Remember Pets.com? It was a big deal in the late 90s—and it crashed just as fast. Around that same time, another company was quietly gaining ground: Amazon. Today, we’re examining what led one to fail and the other to redefine the game.
Now, I know everyone is familiar with Amazon. But hardly anyone remembers Pets.com, or even if you recall it, it’s no longer around.
Both companies launched around the same time. The two companies tried to do something big—sell products online, which, for you younger people here, was just not a thing in the 90s.
Pets.com went all-in on visibility. They had a sock puppet mascot. They were in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and had a Super Bowl ad, tons of (very expensive) visibility right off the bat.
So why aren’t they still around? They collapsed in less than 2 years. Their approach was flashy, but they prioritized visibility and performance over infrastructure development to support growth. They tried to scale without building roots.
Meanwhile, Amazon started small:
One man, Jeff Bezos, and one product, books.
A cheap office in his parents’ garage. He spent his time obsessed with building systems. Bezos was laser-focused on building a solid foundation—encompassing logistics, customer experience, and technology—before attempting to scale. Years later, because of the roots he built, Amazon could expand into everything.
That’s the difference between building something that lasts, something with actual substance, and trying to roll something out quickly.
Don’t get me wrong, we love it when things perform well, but we want them to last a lifetime and continue to improve. And to do that, it has to be a product that has substance.
And that’s precisely what happens in weight loss. Some people focus on the surface—on performing the things which we want you to perform, but we want that performance to be supported from a place of substance. But we want to start with the biggest needle movers, which are nutrition and mindset.
That is what we focus on in Metabolism Mastery. We focus on building a solid root system — a structure that will hold up even when life gets busy, even when things around you are crumbling, even when life is hard.
There is a significant difference between being driven solely by performance and being driven by substance.
Performance-based actions look like this
These methods only work when things are going smoothly. Success is contingent upon motivation, visible results, such as weight loss, and external validation from others. In short, they falter the moment your life becomes chaotic.
But the minute something shifts — whether it’s a sudden increase in business, the compliments stop coming, or you simply have a rough week and feel off —, it all crumbles. That’s because performance is fragile. It’s held up by the response it gets. You’re doing the things, but only as long as you’re being rewarded — by results, people, or your mood.
It appears to be discipline on the outside. But inside, it’s totally dependent on things staying ideal.
Substance-based actions look like this
True systems hold up—even when things don’t go your way. You still show up when the scale stalls, eating a balanced meal when no one’s watching, and you complete that intentional workout even when your motivation is shot.
It’s not about proving anything, but about becoming someone who does the things that build a foundation. This involves following through consistently and taking care of your body, regardless of whether it feels exciting that day.
Substance is built on identity and rooted in understanding what is going to really move the needle for you long-term. You know why you’re doing what you’re doing. And you’ve stopped needing constant payoff to keep going.
You don’t need things to be perfect anymore—because you’ve built something more substantial underneath. And roots may not be exciting, but the final product definitely is.
Why we get caught up in performance
It’s easy to focus on performance because it is visible and often rewarded. We receive compliments when we appear to have it together, and quick wins are achieved by tightening everything up and committing fully for a few weeks.
And yeah, it works—for a little while. But it’s vulnerable to the “dot.com bust.” When you’re alone and nobody is there to see your actions and applaud them. Or your external circumstances aren’t conducive to giving you the reward that you are seeking, you don’t have the roots in place to be secure. And things come crumbling down.
Performance doesn’t fix patterns; it merely covers them up, silencing them for a little while. There’s no root system. Just action for the sake of looking like you’re doing it “right.”
“Looking good” vs. Building roots
I’m not saying that everyone who looks like they’re doing well is just performing. The majority of people who look amazing on the outside for an extended period of time look that way because they’ve built deep roots underneath. Their habits are who they are, not something they do when life is smooth sailing.
They’ve done the hard work you don’t see. Their outcome has been earned by building a foundation that supports it. I say this all the time, but there are different phases to a weight loss and maintenance journey. And the quickest way to be frustrated is to try to mimic someone’s maintenance behaviors while you are still in the foundation phase. You’re seeing the oak tree and the fruit. But you’re forgetting that the roots came first. You can’t skip that part.
What happens when there’s no substance
When you don’t build a root system, here’s what happens:
- Burnout is inevitable.
- Frustration sets in quickly when results start to slow down.
- Eventually, you start tying your worth to external outcomes, like the number on the scale.
- When life gets messy, you lose momentum—because there’s nothing underneath to hold you steady.
This is why people often lose weight and then regain it. They were performing the whole time — not building anything. I think everyone makes this mistake at least a dozen times, because all we have been taught is to “go on a diet,” not update your foundation and build. It’s hard to grasp that concept in our world.
So this isn’t a “how did you not know this?!” Message. This is an “I want you to have an a-ha moment this morning”. We have to build from the foundation first.
4 steps to build your real root system
1. Master the “boring” basics
Eat whole foods that nourish your human body. Eat in a way that allows you to restore your body to its best version. Do intentional workouts that support your goals. Drink water. Sleep.
Everyone wants a hack, but the “boring stuff” builds the strongest roots. The key to being consistent with the “boring basics” is learning to appreciate them, instead of complaining about or fighting them. Change your stories about them so that they no longer feel boring; instead, they think intentionally. These fundamentals feel focused, innovative, and purposeful. Ultimately, they are the needle movers, driving you toward something greater.
2. Be okay with delayed payoff
Building roots takes time. You won’t always see quick changes, but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. It just takes consistency and strong boundaries.
Many people never reach the delayed gratification stage and realize it’s far bigger than the quick fixes.
3. Surround yourself with people who are also doing the work
We all love watching the “big oak tree people”—the ones with the results that we want. But when you’re in a root-building phase, that comparison can throw you off or confuse you.
That’s why our community matters so much. We built our program around around people doing this work — laying a foundation. Mastering the needle movers.
The five people you spend the most time around will shape how you think, how you act, and how far you go.
4. Let your identity lead
Stop trying to act like someone who’s “on a weight loss plan”. Start being someone who values follow-through and someone who is trying to fall in love with the journey. Maybe it’s not exciting, but it’s very comforting, and it delivers. And it becomes your life, not something I am doing until I lose the weight.
With that mindset, you are still in the denial phase of grief. You must let your old ways die, grieve them, and then reach a point of acceptance.
The “I’m doing everything right” illusion
I recently talked to a bunch of women from Instagram — women I’ve never met, who were responding to one of my posts. And every single one of them was saying, “I’m doing everything right”. They were walking and eating primarily whole foods, lifting weights, and doing progressive overload.
And I realized—that’s it. They’re doing all the things that look right and performing well; however, they’re still not achieving the desired results. Why? Because it’s all performance without foundation.
They’re skipping the two biggest things people love to avoid: perfecting their nutrition and improving their mindset. Nailing nutrition means not just eating “clean,” but actually putting the right fuel in their body at the right time to support fat loss. Meanwhile, working on mindset involves not just trying to stay motivated, but also learning how to think differently when motivation wanes.
Everyone wants to lift and track their steps. But no one wants to do the boring basics that actually move the needle. So when I hear “I’ve tried everything”, I don’t doubt their effort. I just know — there’s still a root system they haven’t built.
Changing your story changes everything
We spend a lot of time planning the roots of our physical body (and we should):
The food you eat, your strengthening workouts, and the sleep you are getting—those things matter. Indeed, they are essential for maintaining a healthy human body.
But do you want to know why most people struggle to stay consistent with those things?
Because they never build roots beneath their actions. They focus on what to do, but never question why they keep abandoning it.
That’s the deeper root system:
It includes the stories you tell yourself. Your core beliefs encompass your body, food, and what you are and are not entitled to. These are the thoughts that play on repeat every time things get hard.
If you still limit your story by the belief that you are “all or nothing”, you feel that you “can’t stick to anything”, or perhaps you often think, “I mess it up every time”. Then we aren’t working on the real problem, and that is our mindset.
So, yes. Keep working out, eating protein, getting enough sleep, and staying hydrated. But also do the root work underneath that: Change your story. Because when your thoughts get better, your actions get easier. And when your actions get easier, consistency finally feels natural.
This is how you stop performing and start transforming. Ultimately, this path enables you to build a life that stands the test of time, even when things get messy.
You spend a lot of time on the physical roots (food, workouts, sleep), but consistency fails because the deeper root system is missing. You build this system on the stories you tell yourself and your core beliefs. Continue with the actions, but ensure that you do the foundational work underneath: change your story. When your thoughts get better, consistency finally feels natural. This is how you stop just performing and start truly transforming, building a life that holds up—even when things get messy.
If you’re tired of fragile results and missing a deep root system, it’s time to stop settling for performance and start truly transforming. Join our Metabolism Mastery program today.
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