Meet Preston True | Facilitator, coach & guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Preston True and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Preston, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
The concept of “work-life” balance is an interesting one. I actually don’t believe in it. When we put these two ideas on a “balance”, we’re actually creating a conflict between the two.

We do that as we hold “work” and “life” as totally separate worlds. That’s impossible and is a myth. We only have ONE life.

In the “work/life balance” context, we believe we need to reduce one to spend more time in the other. That’s just not a useful way to look at it.

I believe a different perspective works better. Strive to create an engaging life… period. What type of work would you be doing? How would you design your days? Who would you want part of your life? What type of work inspires you? What goals do you have for yourself? What goals do you have for your family?

When you explore those questions, start to formulate answers, then take action on those answers, you end up developing a career that feeds and inspiring life and a life that feeds an inspiring career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m not sure if I’m qualified to answer “What sets me apart?”, but there are a few lessons / guidelines to share:

1) Do NOT believe you are the ONE. You’re not smart, fast, agile or gifted enough to make a fulfilling career work on your own.

2) What you learned in school doesn’t matter. The sterile environment of the classroom is numb & dumb to the real world. No one cares about your degree, your GPA, or the “A” you earned on your senior project. Find work that’s fulfilling, find a target market that has a problem your work can help solve, say “please” and “thank you”, show up on time (always) and do what you say you’re going to do. Your parents taught you those things. Just repeat them throughout life.

3) Build a unique capability team around you and be super grateful of them. Operating your own business is very challenging. Having a team with distinct gifts that you encourage them to explore & use is the best way to win.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you only get one week, then Detroit is the perfect city. Start in Detroit: you could spend the day at the Riverwalk before going to the Henry Ford Museum or exploring Corktown. When you’re ready for a different perspective, take a trip to Dearborn or Pontiac. There are also many other spots near the city, like the many quaint towns surrounding the area that have fantastic local tales. Spend your time sharing stories, getting to know each other, and meeting locals who have wonderful experiences to share.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In a previous life (aka business), I believed I could do everything on my own. This ended up in bankruptcy and failure. I was more of an id*ot than I am today.

The greatest lesson from that experience was “Do NOT accomplish this on your own.” I have several people to acknowledge for their continued support and mentorship:

Natalie, my wife and business partner – she’s my cheerleader and accountability partner in all of life
Henry, my son and bookkeeper / podcast producer – if I had as much wisdom as he when I was in my early 20’s, I could’ve avoided many mistakes
Alaina – a dear friend and marketing director – she has an absolute gift of not just solving a marketing / design problem, but implementing it seamlessly
Georgia – my daughter and soon-to-be summer intern – one of the greatest exemplars of empathy and challenge married
The Elliott Family – a client and family business team who’ve helped me see the gift in making business & family work well
Our clients – too many to name individually, but each has offered both challenge and partnership to help us get better every day

Website: https://www.gettpafit.com/value-builder

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prestontrue/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetTPAFit

Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/0BfIK4Id7EzdoCNmrWkQIx?si=f428167a7fe944f1

Image Credits
Alaina Miller Photography