ETHAN NASH

Q. What is one book that has greatly influenced your life?

Daring Greatly by Brené Brown has profoundly shaped my perspective, particularly during a time in my life when I was operating from a place of fear. Brené’s research and philosophies on vulnerability gave me the permission I needed to lean into and embrace failure and even embarrassment. The book encouraged me to take risks, embrace my imperfections and self-doubt, and let go of my FOPO—fear of people’s opinions. It also helped me reframe the shame I felt about falling short.

This book helped me see that living a meaningful life requires an acceptance of failures, setbacks, and criticism as inevitable parts of the journey. However, the rewards of embracing vulnerability far outweigh the comfort of hiding or playing it safe.

On the opening page, Brené quotes Theodore Roosevelt’s iconic “Citizenship in a Republic” speech. One part has become a personal motto for me (adapted slightly into modern language):

"It’s not the critic who counts; not the [person] who points out how the strong [person] stumbles, or how the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the [person] who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again…who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if [they] fail, at least fail while daring greatly."

This philosophy reminds me daily to show up, take risks, and dare greatly in both my personal and professional life.

Q. If you could have one gigantic billboard with anything on it, what would it say and why?

“Be a bit kinder than is necessary today.”

Q. In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

I’ve developed a habit of starting most mornings with a brief reflection to help me cultivate a mindset of optimism and enthusiasm for the day ahead. I’ve noticed that my natural tendency is to wake up worrying—thinking about all the problems in my life, what could go wrong today, or dwelling on negative experiences from yesterday. For a long time, I envied people who seemed to greet each day with endless positivity and thought, “I wish I were wired like them.”

Eventually, it struck me that perhaps many of these people weren’t naturally wired that way —maybe they had worked hard to cultivate that mindset. I realized I might have been excusing myself from taking responsibility for my outlook by assuming this wasn’t something within my control. It was a moment of reckoning.

An old Stoic philosopher once said:
"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control."

I came to see that this mindset I admired was, in fact, a choice I had control over.

Most mornings, I write a few paragraphs—or record a quick voice memo—about what I’m grateful for, why certain “problems” aren’t as significant as they seem in the grand scheme of life, and what I’m excited about for the day. I reflect on the opportunities ahead: to make a positive impact, to build on my goals, and to take one more step toward the life I want to live.

While I don’t walk around with a completely positive mindset all the time, this quick practice has profoundly transformed my daily experience. And though it might sound a bit “woo-woo,” I genuinely believe this habit has opened my mind and heart to the positive opportunities each day presents. As a result, I’ve seen more positive outcomes unfold in my life. I don’t believe there’s anything metaphysical about it—when I’m primed to notice opportunities, I’m simply more likely to recognize and act on them.

Q. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?

I move. Whether it’s a walk, jog, or bike ride—even for just 15 minutes—I’ve found that changing my physical state can significantly shift my mental state. There’s something about moving my body through space that helps my mind untangle itself. Often, without forcing it, I find clarity and come to solutions or resolutions for the problems or challenges I’m facing.