How to Stop Overcommitting, Refocus & Create Real Momentum with Casey Strunk

Are you stuck or just doing too much of what doesn’t matter? In this episode, I sit down with Casey Strunk, President of Strunk Insurance Group and founder of Rise & Ruck Phoenix, to break down why overcommitment is one of the biggest obstacles to growth. Casey shares how eliminating distractions and misaligned priorities can create clarity and momentum in both your life and leadership. We talk about the discipline of saying no, why most people fill their schedules instead of focusing on what matters, and how creating space leads to better decisions, stronger relationships, and sustainable success. Get ready to rethink why doing more isn’t working.

HIGHLIGHTS

00:00 Meet Casey Strunk, President of Strunk Insurance Group

02:30 The leadership lessons passed down from Casey’s father.

07:30 The trap of short-term pleasure and dissatisfaction.

10:00 What does “committed advocacy” mean in leadership?

13:00 Why deleting commitments creates massive life shifts.

17:30 What does an authentic connection look like today?

21:00 Why human connection will outlast AI in leadership.

25:15 Can you have high standards without creating pressure at home?

RESOURCES + LINKS

Check out upcoming retreats + more: chrissymay.com

Watch & Subscribe on YouTube!

FOLLOW

Chrissy May: @thechrissymay

Casey: @cjstrunk

Strunk Insurance Group: http://www.Strunkgroup.com

Transcript

Why Subtraction Beats Addition

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Whether it's your personal life or your professional life, like where can we delete? And I feel like that's where you experience really monumental shifts in all aspects of your life.

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Subtraction wins. It's undefeated. You know, we think we need to do more, commit to more, be more. And the reality is the more we eliminate from our lives, really the more progress we make as people, as leaders, fathers, husbands, whatever.

Meeting Casey Strunk

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Welcome back to Aligned and Alive. Two years ago, I was invited to speak at a men's leadership group here in Phoenix. And there was someone in the room who stood out to me because of the way he carried himself. He was extremely present and grounded, which is rare in a men's group. And since then, I've watched the consistency in how he shows up as a husband, as a father, a business owner, and a man of faith. Today's guest is Casey Strunk, president and owner of Strunk Insurance Group and Strunk HR here in Phoenix. He's a second-generation entrepreneur, has served in leadership across business, philanthropy, and faith-based organizations, and has spent more than two decades helping leaders build healthier organizations through what he calls committed advocacy. But what I'm most interested in isn't just his resume, it's the integrity behind all of it. Casey, thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Honored to be here. Thank you, Chris.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Yes, it's well overdue. And before I dive in, I recently learned something on one of my walks. So I don't typically go and search out my guests on other podcasts because I like to keep it so authentic to when we have our first time together. But I had to, because I'm like, okay, maybe there's something I'm missing. And so you were on a podcast uh not too long ago talking about how your family's from Illinois and obviously knew you went to Northwestern University. But I didn't realize your mom's from Flossmore and your dad's from the Peoria area. Is that correct? Okay. So this is really funny full circle moment. So I had one of my best skating competitions in Helmwood Flossmore at that ice rink there. And we grew up in a private lake near Peoria. It's called Varna, Illinois. It's like a small town in southern Illinois and went boating every weekend for like my entire childhood. So I thought that was just, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Not a lot of people are familiar with the suburbs of Chicago and central Illinois.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

So no, yeah. Usually you hear Chicago and it's always just the city. But no, I was like, oh my gosh, that just hit home for me and brought a smile to my face. So yeah, I had to share that with you. I love that. So you're a second generation entrepreneur. What did you inherit about leadership that you felt responsible to protect? And what did you have to consciously redefine in order to lead with integrity in your own way?

SPEAKER_00 2:49

Well, Greg Strunk, my father, um amazing guy, grew up in the middle of the cornfields in Peoria, Illinois, four-sport athlete, ended up at Northwestern, and he played football there, had a cup of coffee, as he likes to say, in the NFL for the Dolphins and the Giants. And then when his NFL career ended, he got into the insurance space. And I always say that, you know, starting a business from scratch is not something that I would want to do, nor am I sure if it's something that I'm capable of doing. And when I graduated from Northwestern um 21, 22 years ago, I came to work inside that organization. And really, from a leadership perspective, just watching the way that he consistently showed up every single day trying to get 1% better, trying to move things forward. He didn't have a lot of the advantages that we have today in terms of optimization and peer groups and coaching and things that really help move the needle for entrepreneurs. But I think just the grit that said, you know, we're not going to go backwards.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Wow. So your dad became really the leading example of setting the foundation for everything.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

Yeah, not just in business, but my entire life. You know, I think you go through stages as an adolescent where you're distracted and you see friends that maybe aren't competing like you did at a very high level and aren't dedicating their entire lives to their studies. And I remember countless times going to my dad and just saying, why can't I just be average? I mean, I'm I'm sick of this, right? Um, and the way that he nudged me, uh encouraged me, and even through my early 20s and even late 20s, sometimes inside the organization, him being patient with me and just continuing to push me forward.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

So

Golf Lessons That Built Discipline

SPEAKER_01 4:40

I love that. So now let's circle back a little bit to so everyone understands Casey's work ethic, probably where it stems from, besides your father being such a pinnacle uh figure in your life. So collegiate golf, is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Okay. So take us down that memory lane.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

I ended up in golf, I think, because I was one of those kids that maybe went through puberty a little bit late. My dad asked me to play football. I remember going out to Pop Warner at age 12 or 13, and I was like, oh my gosh, these are men. Uh, they were knocking my dick in the dirt, as my dad would say. And so I quickly gravitated away from football, liked baseball, liked golf, really was good at golf and enjoyed somewhat of the solitude of that. Worked really hard for a period of time and was lucky enough to earn a spot on the golf team at Northwestern University. Having grown up here in Phoenix, I remember that 27-hour car ride with my dad that first year dropping me off in Evanston. I really wasn't sure what I was getting into. And luckily had the opportunity to not only compete for four years with some of my best friends and travel the country doing something I love, but met a mentor in Pat Goss, my head coach there, who taught me some hard lessons in life that, you know, I wasn't special, I wasn't overly talented, and that if I wanted to be a member of that team or any team, really, you know, you need to work hard, you need to be selfless, and you need to show up.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

So great words. Do you feel like that really became the catalyst for your work ethic where you are right now? I mean, you're in your 40s now, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah, I'm uh 43, turning 44 here in a couple months. And there was a period of time in my life where I felt like I wasted a lot of potential. I didn't work that hard. And ultimately meeting my wife Teresa, having two beautiful daughters, taking ownership of a business, um, there's a lot of realities that hit you in the face with that. And then I was fortunate over the last five or six years to sort of go through a physical transformation and really embrace that. But the words of my father, the words of Coach Pat Goss and others from those years of adolescence to you know, teenage early 20s, they're still in my ear. So I think, yes, it ultimately did help shape where I'm at today.

The Messy Season And Comeback

SPEAKER_01 7:04

So you just said something. You mentioned about physicality. Were you out of shape prior, or would did you go?

SPEAKER_00 7:10

I'll have to send you the photos.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Oh my god, I that's so crazy to me to even think about. I can't even picture Casey anything but like going, waking up and rising and wrecking. So did you go through then a season of life, because so many people can relate to this? I mean, we all have those, you know, highs and lows throughout our journey. Did you go through a season that just wasn't that was kind of messy, I guess, so to speak?

SPEAKER_00 7:31

Yeah, I think it was always a little bit messy, honestly, in that there were stretches of my life where I was choosing what felt best in the moment instead of maybe what was best for me in the long term. And it's hard to get out of that spiral, honestly, when you're running from short-term pleasure to short-term pleasure and things were seemingly going okay. Business was good, I was leading charitable organizations. Um, nothing was inherently wrong. But when you wake up with sort of a feeling of maybe unfulfilled potential or anxiety, or what am I really doing here? Um, you don't know it in the moment, but it's pretty easy to reflect back on. So, yes, I think it was about six years ago, in the middle of COVID, I had reached sort of my peak worst, and made a decision to hire a coach. And uh Ben Brown, Body Systems, he's been a coach and now sits on my personal board of directors for sure for the last six years.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

So I love those stories though, from like like rising Phoenix, you know, rising from the ashes. And I think those are always the best stories to tell, you know, the comeback kid.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

It's funny you say that. I actually have a tattoo that I got on my 40th birthday of the Phoenix on my chest because it's exactly that. It's sort of a commitment to myself that that I have risen and will not go back.

SPEAKER_01 8:50

So gosh. And that's but I think that's where a lot of people, you know, find themselves along their life path. You know, I think it's one of those moments where we're all growing and evolving. And some of us are growing and evolving in a positive direction or in a not so positive direction. And it's what we do with that, right? And knowing that we can bounce back at any point in time throughout our lifetimes. Like it doesn't matter what age you are or what you've been or what you've done, like let go of the shame, let go of the judgment, and just become anew again or become literally a completely different version, you know, having that identity shift of I'm no longer subscribing to X, Y, and Z behavior or the way I used to be.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

But how do you get back on track? You literally get back on track, uh, and that's it, right? And and there's no age where you've you've gone past the ability to do so.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

And I think that's the biggest gift of it all. So I love that you actually are human. It's nice to see that.

Committed Advocacy In Benefits

SPEAKER_01 9:48

You use the phrase committed advocacy before we go deeper. So define that for us. What does that actually mean in practice?

SPEAKER_00 9:56

So we are in the employee benefits business. We help companies set up their group benefit plans. But a handful of years ago, we set out to define the segment of the market that we wanted to own. And we decided that that was advocacy, setting a new standard for advocacy in the market. And this idea of committed advocacy, um, I don't think it's new, but I think we do it better than anybody else in our space. It's really acting in the best interest of the organization that we're serving, but also their people at all times, regardless of who's looking or who's not. And it's easy to get in a trap in the health insurance world today as a consumer and as a business owner, given all the complexities.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

So I can only imagine. So for those listening and watching, can you explain exactly what the Strunk Group actually offers?

SPEAKER_00 10:52

Yep. So we're an independent agency, meaning that we represent every single insurance carrier for medical, dental, vision, life, disability, you know, dozens of voluntary products. And really our goal each and every year is to go out into the marketplace for that employer and ensure that their employees are getting the best combination of rates and benefits possible. That's the starting point, but really doing it in a way where we provide space for sound decisions and communicate in a way where employees feel good about the process. Because I think that's often missed.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

Absolutely. Do you, I love when we shared on your pre-call, I asked Casey who's the right client for him? And your response was.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Well, people are always like, what uh segment of the market do you specialize in? Like, do you love working with nonprofits or construction or technology? And I said, Yeah, the reality is we'd love to be in the white-collar space, employers with a couple hundred employees, lots of families, high contributions, rich benefits. But the reality is, if that business owner is an asshole, uh, they are not a fit for us. And so in our first discovery meeting with every single client, we go through a deck that really talks about are we right for each other? We don't look at demographics, we look at the psychographics of the leaders inside those organizations. We want to work with who we call our the carrying trailblazers. These are bold, decisive, communicative leaders. They view us as partners and not vendors. And I think most importantly, they're not looking at a number on the spreadsheet. They're not most concerned about their bottom line. They're equally concerned about their bottom line and taking care of their people in the long term.

SPEAKER_01 12:38

Right. Which becomes such a more flourishing experience when you have that collective mindset of taking care of people first, you know, leading with integrity, honesty, all the things that really entail, in my opinion, a very successful organization.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Yeah. I mean, our message is much about repelling as it is attracting the wrong and right clients for us.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

I hear you

Saying No To Make Space

SPEAKER_01 13:02

there. I'm all about like, I think right now it's more of not adding more in just all areas of life, right? Like whether it's your personal life or your person professional life, like how where can we delete? And I feel like that's where you experience really monumental shifts in all aspects of your life. Would you agree?

SPEAKER_00 13:19

I wrote an article um a month or two ago, and the essence of it is exactly what you're saying is that subtraction wins. It's undefeated. Um, you know, we think we need to do more, commit to more, be more. And the reality is the more we eliminate from our lives, really the more progress we make as people, as leaders, fathers, husbands, whatever.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

What have you been able to delete that you have seen uh that has provided you like an exponential area of growth in your life?

SPEAKER_00 13:53

I mean, I think I've probably taken it to the extreme in that, you know, my default reaction is often no. Um, you know, I spent 15 or 18 years in men's fundraising groups, leading those organizations, leading the board, leading the fundraising events. I spent a handful of years with Special Olympics of Arizona serving as board chair there, but ultimately I was a little burnt out and took a step back from some of the nonprofit stuff. You know, you think about the dinners, the happy hours that people ask for. I'm strictly a breakfast guy now. If you want to see me, it's at 8 a.m. uh before I start my day so that I can move forward there. And, you know, really providing the space to get clear on what are the two or three most important things for me every single day that I want to accomplish instead of serving everyone else around

Ryzen Ruck And Real Connection

SPEAKER_00 14:48

me.

SPEAKER_01 14:48

And this is a great segue into what you created, which is Ryzen Ruck, which I missed the other week and I will be there next month. But can you talk more about that? Because I think that's a great way to get connected in the community.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

October of 2023, I held my first Ruck. So Ryzen Ruck Phoenix, the idea behind it was getting folks outside of traditional settings. So whether that's the boardroom or the lunches or the happy hours or the dinners, given that I've pulled back a little bit in my personal and social life, I was still craving connection. I still want to have relationships with people that are important to me and meet like-minded people. And so, you know, once a month, we hold a ruck uh from 7 to 8 a.m. We go out for about an hour. Some pokes are carrying packs of, you know, 20 to 45 pounds. Some folks are just showing up to walk. And so we'll do an hour on a trail with not much elevation where we can connect. And I think you probably feel this, but when you're moving, conversation always seems to go a little bit better. There's more energy. You can float back and forth and talk to different people with ease. And then for the last 30 minutes from 8 to 8:30, I host coffee and snacks and we just kind of hang out and recap and look forward to the next month.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

So what a great way to really bring together people, as you just mentioned. And I think a lot of us can relate to the fact that it's not that we don't want to have connection anymore, because so much we're craving it. I think more than ever before, we're craving human connection. It's just what does that look like right now? Because I know when I was in real estate full time, which I'm not anymore, but when I was, you know, a big way for people to connect was over these broker opens. And what do they do? They drink, they eat, and then not a lot of business is really getting done. And I never subscribed to that. It's not that I was um against it, it just never resonated with me. So I never did the happy hours. I never really stood in that space because it never felt truly um like it was really growing, right? It was felt felt wasteful in in many ways. And so I feel like what was that next step for me? It was creating my own community, creating these opportunities for men and women to come together in transformation, in growth. And how can we evolve as better humans so we can be better friends, husbands, wives, daughters, you know, mothers, all these things that really ripple into our communities and truly help, I believe, grow just across all areas. And so I don't know. I love that you really started that because I'm always looking for an outlet where I can still be healthy, but still connect with people and get to know our local community.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

You say we're craving connection, and I would say, you know, more so we're probably craving authentic connection. And what does that really look like? And I've become a hugger over the last three or four years in EO with those people that are that are close to me and are willing to be vulnerable. But yeah, I find myself on those Friday mornings with guys who are coming out to the RUC either for the first time or the 20th time, where I'm I'm embracing these guys, excited they're there to support this, but then also um really enjoying how they lean into maybe things aren't going so great in my business. Um, guys that said they've gotten sober because of movement and being aware of different things, um, people who've invested in each other's businesses through the ruck. So it's that authenticity that that really does make it matter.

SPEAKER_01 18:20

Absolutely, especially with emergence of social media, you know, and even now with AI now, you like everyone's questioning everything. What is real, what is not? And I think it's turning a lot of people off to where it's like they're trying to establish where is a way that I can dive deeper. And it's interesting you brought up the male bonding uh aspect of it. I read a stat it was not too long ago, but that like male suicide is up like exponentially, especially with men over 40. And I I've worked with a several really high achieving men over the years, and I feel like they've always had to hold it together, be the strong ones of their family, and not express you know, any sort of weak emotions or what's coming up for them. And so naturally they're bottling everything in. And then it comes to a place of explosion, whether it's in the marriage, whether it's in, you know, their workplace. So I love that you have at least created a space where it is safe, where people can explore, hey, I need someone to talk to, or maybe I do need a hug without sounding like it's so emasculating. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Yeah. Well, I mean, those are the containers that I want to be a part of at this point in time in life.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

So more of that.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

Yeah.

Staying Local In An AI Future

SPEAKER_01 19:39

So moving forward, what does it look like for you next chapter in your your life? Because didn't you just purchase uh the company not too long ago?

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah, time flies. Uh not too long ago will be eight years now in April. Um, but it feels like it just happened. And so um, when I bought the agency from my father, you know, we were a small business, we're still a small business, but I think we're becoming more and more relevant in our space all of the time. Um, obviously, there's a lot of money out there in private equity and other national brands that continue to consolidate and buy up across every single industry. That's not unique to the benefits or insurance space. But when I look around the greater Phoenix or Arizona landscape, there's really not a lot of independently owned benefits agencies that can provide all the resources of a national agency, but you still get to know other people by name. They still care about you, and you can do business with another local business here in Arizona. And so for us, it's really just leaning into being local, providing exceptional service and having great relationships with those that we work with. We are not reporting to boards of directors, we're not reporting to stockholders. Um, we're still doing what's best for our people and our clients.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

And I think that's going to really bode well in the future. I know everyone's saying AI, AI, things are gonna just crumble. There'll be no jobs left, you know, that whole and I don't I don't disagree with that to a certain degree. However, I do feel there's gonna be such a huge need and desire for what you just spoke on, which is having that human connection, human touch relationships, face-to-face time where someone can actually have a conversation rather than just plugging away on a computer screen or just going through a systematic approach to X, Y, and Z.

SPEAKER_00 21:37

Well, when you think about maybe one of the most two um charging things in a person's life, I think health and finances might be up there. And that's what we're dealing with when we think about their employee benefit plan and how they're using it and the cost of the plan and the cost of the services that they're accessing. And so when we go and stand in front of An employer, when we listen to their employees with empathy, when we try to understand what it is that they're going through and help them chart a path forward, that's really not something that an AI-generated education model can do. And so for those employers that still want somebody to stand in front of their people and communicate with them and listen to them, I think that's where we'll continue to fit in on one of their biggest spends every single year.

SPEAKER_01 22:27

And rightfully so. I can't imagine not being able to look down that path for your organization. I mean, I think there's so many people that are trying to cut costs, right? And so how can you really grow and flourish if you don't have that quintessential mindset of creating deeper relationships? All right, moving forward for business owners listening who may not be familiar.

Integrity Means People First

SPEAKER_01 22:52

You served on boards across business, philanthropy, and face-based organizations here in Phoenix. Where do you see integrity most easily compromised in leadership structures? And how do you personally guard against that?

SPEAKER_00 23:06

So integrity most easily compromised. For me, I think it's putting the business ahead of people. And so, you know, there is a push every single year to grow, um, grow the top line, grow the bottom line. And I'm not saying that that's not what we've set out to do, but at what expense at the end of the day? And, you know, we sat around a room with my business coach a handful of years ago and all of our employees in the room, and they said, why do we do what we do? You know, to sell the best insurance or to service employers or whatever it was. And when it got to me, the reality was, you know, we all have to get out of bed every day and provide for our families. And if we have to leave our home and we have to go into this workplace, it might as well be a place where we feel safe, where we're comfortable, and where we're fulfilled by the work that we do. And if we can accomplish those things, everything outside of our walls will take care of itself. And so when I think about compromising integrity, for me, it really has to do with understanding that our people are the ones that are driving our business. As long as we put them forth first, the business will keep moving forward.

SPEAKER_01 24:18

Amen to that. So you're raising two daughters.

SPEAKER_00 24:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:23

When they look at your life, not just your words, how do you hope they're learning about from how you're living?

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Well, we talked a little bit earlier about that word of intention. And um, they make fun of me quite a bit about a lot of the things that I do, whether it's going to bed at 8 p.m. or whether, like, yeah, daddy doesn't want to meet new people, he wants to go to sleep, or or whatever it is. Um, I think they start to understand the intention behind that. Um, my 10-year-old is now asking me to go to the gym two days a week. And so when they look back on everything that I did, some of it might have been fun, some of it might not have been fun, but there was a reason behind all of it. And so I hope intention is the big takeaway.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

That's a great gift to give or to teach uh the younger ones. So you mentioned earlier on that your dad pretty much was a huge influence in you becoming essentially a high achiever. Sometimes that's hard in a family dynamic to live with a high achiever because not everyone is operating on that level. And I have experienced this in my own life. So I'm always curious um to ask this question is it ever brought about any sort of angst in your own family dynamic that um the expectation of operating at such a higher level maybe isn't met to what your standard would be?

SPEAKER_00 25:46

Inside my personal family now?

SPEAKER_01 25:47

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

I have conversations um with the business coach that I work with now. And I would not say it's necessarily related to my family, but just at times that, you know, not everyone is willing to um do certain things. Not everyone wants to work as hard as you do. And so um, yeah, I think being aware of that is important. You know, inside my house right now, we're focused on raising good humans. Um, they're playing sports, they're learning a lot of things, they're doing a lot of different things, but we're trying to raise good people first. And so we'll see what that looks like in a couple of years if they get involved in competitive athletics or or anything else. Um, but hopefully uh I can be aware of that as I start to coach them.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Yeah. Maybe give me a little bit more grace in certain areas. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's hard when you think about it sometimes because you want the best for the ones you love. And at the same time, if you're not speaking just on children, but just in general with even adults, like you have to allow certain people to uh let their journey unfold in what they choose, right? For themselves.

SPEAKER_00 27:01

Yeah. I I think I was lucky in that um my father had different superpowers than I do. My wife has different superpowers than I do. And so we're never going to be exactly aligned in the way that we approach a problem or the way that we show up and we put in effort. Um, so no one's really outworking each other. We're just doing it in different ways.

SPEAKER_01 27:23

I love that you share that though, because it I think, at least nowadays, when you when you observe a lot of the commentary online is specifically in relationships, and it's definitely different now than it was, I think, when we were younger, on how the younger crowd is, you know, no one's getting married anymore, no one's having children, you know, and whatever to each their own. But it's just so different now, I think, than it was when we were younger. And so I feel that there's this misconception that it has to be perfect, that everyone has to be aligned in for in order for a marriage or a relationship to thrive. And I don't necessarily believe that's even remotely true.

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Yeah, I mean, I I agree with you. Um Teresa and I are not fully aligned every single day on that day or on how we should spend our time in that day, but we are aligned on the bigger vision. And I think to that point, as long as you're aligned on where you're headed, uh, there's a lot of different ways to get there.

SPEAKER_01 28:21

Yeah, so good. Speaking of our uh golf experience, do you still play right now?

SPEAKER_00 28:31

I do. I think I get out about 12 or 15 times a year. It's not become uh or it's it's it's fallen on the priority list. You know, when you're trying to run a business, um, stay married, raise two girls, stay fit. Uh, you know, going out and spending six hours at a time once or twice a week really doesn't work. Um but I'm probably playing once or twice a month.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

Okay. But it's see, it's priorities, priorities and intention. Yeah, just as you mentioned. Are you still a scratch golfer?

SPEAKER_00 29:00

I'm still a functional golfer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:02

Functional golfer. Okay. We'll leave

Rapid Fire On Standards And Legacy

SPEAKER_01 29:04

it at that. Well, we are heading into the final putt with a rapid fire round. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_00 29:08

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

It's not, just don't overthink it. What first comes to mind, I've created, I created a long list here for you. So all right. I named this straight with strunk. Early morning discipline or late night deep thinking.

SPEAKER_00 29:21

Early morning discipline.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

Golf course reset or family movie night?

SPEAKER_00 29:25

Family movie night.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Coffee order, simple and black or something more refined?

SPEAKER_00 29:30

Simple and black.

SPEAKER_01 29:31

One daily habit you refuse to compromise on.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

Right now it's journaling and meditation.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

One habit you're still working on?

SPEAKER_00 29:38

Uh reading more.

SPEAKER_01 29:40

What's harder? Leading a company or leading yourself?

SPEAKER_00 29:43

Leading yourself.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

A leadership trait you admire in someone else.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

I really love people that inspire others, um, either through their words or through their actions.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Great answer. A favorite family memory that instantly makes you smile?

SPEAKER_00 29:59

Uh all three of my girls on a ski slope, pretty much anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

If you could replay one family vacation, which one would it be?

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Uh I'm gonna say when my daughter was two years old, we took her to Hawaii and she would not touch the sand, which made it interesting.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Oh my gosh, that is interesting. Who's more competitive at home? You or the girls?

SPEAKER_00 30:19

The girls.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Really? One word Teresa would use to describe you at home.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

Rigid.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

One word your daughters would use that might surprise people.

SPEAKER_00 30:31

Strong.

SPEAKER_01 30:32

What's something your daughters have taught you that no boardroom ever could?

SPEAKER_00 30:36

If everything is special, nothing is special.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

One value you and Teresa are most intentional about modeling every day?

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Uh inclusivity.

SPEAKER_01 30:45

In one sentence, what keeps a marriage strong through the busy seasons?

SPEAKER_00 30:50

Communication and vulnerability.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

When life feels heavy, where do you reset first? Faith, fitness, family, or solitude?

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Can I say all of those? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:01

I'm right there with you.

SPEAKER_00 31:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:02

If you weren't allowed to check email for a week, what would you do instead?

SPEAKER_00 31:07

I think I'd average 20,000 steps a day.

SPEAKER_01 31:10

What's something small that instantly brings you peace?

SPEAKER_00 31:14

I mean, who doesn't love a hot cup of coffee in the morning?

SPEAKER_01 31:18

I think that's underrated.

SPEAKER_00 31:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah. Twenty years from now, when your daughters describe you, what do you hope they say?

SPEAKER_00 31:26

I hope that they understand all of the work that I do each and every day is for them and their mother and our family.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Gonna make me cry. Legacy in one word.

SPEAKER_00 31:38

Standards.

SPEAKER_01 31:39

And on that note, Casey, I appreciate you so much. Thank you so much for all you do and the way you just show up in the community. Your leadership is so rare. And I'm excited to see where this next season of your life takes you.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Thanks for having me, Chrissy. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 31:53

You

Closing And Share Request

SPEAKER_01 31:54

as well. To everyone listening, thank you for spending this time with us. If this conversation was of value, please pass it along. And for more on Casey, the strunk group, and how to get connected, all the information is in the show notes.