Be Generous With Your Scars

I was sitting with my friend Mike O'Reilly the other day when he shared a quote that really struck a chord: “The more you learn, the more you share.”

In that moment, I felt a surge of understanding. Mike went on to recommend a book by Scott Mann, Nobody Is Coming to Save You: A Green Beret’s Guide to Getting Big Sht Done*, where the idea of being “generous with your scars” resonated deeply with me. It’s the idea that the hardest moments in our lives shouldn’t be hidden away or glossed over. Instead, they can be transformed into lessons that uplift and guide others.

This philosophy is at the heart of why Sarah and I started the 'Running Ahrens' podcast. We’ve never pretended to have all the answers, and we’re not claiming to be experts. What we do have is our lived experience, our journey as a couple balancing marriage, parenting, business, family, relationships, and community, with all the ups and downs, the laughter, and the heartbreaks that come with it. We know that behind every “perfect” photo or story is a messy, beautiful reality that often goes unseen.

When we decided to start the podcast, we didn’t do it just to talk about ourselves. We wanted to create a space where we could be honest, share what we’re learning, and invite others to do the same. We believe that by being generous with our scars, by sharing the lessons we’ve learned from the challenges and the joys alike, we can help others feel less alone and more equipped to face their own journeys.

Because ultimately, the best part of life is running it together, walking alongside each other, sharing what we know, and learning as we go. If this resonates with you, if you believe in the power of sharing your story and learning from the stories of others, we’d love for you to join us on the 'Running Ahrens' podcast. Let’s keep learning, sharing, and growing, together.

The Evolving Gift of Friendship

Friendship is one of life’s most precious gifts. Some friends walk with us through decades, while others join us for just a chapter or two. Both types hold value, and each brings its own unique beauty. It’s rare and remarkable to have friends who know your past and love you not because of it, but in spite of it. They’ve witnessed your growth, your setbacks, and your comebacks and they’ve stayed. That kind of shared history is a quiet kind of power.

Then there are the friends who come into your life in later seasons. Maybe during the chaos of raising kids, the endless string of soccer games and school pick-ups, or now, in the quieter space that follows. These friends meet you where you are. They help you notice and appreciate the moment you’re living, right as you’re living it.

As a married couple, friendship takes on even more layers. Women’s friendships tend to run deep. They are often anchored in emotion, empathy, and the unspoken understanding that you don’t have to fix anything to be a safe place. I’ve had a friend since first grade who’s still in my life. When I was transitioning out of Rule29 and trying to figure out what was next, we sat down to talk. After knowing each other for 45 years, we realized we barely knew what the other did professionally. That’s not where our friendship lived. It lived in the more human places of our hearts, our doubts, our hopes.

Still, in that moment, she connected me to my next job. Not because of what we talked about for years, but because she knew me. It wasn’t about networking. It was about relationship. That connection shifted something for me. It reminded me that different styles of friendship, whether rooted in shared activity or quiet understanding, each have something to teach us.

Men’s friendships, at least in our experience, are often built around shared experiences-work, sports, common interests. But if you’re lucky, as a couple, you find other couples who blend it all. People who know your stories, your kids, and your quirks. People who will sit with you when things fall apart and cheer with you when they come together.

That’s where we are now. I have friends I’d call family, and so does Justin. We have couple friends who make us better individually and together. Friends who love our kids, ask about them by name, and root for them just as hard as we do. That’s a joy I don’t take lightly.

Looking back on all the friends who’ve been part of my life, those still near and those who were just for a time,I feel overwhelming gratitude. And honestly? Excitement. Because I don’t think we’re done creating friendships. Each one, past or present, adds something vibrant to the picture. And I know the best ones always show up just when you need them most.

Thanks for reading and sharing this space with us. Here’s to the friends who stay for a season, a lifetime, and everything in between.

– Sarah

Why We Started Running Ahrens: Honest Reflections on Life and Partnership

When we started “Running Ahrens,” I’ll admit, I felt a twinge of fear. Putting our lives out there-our stories, our experiences, our messy middle, was daunting.

It’s incredibly intimidating to put yourself out into the social media landscape, where every word and moment can be critiqued. I’ve never seen myself as an expert, just someone who’s lived through a lot of the real, unfiltered parts of life. And let’s be honest, there’s always a messy middle, because we’re never truly done growing or figuring things out.

But that vulnerability? It scared me. Yet, I felt a strong pull to share our journey, not because I have all the answers, but because I know the value of hearing someone else’s honest experiences. I wish I’d had someone to tell me these things, to share their stories when I was navigating those uncertain spaces.

One of my favorite things about Justin is how much he’s made me laugh over the years, and the stories we have to tell are often a mix of embarrassing and really fun moments. By sharing our failures with the wisdom of hindsight, we hope to normalize those scary spaces, the questions, and the fears. We want to foster a community where we celebrate each other’s successes as much as we acknowledge our struggles. Because in the end, it’s all about growing together and supporting one another through every chapter of life.

So thank you for being here — for listening, reading, and sharing in these stories with us. We’re so grateful for this space to be real, to laugh, to stumble, and to keep going together. Here’s to the journey ahead, and the grace to grow through it all.

– Sarah

Building Running Ahrens: Stories of Learning, Laughter, and Legacy

We didn’t start Running Ahrens because we had it all figured out. We started it because we didn’t.

After more than 30 years of marriage, four kids, a few businesses, countless failures, some really beautiful wins, and an ongoing effort to be decent humans, we realized we had some stories to tell. Not because they’re perfect stories, but because they’re real ones.

For over 20 years, we did nearly everything together—raising kids, building a life, and running Rule29. But a few years ago, we entered a new chapter. Justin continued with Rule29, and Sarah stepped into new roles outside of it. For the first time in decades, we weren’t creating something together professionally and we missed it.

That’s part of why we started Running Ahrens. We wanted to make space for something we could build side by side again.

We also created it because this is the kind of content we would’ve loved to hear years ago. When we were navigating early marriage, launching a business with a newborn at home, and learning, usually the hard way, how to hold onto each other through the chaos.

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This isn’t a show about being experts. We’re not. But we are experienced and we’re willing to talk about what went well and what absolutely didn’t.

What we’re trying to do here is create something meaningful:

• Something that makes you laugh and think.

• Something that gives you a little courage to have those hard conversations.

• Something that reminds you you’re not the only one figuring it out as you go.

We want Running Ahrens to be a safe and comfortable space to explore hard topics without judgment, just openness. We want to have the kinds of conversations that stretch you, encourage you, and make you feel seen.

That means interviews with people who’ve mentored us, inspired us, challenged us, and made us laugh until we cried. It means sharing the ideas, books, and stories that have changed the way we live and love. It means showing up as ourselves, different in so many ways, but deeply committed to the life we’ve built together.

This podcast is for anyone trying to stay in it for the long game. Whether that’s in marriage, parenting, faith, business, or just becoming more of who you’re meant to be.

We’re glad you’re here. Let’s keep running.

—Justin & Sarah