Just because we’re getting older doesn’t mean we stop pursuing excellence.

In fact, I’d argue the opposite. Midlife is the best time to pursue it.

We’ve lived enough life to know what matters. We’ve made mistakes, learned lessons, built perspective. We’re not chasing someone else’s definition of success anymore. We’re applying what we know to become the best version of ourselves and finding real fulfillment in the process.

And honestly? That sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Before we can commit to excellence, though, we have to define what it is, and just as importantly, what it isn’t.

Excellence is not hustle-culture bullshit. It’s not waking up at 4 a.m. to cold plunge and telling the Internet about it. It’s not extreme restriction, chest-thumping, or performative discipline. It’s not sacrificing your soul or bending the knee just to make more money.

Excellence is throwing yourself fully into the things that support your values.
It’s caring deeply. Giving a damn. Doing hard work with integrity and character. Creating. Contributing. Standing up for what you believe in.

It’s also a powerful source of internal stability when you live your values in an increasingly chaotic world.

That’s why I believe we need to reclaim excellence as both a personal and cultural aspiration. Now more than ever.

That’s Brad Stulberg, and why I wanted to spend some time talking to him about his new bestseller, The Way of Excellence.

I’ve been following Brad’s work for years. We’re both Michigan grads, husbands, fathers, athletes, and coaches. His work is relatable, credible, and aspirational: my criteria for people I pay attention to.

Brad explores mental health and mastery in a way that actually resonates. Not woo-woo or academic fluff. Just a clear, man-to-man, “that makes sense” approach to sustainable excellence.

We share a deep interest in the philosophical and psychological foundations of what I call Mastering the Middle, getting the best out of yourself on the things that matter most and committing to the habits and practices that make it possible.

Like Brad, I’ve spent years interviewing high-performing men in midlife. And whether someone is trying to win a Super Bowl, build or sell a company, write a book, raise a family, reinvent themselves, or simply get back in shape, the same principles show up again and again.

Brad was generous enough to share an advance copy of his book with me, and if you connect with my writing and the way I approach business and life, you’ll enjoy his work too.

We spent an hour talking about the things we care about: clarity, values, integrity, goals, and yes, even the simplicity and complexity of the deadlift. (Brad’s current goal? Lift 600 pounds. Respect.)

We also talked about the idea that the pursuit of excellence creates what he jokingly called a humble badass and why the world needs more men like that right now.

Brad’s North Star for midlife excellence says it all:

“Know your values. Live them. Give a damn.”

That’s the work.

Below is my conversation with Brad Stulberg. Watch it. Listen to it. And grab a copy of The Way of Excellence today.

In health,