Red Mike Message 3-18-25: The Last 20%

Happy Tuesday—I’m glad you’re here. I hope you had a great Monday and a solid start to the week.

One of my fraternity brothers, Scott Lyons—I actually didn’t go to college with him, but I met him at the Texas Whiskey Festival a couple of years ago—shared something powerful on Facebook. He said:

"If you put in 80%, you get 80% back. But if you put in 100%, you get 1,000% back. The last 20% is where the magic happens."

And I couldn’t agree more.

If you remember Spinal Tap, Nigel Tufnel said, “This one goes to 11.” That little extra push over the cliff—that’s the last 20%.

It’s not easy. It’s not for the faint of heart.

That last 20% is when exhaustion sets in. It’s the fourth quarter. And let’s be honest—most football games are won or lost in the fourth quarter. That’s when you’re at your worst—when your legs are burning, your lungs are on fire, and logic is whispering in the back of your head, “Take this play off. Let someone else do it.”

But that’s when the great ones dig deep. That’s when champions refuse to quit.

My dad was a welder and a pipefitter. At least once a week, he came home with a burn, a cut, a chafe, or something worse. Some days, he had an eye patch because they had to dig a piece of metal out of his eye. But he never quit. He kept working. He kept providing. He kept me fed and a roof over my head.

That’s the last 20%.

Captain America said more than once: “I can do this all day.” It wasn’t just a catchphrase—it was him. You’re not going to stop me. I will keep fighting as long as I have anything left.

That's the last 20%.

Or look at Michael Jordan’s Flu Game in the ‘97 NBA Finals. He was sick. Dehydrated. Barely able to stand. But he dropped 38 points and led the Bulls to victory. He had every excuse to quit. But champions don’t quit.

That’s the last 20%.

And it’s not just about effort—it’s about resilience, grit, and endurance.

As Brother Lyons put it, pain is the filter, and few pass it. Most people stop at “good enough.” But the ones who push through—that’s who makes history.

The question isn’t whether you’re good enough. The question is whether you’re willing enough. Whether you are strong enough.

Can you push past where others quit?

I dare you to embrace the pain.

I dare you to be great.

I dare you to push through that last 20%.

I think you can. But you have to believe it. So go do it.

Find that last 20%.

Go from good to great.

That’s today’s Red Mike Message.

I hope you found it valuable, and I hope you figure out how to implement it in your own life.

Thanks again to my fraternity brother Scott Lyons for the inspiration—I hope to see you at the Texas Whiskey Festival again this year. And shoutout to another fraternity brother, Jake Clements , for putting that event together. It really is a great time.

Now, go out there and knock the cover off the ball.

Until next time—remember: Life is short. Drink the bourbon.

Red Mike Messages are leadership and life lessons I’ve picked up over the years—mainly from 25 years as a public servant, 16 years coaching youth football and volunteering in Scouting, and 10 years as a mediocre athlete with far more heart than actual physical ability.