Why is it so hard to start something new… even when you know it would be good for you?

In this episode of Next Door Neuro, I sit down with Mark Heckmann - multi-business founder and entrepreneurial coach - to explore what actually gets in the way when we try to start.

Mark has built companies across industries ranging from robotics and agriculture to AI and consulting. But what makes him especially interesting isn’t just what he’s built... it’s how he thinks.

He started with almost no resources… bartering websites for things like pizza… and built momentum by taking action before feeling ready.

Now, he helps others do the same.

In this conversation, we break down:

• Why most people never take the first step,
• How your brain interprets risk and rejection
• What actually changes when you stop waiting for certainty and start taking action.

We also get into one of the most powerful mindset shifts for me personally: reframing rejection not as failure, but as data. Because you’re not even in the game until you’ve heard 100 “nos.”

If your brain fuels your life… what fuels your brain?

In this episode:
• Why starting feels so difficult (even when the idea is clear)
• How your brain interprets risk, rejection, and uncertainty
• Why waiting for certainty keeps you stuck
• How to reframe rejection as useful data
• The role of repetition in building confidence
• Why autonomy changes how you think about work
• How to start something without massive resources
• The difference between planning and actually doing
• Why most people quit before they’ve even really started

About Mark:
Mark Heckmann is a multi-business founder and entrepreneurial coach who has built and operated companies across a wide range of industries.

He is the founder of Crooked Ventures and JobBored, where he helps people launch and grow their own ventures - often starting with limited resources and learning as they go.

Connect with Mark:
Crooked Ventures: https://www.crookedventures.com
JobBored: https://www.jobbored.co
Denison Entrepreneurship Pathways Program: https://jobbored.co/denison/

Subscribe to Next Door Neuro for conversations on brain health, behavior, stress, and how to better fuel your brain in the modern world.

Most of us think that just getting outside is enough.

But if your attention is on your phone, your brain is still operating like you’re indoors… and you’re missing a lot of what nature is actually doing for you.

In this Lab Notes episode of Next Door Neuro, I break down how your phone may be undermining the benefits of being outside - and why presence, not just location, is what actually matters. I explore why nature helps reduce stress, restore attention, and quiet rumination - and how those benefits can be lost if your attention is somewhere else. I also share two simple ways to start getting more out of the time you’re already spending outside.

In this episode:

• Why being outside doesn’t automatically reduce stress
• How your phone keeps your nervous system “on”
• What “soft fascination” is, and how it restores attention
• How nature helps quiet anxiety and rumination
• Two simple ways to get more out of time you’re already spending outside

Try this:

• Stand still longer than feels normal
• Pause before reaching for your phone

Mentioned in this episode:
Being Outside Isn’t Enough - conversation with Sarah Nielsen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpXhaC7JQK0&t=10s

If your brain fuels your life… what fuels your brain?

What if the reason you still feel stressed, scattered, or disconnected isn’t because you’re not spending enough time outside… but because you’re not actually experiencing it?

In this episode of Next Door Neuro, I sit down with Sarah Nielsen, M.Ed, NBC-HWC, a health and outdoor educator and board-certified wellness coach, to explore why simply being outside isn’t always enough, and what it actually takes for nature to meaningfully impact your brain, body, and well-being.

We talk about how modern life has shifted us indoors, how screens now follow us everywhere, and why so many of us are technically “outside,” but still mentally somewhere else.

Sarah shares how our phones are changing the way we experience nature - turning special moments into something we capture instead of something we actually feel - and what we’re missing as a result.

We also explore the science behind why nature helps us feel better, from stress reduction and attention restoration to the sensory and emotional experiences that screens simply can’t replicate.

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation:

You don’t necessarily need more time in nature.
You need more presence when you’re there.

Sarah also introduces something critical: the idea of “sips of nature” - small, consistent moments of outdoor exposure that can meaningfully improve your stress, focus, and overall well-being.

Key Topics:

• Why 93% of Americans spend most of their time indoors
• Why being outside isn’t enough if your attention is elsewhere
• How phones are changing our experience of nature
• What we miss when we’re not fully present outdoors
• Stress Reduction Theory & Attention Restoration Theory
• Why nature improves focus, mood, and brain function
• “Sips of nature” vs. all-or-nothing outdoor thinking
• Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation (and social media’s role)
• Why nearby nature and your “wild home” matter most
• Simple ways to bring nature into daily life

About Sarah Nielsen:

Sarah Nielsen is a health and outdoor educator and board-certified wellness coach who helps people reconnect with nature to support physical, mental, and emotional well-being through simple, accessible practices.

Connect with Sarah:

https://sgwellnessatx.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-nielsen-m-ed-nbc-hwc-ab446717/

If your brain fuels your life… what fuels your brain?

Subscribe to Next Door Neuro for conversations on brain health, stress, behavior, and how to better fuel your brain in the modern world.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Why being outside isn’t enough
01:10 – 93% indoors: how we got here
03:00 – Screens, smartphones, and “bed rotting”
05:20 – You’re outside… but still on your phone
08:00 – What we miss when we don’t engage with nature
11:00 – Sensory experience, noticing, and presence
13:30 – Comfort, modern life, and the loss of variability
16:00 – Why nature helps us feel better
17:30 – “Sips of nature” vs. all-or-nothing thinking
20:00 – Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation outdoors
23:00 – Nature and personal well-being
27:00 – Stress Reduction & Attention Restoration
31:00 – Focus, productivity, and presence
33:30 – Nature vs. phone-driven reward
37:00 – Awe, emotion, and connection
39:30 – Overcoming discomfort
41:30 – Reframing challenge outdoors
45:30 – Designing your environment
47:00 – Nearby nature and your “wild home”
52:00 – Bringing nature indoors
54:30 – Final takeaways