Matt's Mix Tape, Vol. 141
Hi, I’m Matt Tillotson, and this is Matt’s Mix Tape: ideas on using writing and exercise to remix ourselves in middle life.
This week’s Mix:
Accomplishment doesn’t eradicate imposter syndrome
De-age yourself with a brisk walk
102 marathons in 102 days
This week’s Florida photo
Accomplishment doesn’t eradicate imposter syndrome
Ken Evans invited me to speak to entrepreneurs in the Tampa Bay Innovation Center’s B2B Startup Accelerator. We talked about building in public: sharing the challenges and triumphs of building a new business so others can learn from your experience.
The number one challenge keeping this group from writing and sharing?
Imposter syndrome.
Write of Passage students face the same challenges. Accomplished professionals from globally known companies. Millionaire entrepreneurs. Published authors. It doesn’t matter. All hear that same voice inside:
“Who am I to share this online?”
Not only are you worthy of sharing online: it’s a moral imperative to share what you’re learning. You owe it to people who need to learn from you. You owe it to your business. You owe it to yourself.
If you’re building a business, you have have an amazing opportunity to:
Get instant feedback on new feature and service ideas
Draw people into your company narrative, telling your story step by step
Build new relationships with customers, influencers, potential partners, and media
You’ll never feel “it’s time” to publish online. You just do it. You push through the resistance. And then you do it again.
Don’t hoard your knowledge. Like money, you can’t take it with you when you die. Share it now.
De-age yourself with a brisk walk
Walking is the lowest-effort, highest return exercise for fighting aging, obesity, mood disorders, and on and on.
the Leicester-based team of researchers estimate that a lifetime of brisk walking could lead to the equivalent of 16 years younger biological age by midlife.
A faster pace was associated with longer telomeres.
Telomeres are the ‘caps’ at the end of each chromosome, and hold repetitive sequences of non-coding DNA that protect the chromosome from damage, similar to the way the cap at the end of a shoelace stops it from unravelling.
And there’s a bonus to walking faster: you burn more calories. This is unlike running, where you burn the same calories over a given distance no matter how fast you go.
Longer telomeres and larger calorie burn. Let’s get going.
102 marathons in 102 days
Incredible.
Hunt-Broersma went from diagnosis to amputation in three weeks:
Hunt-Broersma, who was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, had her leg amputated in 2001 at the age of 25 after contracting Ewing sarcoma, a rare cancer that can occur in and around the bones.
At age 46, she plans to do two more marathons to get to a nice round 104. And why not?
“I feel like I can inspire people,” Hunt-Broersma told Know Your Value. “I'm a big believer that you're a lot more capable than you think.”
I’d say so.
Hunt-Broersma raised money for Amputee Blade Runners, and reminds us middle age is a great time to accomplish new and amazing things.
This week’s Florida photo
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Hello to 23 new subscribers!
Thank you for reading.
Whatever you’re working on or working through: keep showing up.