Meet David Filar

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to David Filar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

David, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

At the time of writing this, it’s day 373. Three-hundred and seventy three straight days of running a minimum of a 5k every single day. So what, Dave?
Having the rhythm of a daily discipline has changed my life for the better. When you make a promise to yourself to execute something daily, you limit the amount of time for excuses. You are forced to learn how to be efficient with your time and understand the value of prioritizing the things around you. But most of all your confidence grows to uncharted territory. You’ve broken every limitation you previously thought about yourself. That bar that you previously set, is now extremely low. You realize you’re undeniable and can achieve so much more. I would urge anyone to practice something daily – writing, reading, running… anything. Your self-esteem will reach a point where you don’t even recognize yourself anymore.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

In its simplest form, I’m a creator.
Behind almost everything I do, my goal is ‘create to inspire’. Whether that’s my design work, the way I present myself authentically, or a keynote I gave at a conference. In a world over saturated with negative news, I believe there’s something extremely powerful about changing someone else’s life for the better.

But more specifically, I’ve been in the footwear industry for over ten years. I’ve had the great fortune of working with brands such as Nike, Vibram, Reebok, Patagonia, Nasa, the US Military, and a multitude of athletes and celebrities. On a day to day, I’m the Director of Product Creation & Design at Endstate – a Boston based startup that integrates technology into footwear, apparel, and other products.

I pride myself on always trying to be more than a job or a job title. I love to paint. I’ve recorded 124 episodes as a podcast host. I love to public speak on stages in front of global audiences or universities and classrooms. I ran 153 miles across the state of Massachusetts in December 2024 just to prove to myself I could.

I ask myself ‘What if’ a lot. And if I love an idea, Ill go down the rabbit hole to either just learn enough, perform it, or fall in love with it.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Having an open mind / the ability to learn. One massive realization everyone will experience at some point is that no one knows what they’re doing. Every single day, corporate, non-corporate, no one knows what we’re doing. The world moves too fast these days. But are you willing to have an open mind to new ideas, technologies, methodologies? Are you willing to learn a new skill even though you’ve been good at doing something for 5 or 10 years?

Secondarily, curiosity leads me a lot of the time. Challenging the status quo and why everyone is doing something the same way? Is there a cheaper, faster, more efficient solution? But not only professionally, about my own personal life. Can I be faster and stronger at 33 years old then I was at 23? Curiosity is a foundational pillar in my day to day life for sure.

And lastly, being obsessed. This isn’t for everyone. But it is for those who want to live every single day like it’s their first. Do you want to understand the absolute limit of something that you’re interested in? Become obsessed with it. Study the greats who did that thing before you. Practice every single day, speak about it to your friends, find out how deep the water really is – you’ll learn so much about yourself.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I think about death a lot. And when I’m overwhelmed, I ask myself “if I died tomorrow, would this (thing I’m overwhelmed by) even matter”. That perspective can ground you and provide a bit more mental peace for the time being.

In regards to strategies when feeling overwhelmed, I lean on my closest circle of friends. And for anyone who doesn’t have a close group of friends – – I didnt either for the longest time. But you can work towards that. Reach out to people who you admire or have different experiences then you. If your friends would judge you for coming to them with a challenge you’re facing, it’s time for new friends.

Pick up the phone and call them, express whats going on, and just ask them to listen. Having the ability to openly talk to someone creates comfort and that incredible weight you’re feeling can get lifted off your shoulders.

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Image Credits

Eli Rosenberg, Colin Ridgway, Sam Wagner, Ryan Gregory

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