I’m currently reading ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Letters from J.D. Rockefeller to his son’. Both books have me thinking a lot about childhood and parenting. I will be 56 years old when Lane turns 18 and as an older father, my mortality is always on my mind. I know that despite my best efforts to improve my health, any of us could be taken at any time. I don’t want Lane to be fatherless. Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new p...
Jan 26, 2024•6 min
I was honored that one of my readers asked for my assistance in evaluating the health claims made by products referred to as “Hormonal Teas”. The specific advertisement she referenced was from a company called “Avery Apothecary” and the product is “ Goddess Tea Blend .” The product makes several claims on their website: “Ladies, enjoy a cup of this tea every day and the synergy of the plants help to restore and keep balance in your cycle. Regular health and hormone upkeep can help prevent issues...
Jan 19, 2024•8 min
One of my first challenges in the Year Of The Opposite was the 40 degree cold plunge. Now, I'm addicted to it, not solely for the muscle recovery and numerous health benefits (which I'll cover in another post), but because of what it does for my brain, mood, and attitude. Over the past year I have been increasing my tolerance up to a current maximum of 14 minutes in 40-42 degree water . But my regular routine is 5-7 minutes at the Michigan Athletic Club. I love it! Here are some of the tips that...
Jan 12, 2024•5 min
First: Thank You to all the new subscribers to my Newsletter. I appreciate you. Because we have so many new subscribers, today’s newsletter is going to be a bit different. I thought it would be appropriate to provide a bit of background on myself, explain what The Year Of The Opposite is, and let you know what kind of writing you should expect to receive from this newsletter. Reminder: As a reminder, my name is Travis Stoliker and I was one of the Co-Owners of Saddleback BBQ & Slice by Saddl...
Jan 07, 2024•13 min
You may have already seen the news that I have sold all of my shares in Saddleback BBQ, Slice By Saddleback, all of our properties, and the LLC’s to Co-Owner, Matt Gillett. It’s been a long process and I have a lot of mixed feelings about the sale that I’m still trying to process. On one hand, I’m super proud of what we have achieved and that the businesses are in a place where they can be fully handed off to Matt. On the other hand, I will miss regularly interacting with all of our customers an...
Dec 29, 2023•7 min
This has been one of the most impactful processes that I have used to improve my mental heath, build deeper relationships, and accomplish my personal and professional goals. This is a free step by step guide on how to complete a 360 degree review of your strengths and weaknesses and use the power of artificial intelligence to synthesize the data to produce an actionable list of 10 New Year’s resolutions. These resolutions are then turned into 5 simple tasks/habits to improve your life. When impl...
Dec 18, 2023•13 min
Summary (The TLDR) * Alarming data is coming in: Some patients on Wegovy & Ozempic are seeing 50% to 60% of their weight loss come from lean tissue. (muscle). Patients may be getting lighter on the scale but increasing their body fat percentage. This is concerning. (One study here ) * As a comparison, when losing weight naturally, it is typical that about 25% of your weight loss will come from lean tissue and muscle mass . * But, there is a SOLUTION! To combat this, patients taking these dru...
Dec 13, 2023•14 min
No one took me up on my offer last week. Lets try again. As you may recall, last week I made the offer that “ I will improve your winter blues in 7 days, or I'll pay you $50. ” I was nervous because I was risking $23,000 of my own money and trying to have some “skin in the game” as they say. It started off strong with four people saying that they wanted to do it, but unfortunately, no one made it after just the first day. I’m so confident that this will make anyone happier and I’m so concerned a...
Dec 09, 2023•6 min
I will improve your Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or winter blues within 7 days or I will pay you $50. It’s that simple. If you’re like me, the short days, lack of sunlight, and cold weather can make me a little sad or throw my mood off in general. I’ve developed a system that helps me overcome the winter blues. I am risking $23,000 of my own money because I’m that confident that my system will improve your winter blues or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Here is my offer! I will improve y...
Nov 28, 2023•6 min
As most of you know, I am the Co-Owner of two BBQ restaurants and two Pizza places in the Lansing, Michigan area. We also offer two BBQ sauces and two spice rubs in our restaurants and retailers around Michigan and online . But this isn’t a sales pitch for them… I’m mentioning this because I want to give you a FREE bottle of Sauce as a Thank You for being a subscriber to this newsletter! All you need to do is reply to this email and I will send you a coupon code so that you can get a free bottle...
Oct 24, 2023•3 min
This will be a very brief note: I want to thank Rachel Hosie from Insider.com for covering my story ( read it here! ) and the Year Of The Opposite. Thank You! I want to thank YOU for subscribing and following this journey. It means the world to me. Some people have wondered ‘How Did the Insider.com Article Happen?’ My good friend Matt Tubergen came across this article from Rachel at Insider.com “ A man lost 125 pounds by doing the opposite of everything he tried before, including eating carbs ” ...
Oct 20, 2023•3 min
As I celebrate my 43rd birthday, it’s a time of great reflection. The theme of this year continued to be "The Year of The Opposite.” It’s a good time to look back and reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Health Triumphs The year started with a momentous occasion: running my first half-marathon distance on my 42nd birthday in Las Vegas. As the year unfolded, my health milestones were significant. In September 2022, my risk of dying from a cardiac event in the next 10 years showed a dramatic...
Oct 19, 2023•6 min
Current affairs are downright terrifying, maddening, devastating, and perplexing. While I may not have any particularly insightful contributions to the ongoing discourse, I do want to touch on a general point. In today's climate, we frequently find ourselves bombarded with distressing or shocking news from around the globe. We're often compelled to quickly assess incomplete information, identify who is in the right or wrong, and declare our allegiances both vocally and publicly. Year Of The Oppo...
Oct 15, 2023•9 min
Preamble: My Thoughts On Sharing the Good & The Bad. Today I’m going to talk about a topic that almost no one wants to discuss: Sadness. The reason I want to talk about this even though it’s difficult and uncomfortable to do so is that: * Sadness struck me unexpectedly this morning and I want to attempt to understand what caused it & how to avoid it in the future. * I think social media and newsletters like this can project and incomplete and potentially misleading representation of the ...
Oct 03, 2023•13 min
I'm thrilled to announce that I've been appointed as a Trustee of the Haslett Board of Education. The position opened up following the resignation of Monica Del Castillo, and after a thorough selection and interview process, I was honored to be chosen at the board meeting this past Monday night. My term will run through December 31, 2024. I'm both excited and humbled by the responsibility to serve the community that has given so much to me and my family. Why School Boards Matter If you’re like m...
Sep 26, 2023•8 min
I initially launched into the Year Of The Opposite to shake up my routine and combat lingering depression from grief. While I expected the new challenges to serve as a mental and physical reboot, I didn't anticipate the full range of benefits. Sure, learning new skills was a given, but what caught me off guard was how these fresh experiences connected me with diverse groups of people I'd never interacted with before. Year Of The Opposite - Travis Stoliker's Substack is a reader-supported publica...
Sep 21, 2023•12 min
This is your starting guide to The Year Of The Opposite. Let’s start with some links that will help you learn more about this project/newsletter and dive into the content: * Why did I start my Year Of The Opposite? * How to start your own Year Of The Opposite : A step by step guide to start your own year of the opposite & the results from my first Year Of The Opposite. * How I cured my depression in 5 months by living a Year Of The Opposite. * Why you should start journaling nightly and how ...
Sep 12, 2023•10 min
About 4 months ago, Chris and I launched MyVilla , a startup that aimed to make vacation home ownership easier and more affordable for a greater number of Americans . One of the requirements to grow and scale the company was that we could secure debt financing from banks or financial partners that would allow us to continue purchasing more homes and offer financing to our customers. For months, Chris and I have been dancing for dollars, trying to convince any bank or financial partner to provide...
Sep 05, 2023•8 min
After we sold Liquid Web, I spent short but very rewarding time as the Entrepreneur In Residence at Michigan State University. I remember one moment so vividly it hurts sometimes. As I remember it , my co-worker suggested we walk across campus to explore a new technology developed by PhD researchers, which we believed had potential for commercialization into a product. We strolled through the picturesque MSU campus on a beautiful Michigan summer day, with temperatures around 80 degrees. Within a...
Aug 29, 2023•6 min
This morning I watched my 5 year old son Lane climb onto the school bus for his first half day of kindergarten. Entrusting this precious delicate being, who means the world to me, into the hands of strangers was overwhelming. I recognize that many of you reading this have experienced this profound moment, some even multiple times. It hit me hard today. Lane handled this new adventure like a champion. He jumped on the bus eagerly and said his daily mantra to the bus driver: “My name’s Lane and I’...
Aug 24, 2023•3 min
“I don't expect myself to live forever but I think that the memory or whatever I build could be so arranged that the thought would go on forever. The only way that I can do it is by developing a foundation so the land and the property out here that I have will be dedicated to the foundation that they can help people and it will go on forever.” - Edward Lowe - Inventor of Kitty Litter. Edward Lowe invented Kitty Litter right here in Michigan. He literally and figuratively was responsible for brin...
Aug 20, 2023•13 min
"Meditations" is a series of personal writings by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius written around 170 AD. It’s a reflection of his Stoic philosophy and guidance for his own self-improvement. I first encountered this profound work at the commencement of my "Year Of The Opposite," and its wisdom left an indelible mark on me. What I found particularly striking about "Meditations" is that it was never intended for public consumption; it was a deeply personal journal, a dialogue between Marcus and h...
Aug 14, 2023•11 min
The Podcast Interview is attached to this Substack or you can listen to Year Of The Opposite on Spotify . Here is the full video interview on Youtube . For nearly a decade, Matthew Terry and I were colleagues at Liquid Web. After the company was sold in 2015, I chose to pursue other opportunities, while Matthew continued his tenure there. During this period, he crossed paths with Michelle Rogers, and they soon embarked on a romantic relationship. By 2016, they welcomed a child into their lives. ...
Aug 06, 2023•1 hr 14 min
I had the honor of being interviewed on the Cold Oatmeal Podcast last week and it was a great experience. Their show is about Public Relations. Please make sure to give them a Subscribe . With their permission, in today’s podcast / newsletter I am sharing the full interview and clips from the discussion. I hope you enjoy. For the full interview, please click Play above. Or listen/subscribe to the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcast. Apple Podcast: For your convenience, I have also provided clips...
Jul 26, 2023•39 min
Watch The Video Of Me Completing The Hot Ones Challenge! In 2017 my good friend Dean Miesner took down (almost) the Blazin’ Wing Challenge by eating 12 of BW3's hottest Blazin’ wings in 6 minutes without puking. I touched one of the wings to my tongue and was in agony for 2 hours. I was astonished watching Dean and his friend pull this off. Check out the video of it here . Year Of The Opposite is about challenging myself to do new things. So last year I decided that I was going to start what I c...
Jul 20, 2023•3 min
Let’s clear something up... 1 year ago today, my oldest friend, Matt Hill died. It was incredibly painful for many of us and something that compounded the pain was that at the time the medical examiners in Los Angeles were taking 5-6 months to complete autopsies. This meant that for several months after Matt's tragic death, none of his loved ones knew the true cause of his death. For 5 months we were left with unanswered questions about why he died at the age of 41. A particularly hard part was ...
Jul 13, 2023•4 min
In the 1880s, Chicago was faced with a huge problem. Chicagoans were dying from typhoid, cholera, and other waterborne illnesses at an alarming rate. Chicago was the fastest growing city in the world at that time and their future was threatened. The Chicago River runs right through the heart of Chicago and connects with beautiful Lake Michigan. It was customary at the time to use rivers as a dumpster or sewer. Chicago was no different. Businesses would throw their waste into the river, butchers ...
Jul 07, 2023•8 min
It's an uncomfortable admission, but sometimes, when I see my friends achieving great things—be it a shiny new purchase, an exciting travel experience, a successful business launch, or a prestigious award—I can't help but feel a bit of jealousy. As much as it pains me to admit, sometimes my happiness for them is eclipsed by a sense of resentment. This jealousy isn't just a negative emotion; it also brings with it feelings of ingratitude and shame. After all, I have much to be grateful for—everyt...
Jun 29, 2023•5 min
For months I had been verbally telling the story of how I cured my depression in 30 days. It was a great story and it captivated people. The only problem was, it was a lie. I wasn’t intentionally telling a lie. I genuinely and completely thought I was telling the truth. But when I set out to write last weeks post How I Cured My Depression I started revisiting my nightly journals to verify the events from my memory. While I was doing this I discovered that my memory of the timeline of events was ...
Jun 22, 2023•12 min
“I'm 3 years sober and just wanted to say. I thank you. You were a good boss and a friend and I'm sorry I let you down. You influenced or inspired me in places I wouldn't have gone. Anyways thanks for being you to me. Just thanks.” - Bret Hitchcock" In January of 2020, I received this touching text message. But the message got a darker and and deeper meaning when my friend Bret, only 42, tragically passed away from problems caused by alcohol abuse on June 4, 2023. Just over a year earlier, on Fe...
Jun 13, 2023•11 min
