#475 Turn Adversity into Advantage

Chris Ruden has type 1 diabetes and a new book

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Former guest (episode 201) Chris Ruden is back on the show to talk about stuff with Scott. Chris’s new book, “The Upper Hand: Leveraging limitations to turn adversity into advantage” is on sale now.

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DISCLAIMER: This text is the output of AI based transcribing from an audio recording. Although the transcription is largely accurate, in some cases it is incomplete or inaccurate due to inaudible passages or transcription errors and should not be treated as an authoritative record. Nothing that you read here constitutes advice medical or otherwise. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to a healthcare plan.

Scott Benner 0:00
Hello friends, and welcome to Episode 475 of the Juicebox Podcast.

Today, my guest is Chris Rutan. Chris is a two time guests as he was also with me back on episode 201. Now if you don't know Chris, he's got a really interesting story. Chris has a congenital birth defect that left him with two fingers on his left hand and a shorter left arm. He also has type one diabetes. Today we're going to talk about a number of different topics, Chief of which is turning adversity into advantage. Please remember, as you're listening that nothing you hear on the Juicebox Podcast should be considered advice, medical or otherwise, always consult a physician before making any changes to your healthcare plan, or becoming bold with insulin. And if you're interested in finding Chris's new book, the upper hand leveraging limitations to turn adversity into advantage. It's available right now on amazon.com.

This episode of The Juicebox Podcast is sponsored by the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor, please head over to Dexcom comm forward slash juice box to learn more about the G six and get started. You can find out if you're eligible for a free no obligation 30 day trial of the Omni pod dash tubeless insulin pump at Omni pod comm forward slash juice box there are links in the show notes of the podcast player you're listening in right now. Or if you're not listening in a podcast player, please tell me you are they are free. And it's so easy. Anyway, if you're not, these links are also available at Juicebox podcast.com.

Chris Ruden 2:20
I think when people hear me say that I spend time editing the show, they think content. And the truth is these are freeform conversations. I almost there's no cuts. Yeah, that's the thing. It's It's literally wavelengths and like understanding how to make the sound better. And that that I am so impressed by the fact that you do that yourself is very impressive. Oh, well, I'm just cheap. That's all. I understand that I definitely understand that I would rather pay personally. But also now I'm to the point where like, Damn, I want to learn, you know, like, I want to understand this stuff. Well, even like some people tongue click while they're thinking they breathe heavy at different places. You know, sometimes plosives in depending on people's microphones like trying to control plosives I'm sure is a nightmare for you with the lack of standardization and microphones that people use for your show. There's, um, there's a person that comes on and hurt themselves and said Did I do okay, it sounded really great. And I didn't have the heart to tell them like it took me had to edit it so much. It took me 45 minutes to take out all the noises you make. Ah, I know. I know one guy he does his podcast. He's like, kind of like way crazy level with it. But he's such a control freak. He sends people a specific microphone and has them agree to send it back. Like it's crazy stuff. Oh, trust me, if I if I thought I could do that if I wasn't recording so much. If I was just doing, you record a lot of really good content and you put out volume with good content. So that's, again, impressive. Not trying to toot your horn. But to be able to do that level of volume would be very tough. That's where people microphone. Yeah, but trust me if it was once a month. Oh, for sure. Because it makes it so much easier. Like hey, this is where I need you to put the mic. This is just plug a USB mic in and like, talk into it and don't say the word or like 15,000 times please. But they will. They will or they will like oh, I don't really know what I'm gonna say. So I'm gonna fill this with words. I'm just gonna, like and a

Scott Benner 4:13
while we're talking. I there are some people that I'm recording that I can visually start to learn what, um, looks like coming out of their mouth.

Chris Ruden 4:22
So I have a really bad habit of any speaker that I coach. I tell them, I count how many times you say like and are your filler words. And it's an addiction. It's literally like an obsessive compulsive thing where I will tally mark, how many times someone says these filler words and I find what their crutch word is? because for me it was you guys or I would always go to something like that. And now that I noticed that I'm like,

Scott Benner 4:48
Oh, well, here's something that people wouldn't know. I think conversationally, the person who's speaking when they're in monologues, they still need to know you're listening. So when they make points, I'll go right on. Okay, that's interesting. But then in editing, I take out a lot of me saying that.

Chris Ruden 5:05
But it's good because we don't have the physical representation right now for me to see your head nods or gestures. And we know communication is a lot of that. So getting those verbal responses that you're still listening, or you're engaged, I think is important. And there's a big difference between those. And between the filler words out of frustration or not being sure on what to say, you know, right, yeah, there's a difference between agreeing and your brain going, I don't know what to do next, I don't have

Unknown Speaker 5:30
time to fill whitespace on a paper with more things. That's what I see it as I'm most impressed. And

Chris Ruden 5:38
by people who can speak slower, and thoughtfully, and I've been endeavoring to slow down as I as I get it, that was my hardest thing in the beginning is to not let for one emotion, carry the conversation because you do get emotional. But if you let it control you, then the speed gets affected, the delivery gets affected, then by you know, the end means the value you're trying to give out gets affected. So speaking slower, pausing enough, even if it's awkwardly long to make sure you gather your thoughts. I'd rather someone paused longer to deliver what they really want to say, then rush to try and you know, maintain a speed that's not necessary. No one listens to a podcast for speed. They listened for content. Yep. That's a lot of stuff. I've learned doing this. And all that is, is exactly what you said, I've seen your stuff tremendously increased, like it was already good from the beginning, because you had a natural talent for it. But you didn't just rely on your talent. You took the raw talent that you had, and you refined it, and I watched it grow. And I watched the way you ask questions change the quality, obviously, that's just more of a skill. But I've really watched you pay attention to the way you talk. And it's, it's awesome. Well,

Scott Benner 6:47
you and I met pretty mccosh It's been years now. Right? We were in here probably four years ago in Ohio in like a lobby in a hotel. Right? Okay. And I can tell talking to you that you were going to, like make something out of the thing you were doing. It was just pretty obvious. Like you were treating it like a, like a serious business.

Unknown Speaker 7:07
Yeah, I didn't want it to be a hobby. I didn't want to be a hobby speaker, I knew that I wanted to be a speaker as a career where most people just speak to do something else, you know, for me, that's what I wanted to do.

Scott Benner 7:18
That's funny, you say that because I, I believe that there are people who see me go do my speaking things and think, oh, he's doing that to propel the podcast, it has nothing, it doesn't really help the podcast that much like I do it because I think it's a nice thing to do.

Chris Ruden 7:32
And that's and there are many speakers that do like for you, it's all value based, for me extremely value based. And it's something I genuinely want my career to be right. You've built this podcast as a value based system that is also a career. So what the podcast is to you speaking full time is to me, but it doesn't mean I won't podcast and you won't speak you know, that's 100% It's so nice to talk to somebody who understands the the backroom ins and outs of this stuff. Because I am by myself, often just with these thoughts in my head, I go insane. You know, there's not many people that kind of understand the intricacies or the struggles that it takes to build something like this. And when someone asks, like, Oh, I want to do just what you're doing, I'm like, we'll be prepared for years of frustration, you know, where to just find out, you're bad at it. And that's Yeah, you might suck at it. You know, for me, I know, I'm not the best podcast, I released like a mini series podcast for my book. And for me, it's just talking through the chapters, but I know where my skill lies. And it's in raw, authentic conversations, especially in front of people. But now that we're in the virtual world, we have to adapt. But I will always respect the people that are amazingly good at it, like you people who are prominent podcasters, or even prominent speakers. We all have things to learn, you know, but I think as long as you're truly enjoying what you're doing, you're giving value and you're helping people, you know, you don't always have to be the Tony Robbins or the world's best podcaster to continue to do what you do. Yeah.

Scott Benner 8:55
But I tell you, Chris, you make me, you make me remember that I could easily do this every day, and be very happy about it. If there was a world where I didn't do the editing, and all the processing and the stuff that you guys don't see to make the audio pop into your earbuds. I could sit down and have one of these conversations every day. And I believe they're not just helping the people who are listening. I believe they're entertaining. And I think they're moving up my understanding of life, and diabetes, and not necessarily just life with diabetes.

Chris Ruden 9:28
What I what I like about you is that you seem very similar to me in the sense of to help yourself, you have to help other people. And almost like you teach best what you need to learn most when you do these things. I'm sure a lot of people like wow, you're given such good content. But for you, you probably take so much from this. Yeah, you probably hear these conversations and engage these conversations. And when you're done you're like, Dan, that was like that was that was awesome. You know, and I'm sure it helps you with your family with your kid. Just reframing your perspective. You're constantly hearing perspectives that help You whether you know it consciously or subconsciously, to just be a better person and live a better quality of life. Oh, I know. And yeah, that's that for me, that keeps me going. Because every single talk I do, I'm like, now I have to hold myself to that higher standard, I have to hold myself to that higher regard, and be that person because I want to be that person. And I want to help those people that truly took something from what I just did. jover say something a new way. And in the back of your brain go, that was better. Okay. Yes. Like you literally you review. Even in conversations like this, you'll say something like, Man that that came out a lot differently. And I really liked that. Yeah, I like how I framed that. When did I think, you know, when did that come through, or someone else will say something. And that will immediately cue me to like, write a note in my phone like, oh, that that the way I was framing it, there is a little different. But I like this, you know,

Scott Benner 10:54
I've gotten busy enough, where I can't just, I can't always send somebody a thoughtful note, if I don't want them on the podcast, if they reach out, and I'm like, I don't want to do this thing. You know, sometimes I'll say no, thank you, or it doesn't fit or something like that. But there are some people I want to say to them. Listen, you reached out,

Chris Ruden 11:11
I checked into you, you are doing this too much. Like you're whoring around going everywhere you can and you're saying the exact same thing. That's the difference is people who want content, not from a quality, but from a quantity perspective, they think that if they're more places, that more will help them you can't Polish a turd. That's what I said, you know, you can't Polish a turd. If you haven't focused on your value in the quality you're putting out. doing more won't help. Yeah, more of something B is not better. It reminds me of why I think the the diabetes content here works well is because everything gets said it's not the first 90% of the statement. And then the 10% it's not fun to talk about our people don't like to hear you don't say out loud. Meaning that

Scott Benner 11:59
people have to understand that just because it's easy to put content online. Now, if it's audio or video or whatever, like everybody can buy a camera or you know, use their phone or whatever, it doesn't mean that you'll be the content that you'll create. Not even that you're not good at it, it might not resonate with people. And that's not something you can fix.

Chris Ruden 12:22
No. And that's I noticed that with certain content, I'm constantly testing out new theories or applications or methods of delivery. I did one the other day, like my quotes that I post do really well they get tons of shares. And people that constantly messaged me about them. I tried on like, Oh, I'd love to do like a video background, maybe make it a little bit more cinematic. And it fell flat on its face. Yeah, you know, and I was like, okay, that didn't really work, I have an option, I can test it again and see if maybe the quote itself didn't do as well. Or I can scrap that and move forward. People take content that doesn't do well personally. And people take content that does do well personally. And they think both ways. They're just amazing. When at the end of the day, you're giving value. And if that's what you're focused on, you're good. But if you're focused on that ego centric type, I'm great or I suck, you're always going to be chasing something that you're not really doing. You know, well, there's there's this thing that people listening would know, but episodes that are with children or older people don't do as well. And I still do them with as much frequency. I don't be that's part of your brand. You know, that's what you value in it just because more people might not value it on average doesn't mean some people do you know, that I respect that you still do that. And you're not just cloud chasing or chasing engagement. And I did that for a long time. And I can tell you, it sucks.

Scott Benner 13:46
Yeah. And it works. It'll work for a while. But the one thing that I'm always impressed about about you, or if you were to ask me, one of the things that I'm proud of myself is longevity, like the the growth is great. I love that the podcast is growing. That's amazing. But the fact that I can keep doing it, that's a big deal to me, because you will open up Instagram or you know, something like that and see a person is as popular as you can imagine. And then 12 months later, like I defined you, I defy you to find them there. Oh,

Chris Ruden 14:19
absolutely. People come in waves. Because when it's good, they invest everything. But the second it dips. They're out. Yeah. You know, they didn't have that resilience from the beginning to understand that they again, like I said, taking success or failure personally. People take success and they're like, oh, man, I'm definitely going to keep going. This is amazing. We'll get all this validation, then it drops and they're like, wow, I suck. You know, their entire value system is based on engagement. And when you have that external validation as a guiding principle. At the end of the day, if your viewership dropped, you'd still put out content because he's no as valuable. And if your viewership raised you'd still put out Because you know your viewership is valuable. And so when you're based on something that is not a variable, you'll always be constant. So early on in this, when I got my first advertiser in a meeting, they said, What's your business model? And I said, I'm going to help people. And they were like, and and I was like, well, then I imagine they'll feel helped and tell somebody else about it. That's it. That's it.

Scott Benner 15:28
I don't have a model beyond that. Yeah, that's it, I'm gonna, I'm going to help people. And I'm going to do it in a way that's entertaining. And that gets perplex Lux, you're going to talk about diabetes in an entertaining way. And I said, Well, not entertaining, like juggling balls of fire. But in a way that doesn't feel like medicine. I was like, we have to get away from how people talk about diabetes, it's, it's the worst. It's so clinical, and full of jargon. Nobody wants to have that conversation, or that conversation ends up feeling unknowable. Like, I don't understand some of the words you said or the idea.

Unknown Speaker 16:05
It becomes it becomes a peer reviewed lecture at for certain points, or some people want to demonstrate their knowledge so much. So I promise you that when I start talking about glute for translocation, I lost so many people. But when I talk about the ups and downs and how it's a minute by minute condition, they're like, hell yeah, relatability. You know,

Scott Benner 16:24
if people want to know one of the difficult decisions I've made making the podcast, it was actually using the words glycemic load and glycemic index and tone, I'm

Unknown Speaker 16:32
sure we're gonna have that. And immediately it rubs people in a way that like, I'm not ready for this conversation, maybe I'm not smart enough is it puts doubt in people's minds, and it's overwhelm, people are coming here to not be overwhelmed. The last thing they want to do is be overwhelmed with information that they already feel like is above their head.

Scott Benner 16:49
Yep. And if so, if you're listening, and you've been listening for a while, and you've especially if you've listened in order, I moved you towards it very slowly. I bring it up in conversations for a split second, I'd say how important it is, then let it go. I would build in your mind the glycemic load and glycemic index sounds boring, but it's really important. And I would do that for I hate to say this, that I feel this well thought out. But I did it for a year before I ever said the words out loud in its own episode.

Unknown Speaker 17:18
But that's that's called proper framing, and you didn't rush it, and most people will try and replace consistency with intensity. Yeah, you were consistently building that that space to accept the terminology and the concept, you know, without rushing the intensity of like, you got to understand glycemic index this is, you know, the second people feel forced on information that they're it seems overwhelming. They're gonna check out.

Scott Benner 17:43
Yeah, you and I talked about this a number of years ago, but privately, I think, but there was a moment when I saw people copying my content. Oh, yeah, I remember. And then I thought, well, this is good, because now I'm leading the discussion. And, and in a bigger way, because it must be I know, people are just like, well, this is the most popular podcast in the space. So I'll do what they're doing. And it got to the point where, if I put something up on Facebook, you know, which I don't take particularly. Not that I don't take it seriously, but Facebook's not my focus, right? Yeah. Then, hours later, other Facebook pages would post on the same topic.

Chris Ruden 18:21
Oh, I saw it. I remember when you said that. I was watching. I was like, wow, he's he's not you know, being dramatic, literally, is telling the truth that I'm watching it. I actually watched a few podcasts right now from time to time that use a very similar model to yours. And I'm like, either The world is full of coincidences Are you were leading by example, that's for sure. Well, and then it's hard. It's initially, it's a human reaction. It's angering you're like, Well think of your own thing. Like, yeah, like, I

Scott Benner 18:47
thought of this, think of the thing for yourself. And then I realized, like, that's not gonna happen, like, some people just want to get to the end. They hear I have an ad, they want an ad. But it but in my heart, I'm like, that's not gonna work that way. Because if it doesn't come from a genuine place of, I'm only doing this to help people in any good that comes from it after that is a bonus. If you're starting with I want to make money with this. I don't think you'll do well. And so

Unknown Speaker 19:15
I'm like, Why don't because that's not how you started. That's not how anyone successful started. I think people forget, though. I've mentored a few speakers, especially in the diabetes and like disability space. And they come to me like, Oh, I want to make money as a speaker. I'm like, Well, have you spoken? Like, no, I'm like, do you have a speech? No. What's your message? Oh, I went through a lot of stuff. I'm like, that's your story. What's your message? And I'm like, you want to hang out at the finish line without running the race. That's what you want. You know, you want to get paid for something you don't have and you don't understand that I spent a year and a half, doing over 3035, keynotes for free, which I would do it differently. Now if I look back, but I did that for free, to establish value, test the market, see if I can offer something that's worth something to people, not just financially But right emotionally and mentally, you know, and it tested that and most people don't even want to test anymore. They just want to go straight to the success part. And you can't have the success without the work. You know, you can't just want a better body without wanting to do the work. Yeah,

Scott Benner 20:14
you have to, in my mind, you offer proof. Like, I don't go to a company and say, Hey, would you like to buy an ad on my podcast? I don't have any downloads, like, you know, yeah,

Chris Ruden 20:23
like, I'm thinking of starting something, do you want to invest in my idea, but there's that whole, like, 10% idea and 90% execution concept. But yeah, that no one's gonna invest in an idea because I have an idea to make a seven wheeled car that only weighs five pounds. Great. Do you have any sort of insight on how to do that? No, no, but I'm gonna do it. Any funding? No. Do you have anything else other than an idea that took you two seconds to make, in fairness to one to one company? And I will always say this out loud on the pod bought an ad before there was anything to buy an add on? And that see that's that's a business move on them for them, they must have seen, or potentially saw a future investment, which is cool. Yeah, I had worked with them as a panel. I had written for them. Okay. Okay. So you I'd already established value, though. So you did something? Yeah. You know, I basically said to them, hey, the money you were thinking of giving me for writing this stuff? Could you just not make me write this stuff and give it to me for this? But see that you you did you put something into action, you weren't just idea you were execution from the start point will invest in people who execute you know, and that that's, that just furthers my point,

Scott Benner 21:31
it I think it's important to talk about, we never really, hopefully, people will hang on and listen to the diabetes stuff, too. But I am I, I never talked about it here enough. But with so many people who think that there's a world of business, like they look at their Instagram account and think that's a company. And if it isn't, it's a nice way to do something. If you have all of these other things going on, you don't just start an Instagram page, and tell me you're an entity, it it doesn't work that way. It doesn't,

Chris Ruden 22:02
you know, it doesn't work that way at all. And that's it. The goal, if your goal is to help people, any business comes from the point of solving other people's problems. That's what true businesses, any business has business and solving people's problems. If you were only solving your problem, whether it's financially, ego doesn't matter. You are your own business, you are your own employee and your own customer. And you can't expect to ever grow beyond what you're trying to service yourself. Because you're being selfish and you're servicing your needs. You're neglecting the community and you're using the community as a way to get to the finish line without enjoying or running the race and that that's not okay. Not only is it not okay, it's not going to produce and you're going to be upset because you set expectations that will never be fulfilled. Arden had a project in school the other week, and she had to interview me, what was the worst job I ever had the best job I've ever had.

Scott Benner 22:54
That's amazing. And I took me a while I had to, like I had a couple of really bad jobs. So I was sitting there quietly in the kitchen, like, Oh, that was bad. But it wasn't as bad as this. And I finally came up with the one and then told that little story for and she said, what's the best job and I said, Well, hands down, I got to be a stay at home dad for a really long time. And that that's an experience. I wouldn't trade for any of the other experiences that I've had. I said, but if you want to be more technical, like a thing I do that I do on a schedule, that in return, I get money for I said, it's the podcast. And I said, and because I never imagined I'd get to do something that I would enjoy that would genuinely help people. And there'd be an income from like, I thought you'd have to give up one of those things. Like I thought you could do something you enjoy that help people but it wouldn't pay very much. And not that I'm wealthy, you know, Chris, but I mean, it's enough that I can keep doing this thing, right? Or I thought you could have a job that paid a lot, but you'd hate it. Or you get a job that paid a lot that would hurt people like you know, like I dumped chemicals into our Lake, you know, for a living like I never thought you could get all three and I was like, this is all three, it sustains my family. I love it. It makes people's lives better. And as a bonus, I get involved in conversations I would not normally get involved in that elevate me, and you and everyone around us and my understanding of diabetes. So you know, for everybody listening. If you if you took me right now and took me back six years and introduced me to the guy who's been running a podcast for a year. I now could run circles around that guy talking about diabetes. And I was pretty good at it back then.

Chris Ruden 24:40
And it that's growth, you know that. And what I want people to understand is you don't have to be the best podcast or you don't have to have the number one podcast. You don't have to be an amazing speaker. You don't have to have done a TV show or have a disability or you don't have to have any of these drastic accomplishments that people might see as accomplishments. What you have to do is focus on serving the people in the community that you want to help. If you want to help other people and you find ways to maximize the skill that you have, and you're giving, you're coming from a giving perspective, instead of selling perspective, replace the word sell with help, and you'll always have business, you will always have maybe not wealthy, but wealthy in the sense of validation, fulfillment, you know, you're helping other people live better lives, there will always be a career in helping other people live better lives. Yeah, I think as long as I'm warm, and my kids can eat, the being happy part, as I get older, becomes more and more important. I actually talk about that a lot. We're probably the only society that focuses so much on happiness in the sense of like, constantly chasing happiness, happiness is everything happiness, happiness. No other society really does. You know, in the United States, we're the biggest consumer of self help books, but the largest amount of depression. It's It's so funny to me, you know, including podcasts, self help podcasts. So many people are so focused on happiness, that when they're not happy all the time, which is life, because life is not happy all the time. It's just life. We think that we should be happier, we think that we should have more, we're never, we're never satisfied, we don't have gratitude. So we're not happy, we're taught that happiness is everything. So we're always miserable. In the pursuit of happiness, which is why I talk about, I truly think the pursuit of happiness can be toxic. And the pursuit of growth is so much more important, because growth involves pain and pleasure, success and failure, struggle and strength and all these things, you know, but we're so focused on being the best all the time, but you can't be the best all the time. Otherwise, it's not called the best anymore. That's just normal. Yeah, people are obsessed with more, and never realize that. How can you want more from your life, when you don't even appreciate what you already have? It's the collection of stuff instead of the appreciation of what collection thinking you need, more. You, you've collected so many moments in your life up into this point, pain, everything, all wide range, dynamic range of moments, but we never look back or look at the moments we have currently. Because we're so focused on what we want to have more of, and what we don't have enough of, and it's that frame that keeps people miserable. That misery can be applied to diabetes, you know, we are sugar is 130. And we're like, you know, I should be 100 or sugar is 70, it should be 90, everything should be something else and never can just exist. We can't just exist and enjoy and and take part in what's currently going on. Because we always want something else. And at the end of the day, your life, you'll never have had anything. Because you spent your whole life wanting things you never got. Do you ever, ever meet somebody who gains weight consistently over their life, and every time they hit a new plateau, they look back and think oh, I was better. Like I was okay, where I wasn't, I wasn't happy with myself. They're always always because hindsight is 2020. And we usually only appreciate the things we used to have or wish we did, right? It's, for some reason, we've definitely shifted away from it with social media because of seeing people's highlight reels, but we are so obsessed with wanting different things, just wanting, just wanting, wanting, wanting, and never just having gratitude. I said in one of my talks, gratitude is the antidote for greed. And I didn't mean that with money. But greed for more greed for a better a different life. People get greedy with wanting to not be diabetic or greeting with want to be a better diabetic or greedy with wanting to be a social media diabetic or a podcaster. And you can do all those things. But you have to have a balance of I love where I'm at right now. I I have gratitude for where I am right now. And I also would like to grow, and I'm willing to do the work, those two things have to exist simultaneously. Or else you're always chasing something that you'll never have.

Scott Benner 29:16
You know, when you're watching those movies about the future, and you think, Oh, I hope I can live like that one day. So magical technology, so advanced and everything just seems better. Well, if we're just talking about the continuous glucose monitoring world, the world of CGM being able to measure the effect of insulin on your blood sugar and moreover, just the speed and direction that your blood sugar is moving in. If that's the future we're talking about, that future actually exists already that's here. So you know, if you're waiting for it, you don't have to, all you have to do is go to dexcom.com forward slash juicebox. And there you can get started with the Dexcom g Six continuous glucose monitor. You'll make knowledge your superpower. Like, you know, in the movies were like, there's like a super person and they fly around. They're like, I'm very strong. I know everything. I'm fast. You could be those things around your blood sugar, strong and fast and confident by knowing what direction your blood sugar is moving in, and how quickly it's moving in that direction. Imagine right now, if you could pick up your phone and see that your daughter's blood sugar is 70. That is what I just did. In the time, it took me to say it. I know it. I didn't open the phone before. I just said, Imagine, if you could and while I was saying that I picked up my phone, I unlocked it. I opened up the Dexcom app, and saw that Arden's blood sugar was 70 is also stable. By the way, it is neither rising or falling at the moment. I see all of that with my Dexcom g six follow up. Oh, you didn't know about that either. Yeah, up to 10. People can follow someone who's wearing a Dexcom g six. So I'm following my wife is falling if we wanted, my son could follow her friends could follow her school nurse could follow anybody, anybody you give access to. And on top of that, you get to set alarms, right notifications that tell you hey, your blood sugar's fallen farther than you want it to or risen higher than you wanted it to. It can even tell you if you're rising or falling quickly. It's magical. It's futuristic, but it's not. It's today. dexcom.com forward slash juicebox. Click on the links in the show notes. type it into a browser. Get started with Dexcom g sex. While you're out there on the internet, doing good things for yourself making decisions that are going to help you be healthier and safer. You might want to look at the Omni pod tubeless insulin pump. My daughter Arden has been wearing the Omni pod since she was four years old, she will turn 17 this summer. That is a long time, a long time that has been made easier, safer, friendlier, healthier, by the Omni pod Omni pod.com forward slash juice box. When you get there, you look around, you see that? You see what's up me like I get it. And then you do some clicking a little bit of typing. And before you know it, you're gonna have your answer. Am I eligible for a free 30 day trial of the Omni pod dash tubeless insulin pump? What did I just say? Free 30 days? That's right, it is possible that that could be you head over to find out now on the pod.com forward slash juice box. This is a no brainer. Free 30 days is a 12th of the year. That's a lot of time. 30 days, watch this right now. That was three seconds. Right? There are 60 seconds in a minute. 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 30 days in a month. That's a long time to get free insulin pumps on the pod comm Ford slash juice box go check it out.

So the first time that I saw what is now a common way people live is probably 30 years ago. And you might be too young to even know this or not be a football fan but already zero years old. Okay, Reggie White was a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles. I grew up in Philadelphia, he was the best defensive end in football for years. And free agency, which is now a very common thing in sports did not exist. It came into play. And when it came into play, Reggie moved from the Eagles to the Packers. And I think back then they paid him $9 million. Well, that was the first time that anyone had ever said out loud how much money a person made to play sports that I was ever aware of. And I watched a city of people who I believe would have given their own life for Reggie white, in a split second, learn how much money he had and then hate him. And I was like, wait, you love this guy. And he's amazing. And this stadium only fills up because of him. Like, you begrudge this guy $9 million at the end of his career, like he's gonna have to take this money after taxes and make the rest of his life with it. You know, he's only he's still a pretty young man, you know, they they went from loving him to hating him for making the money. And I think that learning how much people have seeing what other people have is hard for people to deal with. And social media makes it a million times worse because it feels like that's their entire life. And not only is that that their entire life, but everyone has this bug me. And boy that just puts you in a you know, in a place where

Unknown Speaker 34:49
you envy philosophy of you know, seeing someone's fabricated or manufactured lifestyle on social media. We build a picture in our heads of why we're not there or why we shouldn't be there or why we'll never be able to get there. We it's the story we tell ourselves. And that's what I talk about a lot in my book. The upper hand is the story we tell ourselves get so terrible. Sometimes it's think about this with with Reggie. Everyone was contributing to that $9 million. So stadiums were packed with paying customers people paid their money, unknowingly or knowingly to this guy. And once they realized that he had what they deemed as an abundance for the risk and all the things that he did. They're like, No, no, I'm not okay with this anymore. Yeah, I contributed to this, but I'm not okay with anymore. And people do that with social media. I love this picture. It's so beautiful. This girl, this guy, they're so pretty. They're so amazing. There's such a great life. Wait a minute. My life's not that good. I don't like them anymore. That's Wow, no ego, probably a crappy person. Now we start to tell ourselves a story. Well, I would do that. But my circumstances were the way I grew up my socio economic, you know, background, my resources, my this my that, then we start to validate why we're not as good or why they're better. Instead of just considering, hey, I have everything I could ever possibly need within me in the way I think. And I'm willing to be resourceful enough to make the life that I want. Because that's a reality.

Scott Benner 36:20
Yeah. No, I think there's a lot to that. And I and I believe that there's a whole generation of kids right now who are coming up. And they don't have any perspective. Like they didn't know Reggie white before free agency like I did. And, and I it is a worrisome thing that it could spill over and likely will spill over into many, many different aspects of people's thinking. You know, you see it even like, ladder climbing in business, where people get a job and immediately want to know how to how do I get a better job here, like when they get to do this job first, and then you know, be proficient at it, show up on time, do good work, and then we'll look at you and move you up a little bit. And that takes time. People don't even want to wait for that. Like you said, they want to go to the finish line. They don't want to run the race.

Chris Ruden 37:08
Yeah, and the any anything takes time. It's that iceberg effect. People only want to hang out at that little bit of iceberg without seeing all the thing that's beneath the surface that people see. You know, I have a big thing coming out and People Magazine, I'm releasing this book. I'm booking talks, I'm doing all this supposedly cool stuff work with Nike Tommy Hilfiger? it Yeah, it sounds cool. And all that. But people don't see the four years of struggle. And I'll share this with some people, people who might know me, but they'll see my account and blue checkmark and all the fancy stuff. But two years ago, halfway in my career, I tried to quit everything. I took a incomplete resume resume. I went to vitamin Shoppe to get a $7 an hour job because I was done. I was done. I was like, This isn't working. I'm never going to be successful. This sucks. A lot of people don't know this, because I was still getting close to the height of my career. But I didn't see it because I wanted more. And I wanted so much more that I wanted to throw it all away, because I was so frustrated that I wasn't at the finish line. Because I didn't finish running the race. And I'm so thankful, whoever if you ever listen to this guy, I'm so thankful that the guy who interviewed me looked at my resume and talked to me, and he refused to hire me because he said, I have way too much going for me. Wow. That's very cool. I'm so thankful for that because I tried to quit. And people might listen to like, know what No, I did. Guys, you look back two years ago, you might think I was like, killing it. I was struggling mentally because the story I was telling myself was so bad. I just I told myself how I feel like a fake and a phony. And this story I told myself, the story we tell ourselves sometimes gets so rough, and we're so bad to ourselves. Because of wanting more and or being jealous of what other people have or what we think they have. We only know what we see. We got to correct those stories. Yeah, and you have to find your value in different ways to like it can't just be how many people downloaded a thing or how many no likes? I love that you brought that up? Yeah. Okay. And I'd love to get your perspective on this too. The reason that doesn't work, is because external validation will never make up for internal validation, external circumstances, external Success and Support and external feedback will never be enough for a lack of internal feedback. So I'm sure you've dealt with this in your career. If you aren't proud of yourself, if you don't feel successful or appreciative or if you don't maintain the promises to yourself. No amount of external clapping, patting you on the back. We'll we'll fix that

Scott Benner 39:49
ever. I don't see the numbers as validation. I see the numbers as people reached. And I hope that that feels different to people when they're Listening because one of the episodes that I hear back about the most was Episode 11. So that means it happened in the beginning of 2015. And by hearing about it, I mean, it is the episode that more people point to and say that changed my perspective about diabetes. When I recorded Episode 11, I got as many downloads that month,

Unknown Speaker 40:23
as this show will get while you and I are talking. That's insane, right. And last month, I got more downloads than I think the first 18 months of the show combined.

Scott Benner 40:35
Wow. And it's easy to feel like that success. But in my heart, it's not. And I and I think how many people are living with diabetes, how many people use insulin every day? They don't know how to use it, how many people's blood sugars bounce around? Right? You start telling me Oh, 100,000 here, million over here. You know, it's nice. It's amazing. I know, I don't want to say nice. Like, it's dismissive. It's amazing. And I am thrilled by it. And it is. And it is led by the people who share the show with other people, I've never bought an ad anywhere on anything. And so that's all crazy. But if you think of it as people, until I get listened until you tell me there are 1.8 million people on the planet who have type one diabetes, and I received 1.8 million different emails, I don't feel done. And and that I used to think of was high minded. But now I think of it as purposeful.

Unknown Speaker 41:33
I think that's 100% purposeful. And even then, let's say 1.8 million people download that it messages like this, these conversations around diabetes, that our condition is continual, minute by minute constant, day in and day out changing. So 1.8 million downloads, that's amazing. But tomorrow is a new day, that's not gonna happen. You have to download daily, and I'm not talking about just this podcast, but you have to download daily, the idea that your diabetes is not defeating you, your diabetes, it just exists, it's not good or bad. It just exists. The beta cells in your pancreas are not, you know, not really working. So that's, that's where the story ends, right? Or that's where the story starts for a lot of people because they take that physiological thing, and they say, you know, what else I'm gonna bring into this story. Not only is diabetes, autoimmune disease, but diabetes is bad. Diabetes limits me diabetes, then we start telling ourselves, all of these things that diabetes doesn't do it, diabetes doesn't do anything else, aside from being an autoimmune disease. But it's a story we keep bringing back and you know, those downloads, you have to download daily, the idea that I did the things I needed to do, whether it was listening to a podcast, or listening to a talk or believing in yourself or checking your sugar, basic things, you have to download daily, the idea that I won this moment, I will win as many moments as I can. And when I lose moments, I will continue to move forward.

Scott Benner 43:04
I think it's important. Flexibility, I think, is what you're talking about too. And I think flexibility is incredibly important. Because you might think something right now, that turns out to be true in the moment, and it won't be true two weeks from now. Or maybe you're just wrong. I'm, I'm I ask people all the time when I'm talking to them. And I never I never think I'm saying it right. Or it's a thought I'm having that. I'm just not articulating, I guess, but I always wonder how many people are getting to the right and the wrong way. Like by mistake, like how many people are having health success by mistake. And even that worries me like, you know, you don't I mean, when somebody happens to people on MDI a lot, they'll use too much Basal insulin. And then they just strategically eat during the day so they don't get low. And they think well, I don't get low on my a one season the six is I'm doing great, except that they were to skip a meal. You know, they have

Chris Ruden 44:02
I have a very good concept around that. So people will say one of the phrases I hate the most and it's often applied to diabetes management is don't fix what's not broken. Have you heard that? Yeah, and I don't think let me talk about that. If we didn't fix what was not broken, we'd still be using candles instead of electricity. Candles worked amazing. Honestly, don't fix what's not broken. Okay, do this is what works for me. I will tell you that when you go to the restroom number two, you could wipe your butt with sandpaper because it would work. Or we can do what works best and use toilet paper. It's not about what works because a lot of times we get in trouble doing what works, because what works isn't what works best. We need to learn to optimize constantly, mentally, physically the way we take care of ourselves with your diabetes management team. It's not about what you've been doing that works. It's like what happens if there is better that we can fix, not that we're chasing better in the sense of like, you always have to be better. But sometimes you do need to take a step back. If you're so close to the wall, sometimes you're so close that you can't see the bigger picture until you back up, you know, and that that's the biggest issue. I tell people all the time. It's macro and micro, sometimes you have to look micro, and sometimes you have to step back and see 100% 100% it's not about just what works or what you've always done. Just because you've always done something one way doesn't make it right right now. And I saw it happen to me. I mean, I don't say anything on this podcast that I haven't experienced what happened to me, trust me, I still struggle daily, and I still make mistakes, constantly, I go to mental and 15 minutes late, there's gonna be a spike, you know, unless I'm using like inhaled insulin. I'm like, oh, man, I messed this up. It's normal. We make mistakes. Yeah, and you have that you just

Scott Benner 45:51
have to know how to, you have to know how to bounce. Like, you got to be able to stay loose. And, you know, just try to think of when somebody tried to teach a basketball when you were seven. It just keep your feet moving. You know, there's so many little things about how you how you succeed, that translate to bigger picture ideas. And I just want people to be able to see them sometimes because I don't have an episode for everything. I get notes all the time, like, do you have an episode that will specifically address my problem? And I'm like, Ah,

Chris Ruden 46:21
yeah, like, oddly specific, like maybe in the future. But as of right now, I don't think so you also have a ton of episodes. So I'm sure it can be tough to like, kind of look through, oh my gosh, sometimes I'm like, I think so. And that's the cool part, you have covered a lot. But there's so much more to cover. And that's why you'll always have things to talk about. Same thing with me and everyone, everyone has something to talk about. Because everyone has a story. Everyone can derive a message from that story. And everyone has a different perspective, we're all unique in the way we process and interpret information. So don't ever think that you're not good enough to share. Because you don't have to influence a crowd of 10,000 people or a million downloads, you can influence that one person, you know, and that one person might be might have been made, I vowed to be the person I never had growing up. And you might be helping that one person that could change the world or, you know, just changing the world can be helping one person. So I think people get a little too obsessed with scale, and not enough with the value that they bring. So it's not about quantity, when you said that a person's name popped into my head. And I can tell you that if I live 100 years, and that person's life is the only life I've ever impacted. I did a good thing. That's it. Yeah. And I know that's true every single time I speak. Yeah, if one person in the audience got a slightly better perspective for their personal life, I did my job.

Scott Benner 47:45
No, I definitely no, that's true, I'll tell you to that. The, the one place where scale matters to me is that the more people you get, as real listeners, not somebody who's heard an episode or two, the more feedback you get. And so then perspective start coming in where I get to go, I had never considered that. And then I get this consider, then after I consider I get to shape it into a message and put it out. And then it reaches other people who are not fringe, but maybe their problems just aren't as cookie cutter as some others, right. And that's how I feel like the podcast is turned into a repository, instead of just a show, like I do, I do genuinely believe, Chris, that if you went back to Episode One, and just listened through this, these episodes, I think you'd be psychologically more comfortable, I think you're a one seed might be in the fives. And I think diabetes would be easier for you than it was the day before you started. Now, I don't know if I can expect everyone to do that. But I'm happy to be able to say that I believe that thing exists. And

Chris Ruden 48:53
that's the good thing, though, is that you know, I don't mean this in any negative way whatsoever. But it's not your responsibility to have people take action, but it is your responsibility to give people the tools to take action. And you've done just that. And I feel like everyone should do that. Everyone needs to take responsibility for what they can manage which is truly what you think and how you react and sometimes it's hard yes easier said than done but better done than said but we all have an ability to do a little bit better and I know when I say that I there's a few things that pop in my head that I'm like yeah, I need to do better in these things. And I'm sure you know same thing if I asked you you know what do you need to do better at you probably have a few things. We all do. And it's we can't just stop it thinking yeah, I need to do better. It's like okay, what can I do to do better I don't need to fix everything today. I don't need to be at the finish line today. But I need to lace up well, it's definitely shade and go he just completely cliched, but I will be the best version of myself the day I die and that is sad. But I can't believe I'm just gonna say yeah,

Scott Benner 49:58
I say that confidently. isn't great. It's the it's it's I can't believe I'm just gonna like blurt out a T shirt here. But it's the journey. It really is like the journeys your life. It, I realize now that any dollar I put away, I'm putting it away for my kids and their kids kids, I don't think of it as like, Oh, you know what I'll be able to do one day, like when I was 20, I was like, if I save $100, I'll be able to get this stereo. Like, that's how it felt to me, like, I'll get this and then I'll have that. And now I just think like, you know, if I get some extra money, I'll put it aside and I'll give it to Colin Arden. And I know my wife feels the same way and having a partner who thinks the same is also really valuable. Like, the Chris, I have a slightly nicer car than I should. But I'm wearing a sweatshirt that I bought 25 years ago,

Chris Ruden 50:44
you never need to make up or validate why you do the things you do. Right? Why you get the things you get or whether it's good or bad you wearing clothes that you might deem not nice, or a car that you deem is too nice. Those are all personal decisions that make you happy in the moment, that's not a problem. No, some people are okay with a, you know, seven a one c some people are okay with a 4.9 a one see that the way you define your life is not to be judged by anyone else. Right. And I'll say this, I'll say this for anyone who judges people's agency chosen people's numbers or anything, thinking is hard. And that's why most people resort to judging. Yeah, that's interesting. And it's true. And it's prevalent too, I will tell you that the the backwards way that I built a Facebook group for the podcast, ended up really making it valuable, because I didn't start with

Scott Benner 51:43
a Facebook group. I started with a podcast. So we all listening have similar ideas about diabetes, and then they all come together in a place where they can actually kind of touch each other. And to see how kind and valuable they are to each other. And not judgmental is fascinating. Like, every once in a while someone will hear like, Oh, this is a good face. You know, it's so base, and base and simple. People will be like, Oh, I heard this Facebook group is where you get good a one sees that, you know, and then they show up. And they're they're like, and they're an outsider in that they haven't heard the show. Like they're actually people who will show up in the Facebook page, and some and they'll say to somebody, like, how did you do that. And some people say, Oh, I just listened to these episodes of the podcast, and they'll go what podcast. And I'm always fascinated by that, that the the you've

Chris Ruden 52:32
gotten to the point where people have known different parts of something that you don't consider as prominent, but maybe to them they do you know, and that's just shows the the leakage of value that has gone from your, your baby, your main thing, your podcast, to even the things you don't deem as important, like when he said you don't focus as much on Facebook or Instagram, but you still have that value. And that when you know, I guess this is this is the toughest part for a lot of people. When you know or think you know what your purpose or passion as in, you truly find fulfillment in something, when you just do it. You just did the podcast, that was your main focus, you know, you added the Facebook, you added the Instagram, but you just the podcast is everything. But the value goes so much farther than the intended platform. Because any platform you touch, whether you have five followers or 5 million followers, that value is still there. So those five followers will still feel value. And I love seeing that.

Scott Benner 53:28
No, it's it was unexpected, you're not wrong with that I didn't. I made that Facebook group because people asked me to it was not an idea of mine. And now I would tell you, it is and I you know, I guess I think it's because I'm another from another generation because I'm going to be 50 this summer. But to tell somebody that I am really proud of the Facebook group that I have feels odd to me.

Chris Ruden 53:51
Like and maybe that's just a relationship you have with Facebook, maybe you have preconceived notions about social media, and like we all kind of do, and certain platforms and things like maybe think I go, a lot of people are fake on social media, I don't want to be fake on social media. But social media, when used correctly, is just a platform, another platform to give value. You know, a hammer is great for building house, but it can also be used as weapon or it can break a window. It's not the tool itself, but how you use the tool and let's say not becoming the tool. Please don't do that. But seriously, you know, you've used the tool in a way that is value based. And regardless of your feelings about it, it's there. So deep, what do you think stops people from building things thoughtfully? Is it the is it that they don't want to wait? or fear 100% fear, fear of other people's opinions. We are terrified of how we think other people might view us which we'll never be able to know that's other people's opinions of us are not our responsibility to manage. And honestly, other people's opinions of us are not our business. They're not and if you are stopping the value that you possess If you are not giving the value because you are afraid that someone who you won't serve anyways is going to judge you. I think that's selfish. I think it's selfish on your part, to deny the perspective that could help someone else. Because of fear of something, someone might think that you can never know for sure, there was a person when I

Scott Benner 55:19
started this podcast, who I didn't know, I guess, but knew me through my blog, and reached out to me, and I ended up speaking with them. And they took that time to tell me that the way I deliver my message is wrong. And like, chastise me over. And I still remember that conversation, because what do you think about when you when you when they said that to you, what immediately went in your head was their doubt? I don't know. I knew they were wrong. I knew that. Okay, I know that the people who talked about diabetes did it in two basic of a way, that they were not clear enough. They were not blue collar enough that they didn't, they weren't complete enough. And I, the way I used to put it was, if you read a diabetes blog, it was a sentence of direction and a paragraph of apologizing for it. And it was sort of like you should Pre-Bolus because if you do this happens, and then basically a disclaimer, Pre-Bolus in could be dangerous, because so you just told them it was good, and then scared them out of it, you know, like I was like, and that was always that it was to me, most of the content that wasn't personal related, like people's feelings that was more technical, was inaccessible, incomplete, and left you more scared than when you're confused than when you got there. And I thought, I am going to be clear. And I am going to be

Unknown Speaker 56:44
complete. I'm not you remember how I said, you know, people do what works. And then you know, smart people do what works best. I feel like that's what you did, you took something that kind of worked, you know, the blogging space people, the way people talked about things, that kind of work, and you just made it better. Yeah. And I love that you had the confidence in knowing that what you're doing was so value based that if a million people lined up and said you were wrong, you would still keep doing it, because you believed in the value that you're presenting. Now, I will say a lot of people have a lot of doubts, because the stuff they're putting out, they don't believe in, you know, they don't truly believe they're chasing the finish line. And of course, there's going to be doubts when you don't have a rock solid foundation and knowing your value. You know, if I was trying to, to sell you an item for $100 that I knew was $20. I'm gonna have doubts. But if I'm selling selling you an item that's $100. And I know it's $100. If you offer me 90, I'm gonna say no, yeah, because I know the value in this like a $20 bill, when it's crumbled up, it doesn't lose its value, because it has wrinkles. It's the same thing when you know the price, the worth you have or the worth that you bring. And it doesn't fluctuate, no one can ever bring you down from that level.

Scott Benner 57:56
So I'll pull the curtain back a little bit here and tell you that things that people won't understand like, or might not know, like, for some of the advertisers on the show, I don't actually deal directly with a company I deal with, I'll deal with like a PR agency that the company pays, you know, to run their public relations stuff. And I will say in a meeting, and I believe that this will be impressive to you. I will tell people, I don't want all of your money right now. I want a reasonable amount every year. For as long as I can do this, I want you to be thrilled to send me a check. In my mind, you should be there going, oh, we're paying for these podcasts, I'd say best money we ever spent. I said because when you feel like that, that means that I've built a thing that's helping people, because it's the only reason why it will continue to exist. It's not a comedy podcast. We're not going over World War Two history, right? Like, if this podcast doesn't deliver on the level of entertaining and valuable for people with diabetes, it'll crumble. And if you're willing to buy an ad, that means it's helping people. And I said, so I have a long term goal in mind. I want this podcast to be alive. 10 years from now, I want to have to stop doing this podcast because I'm so old. I can't keep it up now because it fell apart. And so I don't think many people would say that on a business call. But that's what I tell them. I said I want you to be thrilled to send me money. And I want you to be thrilled for years not just today. There are too many people grabbing, like let me put I saw a person wants they got a guest on a show they thought was going to be a big deal. And they actually tried to shop the episode and and charge people a bunch of money to buy an ad on a single episode. And I thought no one listens to your podcast. They're not going to magically start listening to it because you actually landed a guest. Like that's not how this works, you know? But they thought it was it was it was a land grab. They're like let me see how much I can get right now right now. And I thought Boy, that's the mistake, like build something

Chris Ruden 59:59
As desperation moves like that, especially people thinking like it, I call it conditional happiness and just conditional situations where if I had x, then maybe y, you know, if I had this guess that maybe I could make some money. If This Then That. And when you set up those terms for your happiness, or the way you deem success or even your finances, you're always basing it on an external and outside thing. Yeah, versus if I was just giving value, then maybe value would come to me. It is that simple. It really is it so it's, it's easy. But the where the simplicity gets a little like diluted is, it's hard to break through those mental plateaus of knowing that you have to be consistent over time that and that goes with diabetes management that goes a business. I tell people a lot, you cannot replace consistency with intensity. And what I'm going to make it very clear, let's say you find a person you want to ask out guy or girl, and you know, the normal courtship, how your court someone, you would approach them in public, and you would say, Hey, I have flowers and a ring and I want to get married. And I will let's get pregnant tonight. And like I'm just no not gonna work. intensity, not good. Consistency, building over time develops a relationship. Intensity gets you a restraining order. Let's, let's make sure we're not trying to replace intensity just because you're excited right now, whether that's with your diabetes management, because you just saw a new endo, or you talk to someone like Gary shiner or read a book. We're all motivated when we're motivated. And then we want to be super intense. You know, I want to be in shape. So I'm going to go to the gym today. Tomorrow, the next day, I haven't gone to the gym for years, I'm going to only eat boiled chicken and water and broccoli. And in three days, I'm going to quit because this is terrible. Yeah. Because we try to replace consistency with intensity. And you cannot do that, right? I've seen companies do it too, like I've been I'm sure you have and you get approached, like we want to do a thing and we're gonna do this and come on out, we'll give you some money, and we'll get your opinion. And I'm like, No, thanks. Like why I'm like, I don't want to say there are many companies who try and throw money at the wall to see what sticks and nothing usually does. Because I've worked with companies that have done it incredibly well. And I've worked with companies that are solely based on money, they know nothing about me. They treat me like I hate the word influencer but influencer number 47. And they're like, yeah, you know, you have this engagement, and we will pay you this much you will deliver this message and I could you be any more robotic, right? Don't you understand that? Like, I'm one I'm a person too. I know my value. And I know what the people I serve what value they want. So if it's not native or natural, and it goes against like, I'm very big on authenticity, communication and community that we won't align. It's not going to work. Right.

Scott Benner 1:02:54
I I've only once been in a private conversation been called an influencer. And I stopped the conversation and said, I not only don't believe that's true, but I it makes me uncomfortable. And please never say it again. Yeah,

Chris Ruden 1:03:11
I truly believe everyone has influence and is capable of being an influencer. I think there's a negative connotation just because of where we're at. But I will also say the reverse of that is there are many influencers today who do not have influence and that is like a cheeseburger without cheese. Well, either Yeah, that's, that is really fascinating to see. And, and I have to admit, I watch it, you know, from afar with a little bit of interest.

Scott Benner 1:03:38
It's very fun. It is a I love watching people try to pretend that there's something they aren't online to, I guess, trick the thing into existence and then jump on it and ride it. Like that's always

Unknown Speaker 1:03:52
how it feels to me. For the people who aren't aware, I feel bad because it being an influencer wasn't a career, it was a byproduct of a career, you know, and people who actually have influence which are anyone you have influence, I have influence everyone who is willing to share a message on any medium has influence or potential influence. But now the term influencer is associated with engagement. When did we take influence out of influencer and make men make it engagement? Or, you know, that's really what it is? Yeah.

Scott Benner 1:04:29
I've had really long conversations recently with a newer PR company, where I just met this person and the person I was talking to told me that the entire idea of influencing just based on that, like, I took a picture of myself eating something, that kind of thing. She's like, it's dying. We don't believe in it anymore. And she's like, it will go away. She's like, it'll always work on big levels like Kim Kardashian, I'll do something she's like, but, you know, Jill, who decides she's got 5000 followers on something is going Start doing that she's like, we don't see that as working anymore. It goes back to what you said, which is,

Unknown Speaker 1:05:07
it may be I do have influence, but it's not like I woke up one day and said, you know what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna be an influencer.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:14
Yeah, you can't.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:15
That's it.

Unknown Speaker 1:05:16
It's the equivalent of people saying like, you know what? Today, I'm gonna go play for the dolphins, the Miami Dolphins. That's what I'm going to do today. And no, you're not because you didn't do the work, you didn't create the influence and influence is a byproduct of value. People are skipping, giving value and trying to go straight to influence. And again, I will say it and you guys probably heard it so many times. You cannot hang out at the finish line without running the race, your blood sugars will not be magically better without doing the work. If you continue not to do the things that make your blood sugars better. You cannot be upset that your blood sugars are not better. You can't be upset with the result for the work you didn't put in.

Scott Benner 1:05:59
Yeah, in the end it just it I'm if I have any influence over people, it's not in that bad connotation way that you're thinking is what I really have is, I think a podcast that's valuable. And because it's valuable other people listen to it. Yeah, then people who want to who want to get their message through your thing. See it as influence.

Chris Ruden 1:06:22
I love that you put it that way. Because so I called my book the upper hand one because you know, I have a prosthetic arm and I just make dad jokes because I think it's funny. But people like oh, upper hand, that's, that's bad. It's like manipulation. Like, I don't want people to get the upper hand over other people. I need you to get the upper hand over yourself and all the crap we tell ourselves, you know, going back to like the stories we tell ourselves, if you can't influence yourself to have better habits or live a better life, improve your management or anything like that. How could you want to be an influencer of others when you can't even influence yourself? We got to start asking better questions who are so self communication? You know, and then kind of go from there. I think people jumped the gun a lot in today's society. Yeah, no kidding. So what? What made you write a book, I guess? Like, I've just watched you do so many interesting things that like, I'll never forget the night I turned on the television. I was like, there's Chris running across the TV screen. That's Yeah, I mean, for me, it's always been, you know, people don't see that bottom of the iceberg. hiding my disability for 17 years really kind of wrecked me mentally, and diabetes as a catalyst for me to start being an advocate. But I was still hiding in plain sight. You know, I never felt authentic, I constantly felt like I was trying to be the image of what I wanted people to see me as never just being mean. So when we have these conversations, it really gives me like PTSD to think like, man, I used to live like this. You know, I live this fake, confident, fake, authentic lifestyle where I tried to appease everyone. And that's the number one way to be depressed, is to try and please everyone else by yourself. So this book, I've always wanted to write something along the lines of like self communication, because we hear the concept communication is key. But I think that is the second step because self communication is more key. You know, if you can't communicate yourself, how can you expect to communicate with other people? Well, this book is about overcoming obstacles and helping you get the upper hand over yourself. And I truly think that we can't do much all we can do is control our thoughts and actions and reactions. And that's what I want people to start doing. I can't there's no positive thinking there's no podcast, there's no motivational speech that you'll hear that will take away your diabetes. We know that there's no podcast or motivational speech that will make diabetes easier for your kid immediately. Yeah, but there is perspectives, there are things that we can do that can potentially help. And that's what you share on every one of your episodes, something some way whether it's mentally, physiologically, management wise, something we can do for me that something is the way we think. And I wrote this book in a digestible way to just help people think better. Cool, where can people get it? It comes out on May 4, and it'll be on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and stuff. But this, this is not a money making thing for me, like I'm working with a publisher, which is great and all but this has been a two year process and to see this come out, and to be able to hold it in my hand and read it. I get chills thinking about it. Because I'm like, man, I love giving these speeches. But when people go home, your motivation is like taking a bath. If you only do it once a year, I'm sorry, but you're gonna stink. You know, same thing with your podcasts, you don't, you can get those downloads or whatever. But you need people to keep listening to keep doing keep that perspective going. We need to keep doing these things. So I just really hope that that one person that I help when they start to get into a downfall or a pitfall, you know, yeah, maybe they read the book, maybe they listen to your podcast, maybe they do something extra to pick themselves back up. And that just gives me so much fulfillment. Well listen, I can Help people for certain I wrote a book and you don't make a lot of money from doing it. So you really want to write not. And again, we both know that money made money comes as a byproduct from giving value. And I don't look at opportunities anymore as money making opportunities. Obviously, we all need to live and have eaten before to insulin, which is a whole another story here, right? But money truly does come when you focus on giving value, I think is Brian Tracy, who said when you replace the word, so with help, you'll always have sales. And I found that to be very, very true. Yeah, I I've never heard that. But it's absolutely my finding as well. And it takes forever to write a book it is, um, oh, yeah, I put this off for so long. And I it's, I saw it in my notes section for years. And it's nice to see it come through. But it's, it's more exciting to know that if I were to read, if I would have read this when I was younger, it might have helped me. And that's truly what it is me talking to people who might think there's no options, there's no way out. And there is, you know, my story is in a little of the book, but it's more so easy to digest concepts of getting yourself out of those ruts. And like when burnout happens, it's okay, but what do we do after that? What do we do with what we have right now to make it better, or just make it suck a little bit less?

Scott Benner 1:11:23
I have to say that I think that the struggle you had when you were younger, is incredibly valuable for people in general to hear, like, in even people, especially, I guess maybe people with diabetes who might be wearing devices or something like that, because Chris, when you know, when I met you the first time I met you, but it is undeniable. Your arm is undeniable. Like you can't like there's no way for me not to notice it as a person who meets you for and I

Chris Ruden 1:11:49
believe, I don't know if did I meet you when I have my prosthetic arm? Or? No? I'm not. Sir, I think I might have met you when I want to do hiding my hand to be honest. Okay, I think I was still hiding my hand or no glove. And obviously, my arm is shorter. And you can notice the difference. But that was still when I was hiding. And it wasn't until like two years ago, I think that two or three years ago that I like took the gloves off and like that video went viral and all this stuff. But I was hiding a majority of my life. And I know a lot of people do that with their diabetes tech or their diabetes in general. Yeah. And I know the pain that comes from wearing a mask every single day, right. And for me, that mask was a physical glove. But for a lot of people, it's hiding their equipment, or it's hiding that they take shots or pretending like they don't have diabetes or moving a certain way that hides the things that help keep them alive. I know the pain that comes from not being authentic with yourself. And that hurts me to know that people experienced what I experienced. And I want to make sure that I reduce that as much as possible. Well,

Scott Benner 1:12:52
I think that when I see you online, or when you do things that you have a head up attitude that I hope translates to people with diabetes like mine, one of the things I'm happiest about for my daughter's that she'll go out with her, you know her on the pot on her stomach with a half shirt or on her thigh. I

Chris Ruden 1:13:05
love that so much. And I wish I see people like your daughter, and I'm like, I almost get a little envious because I'm like, Man, I wish I had that. That confidence. But it makes me so happy to see a younger person to see anyone but especially a younger person, own something that just owned me for so long. Well, I hope it helps you to know that I see you as a person who mirrors that confidence now, so I definitely feel that and it's it was a weight lifted to finally accept that my disability and my diabetes, were not who I am. It's just a part of who I am right. And that wasn't my full story. I'm not broken or useless or helpless or any of those synonyms with disability, you know, I just happened to have a few USB fingers and it makes it easier for Hide and Seek when I cover my eyes because I can see where you're hiding. Well listen, I'm going to say something I didn't think I was gonna say while we were talking. And I don't normally have an opinion about stuff like this, but your current physique is my favorite of yours. I can't believe this is actually so To be fair, I just did I just broke a 10 year goal of wanting to do a bodybuilding competition just because I judged my body for so long. And now we saw those guys on the magazines. I'm like, I want to do that. And I was told that I couldn't because of my my disability, right? I just did a competition against non disabled people and I took home first place congratulations and I someone asked me, they said are you going to wear your CGM? Are you allowed to wear your CGM and I wrote this, whether I'm allowed to wear my CGM or not onstage? I'm wearing my CGM, right. representation matters to me so much. So, at my show, I had my prosthetic arm I had my CGM. I took my arm off to show my limb difference. I didn't care about the competition. I cared about what that view what that look might do for someone. Maybe what it would do for me when I was younger, you know, and I got so many messages from families. Kids and people just saying, like, seeing you, they're seeing you on TV seeing you do these things, you are giving me hope in that. Man, I can't even explain what that means to me.

Scott Benner 1:15:11
I understand. And I believe it. And I'll tell you that I'm seeing you do that. And seeing the incredible shape of you changed your body. It's why that I still to this day, when people are having trouble exercising with diabetes, I'll point them back to a number of different episodes, but yours 201. I point them back to because you talked about, you know, different ways of managing weight and stuff like that, and, and physique and health. It just, I think it all just kind of coalesce together, right? Like I am. At my core, when I talk about diabetes with people, I tell them, you got to get your basil, right, you need to Pre-Bolus a lot of your meals need to understand the glycemic load index of foods and be flexible, right? because not everything is always going to go the same way. That to me is the core. Like I think that's the base of it. And then people come along and say, but I fall while I'm exercising. And I'll tell them, I think that if you had this core together, you wouldn't fall when you were exercising, or it wouldn't be as drastic or it wouldn't be as scary. And you'd learn over time, how to balance it. And that's the work right? Like that's the that's the not the running the race.

Chris Ruden 1:16:21
Yeah, it's the running of the race, you have to do that part. You can't just tell me, I don't want to fall while I'm at soccer. I know you don't. But you got to go fix your base. You know, what's funny, what that also is, is that person who's asking for money for that one episode. That's the exact same thing. Yeah, that's that concept of trying to solve one small issue pretending that it's in a vacuum, you can't just have good sugars for that one soccer game, you have to understand conceptually, you might have insulin on board, you might be increased insulin sensitivity, or that intensity might have caused that anaerobic effect where you get a spike, and then that post, you know, low, if you don't take time to understand your condition, we almost don't have a right to be upset that our condition flat back, you know, yeah, great to be resource, we have to listen to these things like the podcasts you put out or reading these books that come out from these prominent, you know, medical people in our space. The value and the resources are there. And I know accessibility can be a thing, but the community is free as well. So I just I really need people to to run the race. So I really need people to run the race. Well, I hope everybody checks you out. What are you on Instagram is just my name at Chris rudan and Twitter's at Chris Rutan YouTube. And my website is Chris run calm. I'll be posting about my book and stuff. And I do a bunch of things in the space with like different foods and all that. But at the end of the day, I'm always available to talk. So you have an open year you have a shoulder to talk to and I'm, I'm around yeah, check Chris out. He's he's got a unique perspective. And he does a really good job, as you've heard for the last hour talking about it. So I'm a big fan of Chris, and I appreciate you doing this. I appreciate what you do as well, man, and we're all running the race and maybe, maybe there is no finish line. Maybe the finish line is running the race.

Scott Benner 1:18:18
Huge thanks to Dexcom and Omni pod for sponsoring this episode of the Juicebox Podcast. Find out more about the Dexcom g six continuous glucose monitor@dexcom.com Ford slash juicebox. And find out if you're eligible for that free 30 day trial of the Omni pod dash at Omni pod.com. forward slash juicebox. Another thank you to Chris Rutan, author of the upper hand leveraging limitations to turn adversity into advantage. You can learn more about Chris at Chris rutan.com. And he's also an Instagram. If you want to see what I was talking about. I know if I can do it real quick before the music runs out. I might not make them. I am not making music. Dammit, I still did it though. Chris Rudin is on Instagram at Chris Rutan. And you can do a little scrolling back there and see what I mean. The man is in wicked shape right now. Crazy. Hey, while I've got your attention if you're looking for the diabetes pro tip episodes, they begin at Episode 210. And you can also see them listed out at diabetes pro tip com. Also on that page, you'll find the defining diabetes episodes, and all other kinds of useful links for the podcast. If you're enjoying the show, please leave a positive and exciting and thoughtful review wherever you listen and tell a friend that really is the best way to help the show to grow. And I didn't rhyme on purpose. But if you want to help the show to grow, share it with a friend. Thank you so much for listening. I'll be back soon with another episode.

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