Story & Lesson Highlights with Scott Walker

Scott Walker shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Scott, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Earlier this year, I had to hit pause on writing fiction. Writing no longer provided joy, and I found it increasingly unappealing.

Six years of full-time writing got switched off almost overnight, leaving me to figure out my next career chapter.

This triggered an existential crisis. If I could no longer write, I could no longer call myself a writer. But if I was no longer a writer, who was I…?

For most of 2025, I’ve been trying to figure out what I’m passionate about, what I’m interested in, and what could find an audience. I’ve looked at a lot of different things, and the only common thread is they’ve all included an aspect of creativity or life improvement.

I’m still searching for a project that will find an audience, but what’s interesting about my current search is that I’m not letting a string of “failures” sideline me. I’m not defining myself or my success based on a single setback.

A year ago, my first failed project would have cratered me. Now, I’m viewing each attempt as a stepping stone.

Every new project and each new test bring new insights – and those new insights inform the next project.

The details are still emerging, but I can confidently say I’m being drawn to make the world a better place. A happier place. A more peaceful place.

That said, I’m still enjoying one writing project: the cozy fantasy shared world I created called Cozy Vales (cozyvales.com). Twenty authors have contributed to this delightful collection of heartwarming stories, and my time in the vales continues to be a source of joy!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My career is chaos theory personified. I’ve been a tech consultant, a fiction writer, an IT manager, and I’m a serial entrepreneur. I’ve worked in the finance, telecom, retail, restaurant, and media spaces.

I’ve learned a lot but never felt like I’d found my place in the traditional workspace.

After pressing pause on (my non Cozy Vales) writing, I realized I had the chance to literally do anything – which is actually more daunting than having to choose between a small and finite number of options.

If I can do anything, then what filter should I use to narrow it down to something? That turned out to be a super interesting question!

Could I launch another finance company? Sure. Did I want to? Nope.

Could I launch an app? Of course. Does the world need yet another app? Eh…

Could I get a job at a company? For sure. Was that appealing? Not so much.

I kept circling things and not getting anywhere until I asked, “If this is the last chapter in your career, how do you want it to end?”

Things suddenly snapped into place.

I want to help others. I want to improve their lives. I want to help tackle some of the destructive aspects of our society that are eroding our satisfaction and happiness (depression, loss of third places, declining levels of social engagement, addiction to phones and digital devices, etc.).

That focus has guided me during the last several months, and it’s been a wild, fun, and insightful ride. I’ve launched three pilot programs, all with a different focus, and each time, I felt I was getting closer to THE project.

The one project I could happily run for years, would objectively improve the world, and would find a welcome group of people eager to embrace it.

I’m about to launch the next one, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a creative kid and a dreamer. I saw Star Wars in 1977, and all I ever wanted was to hop in the Millenium Falcon and blast off to the stars.

I created spaceships in my backyard out of old wood scraps.

I grew up reading SF and Fantasy books, watching metric crap ton of movies and TV shows, and playing D&D.

I was a kid who wasn’t happy unless he was exploring worlds in his imagination, and all I wanted was to play in those worlds. But in the late 1980s, most employers didn’t care about any of that. I put a lot of those passions on the back burner for decades before becoming a fiction writer and embracing my inner creative nerd again…

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
Actually, my biggest hurdle has been a set of fear-related limiting beliefs, some of which I wasn’t even aware of until a friend recently pointed them out.

The worst has always been, “I’m just not [insert attribute] enough.” Insert any positive trait: talented, skilled, confident, etc.

For most of my life, I’ve aimed low and rarely even thought about going for the brass ring.

Fortunately, that changed earlier this year, thanks to meeting a couple of incredibly inspiring entrepreneurs who reminded me how to have fun even when it comes to the serious business of, well, business.

I still battle my limiting beliefs, but I’m getting better at ignoring them!

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
I view fads as ideas whose appeal does not stand up against the test of time because they’re rooted in a contextual, timebound aspect of our society. Foundational mindset shifts continue to hold up over much longer periods because they speak to things whose nature are more timeless.

Either may be helpful or harmful, though fads are like stones dropped into a pond (immediate splash, some ripples, then nothing), while foundational shifts are like tectonic plates colliding into each other and reshaping the entire landscape.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’ve already started this process!

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Arthur Brooks give a talk about his book, How To Build The Life You Want. I wasn’t feeling particular unhappy at the time, but I was mildly curious to hear what he had to say.

Five minutes into Dr. Brooks’ talk, I felt he was speaking directly to me. Before he’d finished speaking, I’d made the decision that I would actively reshape my life into what I wanted instead of just talking about it.

For some context, on paper my life is awesome, and in many ways, I’m living the life I dreamed of when I was in my twenties.

But Dr. Brook’s talk showed me I hadn’t come close to maximizing my happiness. I used to think I’d pretty much maxed out my happiness level, when in reality, there was a ton of progress (i.e., more happiness) I could enjoy if I wanted.

In the past six months, I’ve cut back on things that provided short term pleasure but zero long term benefit to my actual happiness. I’m not talking grand, sweeping changes, just dialing things back here and there.

I’ve also added things that research has proven will make us happy: regular exercise and adopting a default mindset of gratitude. Again, nothing incredibly major, just a few adjustments to my lifestyle.

All those small changes, however, have had outsized impacts. I’ve continued to adjust my life in minor ways, each little change contributing to a larger directional change compounding over time. Each improvement provides a boost of encouragement to hold on to the new habits I’ve made and continue adding more.

Thanks to Dr. Brooks, I’m already living like there are no guaranteed tomorrows, and I’ve never been happier!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cozyvales.com