Thought to Outcome: What the Screen Took From Us

The short answer

COVID showed me how much of life we had moved behind a screen. Food, work, and conversations could all happen with a click. Useful? Sometimes. But when everything becomes thought to outcome, it is easy to forget the work in the middle. Showing up. Practicing. Being in a room with people. That work matters to me, and it is why I want to make more space for in-person work in Pittsburgh in 2027.

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What did COVID expose about how we live?

I run a business online. I know what the screen makes possible. During my recovery, I built an audience from my living room. Without that connection, many of the people I coach today would never have found me.

But COVID made me notice another side of it. Delivery got easier. Conversations moved online. Work happened through a rectangle. Some of the friction disappeared, and with it went parts of life I care about.

The drive to the place. The conversation before class. The feeling of being there with other people doing the work.

What do I mean by “thought to outcome”?

You think of something you want. You click. It arrives. Done.

That is useful when you need groceries. It does not work the same way when you want to build strength, trust your body again, or learn something difficult. There is a middle you cannot outsource.

The slow build of getting better is part of what makes the outcome mean something.

Are we losing the ability to be in a room together?

I cannot speak for everyone. I can tell you what I notice: it is easier to talk through a screen than to walk into a room and be seen trying something new. I know that feeling from teaching. People arrive unsure of themselves. Then they do the first rep, ask a question, and realize they belong there.

Technology can help us find each other. I do not want it to replace being with each other.

Why does the work matter more than the shortcut?

Think back to something you are proud of. A race, a skill you earned, a hard season you worked through. The result mattered. So did the mornings nobody saw.

Fitness makes this plain. Nobody can do the reps for you. A workout can be delivered to your phone, but the practice happens in your body, one session at a time.

I do not ask clients to skip ahead to the version of themselves they remember. We start with what is there today and build from it.

What does that have to do with my coaching?

A lot. When someone has been away from training, or is coming back after an injury, I look at how they move before I decide how hard to load the movement.

Sometimes the work is a banded exercise and a few controlled reps. We establish the connection to an area, then build strength on top of it. We also build a routine they can keep when life gets busy.

There is nothing wrong with weights. The question is whether the next step fits the person doing it.

The screen can show someone a plan. Coaching helps them do the middle part... and adjust when the plan meets real life.

What am I hoping to do in Pittsburgh in 2027?

I want to create more reasons to get in a room together. That might mean groups, yoga, festivals, or another way to bring people together. Those are ideas I am exploring, not events I have announced.

The Healthy Yinzer started in Pittsburgh. Online coaching lets me work with people well beyond the city, and that will continue. I also want the local community to have more ways to show up in person.

The screen reaches people. A room gives us a different way to work together. I want both.

Frequently asked questions

Are you saying AI or online coaching is bad? No. I use technology to teach, coach, and connect with people. The question is whether it helps you do the work or keeps you from showing up for it.

Why add in-person work if online reaches more people? Because a room offers something different: immediate conversation, shared practice, and the chance to learn alongside other people. It does not have to replace online coaching.

Are there Pittsburgh events to sign up for yet? Not from this article. I am exploring what more in-person work could look like in 2027. I will share specifics when there is something concrete to announce.

Can I work with you if I do not live in Pittsburgh? Yes. My online coaching remains available. You can learn about the coaching paths on my Work With Me page.

Where can I read more about why I built this? Read my story. The work started long before I put it on a screen.

Where to go from here

If you want a starting point for training, take my free quiz. If you already know you want coaching, see how we can work together.

The outcome matters. The work in the middle matters, too.