Forged Fitness - From Pressure to Purpose

Just Keep Going

Each week, I’m setting an intent before my workouts — something simple to ground me. I write it on a chalkboard, snap a photo in the driveway, and post it. That same image is what I’ll use as the thumbnail for this newsletter moving forward.

This week’s intent was: Just keep going.

I wrote that yesterday, and later that evening it came back around in a conversation with Kallie. She could tell I was a little off — grinding on the land business, putting in hours on my sales job, but feeling the weight of how slow the money can come in when you don’t have a W2.

She asked me what I could do. And the only answer I had was the same three words I had written on the board: just keep going.

That’s what Forged Fitness is about too. Intentional action. Reflection. Refinement. And then the courage to keep moving forward.

Under the Stars

This morning I sat outside under the stars, in stillness with myself and with God. I was thinking about the Forged Fitness kickoff call, and I’ll be honest — I felt anxious. Nervous.

I wanted it to be impactful for the men showing up. I wanted it to be impactful for me too.

For years I’ve wrestled with purpose, with leadership, with finding peace, stillness, confidence, and joy. As I thought about what I was going to say, my mind went to a long speech — all the things that had led me here, all the ways I’ve changed, all the stories I could tell.

But then one of my values spoke up: keep it simple.

And in that moment, I realized the only thing I needed to say was this:

The reason I started Forged is because I want to become more. And the most effective way I know to do that is to surround myself with men on the same journey.

That’s it. Simple.

Forged Fitness isn’t about doing more or having more. It’s about being more — better fathers, better husbands, better leaders, better men.

At its core, Forged is a space for men to come together around fitness, connection, accountability, and growth.

The First Attempts

Forged is not my first attempt at coaching.

My very first business was a personal development and leadership program called IDEAL: Intentionality, Discipline, Emotional Intelligence, Accountability, and Loyalty. 

Then came my fitness business — For Your Future Fitness. Fitness had always come naturally to me, and I believed (and still believe) men need a physical pursuit. It keeps us healthy for our families. It gives us an outlet for the aggression that lives inside most of us, the kind society often shuns.

But even with passion and purpose, both businesses felt misaligned.

I buried myself in clients. Some that weren’t a great fit for what I was doing which made things feel heavy. I pressured myself to make money. I marketed hard, went on camera, posted content — convincing myself it was all for the right reasons. But under the surface, there was ego.

It started to feel forced. Inauthentic.

The truth is, I wasn’t clear on the lifestyle I wanted. And when you’re deep in the weeds it’s hard to take a step back and analyze things from that 30,000 foot view you need. Sometimes the only option is to step away. So even though those businesses were making money, I shut them down.

Redefining Alignment

At the end of 2024, I walked away completely.

I cleared my plate and got honest about what I wanted. My values — simplicity, abundance, love, fun, and creativity — became the filter.

And from that clarity came a realization: my purpose projects can’t carry the weight of paying the bills.

I needed financial stability first. Something that existed for the sake of money, so I could pursue my true purpose without the pressure to monetize it.

That’s what led Josh and me to the land business. It gave us a way to create financial abundance and invest into other income streams. And we knew that once we hired out the day to day tasks, it would create space — space for me to return to the work that lights me up.

A Return to Purpose

So what is my purpose?

At its core, it’s this: to create spaces where people can connect with themselves and as a community and in an effort to find peace.

Forged Fitness is one of those spaces. Someday it will be a physical place — a gym with saunas, cold plunges, massage therapists. My retreat cabins will be another. And the retreat land Josh and I are building together will also serve that purpose.

But they’re all born from the same heartbeat: creating space for people to slow down, to connect with themselves and with each other, and to step out of the busyness and chaos that keeps us numb, distracted and oftentimes, miserable.

That’s why Forged is intentionally unhurried. We don’t just rush through a workout. We set an intent. We warm up. We move with purpose. We cool down. We stretch. We reflect. We journal. We talk.

It’s fitness, yes — but it’s also healing.

No Wasted Time

People love to say, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

For me, that’s bullshit.

Some people can turn passion into a business. For me, I had to remove the pressure. I had to find financial fulfillment elsewhere so my purpose could remain pure.

Now, Forged doesn’t have to carry the weight of paying the bills. It can grow organically. I can simply focus on delivering the most valuable space I can — and let the rest take care of itself.

And when I was on that kickoff call this morning, looking at the men on the other side of the screen, I felt it: they have my back as much as I have theirs.

It was fulfilling. It was grounding. It was proof that none of this time has been wasted.

Because in my opinion: the only wasted time is unintentional time.

As long as you’re moving with intention, even if you pivot, even if you quit, even if it looks like failure — it isn’t wasted.

All of it can be reflected on. All of it can be learned from. All of it can be used to move forward.

As always, thanks for reading,
Kyle

Song of the Week

This week’s pick: “River Washed Hair” by Zach Bryan.

It’s raw, emotional, and carries that mix of longing and honesty I’m drawn to.

And yes — the irony isn’t lost on me. A bald guy recommending a song about hair. Maybe that’s why it hits so deep.