What’s your full name?

Robin Eric Putman

Were you named after anyone?

My father.

What’s your average day like?

Wake up at 5am. Prep and cook the soup of the day. Go to my bus and make the cleanse orders for the day. Deliver some of them then go back and run the bus for about 12-14 hours. Close. Grab miscellaneous produce and supplies. Maybe go see a movie or stay home and watch one then try to sleep.

How far away do you live from where you were born?

About three hours.

Is that distance something you think about? Do you any connection to your place of birth?

I think about it with a mixture of fondness and discomfort. My family is there and I love them but I don’t miss the area since I didn’t make the best life choices when living there.

What do you consider to be your “home”?

I’ve lived all over the world and country. Ultimately I keep returning to Austin. It feels like home.

At the moment, what’s something you’re looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to not exhausting myself day in day out with building my business up to what I have envisioned. To be able to see it grow legs of its own.

What items do you always take with you when you leave the house?

My work keys, phone, tea tree mint toothpicks, picture of my dog and my grandfather’s dog tags.

When you look in the mirror, what do you notice first about your appearance?

My eyes looking tired, haha.

If you could change something about your appearance, what would it be?

Thicker hair. I’m not bald by any means but it’s an ever-present fear.

What do you first notice in strangers?

Depends. Men, I notice handshake, smell, and demeanor. Women, expression in the eyes, smell, and voice. Then all else follows.

What do think those that know you say about you?

That I’m a robot who somehow has the energy to work all day and hardly sleep. Or that I’m a bit too enthusiastic at times.

What would you hope they would say?

That they believe in me and care about me.

What do you think strangers notice first about you?

How tired I am or the gap in my front teeth

What is your proudest moment? Biggest victory?

Oh, man. The day I opened my business (Level Up Juice & Smoothies, Austin) at MondoCon 2, when the first drink came out. Had been working so hard and was so afraid it would all disappear somehow. Then the time came. I opened and we rocked that weekend.

What is your biggest regret? Biggest failure?

I try hard to live without regret. But I’d say my biggest regret is being complacent with certain loved ones. Taking their presence for granted and not appreciating them for all they are worth.

Failure. That I’m not where I thought I’d be as of yet. But maybe that’s more motivation not to fail.

If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?

That I wasn’t so anxious all the time. That I could just get things done and be eagerly happy about it and not worried always

What makes life worth living?

Ender my dog. My community of friends, my family, movies, nerd shit, food and it may sound cheesy but hugs. I live for hugs.

If you could know exactly when and how you would die, would you want to know? 

No. Because my brain would always be counting down to that moment.

What is the one rule you try to live by? Do you feel successful at following it? 

Don’t talk about it, be about it. Not always. I fall off often but I’m always hanging onto the edge or stumbling down that process.