Behind the Curtain: What You Didn’t See While the STRIDE Squad Took the Spotlight

By Rich Monroe | April 4, 2025

This week, you met six animated characters.
But what you were really meeting… was me.

Each one of them—Ren, Indy, Seth, Elise, Dash, Tess—was designed with intention.
They weren’t just colorful personalities or brand mascots.

They were reflections. Snapshots of the entrepreneurial mindset I’ve lived through, struggled with, doubted, and ultimately come to respect.

From the outside, it might’ve looked like a simple rollout. A fun, strategic launch.
But behind the scenes, I was threading something deeper—something I believe a lot of people feel right now:
That building something real takes more than strategy. It takes soul.

What the Characters Were Hiding

• A week of long hours.
• A thread of self-doubt.
• Multiple tech headaches.
• Revisions. Sync errors. Missed cues.
• And a full emotional rollercoaster of “Is this actually working?”

The STRIDE Squad wasn’t created in some perfect brainstorming session.
They were created in motion—in the messy, beautiful, back-and-forth of creation itself.

Why I Kept Going

I kept showing up not because it was easy, but because I had to.

I’ve spent decades producing content. But launching a new brand from scratch—especially one built on authenticity and emotional resonance—comes with its own terrain.

Sometimes you think you’re just introducing a brand…
But what you’re actually doing is revealing yourself.

It’s not about going viral.
It’s about going honest.

The Characters Were Born from the Struggles

• Ren showed up when I started my first business with zero cash but total determination.
• Indy appeared the moment I decided to try something daring—when safety would’ve been easier.
• Seth emerged when I finally admitted that creativity without systems would kill me.
• Elise reminded me that no deal matters if people don’t feel seen.
• Dash echoed every moment I kept going when the fire faded.
• Tess is the quiet resilience. The refusal to quit. The voice in my head that says: “Just one more step.”

They aren’t characters. They’re corners of my journey.

The Trumpet Teacher Moment

I’ll never forget what my trumpet teacher told me:
“Rich, your biggest challenge is fear of failure… and making mistakes.”

I could’ve taken that as criticism.
But I didn’t.
I took it as a challenge.
It still lives in my bones to this day.

Up With People, Up With Pressure

When I toured with Up With People, we stayed with a new host family every two or three days.
We performed. We connected. We showed up.

I was known as the laid-back guy offstage.
But when the moment came?
I flipped the switch and activated presence.

You don’t need to become loud.
You need to become true.

What You Didn’t See This Week

• Me rebuilding posts after sync errors.
• Missed scheduling windows and 5:30 AM asset design marathons.
• Me second-guessing tone and perfectionism traps—then choosing to just ship it.

You also didn’t see me give up.

Tess Isn’t Fiction

I imagined her standing on the edge of a tall bridge, ready to bungee jump.
Heart pounding. Mind racing.
And then?

She jumps. Not because she’s fearless—because she’s ready.

A Culture Starved for Real

We live in a culture screaming for attention, but starving for authenticity.

Likes, loops, algorithms… and yet so many feel unseen.

We aren’t here to be loud.
We’re here to be clear.

This Was Our First Blog Post… But It Won’t Be Our Last.

You’ve met the Squad. You’ve seen the characters. Now I hope you see yourself.

You don’t need permission to grow. You just need your next step.

You’re already farther along than you think.

Thanks for being here.
More stories to come.
More STRIDE ahead.

Hit your stride, Preneur.