About the guest: Michael J. Macdonald—Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Earn Your Leisure, builder behind InvestFest, creator of The Mac Pac and The Business Engine—pulls back the curtain on frameworks, discipline, and leading with family first.
In this conversation:
- Why environment & proximity determine your growth
- 75 Hard takeaways (why discipline > diet)
- Moving from behind the camera to the stage at InvestFest
- The origin/evolution of The Mac Pac (1.0 → schools 2.0 → homeschool 3.0)
- The Business Engine: weekly, high-level coaching and done-with-you planning
- Hiring family the right way (put people where they win)
- Fatherhood, patience, and teaching kids to navigate the world with wisdom
Timestamps
00:00 Intro — “We got the biggest with us”
01:24 Family first & why proximity matters
02:51 75 Hard: discipline, windows, and honest takeaways
06:05 Environment shapes outcomes (projects vs. church story)
09:51 Fatherhood = patience (and showing up on camera for your kids)
11:21 Doing it “wrong” first: webinars, positioning, and lessons learned
14:14 What is The Mac Pack (1.0 → 2.0 schools → 3.0 homeschool)
18:41 What is The Business Engine (weekly teaching + custom plan)
20:51 InvestFest stage: frameworks and the “high” of execution
22:17 How to think in frameworks (stories → results → presentation)
25:03 Hiring friends/family without breaking the business
29:05 Pouring into others, fulfillment, and gratitude
30:28 Goals without burnout (weekly/quarterly over five-year fantasies)
33:31 Closing & where to follow Michael
Follow Michael
IG: @michaeljmacdonald (don’t forget the “J”)
Connect with J.R.
IG: @mr90poundsdown
If you enjoyed this episode:
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- DM me your biggest takeaway—I’ll feature a few in the next episode