they would say “you’ve already done the hard part!”.

Didn’t feel like it to me. I was just having fun. The hard part seemed like selling.

At that conference I FOUND OUT. I found out the single missing piece to the puzzle that allowed me to turn the audience I gained into money.

Hint: I crafted an offer that was uniquely positioned for my audience.

Because we were playing, it was easy to be unique. And that’s invaluable in the creator economy.

Pillar #3: Geographic Flexibility

Live and work where you thrive

I’ll mention it, but it doesn’t require much explanation. If you have time and task freedom and you’re making enough money, you can live anywhere and travel as much as you like.

Once the online business was crushing it, I moved to one of the most beautiful, expensive places in the world. Southern California, on the water. 

I’ve since based myself out of the best city in the world, Austin, Texas. And spend several months of each year traveling. 

What more could a man ask for? Well, there’s more, and I’ll save that for future conversations.

Most People Get Owned and Never Start

Even though it’s the best time in human history to own a business, it’s also the most likely time in human history to get owned.

Owned by:

• social media doomscrolling
• global fear campaigns
• overwhelming possibilities; the paradox of choice
• politics
• the comfortable living that a soul-sucking job can offer
• outdated advice from the older generation
• and programming from your ancestors

Here’s the trajectory of a person getting owned in 2025:

• Went to school, told what to do
• Went to more school, told what to do but now you can choose your classes
• Got a job, told what to do
• Feels depressed, went to the doctor, prescribed (=told what to do) soul limiting psychiatric meds
• Scrolls social media, told what to think about and how to think about it

As you can see, the slope gets slippery, and perspectives are narrowly shaped.

It’s Not Your Fault but it is Your Responsibility

Your parents didn’t know any better. Neither did the teachers, doctors, police officers, military recruiters, or preachers.

They were all doing the same thing: “Following Orders.”

Have you noticed that “I was just following orders” is a common excuse for poor behavior? I use the word “poor” deliberately.

Our current culture’s favorite historic nation to pick on is Nazi Germany. An entire country “just following orders.” Naive people say they wouldn’t have fallen for it. That they would have been one of the rebels.

But we don’t have to look too far back in our own history and culture to see how many people are in that crowd. I’ve been there (especially being in the military). You’ve been there. We’ve all been there to some degree.

We witnessed horrendous acts conducted on our own countrymen and women in the last 5 years. All in the name of “Following Orders.” People still cling to that statement as a valid excuse, even when they are presented with both statistical and experiential knowledge that life-changing and threatening harm has occurred.

So, if you managed to think for yourself and take the courageous actions necessary to align with your values, then you’re likely in the camp of those who take responsibility. Congratulations. And if you weren’t. It’s ok. You can start right now.

You’re the Exception to the Rule

Most people are slaves to the thought forms and beliefs installed by their ancestry and the culture around them. They’re never going to break out. They fall prey to the belief that they are the victims of circumstance.

What set them up to be exactly where they are right now is not their fault. And that’s where they’ll stop.

You have a choice, though. You can choose responsibility.

The only thing we truly possess is the moment of now. It is now that a new choice can be made. No other time exists.

Don’t concern yourself with those who do not make a new choice. You’re the only one in charge of your moment of now. It’s you who gets to make the choice and they make theirs.

Responsibility Equals Freedom

When Jocko Willink popularized the idea that “discipline equals freedom,” it struck many.

It irritated me.

It’s not that he’s wrong. It’s just not the whole story.

What I’m sharing here is not a challenge to the idea, but a reinforcement of it. You could be disciplined about the wrong things. That might limit your freedom.

Let’s break the word “responsibility” down. Response and ability.

Responsibility = Ability to Respond.

It’s a choice. A gift you can give yourself in any moment.

You can choose your response. You have that ability.

A step further. Your capability limits your response. Your capacity.

Definition of capable: “sufficiently able, having power or capacity, qualified,”.

Capacity or capability grows each time you practice something you have yet to master. If you haven’t mastered it, you must practice discipline. You must engage in uncomfortable activities, thoughts, and feelings.

Comfort happens when you’re well within your current capacity. Pushing those boundaries to expand your capacity is uncomfortable.

When I started Barbell Shrugged I was thoroughly uncomfortable.

I kept showing up. I grew my capacity. I expanded my ability to respond. I became more responsible. The byproduct? Freedom expanded in all directions.

I now have more choices than I did before. I have more authority over my own life.

I broke old mental models I had adopted from my parents and society. I expanded my perspective and could see a much bigger picture. I now have more power over my own life.

Practice can expand your capacity. Choices can expand your responsibility. Do both every day. It adds up.

The Antidote to Fear

When it’s all said and done, it’s fear that keeps you from the new choice. For a long time, I wondered why others didn’t take the leap as I had. After coaching hundreds of clients and much self-reflection, I concluded my relationship to fear was different.

Read my last newsletter for a deep dive into our operations as individuals and what to do about them.

In short, I had a mix of an adrenaline junkie and greater inner security. I earned that by exposing myself to scary tasks and surviving.

Another way of saying it, I experienced an addiction to the “fight or flight” response in my system. And I had faith that I would survive. Give everything up for new possibilities enough times, and it becomes normal.

After years of growth, I gave up my adrenaline addiction. I now embrace my inner security. It gives me better results without the crashes.

Faith is my antidote to fear. Whenever I experience fear, I decree to myself the phrase “I am a man of faith.” This shifts me into a peaceful space where I allow my creativity to flow.

We all experience fear. Take my decree. Use it in those moments of fear. Be a man or woman of faith and watch what unfolds.

Tips to Make It Work for You

Advice I would give to young Mike as soon as he got out of the Navy.

• If your work isn’t a “fuck yes”, lower your living costs. Then, you can fuck around and find out what is.
• Give yourself time autonomy. Spend your best hours being creative (creating something new). Negotiate with your job, staff, spouse, and anybody else necessary to make it happen. This could start with an hour a day. This might mean waking up an hour earlier.
• Delegate and discard tasks. Not all tasks are created equal. Some require more energy than others. Become aware of those tasks that take the most and get rid of them. This also applies to habits. You don’t need to do some tasks and habits at all. You fell into the habit of feeling they’re important. Many can go undone without the world falling apart.
• Write down every task you do, then ask yourself “delegate or discard?”.
• Give yourself no more than 15 minutes a day to think about money. You won’t make money by dwelling on it. Over 15 minutes is a sign of financial insecurity. It’s wasting your creative energy. Hold authority over your thoughts. Be aware of the feelings and practice authority there, too.
• Join a community of people with the same commitment. I went to that marketing conference to find them. You can do it by joining the CoachFlow Community here.

Will it Work For You?

Starting Barbell Shrugged paid off spiritually long before it paid of financially.

If you make the purpose of creative play to make money, you’re choosing the hard route. If you overthink what it is you should do, then you’re no longer playing in creativity.

If you’ve never made money in creative play, it may take months or years for it to become your sole income. Make it ok.

The more time you spend in creative play each day, the faster you’ll get there and the less you’ll care. It’s a great place to be.

Join us in the CoachFlow Community for support.

-Mike Bledsoe