Before I headed to Princeton, I spent two years in Northeast Brazil as a Mormon missionary. No technology. No dating. Just knocking on doors and preaching at street corners and on buses. An evangelist in the truest sense. It was an experience i’ll cherish forever.

The Comfort Zone

Each mission has a Mission President — an older, wiser, more experienced leader to help manage this large group of 19-21 year-olds. My Mission President was a retired Colonel from the Brazilian military. Great friend and mentor.

Just one year into my mission, I was assigned to work along side the Mission President to help lead/manage the entire mission (200+ missionaries in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil). I helped lead the strategy and vision in helping convert people to our faith. It was a wonderful learning experience and I was grateful for the opportunity to serve in that capacity. There are so many parallels between running a mission and running a business, but that’s for another post.

Life as a mission leader wasn’t always easy, but it certainly wasn’t as challenging as knocking doors under the hot sun, day in and day out, like the other missionaries in the field. We worked from the air-conditioned mission office, traveled around with the Mission President speaking/training missionaries, and made sure everything in the mission was running smoothly and effectively.

It was comfortable. It was stable.

The Assignment

With a few months left in my two-year mission, my Mission President pulled me into his office. We were preparing for the arrival of a new Mission President (they rotate every three years) so I expected a conversation regarding the transition period — how i’d help the new President get acquainted with the missionaries, the geographic regions, the processes, the metrics, etc.

Instead, the conversation was quite different.

My Mission President wanted me to leave the mission office and finish my mission out in the mission field, preaching at street corners and teaching in peoples homes. He wanted me to train a new missionary (someone fresh to the mission who didn’t speak a lick of Portuguese). He said I could choose the missionary and that I could choose the area. He said that I had more to learn, and that I needed to get out of the mission office to learn it. He capped the conversation off with these words: “The comfort zone is of the devil.”

He was so right.

I’ll never forget the great experiences I had during those last few months of my mission when I was out in the field. It was hard. It was challenging. It was draining. But it pushed and stretched me in a way that i’ll forever be grateful for. It was an incredible learning experience. I needed that bucket of water thrown on me. I needed to step out of the comfortable life in the mission office.

The Conclusion

Since that time during my mission, i’ve tried to frequently ask myself this question: how can I get out of the comfort zone? How am I challenging myself? How can I force myself to grow and learn?

This world is getting more and more competitive. People are working harder and getting smarter. Troves of knowledge and information are at our finger tips. There are increased resources for productivity and efficiency. People are leveraging the latest and greatest technologies and methods to “get ahead.” It’s cut-throat. It’s sometimes brutal.

To stop expanding our skill-set is to live dangerously. The workplace is becoming too competitive to be satisfied. Constant development isn’t just to thrive, but to survive.

The teams and individuals who will win in these fast-paced, rapidly-changing times will be those who are constantly challenging themselves, constantly learning, constantly evolving, and constantly killing the comfort zone.

The comfort zone isn’t always bad. But it if it hinders, stops, or slows your personal progress, then it must be dealt with. It’s much easier said than done. But in my limited experience, it’s definitely a discipline worth pursuing. Whenever I step out of my comfort zone and attempt something extraordinary, I always grow stronger because of it.

Back to the hustle.

“A man grows most tired while standing still.” – Chinese Proverb

Earlier this week I attended a BUILD event in Oakland. BUILD’s mission is to use entrepreneurship to excite and propel disengaged, low-income students through high school to college success. They asked if I would participate and be a judge. Teams of students pitched their ideas and us judges asked questions, gave feedback, shared advice, etc. I had fun mingling with the students and sharing war stories before and after the formal event. I also did a video interview for the school’s news station. It was an enjoyable experience and I hope to continue to be involved with the program.

As I reflected on my drive home over the Bay Bridge, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was living a life with enough meaning. Am I helping where I can? Am I actively looking for these types of opportunities to share my talents and knowledge?

I’m convinced that we are happiest when we are giving to others — giving our time, our knowledge, our resources, our talents, our energy, our vision. It’s fulfilling. Unfortunately, it’s much easier said than done. It doesn’t come easy. We’ll have a great experience like this but the feeling will often fade fast.

The BUILD program seems to be a sweet spot for me. It’s at the cross-hairs of what I love. I love youth and believe in the power of education. I believe in opportunity, especially for minorities or those who come from under-privileged homes. I love entrepreneurship and startups. If even just one person went away inspired, motivated, or uplifted by my thoughts or experiences… then my work was a success. That’s fulfilling.

It’s so much easier to serve when it’s something you’re truly passionate about.

We all have skills. We all have passions. We all have areas of expertise. Most of the time we won’t have to organize a thing. If we actually look, we’ll find a program or organization that’s already plugged in. The key is finding organizations that do what we love. That way it won’t be hard to find the time — we all find time to do what we love.

What are you doing to give back? Where’s the meaning in your life? Think about it.

Note: This post is as much for me as anyone else. I need to step up my game.

I was lucky enough to make the varsity basketball team my freshman year in high school. It was a dream come true. Overnight, I got all the attention and popularity a young 15-year old can handle before the head explodes.

The Senior

I knew I wouldn’t get much playing time in the varsity games but I wasn’t afraid to be aggressive in practice. I wanted to help the team the best I could.

There was a Senior on the team who was a really good player. He played college ball and went on to play professionally overseas. Unfortunately, he was also a major jerk.

This Senior made basketball practice a living nightmare for me.

If I turned the ball over — he’d yell at me. If I missed a jumper — he’d yell at me. If I got stuffed taking the ball to the rack — he’d yell at me. He got on my case for every little mistake I made.

I quickly became just a warm body out on the court — just taking up space. I’d get the ball and look to pass immediately. I was afraid to even just dribble. I didn’t wanna get yelled at. My nickname became “not-a-factor.” Everyone knew I wasn’t gonna try anything.

I was terrified of doing anything wrong. I was afraid to fail.

The Pattern

I hear of this type of thing happening far too often. Teams. Groups. Organizations. Companies. Whatever. Doesn’t matter what the setting or industry or profession — it happens all the time.

You aggressively go out on a limb to create something remarkable. You take a risk. You attempt the impossible or unproven.

There’s just one small problem… it doesn’t pan out. It doesn’t work. It fails.

The Senior (maybe a manager, a coworker, a teammate, a boss) isn’t pleased. He gets on your case. He says things like, “How bout we just stick to what we know works” or “Let’s get more data or do more research before we try something like that again.”

You keep trying new things but the resistance grows stronger with each failed attempt. You become discouraged, disappointed, disheartened. Though not always explicit, the message becomes loud and clear: stop trying new things.

So you do. You stop attempting. You stop pushing the envelope. Boo. Boo. Boo. Triple boo.

The Environment

Any environment where creativity, innovation and calculated “risk taking” isn’t embraced is an environment from which you should run far, far away. There won’t be progress. There won’t be happiness. Just static nothingness. Paper pushing all day. Bleh.

Everyone gives lip service to letting their team try new things. The true test isn’t in how the organization responds to the idea of innovation and creativity. Rather, it’s how the organization responds to failure. Does your organization embrace failure like it does victory? Does the team feel encouraged to try, try and try again — even when previous attempts failed?

The Solution

There’s no easy solution if you’re caught in this rut of an environment. You can either quit and find a better environment or you can keep persisting. Keep going. Keep trying. Keep believing.

You may not be the oldest. You may not be the most experienced. You may not be the smartest. The one thing that you do have that most don’t: guts to try. Most people are content watching from the sidelines or bleachers. You be the Man in the Arena.

I’m reminded of this with a special bookmark I have. My father gave it to me while in high school. It’s a simple index card etched with the handwritten words, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid of being special.”

Embrace your failures. Let them pepper your path to greatness.

“Ships are safe at harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

A random encounter with a hot chick at Princeton is what put me on the path i’m on. Let me tell you how it happened…

It was the first week of my freshman year at Princeton. I was excited about the atmosphere, the people, the prestige, the professors, all of it. I was soaking it all in. I had reached my ultimate goal of getting into an Ivy league school. I proudly wore my Princeton hoodie everywhere I went. I was a Tiger.

There was an all-school event in one of the gyms where all the student clubs, organizations and groups could showcase who they were and why all of us eager freshmen should join their organizations. It was like a big expo or fair — each organization had their own booth. The place was packed. A capella groups. Newspapers and literary magazines. Comedy troupes. Heritage clubs. Athletic teams (not varsity). Drama geeks. Volunteer orgs. Dance groups. All the freshmen were being bombarded with promises of an amazing experience. We all felt loved; it was an exciting time. The friendships we would form would surely change our life forever.

The Dancer Chick

As I was literally walking out the doors, backpack full of flyers and handouts, someone grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back inside. I was startled — was I about to get into my first college fight. Was someone about to get beaten down. Nope. Instead, a really cute girl asked, “Do you dance?”

That was the moment.

“Sure,” I slowly muttered. “I don’t so much dance… but I like to dance. If that makes sense.” I grew up shaking my latin booty in mirrors and at local parties. I loved to dance but I was never trained as a dancer.

“Tryouts are later today. We’d love to have you.”

She handed me the flyer, gave me an upperclassmen wink and smile, and went on her way. Me joining that dance group seemed out of the question and crazy. I had never had to memorize a piece of choreography in my life.

I remember lying down in my bed when I got back to my dorm, just looking up at the ceiling. Pondering. I kept thinking about that cute girl. Kept thinking about how college is a place to test your limits, explore and try new things. I also thought about all the other cute girls I was certain i’d meet if I went and danced. Ohhhh yeeeah.

I decided to go for it. I auditioned (in my jeans). I got in (surprisingly). I was the newest member of BodyHype.

My time with BodyHype was memorable. It was the closest sense of “team” and “community” I felt during all my time at Princeton. We practiced hours at a time, three times a week for the entire year. We hung out all the time. I loved those people. For those interested, you can see a few pics/posts of my BodyHype days here, here and here. Lol.

The Accomplice

One friendship I formed in BodyHype was with Jeremy Johnson. He wasn’t much of a dancer (like me) but he was eager to try something new. He’s an innovator, a leader, a thinker. I don’t doubt that someday he’ll be a senator (or something like it) after a very successful career starting companies. He was a junior at the time and running for Student Body President. I helped him run his campaign, passed out flyers with him, built his campaign website, and did whatever it took to get him elected. Unfortunately, he came in a close 2nd.

We hung out a lot and started thinking about startups, entrepreneurship and hustlin’ in general. He had a sharp mind and I enjoyed discussing the most random of topics with him. I had just finished my college admissions process and along with another student, Joe Perla, we started thinking about how we could solve some of the massive inefficiencies in college admissions. The whiteboarding, brainstorming, and researching began. We spent our entire summer together, attacking this problem from all angles. In the end, things fell apart with the team and we went our separate ways. Some went back to school, some went on to work with other startups. But the inspiration and the seeds of what would later become Zinch all started during that time together.

The Outcome

I dropped out of Princeton. I moved back to my home state of Utah and joined up with Sid Krommenhoek and Brad Hagen to start Zinch. Fast forward 4+ years. VC-backed. We have more than 3 million users. We work with more than 900 colleges and universities. We have more than 60 full-time employees. We have offices in 3 locations with reps all over the world. Zinch is doing great.

Zinch would have never started had I not spent an entire summer thinking about college admissions with Joe Perla and Jeremy Johnson. That summer would have never happened had I not formed a friendship with Jeremy. I would have never met Jeremy had it not been for BodyHype Dance Company. I would have never joined BodyHype had it not been for Natasha Kalimada stopping me that day at the fair.

It is crazy to think that it all started with a cute girl asking if I liked to dance — such a seemingly small and insignificant moment. It was just a blip on life’s radar. Yet…it altered the course of my life.

Zinch has been the best experience of my life. I’ve met great people and i’ve learned more than what 10 years at Princeton could have taught me. Zinch has shaped who I am. It has broadened my vision for who I can become. And as a bonus, it has paid the bills (except in the early days). It has fed my family. It has allowed me to do what I love doing, creating. I have a wonderful wife and son and we enjoy life in San Francisco. The big “exit” hasn’t arrived yet but i’m confident it will someday.

The Conclusion

I’m not one who believes in destiny. I’m not one who believes in fate. I believe we all have a choice — a choice to do what we wanna do, to be who we wanna be, and to become who we wanna become. But there are moments, the smallest of moments, that can significantly alter our path. There have been various moments like this in my life, though few as defining and clear.

Life is so interesting. Our journey is full of surprises. These moments are happening all around us. Sometimes they come and we embrace them. Sometimes they come and we don’t recognize them. Sometimes we have to go out and create them. But they are there.

What will be your next moment? Underestimate nothing or no one. The path of Zinch got started with a cute girl asking me if I danced. Crazy.

Serendipity is looking in a haystack for a needle and discovering a farmer’s daughter.
- Julius Comroe Jr.

Update: That hot dancer chick chimes in. She left the below message on my facebook profile.

I’ve been rejected many, many times in my life. It sucks. Early on in my current venture, there were dozens and dozens of investors who rejected our business. They didn’t believe.”The founders weren’t proven.” “The market size was too small.” “Not enough traction.” It really beat me up emotionally and made me question everything we were doing. Was my decision to drop out of Princeton the biggest mistake of my life?

We kept putting one foot in front of other (thank heavens for naiveté).

Today I can only look at it one way: It was their loss. They missed out on a winning opportunity and getting to know winning entrepreneurs. I can’t wait to prove these naysayers wrong (and in many ways we already have). Success will be the most effective silencer.

Hush.

As for those who believed, I will make sure they get their reward — in the current venture and those to come. They bet on the right jockey. I will do whatever I can to make it worth their while.

There will be times in life when people don’t believe in you. It’s deflating. Perhaps it’s a startup and you’re trying to get investors. It might be a simple idea you pitch within an established organization. Maybe it’s a girl you really wanna date or a job you’re dying for. The list goes on.

You will be doubted, denied and rejected. It’s a part of life.

Sometimes it comes sugar-coated… “It’s not you, it’s me.” “It’s not the right fit.” “It’s not good timing.” Blah blah blah.

You read it one way: they don’t believe in you.

You have two simple choices. You can join in their disbelief, draining all self-confidence. Or you can use it as motivation and fuel.

Letting rejection effect your self-confidence can be catastrophic. You become gun-shy for new opportunities. Mediocrity becomes your best friend. Worst of all, you become afraid to fail — afraid to step out on a limb and do something amazing.

This is tragic.

You are both the creator and destroyer of your confidence. It’ll be on you to relentlessly move forward, believing in yourself, no matter how ridiculously challenging the path may seem.

There will be times when belief in yourself is all you’ll have left. It’ll be that last drop of fuel that keeps you moving forward. It’s your power source — like Iron Man’s Arc Reactor. Protect it. Guard it. Fight off any demons that get near it. Most importantly, nurture it. Get whatever small victories you can to strengthen it.

Sometimes you have to fake it to make it. You might have no idea what you’re doing. That’s okay. But be confident that you can figure it out. You’ll find solutions.

If you believe in yourself enough, others will believe in your belief, and eventually in you.

It all starts with you. Believe.