The Adventure Begins When You Show Up

Hey Team!

I'm back home after one memorable adventure. This trip will go down as one of the highlights of 2026, and probably one of the defining experiences of this decade for me. I'm still pinching myself that we pulled it off: six states, 12 cities and 16 days on the road. We travelled from Southern California through the deserts of Arizona and Nevada, up to Utah and Denver, before finishing in Florida. We covered a lot of ground, accomplished what we set out to do and, most importantly, embraced the fullness of the adventure.

The entire trip felt like one consistent paradox. There was so much riding on it, yet the only thing that really mattered was being present enough to enjoy it. The execution was incredibly complex, but we learned to go with the flow. It felt long while we were in it, yet somehow passed in an instant.

Three grown men, all entrepreneurs, with companies and responsibilities waiting at home, committed to a fairly wild vision. The timing aligned, everyone showed up and we found a way to make it happen. The sacrifices and resources required only made the experience feel that much more special.

From The Field

To say this multi-state tour required emotional, physical and mental endurance would be an understatement. It gave me an entirely new appreciation for artists who travel from city to city, performing night after night while trying to maintain some version of normal life in between.

The tour was anchored around the launch of my good friend Michael Chernow's new protein bar, The Daily Bar by Kreatures of Habit. The brand had just secured nationwide distribution across all 550 Sprouts Farmers Market locations. Our objective was to visit 20 of the top 30 stores, host in-store demos and connect with runners through local run clubs in every market.

Movement was an important part of the story. It has played a central role in Michael's sobriety journey and in the origin of Kreatures of Habit, so bringing the launch directly into running communities created a powerful full-circle moment.

The huge bonus on my end was being able to lean into the soft launch of OPS RUN. Although the platform has been live for more than six months, we were finally ready to talk about it publicly, onboard new clubs and show runners how easy it can be to find a local community and register for a run.

On all accounts, we crushed it.

We completed every scheduled Sprouts demo, including several two-a-day stops and a visit to the company's head office in Arizona. We hosted eight runs, joined more than 10 run clubs and connected with thousands of people along the way. The response was incredible. People loved The Daily Bar, connected deeply with both Michael's story and mine, and consistently told us how much they appreciated that we had taken the time to show up in their communities.

But it wasn’t seamless. The Kreatures’ team worked relentlessly behind the scenes. We dealt with RV issues, temperatures reaching 100 to 110 degrees and routines being completely thrown out the window. At times, it felt like we were hanging on by a thread. But that is often what happens when a team pushes toward the edge of what it believes is possible.

Our biggest collective takeaway was simple: just show up.

Any one of us could have decided the idea was too complicated, too demanding or too unrealistic. We could have quit halfway through, or never committed to the vision in the first place. Instead, we approached the start line and said, "The hell with it... let's give it a shot."

And now, knowing what was waiting on the other side, we would do it all over again ten times.

The real failure is often not trying. It is leaving the dream unexplored, the idea untested and the start line untouched. We went all in, gave it everything we had and created an outcome none of us will ever forget.

The best part, though, was how much fun we had together. Admittedly, I was on the blunt end of most of the jokes, but I embraced it. I told Michael he has a promising backup career in stand-up comedy should he ever need it. Although, after giving him this much material, I might be reluctant to attend his first show. :)

This Week’s Shift

Before leaving for the trip, I noticed something in my life that needed to change.

During my previous two and a half weeks at home, I had not visited the beach once. For context, the beach is a 15-minute walk or a three-minute drive from my front door. I had been completely focused on OPS RUN, advancing the platform and onboarding new clubs. All of which are going incredibly well... and I am incredibly excited about it.

But having some of the most beautiful beaches in Canada at my doorstep and not making time to experience them felt like a major miss.

So I made a commitment: whenever the weather is decent, I will spend at least 30 minutes walking on the beach each day. Not for additional fitness or movement, but to soak in the beauty of nature, appreciate the healing power of the ocean and give my mind space away from the demands of everyday life.

I had become so caught up in the momentum of business and life that I stopped noticing one of the most beautiful things directly in front of me.

Sometimes, the next shift is not about going farther or moving faster. Sometimes, it is simply remembering to stop and smell the flowers.

Quick Reminders Before You Start:

OPS RUN is live, and we are building the global home for run clubs. We now have more than 50 clubs on the platform.

As part of our soft launch, we recently announced The NYC 10, an initiative supporting 10 New York City run clubs on the road to marathon weekend. It was especially fun to announce alongside our newest teammate, Sara.

Know a New York City run club? Please share it with them. Or, if you simply want to support what we are building, a repost or like would mean a lot.

The biggest adventures often begin when we are willing to show up before we know exactly how everything will come together. But as we chase what is ahead, we also need to remember to slow down long enough to appreciate what is already right in front of us.

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty