The Weekly Build: Building From a Good Place

I’ve tried to build a consistent weekly blog before.

If I’m honest, I usually only write when something’s heavy. When I have something to unravel..

When I’m tired.
When I’m processing.
When I need to get feelings out of my head and onto paper so they stop echoing.

Writing, for me, has often felt like prayer.

And if I’m being real — I don’t pray the most when everything feels aligned.
I pray when I need help.

How often do we sit down just to say thank you when things are actually good?

Not often enough.

So I’m trying to change that.

This installment of The Weekly Build isn’t about release.
It’s about recognition.

About building from a good place — and being intentional enough to notice it.

Here is what I plan to share :)

What I’m Reading
What I’m Listening To
What I’m Watching
What I’m Building / Working On
What I’m Into (Content, Ideas, Rabbit Holes)
One Thought From the Week

📖 What I’m Reading

What's in It for Them?: 9 Genius Networking Principles to Get What You Want by Helping Others Get What They Want

The premise is almost annoyingly simple:

If you want something… help other people get what they want first.

Radical generosity as long-term strategy.

It’s less about “networking” and more about posture.

Enter the room asking:
What’s in it for them?

And watch what happens.

As someone building vans, partnerships, and long-term plays — this hits. Reputation compounds. Value compounds. Relationships compound.

Being useful — and sincere about it — is undefeated.

🎧 What I’m Listening To

Olivia Dean – “Man I Need”

Dude - this is on mfn repeat lol

Legit. On repeat. Not even my type of tune..

There’s something about Olivia Dean’s voice that feels grounded but open.

Confident without forcing it. Soft without being small.

“Man I Need” has been playing in the background while I dial in van show details and pretend I’m not occasionally in my feelings.

You can build hard and still feel deeply.

Both can exist.

And, her Grammy performance? So perfect.

🎬 What I’m Watching

Finally watched it. FINALLY. why did I wait so longggg?

The takeaway wasn’t speed.

It was margins — if ten people can shave one-tenth of a second off their job each lap, a victory by minutes can be achieved over the course of a race. Mind-blowing. Almost like how life, or football, is a game of inches. Any given Sunday.

Greatness lives in the details. No one applauds the work we do behind the scenes — the things we give up, the sleepless nights. It’s a lot like entrepreneurship.

These details are the difference between winning and losing, living and dying… success and failure. So much in this movie.

Cable routing. Alignment. Calm decision-making at 200 mph.

In my world — cabinet lines, hinge tension, wire runs nobody will ever see. The difference is rarely dramatic.

It’s disciplined.

1% sharper. 1% calmer. 1% more obsessed with doing it right.

That’s the edge. Thats what it takes to live in the 1%.

🚐 What I’m Building

Van show prep is chaos season.

Parts show up late. Deadlines don’t move.
Perfectionism starts flexing like it owns the place.

But here’s what’s different this time:

I’m not building from pressure.

I’m building from belief.

There’s a steadiness right now. A clarity.

And maybe it’s because I’ve been reminded lately that when something feels easy in the right way… you don’t force it.

You let it unfold.

[Some of you will read that line and move on.
One of you will know exactly what I mean.]

🧠 What I’m Into Right Now

Builders who move quietly
Long-term thinking
Emotional regulation as a competitive advantage
Clean aesthetics
Depth over noise
Sam Demma

Less scrolling. More presence.

Alignment is more energizing than chaos. Turns out.

The Real Point

Most of my writing has come from processing weight.

This one comes from momentum.

From that quiet internal nod that says:

“This is right.”

No spiral. No dramatic subplot.
No chaos disguised as growth.

Just steady. And steady might be the most powerful place to build from.

One Thought From This Week

You don’t always have to be fighting something.

Sometimes you’re just building.

And sometimes — if you’re paying attention — you realize you’re building from a place that feels whole.

That’s this installment of The Build. See you sooonnn.

Ironman Haines City - Race Report

IM 70.3 Haines City — welcome back.

It’s been a while.

We’ve been waiting for you.
No, we don’t care that you’re older.
We don’t care that your training got absolutely torched at Thanksgiving.
We don’t care about the gaps, the excuses, the years that slipped by.

We only care about one thing:

You showed up.

And when you show up to Ironman 70.3 Haines City, anything is possible.

LFG.

Six Years Is a Long Time

I hadn’t raced an Ironman in six years.

That’s not a “took a season off” gap. That’s life happening. COVID happening. Plans getting postponed. Races disappearing. Momentum breaking. You getting older whether you like it or not.

Standing on the start line in Haines City, Florida, I wasn’t nostalgic. I wasn’t romantic about it. I was realistic.

This wasn’t going to be easy.
And Ironman doesn’t give a single shit how long you’ve been gone.

Conditions: Yes.

Wind? Yep.
Rough roads? Absolutely.
Heat? Of course.
Cold? Why not.

It was like the course designers said, “Let’s just throw everything at him and see what happens.”

Ironman has a way of stripping things down to the basics. No hype. No ego. Just you, the elements, and how honest you’re willing to be with yourself when it gets uncomfortable.

Mile 40: The Reckoning

Around mile 40 on the bike, my body staged a full rebellion.

Not a cramp.
Cramps. Everywhere.

Hips locked up.
Quads seized.
Calves went nuclear.
Feet cramped so hard it felt like my toes were trying to curl into fists.

It was the kind of pain where your brain immediately starts running the math:
Can I finish like this? Should I stop? How bad is this going to get?

That moment was both the lowest low and the highest high of the entire day.

Low—because the pain was real, sharp, and relentless.
High—because I didn’t stop.

I adjusted cadence. I backed off just enough to survive. I focused on breathing. I stayed calm. I stayed moving.

Six years ago, I might’ve panicked.
Now? I adapted.

That’s not fitness. That’s experience.

The Run: No Negotiations

By the time I hit the run, the cramps came with me. From hips all the way down to my toes.

And the blisters—holy shit.

Not “race blisters.”
The biggest blisters I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Every step hurt. Not dramatically. Not heroically. Just relentlessly.

This is where Ironman gets honest. This is where there’s no one to impress. No crowd noise can save you. No gear choice matters anymore.

It’s just forward motion.

And something clicked.

I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t frustrated. I wasn’t bargaining with the course.

I was calm.

You don’t need to feel good to keep going.
You just need to decide not to quit.

The Finish Line (And the Only Stat That Matters)

7 hours, 55 minutes.

I finished.

And—critically—I beat Tim by five seconds. That’s all that matters. 😏

Why This Race Mattered

This race wasn’t about a podium.
It wasn’t about proving anything on Instagram.
It wasn’t about being who I used to be.

It mattered because I needed to know if I could still do this.

And the answer is yes.

Not because I’m faster.
Not because I’m lighter.
Not because everything went right.

But because I’m stronger where it counts.

I’m wiser. I pace better. I manage adversity better. I don’t spiral when plans fall apart. I don’t quit when the day turns ugly.

Ironman doesn’t reward potential.
It rewards perseverance.

The Real Takeaway

Ironman doesn’t care how long it’s been.
It doesn’t care how old you are.
It doesn’t care how perfect your training block was.

It cares that you showed up willing to suffer honestly.

I did.

And somehow—through wind, cold, heat, rough roads, cramps, blisters, and six lost years—I crossed that line knowing something very important:

I’m back.

Not chasing youth.
Not chasing PRs for ego.
Chasing hard things on purpose.

And I’m ready to fucking crush the next one.

Grateful for all the support - the people that show up - you make it easy to achieve greatness.

Lets fucking go.

Music [jan 2022]

When I first created this blog a few years ago, I thought that I would try to put something in here about what I am reading and what I am listening to.. I listen to [and play] a ton of different genres from dance and house to rock and country.. Some times something just catches my ear that is new and fresh. I have a few to share! But, sadly.. no books to speak of [at the moment, I just grabbed three today that a colleague recommended].

Also - this is music I am enjoying that is not Dave Matthews Band.. I do listen to tunes other than DMB!

Surfaces

From Austin, TX - Surfaces are an American Rock band that currently consists of vocalists/guitarists Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki. Their music is a blend of jazz, soul, pop, hip hop, reggae, and calypso. They have released four studio albums starting with their first, Surf, released in 2017. My fav songs are Wave of You and Come With Me from their latest album, Pacifico. I found them from a snippet on the TV Series A Million Little Things [also, one of my fav shows]. And have been jamming to them for months.

These guys are amazing.. Such melodic tunes that feel good to listen and dance to. Cant wait to see them live.

Here is a link to their website.

Fun fact - after I listened to their album, I sent it to one of my best pal’s and fav DJ’s, Jason. He replied after a day - “there is not a bad song on the album, I listened and tried to dissect it and couldn’t find one”.

Listen to them - you wont be mad :)

Doug Sure

Absolutely find this guy on iTunes and Spotify. Add his available music to your playlist! He is like a nice mix between jazzy hip hop and rock. Really I don’t know how else to describe it.. but he is great and worth a listen. Was also a finalist on The Voice, UK in 2020.

Awesome story - so I am in Barcelona for Ironman back in the fall of 2019 - minding my own business… and walking around the pre-race expo. I see a booth with those amazing Normatec Recovery boots and thought why not?! I know flying is terrible for your body (I had just flown in) so I went to the booth and got a session locked. Was such a great idea for pre-race / post-flight to get my legs ready for the punishment I was prepping to endure.

Shortly after I get settled this dude with dread locks walked in with his Mother and Girlfriend. Had a chat and shared the excitement and anxiety of the race, plus a few laughs [I am always happy when I travel and Ironman can be a very social event]. Ran into same dude at the swim start.. Shared a few more laughs. Just enough to try and break the ice - Ironman can be terrifying! Especially when you are about to swim 2.4 miles in the Mediterranean Sea.

I had a terrible race [see: race reports, Ironman Barcelona] but this dude pushed through and crossed that finish line hearing the most amazing words over the PA “Doug, you are an Ironman”.

Later I found him and connected on social media. Then a year later he shows up on The Voice UK! hah! Small world.

Anyway - great guy and awesome tunes. Give him a listen.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise

A good friend led me to RKS and to be honest I could not be more blown away. For reasons I wont post on here I had to get out of Cincinnati for New Years 21/22 and found myself in DC at The Anthem for a rock concert.

Headliners - Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

Who?! Yes. RKS Band, aka Rainbow Kitten Surprise.

A band I didn’t know of but saw at Sea.Hear.Now. in 2019. By watched, I mean prob went to get food and beer while I was waiting for Dave or The Lumineers to come on as RKS played in the background. Hindsight 20/20 = my loss.

I didn’t know a single song and I was blown away.

Instant fan.

Run, don’t walk, to iTunes and Spotify. Download their shit and turn it up. Pro tip - they will be playing Cincinnati in April ‘22 at the new Promowest Pavilion at Ovation [Newport side of the river]. See you there.

Some background : Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative rock indie band, featuring lead vocalist Sam Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass). Members hail from Boone, North Carolina as well as Robbinsville, North Carolina (Jess Haney and Ethan Goodpaster). The music of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, also known as "RKS", is known for its harmonies, instrumentation and lyrics, and its sound has been influenced by artists Modest Mouse, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean and Schoolboy. [cred - Wikipedia]

Website: RKSband.com

Pandemic Highway

I am sure that hindsight is, and should always be, 20/20. Weird to write that In the middle of January, 2021 based on the year we all just had. Thankfully, hindsight really is [the year] 2020 and we all have a better, new, more refreshed year to look forward to.

During the Pandemic I was busy - busy working on myself and doing a lot of self reflection. i dove deep into work, created two new businesses [side hustles for sure], reconnected with friends and family, and tried to enjoy as much of this weird world as I could. There was no real travel, so I set out on the road and lived in an RV while working remote for half the year. While out there, I had an idea… and thats where it started.

Engine 13 Overland - engine13.co - was born in a pandemic, because I was so sick of pulling a camper. I wanted to buy a van, that turned into building a van, that turned into building and selling vans. Then the firehouse. Then the business and brand to go along with it. We have come a long way in a short time, but the sky is the limit and the future holds nothing more than and huge degree of excitement. The world is re-opening and we are ready!

Engine13 was conceived in a pandemic - at a time where the uncertainty of the world made it a scary place. People were hunkered down in their homes mildly expecting the world to burn around them. In many cases, it did. Our new reality is so much different than just a year ago.

People were alone in isolation, quarantining from the world and the virus. Losing their mind. I get it..

In March 2020 I was alone in my NYC apartment and didn’t know what to expect in the coming months. I knew I couldn’t just sit there and go through the motions - wake up, walk the dog, eat breakfast, work for a few hours, eat lunch, work a few more hours, walk the dog again, maybe ride my Kickr / Peloton.. turn on the TV, watch a show.. eat something.. and then pass out only to wake up the next morning and do it all over again.

I couldn’t do it. I could not just sit there. Thats not living to me. I cant live like that.

I made one of the best decisions of my life and I hit the road. Working remote from an RV Camper. Spending time in the mountains and soaking up life rather than letting my situation suck the life out of me.

Engine13 was conceived in a pandemic - while sitting around a campfire after a long day of working remote.

I spent 6 months on the road in that RV. The goal of Engine13 is to empower you to do something similar - take pics, sip whiskey by a fire, tell stories and make memories.

We encourage you to get out and travel responsibly. Cleanse your soul. Feel free to drop a comment or message Engine13 directly info@engine13.co.

Shred the Gnar

As another winter gets closer and closer [some would say it is here] I have to reflect on my rekindled love with the mountains. Last year was the first time in a long time that I made an effort to get out more and spend more time on my snowboard.. sliding sideways down a steep ass mountain through loads of powder and feeling like a kid again. I can’t express how good it felt to be back out there.

I had a hiatus from the snowy slopes of the world for about 4 years… Why? Lots of reasons. With any hobby, the longer you go since you last picked it up the longer it takes to get it back. For me I also had a few blockers - the largest one, dating someone that didn’t share the same interests as me. She didn’t exactly keep me from the mountains, but she didn’t exactly empower me to go. Thats on me, and a lesson to be learned. If you can’t be yourself and do the things you want to do while in a relationship, you just might want to move on.

Moving on…Life hack time:

You can leave your office in New York City at 5pm on Friday night and take a flight west to places like Lake Tahoe and Salt Lake City. You can then Shred the Gnar for two full days and catch a red eye back to New York City on Sunday night getting you in to either JFK or EWR early enough on Monday morning to drop your gear at home and head to the office before anyone even knows you were gone. Question is - can you function on 4-5 hours of sleep on a Monday to get some legit slope time in? I def can. I’ll see you out there this winter (and please, be nice to those of use that are crazy enough to do this - let us sleep on the plane - I can function on 4 hours of sleep but I cant function on none).

**Notes**

JetBlue is the only provider that offers non-stop service JFK to Reno / Lake Tahoe. They also have the largest seats on any plane that I have been on and charge a modest $25 for your board.

SLC is the closest city to any Gnarly Mountain terrain. I really like Brighton and Solitude.

Porto

Today is a special day. I am in Porto [Portugal] and wandering around a brand new city, solo. Solo travel is not for the faint of heart, but it is so good for the soul.

I needed it.

My New York City life has been hectic and stressful for the past few months. I didn’t realize it until today, but I had so many things filling up my plate with work, dating, Ironman training, taking care of my dog, and staying in contact with my family that I was always tired. Even after a good night sleep I woke up exhausted.

It was stress.

I am super lucky and don’t usually have stress, so logically I just thought I was tired. What do you do when you are tired? DRINK MORE COFFEE! Back to reality - I had taken on too much and lost track of things that are the most important to me. To my life. Today I can find solace taking time to walk around a new [beautiful] place and meet new people, soak in the culture, have a few drinks, and reflect.

So, thats exactly what I did. I slept in late.. Had no agenda. Got up, had some coffee and just started walking. Cruising around on foot with nowhere to go and nothing in particular to see. Just walking.. Listening to the sounds of the city.. What a romantic place Porto is! The streets are vibrant and full of music, people walking and talking and enjoying themselves. So much charm. Love is alive in Porto.

Man vs Wild

I feel like this is the appropriate title for my relationship with Charlie, my 110 lb adorable, pain in the ass, Doberman of a lapdog. If you want to see more about the life and times of one Charles W Lindeman, please visit his insta page @charleswdoberman. His captions are funny and he is a world traveler :)

We fight all the time lol and have to try and navigate through who is the boss of who. To be honest he wins because I cave and give him what he wants (as long as its not a slice of my pizza). The love a dog gives to us is so deep and really not fair that it only lasts for 10-15 years. Charlie is 9 now and I cant imagine life without him. The bitching and fighting is worth it.

I also feel like Man vs Wild is my life.

“The mountains are calling and I must go.”

John Muir and I have / had so much in common. Sometimes I just feel like I need to go. Living in New York City the mountains call me all the time. Gotta GTFO of the city and clear my head. Head out to hike with Charle. Head to Utah to snowboard. Just. Go. Explore. See things and experience things. Try food and wander..

Charlie and I like to head north to the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We love to hike and run around. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have so many things to offer and its all less than a 5 hour drive. If you are reading this and get the chance, head north to Phoenicia and look for Wittenberg Mountain (Catskills). Its a super challenging but super rewarding climb. There are some streams to cross and lots of rock scrambles - reward is a beautiful view at the top. Check it out here.