Author’s note: Dallas and I usually collaborate on posts, but this one is just from my (Melissa’s) personal perspective. Dallas, however, is more than on board here – in fact, he’s been encouraging us to head in this direction for quite some time.
We finally received our advance copy of Robb Wolf’s new book, The Paleo Solution. Dallas and I have been taking turns reading it as fast as we can, making notes for our review (coming next week). Last night, while re-reading the section on sleep, I came to this line: “If you do not sleep, you will completely cock-block your fat loss.” And for the third time in as many days, I thought, “I can’t believe he actually used that word in his book. This book is on sale at Barnes & Noble, for Oprah’s sake. Oh crap – Oprah. Robb cannot say ‘cock-block’ on Oprah.”
And then I stopped for a minute and thought, why can’t Robb say these things in his own darn book? And more importantly, would I expect anything less? We like Robb because, well, he’s Robb. We listen to his podcasts and read his blog and attend his seminars because we like his point of view, his material and his delivery, crude as it may be at times. And while he certainly shouldn’t drop the f-bomb during a network TV interview, his sense of humor and tough love attitude is a big part of what makes his message so memorable, and makes Robb so likeable. Let’s face it – Robb’s message without Robb’s voice isn’t anywhere near as appealing.
Which kicked me in the shins again with the fact that here on this blog, we are slowly but surely losing our voice. When I was “Urban Gets Diesel”, I wrote about random fun stuff from a very personal perspective darn near every day. (Are there any UGD readers still here?) I spoke from the heart, shared lots of myself and built an audience that, in part, has allowed us to do what we do here on the Whole9. And while I did give thought to the impression I was making, I also wasn’t afraid to express a whole lot of myself on the page. Reading Robb’s book reminded me that people read UGD because of my message, but they liked it because of my voice.
Fast forward to one year later. Now, the Whole9 blog is a venue for our bona-fide business, not just a fun outlet of expression. And we’ve forgone personal musings time and time again in favor of educational articles, reader-requested content and what my Dad calls “commercials” for our workshops and offerings. This transition happened in time with the growth of The Business, as we became acutely aware that this blog was now an extension of our livelihood. It seemed fair and logical that The Business must be granted at least some time in the spotlight in order to flourish. But that’s not the whole story, and I’m sure every new business owner can relate to the “corporate culture” dilemma we’ve been struggling with all year.
The more The Business grew, the more we (I, especially) felt pressure to conform. To tone down our more wild phrasings, to not rock the boat with our content, to cater to a wider potential audience by making our material more accessible. Which means that in the last six months, thanks to both my self-imposed conservatism and incessant concerns for The Business… we’ve grown a little bit soft. I’m so afraid of offending Mark Sisson fans that we’ve held off publishing what we really think about the “80/20 rule”. I’m concerned about upholding our good nutritional image, so I haven’t written about my recent two day love affair with Michael Mina’s duck fat french fries. (They are heaven on a plate, people.) And I’ve felt so much (perceived) pressure to present ourselves as a Real Business that I’ve completely lost my voice as Melissa. It’s been so long since I’ve actually written anything… and I hate that. Even worse, I suspect YOU (our readers) hate that too.
We will, perhaps, always face the struggle of The Business vs. Dallas & Melissa. How much can we write about ourselves before the business starts to suffer? How casual, comfortable, personable can we afford to be in public before we start coming off as unprofessional? Could we really say “cock-block” in a posted article and not lose a conservative reader or two? (Understand that to us, every single reader matters.) These are the fine lines that we’ll have to walk for ourselves, much like Robb has probably had to tightrope more than one situation in his long and successful business career. But as of right now, I MISS writing. I miss inspiring discussion, stirring up a bit of controversy, and sharing piece of myself with the people who come here every day. And I suspect, as my Dad has also been telling me for months, our readers miss that too.
So bear with us as we figure out how to walk this tightrope. Of course, we need to allow The Business its voice time to time… but please stay tuned as we (Melissa and Dallas) find our voices again, right here on the blog. We’ve got plenty of good stuff in our heads, and it’s high time that our personal thoughts get some time in the spotlight around here.
As always, thank you for reading, and we apologize to everyone following the “80/20 rule” in advance. Post thoughts to comments.
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This blog post really made me smile Melissa!
It’s so funny that you mentioned that your Dad has been dropping hints about re-gaining “your voice” because it’s thoughts of MY (**very conservative**) Dad reading my blog that causes me to tone my voice down a bit (LOL!!). I always re-read my blog entries before hitting that “publish” button, and I ALWAYS (and I do mean every. single. time!) end up re-wording, sugar-coating, or eliminating some part of it because I am worried about the way it may be percieved by a small percentage of the people reading it. Any of my close friends understands my sense of humor/sarcasm and the way that I word things. They also know me and the personal reasons why I take a hard line and will not budge or consider alternatives on some topics, but it is highly possible that I could un-intentionally offend the multitudes with my ramblings if I didn’t take a moment to breath and edit at the end of a thought (or rant!).
And I’m talking about a tiny little personal blog w/ a tiny little following . . not a part of my livelyhood or business. . . . so I can EASILY see how this type of “censorship of self” in the interest of The Business can and does occur. But I can also see how blogging or writing about really cool stuff that you love could cease to become FUN and FULFILLING after a few months of this censorship ;)
I for one love all of the stuff you guys have been writing, but I also love the “tough love” that you show in the Whole30 write-up. It makes me smile every single time that I read through it! I don’t see a little more tough love, sarcasm, or your personal brand of humor killing The Business. At the end of the day, you want to be doing something that you guys love and loving every minute of it, so in my opinion if that means a little more tough love or sarcastic remarks- so be it! You’ve got at least one loyal “follower” here that you don’t have to worry about offending or losing ;)
I do miss your more personal posts and look forward to you finding the happy medium between business and having your own voice. I also look forward to your uncensored take on the 80/20 rule. Maybe after that you can tackle that nebulous H/FO scale, if you’ll pardon the BGD/UGD reference. :)
UGD reader ere’ lol. Now I really wanna read that 80/20 article…BRING IT! :D
Can’t wait to “hear” more! Also anxiously waiting for my copy of Robb’s book. Keep up the good work!
I have been waiting on the 80/20 post ever since you guys told me about it at the nutrition lecture in Phoenix. Im glad that you both are trying to find your voice again…listening to how blunt and honest yall were at the lecture brought me back to 100% on the primal front.
~bring that voice to No Cali in October Melissa! i look forward to meeting you.
when it comes to food, we all make choices that are personal and each of us will have a different perspective on the importance of the ‘rules’ in our lives, different biochemistry, lifestyle, goals, cultural and emotional aspects and frankly, different attitudes.
so, keep speaking what you know to be truth. keep those guidelines crystal as you educate (80/20, 90/10 or how YOU walk the talk) so that ‘grace’ doesn’t become the rule instead of the exception.
speak your peace for others to aspire to if they can’t get there yet and are on a stepping stone pathway or even choose to remain in the middle of the road for awhile. keep it real so that those listening can begin to find the thing that makes those changes truth for them!
thanks for putting it out there! ~j
Back to your roots! UGD readers revolucion!
UGD reader here as well. I miss the “personal voice”, your writing style drew me to your blog and kept me reading beyond the change. I too look forward to more melding of UGD and Whole 9. Thanks for all the inspiration, knowledge and your “voices”.
Since I have yet to give you guys a dime, I really don’t feel like I have much voice in how you run your Business. I do miss the more personal side and it is nice to know you are human and ‘fall off the wagon’ occasionally.
Personally I have been struggling with the ’80/20′ myself. I find that it turns into ’70/30′ then ’60/40′ and before I know it I’m crackin out on mini Reese’s peanut butter cups for eff’s sake!!!
I started listening to Robb’s pod casts in anticipation of the book and am slowly coming back around. I really can’t ‘strive for 100% but be happy with 80%’, give me an inch and I take a mile.
Whatever you decide, I’m glad you are here. Looking forward to your next trip to the Seattle area. Hopefully I’ll make it this time.
I didn’t read UGD when it was hot off the presses, but I’ve been going through back issues (if you will) like a kid with a new set of comic books. And I can honestly say I’m excited for the future – looking forward to watching you reclaim your voice(s). Because really, this blog is kinda weak (but smart! and well designed!) sauce compared to where it started. . . . Now tell me about that two day duck fat fry affair.
I’ve only been reading your blog for a few months but have to say that I enjoy the posts where you do use your voices more, at times it may be just a faint whisper but you can tell a difference. I also have to say that most of the time these are the posts that stick in my mind and make me think more. Plus, Melissa saying that she had wished she had more middle fingers on the Carrot Train to Crazytown post had to be one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard and expressed her feelings about the subject perfectly and, not the least bit offensive!
As for Mark Sisson, I think that if you are going to read both blogs you have to accept the fact that there is a difference between Paleo and Primal and to glean what you can from each site and use what works best for you. I was introduced to MDA by a friend who eats Primal about a year ago and it works for him but didn’t feel right to me. Somewhere in the middle may be better for someone else but Thursday will be my day 30 (feel like I’m in AA) and my asthma and endometriosis are already improving! For me, that’s huge and why Paleo is the way to go for me. (My Mom tells me that I speak my opinion too much and need to start censoring myself more, but decided that this was worth using my voice on. Can’t wait to start hearing your voices more!)
Hey Melissa!
I am in full support of you and Dallas re-finding your voice!! I read a few of your posts on UGD and they were so interesting I could not stop reading them, which goes the same with Robb and Andy’s podcasts. In your posts on Whole9, I do hear hints of the honesty and tough love, which always makes me smile and interested to keep reading. It’s like you are giving me advice face-to-face with personality full force, rather than reading a generic post on health, fitness, and nutrition. I am really glad that I stumbled upon this community, because there is so much vulnerability, truth, and a kick-in-the ass… which is truly inspiring.
Though I am studying abroad and won’t have access to Robb’s book until late November (DEVASTATING, I KNOW), I hope to soak up as much as I can from the internet resources. Thanks for the book suggestions also! I have already read Lights Out, but definitely want to start Food Rules.
I’ve definitely been less excited to read Whole 9 posts than I used to be about UGD posts, but I know ‘The Voice’ is still hanging around somewhere. I can be patient while you figure stuff out ;)
I also love the UGD reads, esp. the healthy-fuck off scale. As a health care provider, I occasionally refer my clients to it and with great results. Thanks for getting back to being yourself as part of your business. Hard to underestimate the value of that, eh?
Totally agree with going back to a more UGD tone of your articles, finding your “Voice,” whatever you want to call it. Anyone can write some conformist, mass-appealing articles for the internet. Your appeal and original fan base derives from YOU, that is why we like you. Keep up the good work, or…get back to the good work! Best of luck.
Hey guys, I was always a big BGD/UGD fan, and I’d love to hear more training and personal stories. I loved hearing about Dallas jumping onto cars, or Melissa DLing heavy, or whatever fun stuff you guys are doing. Always looking for new and cool ideas.
-Jesse
I certainly see your dilemma – you need to hold on to all those who have been following you since UGD but you don’t want to scare away any newcomers! At the same time, the blog *and* the business have to be a true reflection of who you are. Being aware is half the answer :-)
BTW, if Tom Crazy..er..Tom Cruz…can jump around on the furniture I think Robb can say whatever he wants on Oprah!!
And, finally, when are you coming back to South FL with your new and improved stuff?!…seems like sometime in the middle of the SLC winter would be good :-)
No matter who you may offend, being real and honest and true to yourselves ALWAYS shines through. People may not agree, but they have to respect you for that. Find your way. We’ll continue reading! ~Karyn
Yea! Alright! I miss the old Melissa, too. The broken-barbell sharp-tongued coach! You were really funny.
Did you watch Burgener in the Crossfit Journal video coaching Nadia on the snatch balance. My ears were burning, but he got through to her inner “junk-yard dog.” Sometimes we have to be raw and messy.
haha, Classic Robb Wolf line.
I remember the UGD days. There was one really funny post about profanity. Maybe just do one post a week that’s gets back to the old days of just writing from your heart. No need to be an expert everyday. Those old posts are what kept a lot of people reading and coming back.
First…love the post, love UGD.
This post hit a cord with me. Going through some professional, personal changes myself. I’m a dentist and mama of two little boys, but I love to train hard–and don’t apologize for it. Your post made me remember that I’m still the gal that rx’d “Fran” on my due date. I often feel internal pressure to up the “polish” factor, but thanks for reminding me that I don’t have to break out the sweater twinsets and listen to Kenny G in my operatory with patients just yet–wouldn’t want to loose to much of my swagger:)
Thanks again!
Be yourself.
You ARE The Business! :)
I love this post. I followed UDG for nearly a year before it dissipated due to the Whole 9 blog, and I admit i do miss the “raw” side of Melissa, but I knew the polishing was necessary to define the seriousness of the Whole 9 business. I think it’s good to have a little bit of both. Those of us who followed UGD get excited when we see the old Melissa shining through in one of the posts, or at least I do.
From reading UGD, and the Whole 9 blog, and meeting you just once in person, I know that you are intelligent, strong, funny, witty and sassy. You are also polished, polite and serious, when you need to be. That’s cool. That’s what people dig. Someone who is real. Keep doing what you’re doing, and give us some splashes of UGD every now and again to keep us laughing (out loud)!!
Keep up the great work….you (and Dallas too) ROCK!!
I still read and follow you guys and by no means was put off by your toning down of the f bombs and off colour stuff. I write and train and counsel nutrition as well and you have to find a common ground, but it’s good to shake the tree once in awhile…people will laugh at jokes and respond to tough love comments, but they will COME BACK for solid, smart advice and information. You guys are top notch at that, so don’t fret over letting your inner badass come back to play, we do miss it and as someone who was part of the first 30 day challenge, giving up all my beloved grains and dairy came a lot easier with a uber sassy spoonful of Urban attitude! Let the Freak Flag Fly, long socks and cock blocks galore!
*raises hand* UGD reader here! I actually quoted you last week…a bit about wishing I had more middle fingers to flip at someone.
ITA, with Antony. Be yourself, that’s what brought many of us here.
As a h*u*g*e BGD and then a UGD fan, I for one miss the from-the-heart blogs. They are what hooked me to begin with! Please, bring it back, Melissa!
I heart UGD! Actually, I attribute most of my food/fitness transformation to UGD and how cool you are…I mean, how you presented information with a personal touch. I understand the dilemma of getting too personal on a “business blog”– I’m attempting to start my own holistic health counseling business and I use my current blog as my website right now. I really love my readers and I love writing from a personal perspective, but I’m not sure it will be appropriate once I really get my business up and running.
I appreciate your professional voice and how you present information in a non-confrontational manner, and I love Whole9, but I sometimes miss the how hilarious the UGD posts were!
Go for it! The tone of UGD was fabulous. The informational aspects of Whole9 are fabulous. Adding more of your voice(s) again now can only improve things. I’d love it.
Yes! Go for it!
Your voice mixed with Whole 9 info will be welcomed. Plus, comments on your own post always bring up good debates on some great issues and are entertaining.
Long time lurker here and at UGD. As others have said, I like the tough love, sarcastic, sassy style. To me, THAT is your voice. I would love seeing an expanded range of topics being covered, just because I like your writing. And don’t hold back on MDA, 80/20, or anything else that strikes you as wrongheaded. But even as you articulate your strongly-held, well-supported arguments, I know you can (and will) be graceful about it. And I’m one vote for keeping the language clean (to the standards of, let’s say, a mainstream magazine or a major metropolitan newspaper). Anyone with your command of the English language simply does not need f-bombs or s-bombs of mf-bombs to make your point effectively. It’s lazy. And lazy is really not you. I would go so far as to say that the principles articulated here about the need for and benefits of cleaning up what goes in our mouths also apply to cleaning up what comes out of them. Maybe it is difficult at first to imagine giving up the precious sugar-like rush of a well-placed f-bomb, but it’s really not that hard and you just have to trust that your life will be better in the long run if you quit. Eventually the cravings will disappear entirely. And no, you can’t have a side blog where you work your blue material all you want.
I enjoy the Whole 9, but miss UGD. And I’m with Steve S.— you are such a great writer that you don’t need gratuitous swearing (it doesn’t offend me, but it takes away just a little from the message.)
Oh, and one more thing: Don’t. Write. Sentences. Like. This. Ever. ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love your show!
Hey Melissa
No matter what you write you will lose someone. But you must believe in your true voice. I do not come here as often as I did at UGD. Why?
Because it’s not UGD, but does mean it is not as good, just not as good for me. Which is OK as long as you are happy and true to yourself. I don’t need to agree with everything you write, but I want you to make me think and care about your words.
So if you are not being true to yourself. Why the fuck not? ; )
Your long time and Internet friend.
PS You are a Great Writer and your true voice deserves and needs to be heard.
B R I N G I T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well damn, finally!!! Welcome back ! I, of course, approve…
Hey Melissa,
first discovered UGD from Robb wolf’s site a while back – I think I went through and read almost all of your archived posts I enjoyed them so much. I think your whole 9 endeavour is awesome and congratulate you both on your success so far, however, I did sense a slightly more polished and sterilised feel to the posts after the switch and while they are very informative, a little of the fun seemed to have gone.
To be perfectly honest, I have recently been hanging out more around 70s Big, CF Football and SS, but I still drop by occasionally and I’m glad you want to bring back some of the Moxie that made a lot of your readers start following you. Obviously you have to look after your business, but not at the expense of your integrity and being yourself (btw, this from someone who’s never owned a business…!)
I say, viva la Mischief. Mayhem. Chalk. Assfit, armwarmers, long socks and short shorts! (just you on those last couple, Melissa – Dallas, not so much…)
Best of luck!
Finally!!!
ps; I’m with Cynthia. Sentences. Written. Like. This. Suck. Stop it!
@ALL: Thanks for the comments and support. Do note, the “Maureen Martone Rule” is still in full effect – the f-bomb has little to no place here on this site. We want to remain family-friendly while still keeping our edge, a fine line to walk but one that we’re seriously committed to. And for all you UGD readers who’ve hung in there with us… thanks. For real. We’re grateful that you’ve stuck around.
Today’s post is for you.
Best,
Melissa
Please edit my bomb out.
@Steve: No need, my friend. Our readers are free to express their thoughts, as long as they’re not grossly offensive or seriously out of line. Your comment was neither.
I’m struggling with this myself these days – I’d LOVE to reissue the Healthy/F-Off Scale with a new list of foods that make our cut. However, the f-bomb in that post both goes against the Maureen Martone Rule… and is (n my book) ENTIRELY necessary to get our point across. The Healthy/Screw Off scale just doesn’t have the same ring, you know? So we’re not sure what to do about that.
Suggestions welcome, because I think our famous scale also deserves another turn in the spotlight.
You know, I feel you. I plan on using my blog as a jumping point for a business that I would like to create in the near future. I would also like to build off that blog onto a site that I have already named but have not yet created.
On one hand, you do have to be careful about the content and what and how you say what you say……BUT, I think that on the other hand, it is important that you do not lose yourself. You made this site because it is what you believe in and it is a part of YOU and WHO YOU ARE as a person. People come here BECAUSE of that; they come here for the honesty and tough love AS WELL AS the solid informational and educational content. I think as long as you don’t start dropping F-bombs and using a lot of foul language (which is not professional) I think we can handle a couple phrases that might be considered “risque” because we know the CONTEXT of what your saying is not diluted with smut.
I think you will know where to draw the line and while writing, recognize if you have crossed it. That is the great thing about posting……there is a backspace and delete key.
You guys are doing great things….but if makes you happy to write…THEN WRITE! You are good at it and you do it in such a way that it really draws the reader in. We know we are all important to you guys, as you are to us. Believe me, I would love to sit down and pick your brain for a while. Don’t sell yourself (or us) short. Let it out! I am sure you will be happy you did. I want to know what is in your head. So share! Isn’t that what your Dad would tell you? Make him proud, lol!
I couldn’t agree more. Before I counted you and Dallas as friends I fell totally in love with your blog based on your voice and writing style. I miss the old Urban Gets Diesel style and frequently reread my favorite posts. I can’t wait to read a little more of that voice on this blog!
UGD moxie FTW! :)
So glad to hear this.. I do miss the Melissa of UGD.. still all good information, but like you said sometimes it is the way you deliver it that makes it stick.
I have only just come to your blog. After reading that post you have a lifetime reader. I laughed out loud about the Mark Sisson’s 80/20 rule. My advice is if people want Mark Sisson then they will read Mark Sisson. I think you SHOULD have your own voice so that people want to hear it. Some controversy wouldn’t scare me off it would keep me locked in!
I love Mark Sisson and the Primal Blueprint is what got me started on this path. But the 80/20 is a crock of shit. I wish he’d quit with it already. Sure, you can have occasional indulgences when you’re at your goal. If you want. But expecting to see steady, quality results while you’re still striving for your best? WRONG.
Well folks, we’ve had a rough draft of a post on the 80/20 Rule sitting around for, like, months. Looks like we’ll be bringing it out soon. All you Grokologists, brace yourselves.
Dude, I read CNN for news, my affiliate blog for my workouts, Again Faster for inspirational training stuff, Mark Sisson’s page when I need to hear from Mark Sisson. I read YOUR page when I need to hear from YOU GUYS. One doesn’t drive me from the other. If I agree or disagree, I file it away and move on. Above all it’s like coming over to your house and telling you I’M NEVER COMING BACK because I don’t like the color of your sofa.
Anxious to read the 80/20 thing but I already know what you’re gonna say. I feel that it’s a good transitional tool, but it’s not something that can get you to optimum potential.
Welcome back, sister.
Xox
Simply said….
You. guys. rock. !!!!!.
=) I love the short sentences. It puts intonation, emphasis, and pause to the cadence of your thought process.
I can hear Melissa voice in my head enunciating each word.
Yaaaaaay! UGD fan here:)
I recently put together a Paleo packet for some new Crossfitters (full credit was given to you guys) and had to dig through some of the UGD stuff to find some of the posts I was looking to include. It took me FOREVER because I got caught up in reading a lot of the old stuff. Actually, I intend to go there after posting this:)
I still love the educational stuff too. Looking forward to you guys mixing it up.
Mox Boss – I don’t think UGD every really went away, I just think she got put on probation when she moved to Whole9. Rather than state what everyone else already has, I’ll just say I agree that letting the UGD voice speak up again would be welcomed with open arms.
I now await the 80/20 post with anticipation. You’ve already convinced many of us to give up grains, dairy, and peanuts in a rational, concise manner. Now bring on the 80/20 manifesto!
The Healthy/F-off scale is definitely one of my favorite posts EVER! I agree with you that calling it the ‘screw off’ scale decreases the power of the message so in keeping with the Maureen Martone rule, why not just call it the ‘Healthy/F-off scale’? I’m sure people will understand with the F stands for, and it keeps the post truer to itself. Plus I’m sure a lot of us are really interested to see what the Health/F-off Scale 2.0 looks like!
Bring back the UGD style posts. I went back and reread several to make sure. With Maureen Martone rule in effect and sticking to the philosophy of your Crossfit Enough post, I don’t think you need to worry about offending readers. You’re classy and professional as exemplified by how you handled de-affiliation and the misinterpretations in the Great Cocoa Debate. I miss those UGD style posts where you were writing from the heart.
Let’s put it this way – I would (and have) refer superiors at work and friends at church to the Whole 30. I would not, however, encourage them to listen to a Robb Wolf podcast. I’m not judging him, I’m just not comfortable with some of the extraneous adjectives.
You have a writing style I have not found on the web since Tanta over at CalculatedRisk. It’s what drew me in along with many others. (For those who don’t read economics blogs, Tanta’s wit and snark made reading about mortgage backed securities interesting. Trust me, it’s high praise)
So bring them back. I, too, am really looking forward to Healthy/F Off 2.0. Your posts are great reading even for those of us who aren’t CrossFitters.
Based on the 52 other responses I would say that a lot of people are looking forward to you finding that line. I found Urban Gets Diesel while looking for NH CF sites. I loved your writing style and read all the past posts that I could find. It was a great mix of honest evaluations of self and some hardcore toughness that was very motivating. You have a gift and I am glad that you are willing to share it with the rest of us.
I was especially impressed by your apology to Mom post and invoking the Maureen Martone rule. I don’t curse when I talk but that is my own personal rule for myself and didn’t mind (and sometimes enjoyed) your use of expletives to drive home your point. I also read Melissa Joulwan’s blog for the same style of honest, no holds barred writing style.
I am glad you are finding your voice and can’t wait to use more quotes like “carrot train to crazy town” and “Billy Blanks Memorial Highway” in my own conversations. With a direct reference back to the Whole9 website of course.
Kevin
Well, you’ve obviously got a lot of support. I’ll keep mine short. I used to read UGD and I freely admit I had fallen off reading Whole 9… cause I missed the voice. But I still check in from time to time because I know there’s always the possibility you’ll come back. So, be yourself Melissa! You’re a star.
I found this blog through the excellent UGD post on ‘Change your life in 30 days’. It inspired and encouraged me to begin my own 30 day paleo challenge yesterday. So, first of all, cheers guys!
I have to admit that until I had looked around the site a fair bit, I wasn’t sure if the 2 blogs had actually been written by the same people. This blog is definitely more nice to look at, but there were a lot more belly laughs and unforgettable turns of phrase at UGD. You need to bring more of that awesome over : )
I’ve been self employed for about a year so I understand the conflict between wanting to reach the widest audience possible to share my ideas while trying to hold on to my personality at the same time. Keeping your real personality switched on when dealing in Business can be tough, and you will polarise and offend people at times. But your authenticity will win over the people you really want to be working with anyway, so there is actually nothing to lose. I love unapologetic f-bomb dropping successes like Gary Vaynerchuk or Fitness/health blog writers like Krista @ Stumptuous as good models for how to rock spreading your own message.
Keep up the legendary work,
Dallas and Mellisa,
love reading your articles. I understand the line of business and staying true to yourself. Tight rope indeed. However, I feel we all apperciate you two being yourselfs more than anything. Love the tough love, fun articles and straight up talk. Need more of it. We have gotten too worrysome w/offending people. Just be you. the rest of us draw courage and strength to be ourselfs. I apperciate that you two share your struggles too. Thank you for being leaders!!!!! I love talking about your whole30 with others and sharing this website. Can’t wait to meet you in october!!!!!!
UGD here….that website was my first and biggest inspiration to go paleo and learn more. thanks for that!
Mainly this article and the “tough love”….http://whole9life.com/2009/07/the-w30/
remember “It’s not that effing hard”
Finally,
I only learned about this post from Robb and Andy on the pod cast today. Sorry, I hadn’t even looked at your RSS in a while. Don’t sell out “who you are” that got you to the business that you are in now. You’re BGD / UGD has been some of the most entertaining healthy advice around. Use the “Martone Rule” and/or put up an “UGD Explicit warning” when needed but “your” audience won’t be offended.
So, as I sit here eating one Lindt 90% dark square wishing that I had some coconut ice-cream to dip it in… after eating a Whole 30 approved Kalua pig and cabbage lunch. I wait,… looking forward to ringside seats to the “80/20 vs. Healthy/F-Off Scale” bout.
Aloha and welcome back
If you and Dallas are ever on Oahu, you are welcome to “Scare some joggers/Beachgoers” with us and throw some heavy stuff around in the sand.
I say do both, use whole9.com for your business. RE-start UGD and use UGD to cross-promote Whole9. separate sites, separate voice. I for one miss the voice also. good luck, interested to see how you work it out.
Loved UGD. Miss it alot. Put the voice back in. Love to laugh.
YEA! BRING IT!! Let the words flow from your brain and write what is really going through your head. That is what makes blogs (and UGD specifically) so great! This is the platform for your voice and you shouldn’t dial it back.
You still have UGD linked, so anyone on this site can easily click the link and immediately see the Healthy/F-Off scale… so why does it matter whether it is here or there? And anyone who is offended by that needs to lay off the Disney movies.
And if you write it like “C*ck-Block” doesn’t that make it OK? F*ck I don’t know?
Yep, from all the responses there are a lot of us who followed Urban Gets Desiel and the cool one in the short shorts and long socks. Glad you will speak out about common errors being promoted that can hurt people. Josh raised the point of how important mobility is before stressing the ligaments in ‘primal workouts’, http://gopractice.typepad.com/practicecrossfit/2010/09/mudding-the-waters-stretchingwarm-ups.html.
I ejoyed Dallas’ article on saying ‘no’ to SDHPs and yes to cleans & jerks.
Vanessa Pinter – contact me.4693373998.