🎙️ Merrick Watts on Obsession, Goals and What It Costs

🖋️ A word from our editor…

I’ve had the chance to work with Merrick Watts a few times over the years. He’s exactly what you’d hope: funny, warm, easy to be around. But underneath that, there’s a real focus. A kind of quiet intensity. You get the sense that when he decides to do something, he’s already 10 steps down the path.

That came through in this conversation in a really honest way.

He talked about being obsessive, not about perfection, but about pursuit. When he commits to something, he goes all in. And while that drive has taken him in a lot of directions, from comedy to SAS to starting a sports drink company, he was clear about the cost. Time is limited. If you’re building something, something else has to give.

For Merrick, it’s about being intentional with that trade-off. Cutting out the noise. Making sure the people around him know they’re part of it, not on the outside of it.

It’s a good reminder. Ambition doesn’t have to come at the expense of everything else. But it takes work to get the balance right.

— Hao Nguyen, Editor

“The best goals are shared goals.”

When Merrick Watts joined Amy and Jono on No Business Being A Castano, the conversation went far beyond comedy. It turned into a surprisingly honest look at obsession, ambition, and the emotional trade-offs that come with chasing big goals.

Merrick is best known as one half of the iconic duo Merrick & Rosso, who dominated Australian radio and television in the 2000s. Since then, he’s taken on a wildly varied career: from stand-up specials and acting to SAS Australia, elite military training, and most recently, launching Posca Hydrate, a Roman-inspired hydration drink rooted in history, gut science, and vinegar.

“I’m obsessive,” he said early in the chat. “But I’m not obsessive in the minutiae. I’m obsessive in pursuit.”

Merrick describes himself as a self-diagnosed obsessive, not someone who fixates on details, but someone who gets consumed by the mission. Once he commits to a challenge, he’s all in. That mindset has helped him reinvent himself multiple times. But it’s also something he’s had to learn to manage, especially when it comes to relationships and family.

The best goals, he explained, are shared ones. When a partner, team, or family is aligned with the mission, it becomes something bigger than a solo pursuit. Merrick’s wife doesn’t try to pull him away from his goals. Instead, she sees their purpose. Whether he’s training for a marathon, learning to meditate, or building a startup from scratch, she understands that his drive isn’t just about personal success. It’s about being a better version of himself for the people around him.

Still, that drive comes at a cost. Merrick was clear about the trade-offs. With 24 hours in a day—eight for work, eight for sleep, and eight for family or rest—something has to give. He refuses to compromise on sleep or exercise, so often the sacrifice is family time. That, he said, is the hardest part.

To make room for his goals, he cuts what he calls junk time: scrolling, zoning out, and unnecessary distractions. Weekends are for recovery and connection. Monday to Friday is about discipline and output.

“During the week I treat myself like a Rolls-Royce. On the weekend I treat myself like a rental car.”

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying,” Merrick explained in the conversation. And he’s not interested in slowing down. What drives him isn’t the spotlight or the status. It’s the belief that there’s always something worth chasing, as long as the people who matter are chasing it with you.

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