In this raw and real episode, Mack Story pulls no punches as he takes us back to his early 20s—long hours at work, chasing more stuff, and wasting every free minute hunting, fishing, partying, and coasting through life with a crew that was headed absolutely nowhere.

He thought he had it all together because he was paying the bills (sometimes) and having “fun.”

The truth?

He was clueless, surrounded by clueless people, and leading a pack straight into the land of wasted potential. With brutal honesty and his signature blue-collar style, Mack walks us through the wake-up call that finally hit: experience by itself teaches nothing—only evaluated experience does.

Drawing straight from his book Defining Influence: Increasing Your Influence Increases Your Options, Mack breaks down the game-changing difference between raw experience and reflection that actually moves you forward.

He shares how he shifted from a selfish “me” mindset to a “we” mindset, why your intent behind every action is what people really judge, and how character (not just competency) determines who you attract and who you become.

If you’ve ever felt stuck hanging with the same crowd, getting the same results, and wondering why nothing ever changes, this episode is your fork-in-the-road moment.

Stop coasting. Start evaluating. Because until you look backward on purpose, you’ll never move forward with purpose.

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