Eddie Pinero

I've worked like a madman for 10 years to build this company and this brand, and certainly I've seen some progress.

In this industry, I've gotten to surround myself with some incredible people, and every time I walk into a room with folks that I've looked up to for years,

I'm grateful, which is good, but sometimes too grateful, which is my entire point, right?

At some point, you have to transform from looking up to into being one of, to give yourself permission to belong.

And yes, you need to do the work.

And yes, confidence is earned.

But if you don't give yourself permission to do a thing, not kind of or sort of, but to fully with all your heart and soul be that thing, I think you'll always be leaving part of yourself on the shelf.

It feels like, to me, a lingering defense mechanism.

You can't be great if you're not all in.

And part of growth has been reflecting and asking, hey, you say you're all in, but are you?

Are you immersed?

And that's what I want.

I think to some extent that's what we all want, to not just do it, but be it.

In a million years, I don't think my yoga teacher would expect that a word's prompted a 10-minute rant, starting with my childhood on the West Coast, but man, did that comment create a lightbulb moment for me.

It set the stage for such a beautiful epiphany.

It's like you've been doing the thing for 10 years.

You've grown in so many areas, but have you given yourself permission to become what you're seeking?

Not kind of, but pour yourself into it.

It's who you are, the environment, the people, the variables, the ups and the downs, all of it is who you are.

Just imagine what that freedom would allow.