Summary5 min read

Shed and Shine – Episode 123: Gino's Riff – The Episode That Shall Not Be Named

Host: Gino Wickman
Date: July 15, 2026

Episode Overview

In this introspective solo episode, Gino Wickman reflects on themes of growth, loss, resilience, and longevity—drawing from both his professional and personal life experiences. Sparked by the recent departure of a long-time EOS Implementer, Gino shares his evolving perspective on letting go, the inevitability of change, and extending the lens of “10-year thinking” to a potential lifespan of 120 years. The episode, intentionally left unnamed, serves more as a thought exercise than a set message, inviting listeners to derive their own meanings and shed internal barriers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Emotional Journey of Letting Go ([00:00]–[07:00])

Gino recounts receiving a call from an original EOS Implementer stepping away to pursue a new passion; he recalls similar instances over his 33-year career.
Describes the deep connections formed with the first cohorts of EOS Implementers—training, loving, and lifting them up as they built something together.

“I literally told him I loved him because I do have such a deep love for these people and the amazing work that they do…”
—Gino Wickman (02:30)
Early in his career, losing team members caused sadness or even anger (“How dare you?”), but over time his emotional response has shifted to peace and even celebration.
The realization: Holding on to every relationship is a huge energy drain; letting go is natural and even necessary for growth.

“If I did stay sad or pissed off, I mean, it would absolutely zap me of all of my energy. …In reality, it’s something to be celebrated. It’s growth.”
—Gino (04:00)

2. The Impact of Longevity & Forward-Looking Mindset ([07:00]–[13:00])

The conversation transitions to Gino’s personal goal of living to 120—a plan he’s embraced for years and now shares with friends.
A dinner conversation spurs thoughts about the implications of such longevity: witnessing not just children and grandchildren, but great- and great-great-grandchildren grow up.

“If I’m going to live to 120, that means my kids… in their 80s and 90s, and I’m going to see my grandkids in their 60s and 70s, and I’m going to see my great grandkids in their 30s and 40s.”
—Gino (09:15)
Notes the importance of choice in longevity, emphasizing the advances that make it possible—"for those that choose to" ([08:00]).

3. The Human Side of Longevity: Loss, Renewal, and Resilience ([13:00]–[20:00])

Gino contemplates the flip side: the inevitability of losing friends, significant others, and family if they’re not on the same longevity path.
Shares a poignant story: A friend’s 90-year-old mother, remarried three times, as a symbol of resilience and adaptability.

“…so powerful to think about this woman that was able to lose a husband and find a new one…from everything I could gather, she was very resilient and healthy.”
—Gino (16:10)
Reflects on his own father in independent living, observing how elders repeatedly make and lose friends, needing to adapt emotionally over time.
Self-reflection: Would he be able to handle that much loss and renewal, and what would it mean if he resisted or feared it? Is enduring repeated loss a sign of strength or would it erode sanity over time?

“Can I do that? Am I capable of doing that? Experiencing that loss? Loss and recovering from that, learning from that, growing from that and bringing on new relationships.”
—Gino (18:10)

4. The Big Takeaway: A Perspective Shift Exercise ([20:00]–[24:00])

Gino admits he’s unsure about the episode’s exact takeaway—he hopes it spurs introspection in listeners as it did for him.
Frames reflection in terms of “10-year thinking”—one of the foundational EOS disciplines—urging listeners to think long-term but also to process how they handle change and loss.

“Maybe it helped you shed something…Maybe it helps your 10-year thinking. …Maybe it helps you build a resilience in life about loss of significant others, kids, friends, family, co-workers, where this conversation started. And maybe it just simply puts everything in perspective right now and you start living life different because it did all of that for me.”
—Gino (21:30)
Offers possible names for the episode: People Going Away, Dealing with Loss, Resilience, The Downside of Living Forever, or Wisdom Needed for Longevity—but ultimately, leaves interpretation to the listener.

“It’s really whatever it means to you and for you, maybe it’s just a thought exercise to give you exactly what you needed right at this moment in your life. Yeah, I’m going with that one.”
—Gino (23:30)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“I literally told him I loved him…” (02:30) — Expressing genuine affection for EOS Implementers.
“If I did stay sad or pissed off, I mean, it would absolutely zap me of all of my energy…” (04:00) — On the cost of hanging on to everyone.
“If I’m going to live to 120…I’m going to see my great grandkids in their 30s and 40s.” (09:15) — Visualizing the legacy of longevity.
“…from everything I could gather, she was very resilient and healthy.” (16:10) — On the power of adaptive relationships.
“Can I do that? Am I capable of…recovering from that, learning from that, growing from that and bringing on new relationships.” (18:10) — On emotional adaptation.
“Maybe it just simply puts everything in perspective right now…” (21:30) — On finding meaning in these reflections.
“It’s really whatever it means to you and for you, maybe it’s just a thought exercise to give you exactly what you needed right at this moment in your life.” (23:30) — The core invitation of the episode.

Key Segment Timestamps

[00:00–02:30] — The departure call; emotional history as visionary and EOS Implementer trainer
[02:30–04:00] — Processing loss emotionally; shift to peace and acceptance
[07:00–09:15] — Dinner conversation, the goal of living to 120, extending “10-year thinking”
[13:00–18:10] — The emotional toll and opportunity of experiencing repeated loss and renewal
[20:00–24:00] — Inviting listeners to introspection, discussing possible points and meanings of the episode

Conclusion

Gino presents a candid meditation on release, life span, and resilience, with the episode serving as an open-ended thought exercise for listeners. Rather than dispensing concrete advice, he models emotional growth and invites consideration of how we process transitions—both personal and professional—over the long haul. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own barriers, losses, and willingness to adapt, as well as the choices they make when imagining a far future self.

For Further Reflection:
What does “shedding your shit” mean for you as you contemplate the inevitable changes in lives, businesses, and relationships?

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Transcript1 lines

[00:00]
A
Hello and welcome back. This episode I call the Episode that Shall Not Be Named by me at least. So I got a call a week or two ago from an EOS implementer who was calling to tell me that they're going to pursue another passion. They're leaving the organization, they're going to stop being an EOS implementer, and they're going to pursue a new passion. And I've gotten this call a few times. So a little history for those that don't know. I created a system called eos, founded a company called EOS Worldwide. We've grown that over the last 25 years to an organization with 900 EOS implementers. And in the early days, the first 10 years, I was the visionary and I personally trained the first hundred EOS implementers and have a very intimate relationship with the first 200 before I sold, and then know many of them very well. But it's really hard to know 900 people really well. And so, as I said, with 900, you know, I'm going to get this call from time to time, but when it comes from one of the original hundred, you know, that one there has some emotion around. And I'll talk more about that in just a minute. But when I get that call and when they move on, there are lots of great reasons. It's a new passion. And in this particular case, this person is pursuing a new passion. They're now retiring. We've got implementers retiring. We've had implementers pass away. But some, you know, they just, they don't feel it's right for them anymore. But whatever the reason is, I'm looking at my growth and development and in this case, just as I do now, I told him how happy I am for him and his family and excited for his new passion and that I loved him. I mean, I literally told him I loved him because I do have such a deep love for these people and the amazing work that they do, and it was genuine. So then I'm driving after this news and I'm pondering and I'm thinking about all of the people I've worked with that have gone away in the past with two companies over 33 years and over 1,000 people, you know, this is going to happen. And I'm looking back at my evolution and with these people, I pour my heart and soul into them. Like I said, I love them, I teach them, I lift them up, we build something together. And so there's really a connection there. And I'm reminded of in the early years how Much it hurt to get that call or have that conversation. And so I'm driving and I'm thinking about this, and I'm thinking about all of the emotion, you know, so sometimes I would get sad, sometimes I would get pissed off. It's like, how dare you? And again, I think about the growth because I was truly at peace. And I've been at peace when I get this call for years now. And so the reality is it's going to happen. And it gets me thinking about you and me simultaneously. But here I am, I'm driving, I'm processing, I'm thinking about all this. And so it's going to happen. It has to happen, especially again with that number of people in your world. And then I also clearly saw how hanging on to everyone, how that can drain you. So if I did stay sad or pissed off, I mean, it would absolutely zap me of all of my energy. When in reality, it's something to be celebrated, it's growth. Human beings are going to keep growing, growing. And I realized I should never take that personally. And hopefully you're hearing that same message for you, but I've still not yet made the point. So I'm driving, I'm thinking, and this is leading to other thoughts. And these other thoughts led into a dinner on Friday night with another couple Kathy and I went to dinner with. And so the four of us are talking. And in the conversation, I'm reminded of the other thing I was thinking about on that drive after hearing that news. And the other thought was about living to 120, which is my goal, which is my plan. It is possible if you followed longevity. Dan Sullivan, one of my mentors, believes he's going to live beyond 150. Just to give you another perspect. Now, with that said, I also want to make it clear that if a bus hits me tomorrow, I am good. It has been a great life, but I do fully expect to be around for another 62 years. So however long it lasts, it's been a great ride so far, and hopefully it will continue to be. So I'm having these thoughts. This friend of mine that we're having dinner with, he's aware of my plan to live to 120, and he was in shock when I told him 10 years ago. And now he actually thinks he's probably going to live to 120. And so if you look, look at all the advancements, it's really possible for those that choose to. Okay, that's a key word, choose to. And maybe that starts to get to the point in this episode. So we're sitting there at dinner and it comes up somehow, I can't remember exactly how he brought it up, but he mentioned that. And so we started talking. And then I was reminded of what I was thinking about on that drive. Because in addition to people going away in your career, co workers, I started to bring my personal life into this and I started to think about that if I'm going to live to 120, that means my kids, I'm going to see my kids live to their 80s and 90s. What that means is that I'm going to see my kids in their 80s and 90s, and I'm going to see my grandkids in their 60s and 70s, and I'm going to see my great grandkids in their 30s and 40s. And so there's a slogan for a longevity company that says, be at your great grandkids wedding. Now continue on. It also means that I'm going to see my great grandkids get married to that slogan. I'm also going to see my great, great grandkids be born. Now, on the other side of that is that there's a potential that I would probably see my kids or other family members die if they're not committed to living to 120 as well, or that I will lose a lot of friends that will come and go. Some will die and some will on as friendships end. So on that note, I would have to get really good at making new friends and my significant other may pass. Our significant others would pass if we're going to live to 120 again if they're not committed to the same thing. So then that led to our parents and we started talking about our parents. And my friend's mother is 90 years old and her third husband just passed. Her first husband passed when she was 75, 15 years ago. She then got remarried. She then got remarried again. And so that, to me, as we were talking about that was so powerful to think about this woman that was able to lose a husband and find a new one. Now, again, it's one of two things. She's either incredibly resilient and and healthy or very lonely, whichever one it is. But from everything I could gather, she was very resilient and healthy. And so we would have to be able to do something like that. And then I started thinking about my dad, who's in an independent living facility. And I've watched the people come and go and I've watched him make new friends and watch them Come and go. I've watched that multiple times, you know, and that got me thinking about, can I do that? Am I capable of doing that? Experiencing that loss? Loss and recovering from that, learning from that, growing from that and bringing on new relationships. Well, to 120 years old. And so what's going on inside of me if I can't, that would make me resist that, that would make me fear that. Because it's all just life. It's just going from living to 80 years old to 120 years old. It's just more life. And then it got me thinking with all these emotions. So would that make me crazy that I could handle that or healthy? That I could handle that? Now, up until this point, I've certainly been talking about me in the hopes that I'm stimulating your thought because there it is, the episode that shall not be named. So what's the point? And I'm being genuine with you that that's why I can't name it. I'm not sure that I know the point because I don't know if it's maybe that it helped you shed something. Just thinking through all of this, in processing through all this, maybe it identified a barrier in you that helped you shed something. Maybe it helps your 10 year thinking. So let's go to discipline number one. 10 year thinking. Maybe it helped you look at it a different way, think about it a different way. Maybe it helped you make some big life decisions as you maybe took a further view, a larger view of your life. Maybe it helps you build a resilience in life about loss of significant others, kids, friends, family, co workers, where this conversation started. And maybe it just simply puts everything in perspective right now and you start living life different because it did all of that for me. It did all of those things for me. So how do you put that in a nutshell? So I don't know if this conversation is morbid, insightful, scary, sad, enlightening. It has been very stimulating for me. It did something inside of me. Maybe it expanded my understanding of things, lots of things. Maybe it expanded my wisdom. I don't know. So should this episode be called People Going Away, Dealing with Loss, Resilience, the downside of living forever, the wisdom needed for longevity again, I don't know. It's really whatever it means to you and for you, maybe it's just a thought exercise to give you exactly what you needed right at this moment in your life. Yeah, I'm going with that one. And if it did, now please go do with that thing what you will. Thank you for listening in today. We truly appreciate you taking the time to spend with us, and please tune in for the next episode. Until then, we wish you all the best in freeing your true self. Stay focused and much love.