How Ambition and Gratitude Can ACTUALLY Coexist - Jake Kennington - #538

27 Oct 2026 · 58 min · Episode 1012 · Explicit

Episode How Ambition and Gratitude Can ACTUALLY Coexist - Jake Kennington - #538

0:00 57:58

Support The Show On Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/AaronMachbitz

Jake Kennington joins Something For Everybody this week. Jake is a husband, father of four, and a structural engineer turned coach, speaker, and writer.

We talk about redefining success, pursuing entrepreneurship without romanticizing the struggle, and navigating midlife change. Jake shares the REDAC framework, the idea that a meaningful life requires drawing your own map, and how gratitude and ambition can work together.

💬 TEXT US: Text “HELLO” to 201-534-3681 to get positive messages daily.

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://everybodyspod.com/deals/

Shop For Everybody

Use code SFE10 for 10% OFF 👉

https://shopforeverybody.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Fatherhood, family life, and unexpected turns

06:21 Why reaching the engineering pinnacle still felt incomplete

09:26 From resisting entrepreneurship to launching Actively Human

14:46 Why business is a game worth losing

17:10 The four-day workweek that created room to build

20:03 Redefining success beyond achievement

24:00 Learn from people who have actually done the work

26:42 REDAC

34:24 Death by Mediocrity and the case for drawing your own map

40:26 The give a damn pie chart and finding small steps

43:59 A 12-month future-self letter for pull motivation

46:08 How gratitude and ambition can work together

53:18 Faith, coaching, and Jake’s Second Summit Playbook

Extra Stuff:

Get my free guide of 4 things to quit to transform your life here: https://aaronmachbitz.com/quit/

Join our exclusive community: https://www.patreon.com/AaronMachbitz

Jake’s Website:

https://activelyhuman.com/

(Filmed on September 4th, 2026)

Edited by Ben Rogerson (@BenRogerson_)

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#418 - How to Be Happy: Jesus’ Surprising Path to Genuine Joy - Pastor Mike & Dr. Jeffrey

https://everybodyspod.com/realhappy/

#433 - Crisis Counselor: How to Find Hope After Unthinkable Loss (You Need This)

https://everybodyspod.com/sugarman/

Get in touch:

iG: https://www.instagram.com/AaronMachbitz

X: https://x.com/AaronMachbitz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AMachbitz/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AaronMachbitz

Email: https://www.aaronmachbitz.com/contact/

Links in the notes 9

The episode on the publisher’s site (opens in a new tab)

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them. Explicit shows are for adult profiles only, and children’s profiles hear only children’s shows. More about this list.