<p>Steve Kamb bought the domain for NerdFitness.com in 2007 and grew it into a 45-person, SEO-driven coaching company. But then he burned out. Badly. He demoted himself twice, and eventually stepped away from running the business entirely — all so he could do the one thing he actually loved: write. </p><p>In this episode, Steve joins us to talk about his new book <em>How to Try Again</em>, the hard lessons from 17+ years of building Nerd Fitness, and why starting over isn't a failure — it's a skill. </p><p>His PACT framework (Pause, Accept, Change, Try) offers a practical roadmap for any creator who's ever felt stuck, burned out, or tempted to quit.<br><strong><br>KEY TAKEAWAYS</strong></p><ul><li>How Steve built Nerd Fitness from a blog into a 45-person company</li><li>Why he demoted himself out of his own CEO role</li><li>The brutal reality of pandemic-era burnout and what it taught him about chasing the wrong things</li><li>Why "all or nothing" thinking almost always fails</li><li>His four-step PACT framework for starting over after burnout or failure</li><li>The question he asked that changed everything</li><li>Why writing two articles a week for 10 years was the real engine behind Nerd Fitness</li><li>The danger of modeling celebrity success over relatable success</li><li>How Steve separated his personal brand from Nerd Fitness</li><li>What success actually looks like for Steve now</li></ul><p><strong>LINKS MENTIONED</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://stevekamb.com/?utm_source=growthinreverse-podcast"><strong>SteveKamb.com</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://stevekamb.com/howtotryagain/?utm_source=growthinreverse-podcast"><strong>How To Try Again</strong></a> (Steve's Book)</li><li><a href="https://www.nerdfitness.com/?utm_source=growthinreverse-podcast"><strong>NerdFitness.com</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://growthinreverse.com/kit">Kit</a> — email platform used by Steve and the hosts</li></ul><p><strong>LLOW ON SOCIAL</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Chenell</strong>: <a href="https://x.com/chenellco">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/chenellco">LinkedIn</a></li><li><strong>Dylan</strong>: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanredekop/">LinkedIn</a> | <a href="https://substack.com/@dylanredekop?">Substack</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/growthcurrency/">Instagram</a></li></ul><p><strong>OUR NEWSLETTERS</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://growthinreverse.com/?ref=pod_shownotes"><strong>growthinreverse.com</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://www.growthcurrency.net/?ref=pod_shownotes"><strong>growthcurrency.net</strong></a></li></ul><p><strong>Subscribe &amp; Leave a Review:</strong></p><p>Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating &amp; review on your favorite podcast platform.</p>

Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth

Chenell Basilio and Dylan Redekop

The PACT Formula for Starting Over with Steve Kamb

JUN 17, 202653 MIN
Growth In Reverse: Newsletter & Email Growth

The PACT Formula for Starting Over with Steve Kamb

JUN 17, 202653 MIN

Description

Steve Kamb bought the domain for NerdFitness.com in 2007 and grew it into a 45-person, SEO-driven coaching company. But then he burned out. Badly. He demoted himself twice, and eventually stepped away from running the business entirely — all so he could do the one thing he actually loved: write. In this episode, Steve joins us to talk about his new book How to Try Again, the hard lessons from 17+ years of building Nerd Fitness, and why starting over isn't a failure — it's a skill. His PACT framework (Pause, Accept, Change, Try) offers a practical roadmap for any creator who's ever felt stuck, burned out, or tempted to quit.KEY TAKEAWAYSHow Steve built Nerd Fitness from a blog into a 45-person companyWhy he demoted himself out of his own CEO roleThe brutal reality of pandemic-era burnout and what it taught him about chasing the wrong thingsWhy "all or nothing" thinking almost always failsHis four-step PACT framework for starting over after burnout or failureThe question he asked that changed everythingWhy writing two articles a week for 10 years was the real engine behind Nerd FitnessThe danger of modeling celebrity success over relatable successHow Steve separated his personal brand from Nerd FitnessWhat success actually looks like for Steve nowLINKS MENTIONEDSteveKamb.comHow To Try Again (Steve's Book)NerdFitness.comKit — email platform used by Steve and the hostsLLOW ON SOCIALChenell: Twitter | LinkedInDylan: LinkedIn | Substack | InstagramOUR NEWSLETTERSgrowthinreverse.comgrowthcurrency.netSubscribe & Leave a Review:Love what you’re hearing? Make sure to subscribe, and if you found this episode helpful, leave us a rating & review on your favorite podcast platform.