Food for Thought: How to Transform Your Life

Dan Go's Inspiring Journey: From Rock Bottom to Transforming Lives

Our podcast with Dan is being released this Monday and Tuesday - stay tuned!

Dan Go was once a lost young man, struggling to find his way in the world. A high school dropout, he found himself caught in a vicious cycle of drug use, binge drinking, and endless hours playing video games. His parents were concerned. One day, they would sat him down to express their worry, telling him, "Out of all our kids, we're most worried about you”. This stuck with Dan, but his behavior hardly changed.

One fateful day, while playing basketball with a friend, Dan had a shocking realization. As he ran down the court, he found himself gasping for air, his chest jiggling uncomfortably. In that moment, he knew something had to change. He remembers, "I excused myself, and then I go straight home, I go to my bathroom, and I take off my shirt, and I'm just like, shit. And then I realized, like, I had man boobs. And I just looked at my body, cause even at that time I was so embarrassed of my body. I was just like, it was at that point where I was like, so ashamed. I was so dissatisfied, and then I looked at myself in the mirror, like, hard look. I was like, never again. I'm never gonna feel this way again. I'm gonna do everything in my power, and I don't care, like, what happens”.

That was the beginning of serious change for Dan.

With a fierce determination, Dan quit smoking, embraced an active lifestyle, and joined a gym. Just two weeks in, he noticed his belt was two notches tighter. The physical changes were undeniable, but more than that, Dan found himself filled with a newfound confidence and sense of purpose. He reflects, "I remember going to the change room, and then I was putting on my pants, putting on my belt, and my belt went in like two notches. And I was like, this isn't, this ain't right. Like, this is not supposed to happen. And that was kind of like my first sign when I was like, Oh shoot, like this, this stuff is actually pretty cool. Like weight training is kind of cool. Like this is, this is getting me results."

But just as Dan was hitting his stride, tragedy struck. 

His mother fell ill and after a grueling six-month battle in the hospital, she passed away. Dan was devastated, sinking into a deep depression. He shares, "I cried every single day of my life. Every single day. Every single day of that time”.

In the midst of his despair, however, a voice emerged from within - a voice that would change the course of his life. "There's this voice that comes into my mind, it's like, Dan, you can either let this burn you up, or you can use this emotion as fuel. And I was like, incredulous at this voice, I was like, What the fuck are you talking about? Like, my mom just died, what do you mean? And then it just like asked me the same question and it kept on asking me this question like day after day until I answered until I answered the question and my answer was like, and what I learned from that particular event was that emotion is actually emotion is energy."

Armed with this realization, Dan made a bold decision. He quit the corporate job that left him feeling unfulfilled and, despite the doubts and concerns of those around him, he pursued his passion for fitness, becoming a personal trainer. He was determined to help others transform their lives, just as he had transformed his own. For the next 20 years, he poured his heart and soul into his craft, honing his skills and deepening his understanding of health and wellness.

When social media burst onto the scene, Dan recognized it as a powerful tool for spreading his message. He gravitated towards Twitter, seeing it as a platform where he would be judged not on his appearance, but on the quality of his ideas. He explains, "I have this thing where I was like, Instagram is for like, Ass and body where Twitter is like, you have to get noticed for your level of thinking and the ideas that you put out there and it doesn't, it doesn't stop anyone from like putting their bodies out and being like, you know, promoting themselves that way. But really, it's like you're, you are judged based on the quality of your thought."

Slowly but steadily, Dan built a following of hundreds of thousands of dedicated supporters. His authentic, relatable content resonated with people from all walks of life. Now in his 40s, Dan's focus has shifted. Rather than chasing fame or fortune, he dedicates himself to putting in the work, being a present and loving father and husband, and spreading a message of health, personal responsibility, and finding true fulfillment.

Throughout his journey, Dan has developed a set of guiding principles that have served as his north star. First and foremost, he believes in using hardship as fuel, rather than an excuse. He reflects, "If you use it as this way to kind of like, propel you, as a way to motivate you to remind yourself that you don't have that much time. That it doesn't matter if you're 20, 30, 40, 50s. It doesn't matter. Like it can actually get taken away from you."

Dan also stresses the importance of small, consistent habits in achieving lasting transformation. He advises, "Whenever you're starting off with like, even just like wanting to get in shape, it's like, the only habit that you really want to start is just showing up. So my whole thing was just like, show up to the gym. Be there every single day. Who cares what happens?"

When it comes to taking risks, Dan advocates for a measured approach, taking calculated "side bets" rather than blind leaps of faith. "I look at risk in terms of like, Okay, well, I have this thing that's going on for me. I'm going to do this thing on the side. And I'm going to take my risks with this thing that's on the side right now."

Authenticity is another key principle in Dan's life. He encourages others to speak their truth proudly and focus on attracting like-minded individuals, rather than chasing after acceptance. "I would like to create from a place where, where I am the magnet for things, rather than me, like, seeking out and reaching out."

Finally, Dan believes that true success lies in gratitude, presence, and purpose. He emphasizes the importance of being thankful for what one has and focusing not just on external achievements, but on being a great parent, partner, and person. "What you do have control over is like, the foods that you put into your mouth, the exercise that you do, uh, the information that you consume, and the time that you take to do the things that you love. And those are the things that you should be focusing on."

Through the unwavering application of these principles, Dan has risen from the depths of despair to touch the lives of millions. His journey is a testament to the transformative power of patience, persistence, vulnerability, and leading with heart. It's a reminder that no matter how far we may have fallen, there is always a path forward - a path paved not with grandiose schemes, but with the quiet dedication to showing up each day and doing the work.

In sharing his story, Dan offers hope to all those who find themselves lost and struggling. His message is simple, yet profound: change is possible, but it starts from within. By embracing our hardships, cultivating consistent habits, taking smart risks, living authentically, and focusing on what truly matters, we all have the power to rewrite our stories and create lives of purpose, fulfillment, and boundless potential.

We’re eager to release our full length podcast conversation with Dan. The value he provided to us, and the genuine nature in which he told his story filled us with hope. Change, although hard, is possible.

Dan’s podcast with us will go live on Monday & Tuesday.