Mick Unplugged – Episode Summary

Episode Title: How to Build a Life That Doesn't Quit: Shawn French Explains
Host: Mick Hunt
Guest: Shawn French
Release Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode of "Mick Unplugged," host Mick Hunt sits down with Shawn French - entrepreneur, podcaster, and founder of The Determined Society - for an unfiltered conversation about building a resilient life. The episode explores topics like healing from pain, converting discipline into freedom, the critical role of standards over goals, the value of mundane effort in lasting success, and replacing excuses with accountability. Grounded in real stories and practical advice, the episode offers listeners actionable strategies to unlock their potential and, as Shawn puts it, "stop negotiating with your potential."

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Discovering Your "Because” (02:24–04:13)

• Purpose Driven By Family and Healing:
  • Shawn shares: “First things first is my children. I want them to see what’s possible... But the other side of it, man, is really because I’m healing...I grew up without a whole lot of self-confidence,” revealing that his “because” is both to inspire his children and to heal from personal pain.
• Helping Others Get Out of Their Own Way:
  • “If I can just give a little bit back to them so they can get some strategies to get out of their own darn way, because that’s what holds us back... it’s us.” – Shawn French (03:40)

From Pain to Determination (05:01–07:34)

• Pain as Catalyst:
  • “The biggest things that are ever, ever built are built on some type of pain.” – Shawn French (05:01)
• Owning Inner Struggles:
  • Shawn recounts a period of depression and self-doubt, tracing the roots of anxiety to daily, micro-moments and insisting on the importance of addressing even the smallest sources of discomfort as a path to healing.
• Action Over Analysis:
  • He emphasizes the need to “fix that one thing,” sharing how professional support led him back to feeling his best. (07:34)

Facing Pain & Unlocking Self-Honesty (08:04–10:11)

• Recognize the Real Issue:
  • Shawn pushes listeners to be honest: “A lot of people say I don’t know what that thing is. And that’s a lie. That’s a defense mechanism, man.” (08:09)
• Progress in Micro-Steps:
  • He recommends winning one step at a time and not succumbing to overwhelm: “You eat it one bite at a time... You’re never going to come out of your rut if you think you need to go all in...You’re going to burn out.”

Standards vs. Goals (10:11–11:47)

• Standards Define Identity:
  • “The standard is not the goal. The standard is who you become in the journey, in the pursuit of the goal.” – Shawn French (11:08)
• Self-Integrity:
  • Building standards, not just goals, cements self-trust and sustained progress. “You are somebody who keeps your word to yourself.” – Shawn French (10:31)

Excuses: The Power Thief (14:55–17:56)

• Accountability is Empowering:
  • “If I make an excuse...you take the power and you strip it from yourself. But if you say, there are things I need to get better at...then I can take self responsibility for that...It's a very empowering moment.” – Shawn French (16:13)
• Extreme Accountability & Humility:
  • He links accountability with humility: “You have to drop the walls and take that ego...because ego does serve you in some ways, but in a lot of ways it destroys you.” (17:33)

Birth of The Determined Society (18:30–22:02)

• Community Through Vulnerability:
  • Initially just a Facebook group, The Determined Society evolved as Shawn realized the power of collective struggle and storytelling.
• Success as Recipe, Not Cookie:
  • “Everyone’s success story has different ingredients...If I could just bring this to people worldwide—maybe it'll help them.” (20:01)
• Redefining Determination:
  • No longer just hustle/grit: “Determination...is not the grit...Determination...is how we work through those moments. Sometimes it could be just putting on your tennis shoes.” (21:25)

Discipline is Freedom (22:53–25:18)

• Pivotal Quote:
  • “Discipline is freedom.” – Shawn French (22:54)
• Freedom from Regret:
  • “If you do [the disciplined actions] every single day, you can lay your head on the pillow at night and have zero regrets...Discipline is freedom...because when you act on that, there’s nothing you can say to yourself when you fall short in a moment, like, I didn’t do enough.” (23:55)

The Power of the Mundane (26:00–30:07)

• Success in the Repetitive:
  • Mick notes: “It’s in the mundane...the consistency in the mundane is actually what yields success.” (27:18)
• Practice What You Preach:
  • Shawn shares a family story: “If you don’t do the mundane things for yourself, you’re not going to do the mundane things for your family and your children.” (28:03)
• Living the Example:
  • “How you do one thing is how you do everything.” (28:21)

Staying in Your Process (31:14–32:26)

• Continuous Progress:
  • “You have to pick what you feel is going to move the needle forward every single day...If it feeds the mission, then eat it, then go for it. But if it moves you further away from your goal, retreat, don’t do it.” – Shawn French (32:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The biggest things that are ever, ever built are built on some type of pain.”
  – Shawn French (05:01)
• “A lot of people say 'I don’t know what that thing is.' And that’s a lie...It is the thing you think about all the time.”
  – Shawn French (08:09)
• “The standard is not the goal. The standard is who you become in the journey.”
  – Shawn French (11:08)
• “If I make an excuse...you take the power and you strip it from yourself.”
  – Shawn French (16:13)
• “Discipline is freedom.”
  – Shawn French (22:54)
• “If you don’t do the mundane things for yourself, you’re not going to do the mundane things for your family and your children.”
  – Shawn French (28:03)
• “If it feeds the mission, then eat it...But if it moves you further away from your goal, retreat, don’t do it.”
  – Shawn French (32:08)
• On legacy: “Impact. I want to know that I left an impact on this world...”**
  – Shawn French (34:14)

Important Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 02:24 – Shawn describes his core “because”
• 05:01 – The role of pain in growth
• 08:04 – Identifying and addressing your real issues
• 10:11 – Standards vs. goals
• 14:55 – On making excuses and choosing accountability
• 18:30 – Origins and meaning of The Determined Society
• 22:54 – “Discipline is freedom.”
• 26:00–28:03 – Success and the importance of the mundane
• 31:14 – Staying in your “process”
• 34:14 – Shawn’s legacy in one word: “Impact”

Rapid Fire Five (32:50–34:57)

• Unique Routine: “They would see me cook all the meals...” (32:50)
• Discipline or sleep?: “More discipline.” (33:08)
• Best meal: “This tri tip, I do a great tri tip.” (33:15)
• Favorite tri tip seasoning: “Pink Himalayan salt, pepper, and a little bit of Tony Satcheries.” (33:55)
• Legacy word: “Impact.” (34:14)

Final Takeaways

• Progress is born from pain and healed by action.
• Your “standard” is your true north; live by it, not just by goals.
• Remove excuses and regain your power through radical responsibility and humility.
• Discipline, especially in mundane, repetitive actions, is the real pathway to freedom and regret-free living.
• Success comes from consistency, even if the steps seem small or unremarkable.
• Always act in ways that bring you closer to your mission; avoid what doesn’t serve your purpose.

Connect with Shawn French

• Instagram: @theShawnFrench
• Podcast: [The Determined Society] (Spotify, Apple, YouTube)

Mick closes with:
“Remember, your ‘because’ is your superpower. Go unleash it.” (35:45)