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Paul’s Path to Fitness
Paul’s Path to Fitness
Paul Yee is a retired CFO with more than 20 years’ experience as a consumer- and culture-centric leader helping build top-tier global brands. At companies such as Stitch Fix, Method, Peet’s Coffee, and Gap, he showed a consistent ability to bring financial rigor to high-growth, creative environments and generate step-function shareholder
Paul Yee is a retired CFO with more than 20 years’ experience as a consumer- and culture-centric leader helping build top-tier global brands. At companies such as Stitch Fix, Method, Peet’s Coffee, and Gap, he showed a consistent ability to bring financial rigor to high-growth, creative environments and generate step-function shareholder value (1 IPO and 2 exits). Paul has a passion for coaching and inspiring teams and serving as a cultural leader. Outside of work, he is an avid marathoner, RRCA-certified running coach, and investor in TNT Strength, a fitness gym in Oakland. He holds both a bachelor's degree and MBA from Stanford University and lives in the East Bay with his family.
Paul’s Path to Fitness
Paul’s Path to Fitness
Paul’s Path to Fitness
I’ve always been good at math. In elementary school I sped through worksheets like an athlete. I was born to run...calculations. I relished in finding the quickest path to the answer, which I would spell out on paper as fast as the lead could leave my pencil. I pushed out my chest as I crossed the finish line and marveled at the beauty of
I’ve always been good at math. In elementary school I sped through worksheets like an athlete. I was born to run...calculations. I relished in finding the quickest path to the answer, which I would spell out on paper as fast as the lead could leave my pencil. I pushed out my chest as I crossed the finish line and marveled at the beauty of my proof. Q.E.D. indeed!
P.E., on the other hand...well, let’s just say I wasn’t blessed with great genes. Up to sixth grade, I was the shortest kid in my class. It was my destiny: Paul means “small” in Latin. With remarkable consistency, I failed the annual fitness test because I couldn’t do a pull-up. It didn’t really bother me, it was just what it was.
Fast forward to today, surprise, surprise, I’m a CFO. A numbers guy. A bean counter (literally; I currently work at a coffee tech start-up.) At home, I mind the books too. My favorite season is tax season, when I get to organize and paper-clip paper. I meticulously track and chart our investment and retirement accounts. I’ve raised my boys to be fiscally prudent as well; they come to me asking for permission to spend $10 on Amazon. The family budget is always balanced, and I’m proud that we’re in good shape financially.
As I approached middle age, though, what wasn’t in good shape was my body. Our boys dominated our 30s. They were the stars, and my wife and I were their planets frantically trying to stay within orbit as we navigated school, soccer practice, homework, bathtime, rinse, repeat. As our boys grew and thrived, the inverse happened with me. I remember distinctly when I was 38 coming across a family photo from a beach trip. I was laughing and dragging my two boys out of the ocean. It was a joyous moment, but my doughy, shirtless body begged to differ. It shouldn’t have been a surprise. Over the years, I had slowly worked my way to the outer notch of my belt. After a long day at work, I would hoover my dinner, grab a second helping, and wash it down with a generous glass of chardonnay (but those antioxidants!). After the boys’ bedtime routines, I’d head back to the kitchen for a sweet treat. Before sleep, I’d peek in the fridge to find that perfect mouthful to cap the day. Rinse, repeat. By then, I topped 160 pounds, just over the 25.0 BMI “overweight” line and 25 pounds heavier than my bachelor self. Nothing abnormal; I was a dad with a dad body. But I wasn’t fit. I rarely broke a sweat unless I was running across the bus terminal in dress shoes to catch my ride home. I began noticing my heartbeat quicken after climbing a flight of stairs.
Fast forward another decade. I’m fitter than I’ve ever been. I shed 20 pounds and regularly run loops around a nearby lake. I diligently strength train each week and watch my calories. Important note: this is not a rag to riches story. I’m not one of these tech bros who applied their Type A personalities to their body, reaching 8% body fat, conquering Ironman after climbing Everest. But I’ve made fitness an integral part of my life. I have run 8 marathons and am an RRCA-certified running coach. And I so firmly bought into my personal trainer’s philosophy I co-invested in his gym. Most importantly, I’ve come to realize that the path to long-term wealth must include a healthy lifestyle. The reasons are numerous, from the burdensome cost of long-term health care, to having the strength to stoke a thriving career, to being mentally able to relish everything you’ve worked so hard for. And I’ve learned that many of the principles of sound financial planning apply to planning your health. Hence this site. I hope you get something out of it and in turn share your wisdom with me.
