Strub Turns 40: Lessons I wish I knew at 30

In my final race in my 30s, I finished 6th overall at the Julie Valentine 10K here in Greenville this past weekend. Look out, Masters Division, a new bombshell will soon enter the proverbial villa ...

Holy hell, I'm 40*.

(*Uh, this Saturday. Forever young?)

For as long as I can possibly remember, I've told myself over and over again that I don't want to "get old." And now here we are, right?

When I think back on various big milestones in my adult life, they've all arrived with various levels of uncertainty. This weekend, in some ways, is no different.

When I turned 18, I was heading off to college -- a time in life when no one really knows what they're doing or what to expect. I was on the 'really uncertain' side of the spectrum back then: I never visited Binghamton University before I headed up there for move-in, and I honestly had no idea what I wanted to major in.

I turned 21 on Long Island and -- after not drinking in high school, or 90% of my first year of college -- was just starting to really embrace the idea of being a partier. My high school friends fed me so many shots that I probably could've died that night. ... so, uh, that was fun.

At 25 I was very much stuck in a going-nowhere job. Some of the most amazing people I've ever met, people I to this day consider lifelong friends, worked alongside me at the Press & Sun-Bulletin, but for reasons still unbeknownst to me, upper management at that paper never offered me the sort of upward mobility that I honestly deserved. It was right around this age that I started to realize that I needed more from my life.

My 30th birthday was both awesome and miserable. 10 years ago today, I finished a solo 50-state, 100-day road trip that became a jumping-off point for a winding, unpredictable career in social media. (For those keeping track at home, yes; I had grown out my hair in the summer of 2015, and cut it short on my 30th birthday.)

At 30, I really, sincerely thought it was time to "settle down," find a regular day job in Greenville, meet a nice southern gal, settle down, get married, have kids, all of that jazz.

My career path -- and honestly, employers in Greenville -- had other ideas. I applied for a broad variety of marketing jobs here in Greenville and got rejected from every single one.

In September of 2015 I officially gave up on living in Greenville. I moved to Watertown, New York (I'd bet 99% of ya'll reading this have never even heard of it), and started working on the design desk of the Watertown Daily Times -- having absolutely no idea what direction my career was heading. (Ironically, would you believe that in May of this year, after unexpectedly losing my day job, I started working at the WDT again? The circle of life, man ...)

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Upon that established context of continued uncertainty, here's a look at 10 life lessons I wish I knew at 30:

1) God damnit, take care of your body. The best day to committing to working out was 10 years ago -- the second best is today. When I moved to Watertown in 2015, I joined Planet Fitness -- a membership that I kept until April of this year when I was unexpectedly laid off. But I only went to PF after work -- so, like, 12:30am -- to run, in an effort to not gain weight thanks to my sedentary job and habit of 9pm "lunch break" Jreck Subs. You may not be the starting center fielder for the Cubs, but you were born with physical gifts that do not stick around unless you manage and cultivate them.

2) Hold onto those relationships with people that truly care about you. My career journey was pretty wild in my 20s, and much wilder in my 30s. Along every step of that path, I've encountered some pretty special people. Social media gets a really, really bad reputation but the reality is, it does allow you to keep tabs on people -- and YOU are entirely in control of who those people are. Fortunately or unfortunately, my circle of friends is not at all limited to 3 or 4 guys; I really do feel like I'm blessed with the optimistic spirit to see the good in ALL people that I meet, and the intelligence to latch onto those who volley back their own great energy. People's physical location can change, as can their own circumstances, but who they are deep in their heart does not.

3) Don't be afraid to think longer-term. Young Strub, whether you like it or not, time will pass by -- and the best things that have come to you in life have been when you established a game plan. While taking on a full-time job in 2023 was not on the initial card, it did end up leading you to a much happier, healthier place in your new house. This is something you could've done 7, 8, 9 years ago, and who knows what sort of place you'd be in now had you started then. (Certainly a 2020 interest rate refinance wouldn't have hurt ...)

4) Embrace telling your story. How many wise colleagues and consultants do you have to hear tell you to boldly share your story before you listen and actually do it? 'We are all famous to a few people' would've been the top lesson on this list had I written it 10 years ago, and it deserves to be reiterated today, especially because of the extreme velocity of the changing ways we keep up with one another. In 2015 -- trust me, I was there -- social media was special because of the blossoming community nature of these platforms. In 2025, the evolution of this industry has forged the rise of bold creators with stories to tell. My story -- whether it's behind the production of 40 giving days across 10 states, as the lead actor in a short film about 50 states in 100 days, the author of 'Fifteen Seconds of Fame' -- my story is powered by empathy, kindness, compassion and understanding. The continuing progression of those morals comes in different forms, but the morals themselves don't change. Be you, but recognize that people largely get to know you through your propensity to openly and honestly share. Don't be shy.

5) Don't ever forget what you just learned during 50 states 100 days: that no matter what mass media tells you, the vast, vast majority of people around you are kind, compassionate and good-hearted people. Gosh, in retrospect now, when you think back to 2015 -- it was a totally different world. In 2016, after I'd moved to Louisville, I met and interviewed one of the nation's foremost poets and storytellers -- Hannah Drake. Hannah's no-bullshit perspective on American culture, our original sin of slavery, and our nation's long-internalized racist roots dramatically changed my perspective on the America I had just explored first-hand for 100 days ... but then, while I was still living in Louisville, our nation elected Donald Trump. The ensuing 9 years since, sandwiching a few years of a global pandemic, have represented a cataclysmic, horrifying downturn in the ways that we interact with and respect one another. Despite this, and the countless examples of hatred we see in the media every day, I still believe in the promising, supportive, optimistic populace that I largely encountered in person in 2015. While I entirely acknowledge the horrors of our nation's past, I still believe, in our hearts, that most Americans are genuinely good people. Maybe I'm wrong.

6) Love is love, and it happens on its own timeframe. When I turned 30 I could've never, ever imagined still being on my own at 40. I quite literally don't know what else to say, do or feel anymore, other than to finally listen to those around me who remind me that God has his own timelines. In 2015, there was no prevailing narrative around the 'Romantic Recession.' I could write an entire separate blog post just about this, but the conditions of the last 9 years have been real bad, for various reasons (including being forcefully told by our government in 2020, and into 2021 and 2022, to stay at home). I hate this shit, to be honest with you -- but I'm done feeling victimized by the conditions around me. It'll happen. (We'll see if the 'things I wish I knew at 40' post, 10 years from now, feels differently).

-- -- -- -- -- --

I don't blog as frequently as I used to, but please let me know if you read and enjoyed this. If you want to commemorate my birthday, please check out and consider buying a copy of '50 States, 100 Days: The Book.' Today, Aug. 21, marks exactly 10 years since I finished that journey -- and not only do I think the tale still resonates to this day; I think it resonates now as a reflection on, what we didn't know at the time, would be the end of an entirely different era in America. You can get a copy printed on demand on Amazon at 50states100days.com or message me about getting a signed copy mailed to you.

Note: Believe it or not, yes! I actually sat here and wrote all of this myself, without any help from AI. (None of the content I've ever posted to date to TeamStrub.com has been AI-generated.) That'll surely be another topic moving forward; I'm definitely considering posting content with the assistance of AI, as I think about ways to continue to grow my business and best share my thoughts and ideas. For now, hope you've enjoyed hearing from the real me. Hope to see you soon.