Patiently Progressive: What Sharks Can Teach Us About Attacking Goals
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Seven years. Over 1,250 episodes. Listeners in more than 100 countries. That’s the legacy this podcast, Shark Theory, has quietly built. And what started on April 12, 2018, with a corny intro and no idea what I was doing, has now become a global movement of mindset growth and relentless pursuit of purpose.
But when I listened to that first episode the other day—man, it was rough. I was trying to sound like someone else. I didn’t have my voice yet. And that’s the point: at the beginning of anything meaningful, you’re going to sound dumb, feel unqualified, and want to turn back. But if you can stick with it—and laugh at your earlier self while still respecting their hustle—you’re on the right track.
And it reminded me of why I started this show in the first place: to help you develop a killer instinct to attack the dream, goal, or mission that matters most.
Why Sharks?
The podcast is called Shark Theory for a reason.
Sharks don’t hustle 24/7. They’re not mindlessly aggressive. In fact, great white sharks spend most of their time coasting through water, conserving energy. But when they strike, they strike with speed, power, and precision—always attacking upward, and always with intent.
That’s what I want for all of us.
You don’t need to be loud. You don’t need to be everywhere. But you do need to be in constant motion—forward motion. Sharks can’t swim backwards. And neither can we if we want our dreams to live.
The Patiently Progressive Mindset
Being patiently progressive means two things:
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You’re committed to forward momentum every single day—no zero days.
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You know how to conserve your energy for the right moment.
We’ve all been sold this hustle culture myth: no sleep, all grind, bragging about exhaustion. But what if success wasn’t about burning out, but about knowing when to go all-in?
Because here’s the truth: life’s greatest opportunities don’t come every day. They show up sporadically, and usually when you least expect it.
If you’ve been wasting your energy on everything, you won’t have the gas left when the right thing appears.
Ignore the Good, Attack the Great
Most people don’t miss out on greatness because they weren’t good enough. They miss it because they were too busy chasing everything else.
That decent gig, that OK client, that “maybe it’ll work” project—they’re distractions if they pull you from the actualtarget.
Your energy is currency. Spend it wisely.
Attack Up. Be Seen Only When It’s Time.
Captain Shark, one of my close friends and a pro fishing guide, once told me: “Sharks always attack up.”
You never see the shark coming—until it’s too late.
What if you adopted that strategy? What if, instead of talking about what you were “fixin’ to do,” you just stayed low, trained, and then launched with full force when the time was right?
Let them see your fin after the impact. Not before.
Final Bite: You’re Not in a Box—You’re Building the Ocean
Over the past seven years, I’ve learned that being a shark isn’t about constant motion. It’s about intentional motion.
You don’t need to announce your every move. You just need to move. And when the time comes, you attack with force, attack with clarity, and most importantly—attack upward.
There’s no finish line in this ocean we’re swimming in. But if we commit to being patiently progressive, we’ll not only survive—we’ll thrive.