After six years and almost 500 conversations, we're taking our first real break. Parker becomes a dad next week, and he's stepping away from EY and Elevation Nation for four months to show up fully for the most important job he's ever had.

In this episode:

• Why choosing to pause can take more strength than pushing through
• How to be honest about fear and excitement living in the same moment
• What it means that this podcast will one day be a time capsule for our kids

Elevator 263: Ben Sharf is the co-founder and CEO of Platter, one of the fastest agencies ever to reach Shopify Platinum Partner status, building storefronts for brands like NeuroGum, Gainful, and Every Man Jack that have driven over $1B in sales. He's also an angel investor, host of the Turning Pro podcast, and a former competitive hockey player who has sat in silence for ten days, trained for a boxing fight, and run 130 miles from Montauk to Manhattan.

In this episode: how Ben walked away from the "safe" path and got his doctor dad on board, why chasing the next big goal will never solve your problems, the non-negotiables that keep him grounded while running a 30-person company, and the mental motto behind every hard decision he makes.

Your feed says corporate is the enemy. Quit, build your own thing, become a creator, or you're wasting your life. We couldn't disagree more.

We've worked corporate jobs for eight years while building Elevation Nation on the side. In this episode, we get honest about why that wasn't settling, and why it might be the smartest path for you too.

In this episode:

• What the creator life really costs
• Letting go of the shame of feeling "meant for more"
• Building something fulfilling while your job pays the bills