First Cold Call

1 big thing: Cold calling

When I signed up for my first ultra race, I knew it would include a lot of training miles. Similarly, when I signed up to lead Bull Benefits, I knew it would include a lot of sales effort. No brand recognition. No marketing budget. No leads. I didn’t actually do much dialing in 2023. That was before The Brave Blog was launched though! And today, we are celebrating a very, very small win. I only made one single call. But I did talk with the prospect and it went over like you would expect: a dismissive person on the other end of the line, not open or interested in my solution.

Why it matters. I was brave and that was the goal for today. I made the call. I learned that HR managers may care less about healthcare cost savings and I will change my pitch.

Here is a template I am using in my Grammarly app to prompt me to think about possible brave moments to explore during the next day:

Brave Life

• Complete a 90 min run (I did a 60 min one)

Brave Career

• Creates sales list (not done)

• Ask M.S. for an intro to his friend he offered to before the holidays as a potential business advisor (not done)

• Call Z company to cancel the software (done)

Brave Faith

• Reach out to Pastor to talk about some big life thoughts (done)

• Invite guys to the Fellowship (partially done)

• Write down real feelings/questions about God and life (not done)

It’s exciting being two for two!

-Justin

One Brave Thing

1 big thing: My daily brave blog begins

It’s January 1st. Aspirations are high, ideas are flowing, and a full year of possibilities lay before us all. I’m challenging myself to write every day in 2024. Each night, I ask my two daughters (10 and 7 at the time of this writing), “What was your brave or kind moment of the day?”

I started doing this because I noticed they would defer to others and be more reserved in public. I wanted them to say “yes” to new experiences and be willing to endure uncomfortable situations to experience a richer life. I also want them to be kind-hearted humans, so I ask them to share a brave and/or kind moment. After the girls provide their answers each night, I share mine.

So here is my public journal, The Brave Blog, documenting the process of a soon-to-be 40-year-old living a brave and kind lifestyle to honor the same request I made of my daughters. I’ll focus on how to live a more courageous life in my professional career, personal life, and Christian faith. 

Why it matters. I’ve already witnessed the magic of “bravery accountability” with my girls. After a couple of years of asking what their brave/kind moments were during the day, it has turned into a habit. They have started actively choosing brave moments during the day to have something to tell me each night. Examples include going down a scary long slide at a park, running with me, or feeding the animals when they don’t feel like it. My blog posts will explore the following areas to grow in bravery: 

• Career Brave Moments. I am responsible for growing a new spin-out business at dooable health™ called Bull Benefits in 2024. I will need to market, sell, and then provide the consulting services to make Bull Benefits a success. Lots of brave moments await here! 

• Life Brave Moments. As if being a husband, dad, and business leader is not enough to produce opportunities for brave moments, I’m also training for a 100-mile ultra marathon in March 2024. I’m usually experimenting with my health, tracking something, or leaning into a health strategy that will hopefully expand my lifespan longevity. This area will be fun to see what happens. 

• Faith Brave Moments. The challenge of living an authentic life that reflects Jesus Christ is full of brave moments and opportunities. When do you speak up? When do you silently serve? This is one of the scariest aspects. 

I’m one-for-one for blog entries. Let’s keep up the fun! Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, The Brave Blog, to get a weekly summary of posts and articles. 

Cheers to a brave new year ahead,

Justin