Why Experimentation Matters for Intentional Living

The Paradox of Outcome Thinking: "You are not in charge of the outcome. You are in charge of taking action, which is the experimentation part of what we're talking about. You are in charge of that. You are responsible for that, and you need to do it." - Perry Maughmer

Experimentation—not just thinking or planning—is at the heart of an intentional, authentic life. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes messy, but absolutely powerful.

Here are 3 key takeaways:

• Focus on action over perfection. Your brain’s reward centers activate when you do something, not when you just think about it. Getting started, even if it feels imperfect, is where motivation and growth happen.
• Write your own script. True experimentation means letting go of other people’s formulas and bolding creating your own story, even if it feels uncertain or awkward.
• Failure is part of the process. Each stumble or messy attempt is just another note in your own improvisation. Success and failure matter less than the fact that you acted and learned.

Key Moments

00:00 Embracing Experimentation and Freedom

04:44 Immersion Over Success or Failure

07:05 "Focus on Action, Not Outcome"

10:59 "Embrace Messiness as Progress"

14:16 Embracing Failure as Learning

19:10 "Coach’s Philosophy: Lose My Way"

20:01 "Embrace Experimentation"

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with his Vistage peer advisory groups and companies like Turn-Key Tunneling, Convergint, Haughn & Associates, I Am Boundless, Ketchum & Walton, LSP Technologies, and Ahlum & Arbor.

Perry lives and works on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio, in the mountains of northwest Georgia, and on the beach in Anna Maria, Florida with his amazingly creative wife Lisa. They have 2 rescue dogs and are intermittently visited by their 3 wonderful children throughout the year. Perry & Lisa are living life in crescendo and focused on exploring, experimenting, and evolving their vision of a life they have no desire to retire from.

Copyright 2025 Perry Maughmer

Challenging Assumptions for Personal Growth

"We have to have the courage to question our own beliefs because, oh, by and large, we have plenty of courage to question everybody else's beliefs. That's not the issue. The issue is do we can we look ourselves in the mirror, look at ourselves in the mirror, and question our own beliefs, and we start by questioning our own beliefs about ourselves?" - Perry Maughmer

Why Focus on 'Explore'?

Exploration isn’t just about seeking what’s unknown—it’s about questioning what we already believe. Real exploration requires “the courage to question”—especially when it comes to the stories we’ve told ourselves for years.

Most of our assumptions about ourselves and the world were given to us by parents, teachers, and our environment long before we ever got to choose them. The challenge? As adults, those stories can become so ingrained that we don’t even realize we’re operating from outdated beliefs.

The Power of Bracketing Assumptions

Here's the powerful concept of “bracketing”—intentionally setting aside your assumptions about yourself and the world so you can see things, perhaps for the very first time, without those old filters. Here are some ways to practice this:

• Confront the Known: What’s a belief about yourself you’ve never questioned? Try bracketing it for a week and see what shifts.
• Try Beginner’s Eyes: Walk into a familiar place and try to see it as if it’s brand new. What details do you discover?
• Question Your Language: Are you always telling yourself, “I can’t,” or, “I’m not that kind of person”? What if that story isn’t the whole story?
• Seek Discomfort Intentionally: The magic of exploration happens outside your comfort zone. What’s one unfamiliar thing you can try, just to see what happens?

Key Moments

00:00 "Challenging Our Predefined Beliefs"

03:23 Questioning Deep-Rooted Beliefs

09:05 "Seeing with Beginner's Eyes"

10:21 "Listen Without Prepping Responses"

15:38 "Embrace Discomfort, Separate Thoughts"

17:11 First Guitar Lesson with Son

20:39 Be Relentless and Intentional

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with his Vistage peer advisory groups and companies like Turn-Key Tunneling, Convergint, Haughn & Associates, I Am Boundless, Ketchum & Walton, LSP Technologies, and Ahlum & Arbor.

Perry lives and works on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio, in the mountains of northwest Georgia, and on the beach in Anna Maria, Florida with his amazingly creative wife Lisa. They have 2 rescue dogs and are intermittently visited by their 3 wonderful children throughout the year. Perry & Lisa are living life in crescendo and focused on exploring, experimenting, and evolving their vision of a life they have no desire to retire from.

Copyright 2025 Perry Maughmer

If you’re ready to stop chasing someone else’s idea of success and start moving intentionally on your path, this episode is for you.

Welcome to the Potential Leader Lab—soon to be The Relentless Few. I’m Perry Maughmer, your host, and in this episode, I’m inviting you behind the scenes of a big shift in my thinking and approach. Rather than sharing yet another framework or process for you to follow, I’m introducing what I now call the E3 Rhythm: Explore, Experiment, and Evaluate.

This isn’t about giving you a step-by-step formula for growth or leadership. Instead, it’s about guiding you toward living an intentional life—one that’s shaped by your own lived experiences, not by copying someone else’s story.

In this episode, I talk about letting go of the illusion that someone else’s path will work for us and offer a new perspective: that our evolution comes from the actions we take and the honest evaluations we make along the way.

You’ll hear why I made this shift, the meaning behind Explore, Experiment, Evaluate, and how adopting this rhythm can help you reclaim authorship of your own story, find greater freedom, and experience peace in your journey.

Key Moments

00:00 "E Three Rhythm Redefined"

05:40 "Personalized Paths, Not Replication"

09:10 "Embrace the Journey, Not Outcome"

13:27 Unique Human Evolution Challenges

16:46 Evaluating Life's True Impact

17:40 Questioning Advice and Intentions

Here are a few key takeaways I hope you’ll find valuable:

• Stop Chasing Frameworks, Start Finding Your Rhythm - Don’t get caught up in one-size-fits-all solutions. True growth isn’t about applying someone else’s system; it’s about exploring, experimenting, and evaluating based on your own lived experiences.
• The Path Is the Point - There’s no magic hack or shortcut to fulfillment. Meaningful progress doesn’t come from chasing others’ definitions of success—it’s found in walking your own path and embracing the ongoing journey.
• Measure Alignment, Not Achievement - When you evaluate your growth, focus less on comparing your achievements to others, and more on whether your actions align with what matters to you. Reclaiming authorship over your story is how you build a life of freedom and peace.

Perry Maughmer believes the world deserves better leadership; that in every human interaction there is the opportunity to either build others up or tear them down; and that leadership is the choice we make in those moments.

These beliefs led Perry to create the Potential Leader Lab. He wanted to offer those who share his beliefs the space and safety to explore transformative ideas, experiment with new behaviors, and evolve into the leaders they were meant to be and that the world needs.

This is a framework he has used again and again with his Vistage peer advisory groups and companies like Turn-Key Tunneling, Convergint, Haughn & Associates, I Am Boundless, Ketchum & Walton, LSP Technologies, and Ahlum & Arbor.

Perry lives and works on the shores of Buckeye Lake in Ohio, in the mountains of northwest Georgia, and on the beach in Anna Maria, Florida with his amazingly creative wife Lisa. They have 2 rescue dogs and are intermittently visited by their 3 wonderful children throughout the year. Perry & Lisa are living life in crescendo and focused on exploring, experimenting, and evolving their vision of a life they have no desire to retire from.

Copyright 2025 Perry Maughmer