161. Lauren Fleshman & Jesse Thomas

"As an entrepreneur, just like an athlete, you have to be almost psychotically optimistic. You have to believe, 'We can do this, we can make it back.' You have to have that belief because there's so much headwind."

Husband-and-wife team Lauren Fleshman and Jesse Thomas are the co-founders of Picky Bars and hosts of the Work, Play, Love podcast. Lauren is a former professional middle-distance and marathon runner who spent 13 years competing and is now a coach for Little Wing Athletics, and Jesse is a professional triathlete. On this episode, they get "really real" about parenthood (they have two children, Jude and Zadie) and the realities of trying to grow a business and a family simultaneously. They talk about resentment, balance, entrepreneurship, work challenges, and "the dark days."

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What you'll get on this episode:

• Why Jesse is having an identity crisis right now (4:30)
• On being able to laugh through the hard moments of parenting (12:40)
• On resentment (20:00)
• Lauren and Jesse share their take on the idea of balance (22:50)
• On bringing home work stress when you're an entrepreneur (28:40)
• What Jesse remembers about the earliest weeks and months after becoming a dad (39:45)
• On deciding to have a second child, and how Lauren and Jesse's marriage changed after having children (48:00)
• Lauren and Jesse answer a few listener questions (1:05:35)

What we mention on this episode:

Lauren on Episode 103 of the Ali on the Run Show

Challenge Roth

Range by David Epstein

Car Talk

Dear Sugars

Mel Lawrence

Follow Lauren:

• Instagram @fleshmanflyer
• Twitter @laurenfleshman
• Facebook
• Work, Play, Love podcast
• Strava

Follow Jesse:

• Instagram @jessemthomas
• Twitter @jessemthomas
• Work, Play, Love podcast
• Strava

Follow Ali:

• Instagram @aliontherun1
• Facebook
• Twitter @aliontherun1
• Blog
• Strava

Listen & Subscribe:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• SoundCloud
• Overcast
• Stitcher
• Google Play

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