Your Thursday Three Things July 10, 2025

Perform Without the Mask

High Performance Doesn’t Require Pretending

We’ve all been taught that to lead, compete, or succeed, we need to "lock it up."

Project strength.
Control the narrative.
Don’t let them see the struggle.

But what if that’s actually the thing holding us back?

Here's the truth:
Pretending is exhausting.
And it’s not the same thing as performing.

Real strength? It comes from clarity. From rhythm. From truth.
And from doing the deep work to build a life you don’t have to hide from.

This week’s podcast episode explored this head-on.
If you’re interested, here’s the conversation →
Listen here: https://pod.fo/e/2f6d73
Or watch here… But even if you don’t listen, check out the rest of this newsletter because what we unpack here matters!

Clint Bruce, fellow former Navy SEAL, NFL linebacker, entrepreneur, and founder of HoldFast has performed at the highest levels. And his take is clear:

Authenticity isn’t a liability. It’s your leverage.
The mask doesn’t make you stronger. It makes you slower.

The greatest leaders don’t armor up to hide. They armor up to serve.

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What We Get Wrong About Strength

1️⃣ – Performance doesn’t require perfection.
Whether it’s in the boardroom, the battlefield, or your marriage… clarity matters more than polish. High performers know how to cut through the noise and lead from their center.

2️⃣ – You don’t need to hide your hurt to lead.
Some of the most effective people have experienced deep personal pain and don’t pretend they haven’t. They’ve just learned how to process it, not suppress it.

3️⃣ – Excellence requires rhythm, not intensity alone.
Great leaders and operators don’t just grind. They build a cadence… a repeatable, sustainable rhythm that keeps them sharp without burning out. Clint called it “rhythmic brilliance.” Not constant grind. Not red-lining. But knowing when to push, when to pull back, and how to stay consistent without self-destructing.

4️⃣ – Your story is your superpower.
Especially the chapters you wish you could erase. When you stop hiding the hard parts and start owning them, those experiences become leverage… not liabilities.

5️⃣ – Men are starving for places to be real.
Whether you're a CEO or a new parent, we all need places to be real. Not performative, not curated… real. That kind of space isn't soft. It’s sacred.

👇 Below the paywall: three of Clint’s most practical, hard-earned tools—plus a framework for performing under pressure without losing yourself in the process.

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