Most everyone enjoys motivational quotes, the inspirational words of (mostly) great people who worked hard to accomplish great things during their lifetime. Many have been said and recorded from real people, and others have been given or echoed through fictional (and nonfictional) movie characters. I am very BIG into these motivational quotes, and have posters (with quotes) hanging up around my apartment in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and even bathroom. I keep my entire home/office positive which helps me stay positive and uplifting over 94% of my waking hours. I love messages from people who enjoy my positive vibes, even when things go wrong during my challenges and it would be understandable if I turned negative. Even when faced with over 6lbs of raw beef in Spain, (lol) I was more focused on celebrating that we were all going to be featured on the #1 news station in Madrid!!

These days we get quite a bit of negativity on our channels, in the form of both comments and messages. The last few Facebook live-streamed videos during our Florida Tour received almost as many negative comments as positive ones. There are lots of “genuinely concerned” people worried about my currently elevated bodyweight, thinking I’m “spinning out of control” or just care about earning “YouTube money” with no regard for my physical health. Some feedback is honest & sincere, with many adding that they are praying for my health and wellness. Prayers and concerns are appreciated, just like all other positive or negative attention, but unfortunately they imply a lack of trust, and that I may not have everything under control. Then there are other comments that are just plain rude.

I understand the fact that it’s much quicker and easier to assume things than take time to ask questions, especially since in my over 11 years of doing food challenges, I have had only a handful of people ask on a deeper level why I do them. Many people think I will quit social media when I am finished up with food challenges and my professional eating career. That is unbelievable to me. To help answer the questions I have provoked, and explain my actions to all of you, my biggest supporters taking time to read this, I want to share the 4 motivational quotes I live by, and why I feel so strongly about them. Hopefully these will shed light on what I am doing, why I’m putting my body through all this, and what drives me to keep going – my purpose for getting up out of bed each morning.

“Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that do.” – Steve Jobs

There is no industry in the world with more untapped-potential and room for improvement than the Nutrition & Dietetics industry. Registered Dietitians are and should be seen as the #1 people to consult with and seek information from regarding nutrition, and that is not the case whatsoever. Dietitians have very minimal presence on video platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, and are getting absolutely crushed in all areas of social media (including Instagram) where they (I say “they” because I am not one yet) can potentially connect with and help the millions of great people who need assistance and have questions about nutrition. Seeing and hearing someone (usually well-intentioned) spread horrendous nutrition-related information that should really be illegal makes my stomach feel sicker than 6lbs of raw meat ever could. Food challenges are helping me build my community of amazing people so when the time comes, I’ll be able to effectively educate and help masses of people through each of my social media channels. I’ve been constructing the “vehicle” I will use since 2012, and still have a few years remaining before it can go public. My path may seem wild and reckless, but every move is calculated to achieve a purpose that contributes to the greater goal of simplifying nutrition for all people needing help. Only 13% of Americans have a basic fundamental understanding of nutrition. My team will increase that!!

“Decide whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying.” – Amelia Earhart

Just like finances, nutrition isn’t really a subject that is covered in school. Because of that, most children receive minimal nutrition education growing up, which ironically is a time period when proper nutrition is most critical. There are so many teenage-athletes seeking nutrition help that get directed to a supplement store, rather than taught the fundamentals of nutrition. It is not a problem that is improving, and it’s only getting worse, especially since supplement companies are spending so much in marketing to put their products in the faces of people who will do anything to improve and get better at their chosen sport. I don’t currently feel that much is being done to help child-athletes (and even adult-athletes too), and I have chosen the path I am blazing because there aren’t any other paths I want to follow. I often joke with people that, “I did not choose this life. It chose me.” That is a lie though because I have always done everything I’ve done, knowing the risks. I am as preventative as I can be without hindering the success of the mission, complemented by amazing family genetics that I researched back before I started doing food challenges. Because all the goals and future possibilities by far outweigh the risks, I keep going without any major concerns or worries. If I don’t do all this, then who will?

“You get paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of the problems you solve.” – Elon Musk

My favorite question to ask people is, “If every single person in the world made $30 per hour for doing whatever they wanted, no more and no less, so long as it is a money-producing task, what would you choose to do?” People usually think for a few minutes and then respond, followed by asking me what I would do. From 2014 to early 2018, I responded with, “I’d do exactly what I’m doing now, and make $30 more per hour (lol).” When we do brand collabs, there are some people who threaten to quit watching, and those people always intrigue me the most because the funny thing is that even if our YouTube and Facebook channels got demonetized tomorrow, I’d still keep on the path I’ve been on since 2012. This quote is not really about finances or money, and it’s more about thinking BIG. My living expenses are less than $1,000 per month, including insurances. If Hertz and airlines accepted “thoughts and prayers” as payment, I wouldn’t ever check my accounts. I want to make the biggest difference I can during the time I have here, and the world’s biggest problem I can have an impact on is society’s nutrition knowledge deficit. I don’t really worry about other issues because I trust that other people are working on solving those. Yes, if things go to plan, there will be high reward to go along with my high risk, but I do all this for the impact I can have on all of you (and society in general), rather than the potential monetary benefits.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” – Uncle Ben Parker

I learned of this quote from the movie Spider-Man (the one starring Tobey Maguire) which is credited to the French philosopher Voltaire. It’s a short quote that is so meaningful. Because of the path I’m taking while simultaneously getting accredited as an RDN, on the day I finally become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I will be the #1 followed RDN in the world and unfortunately (this is not a good thing) I will likely have more followers on video platforms than all others combined. With that will come a lot of power and responsibility, and even more attention, which I’m very very excited for. It’s something I take very seriously and will do my best to be ready for when the day comes. I don’t start now because I cannot dilute the strength of my efforts (and other reasons). I will go from traveling for food challenges to traveling for public speaking, and I have a long way to go before I will be ready for all that. I will then be able to help the fellow dietitians on my team grow their social media following as well, increasing my impact exponentially. Piggy-backing off the paragraph above, higher “reward” (revenue) will mean more “fuel” to help my team accomplish our mission.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of what I am working towards and why. While it doesn’t always seem like it, I do keep some level of control. Because I know why I am doing all this and what I am working towards, I don’t really give extra thought to nonsensical negativity, so please don’t feel upset or get mad if you see rude comments from people that neither of us know. There is lots of awesomeness in store for the future that I am very very excited for, and I appreciate you all following my journey. I don’t claim to know everything and I’m not invincible like I tell my mother, but everything is under control and the negativity will lighten up later this year once I’ve had time to lose weight during Sexification 2021 (during my internship). If anything, negativity will be used to help me connect with future kids, teenagers, and adults who have been bullied about their weight. Everything is positive somehow if you maintain an optimistic perspective. Just as American author Dale Carnegie wrote in his book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, “Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw the mud, and the other saw stars.” Do you often see the mud, or do you see stars?

To read about the meaning behind my acronym BOOM, please click here!!

To go back and check out other Randy’s Blog posts, please click here!!