Morning, Greg here! Welcome to Midlife Male, the fastest-growing, #1 newsletter and lifestyle brand for men 40+. Hundreds of readers are joining us every day for actionable, relatable, curated interviews, columns and content you’ll find nowhere else. If a fellow MLM reader shared this with you, subscribe here:
This week’s issue is packed:
I interviewed Lon Stroschein on making the right trade at the right time and helping 1,000 guys write their second-half story.
My HYROX race was an absolute sufferfest. I finished—but at what cost? A reflection on pushing limits, learning lessons, and embracing the suck (without being stupid).
Jon shattered a personal best in the pool, with his daughter behind the camera capturing the moment.
PLUS: The only recovery tool I refuse to travel without, why Stag Provisions is where grown men should be shopping, and the best creatine hack you’re not using.
Let’s get after it.
—Greg
In partnership with:
Lon Stroschein knows what it feels like to wake up and wonder how you got here. The career, the calendar, the life you thought you wanted—on paper, everything looked right. But deep down, something was off. Trapped. Treading water in a life that no longer inspired him.
At 45, Lon was a public company executive at the top of his game. He had climbed the ladder, checked every box, and reached the summit. But when his Normal 40 Moment hit, he realized his work there was done. Staying would cost him more than leaving. So he made the trade.
Today, Lon is a husband, father, author, pilot, and the creator of Normal 40—not just a community, but a movement for high achievers ready to take inventory, get curious, and chase what’s next.
I’ve known Lon for a few years now as we’ve walked similar paths—building platforms, evolving our missions, and making big trades in life and business. The cool thing about growth in midlife? There’s room for everyone. We’re done with the nonsense of competition and comparison—this is about collaboration and connection.
So we made time for what Lon calls a Ramble—hopped on a call, hit record, and now we’re sharing parts of that conversation with you. As always, the full unedited version is available to our Inner Circle members.
– Greg
How Lon Sees It
Lon Stroschein: I’m pumped, Greg. Two guys crossing paths on LinkedIn, aligned missions, first time talking one-on-one—six minutes in, and it’s already great.
MLM: Totally. Say what you want about social media, but used right, it connects like-minded people. We talk, align on purpose, then go do the work. I know you’re out there doing it, and you know I am. So catch me up—what have you been up to?
Lon Stroschein: Love it.
MLM: First, where are you? Looks beautiful behind you.
Lon Stroschein: Sioux Falls, South Dakota—the more tropical of the Dakotas. August is great, January, not so much. Born and raised a South Dakota farm kid, been in Sioux Falls for 20 years.
MLM: What’s the backstory—upbringing, career path?
Lon Stroschein: South Dakota farm kid, set to take over the family farm—fourth generation. Got an ag business degree. January ‘99, before I even graduated, a U.S. senator called—wanted me to help write a farm bill. Thought, “This might never happen again,” so I jumped. Hardest part? Telling my dad I wasn’t coming home.
Worked for the senator five years, got married, started a family, but politics wasn’t right for family life. A friend at a billion-dollar bank took a risk on me—I built their Private Client Group. Then a CEO of a public ag-tech company recruited me for global distribution. No passport at the time, but I thought, “Banks will wait—this won’t.” Did it—14 years. Traveled the world, ran an aerospace division, then led mergers and acquisitions for six years.
MLM: Love it. It’s important to understand where people are—career, responsibilities, lifestyle. Those all shape decisions. Speaking of which, you work with guys on decision-making—what’s your process?
Lon Stroschein: Two questions have guided me. First: “Will I regret it if I don’t?” You can’t have it all, so if something feels like a true opportunity, take it. That’s how I got to Raven, the public company I worked for that got acquired.
Second: “Is my work here done?” If you’re stuck but can’t pinpoint why, ask yourself that. We stay in jobs for colleagues, familiarity, comfort—but if you’ve done what you were brought in to do and feel lost, it’s time to move.
At Raven, my CEO asked me to run the aerospace division—a big promotion. I said, “Hell yeah.” Did that for six years. Then, when I felt like I’d hit my ceiling, the CEO moved me to mergers and acquisitions. That’s when I knew—once you’ve done what you were meant to do, it’s time for something new.
MLM: That’s clarity. But what about guys in careers with no clear finish line—lawyers, accountants? How do they evolve?
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Reflection on HYROX and Physical Limits
By Greg Scheinman
This past weekend, I did HYROX, and I haven't been on that kind of struggle bus in a while. I've climbed the equivalent of Everest three times—30+ hours each. Walked 52.4 miles on my 52nd birthday—22 hours. Done HYROX twice before and finished 10 minutes faster both times.
But Saturday? Saturday was an hour and 26 minutes of absolute hell.
I pulled my calf five days before, trying to keep up with Tim Kennedy and Lance Armstrong. I knew I was slightly injured but, like any Type A man on a mission, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Truth is, I need to get better at saying no. Great opportunities don’t mean I have to take them all. I push myself to the point of injury, over-train, overdo, over-travel, under-rest. And by definition, that makes me unfit—the opposite of my intention.
Even with HYROX, I didn’t want to let my partner Carlos down. I did three straight days of treatment—dry needling, muscle activation, massage. None of it cheap. Wrapped it up, got out there, and on the first lap, I knew—this wasn’t going to go well. I slowed down, steadied myself. Carlos was patient, and we finished.
What Got Me Through
Running through my mind: I’m doing this for Harper. His boss and friend Adisun just passed away at 29 after a brutal battle with cancer. If he could fight that hard without complaining, who am I to quit?
Also: People get to do hard things. I like doing hard things. But I need to get past this “something to prove” feeling. Stop caring about performance, embarrassment, comparison. Embrace the suck—but don’t be stupid. If I’m injured, be smart enough to stop before it turns into a major setback. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Nobody’s looking at me. Nobody cares about my time. They’re running their own race. Run mine.
I told Carlos what was going on. It’s OK not to be OK. It’s OK to be injured. It’s OK to be slower than last time. It’s OK. I had done all I could. Now, I just had to let go. Hold it lighter. Give what I had, and let that be enough—without comparison, judgment, or assumptions. Just me and the man in the arena.
The Bigger Picture
It’s easy to compare myself to where I was five years ago. Easy to compare to other guys. Easy to see my numbers go down and feel disappointed. But the only real competition…
When You Shatter a Personal Best with Your Kids Watching
We celebrate our dad Ws hard here at MLM, and this past weekend I had a double ‘F’ moment, combining Family and Fitness at a Masters Invitational swim meet in Jupiter, Florida. I train and compete regularly to qualify for Nationals and the best part is my daughter (13) is a swimmer and comes to all my meets with me…
And she’s also becoming a talented sports photographer in her own right. Maybe the next Walter Iooss Jr… She took this photo of my start at the 100 Free and it’s awesome. Challenging yourself and competing over 40 is great, but it’s 100x better experiencing it with your kids. And if you have any interest in watching my (blazing) 50 Fly, where I took 1st and almost matched my high school best at 47 years old, check it out here. – Jon
The One Recovery Tool I Refuse to Travel Without
At 52, aches and pains, stiffness and soreness is prevalent. And whether that’s from training, sitting, driving or the stress in your neck from just the day-to-day life that we live, the Power Plate Pulse Mini is a Godsend. It’s small, powerful and pretty quiet. Perfect for the kinks and tweaks that always pop up from long days in the car or on planes. It’s my daily go to recovery device. Get yours here. – Greg
Don’t Look Back, You’re Not Going that Way
This LinkedIn post from Ted Merz about the third anniversary of his firing from Bloomberg really resonated with me.
He wrote: “When I got fired from my job years ago, I wasn’t angry at the company or my colleagues, including the dingbat who fired me. It's an amazing organization and Mike Bloomberg is an entrepreneurial genius who I was lucky to have worked directly with on several projects. Instead, it felt like a car crash. You don’t blame the automobile because you know 40,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents each year. Statistically, it has to be someone. It happened to be my moment. As I was leaving, I stopped by Mike’s desk to thank him for the opportunities I had been given. He stepped out of a meeting to talk. He told me to reach out if I ever needed anything.
One piece of advice I took from Mike was to not look back.”
Anyone who has ever worked (or currently works) a corporate job will feel this. Read the full story HERE . – Greg
The Easiest and Tastiest Way to Take Creatine
Do you like gummy bears? Then you’ll love the flavor of CREATE creatine gummies. And you’ll also love how portable they are. No more measuring powder, no more stirring endlessly trying to get it to dissolve, and no more finding creatine residue at the bottom of your shaker. If you’re reading this, then there’s a good chance you know the value of creatine, one of the most-studied, proven supplements available. If you’re 40+, it’s a must. That’s why we partnered with CREATE. It’s what I take and you should, too.. Learn more here. – Greg
There’s T-Shirts and Jeans… Then There’s T-Shirts and Jeans
Stag Provisions in Austin is one of my favorite stores in the United States. Period. They carry high quality brands, iconic pieces that aren’t overly trendy, along with well-curated collections that’ll have you looking great, without trying too hard. Or worse, having you look like a guy in his 50s who stills dressing like he’s in his 20s.
Bottom line, there’s jeans and T-shirts and then there’s Jeans & T-shirts. Stag is the latter and where you’ll see the C-Level guys, men in the know, stylists and the ones who get how to elevate the basics very well. Check them out HERE.
P.S.: Don’t hate on me when you see the prices. I always start my search in the sale section. – Greg
Where to Stay on Your Next Trip to Austin
I stayed at The Commodore Perry Estate last week in Austin. Been wanting to try it for a while now and it’s always booked. I wrote about my schedule there last week, but this week I want to share a little about the experience.
The Commodore is small and a little off the beaten path, but it’s upscale, and a beautiful property. I had a ton of interviews lined up and instead of booking a stuffy studio or boring shared workspace, I set up shop at The Commodore and they were tremendous. We did all the interviews outside on the patio in the fresh air in a beautiful setting. Much more conducive to great conversations. If you’re in Austin, book your stay here. – Greg
In Case You Missed It
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Laird Hamilton’s Blueprint for Ageless Living and Unstoppable Energy
Dr. Darshan Shaw on Practical Longevity Solutions
Author Jonathan Goodman on the Obvious Choice
Jacob Zemer on Reclaiming Fitness
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Join the Inner Circle
The MLM Inner Circle is a community for midlife men, by midlife men. Our members are accomplished men over 40 looking to level-up across every area of their lives.
Some have been married for decades, others are divorced, most are fathers. All of our members seek improvement, access, insights, and support in a group of like-minded men. They are committed to making the next phase of their lives, the best phase of their lives, living happier, healthier, wealthier, stronger and having more fun in business and in life.
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MLM Founder: Greg Scheinman / Follow Greg on Instagram & LinkedIn
“You either define midlife, or it’ll define you.” – Greg
MLM Editor-in-Chief: Jon Finkel / Follow Jon on Twitter/X and Instagram
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.” – Teddy Roosevelt
