His last vacation 18 months ago didn’t recharge him. Dory did.
Aaron Houghton
Aaron
Riz
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Aaron
Riz, you've been a Dory Protocol member for ten months now and have checked in on 285 days during that time. Along the way you've strengthened your mind by earning 3,351 points from completing Plays in the Dory Protocol app.
You use the app nearly daily to understand your current capacity, which we call Optimal Pace, and then follow its guidance to support your mental resilience with precisely the right plays to top you up. This way, you know exactly how much self-care you need and never waste your time doing too much when you're already as strong as you need to be.
When you first became a Dory member your Optimal Pace measured around 6 for several weeks. Then, over time, through steady check-ins and peak performance days in the app you've achieved a few multi-week Optimal Pace streaks around 7 and 8 as well.
Aaron
Recently, over the last five weeks your performance data has shown significant gains, starting around your long term average and then rising to earn you several personal records. You achieved twenty-five consecutive days with an Optimal Pace of 8 or higher, ten days with an Optimal Pace of 10 or higher, and five days with an Optimal Pace of 11.
You've never seen consistent strength like this in your performance data since starting with Dory. And it's especially notable given you reported pressure scores as high as 7 out of 10 during this period.
How has this transformation felt as your capability grew over the last month?
Charles
It's been a phenomenal period. For the first time in five years, I've felt my energy and capacity to work grow. The feeling has shifted from life chasing me, to me chasing life.
I run my companies, I spend time with my family, and I find time to work out.
Getting that energy and flow back after so many years, I appreciate it deeply and I don't take it for granted. I'm enjoying every moment of it.
Aaron
You've mentioned your background in neuroscience and I think that's a powerful foundation for any builder or business leader. Understanding the components that power our minds and the minds of the people we lead helps us understand what it takes to reach our goals.
You use the Dory Protocol to quantify many of those components including your mental capacity, recovery needs, and the effectiveness of each action you take to support your mind.
What does having this level of understanding about your mind allow you to do, and how do you use this information in your daily life as the leader of your company and your team?
Charles
I love this question. My background in neuroscience has been a major advantage.
From a biological perspective, mental challenges have a strong physical component in the brain and body. Once you understand how sleep, food, exercise and social contact affect your brain, it becomes easier to regulate your emotions and thoughts.
One example I like to reflect on: peer-reviewed research shows that regular physical activity, even simple movement like walking, can be as effective as antidepressants for mild to moderate depression. That said, I want to emphasise that mental illness should be taken seriously, and any change to medication or therapy should happen in consultation with a professional. Still, there's a wide range of things within our own influence.
With Dory, I put this into practice by choosing plays that boost my brain capacity.
I might take a walk during a challenging workday, meditate before an important decision, or write down my thoughts before a leadership meeting. Each morning I check in to see how many hours of focused work I have in me, and I plan my day accordingly.
Aaron
Running a six-figure marketing agency that works with clients in highly regulated industries while being a husband and father and trying to achieve your goals without letting anyone down creates constant challenges that would break a weaker person.
Yet in the last year you've nearly doubled your ability to produce high quality work while at the same time experiencing that unrelenting pressure.
You've been very intentional about ensuring that you're strong enough to be an inspiring and capable leader for your business. Why do you take your efforts with the Dory Protocol so seriously and how are you able to be so consistent with your self-care routine?
Charles
When you lead a business, people rely on you: team members and clients alike. I always want to give them the best version of myself.
At the same time, when I come home, I want to be the best version of myself for my wife and daughters. That's what drives me in life. My relationships matter deeply to me. To give your best to others, you first need to take care of yourself.
If you lack sleep, you make poor decisions. If you overwork, you may communicate poorly. So self-care is an absolute necessity if you want to lead a company while keeping a good balance with your personal life.
Consistency comes from keeping it simple. I check in every morning in the Dory app, and the plays fit into my day in small moments, so there's always room for them.
Aaron
An Optimal Pace of 11 in the Dory Protocol means you're able to sustainably use your mind for 77 hours of intense work while experiencing high pressure every week. Your typical work week has been between 50 and 60 hours over the last year. That's an incredible amount of effort and it makes sense given everything you take responsibility for in your life and the goals you're trying to achieve.
Why is having extra available capability valuable to you, and what types of situations most often arise unexpectedly that push you to your limits? Without that extra capacity, how would things otherwise be different?
Charles
I think the extra capacity is an absolute necessity for reaching my goals. Entrepreneurship is hard, and every hour I get to make an impact counts. There are often moments that push my limits.
For me, those have been complex negotiations, people management and hitting revenue targets.
With more capacity, I can deal with them one by one. Without it, I would have had to lower my expectations and change my goals. Again, I'm deeply grateful for the capacity I have.
Aaron
When you first came to Dory, you were a high achiever who was still getting a lot done, but you also felt like you were running with less horsepower than you used to have.
What's remarkable about your progress is that you didn't have to step away from your business, take months off, or dramatically reduce your workload to regain it. You built your Optimal Pace while continuing to lead a six-figure company, raise a family, and deal with the same pressure and responsibilities that were already there.
Looking back over these ten months, what's changed about the way you operate, what does it feel like to have your horsepower back without putting your life on hold to get it, and what has become possible for you now that you're fully charged up for the journey ahead?
Charles
You make a really good point here. I remember my last two-week vacation, in early 2025. When I came back, I didn't feel recharged.
I haven't taken a long break since, and my capacity is better than ever. It feels very empowering, and there's a real sense of motivation and happiness.
This is a much better way to enjoy the entrepreneurial journey than being worn out by all my work. It opens up new possibilities, and I feel like I'm stepping up my game.
My passion is building companies. If I keep going like this, I know I'll be able to turn multiple ideas into reality. There's just so much I want to do, and I'm ready for it.