Daily Boost Podcast

Money and Muscles

July 14, 2026 | Episode 5497

Host: Scott Smith

Episode Description

I stayed home over the holiday, skipped Virginia, and wrote 25,000 words in seven days. That's what motivation does.

Today I'm talking about my friend Croy, who's about to run 110 miles across Death Valley and climb Mount Whitney — solo, unassisted, at 55. He's scared, and that's the point.

I'm digging into why setting a goal with a wall at the end changes you from the inside out, whether you reach it or not. Plus money, muscles, and the strange currencies that keep us moving.

Featured Story

My friend Croix is getting ready to run across Death Valley. On August 5th, he starts at Badwater, 250 feet below sea level, and runs 110 miles across the desert toward Lone Pine. Then he climbs Mount Whitney, peaking near 15,000 feet. Solo. Unassisted. Towing a wagon. Trying to break a 48-hour record at 55 years old.

We worked together to get him a sponsor, and he told me last night he's scared. His body is acting up. He's pulling 75-mile training days and second-guessing everything.

I asked him why he's doing it. He said he'll have to die on the course to finish. That's a man who found his motivation.

Important Points

One of the greatest ways to get motivated is to set a goal with a wall at the end. The payoff is who you become, not just reaching it.

The minute you set a nearly impossible goal and step into it, it changes you from the inside out — win or lose. That's the payoff.

Motivation is multifold. Find the benefit that keeps you showing up, even if it's not the one you put on the poster. That's the payoff.

Memorable Quotes

It doesn't matter whether you achieve the goal. The minute you set it and step into it, everything starts changing. That's the payoff.

I don't like to do impossible things because they're impossible. The only time I do them is when I don't know they are.

When you set a goal like running across Death Valley, first you think it's stupid. Then you can't wait to try it.

Scott's Three-Step Approach

Start by setting a goal so big it scares you — something with a wall at the end that you almost think you can't do. The payoff is the change it creates.

Then step into it immediately, because the change begins the minute you commit, not the day you finally finish. That's the payoff.

Finally, borrow motivation from someone else's climb. Tie your goal to theirs and let their finish line pull you. That's the payoff.

Chapters

0:01 - The staycation secret I almost didn't share

1:34 - Skipping Disney to write 25,000 words instead

2:13 - Croy's solo run across Death Valley in August

4:25 - Setting a goal with a wall at the end of it

6:50 - Cardio, the stair mill, and honest motivation

8:58 - What Elon Musk said about money and muscles

10:07 - My own kill-yourself goal on the climb mill

Connect With Me

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