IT’S TIME TO GROW UP.

The first time he said it; I blew it off. The next couple of times, I was annoyed. Then I got frustrated. The last time he said it is when it really sunk in…

“You need to decide what you are going to be when you grow up…”

There comes a time in the life of every man, when he must admit to himself what he is, and what he is not. He must decide whether he will follow his purpose, or whether he will chase things that are not in full missional alignment. These things might be mission adjacent. They might even be good things. But they are not what he was put here for. They are not his personal purpose and therefore will not fill the measure of his creation. They ultimately are distractions… shiny emotional objects that make him confuse activity for industry.

The same is true of organizations. An organization that is chasing non-missional things will ultimately become a bullfrog and, having lost its way, will end up doing far more harm than good. As the leaders of F3 Nation, we were doing a lot of things to try and accomplish our mission and to improve the lives of men. We had a retail component (Gear Store), we were running events (GrowRuck), we were fundraising to give charitable grants (F3 Foundation), and we had big plans to create more programs and opportunities (LEAD Camps, etc.) for guys to engage with the organization. We were building something for men! But that was the problem as it turns out.

I remember being on the phone while putting gas in my Tacoma at the Harris Teeter when he said it this last time and, instead of being frustrated by it, it was like a kick in the chest… I realized we were doing it backwards. We were building something for men, when we should have been building men for something. All the things we were doing were good. Great, even. But they weren’t what we were supposed to be when we “grew up”.

Even though we sell things, F3 Nation is not a retail business.
Even though we have events, F3 Nation is not an event company.
Even though we are a 501c3, F3 Nation is not a charity.

We are a movement. A movement of men. Men that have been awakened to the fact that they have purpose, and that through the framework of F3, they can and will become the virtuous leaders that they were created to be, in their families, their communities, and the world. That’s what we are for. That’s what we will do. And we will continue to shed those things that aren’t that. It’s a little like the famous quote attributed to Michelangelo about his sculpture of David: "I didn't carve David; he was already in the marble. I just removed everything that wasn't David."

So that is what we are going to continue to do. To get down to the bare, mission-critical essentials and live our purpose so that we can help you uncover and live yours. That’s it. That’s all. We love you too much to not to.