Bad Day Excellence: Brian Walsh on Habits, Leadership, and Finding Purpose Even When Life Falls Apart
What if the worst days of your life could become the foundation for your best work?
In this empowering episode of the Futureproof Business Podcast, host Daniel Rosenstein interviews Brian Walsh—IT Director, leadership coach, and author of Habit Craft 101. Brian is also the founder of Bad Day Excellence, a movement rooted in the idea that your growth is defined not by how you perform on your best days—but by how you show up when everything feels off.
With over 9.5 million people impacted through his coaching, content, and ripple-effect leadership model, Brian shares a deeply personal and practical roadmap to transforming adversity into identity-based excellence.
From Software Developer to Leadership Mentor
Brian’s journey begins not in a corporate boardroom, but in the world of software development. As someone with ADHD and a natural curiosity for systems, he climbed the tech ladder to become an IT Director. But burnout, stress, and a health scare during a triathlon became the catalysts for a deeper shift.
“I realized I was building habits for productivity but not for purpose.”
That moment marked the birth of Bad Day Excellence—a philosophy and framework that combines habit formation, servant leadership, and identity alignment to help people rise even when things go wrong.
The $1,000 Wake-Up Call That Changed His Life
One of the most memorable stories from the interview is when Brian decided to become a morning person. Tired of broken promises to himself, he wrote a $1,000 check to a political party he didn’t support and handed it to a friend. The deal? If he didn’t wake up early every day for a month, his friend would mail the check.
That high-stakes accountability hack worked—and Brian built a consistent morning routine that stuck.
“External motivation will only get you to your first bad day. Identity keeps you going.”
This is a theme that echoes throughout the episode: motivation fades, but identity endures.
What Is “Bad Day Excellence”?
At its core, Bad Day Excellence is about giving yourself permission to be human—but not using that as an excuse to quit.
“Some days, 40% is my 100%—and that’s okay.”
Instead of chasing perfection, Brian teaches how to build systems that support you on your worst days. When your habits are rooted in identity rather than outcomes, you can still make progress even when you’re stressed, sick, or emotionally depleted.
This powerful reframing allows for:
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Compassion without complacency
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Progress without perfection
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Resilience without burnout
Habit Craft 101 vs. Atomic Habits
Brian’s book, Habit Craft 101, is often compared to James Clear’s Atomic Habits—but with a critical twist. Where Atomic Habits focuses on systems and cues, Habit Craft dives deeper into the emotional and identity-based layers of behavior.
He introduces tools like:
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TAP Method: Trigger – Awareness – Purpose
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PAR Method: Pause – Acknowledge – Respond
These frameworks help individuals identify negative loops, ground themselves emotionally, and realign their behavior with long-term values.
“You don’t need better habits. You need a better relationship with yourself on hard days.”
Leading with Empathy in a Remote World
As an IT Director, Brian also leads remote teams, and he’s passionate about bringing humanity and empathy into digital leadership.
He explains how the same principles used to build personal habits can be used to build team culture:
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Celebrate small wins
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Normalize discomfort during change
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Build systems of trust, not control
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Replace micromanagement with listening
“Leadership isn’t about giving answers. It’s about asking better questions.”
This leadership approach has helped Brian guide burned-out professionals back into alignment and even coach leaders who were ready to quit—into becoming purpose-driven managers.
From Burnout to Impact: Coaching Through Identity
In the episode, Brian shares a moving story of a client who came to him in a state of total burnout. Within weeks of applying the TAP and PAR methods, this client not only rediscovered energy—but also got promoted and became a better communicator for their team.
“Coaching isn’t about fixing people. It’s about reminding them of who they already are.”
By focusing on identity-based coaching, Brian helps leaders develop emotional fluency, better decision-making habits, and the resilience to navigate chaos with calm.
Just One More: The Ripple Effect of Impact
Brian’s mission is bold: to positively impact 9.5 million people through his content, coaching, and leadership.
But as he shares with Daniel, he’s not chasing metrics.
“I’m not chasing 9.5 million people. I’m chasing just one more.”
This mindset shift—from mass attention to meaningful connection—is what allows him to show up daily with purpose, even when things don’t go perfectly. It’s also what makes his message so accessible and relatable to anyone trying to lead, grow, or simply get through the day.
Why You Need to Watch This Episode Now
If you’ve ever struggled with:
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Inconsistent habits
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Low motivation
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ADHD or emotional overload
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Leadership burnout
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Remote team challenges
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Finding purpose in the middle of pain
…this episode is for you.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:
✅ Identity-first frameworks to build lasting habits
✅ Tools like the TAP and PAR methods for managing stress
✅ Real-life hacks to stay disciplined—even without motivation
✅ A compassionate, empowering approach to leadership
✅ Renewed clarity about how to use “bad days” as building blocks
Watch or Listen to the Full Interview
🎥 Watch on YouTube
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_TGRbEIaMQ
🎧 Listen on Spotify
(Coming soon)
📱 TikTok Clips
👉 @FutureProofBusiness4
About Brian Walsh
Website: https://baddayexcellence.com
Instagram: @walshmegrow
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/walshmegrow
YouTube: Bad Day Excellence
Brian is a tech leader, coach, speaker, and writer who helps people grow through systems rooted in identity. His book, Habit Craft 101, is available now.
About the Host
Daniel Rosenstein is the host of the Futureproof Business Podcast, business coach, and energy healer who helps entrepreneurs build impact-driven businesses rooted in clarity, vision, and sustainability.
Learn more at: https://www.ultimateenergycoach.com
Final Thought
“Action creates motivation—not the other way around.”
This conversation is a must-watch for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re failing on their “bad days.” Brian Walsh proves that not only can you grow through those days—but you can lead, inspire, and thrive because of them.