Take the Elevator
This podcast is purely about elevating people through individual life stories and experiences in the Elevator. In the Elevator, what's key is maybe changing your perspective; having self-actualization; embracing your purpose; and acting on it as we grow from one another. There is a whole different point of view when you look up to elevate.
Take the Elevator
391st Floor: Almost Doesn't Count
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Kory and Gen dive into the stubborn gap between starting and finishing—why “almost” masquerades as effort, how it drains confidence and momentum, and what finally helped us ship creative work, grow a business, and say yes to a Barnes & Noble reading for The Fuzzy Furry Forest. This isn’t about hustle myths or productivity theater. It’s about the quiet power of devotion over hype.
We separate motivation from discipline: one rides emotion, the other rests on structure. Expect practical ways to make discipline easier—micro-commitments, clear definitions of done, and “done for today” rituals that stack into trust. Then we go deeper: almost is rarely a time issue; it’s an identity issue. Change the story you protect—“I’m consistent, I follow through”—and your habits start to align with your future, not your fears.
We also reframe discipline as devotion, a steadier, kinder loyalty to who you are becoming. Devotion honors craft without glorifying grind culture. It asks for presence, not perfection; closure, not theatrics. If you’ve been living in Almost Land, consider this your exit ramp: finish one small thing today, protect the streak, and watch your confidence return. And yes, we’re celebrating community wins too—from honoring veterans at the parade to inviting families to our upcoming bookstore event—because progress loves company. If this resonates, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, subscribe for more honest tools, and leave a quick review with the next promise you’re ready to keep.
Look up, and let's elevate!
Parade Joy And Community Pride
unknownEvery day. Elevate. Every day. Elevate.
SPEAKER_01Every day.
SPEAKER_00Hey, it's Jen the Builder.
SPEAKER_01And Corey.
SPEAKER_00And we're on another ride on the elevator today. Welcome everyone. Hope y'all are doing well.
SPEAKER_01I'm doing phenomenal. I hope you are too, Jen.
SPEAKER_00I'm doing so ridiculously well. And I'm gonna have you talk about it, but I just had a blast yesterday. Uh-huh. And that spilled over into today, which is Sunday, the day of recording.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So yesterday we had the honor and the privilege to be in the Fontana Black History Parade. And it was pretty, pretty nice, I gotta say. Um, my wife is a bit of a showwoman, and her daughter likes to say she's a ham. So, with that being said, Jen had a blast. I had a blast, and um, we got to represent the fuzzy furry forest, we got to represent Jenco Sound Company, we got to have our plushies and our brand new magnetized magnet that says magnetized magnet. That's good that says fuzzy furry forest on the side, and man, we we just represented and had a great time.
SPEAKER_00We really did. So there's a few things that I loved about yesterday. Um, Corey, you did such an amazing job decorating the car.
SPEAKER_01Why thank you, Jen?
SPEAKER_00I thought it was so cool. I felt like as far as vehicles, ours was the most parade-friendly. Yeah, like we definitely got the brief on a parade.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they gave us all the details on how to decorate a car, but nobody followed followed them but us.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, imagine that. So I'll be putting pictures on my Instagram, which is gen the builder underscore elevate, and we'll make sure that those are on Gen Cos as well. And I'm sure Corey will put it on the fuzzy furry forest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, we can't say that just yet because I've been really lagging behind in the uh social media area. So I'm I'm working my way back to doing what I need to do to keep it out there.
Veterans, Mayor, And Crowd Energy
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's a lot. It is, it's a lot, and we're figuring it out. Um, so there's that. And then Corey, your mom was over yesterday, and she showed a picture of when she was in this same parade years ago.
SPEAKER_01Years and years and years ago. I think this was in '83, '84. Wow. And she was leading a drill team for an elementary school that I happened to go to that was out of Rialto, California, called Beamus Elementary School. And uh the the mascot was a Blackhawk at the time, and it's changed since then.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um, but Beamus is still going strong and proud. So yeah, that that was my elementary school, and I love that school.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so speaking of Rialto, they were there as well yesterday. Yes. And it was so cool to see other cities there in support of each other.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it didn't matter if they weren't from Fontana or not, they were just all there to represent black history, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And which is amazing when you think about it, because there's black people in every city, every county, and so why not come over and have a good time with everybody else?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So that was fun. And I'm gonna give a little bit more info on why Corey says what he says and why my daughter says I'm a ham. So uh as we were waiting in line to go around to make the turn to actually be in the parade, we're in line, and so the parade is happening to the left of us. And in that line, I love how they started off with big American flags. And everybody, we know that there's a lot going on right now. We continue to lift up our country and the world at large, and um, just thinking of everyone involved right now or um impacted by this. So the first car pulling a trailer of veterans, yeah, and I just went nuts.
SPEAKER_01Yes, you did.
SPEAKER_00I honked my horn multiple times. I started yelling and saying, Thank you so much, veterans, we love you, God bless you. And I just was going crazy, and that set the tone for the rest of the parade. Our mayor of Fontana, Aquanetta, drove by. I went nuts, and every time I just saw different things in the the people that were watching, there was a school, and there was probably 50 kids outside, and it was so good to connect them, even if it was yelling out of the car.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was a very um engaging parade. Uh, they they even stopped us and asked us questions at the judge's booth, and then they had a little pop-up tent at the very end, and it was again a good time. If if you had if you have a chance to go to uh one of the city or county type parades that uh are trying to uplift people, you really want to go out to one of those.
Barnes & Noble Signing Announcement
SPEAKER_00Agreed, totally agreed.
SPEAKER_01Jen, one more thing before we move on because I gotta get this out. This just happened. I got this email literally on Friday night at about 754. And this email was directed towards you and I. And it said, We are honored to host a book reading and an author signing for you. The fuzzy furry forest.
SPEAKER_00The what?
SPEAKER_01The fuzzy furry forest at our Rancho Cucamonga Barnes and Noble. That's huge for us. It is, and and we just want to put it out there. So, guys, um, if you're available on March 14th at 11 o'clock, please, please, please feel free to come out to the Rancho Cucamonga Barnes and Noble and hear us read and talk to uh parents and children and sign some books and engage on a level that you've never seen before.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we would love to see there. I I just can't believe, Corey, that it is technically March and this is all happening within quarter one of the year. So, man, we're just so humbled and grateful and beyond excited, quite quite joy, joyful over all the things that are happening.
SPEAKER_01So, Corey, as we were Jovial as our jovial, yeah.
From Almost To Finishing
SPEAKER_00That was a big word this weekend, jovial. Um over the weekend while we were in the parade, I just thought, and then you know, we get that letter, like you said, the email on Friday night, and I thought, man, being in partnership with you as Gen Co Sound Company, co-authors of the Fuzzy Furry Forest, we have done so much and finished so much, and it feels so good, it's fulfilling. I'm just in awe of what we're doing. And the old me would have said something like, Oh man, yeah, I'd love to write a book, um, but it's not time yet. Or, oh, that'd be funny being a prayed. What you want me in a prey? Um I'll think about it, right? So there, my I think the theme of my life for a certain amount of time was almost.
SPEAKER_01I almost did that.
SPEAKER_00Right. Right. I almost finished.
SPEAKER_01Almost finished.
SPEAKER_00Um I'm almost healed. Right?
SPEAKER_01I'm almost ready.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, there you go. So I want to talk about the tension of almost.
SPEAKER_01Oh man, yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and then open up into something else. But for right now, let's hold space for that. The tension of almost. Um I think of every area of my life right now. If my mindset was almost being a leader of a team almost doesn't build trust. No. Right? Almost doesn't get the project done, almost doesn't support anyone, almost, um, but at the same time, when you're functioning that way, almost feels kind of safe, doesn't it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So something that came to my mind, and I'm gonna call it an elevator insight, and we'll talk about this, is almost as comfort disguised as effort. Yeah. That's what it has been for me. So I think it's important that we hear from a guy who does not live by the word almost.
SPEAKER_01That's so funny.
SPEAKER_00Help us on this because I think a lot of people might be struggling, struggling with the almost and the comfort they find in it.
The Cost Of Almost In Music
SPEAKER_01Well, uh, I'll I'll start it like this. I'm gonna tell a couple of series of stories, not nothing too long or in depth, but just you know, to get a better understanding of who I am, how I'm built, and how I was made. Uh, in my childhood, my household did not allow for almost. Uh, the the saying was was literally made when I was in my household at like five or six years old. Almost doesn't count. Did you finish your homework? Almost. No, almost doesn't count. Go back in there and finish your homework. Did you clean your room? Almost. No, you gotta go in there and finish cleaning that room. Almost doesn't count. And so I learned that at a very early age. But here's a story that uh I wanted to share. You know, I was in a musical group, uh, a Christian singing musical group years ago as a 15, 16, 17-year-old. And uh we went on tour. We we did all the you know singing group things, having fun on the road, and uh learning how to become professional singers. One of the things that hindered us from going from one level to the next level, because we had already broke through on multiple levels, just because we could have hold a harmony very well. So we sang background for a lot of different people and made a really good name for ourselves and actually made some decent money. But the thing we couldn't do on our own was complete a project. Project in musical terms is a complete record or a CD or you know, album. And so um we couldn't ever complete that. We were almost done. We almost finished, you know, and that was my producer slash baritone singers excuse for everything. And you're so right, almost is a comfort zone for a lot of people, and it makes them lazy because if if it's almost done, I'm I still did something. I I'm in the act of finishing it, but it's not quite done. But the problem is it was never done, and so if you go three to five years with a project almost done, people give up hope on you, especially record companies and uh people that are hoping that you're you're gonna finish your project. So, yeah, that that that's the beginnings of me really pushing hard. I have this backbone of never almost doing anything, always finishing, and then I run into this brick wall. So uh I I I'm obsessed with finishing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. On my wall in my office, I have the word start.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because if we're gonna be real, man, it was a challenge to even just start because I I was at I'm almost gonna start. I'm still coming up with a game plan. It doesn't feel quite right. I'm almost there though.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And that became one year, two years, three years, and you're thinking, I'm just not gonna do it, am I?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So that that's an intricate, interesting concept. And so I I really I'm sorry for cutting you off, but I just really want to ask you because you've been in that vein, you've operated in that position before where you're about to start or you're almost done, or you almost get something. How does that make you feel? What frame of mind does that put you in as a as a creative, as a manager, as an individual who has multiple things going at one time and knowing that they all have to get done when you hear or feel that terminology of almost ready, almost done, almost anything.
SPEAKER_00I'll tell you what, even hearing you ask that question, I feel a little heavy in my chest. It's cringy, and yeah, and it just makes me feel like, oh my gosh, this is gonna be a jammed up lane or pathway, right? It's gonna be bottlenecked, and I'm gonna be I'm feeling overwhelmed. Yeah. Right. So that's exactly how that makes me feel, and it's not anything that I I like volunteer to experience.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00So I just remember, Jen, just start it. Get get out of your comfort zone of thinking about it, and then just start it. So I I got in the practice of starting. That was great. Oh boy, quick, because I got that one down pat. Like I was like, oh yeah, I'm gonna work on this, and look, here's my outline, and I'm starting this here, and I've made contacts, some networking over here and there, but then it would peter off.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So then I'm on the race or I'm on the track, but then I realized I don't have the consistency to follow through, to follow, to finish, right? So I got the start done. Now I need to keep going and finish.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00So that was such an intentional practice, and that's what I want to get to next with you.
SPEAKER_01One more question, though.
SPEAKER_00Please, yes.
SPEAKER_01So can you explain to the people, to your friends and the people that are just tuning in? If they just got here and they said, What is she what is she talking about? Almost and all this good stuff. You finally turned the corner, you're no longer in almost world. You're in full fledged. I'm getting it done, I'm getting it finished. Tell me how that open highway felt once you just really saw what it felt like and and looked like to push the gas and go as fast as you want because you're you're headed for the finish line.
Starting, Consistency, And Finish Lines
SPEAKER_00I overcame fear. And anytime you have that sense of I'm an overcomer, and it's not as bad as I thought, man, like three-quarters of the stuff was made up in my head, and no one's really being that critical. Like you just start to think of all the things that you made up in your head to stay in almost land.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Right. And then you're able to see that, and for the next time around, getting off the start isn't so bad, and getting to the finish feels pretty darn good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I just it it feels good to complete something, right? So some of the questions that I had to ask myself years ago during this and and being with you, Corey, you know, I was like, I have some self-coaching opportunities here. So I'd ask myself, where am I where in my life am I living an almost? Right. So just asking that question, even right now, where in your life are you living in almost? And then um another question too, speaking of finishing, is what do I keep starting but not finishing? So I have a book that is gonna get done. What I'll do is I'll start to write it. If I it was on paper, I'd be crumpling up, throwing it, throwing it in the wastebasket and starting again. So that's something that I keep starting over instead of just let it let the words go and keep going and see where this takes you, right? Um last question is what promise to myself have I softened into good enough? That one, that one gets me every single time because it could be something as simple as getting on the wayscale and saying, you know what? This is good enough. At least I lost some weight. This is good enough.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Because going into a place where I've never been before kind of feels intimidating, right? Like you make every excuse. Oh no, I'm big boned. My my I'm not gonna get there.
SPEAKER_01Or I come from a big family.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Oh, that that's just too, that's just too much.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right. So just asking myself um those questions have have really helped. Good, good. That softening your promise to yourself, man. That's a time to not go soft on yourself. Is when you made a promise to yourself, don't settle for this is good enough.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely, Jen. And I'm a big proponent of I'm not finished. I had a goal. I have a goal, you know, and um I know when we work together as a couple and as a business, we have definitive goals. That's a definite finish line that we're looking for, and we're not stopping until we get to that finish line, unless something detrimental happens or there's some kind of uh sign from God above that just says you're not moving any for many for you know more forward than this. We just we we're gonna finish this task.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So right now in my life, I am very much about one this one word. There's a couple other words, but I'm just gonna focus on this is discipline. Oh, that word that I used to dread. Um, and I really used to be about motivation. Corey, at the top of your head, what would you say is the difference, if any, between motivation and discipline?
Motivation Versus Discipline
SPEAKER_01Uh discipline is that thing that uh is programmed inside of you, and it's gonna happen because it's a part of the program. And and you're gonna just follow the program. Uh love that that that that motivation can come and go. It can happen, you know, at the spur of the moment you get a motivational video or a motivational talk, or someone shows you something or says something to you out of the blue, and you're like, oh, that's motive, or you turn on your favorite song that that pumps you up, gets you going. So that's that's motivation. But if you don't have your earbuds and your phone is about to die, you don't have that motivation, you have to rely on discipline at that point, right?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so what I what I how I would translate what you said, which is so well said and on the spot, thanks for that. Cliff notes, summary motivation for me is emotional, right? It's it spikes. I'm feeling good, I'm gonna do it. Not feeling good, don't I'm not doing it, not doing it, yeah. So, and then based on what you said so wonderfully, is that discipline is structural. Like it's gonna happen, and it's not based on my emotions, right? Right. Um, so I'm gonna play a little game with you. Motivation says I feel like it. What does discipline say?
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna do it whether I feel like it or not.
SPEAKER_00Right. I said I would.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I will.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Right. Um another thing about discipline that I love too, because you and I are about the small actions that build up and become more. So I feel like discipline's one of those things where it compounds. Like if I'm saying, yes, I'm yes, I am. Because I said I would, I'm doing this. That's the mindset then that you take for everything, and that helps with getting out of the almost syndrome.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Because you're disciplined and you're just going to keep on.
SPEAKER_01Um let me let me let me throw something out there real quick. Yes. I'm gonna I'm gonna tell the the people that are listening right here, right now. Um, if you were uh attempting to write a book, if you're attempting to record a record, if you're attempting to manage your own business or your own company, you can do it. Anybody could do it, but it's not gonna be easy. And I was taught something else that was very valuable to me. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Here, here's that's that's your motivation. You can do it, and you can be successful at it. That's the motivation, but here's the discipline: it's gonna be hard and it's gonna be a long learning curve. You're gonna get some things right away, and other things just kind of seem like they're so far out of reach that you're never gonna get to it. But if you just stay disciplined and keep on grinding, and that's the difference between the motivation and the and the discipline of life, especially in this realm that Jen and I are talking about. Um, when we say you can do it, we know it's it's attainable. We just know it's gonna be a little bit more difficult than just doing it.
Identity, Self-Talk, And Consistency
SPEAKER_00Right. No, yeah. So I think that leads to the next really critical point that it's not about productivity, right? It's it may sound like it. We're talking about structure, but I've learned many years ago that if when you're building new habits, you've got to have a structure in place. It just helps you along the way. Like, don't set yourself up. So if we're saying almost isn't a productivity problem, here's what I think it is, Corey, and please let me know what you think. It's an identity problem. So it's who you're being. So how am I speaking to myself or what's my self-talk? What do I believe, or who do I believe I am? So if I'm someone and I'm using this um analogy because this is my journey right now, so this is real time. So if I'm saying to myself, I'm a person who eats more when I need comfort, right? Or I do this because I'm bored. But if I change that and say, I I just I don't get bored. I'm gonna find something, or I am my own interest, I am interested in everything that's coming my way, or I'm consistent, right? That's it. I'm consistent. That's it. I follow through, I do what I say I'm gonna do. I love myself, my health is important, therefore I am this, right? So you just when when that is your talk and that is who you believe you are, that's who you become.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I was just I was thinking that while you were saying those words, we have to be and do the thing that we lack most of, and that's consistency. And when you're consistently telling yourself something, you're building discipline. It's hard to tell yourself to do something or not do something and not follow through with it because you you're but you're beginning to listen to what you're saying, so it means more to you because you're saying it more.
SPEAKER_00Totally, totally. I love that. So, what I love too about what we say about ourselves is it is known that this is my story and I'm gonna protect it. Yeah, so again, you will protect your story. What's this story that you're telling yourself about yourself? Right. Um, the last point, Corey, that I want to make sure we touch on before we leave. Oh, we have to say goodbye. Um, is the cost of almost.
The Real Cost Of Almost
SPEAKER_01Oh man, it's costly. It's expensive to be an almost. It's expensive. Uh let me say it like this. It's expensive to live in, as I said, almost world. And as Jen said, almost land. It's very expensive to live there. Everything is much more uh a high, much more high cost there because you're always almost doing it. So you have to keep on repeating over and over and over. So you're literally buying, it's like having bad credit. So you know if you have bad credit, you're gonna pay for something three or four times before it's paid off. That's what Almost World does or Almost Land does. It makes you pay for something multiple times before you get it done. But if you just get consistent and discipline yourself and do it once, the price is minimal.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Man, another, another groundbreaking share on your part. When I hear you, how that translates for me is almost will cost you. If we keep living in the in that space of almost and we don't have a structure in place and invite discipline in our lives, it'll cost you your confidence.
SPEAKER_01Man, I just you're a mess if you lose your confidence. And everybody knows that. No, that's not a secret. Nobody's going, oh, I don't know. I've done pretty well without confidence. No, we haven't. We never do.
SPEAKER_00And that confidence thing is huge. Almost also costs you self-trust.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. How many times have we heard that from ourselves? I'm not talking about from other people, just like, man, I didn't go through with this. I knew I should have done it. This is my fault. I could have done better. And so you can eliminate all these issues that are coming about by getting out. Just take up residence and completion land.
SPEAKER_00Take up residence and completion land.
SPEAKER_01There you go.
SPEAKER_00And start with the small things first. If this is something new for you, right? Because it costs, uh, let's say, let's be real, it costs you momentum. If I'm constantly doing the same things over and over again, I'm I have no momentum.
SPEAKER_01Nope.
Discipline Reframed As Devotion
SPEAKER_00Um so we want to also emphasize that again, these small daily completions start small, rewire. And I'm gonna say that you it rewires your nervous system for belief, for belief in yourself, yeah for belief in what it is doing. So um wanna make sure that this much message is coming across about discipline because some people that might activate certain feelings. If you come from a place of strict, rigid discipline, this may not be your thing. So I want to reword this for people right now who are rejecting discipline. Let's choose another word here and think about discipline as devotion. It doesn't necessarily mean grind culture, it's a devotion to who you're becoming. Who do you want to be? Who are you becoming? And let's start now on who we want to become.
Why We Get So Much Done
SPEAKER_01I like that. I really do. I'm still in that gin. And although I'm very attracted to grind culture, that's really something that uh gets me going. Um, I'm I'm just as good with being in relationship, being in communion with devotion. That's amazing phraseology. And so I'm this is this is what I want to leave everyone with. You know, um, we're constantly asked this question, and we give these these answers that a lot of people can't comprehend. Like and the question is, how do you guys do so much? How do you, you know, have a band, have write books, have a company, go to work every day, spend time with one another. How do you do all this stuff? And you know, at first we're like, oh well, you know, we don't watch as much TV, we don't, you know, do this, or we don't do that, and and that sounds pretty good in the beginning, but then you go, well, wait a minute, I really don't watch that much TV either, and I really don't do this, and I really don't do that. I'm gonna say it right here, right now. Uh, and I'll probably mention it multiple times, but the reason why we do so much and can do so much is because almost doesn't count. We have to get finished.
SPEAKER_00And that's devotion to each other, to our calling, our purpose, and to ourselves.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Well, you know us to take the elevator. We say, look up and let's elevate.
SPEAKER_01Yes, every day. I'm pumped. I know you are, I can see it all over your face.
SPEAKER_00And it's not the hype of motivation, no, it's the love of devotion.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there we go. Every day, elevating every day.
