I get all kinds of looks when I say that I like country music, so it’s easy for me to imagine the look on your face right now.

Long story, short: it aligns with my values.

I value my family, my faith, and the simple things. But it wasn’t always this way.

I’m open about the fact that entrepreneurship ruined my life. I wrote a book by that name, which you can learn about here. In the heat of the moment, it's hard to imagine. But looking back, I see it clear as day.

I was a happy kid. Smart, humble, kind. Always looking on the bright side. But when I discovered online business and marketing, my life turned upside down. I became anxious. I compared myself to others’ fame, fortune, or followers. And after a few short years, I could see how my face had aged because of the stress.

I had a good life by every measure, yet I was filled with anxiety and disappointment that I didn’t have more.

It took years of my life (and writing a book about it) to claw myself back to a point where I had built a real skill in storytelling and could get through a week without feeling that crippling anxiety creep back in.

And this is why I like country music.

It’s the only kind of music that makes me feel like I’m doing alright. And that there is more to life than hustling, jealousy, and self-loathing.

There is one song in particular I’ve been listening to lately that says a lot about who I am.

Reflecting on this song will say a lot about who you are, too.

The song is called “Doin’ This” by Luke Combs.

And the question he poses is:

As a famous musician (albeit a country musician), Combs hears this question often.

To outsiders, his fame seems inevitable. He publishes hit after hit. He performs in front of sold-out crowds. And life is easy, right?

Combs sings of a not too distant memory of playing small shows in front of a few fans. Or jamming with his friends, making music and drinking beer. Looking forward into a dream, working every day to realize it.

From this point of view, success seemed anything but inevitable.

Even if he wasn’t the famous and successful Luke Combs, he would still be making music the way he does today. Or as he puts it, “I’d still be doin’ this if I wasn’t doin’ this.”

We often find ourselves in similar situations. You may be in one right now.

Nobody sees the struggles you face. The indecisiveness. The loneliness. Or any of the other emotions that you go through on a day to day basis. Not to mention the years of hard work before anyone recognizes your name.

Every day I see entrepreneurs make the same mistakes that I made… falling into jealousy and endless comparison.

They suffer the same consequences I did.

So when faced with the question, “what would you do if you weren’t doing this,” I’d have the same answer as Luke Combs:

Perhaps because of my stubborn nature. Or perhaps just because I care about my readers. I care about you.

Regardless, I can’t stop.

It’s who I am.

So six days a week I wake up before the sun. I pour myself a cup of coffee. And I write an email that reads a lot like this bio. Each email delivers an insight into entrepreneurship, human nature, or storytelling.

If you’d like to read these emails, click the button below to subscribe.

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Andrew Ryder

P.S. The TL;DR is this:

I was named after a rampaging Hurricane Andrew and that was my destiny. I worked hard and was fated to win the esteemed Mr. Hustle Award for my efforts. But it wasn’t until I narrowly survived the Winter of Death that I realized I was on an unsustainable path. So I changed my approach and I wrote a book about it, called Entrepreneurship Ruined My Life. Now I teach solo entrepreneurs to tell stories that their readers enjoy.

I’ve been published in Entrepreneur, endorsed by Columbia University, and I’ve consulted companies like Google and Amazon. Et cetera.