[Start Here] Welcome to Unobstructed with Derek MacDonald

Weekly essays and podcasts that simplify work and life—without the overwhelm.

Hi, I’m Derek, founder of DMDC Systems and the guy behind the Unobstructed newsletter & podcast.

Creating weeks that don’t suck get you to good months and great years.

Searching for clarity in the chaos of work and life?

Feeling pulled in too many directions?

Stuck in endless overwhelm?

You’re in the right place.

That was me.

Unobstructed is where I share weekly essays and podcasts that uncover clarity for work and life.

Untangle The Clutter With Unobstructed.

I’m on a mission to uncover clarity, alignment, and growth—without the overwhelm.

• Weekly essays to help untangle clutter and realign focus.

• Honest ideas that challenge assumptions and spark new ways of thinking.

• Growth-focused perspectives from my journey toward clarity and fulfillment.

I’m figuring out this life thing, too.

This isn’t a place for promoting hustle culture or quick-fix productivity hacks—it’s for sharing ideas, trying new things, and finding small steps that make a real difference.

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What reading Unobstructed is like:

See for yourself:

The Destructive Facade of "Male Loneliness"

How to Avoid Being Misunderstood

Positive Psychology’s Hidden Flaw

Why Jon Brosio is Using Lessons From Food Service to Build Digital Trust

What Senior Leaders and Junior Team Members Get Wrong About Contribution

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Getting started.

Once you subscribe, here’s what to expect:

• Welcome email: You’ll get a quick note from me confirming your subscription.

• Weekly essays: Stories and reflections that land in your inbox every week.

• Your access: Update your preferences to only get the emails you want.

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How this newsletter works.

This is the place for essays and podcasts that uncover clarity for work and life.

Each week, I’ll share personal stories, reflections, and ideas from my own growth journey that will offer new perspectives for you to use on yours.

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What to expect.

The Unobstructed has 3 sections.

You can think of “sections” kinda like the Sports, Classifieds, or Arts & Culture parts of a newspaper…

As an Unobstructed subscriber, you’ll get posts from the following three sections—right here in your inbox:

1. The Unobstructed Newsletter: Weekly doses of alignment, not overwhelm.

2. The Unobstructed Podcast: Work-life conversations without the fluff.

3. Rethinking RevOps: Decluttering marketing and sales tech.

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When you’ll get new posts.

• I publish twice weekly: one podcast & one email.

• I share a mix of resources from others in addition to my own.

• Weekly emails alternate between essays and resource roundups.

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Where to update your preferences.

Here’s the best part—you can opt in or out of the sections you want to here from.

You will automatically receive all 3.

To adjust your settings:

Step 1:

Go to https://www.theunobstructed.com/account

Step 2:

Choose which emails you want to get.

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What's My Story?

At work, I build better systems for activating strategies and teams.

But, like you, l'm more than my job.

My sweet spot is the overlap of high performing athletics, business strategy, and cognitive psychology.

Wilderness emergency medicine taught me more about pressurized decision-making than any other aspect of my career.

At 19 I studied risk management and effective decision-making in a 3 month, immersive leadership development program. I also started consuming as much information as I could from thought leaders like like Simon Sinek, Adam Grant, Tim Ferriss, Brené Brown, Gabor Maté, Angela Duckworth, Rich Roll, Michael Gervais, Mel Robbins, the Gottmans, and so many more.

Since then, my curiosity has only intensified.

It led to a career including roles as a:

• Director of Strategy & Operations

• Revenue Growth Consultant

• Leadership Staffing Director

Made possible by expertise with:

• Sales

• Copywriting

• RevOps Strategy

• Growth Marketing

• Technology & Automation

What I've Learned Along The Way.

My ability to rapidly scale a startup showed me that what I was learning really worked.

In my 20’s I also guided backcountry expeditions in the Rocky Mountain West, coached big mountain snowboarders qualifying for the Freeride World Tour, and ran the Boston Marathon after recovering from a traumatic brain injury.

I worked on the crew of a sailboat in the Caribbean, toured New England as a keynote speaker, and weaved through the service industry in a way that I like to think would make Anthony Bourdain proud.

Or, at least, make him scoff a bit.

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Read more about my recovery from a traumatic brain injury.

After the Collision, I Knew I Couldn’t Stay

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Life outside of the office has shaped my skill set as much as my professional experiences have.

Admittedly, I spend a lot of my time nerding out on sustainable systems and approaches to development. When not training for a marathon or enjoying a sunrise with my snowboard, you can likely find me frequenting local coffee shops and live music venues.

Outside of work, I have volunteered with the HOBY leadership organization since 2010, developing staffing teams and implementing curricula that inspire young people to become catalysts for positive change in their home, school, workplace, and community.

I've also spent time volunteering for local advocacy programs and coaching freeride snowboard athletes. As a member of the board of directors for Carving The Future, I advised on marketing strategies that empowered underserved youth in Wyoming by providing gear, programs, lessons, and athletic scholarships.

My contributions to Jackson Hole Snowboarder Magazine and NOLS' The Leader seek to elevate communities and voices who've got this life thing figured out.

I’m glad you’re here.

Thanks for being part of the journey.

onward.

-dmac

P.S. Click here for ways to grow your business AND reduce the upkeep.