I’ve known Andrew Racine for a few years. He runs demand gen at Writer, a rocket ship enterprise AI company. It’s one of the fastest-paced, highest-stakes, companies I’ve seen. Andrew is talented, thoughtful, and calm under pressure. He’s the guy you want sitting next to you as you set crazy ambitious goals, because he can take anything you throw at him.
But recently, he faced something that shook him and everyone around him. A near-death experience.
Not from a car crash. Not from some rare disease. From a 99% blockage in the artery they literally call the widowmaker.
Andrew’s episode of Critical Moments is probably the most important one I’ve done. Not because it’s inspiring (it is), or emotional (also true). But because it might save a life.
The big takeaway for me? Your body doesn’t lie.
You can lie to yourself. You can make excuses. You can rationalize fatigue and shortness of breath and heartburn and say it’s stress or too much coffee. But your body knows. And if you don’t listen, it will scream at you. Sometimes too late.
What makes this episode so real is how normal it all felt to him. He was healthy. He was working out. He passed all the standard tests. And he still nearly died. The reason he didn’t? A combination of intuition, a spouse who pushed him to act, and one stress test that finally caught what the others missed.
If you’re over 40—and especially if you’re wired like Andrew and me—you need to hear this one.
The Spidey sense is real. Don’t ignore it. Don’t wait. Don’t assume health equals invincibility.
We talk about performance and leadership and hard work a lot. But none of it matters if you’re not here.
Please let me know what you think. I read every comment and every reply.
Stay healthy. Please.
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