by Sean Croxton
Marathons were never my thing.
This body of mine wasn’t built to withstand prolonged bouts of enduring physical or mental activity.
At some point I break down, literally crushed by yet another attempt to go against the very nature of who I am.
Such was the case during the final week of our SexyBack Summit festivities — Webinar Week, we called it.
I won’t solicit your sympathy with untold stories of the behind-the-scenes madness that accompanies a 3-week online event launch. Though, I can honestly say that I have a newfound sense of compassion for entertainers who cancel appearances due to “exhaustion”.
That sh*t is real, y’all.
Note to self: Hire a customer service team for all future online events, and nix the whole Webinar Week idea. You live, you learn.
Once SexyBack ended and I finished my Dark Side of Fat Loss presentation at Saint Mary’s College the following week, I submerged myself into what I hoped would be two weeks (it turned out to be a month) of nothingness.
I woke up without an alarm, saw just about every summer movie worth seeing, rented jet skis, went to the county fair, rediscovered Hulu and Netflix, read novels that had nothing to do with health, and uncovered this really awesome thing called EDM, or electronic dance music.
Glow sticks, anyone?
Apparently the plan was to completely remove myself from all things Underground Wellness and allow my evidently drained batteries to recharge to full power. Yet my mind always seemed to drift back to this blog, my vacationing brain endlessly peppered by a single unavoidable question:
What the heck are you doing here?
No, I don’t mean here on Earth — I think I’ve got that one figured out — but here on this blog.
Let’s be real. Over the past 18 months or so, this blog has gone in so many different directions it’ll make you dizzy.
It’s become a place with no real identity, where I cover everything with an affiliate commission tied to it — New Year’s cleanses, brain power summits, muscle building books, personal development and internet marketing courses — while at the same time standing for nothing.
I mean, what ever happened to the guy who took a 90-minute presentation on the bitter truth about sugar and turned it into a bite-sized 12-minute video that everyone could swallow?
Or the guy who banged on Oprah for going all hypocrite and buying everyone in the country a nutritionally disastrous fast food meal?
Or the guy who literally sparked the Just Eat Real Food (JERF) movement with his fingertips while unloading his frustrations about the at times ridiculousness of the foodie blogosphere?
I’ll tell you what happened…
What was once a blog with a business on the side at some point became a business with a blog on the side.
Did I sell out?
No, I wouldn’t say that.
Everything I’ve ever promoted on this site, to the email list, or via the podcast or social media has added value to the lives of those who placed their orders.
Plus, I take much pride in doing my part to support my fellow bloggers who earn their livings by producing valuable e-courses and info products for people who need them. And it’s something I’ll continue to do, just nowhere near as often.
So selling out has nothing to do with anything.
Things went off the rails when the thoughtfully creative content that made Underground Wellness popular took a back seat to weekly product-centered blog posts and sales pitches disguised as radio shows.
When the promo calendar became the editorial calendar.
It’s time to turn back the clock and restore this community to what it was intended to be when I posted my first YouTube video way back in 2006 — an edu-taining hub for truth in health and wellness. Not a shopping center.
Read. Think. Simplify. Share. Engage.
That’s my job.
It’s good to be back.
Sean
Awesome! So glad to hear you’re recharged and back on track. I’ve been a reader/listener for about 6 months and I love everything you put out – it never felt like a shopping center to me but I look forward to your new inspired content! Thanks for all you do, Sean, you’re amazing!
Thanks for catching us up, Sean. I had a mini version of what you described. Yesterday was my weird day — did absolutely nothing. Today I had appointments but feel so like doing the nothingness of Tuesday again and again.
I have sent many to your easy to access website, so I hope you keep at it.
lana
You’re f*cking awesome Sean!
You never sold out, but you are totally right in your idea that when you provide great content (those videos are still the best out there) the rest will sell itself. I reckon you know more than enough about e-business to be able to give good original content AND get good money 😉
I look forward to your new videos!
I must admit, you lost me for a little while. I was on your blogs because I thought your attitude and knowledge was why I followed you and why I bought YOUR products. I still listen and read here and there, but this post has definitely gotten me excited to hear future posts. Leaving roots and pursuing bigger things and different directions you never thought would pursue happens to all successful people. But the successful people that keep the most followers are the ones that stay true to what brought them success in the first place.
Thanks Sean
LOVE everything you do Sean!
Hi Sean,
Glad to hear you’re going reboot the blog.
Honestly? I felt that you were getting a little bit… lost(?) and were too quick to promote other people’s wares so….. I was starting to tune out.
Look forward to having you back!
Regards
Harry
I am so glad to hear it! I LOVE your stuff, but was getting tired of everyone selling something! Looking forward to having you back…you’ve been missed.
Exactly why I stopped following you as much.
Glad you’re back! I really look forward to the weekly podcast. You’re doing a great job keeping us informed with quality guest and great content. I’m glad you finally had some time to recharge, we all need this. Looking forward to more UW knowledge!
Yes, I heard the change in your podcast, too. I’m amazed, grateful, and impressed that you are self aware and thoughtful enough to notice the change. You have a great pulpit to change the world and have a community of people who also want to make the world a better place. Glad to have you motivated and back in the saddle.
I’m really glad to hear of your epiphany! I’ve never really felt like you sold out but some of the other folks I’ve been introduced to through you seem to only care about selling something. I have gotten emails from 5 or 6 sources for the exact same thing! It was making me wonder if this was some kind of racket. A lot of it seems sensationalized too. I was beginning to lose faith.
I look forward to reading future blogs and listening to future podcasts!
My Man Sean keepin it REAL! Love the post, and how some rest and recovery help you find your original focus. This post helped me more than you’ll ever know. Thanks Sean
Yo’Boy Mr. Menopause 🙂
Thanks for being real and for having such high integrity. Love the content and look forward to having more with maybe a few less strings attached:)
Great to have you back Sean. A once a week, even once a month post is enough for us to read and absorbs your content. Am slowly going through my bulging inbox deleting once informative and now just sales pitches. My time is being swallowed by other peoples agendas. Never delegated you Sean, coz you never quite went down that path. Once again, great to have you back x
Hi Sean- I am super glad that you are back to blogging- I can’t wait to see what you have coming up!
And hopefully you aren’t too hard on yourself for getting a bit lost in your ways- I mean, we all have that at some point or another. I think the great thing about this whole movement is that we are constantly evolving and changing our way of thinking and doing things- I know my own healthy lifestyle is certainly different now than what it was a few years ago when I first started 🙂
Hey Sean
I started listening to your podcasts about 2 years ago and I was really getting so much from them- you introduced me to Cate Shanahan, Nora Gedgaudas and Julia Ross, and for that I will be grateful. But I feel like we parted paths when you did that JJ Virgin promotion- I was not feeling her or that whole set up and I took a long break from UW.
I love that you self reflect and it’s all part of the growing process, isn’t it? Keep going and growing, you are awesome! : )
Dear Sean.
You first caught my attention with your tip to beat sugar cravings, L-Glutamine; I went on to watch all of your educational videos, I bought The Dark Side ebook, and it is not an exaggeration to say you saved my life.
You taught me about sugar addiction, the symptoms of gluten intolerance, the benefits of eating fat.. I now eat a paleo diet – REAL FOOD! I have lost alot of weight effortlessly; dropped medications I was told I’d be on forever; and I feel good for the first time in years.
The key thing here is I thought I was knowledgable about nutrition – before I saw your videos – and it was killing me.
I didn’t begrudge you your promos, as you’d already made me well, and I figure you deserve a good living, but your best work is as an educator.
And from me to you – I just discovered EDM too, IAmDSharp on youtube – life enhancing! may you feel as good as I now do.
Thankyou Sean, glad you’re back.
Sean, you are a real inspiration.
I am so glad you found your way, and your journey with UW makes so much sense. I am glad for you that you have found success and now have the space to step back to your true intention. That is beautiful and totally appropriate. You are beautiful and I love it that you are influential, you deserve it and I know that you are helping the paradigm. Speak your heart and rise above the clatter, bravo! You are an attractive person and so admirable!