Nick Bare18 June 2022

Consistently Good Not Occasionally Great - Nick Bare - #488

0Frameworks

11Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Hot Take· 2

Hot Take04:30

Doubt Is Only Dangerous When You Believe It

Nick argues that external doubt is normal and even healthy, but it becomes destructive only when you start doubting yourself. He faced widespread skepticism about his supplement business but used it as fuel, not fear.

People doubted him from the start — mentors, bosses, even friends laughed at his ideas.
He believes doubt is okay as long as you don't internalize it.
The real danger is when you start believing the doubt and lose self-confidence.
His motivation wasn't revenge or a chip on the shoulder — it was passion and purpose.

“Doubt is only dangerous when you start doubting yourself.”
Nick Bare · 04:45

#mindset#self-doubt#resilience#entrepreneurship

Hot Take43:30

Fame Is Not Success — Legacy Is

Nick distinguishes between fame and success. Reality TV fame is fleeting; real success is building something meaningful that leaves a legacy, especially for his future daughter.

Fame without value is 'Monopoly money' — it can’t be monetized or sustained.
Many reality stars gain fame overnight but have no lasting impact.
His definition of success: legacy — being someone his daughter is proud of.
Wants to build a life that allows him to be present for his family.

“For me, it's legacy. I want my daughter in 10 years to say: 'This is who my dad was.'”
Nick Bare · 43:40

#success#legacy#fame#fatherhood

Explainer· 3

Explainer00:00

Why Consistency Beats Occasional Greatness

Nick explains that life is a long endurance event where consistent effort, even when it's not perfect, leads to lasting progress. Trying to be occasionally great leads to burnout, while consistent good effort builds endurance and compound results over time.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint — consistency matters more than bursts of greatness.
Trying to be 'occasionally great' leads to burnout and stopping altogether.
Consistent effort builds endurance and allows progress even when it's hard or uncomfortable.
Long-term results come from compounding small, daily actions over years.

“Life is this massive endurance event where if you try to be occasionally great all the time you're gonna burn out but if you keep…”
Nick Bare · 00:00

#consistency#endurance#personal-growth#mindset

Explainer23:30

Why We Hire for Traits, Not Just Skills

Nick explains his hiring philosophy: prioritize character, resilience, and values over credentials. Skills can be taught, but traits like humility, growth mindset, and teamwork are harder to instill.

Early hires were based on character, not resumes or test scores.
Believes it’s easier to teach skills than to teach traits like integrity and grit.
Netflix’s 'No Rules Rules' influenced his culture — hire talented, principled people and trust them.
Micromanaging kills culture; hiring right people removes the need for rules.

“It's a lot easier to teach skills than it is to teach traits.”
Nick Bare · 24:20

#hiring#company-culture#leadership#entrepreneurship

Explainer33:00

The Three Things That Hold Businesses Back

Nick shares a framework from a founder: product, brand, and people. Most businesses fail not because of product or brand, but because they don’t develop their people consistently.

Three things hold businesses back: product, brand, and people.
Bad product or shallow brand will fail, but most fail at people.
Leaders must constantly develop their team — or the business stagnates.
Stagnant people lead to stagnant business.

“What holds most businesses back is the people.”
Nick Bare · 33:40

#business#leadership#growth#people-development

Story· 3

Story01:30

How I Ran a Sub-2:50 Marathon

Nick shares his journey from a 3:57 marathon to running 2:48:11, emphasizing preparation, self-belief, and public accountability. He trained with confidence, knowing success was inevitable if he put in the work.

Started with a 3:57 marathon in 2018 and got worse before committing to improvement.
Failed first sub-3 attempt with a 3:24, then ran 2:56, realizing the only limit was himself.
Publicly committed to a sub-2:50 goal, trained with confidence, and succeeded.
Crossing the finish line felt like confirmation, not surprise — he knew it was coming.

“I realized what's holding me back — the only thing that's holding me back is me.”
Nick Bare · 02:00

#marathon#running#goal-setting#accountability

Story09:30

How Fatherhood Is Changing My Priorities

Nick shares how becoming a father has shifted his mindset. His morning runs, once filled with business ideas, now focus on how he wants to raise his daughter and what values to instill. He’s excited, not nervous, about this new chapter.

Morning runs used to fuel business ideas; now they focus on fatherhood and values.
He’s not afraid of fatherhood — he sees it as a growth opportunity.
Believes it will make him a better leader, husband, and person.
Wants to be a present father, unlike some who sacrificed family for success.

“What started happening once we got pregnant was those moments of solitude in the morning started to evolve... how do I want to raise my…”
Nick Bare · 10:45

#fatherhood#life-transitions#priorities#personal-growth

Story30:00

How a Messy Company Truck Taught Me About Micromanagement

After an employee returned a company vehicle in poor condition, Nick created a strict checkout system — which backfired. No one wanted to use the truck. He learned that over-control undermines trust and culture.

Reacted to a messy truck by creating a rigid sign-out process.
The system became so burdensome that no one used the truck anymore.
Realized he’d undermined trust in a team he otherwise empowered.
Lesson: Use judgment and culture, not bureaucracy, to solve problems.

“I took a situation where I could have used that as a learning experience and I added these constraints to micromanage people.”
Nick Bare · 30:45

#leadership#culture#micromanagement#business-lessons

Q&A· 1

Q&A78:30

What’s the Price of Being Nick Bare?

Nick admits the cost of his current success is presence — he’s often mentally elsewhere, even with his wife. He’s working on systems to be more present, especially before his baby arrives.

Current price: lack of presence due to packed schedule from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Struggles to be mentally present even when physically with loved ones.
Recognizes it’s a temporary sprint, not a permanent state.
Building systems to improve so he can be more present as a father.

“I feel like I haven't been present lately.”
Nick Bare · 79:10

#work-life-balance#presence#fatherhood#sacrifice

Tool· 1

Tool14:00

Choose What You’ll Suck At — A Strategy for Balance

Inspired by Oliver Burkeman’s '4,000 Weeks,' Nick embraces the idea of deciding in advance what areas of life he’ll let slide — like fitness or social life — to prioritize family and fatherhood without guilt.

You can’t excel at everything; decide what you’ll let decline temporarily.
For him, fitness might take a backseat to being present for his family.
This isn’t forever — it’s periodization, like training cycles.
Accepting this reduces guilt and increases focus on what matters now.

“You need to decide in advance what you're going to suck at.”
Host · 14:20

#time-management#prioritization#fatherhood#balance

Takeaway· 1

Takeaway34:30

My Competitive Advantage Is Consistency

Nick realized his superpower isn't talent or intelligence — it's consistency. He showed up daily in business and training, compounding small efforts over years to achieve outsized results.

Was never the most talented athlete or student, but always showed up.
Built his business brick by brick, day after day.
In South Korea, learned one new thing daily — revenue grew 5x in 90 days.
Consistency compounds like interest — invisible day-to-day, massive over time.

“All I got to do is just keep showing up and chipping away.”
Nick Bare · 38:20

#consistency#discipline#long-term-thinking#growth