We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Mazzara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I have this concept that I call “Ego-Goal Harmony.”

When you grow up, you don’t have a real sense of who you are, your likes, or your aptitude. So, you attach to the most attractive model of what being grown up looks like – a ballerina, a princess, a firefighter, whatever.

As you age, that goal comes into a little more clarity with your interests. You don’t want to fight fires because you sweat too much, but you like business! Maybe you’ll be the next Steve Jobs!

The older you become, the more you realize to be Steve Jobs means to abandon your friends and family in order to work through Christmas to achieve your goals.

More recently in my life, I’ve recognized that my goals had originally been set by the expectation that billion dollar goals were the “right” goals. In reality, a smart decision is to decide what game you’re opting-in to win – the money game, the fame game, the power game, etc.

Then, you work as hard as you need to in order to accomplish what level of game-winning you seek with the aptitude you have.

Working hard with no clear goal in mind is an excuse for failure (I failed, but at least I worked hard!) or is misguided. I was misguided!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
4 years ago, I challenged myself to run a marathon in 30 days. It’s a bad idea. Don’t do it.

After about 2 weeks of running, my knees exploded. I couldn’t walk up stairs. After 6 months of recovery, I finally did get to run that marathon. I believe it took me around 5 hours.

I became somewhat obsessed with running. In looking for more information on it, I came across Runner’s World and, basically, that’s it.

Why was there such a maturation of apparel and shoe brands in the running industry, but no accessible media covering it? I set myself on a 2 year journey of either trying to start something or acquire a brand to do just that.

I’m not a starter. I know that about myself now. The problems I like are ones of scale, not product-market fit. So, after two years of searching, I acquired Half Marathon Guide (halfmarathons.net).

I became quite good at underwriting businesses and trying to acquire them, not so good at managing and growing them. But, what I realized is, much like ice skating – you can’t expect to be good at anything right away. It takes being on the ice. So here I am, on the ice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Brooklyn.

I would do Egg Shop for breakfast, Sweet Chick for lunch, Brooklyn Brewery & Bar Blondeau for drinks, Lilia for dinner and the Gutter for after that. The Gutter is an old, dirty, smelly dive bar and bowling alley…just like mama used to make.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife. I live a lot of life focused on goals. She lives a lot of her life, you know, enjoying it.

Being able to be spontaneous is living your own life without the need to justify it.

She’s given me the ability to celebrate my own life. That is a gift. She also laughs at me when I try to be funny. Awfully kind of her.

Website: halfmarathons.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halfmarathons_net/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mazzara-967a1431/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michael_mazzara

Image Credits
Hope Allison Photography. She took my wedding pictures.

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