Origin

Why the early alarm? Why the gym again? Why that race? Why this supplement? It’s my experience that most people aren’t really asking — they’re looking for permission to dismiss it. To file it under “why do that to yourself” or “that’s just not for me.”

The quick answer is “It’s part of my routine and what I do. It makes me feel good.” The true answer to the question “Why” is grounded in the following principles;

1. Simple daily actions compound returns over time.
2. It cultivates a mindset rooted in self-belief and relentless optimism enabling a physical and mental edge in a competitive world.
3. Consciously choosing to endure voluntary discomfort and suffering is a dry run for life’s inevitable challenges.
4. My kids might remember what I told them to do. They’ll definitely remember what they watched me do.
5. It gives me the best chance to maximize life’s unique experiences and to maybe one day hold my kid’s grandkids.

It goes without saying that the future is uncertain. This is not a new phenomenon. Each generation before us has had to navigate uncharted territory along the way. We so happen to be at the doorstep of an agentic AI revolution. Will you run from it, or towards it? Avoid it, or leverage it? Bottom line is this - I can control what I do today. I can control whether I show up. I can control the effort I give and the example I set. In an uncertain world, we still have agency: do what you can, with what you have, where you are. Control the controllables and let the rest go.

Zooming in, it’s getting one habit on the calendar. Putting together a schedule. A plan. A commitment to small things, repeated daily, that compound into a body and mind prepared — as much as they can be — to take on life’s unexpected gut punches, twists, and turns.

Retired Navy SEAL Commander Jocko Willink famously coined the mantra, “Discipline equals freedom”. Discipline is not a personality trait. In the chaos of life, it is easy to forget that we are the ones in control. You are the pilot, not the passenger. Set goals, lay out a plan, trust the process, stack productive days, and show up, even when you don’t feel like it. This system and results it produces has been proven time and time again — but is rarely duplicated. Why? Because it’s hard.

Enter WILCO. A place to plan your habits, track your progress, learn from subject matter experts, and source the gear that backs it up. WILCO’s evidence-based framework organizes the science behind the habits with the mentors who’ve lived them so you can better understand “why” and build momentum to show up for yourself daily.

The COVID-era shutdowns liberated time for all of us. The world was stir-crazy. I, like many others, needed an outlet. Running was mine. I laid out an aggressive plan and trained hard for my first marathon, picking up a nagging injury along the way. As part of my race prep, I had just finished reading “Can’t Hurt Me” by David Goggins. Given the effort I had poured into my training in combination with the book’s message and my natural stubbornness, I was primed to push through anything in my way. I was proud of the work I had put in and a little pain was not going to stop me. The doctor I saw labeled it a hip flexor strain. Fully cleared before race day — I was all in. And then I ran my race…until I didn’t.

At mile 25, my left leg gave out.

A competitor — who I hope to find one day — stopped running to help me up. I assured them I was okay and staggered the final distance to the finish on my own power. I crossed the line, 6 minutes and 18 seconds past my goal time. Marathon complete. But had I failed? A mixture of emotions ensued as I stood near a fence line, just steps away from where I had crossed the finish line.

Turns out I’d been training, and then racing, on a stress fracture that morphed into a clean break of my upper femur. Doctors called it an intertrochanteric hip fracture. Surgery ensued the next day.

I had run for weeks on a stress fracture and finished a marathon on a broken leg.

I tell that story not because I’d ever advise anyone to push through injury or break themselves physically like I had. I tell it because the system that got me to the finish line that day is the same system that brought me back. Back to working out and running in 2022. Back to training. Consistent discipline, belief, action, and small wins, day after day.

Most recently, that system rewarded me with a half marathon PR at this year’s Cleveland Marathon. It’s a fun event I take on with friends annually. As with many big city races, there’s always great support throughout the course by race officials and cheering fans alike. As I ran that day, one supporter’s comment around mile 5 struck a chord with me when I overheard him shout, “Something good is happening!” Strange thing to say, I thought. As I continued to run, the phrase echoed through my head until his intent was clear to me. Everyone out here was voluntarily overcoming a challenge unique unto themselves. Something good was happening.

1. 01

   Discipline over motivation.

   Motivation is a feeling. Feelings come and go. Discipline is a decision you make once and execute daily. Motivation gets you to the gym for a week. Discipline gets you there for a decade.

2. 02

   Belief over confidence.

   Confidence comes from comfort. Belief is what you build when you’ve done hard things and survived. Knowing your Why and never letting that go. Confidence can be shaken. Belief, once earned and understood, can’t.

3. 03

   Action over analysis.

   You can read about cold exposure for six months or you can take a cold shower tomorrow morning and start the process. The body learns by doing. The mind learns by doing. Stop preparing to start. Start.

4. 04

   Evidence over opinion.

   Every recommendation in WILCO is built on peer-reviewed research, lived experience from people who’ve done the work, or both. We point you to the source — PubMed, the books, the protocols — so you can verify it yourself. Don’t trust it? Verify. Poke, prod, and see what works best for you.

5. 05

   Control the controllables.

   You can't control the economy, the traffic, the diagnosis, or the race conditions. You can control your effort, your attitude, your preparation, and whether you show up. Spend your energy where you have agency. Let go of the rest.

6. 06

   Small things, daily.

   The work isn’t in the marathon. It’s in the 5am alarm. The walk after lunch. The water before coffee. The 5-minute meditation. The cold plunge when the bed is warm. Consistency breeds adaptation, growth and belief. Stack the small things and your response and performance in the big moments become that much more manageable.

20%

This commitment is not contingent on revenue mix. Whether WILCO earns through affiliate revenue, future subscriptions, or anything else — 20% goes to these two causes, every year, audited and reported.

Behind every veteran is a story of resilience. WILCO proudly supports the organizations that help write the next chapter.

WILCO is pre-revenue. Affiliate partnerships are in the process of being established. When active, 20% of net profit goes to Travis Mills Foundation and VETS. See our affiliate disclosure for details.

The Founder’s Stack within this app is the gear I actually use. Not the perfect version of each item. Not the gear that fits everyone’s goals. My actual stack — the book I’m reading, the running watch I wear, the sauna I sweat in last night.

That’s intentional. WILCO’s Gear section recommends industry-leading versions of each thing that help you along the way. The Founder’s Stack is my reality. Use the app to build yours.

A key component to getting where you want to be is knowing where you’ve been. Taking the time to reflect on past experiences, both good and bad, and being thankful for the people who have shaped and bring meaning to our lives is too often overlooked or lost in the daily shuffle of life. Practicing gratitude and a true appreciation for family, friends and the people out there who help you up when you fall down is a force multiplier I wish I would have discovered earlier in life. You know who those people are - don’t take them for granted.

If you’re hesitant — curious about why, afraid to start, too busy with work, sure it won’t help, or too out of shape — I built WILCO for you. Start small and slowly build. Your effort will compound into tangible results.

If you’re driven — seek a greater challenge, never get enough, live for the competition, love adventure, see the journey as the reward — I built WILCO for you. Give it your best shot. There’s always something more. Keep pushing higher.