Running Our Own Race

Borrowed

"A healthy feeling of inferiority is not something that comes from comparing oneself to others; it comes from one’s comparison with one’s ideal self."

From "The Courage To Be Disliked" by Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga [Book]

Learned

Lake Galena is about 10 minutes from my house and has become a regular part of my running regimen. It’s a ~6-mile loop, so when I first started running, I’d go to complete a lap or so around it. Now, with my longer runs, I start from elsewhere and integrate the lake mid-run.

No matter how many times I run around Lake Galena, it never gets old. Maybe it’s the energy of others out and active, the calm of the scenery, or the many memories I've made there over the years. Whatever it is, it feels grounding.

Top left: Taking Dana fishing for the first time with my Pop-Pop at Lake Galena, the setting of many fishing trips as a kid; one of many outdoor outings with family during COVID; spending a relaxing afternoon with Dana and Gizmo, the day Dana went into labor; and me on a recent long run.

Sometimes, there are race events held at the lake, and this past weekend, during my 19-mile run, I found myself unintentionally crossing the finish line of one. I couldn’t help but laugh when a few bystanders started clapping, only to pause once they noticed I wasn’t stopping. They had no idea I’d already run over 10 miles and was deep into testing my pacing strategy for the upcoming marathon, focused on staying steady.

On these long runs, I often think about the other runners around me and wonder about their journeys. The super fit older guy who’s always moving fast. The middle-aged woman who seems to be running whenever I am, wherever I am. Or the woman I saw this weekend, who had to be in her 70s, crushing it.

How long have they been running?
What inspires them to get out there on a Saturday morning?
Are they training for something?

It’s easy to make assumptions based on appearances, perceived fitness, or even running gear, but ultimately, we’re all out there for our own reasons, chasing our own milestones. Making progress means staying focused on that, not getting caught up in comparisons.

There’s a phrase I once heard from Nick Bare, founder of BPN (Bare Performance Nutrition): “Don’t measure your Day 1 against someone else’s Day 10.” I wish I’d better understood that when I was regularly writing and performing music; too often, comparison got in the way, creating more doubt and frustration than anything else.

As I’ve gotten into running, I’ve come across some amazing people, like skateboarder-turned-runner Max Jolliffe, who’s only a handful of years into the sport and already winning race after race—most recently the Moab 240. Then there are people on social media or Reddit, runners who seem just like me but are falling short of their goals. Instead of comparing myself to these stories, I’ve learned to use them as fuel—whether it’s seeing what’s possible or finding the drive to push harder.

The mantra “run your own race” has been top of mind lately as we set our 2025 goals at Barrel. It’s easy to notice other agencies—the ones facing tough times or those thriving with new clients and big launches. The temptation to compare is real, but each agency’s journey, like each runner’s, is different.

Right now, we’re reflecting on our progress to guide our next steps and define what’s next. My 19-mile run this weekend was a chance to test my pacing strategy and refine my marathon goal. In a way, it felt like our decision to narrow Barrel’s focus on CPG brands and expand our services. The results this year are helping shape our direction, creating momentum as we plan for 2025.

Here are some of the questions we’re asking:

• Who were our top clients in 2024? What did they invest in, and which services drove the most impact?
• How many clients are CPG brands (our ideal client profile)? What do they represent in terms of overall revenue?
• Which services drove the most revenue, and where do we see the most opportunity for growth?
• What is the average price of our website builds? How did these projects vary, and who were they for?
• How many web projects did we complete last year, and what does that mean for our project goals in 2025?

I recently learned that marathon runners often set A, B, and C goals, where the A goal is the most ambitious, while even reaching the C goal is still a big win. While I’m applying this approach to my marathon, at Barrel, we’re not explicitly setting A, B, and C goals. But we’re still aiming high—setting goals that push us to chart new territory. Even if we fall short, we’ll still be ahead. That’s true not just in business but in any part of life: big goals keep us moving forward. The key is to run our own race, focus on our progress, and keep pushing toward milestones that are ours to reach.

And with each milestone, it’s important to zoom out. Reaching these distances still feels surreal, but it’s been about consistency, building one small goal on top of the next. That same approach will guide us at Barrel as we step into 2025.

Thought

Am I focused on my growth journey, or am I too distracted by what others are doing?