A title like that (What are YOU chasing?) can make some people squirm a bit.
It might make others really stop and think honestly about where they are in life and where they’d like to ultimately end up.
Maybe you’re in I.T.
Maybe you’re pursuing your rock and roll dream.
Or maybe you really like your job, but you know there’s more to you and to life than what you do from 9-5.
No matter where you are in your pursuit, I’d like to encourage you to consider what Jon Murray, the Founder of Kase X Noko in Nashville, Tennessee, told me during one of our interviews for Unbreakable, which can be seen on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and multiple other streaming services (https://pickrelay.com/app/t/49by-4qfm?source=search_results).
He said, “If I could give anybody any advice on who’s chasing something, whether it’s the restaurant business, whatever it may be, you want to be a painter, you want to be an actor, you want to be a doctor, fear is fake. Fear is not real. Fear is self-made. You’re gonna die one day. I’m gonna die one day. And why the hell would we do anything in life that’s not worthwhile, that doesn’t light a fire under us?”
FEAR.
In my opinion, that’s what typically stops people in their tracks.
Fear of failure.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of being laughed at.
Fear. Fear. Fear.
Fear is real for most of us.
People with a family may fear pursuing a dream because they have bills to pay.
That’s legit.
There are a lot of very real reasons why fear can creep in and keep a person from “going for it.”
However, I can tell you from experience, once you get over that fear, your chances of making your dream come true improve exponentially.
In Jon’s case, he had a pretty good thing going before Kase X Noko, but he knew deep down there was more to him than he was tapping into.
He says, “The last company I was with, I was with them for almost 11 years. I started as a server, came all the way to the COO of the company. It’s an amazing company. The founder of that company is still one of my best friends, if not my best friend. You get these feelings of like, man, there’s something that I haven’t tapped into that I need to. And to be honest with you, I was scared to death.”
But sometimes a burning desire to do something can trump fear.
“I knew that I wanted to bring something to life,” says Murray.
“I knew that I wanted to do it the way that I wanted to do it, without any restriction.”
So he went for it.
Now he runs an award-winning restaurant that is gaining recognition far and wide. Here’s a current list of some of Kase X Noko’s accolades.
Best New Restaurant: Named Best New Restaurant by the Nashville Scene in their 2025 awards.
Top 10 Sushi Bars in America: Recognized by Time Out as one of the top 10 sushi bars in the United States.
James Beard Award Semifinalist: Executive Chef Dung “Junior” Vo was named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, making him the youngest chef in Nashville to receive the honor.
Southern Charm Award: Received a debut Southern Charm award from Modern South Magazine.
Having tasted their food and interacted with their entire staff, I feel confident in saying the awards are going to keep on coming.
It’s easy to tell others to take risks, make bold moves, and bet on themselves.
But I’m not writing this from the sidelines. I’ve lived it.
When I was pursuing a career in TV news, I had a very defined list of goals I wanted to achieve.
I wanted to:
✓ Work in my hometown. Check.
✓ Travel with a professional sports team (the Bengals). Check.
✓ Co-host an NFL show. Check.
✓ Stay around family. Check.
✓ Report on a national news network. Check. Check. Check. Check.
And the list went on and on.
I was making a really good living and had zero reason to start thinking about what else I might be able to do.
Most importantly, I really didn’t think I could do much else.
I went to college to learn how to be a broadcast journalist. That’s pretty much all I knew.
I’m certainly not the type of guy that can do things with his hands, and I was never the “sell insurance” type (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
What I found out, though, was that when doors opened, more often than not, I chose not to walk through them.
Why?
Fear.
Fear of not having what it takes to do my own thing.
Fear of family not understanding.
Fear of not being able to support my wife and children.
I actually agreed to a job in a different state—only to call my future boss and tell him I couldn’t make the move.
Why?
I chickened out.
Sad.
But true.
Little did I know that once I got the courage to “go for it” and “fear not”—one of the most repeated messages in Scripture—my wife (a former TV meteorologist) and I would go on to run our nationwide video production business for 20 years (this month!) and start a second business in the media and entertainment industry.
But enough about me.
What I’m trying to say is, if your stomach is churning or your mind won’t let you sleep at night because you’ve got a great but scary idea, maybe it’s time to stop letting fear make the decision for you.
Always remember what Jon Murray says, “FEAR IS FAKE.”