Based in Colorado, Todd Pomeroy taught PE for many years and led athletic programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He developed dynamic curricula that encouraged students to strengthen muscle groups and maintain cardiovascular health while working toward agility and endurance goals. Todd Pomeroy instilled core values of rule following, sportsmanship, and participation through character-building sports and activities.
Mr. Pomeroy earned his BA in physical education at Black Hills State College. He excelled as a cross country runner and was part of a team that achieved a perfect score at a conference meet. He and his teammates placed first through fifth at the competitive event. He subsequently attended Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, where he earned an MS in physical education.
Over the years, Mr. Pomeroy has coached sports such as track, football, baseball, basketball, and cross country. He has coordinated jump rope and been a swim instructor, and also created a popular field day involving 15 to 20 stations, where students competed against each other in fun events. In his free time, he is a DYI enthusiast who enjoys transforming old picture frames and furniture into new, practical pieces.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My typical day goes as follows:
- I thank God for another day.
- How can I assist/help make a better day for my daughter and grandsons.
- What or how can I help others today.
- Have a positive mindset. Be happy with myself, which will help me be more productive.
- Realize I can’t always change how people think. Not everyone is going to see life as I do and as I do through my experiences.
- Take some time to be with myself. To be still and not let my mind be cluttered.
- Laugh at myself or with my loved ones.
- And be thankful for what I have/where I am currently am in life. I could be isolated, broke, and have no hope or anything to be excited about. I’m blessed.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I evaluate my current circumstances and then make any decisions or ideas happen accordingly. Some ideas may take longer to develop than others. I have pieces of a book I’ve wanted to write for 15 years. Some information on mini recorders, some on Google Docs, some in notebooks. A lot of it still in my head. I’m waiting for the right person, situation, or opportunity to present itself to help kickstart the whole thing. Sometimes, it takes more than yourself to bring ideas alive.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The personal trend of my relationship with my daughter and my grandsons. I am currently writing a journal for my daughter. She gifted me a book entitled Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story: A Father’s Guided Journal To Share His Life & His Love. Within that setting, it is nice to see the more outwardly speaking of individuals about mental health and how they are dealing with it.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Not beating myself up over my mistakes. Rather, grow from them and learn from them, as to benefit myself in the future. It is difficult to narrow it all down to one habit. Many little habits can be experienced and put in motion that will have a lasting impact on one particular habit. Everyone is built differently. For myself, it is many little things that contribute to the overall habit. Speaking/praying to God also makes a huge impact on my outlook and productivity.
What advice would you give your younger self?
To slow down and evaluate my emotions better. Not to react to others, situations, or circumstances so quickly. Check my emotions and size up what is taking place in front of me. I put myself into many negative situations because I reacted to something based on my mood, emotions, and heart. Even if all of those things were true and correct, my actions sometimes were not.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
That an individual can overcome a million mistakes and still grow. People can change. By all accounts, I should not be where I am in life. I’ve overcome myself due to changing from within, help from my daughter, and not giving up.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Many times, it is many little things that take place in order for there to be a positive outcome. With that being said: get rest. Recharge your body and mind. Whether it is sleep more, take an afternoon nap, go for a walk, sit in a hot tub, or spending time doing something that you enjoy doing, you need to recharge. Praying or speaking with God is also important. When I run, I have my “God talks” where I thank Him for where I’m at, pray for others, and ask for His will to be done in my life.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
In my younger days, I more than likely responded poorly. My words and actions were not positive or productive. Nowadays, I will remove myself (walk away, if you will) from that moment or environment. I will focus on anything that is positive, good, or not connected to what has put me in that overwhelming feeling. I will not allow the situation or another person’s actions to dictate my attitude or actions.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
My father always told me that everyone lives in their own “bubble” and acts accordingly. Which means most people are dealing with their own “stuff” and may not have the energy to address your stuff. So, if you can assist, help, or make their stuff better, or easier to handle, they will come around at some point and help you with yours. As a teacher, which my father was and I am, I was told to make best friends with the custodian. They know what’s going on in the facility, and they have all the keys to everything.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
This hits close to my heart. I would have to say at a point in my teaching career, I had a situation where I allowed finances and “the system” to dictate my own personal outcome. It has taken me several years to overcome this situation. And it is still in progress as we speak. The lesson here is that I put myself in a position where I can help others get through their situation quicker and cleaner than I did.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I am not very tech savvy. My phone actually is the best piece of technology that I use daily to be productive. My laptop is outdated, and I can’t afford to replace it. Thus, I am answering these questions on my Google Docs on my phone. God forbid I ever lose the phone, lol. And just a side note, my friends and loved ones that understand and use software daily are my best assets when it comes to getting things done.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I used to read a lot of books years ago. John Stanford’s Prey collection. It gave me a way to escape the daily grind of life. I could crawl into the main character’s life and be someone I wasn’t. I actually have not watched a podcast. I have gotten many spiritual messages and other information from TikTok.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
There are a few. Yellowstone, The Landman, Ransom Canyon, My Next Guest, Suits, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Reacher.
All of these shows somehow and in some way connected with me and my heart. Again, it was a way to escape into worlds that I got satisfaction from. As if I could accomplish what these characters did. It was just a nice break from the day-to-day routine of life.
Key learnings
- Viewing mistakes and failures as learning opportunities, rather than negatives, fosters personal and professional growth.
- Emotional awareness and regulation foster good decision making and help you avoid impulsive decisions and reactions.
- Stepping away when stressed or overwhelmed helps you calm your emotions, refocus, and identify solutions.
- Take time to recharge through rest or recreational pursuits—whether it’s getting more sleep, taking a nap, going for walk, or doing something you enjoy.
- Empathy and consideration for others can inspire further kindness and for others to pay it forward.