Medical device CEO in Texas triples his Optimal Pace from 4 to 14 in 88 days
Aaron Houghton
Aaron
Justin
![[headshot] image of customer (for a construction company)](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6966b96391c9198a55e44b03/6972edb07e298020b410b0ec_Justin%20Monger%20Headshot.png)
Aaron
Justin, you've been a Dory Mastermind member for six years and a Dory Guide member for two years now.
You've completed over 5,000 plays to support yourself and earned over 18,000 points from running your recovery plans in the protocol app. You're now executing one of the most efficient high-performance programs to ever exist among the 10,000 business leaders we've studied.
Launching a medical device startup, designing and building hardware, raising millions of dollars from investors, and signing major healthcare networks as distribution partners is an incredible feat for any leader. But doing it while strengthening your mind and your capacity to deliver high quality work under pressure shows you have what it takes to see this vision through to the huge impact you know it can become.
You've seen firsthand that the plays that powered your performance last year aren't always the best plays for powering your performance this year. And you've trusted the data to guide you to the best answers with precision and clarity.
Aaron
Over the last six months you've undergone an impressive personal metamorphosis, breaking through a longtime Optimal Pace barrier of 4, leveling out around 8 for weeks, and then surging up to your Personal Record Optimal Pace of 14 over the last six weeks with not a single daily Optimal Pace number below 10 during this period.
This means you've tripled your capacity to deliver high-quality work under pressure so far this year. It's been truly incredible to watch. And this growth has come at the perfect time as this year has brought challenges to your business that you could never have predicted a year ago.
How has your newly unlocked capacity powered you through new challenges and opportunities so far this year?
Justin
What I've felt is that it's put me in a position where I can focus on the things that really mattered in the business while keeping my mind clear, positive, and focused.
And it's allowed me to be honestly upbeat and grateful for the challenges and opportunities in front of me, and then tear into those challenges and get them out of the way, knowing there will be more tomorrow that my team and I can knock down.
Aaron
The Dory Protocol app learns how your mindstate responds to pressure and builds the most efficient daily recovery plans, all with the goal of guiding you into the optimal performance zone tomorrow. In the last six months your mindstate reached the optimal performance zone on 98% of days, including weekends.
Many founders describe the startup journey as an experience of extreme highs and lows, but your performance data shows it's possible to chart a course that feels strong and clear way more often than it feels tough and lonely.
What has it felt like to thrive under the pressure of building cutting edge technology in a highly regulated industry nearly every single day so far in 2026?
Justin
Our mission is to allow older Americans with chronic diseases to have a better quality of life while letting them age in place. But sometimes it feels like the whole United States Government Medicare system is working against us, trying to prevent us from accomplishing the mission.
And when I get the positive feedback from those patients, I know I'm doing the right thing, and that makes it all worthwhile. Finding a way to be grateful for these daily struggles has made each next set of challenges that much easier to throw to the side and get in the rearview mirror.
Aaron
You're managing a small team that simultaneously handles product, marketing, partnerships, investor relations, compliance, fulfillment, distribution, and customer service. And you're a husband and a father who completes your recovery plans in the Dory app seven days a week.
Some people say building companies requires sacrificing your health. But you're actually getting stronger every day you build.
How do you find the time to take such great care of your mind while building such a complex and powerful business, and how much time do you actually spend in the Dory Protocol app every day?
Justin
The self-care plays are the key to keeping my mind in shape. Specifically exercise, reflecting on how lucky I am, knowing so many have it so much harder, confirming my faith, and the mantras.
For me, I have to do it first thing in the morning. I have to make them part of my daily routine like eating and sleeping. I get them out of the way and start the day ready to go. There are few things I hate more than sweating five minutes after getting out of bed, but I have never regretted it.
And then, throughout the day, when I feel my concentration or energy waning, I do the plays that refresh my mind and get my body going... I pace while talking on the phone, call an old friend, and have a good laugh.
Aaron
The Dory protocol helps you match your work pace with your Optimal Pace and fully track your recovery whenever you need to go faster. You complete Plays in the protocol app and it builds more efficient recovery plans for you every day as it learns your patterns.
Knowing you can recover from any level of pressure at any time builds a confidence that allows you to chase bigger opportunities than you might otherwise take on.
What professional decision or commitment have you made this year while using the protocol that previously would have felt too scary or risky? How might that leap change your life if it turns out as you hope?
Justin
Right before Thanksgiving last year, my primary funding source had to back away, leaving me with less than 45 days to come up with cash to keep the company alive.
I had to do a number of things I've never done before. I went to my key staff members and explained the situation. They all committed to work through it, everyone sacrificed, we even had to furlough a quarter of the team. We were heading full speed toward a cliff.
I put together a new fundraise, temporarily halted growth activities, replanned the whole upcoming year, and got out there to existing investors and their network, and did it without my primary funding source that I had relied on for two years.
We raised $500,000 before the end of March and saved the company.
We could have just given up, but the protocol kept me moving forward, staying positive, being thankful for the challenges, being healthy. I learned that there is always a solution, just get with your team and put your mind to it.
Aaron
So many founders take on the pressure of building their companies while trying to live full lives as parents and partners and friends. Yet, without an efficient support system that provides clear metrics and guidance, they feel they're failing in every category.
You've taken a different approach by trusting the Dory Protocol and community to ensure your mind grows stronger daily as your business advances. You've run your life on the protocol for six years with unprecedented discipline, setting new records every month.
How would your startup leadership journey so far have been different without the support of the Dory protocol and community?
Justin
I honestly don't believe I would have made it this far without the protocol. I would have quit or been crushed by the pressure.