EFR 487: The Stresses and Successes of Modern Entrepreneurship with Maxx Chewning

Maxx: Welcome to Ever Forward Radio. My name is Maxx Chewning and I'm a business owner and a social media personality. Today on the show you're going to hear about some struggles with my businesses, how I take stress and use that as a motivator and what really drives me forward. Enjoy.

Chase: Team Chewning in the house. Welcome to the show everybody if you're new first and foremost, thank you so much for choosing Ever Forward radio. Thank you so much for tuning in to a very, very special and near and dear to my heart episode; this is with my little brother Maxx Chewning. That's why I said team Chewning. This is now the third time if memory serves that Maxx and I have sat down to discuss life, to discuss business, social media, and family and brotherhood and honestly just the ups and downs of being a modern day entrepreneur, what it takes to not only survive, but thrive. Running your business online, running your business via social media you are going to hear Maxx's woes, you're going to hear what gives him the most amount of stress but you're also going to hear how he channels that stress and how he uses it not only as fuel to make everything he does better. But now there is multiple businesses Ever Forward apparel, his personal brand, and the latest and greatest craze; the most amazing sour candy in the world sour strips, how he is able to use that energy, use that stress, to create a better ecosystem, to create a better world, to create more opportunities for so many people throughout the supply chain throughout his own world and his own employees. And if you know Maxx, then you know he is just a million miles an hour kind of guy. It must be a Chewning thing because I'm pretty sure I live every day and I have a hurricane. And I think that's something we definitely picked up from our dad who was a military guy like myself, but also a very just go go go entrepreneur, and a lot of that runs through our bloods. And I think that's wow did I just say bloods? I did, I did no gang affiliation here. A lot of that spirit and tenacity runs in our blood. But at the end of the day, we do have our father's blood in us. And this is something that means the world to Maxx and I and that is to carry on our father's legacy. And to carry the torch really the Ever Forward torch this phrase, this mantra. These two words are something that Maxx and I heard our entire lives growing up. And unfortunately, we lost our Father in 2005 to a terminal illness known as Lou Gehrig's disease. And while yes, that did really turn our world and my family upside down in our own each individually unique ways it has given Maxx and I both purpose in ways that I think we never could have asked for. We certainly didn't want but we are just doing the best that we can so you're going to hear what living a life Ever Forward means to Maxx and you're going to hear how it has maybe changed a little bit over the years. I know it has for me. But at the end of the day, we got each other's backs and we are doing things and creating things that not only fulfill our biggest passions and our biggest dreams and visions but hopefully serving what our father would have wanted and it's serving a greater calling and serving you tuning in right here so without further ado, I gave you the homie the little bro Maxx Chewning. Welcome back man, you're my second ever three time guest on the show. 

Maxx: First ever brother too

Chase: first ever brother that we know about? Anybody else out there claim to fame to Chewning? Let me know, I'll get you on the show as well. So you've been on 2018 2019. That's number three, number 3. 2020 we all took a break. And in 2020, like a lot happened, despite the whole pandemic, all that stuff, but with you specifically, you had so many things just go through the go through the roof, personally, professionally. Looking back now, the last year, what would you say? What has been your biggest accomplishment and biggest learning curve from the last year?

Maxx: I guess if I had to sum all of it up, it'd be probably the fact that I've taken on more of a leadership role with a lot of hiring employees. So we started a lot, a lot, a lot of brands and a lot of this stuff kind of evolved. And I felt I got to the point that a lot of people, they tell you it ahead of time of like, hey, start delegating, start hiring people and like not can keep doing keep doing it. I finally got to the point where, you know, I went from, from one employee to really, four or five full time, and then we have a lot of contractors. So just I guess becoming a leader, better leader has probably been the biggest thing that the past year has taught me. 

Chase: Did you know that was this I I've got to become more of a leader, I have to step more into a leadership position versus just kind of running a company because there's management and then leadership?

Maxx: Yeah, it just kind of like happened with a lot of it. So that's the thing that I'm struggling the most with leadership is the actually realizing that, you know, when I talk to someone, they're like, listening to me as if I'm their boss, and I'm like, 

Chase: you are the boss.

Maxx: Yeah, I literally am. Because normally, it's just been kind of like, hey, can my friends kind of help me pack orders? Or can my friends like, help me do this one thing, it was just kind of, like a helpful thing. And now people are relying on me to I guess the biggest thing is that the shift into people relying on me for their safety, right? So having people being employed through me has been just a big shift. And it's, it's been it's been a, it's still a struggle for me, because I, I've talked to you about how, oh, in the weeks, I need to start having like, you know, meetings and all this stuff. And it's hard because like, the more and more you grow, I never what I tried to do is I tried to make sure that the people who work with me, and the people that are on my team never experienced any of the lameness that I felt when I worked in like the corporate world or like felt any sort of, any sort of worry whenever the boss would come and talk to them or something, because he kind of feel that you're like, Oh, did I do something? You know.

Chase: how do you do that? Because there has to be an assumption there has to be like the hierarchy, right? There has to be leaders, subordinates, there has to be manager and employees, or else machine would kind of crumble. Right. So yeah, how do you go about that?

Maxx: I'm learning I mean, there's a lot of different levels, there are certain situations that have come up where like, you know, it's all kind of like fun and games, like you understand your role. And this can this company and this brand, and how you're assisting all of us growing. And then you know, it's like, when a mistake happens, it's like, you know, okay, like, hey, you know, let's fix this. But then there's been a couple of times where a couple extra mistakes have been happening, or repeated mistakes, where I'm by team, by our team, my team, and I kind of have to flip a little bit of a switch and not to be, you know, turned into this like, ass sky. But I need to be like, like, look, we need to get serious like, this is like, you know, you're messing up, like you need to, we need to figure out why this is happening. You know, and a lot of it again, is I put it back on me. Because I feel a lot of times when there are errors or people mess up, it's maybe because I'm not doing my role as a leader to instruct them the best way to handle certain situations, and I just kind of was like, hey, here's your task, like figure it out as you go. And, you know, I'll talk to you in a couple weeks,

Maxx: we were talking earlier, I've been here visiting for a couple of days, and we've been talking about a lot of things and one of them was just what you're saying of I think that I need to step into more of a leadership role. I think I need to have more meetings, I need to do these things that you know, a growing company is supposed to do. And what I heard in that what you were just describing is you're really taking ownership of your recognizing and taking ownership of the seriousness of it all for your livelihood and for your now businesses that we mentioned that but you know, the new addition since the last time the show sour strips, this incredible Candy Company, 

Maxx: it is all, the I think the biggest thing I struggle with on a lot of this on a lot of the levels is because I try to be friends and friendly with all my employees and stuff and you have to kind of establish the relationship and understand where it all lies. But also, you know, I kind of have like three, three businesses, right? I have like the clothing, I have the candy and then I have myself as like my personal brand and that's like my business, my personal business. You know, and When the employees are working and doing other things, I'm like, Hey, I got to I got to go film today. And then I make these videos that are on brand with me but it's just me. But it seemingly has nothing to do with the other Yeah, act like a jackass and but like, you know, kind of like the humor in the in the quirkiness. I'm always like, man, like, do I need to, like, you know, is this what, like a boss, like the type of content they should be making, but like, that's, that's me. But then there's times I need to switch and be like, hey, like, we need to, we need to focus. Like, we need to do more work output. And I'm just trying to find that balance of making. I guess I was worried that a lot of the employees are going to, you know, see YouTube Maxx and not take it as serious as like, you know, like, 

Chase: like this guy's trying to tell me what to do. Look, he's being a jackass.

Maxx: exactly. And I'm its kind of thing that I kind of fell into. I didn't really plan on having a multiple employees. So I was going to be like, a one man team and see how far I can take it.  

Chase: So you're running like three things like you just said, do you feel? Do you feel like there really is a balance? Or do you find yourself kind of today I going to pour all into one bucket and the other two need to take backburner kind of thing? 

Maxx: I think no matter what I it's a, it's a hard way to try to find like what is most important because they are all valuable, true. But I guess my number one priority is doing whatever it takes to ensure the success of my team. And because of that, I need the businesses to grow. So they all have their factor the clothing and the candy and the personal brand, because again, my personal brand is a huge contributor to the success of the other brands, not 100% and some businesses more than other. But I that is part of what grows the brand so that is very important as well, even though it's directly tied in a lot of people's eyes. It's very, it's very important. So yeah, I don't really structure my days out of hey, this is going to be a sour strips hours of day, this could be just a clothing day, or just a YouTube filming day. There's always with any startup and especially when you're trying to run multiple things. I think you're always juggling and sometimes I got to drop the ball on one so I can continue juggling in this in this other aspect of the business and it's tough. And I'm, I've talked to you about how I'm not a very organized person and I don't I don't have a calendar. I don't have schedules. I feel like I'm one of those, I think it was a little Wayne that said it that he a lot of rappers write down their lyrics, right? They go in the studio, they have their blackberry with sidescroller Drake reference, we're going to lock that down and if anyone gets that reference, but um, little Wayne, for example, he's always said, like, I don't write down my, my rhymes. He's like, I just, I just go in the booth and spit, right. I feel like I'm a little Wayne. You know, 

Chase: you spit a lot.

Maxx: I really do. I don't know if it's good analogy. But what I'm saying is I just have this, like, this madness that goes on in my brain. And I don't put any of it down. I don't have to do lists, I don't have daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, weekly goals, monthly goals. 

Chase: I was asking you all these things earlier, as we're just been driving around, and you know, my kind of entrepreneur business brain, and just how I am in general, I am very, like, you look at my calendar I've got, I have walked the dog lunch meeting call, like every day, and then I go by that and I'll look at analytics and stuff here and there. But for me routine, and discipline and schedule is how I how I make it. And I would ask you these questions, and you're just like, I don't know, but then we will talk about things and it was it would all come out. So it is all there. It's just it literally is all there 

Maxx: My brain is like a pretzel. I feel like it's because it goes back to I never wanted like someone else to tell me what to do and I didn't want to let when I worked the corporate job or I had to be at the office for these amount of times. And what's funny is now I spend my entire day at the office. And I guess what if I had a structure, then it would drive me crazy because if something deviated from the from the structure that was written on the piece of paper, then I'd even more stressed out than it just you know, but obviously don't write anything down so I forget a lot of things.

Chase: If it is up here then like it doesn't not say it's not real but like it there may be seeming like

Maxx: I can't hold myself as accountable as much because it's not written on paper and then I don't know I just I don't want a paper to tell me what to do. And again, it's not a good way I don't say it in like a way of like, Oh, this is like I'm so cool because I don't need schedules and you know, look at my friend Christian and he he's, he's changed a lot and he is now super organized structure has all these, these apps that show that you know that how he talks to the team and has these like folders and folders and folders and organization and organization.   

Chase: I have not seen him without an iPad doing something in the last year, some kind of

Maxx: and I tried there was a time phase what I went through with Mona, who's my right hand. And even in just the iPhone Notes app, you can share notes, right? You can put like to do list and you can you know, because she was always like, hey, like, everyday come the office, like, oh man, there's something I was going to ask you to do. And I can't remember. And this happens every single day. And she was like, why don't you just like write them down when you're thinking about them? I'm like, Yeah, but I just I don't do that. So I started, I was like, okay, I'll write to do list and it would sync between her. So whenever I she knew things that she wanted me to get her to do or needed help on and then I just like, slowly, like, lose that. Because I'm just like, I don't like it. Like, there are a lot of apps that would, I don't know, it's committed to something that it's kind of like, Maxx has to want to do it on his own time when he's ready. I'm like a child.

Chase: the fundamentals of behavior change. The person has to be wanting and ready to do the thing that everybody else around them knows is probably not say knows better, but just everybody's kind of hoping for.

Maxx: I think you get locked into this, this mindset of like, it's working for me. And it's been working like this for so long. And if I deviate, it's not going to work. You can't you always assume it's not going to, like, immediately get better. It's kind of like empowering employees. People tell told me all the time, hire, hire, hire. I remember before I hired my operations manager and my social media manager, I was sitting at dinner at Mexican by the way with the ghost team. It was Ryan and he was like, hey, like, what would you want this person to do? Like, I don't know, you know, like, do the orders a lot of a lot of stuff. He's like, yes, hire them. I was like, Yeah, but I'm thinking that's going to cost like, a bunch of the money for the business. And, you know, I can save some money if I just keep doing it myself. It's kind of doing some part time. He's like, hire them. And, you know, I was very hesitant to that. And now I look back and I'm like, thank God that I did that. Not only because how beneficial they are to the team and how important they are, but how much they've they and companies have grown in the year and a half evolutions that I'm like, thank God, I got them in at the ground floor, because you're trying to get someone in now to do that role would be such a catch up.

Chase: yeah you are a more of a mustard guy anyways, 

Maxx: I know I was going to make the reference but trying to stay serious.

Chase: looking back from starting your first business, Ever Forward apparel to starting your second business sour strips.

Maxx: Don’t forget Mad Maxx off Road Customs. 

Chase: Actually, I remember that, I made you a cooler seat and everything.

Maxx: Take it even further back Chase. I've been an entrepreneur since I was I don't know, oh, eight years old, I got gumballs put in the coffee shop every, every week or something Dad and Rhonda would, we would take all the quarters out when we put four rows of $1. So a stack of four quarters, four quarters, four quarters, four quarters, and then you just go down in the columns. And then I was allowed to keep one column. And the other three had to go into my savings. And then one I think went back to replenish the gumballs. And then one time, thank dad, he I think he actually broke the key, we had to break the gumball machine to get the quarters out. And then we just never got another gumball machine.

Chase: So quite literally, I mean, our dad was an entrepreneur. And I think that's where I guess you can make the argument that we get a lot of our entrepreneur kind of mindset or just initial ideas, because we are both self-employed. You're you've been doing it a couple of years longer than I have. But yeah, way back to just a few years old, you have had this mentality or you got some kind of reward for hey, I put in effort I get something back I put in effort, I get something back. How has that kind of played a role? And I had another question I was starting but I'll get to it later. How do you think has played a role if you take that lens, right? Have I put in effort I get something back I put in effort get something back? Like how would you look through that lens in your life? Was that your main driving force and like everything? Or is it only when you look at business? Because I think someone who has an entrepreneur mindset, it has to spill over into like all areas of their life, right?

Chase: I feel like I go down this path of just, I stumble onto something and I happen to not like be a wizard at it, but I happen to start doing well at it. 

Chase: And I'll give you accolades absolutely everything I've seen you do for the 31 years I've known you you’re great.

Maxx: Well I was what I mean directly is like when I find like one specific thing where I'm like I start seeing any sort of excelling at it on any level aren't even a small percentage I just kind of like oh, I guess I should just keep trying to do this one thing and then I start getting a little bit better at it and then I guess I always try to not be like be the best at like, at a certain craft but I just I think throughout my entire life I've I'm someone who's you look at me from outside like a business owner you are like, oh, I'm you know, really good at business or something like that, but I internally, I don't really feel like I'm good at a lot of things. Like I think on crafts like I don't I can't play any instruments. I can't I don't have any you 

Chase: you tried, remember the piano.

Maxx:  I can't play instruments. I don't I don't play any sports like I don't. And I've always seen people that are really good at something like I tried to, you know, skateboarding with a kid. I was like, do some kick flips and stuff. There's everyone else who's just like excelling way faster means like, I couldn't do it. I couldn't like, I couldn't excel as well as fast as these other people were doing it. So when I started finding, like just little things that I was, like, a little bit better than other people, not in like a, I'm so much better than them. But I just was like, oh, I'm actually pretty good at this. 

Chase: other things not so much. But in these other things, yeah,

Maxx: I just start doubling down on the few things that I was really good at. It goes back from when I worked on jeeps. And you know, when I learned to weld, and like, none of my other friends could do that. I was like, oh, like, you know, it's not that hard. Like, why can't you guys figure it out? And then like, I started doing it more and like, oh, I'm getting good at this. And, and then I started going down this path, getting obsessed with working on cars and for Jeep specifically. But yeah,

Chase: I think there's a really good lesson in there you were talking about, maybe you didn't say, but I know this, because we're brothers. But you have tried so so many things, you tried sports, growing up, played t ball, baseball, soccer, a lot of things, off roading, welding, fabricating cars, starting businesses gumballs, I used to give you so much crap, because he would hoard all these AOL discs, thinking, you know, in pristine wrapped condition, thinking they're going to be worth money someday. As long as I can remember, man, you've tried so many things. And a lot of people don't they a lot of people will start, I have an idea, I'm only going to do this and become fixated on it. And if that doesn't work, then it maybe it crashes and burns and they don't learn the lesson. And therefore that fear prevents him from trying something else. But you've tried so many things and in doing so you kind of have like an internal checklist of this is working for me, I'm excelling in it. No, let me move on to the next thing. What would you say to someone who maybe is not doing that? Who is too afraid to try a lot of things? Maybe it's because of the fear of failure? Or maybe it's just because they see somebody else who is excelling more than them? Like, how would you recommend for them to kind of try things, but just pay attention to what's working what's not and then just shift lanes when necessary? 

Maxx: I mean, you just got to keep putting your hands in as many things as possible until you find something that truly interests you. And then a lot of times, like there again, there's always going to be people that are better than you with what you're doing and who will do it after you've already started and will excel at it faster than you were and it makes it it's very frustrating. And it's, it's you have to kind of just keep laser focus on you. I mean, prime example is like even social media man like I it's easy for me, to, to get jealous would be probably the word that I've used, you know, would use or even like, I guess, like, you'd have a little bit of spite, because you, like, have been making videos for like, seven, eight years, and I've done nothing, but increase the quality of them, increase the storytelling, increase the production value. I feel not like a cocky way. I'm like, I feel like I'm very entertaining. I feel like I'm funny. I'm very quick witted, all this stuff. And then I get to a point like, why am I Why can't I grow faster, and then I see other people that are growing exponentially faster rate than me, but I'm in my head, I'm like, Oh, my contents better than them. But maybe I'm just too bumpy, I'm full of myself. And it's easy to see all these other people that are excelling quicker, faster than you and you just got to be like, you know, what, everyone kind of has their little deck of cards, and you got to work with what you have. And, and I think it the world works in an interesting way. Because, you know, me being so obsessed with trying to grow my social media, when in reality, I'm like, you know, there's five people that have such larger social media bases, but maybe they're not optimizing it, like the way that I am optimizing, growing businesses, and maybe I'm getting too addicted to the numbers and the likes, and I should be more focused on the impact I'm leaving on people and you know, the world. And, again, I one of the coolest things about the businesses that have started is I really like employing people. I really like the fact that I grow jobs mean even like, you look at the candy thing, and I'm like, okay, you know, like, out of nowhere, because of what I started, I'm like, the manufacturer is now making more money and living a better thing. And like my co Packer is now living a better life because of this thing. All those supply chains, like even like the box, like because of how come? Like, there's so many, like, the things that I'm helping the ripple effects and it's cool. And I'm not like, Oh, I'm so awesome. But, you know, the employees that I hire like they were a lot of the people that hire were young, they're younger than I am right. And they weren't really I'm trying to word this right away when I don't feel like they weren't doing anything but like they didn't have like full time jobs when I hired them. They were kind of in between they didn't know what they wanted to do. And now I like to say they're very secure positions. And I'm like, if I didn't start this, like, I wonder what they would be doing 

Chase: secure positions also doing things that they love to do. 

Maxx: yeah. And it's cool. It's like, like, what if what if this path helps them go to the next thing in their life. And, you know, you never know what they could have. Maybe they had a better thing if I never came along. But it's just really cool. The ripple effect is a good term for it. I just, that's a lot of the fulfillment that I get out of everything that I do,

Chase: I can relate. And it is a really, really great feeling. A couple months ago, I was working on a project, I told you, I was down in Dallas getting this other show up and running. And we were interviewing some people for, for the production. And this one guy was he was hesitant, were eyeing him for to be the full time basically videographer editor, social media curator, and he was hesitant to fully commit, because he was waiting on a confirmation for this trade school that he was going to go to. And when I asked him, well, what is it you know, is that more of your passion? Long story short, he was like this is was going to be my backup; I was going to go get this trade school vocational certificate as a backup to help me pay the bills, for freelance videography. And I just looked at and I go, do you want to put what you want most in life on hold, to go work on Plan B, or you can join us right here right now and do Plan A. And it was just amazing to see, literally in his eyes, he was just, oh, like my dreams are coming true, right? Now I can do what I want to do. And that's it. That's a powerful thing. It's really, really cool. And what's even cooler is that he gets to do what he wants to do most in the world. And I was doing what I want to do most in the world at the same time. So when that can happen together, it's really really powerful. Where do you think it comes from for you? Why is helping other people? Why is seeing that feedback from them, like so impactful for you?

Maxx: Because I think I had this super big internal fear of letting people down. And I, I like the weight, I like the weight that it carries, although as stressful of that people rely on me and I can't let them down. And I need to succeed because 

Chase: it is a positive pressure. 

Maxx: Yeah. And, you know, every day when I'm deciding, oh, I need to I'm just going to lay on a couch, watch TV or something. And there's always something you can be doing the business but I'm like, oh, maybe I should just kind of relax. I'm like, the future of what a lot of people's livelihood relies on my efforts. I mean, it's a team effort. But on the big picture thing, I'm the one they're looking to, to guide them to the next level to how they can make more money, how they can live a better life and I like I love and hate that pressure because it's scary every single day. Because especially when I start hiring more people, I'm like, wow, this is another not only another cost on my end, but it's another person that is now giving me their faith of like hey, like, I hope this really works out. And so every day I try to not let people down and not be and not fail them. When I say I guess I in my head I'm whenever someone is hesitant and in my head, I just want to be like, like just bet on me and I will I will take you to success like just bet on me if you if you can't, if you're unsure on anything, just trust in myself that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you succeed. And you know, I don't ever directly say this to people but I it's what I think internally and I don't know it's a big stress, the more and more employees you have more stress I think it brings but it's a lot of fulfillment as well.

Chase: There is a saying I am going to have to trademark mo’ money mo’ problems. Do you have that same conversation with yourself? Do you have the same level of trust and devotion and betting this on yourself as you are trying to instill in other people?

Maxx: I do. But I think and I'm going to say this, I think every entrepreneur thinks it but like, I wake up every day worried that my businesses are going to crumble and fail. Like I have that worry in the back of my head that at any given time, something in the supply chain can crumble and it can be catastrophic, catastrophic turn of events and I always like to think I'm betting on myself and I can't fail I can only learn. But when you get to a certain level, you can only have so many learning experiences when it starts having a ripple effect downward. You know, it's not having a ripple effect in a good way. It's a bad way.

Chase: What lesson did we learn today? We’re bankrupt.

Maxx: and it's just like the bigger you grow also is the more that your actions have reactions, right. So the things that I do and say as a business owner that has employees have effects on the business now and the bigger that it gets so I need to be careful with what I do what I say. Not that I like do a bunch of bad things and say a bunch of bad things but now I need to be even more conscious about the way that I'm saying things thinking about before I come out so it doesn't come out differently than what I kind of trying to get across. But yeah, I like to think that I bet on myself and I believe in myself and I do but I think any business owner can relate that the thought of your business collapsing is like always in the back of your head and some people are like oh no, but every day like every day I'm whenever I'm one single setback I'm like, oh my god. This is this is the one. Every day is like it's like when you're flying in a plane and you have that little bit of turbulence right you're like oh crap and then you look around and like the and then the flight attendant she's like sitting down and buckling in her seat and like this is the one I'm going down on this, it's happening on this one. That's how I feel every single day and it's I love the thrill and that thrill and excitement keeps me going or keeps me terrified. 

Chase: how do you come down from all that? How do you separate yourself from those stressors? How do you unwind like how do you physically mentally, emotionally spiritually, like rest and reset and recharge man?

Maxx: Well, I tried to I've something I've tried to do more of and it's helped with getting employees is really at nighttime I try to turn off a little bit and it's sometimes you go down this rabbit hole of seeing all these, whether it be motivational speakers or people that tell you need to work 24 seven and you know, there's always things to be and do and like, it's like, yes and no. And I think it's important to unwind. I think there's always like, make sure you don't, you know, have fires need to put out. But it's important that I used to think that if I did anything like watch a TV show at nighttime, I mean, when you live with me, you saw like, I was in a much different plot, I have significantly less overall work and stress. But with you remember, I was just in my room editing videos or doing something 24 seven and four videos a week, I had no time to do anything else, because I thought if I would go to brunch with you and May or go out to eat that I like I can't, I can't I got to film, I got to film, I got to film, I got to do all these things. And it's okay that you take some time and relax and enjoy the fruits of your labors. But, yeah, I try to relax at nighttime. I think Sunday is a great example of a Sunday, I truly try to just completely unwind and de stress.

Chase: on the other side of those cameras is the couch that we've been chilling on all day, Sunday case in point. Practice what you preach. Speaking of the good old days, when, when you and I were living together, when all this all of this so much, so much of this for you was just in its infancy knowing what you know, now, would you go back and change anything? Would you give younger Maxx any different advice to you know, work harder, work smarter, rest more? Would you change any of it?

Maxx: I don't think so. And the thing is, no matter how like stress you are in the day with your business, you kind of ask yourself like, this is the path you chose. And assuming in a perfect world good world that you're it's only going to grow, right? Your stresses, no, you're never gonna get less, it's always gonna be you're only gonna get more headaches, more not like little headaches. But like, you know, business headaches are actual more common complications, more stress, more costs, more overhead. Like it's only like, unless you plan on getting to a happy point in your business and staying, which I think a lot of people, I think, I don't know, my thoughts on business growth, because not everyone needs to grow $100 million business, not everyone needs to grow a $10 million business. Like there's plenty of instance, they've been thriving forever. And like when you start doing your own entrepreneurship, you think just every year you need to double, double, double, double or you are gonna be like failure? And at some point, like, I don't know, like, what level are you happy at one level, and some people think plateauing is such a bad word, but the level of stress that I have some of my friends that that I see the level their company, I asked myself, like, I told myself, like, I'm like, I don't think I want that stress. And it's like, not that I don't want my company to grow like that. But 

Chase: Is it a plateau or you choosing to maintain?

Maxx: it's, it's something that like you find that struggle with and you know, how big do you want to grow your brands, and it's easy to be like, I want to be the biggest thing ever, ever, ever. But that's a big path you're going down. And it's not for everyone. And there's a reason why there's only you know, X amount of companies that are these massive, massive because you got to take that choice and if you're already like stressed out and like Oh, I can't handle all this and how you're going to grow to be even bigger.

Chase: Going down paths is very key there. And when you I found when I have gone down a path, it's because especially when it's my choice, right when you're doing a side hustle, or it's your full business or just a passion project, whatever. That path usually begets another path and that path begets another path 

Maxx: begets is that a word? 

Chase: It is yeah, I went to grad school, everybody, that's what I learned. 

Maxx: it's like the bread in Paris, 

Chase: every path, you go down, you get a footlong beget, and then you level up and you get to go to the next. You didn't go to that level? But if you choose it, like if you're if you're aware enough, and you're conscious enough, and you're kind of like, I guess I'm trying to say is you have to have a little bit of the tunnel vision to stay focused into to go down that path, but also keeping your blinders off can open up new opportunities. And I've seen that so much for you over the years is you started out one thing and that one thing has allowed for or you've kind of taken a pause and like oh, a lot of this stuff is working I can create something new and you carve out another path; what is maybe a new path right now you think you're going down because you're in sour strips is now?

Maxx: I can't beget down anymore. 

Chase: That is right you're cutting right now. We can't have any more. Just like take a pause right now seriously take a pause right now think you're in sour strips year three.

Maxx: No, not even. I am in year two. We have not been in full two years

Chase: in year two of your new business. You're in year six of your first one, probably like year seven, I guess of the personal brand. So eight years total of brands of business of growth. Take a pause right now seriously think like, what maybe like collective underlying theme is there? What is something that if you were to carve out a new one, what would it be? Is there a common denominator there? Are they all exclusive? Or where could you go next? If you wanted to?

Maxx: I don't know. I truly don't think I can start any more businesses. I don't think I can really give my time to anything else. I just don't I mean, even this damn candy thing has been its success has impacted but the success of this has impacted the success of my clothing. Right. You know, and I had, 

Chase: so success of one path is kind of would you say kind of hampering the success of another one? Is hampering even a word?

Maxx: 100% and it's because my focus is… hampering you put your clothes in it. I you know, it made me focus on something else and put more time into it. It's, I put the clothing on the kind of backburner for so long. And the numbers don't lie. It's like we dropped like 50 60% in revenue, which is, you know, catastrophic for a business. And luckily, I'm fortunate enough that that the drop of that was because of the catapultive nature, if that's a word, so it's like a blessing. So it's, but it made me realize that I can't do everything. And I, that's when you start really, really realizing you need help. And, and you also just figure out what's the most useful points of your time?

Chase: You know, you've had so much professional growth over the years and been very business oriented and business minded for years, we've been talking about that a lot. What about personal Maxx? What about, Maxx? We've been talking about pass, and you know, here's your next bag, get your head, come on over to the other side. What about like personal Maxx, let's say, tomorrow, you wake up and it's still all there. But you, you physically don't need to be there. And like in your soul, in your mind, the business owner mind, you know that I don't need to be there. Like, I don't need to work. I don't need to do anything. Like, what would personal Maxx do? 

Maxx: like I'm retired? 

Chase: No, no, no. Like, you've set things in place that the team is their, operations are smooth, you literally don't need to do anything. And as a business owner, that's very, very, it's a very hard concept, because there's always something we can do, right? But just pretend that it's like that. What would you what would you do? Like, is there something personal to yourself, like there's something that you would want to do? How would you feel your time outside of filling it with business?

Maxx: Well, if you put a camera up in this house, and you saw my Sunday, when I'm just sitting on my phone on my couch, doing nothing, that's exactly what it is.

Chase: But like, you know, would you want to I want to, I want to learn a new skill, I want to play an instrument I want to read I want to do this, 

Maxx: There are a lot of things that I want to do. But then I go down that path. And I realized that I want to do the more than I actually will do them. Okay, I tried learning the piano a couple years ago. And I find it fascinating that people can play the piano, I'm jealous that people can play piano, I think it's a beautiful instrument. I love the way it sounds. I love everything about it. And I was like, I want to play piano. And I bought a little keyboard. And I started taking piano lessons. And then I just realized that I was like, I want to play the piano more than I want to learn how to play the piano. You know, I don't know. And that's, that's something that goes back to where I'm not good at a lot of things like instruments and all that is like, I know, people, like people have this view of me that I make all these videos, and I do but like I really, I don't have a lot of hobbies. Like, I work on my businesses, but and I play some video games every now and then. But I don't have like this one thing like that. I can just shut off from the world and do this for hours. And like, it's like, I'm just like, you know, like Christian, for example, can play the guitar for hours and hours and hours like you know if he had the hours to do that. And he goes in this world and some people play the piano and some people draw on some people write and like, I don't have anything like that. And I think about a lot like I'm like I don't fabricate anymore. 

Chase: what do I like?

Maxx: I don't know, it is weird. I sit on the couch for hours and like scroll to social media for three of them. And then I'm just sitting there bored. And I like I really want like a hobby like something like tinker with. I don't have it. I don't know. That's why I just like well I guess I'll go to the office. I guess I'll work on that and like I do love my businesses but it's like there’s a difference. You know, there's not. I do love working on my businesses and I love doing the branding thing, but it'd be cool to find something that I thoroughly enjoyed that was a 100% stress free, enjoyable thing and I don't know what that is.

Chase: All right, well, maybe we'll carve out some more Sunday fun days and you can get some time exploring those. 

Maxx: I do not think drinking Margarita is an acceptable hobby. You know? I like playing with my dog.

Chase: Coming from the guy who has a massive Margarita machine, just right over there. 

Maxx: Yeah. Margarita mix though. 

Chase: Yeah, true. Okay, got to keep it out of house again, we are cutting. I'll tell you, man, I over the last about a year and a half. I've seen like a tremendous change in you. 

Maxx: not physically. 

Chase: Oh, no, I mean, you're still small. I've seen like a tremendous change in you. I've seen almost I'll say. Like, a clarity, like, almost like a calmness to you has kind of happened in the sense that you're busier than ever, I think is a fair, very fair statement. But just how you go about things, and how I see you make time for other things. Like case in point, you know, allowing, like, I visited you multiple times, or last couple years, and just, I can I know what it's like when people come visit me and I'm trying to run things and do things it's a distraction, it kind of feels like I need to take care of you do all these things,

Maxx: because a lot of times like people come they're kind of like, oh, like, I'm not even here. But like, you can't you can't like yeah, you can't just I can't just continue on my normal day. Not a bad way. But I do alter my time. So yeah,

Chase: but that's just what I've noticed a lot and just how I kind of just as, as a big brother, as a friend, and like anybody I think was known you for years would probably see that there's been like a great shift.

Maxx: What Chase is actually saying is, I've become less of an asshole over the years; the busier that I get, the more I'm self-seated- what is the word? 

Chase: conceited. But like, seriously, honestly, I don't think I've told you this, like, seriously, there's just like a, like a calmness to you and a clarity to you. In that, I know, without a shadow of doubt, you're in your calling, doing your thing, and like thriving, but it seems like you've been able to kind of just like, take a breath for a while. And honestly enjoy the fruits of your labor and the biggest way that I see you do that is sharing the fruits of your labor, in terms of your time, resources, and just hospitality with the people that matter most to you. So just want to give you that compliment, first of all and you know, now that knowing that the outside people or at least I see you kind of making more space making more time for all of that. Do you think you want to use that anymore? If you do think now, can you take the gas off a little bit? Can you enjoy the fruits of your labor a little bit more how you want to and maybe with the people they would want to?

Maxx: Not really prime example is that, like, I, I've had a lot of friends over the past, you know, pandemic aside. I've had a lot of friends over the past couple of weeks or months or soon and say, Hey, I'm going to go to Mexico you should go with me and I said like I can't 

Chase: I invited you to Jamaica 

Maxx: I can't because I don't want to go it's just I, I feel like I don't deserve. I don't deserve to go anywhere. And I hate when I say that. Because then I feel like when I say something like that, like Oh, I'm so busy. I feel like it almost says like, you know, you're not as busy as I am so you can go on vacation. Like, you know, you're not in a role like I am so you can go on vacation, but I can't kind of like you know, but it's not like that. It's more of just like an internal mental thing that I just, I don't feel like I deserve to go do something I can get away for a day or something. But like, I can't go turn off because I want to I want to go do that. I want to turn off for like five days. But I'm just so stressed out at the moment that I feel like I would just be obsessing my phone. And so I'm not there yet. But I think I want to be and hopefully I can. Yeah, soon. 

Chase: if you're not there yet, I'll interpret that as you maybe haven't quite crossed the finish line that you have in your mind. You haven't quite reached your version of success. What is your version of success? How do you define it? And how will you know when you can actually Yeah, let's go to Jamaica. Yeah, let's take time off. Like what is how do you define success and when will you know you've achieved it?

Maxx: I don't know. I mean, I've always been someone that success isn't determined by wealth and money and you know, it's you know, happiness and fulfillment and but I don't know, I'm, I don't feel like I'm fulfilled yet with everything that I'm doing. I don't feel like I'm where I want to be, but I don't know where I want to be. You know, like I, with all the different businesses, I don't know where they need to get to where I'm going to be like, wow, we're crushing it and not like, you know, more and more like, you know, and, you know, I don't know.

Chase: Food for thought. I'm gonna shift gears a little bit and kind of get back to like your origin where all this started. We actually, I'm a horrible host. I didn't even like officially like, Hey, welcome to the show introduce yourself, because there may be one or two people who don't know who you are who are listening, watching. But you got your start on social media, you got your start making YouTube videos. Fitness, men's lifestyle kind of stuff like that. How much have you seen your creativity grow? How much have you seen the creativity? The platform grow in general? What, eight, six years? Seven years? Looking back, like, through the creative lens, How far would you say you have come? Like, what have been some just like, your biggest like, I don't know breakthroughs in the YouTube platform and creativity as a content creator and just on the platform as a whole? Do you think it's it is progressing? Have you seen profound change? Or is it kind of stagnant or what you're kind of opinion on the whole content creator world?

Maxx: it's definitely shifted a lot. I mean, a prime example is that I started in YouTube 100% exclusively making fitness content, very short format, you know, six to eight minute videos, just in the gym, then started incorporating you know, some Hey, I'm going into the gym, here's me in the car talking a little bit and then people yell at me there's like, the less talking more lifting, like just want to hear voiceover then I started cooperating more in my life. And you know, now it's funny, I started with only fitness and now fitness is most videos, you're gonna get a one minute segment that has to do with fitness, but the rest of it's going to be kind of like my life and some quirky, so it's evolved a lot. And it's good because I've like, I've not only gotten better at my craft of creating videos, and you know, as much as people think it's, it is this, but I've just kind of running around and doing, you know, basically doing pointless things that people are somehow interested in, right. But I think people get addicted to the story of someone's life, especially in the vlog world where I didn't go down the path of shock value type of content, where each piece of every video needs one specific major crazy thing happening to wow the audience every single time. I think that's a it's a, I don't know, there's some people that may go down that path, because again, they're chasing this monetary success. And that's probably a quicker path to it. But as far as longevity and enjoyability, you're always giving like one upping yourself, one upping yourself. Sure, yeah. Whereas my path I, once I realized I could embrace truly who I am and my personality and know not everything, because again, I started was like, Oh, my God, like, people only want to see me deadlift and lift weights and stuff. And when I can't, when I what happens if I get injured, like, what happens if I can't PR anymore, like I'm only gonna get to some point like, I'll know they're gonna, they're gonna still care and so it was like a blessing that people that I started cooperating more the my life into the videos, and people started really liking it. And now all my content is very much of a balance between you know, there's a big picture thing of if you're a follower of a continual, multiple videos, where you see the big picture of what I'm doing each video is a little piece of the chapter of growing towards this end goal that I don't it's not a definite thing, they just kind of seeing me the evolution and then endless endeavor, this as I'm always kind of leveling up and doing stuff. And then there's the other aspects of my video that it's just kind of quirky, you know, funny, entertaining, slapstick, kind of like humor, kind of, you know, in mature a little bit, and I find that balance and audience seems really like it. And, you know, I think YouTube has changed a lot. The biggest catalyst has definitely been my growing my network of friends and people that have surrounded myself with that started were in this industry that maybe a little bit before me that I looked up to and watched on YouTube, and now there's some of my best friends. And it's been a cool shift. And it's also unfortunate that the people I looked up to that started before me that were had such potential have kind of let it slip in my eyes. And they have, I don't want to say fallen off, but they just didn't continue to maximize their potential as much as maybe someone like myself that 

Chase: they got distracted by another beget. 

Maxx: exactly, dude, like and it's crazy because you know, they were like crushing in their field and like the fitness industry and you know now, it's just a I'm always just like, wow, like you could have been like the top tier person you were and you just should have done that path. But you just let it slip and you don't know what kind of people have going on and how into that they are. I'm very into this social media thing I've very much enjoyed. I like being in the limelight. I like being a person of entertainment. I like it a lot. I like it. But you know you have to balance the people telling you, you suck with the people telling you that they love the video at the same time.

Chase: Yeah. How do you deal with haters? How do you deal with people that tell you quite literally, you suck?

 Maxx: Yeah, well, I I've, I've come to realization that I'm not everyone's cup of tea. I think there's a lot of different factors that you when you really look at it. I mean, there's, there's people that just can't wrap their head around why someone would care about what I'm making. There are people that, you know, think that everything about me is like an act, and it's all I'm just, you know, acting this way on camera to be this childish thing. And I'm like, well, if I've been acting for seven years, that's a long roll to keep going, you know, and I think 

Chase: show is not getting canceled.

Maxx: And a lot of people who are kind of more down to earth are like, okay, like, I he's not like, What's up guys, like, like, we're gonna go to this like, like, you know, the other kind of YouTube mode, I kick up my personality a little bit. But I think for the most people that follow me, they wouldn't say Maxx's identical in his videos. He's not as upbeat. But for the most part, like, I am very quirky, weird, say dumb things do funny, funny things, and, but you're going to get hate no matter what I mean, I put out a video of, you know, a memory to dad, and you know, it's got 500 dislikes or something. And it's like, in what, world in this video of like, my late father, that have like, what a message means to me? Why would someone dislike this? Right? It's like, it's like, in what world? Right? You could, I would say, like, you know, you can have a video of you. The whole video could be like, rescuing kittens from like, a river. And people are like, wait, maybe they do not want to be rescued. You know, and like, I hate this. So you're always gonna have people that just like, hate on whatever you're doing. And usually, whenever I have a really supportive audience, and whenever someone really hates on me, I'm just like, you must be new here kind of thing. Like if, if people kind of come in and, you know, people judge me on everything man, people been, you know, I've, I look the same that I have, like, five years ago, I haven't progressed as fast as someone wants me to and I strength. You know, I'm, I'm only doing this because I'm trying to do you're just gonna get everything. And I feel like again, as long as you know, you're a good person, you know, your morals. And that's different for every person. But I am a good person. I know. I'm doing good. Bringing positivity into the world and leaving a hopefully lasting impression on a lot of people. And like I said, some people hate the hate the clothing thing, because it's, you know, cheap Chinese clothing you can get for 50 cents any anywhere. And I'm like, okay, man, like, I've employed tons of people. I was, like, well, why do you have to get so angry at everything or angry? And so I know I'm doing good.

Chase: Yeah. And I do too, for sure. And in that wake of, of content creation, and the haters, there's way more I would say people that you inspire. And anybody who puts himself out there, you're going to inspire at least one person because they're going to see some version of themself in you, and a possibility. So, I know you've met so many people in person and let you know, online, because of you. I'm doing this because of your YouTube channel. I'm starting a YouTube channel because of your photography, videography. I'm picking up a camera, I'm editing, it's been an inspiration for me to do something or land a job or whatever. Particularly through the content creation channel, what would you say is like, the biggest mistake you see people making now that maybe could help them right now? And what is one thing that you see is working really well that people hey, you absolutely should be making this like the crux of your work kind of thing?

Maxx: I think that they all kind of intertwined together with just being yourself and I don't know, it's easy to look at someone like me, and I'm like, specific to YouTube and social media. And whenever I talk about any sort of thing, where I try to get like a little bit motivational and I try to like tell people to kind of like, you know, if I can do it, you can do it and people kind of say, you know, Oh, you got lucky with this and blah blah, blah, blah blah. I'm like, I think I'm the true definition of someone who like if I can make it anyone can make it because I you know, people they saw me in my channel forever ago I was, I lived in a shitty house. with, you know, my roommates in on Norton Street, right, like the trap house days, like I didn't have money I didn't have I was, you know, I lived in a gross house like I wanted to save and I slowly like kept just working and working and working and working and like I've gotten to this point, and I still have a lot to go and like, you know, I just it everyone thinks what I'm kind of telling people to kind of go after it and be yourself all that and like, Oh, I can't make YouTube videos. Like, it's not about making YouTube videos, it's about just finding your craft and doing what, you know, brings you fulfillment, and a lot of times you go down a path, and it's not maybe the one for you. I mean, even you're a great example; you've had tremendous success with this podcast thing. But you kind of started going down the path of like, just finding what you wanted to do. And you started kind of like vlogging. And then you found like, that wasn't really what, like your thing, like your thing was talking to the people in this format, right? And maybe it took you kind of like doing that to land you that.

Chase: I had to do all those things to realize what I didn't want to do, and it's not.

Maxx: and it is not like you didn’t succeed at it but like, you know, you just, it's like, that helped get you to the point of finding this, which is your calling in your true success and, you know, inspiring a lot of people and, you know, and I think a lot of people are too afraid to kind of go down a path that might not work out to find the thing that truly can like, set them free, in a sense, right?

Chase: I agree. I mean, this isn't my interview, but like, like you just said, so true, I now tell people, excuse me, I am a full time podcaster. And when I think back to all the seasons of my life from being, I mean, both of us just young boys growing up in the country of Virginia, to being a soldier for six years to then being a health coach for many years after that, working in the health and fitness space, to dabbling in social media, all that stuff to now like all of those things, I guess, I'm trying to say all of those things, led me to all the baguettes, and really finding this gonna be the most weird title for episode finding your baguette and life’s magical baguette. But and it's not like many people can look at them as I failed at this and I got to start something new, I failed to this, I failed at this. But if you choose to look at it as I'm going to pull as much from this experience and opportunity that I that I can and take with it, the things that light me up and learn from the things that don't and then it just it filters down and filters down and filters down until ultimately one day you just realize, maybe we're just speaking for ourselves here that I love what I do. I love what I do. And I can't imagine doing anything else. 

Maxx: and to be honest. Nowadays, I hate be like the old timer, but I'm like it's even easier for people. When I started what I did back in the day when I was 23. Everyone who's 21 and 23 now should be able to excel way faster than I ever did. 

Chase: 15-16 years olds are excelling way faster. 

Maxx: millions is making light years more money than I'll ever make. And, you know, it's, you know, even back then it's like I didn't, I didn't even I remember back in my day, we didn't have Instagram stories, it was just a picture you could post. And that was it. You know, and you have so many more tools that are at your feet and now it should be easier than ever to excel at a rapid pace. Because you have all these tools at your disposal. 

Chase: There shouldn't be the same excuses as like a lot of people maybe like we had, there are so many more tools at your disposal to just like take opportunity take opportunity to take opportunity, explore, fail forward, fail forward, like figure out what you don't like to do so that you can pull out of it just one little thing that you do, and then just go on with that, you know, which kind of I think is a great segue into towards the end here, man. I want to say thanks again for your time as always, for your hospitality five star Airbnb review. And so you're the only person that I can ask this question that actually has like, kind of the same tie in as me and I ask all my guests at the end, Ever Forward; live a life ever forward? What does that mean to you? So we've had it two times before now and for anybody that wants to catch the episodes, I'll list them down the show notes for you. I forget off the top of my head what numbers they were but years ago so now man, I mean, you're a 31 year old man. A now multiple business owner, a homeowner, a dog dad, like your life has changed so much. Does that definition mean anything different to you now? How do you live a life Ever Forward Maxx?

Maxx: I would say that it's always meant to me to constantly push myself and you know, continue moving forward, right? But I think now it has the impact of keep challenging yourself, keep, keep the pressure on and know that it's only going to get tougher. The further I go down this rabbit hole, but this is the life that shows and this is the legacy that I'll say, again this is the impact that I'll leave behind in whatever aspect of whether it's the people that I've employed, the lives that I've maybe inspired to do to do things, or starting a business that, you know, has this ripple effect out into the world. And it's only going to get tougher from here, but I'm going to keep my head down and keep pushing forward. And, you know, I'm ready for ready for the next day and not afraid of no failures and challenges, man.

Chase: There's the Virginia boy coming out. Again, thanks for coming back on dude, I love you. It's been just wild to see you grow up and be so successful and have all these amazing learning experiences. I'm gonna wait I had something in mind was gonna tell you but I actually think I am going to table it. This trip gave me a very, very cool idea for a birthday present for you this year. And I was gonna tell you, I had a little tie in. 

Maxx: was it the DJI remote control with a built in screen that I really want that and I'm about to buy it now. But if you're gonna get that from me, I'll hold off. 

Chase: That reminds me of years ago, all of our like birthday and Christmas wish lists, we would just share our Amazon wish list. You're so not subtle. Hey, I couldn't get to Amazon send me the link of that thing that you want. Just it's the whole point of gift giving. But yeah. But yeah, so it's been really, really great, man. I always enjoy spending time with you. And just congratulations again, man. 

Maxx: thanks. Do you want to hang out after the show? 

Chase: Yeah, so we're gonna hit end and we're just gonna go over there and sit on the couch. So I'm gonna have all information down in, the show notes for everybody to check out and the other two interviews. The last one was actually very heavy. It was more so focused on like social media tactics. So a little bit of the business stuff it was more like social media tangible goods. And the first episode was kind of like story line stuff so if anybody's curious, but if they don't know where you are, and they want to check you out, like where can they go right now to learn more about you? Where are you hanging out the most online?

Maxx: you can just search my name Maxx Chewning or Maxx two Xs. The biggest channel to find me on YouTube just search me on YouTube. That's where I'm, I have the most interest in. Instagram, as well but Instagram and YouTube Maxx Chewning.

Chase: I really appreciate you.