What is Turn The Screw Project? (TTSP)

Turn The Screw Project is exactly what it is. A project. Nothing is perfect from the start. Everyone is, or at least should be, constantly working to get better or more capable in one aspect of their lives. The name was born from the concept I identified that is foundational to who I am as a person. Hopefully it resonates and pushes you to be better. This platform was created to help me share, what I found through trial and error with no fancy cures, sustainable ways to improve yourself and build something.

Small, incremental, and imperceivable improvements added up over time that help you reach a goal or build something great in a sustainable way. Much in the same way as manually turning a screw into a wood board. One turn of the screw does not build a house, but sum all of the actions, and the results are limitless.

Turn The Screw

So where did it all start?

Back in 2023, I was a few years out of collegiate football. I played offensive line for 14 years ultimately ending up at the University of Wisconsin: Steven's Point. My heaviest playing weight was 320lbs after deferring a year of eligibility after a season-ending leg injury where I broke my leg near my ankle. After sports, I was plagued with mental fog and severe migraines. The type of migraines that were debilitating, incapacitating and kicked me down. No medications, treatments, or therapy worked. In a last ditch effort, I started by not changing a thing. Very counter intuitive, right? I started from scratch and tracked, with notepad, my daily activities and tasks to what I ate and drank for a month. Once I had a baseline, I made super small changes from making simple food swaps, consistently going to the gym to walk on the treadmill for 10mins, and establish a daily routine. Each week I tried new things, kept what worked and discarded what didn't, and continuously challenged myself. With no grandiose goal in sight, the goal was to build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle that I enjoy. The reflection on my habits quickly showed itself by my body weight dropping to 185lbs without loosing any muscle mass. Additionally, the 10mins on the treadmill snowballed into doing ultramarathons:

  • 2023 – Weight loss & first 10k race (Badger Trekker Biathlon Shooting Competition)
  • 2024 – First Half-Marathon (1:44) & First Full Marathon (3:54)
  • 2025 – One Half Marathon (1:38) & Three Full Marathons (MKE, Brew City, & Lakefront)
  • 2026 – MKE Marathon (3:30), Whitewater 30mi Trail Marathon, Chicago Marathon,  Door County Fall 50, Indianapolis Marathon

Cool, What do you do now?

The hobby list and current obsessive autistic fixations include:
  • Running
  • Trail Running
  • Weightlifting
  • Shooting Competitions (USPSA, PCSL, Carbine Competitions, NRL22, Etc.)
  • Deer Hunting
  • Magic the Gathering
  • Firearm Collecting

What's the plan?

This project was created to give everyone a channel where I can share what I do and empower people on their own journeys. No fluffy influencer marketing, doom scrolling content, or sales pitch. The products for sale directly support my efforts to help everyone. Each product is one that I use, make, or would purchase myself. I don't sell what I do not believe in or count on. The first initial launch will be apparel, but there are projects in the pipeline that center around my hobbies in running and shooting competitions. Long term service planned is also personal training for fitness or firearms. It's a project.