What is Beyond the Rut?
No one really grows up wanting to get into a rut. Many dream of a successful career, large income, and comfortable life. Instead, we find ourselves in a 9-to-5 repetition, sandwiched by a commute. Somewhere along the line, you may have found yourself wondering if there is more to life. This routine is not what you signed up for.
If you have ever said, “I feel like I’m stuck in a dead-end job,” or, “Life looks nothing like I thought it would at this point in my life,” then you are NOT alone.
What you really want is adventure, mystery, to build and create, to do something significant that matters, and to leave a legacy. Deep down inside, you know you have dreams to do amazing things. It may be that you struggle to take that first step, or you have hit a plateau.
At Beyond the Rut, we are all too familiar with feeling trapped. We’ve spent the better part of the past seven or eight years (collectively, over two decades) trying to figure out how to design the life we have each dreamed of living.
The life you want does not just happen. You have to take control of your life to make the life you want to become a reality. We are here to help you make your own path one step at a time.
Where Are We Going with Beyond the Rut?
Beyond the Rut will inspire you and equip you with tools and courage to pursue your dreams. In our podcast, we talk about five key areas that impact the life you want to live: faith, family, fitness, finances, and future possibility. Each area impacts the others. To get unstuck and out of your rut, you will need energy, focus, desire, and know-how to face your fears and failures.
Going Beyond the Rut means you will need to get out of your comfort zone. It won’t be easy, and it will be worth it and feel rewarding.
Who We Are: The BtR Team
Jerry Dugan, Co-Founder, Host, Producer
I am your new host to Beyond the Rut Podcast bringing to the microphone years of experience as a combat veteran, leadership coach, instructional designer, and men’s ministry servant. Podcasting began for me in 2014 with my first show Family Time Q&A Podcast, where I had my family members take turns asking me questions I was unprepared to answer. It was a quick lesson that I better embrace being vulnerable and authentic if I’m going to make an impact in this medium. The lessons from a 10-year old girl can be so brutal.
Beyond the Rut began as a 9-month discussion with Brandon Cunningham and Shawn Albright. It wasn’t all Schlotsky’s sandwiches and soda though. Some of our discussions were intense! Someone could have made real money off selling tickets and popcorn if they had a chance. Every one of those discussions was worth it, and we launched our first episode on August 22, 2015, with an introduction. I was just the man behind the curtain back then, editing audio and piecing together an okay product. I also have enjoyed being the co-host for the past five years having been in all but the first sixteen of our episodes.
This show has been a tremendous growth opportunity for me through the guests we have had, and the listeners who connect with us. I’m proud that we informally coached a number of podcasts to launch like Llama Lounge and RevolveOne.
Special thanks to Jared Easley from Podcast Movement, Jody Maberry from The Jody Maberry Show, as well as Eric Nevins, Meg Glesener, and Chris Staron from Christian Podcasters Association for your support through these years. Your friendship and guidance mean a lot to me.
Follow Along and Make Your Own Path Beyond the Rut
Email [email protected]
Voicemail or Text (469) 608-0355
Guest Appearances
(Retired) Brandon Cunningham, Founder and Host
After three failed Presidential campaigns, I decided to focus my attention on podcasting and helping people find their own path.
“You have to choose your own path in life or someone else will.”
I am on the pastoral staff at Grace Community Church in Flour Bluff, Texas, and bring 20 years of project management, marketing and process management experience in government, franchising and the financial industry. I am married to Renee’ and have a blended family with five children, Nick, Jacob, Avery, Matthew and Maddy. We also share two miniature schnauzers named Reagan and Tator. I’d like to say that I have been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize four times, but never won. Other than the Academy Award for fiction in bios, my trophy case is rather small.
(Jerry’s disclaimer: The Nobel Peace Prize nominations and Academy Award for “fiction in biographies” are obviously not true. Everything else about him in this bio is true. He really did try to run for President three times as a ballot write-in at the poll. One vote is better than zero votes.)