Steve Hess
I started my career in counseling 30 years ago. After sitting in a chair listening to, challenging, and problem solving with my clients for 10 years, I felt restless. There was a pull towards an adventure, something competitive, outdoors, physical and fun - it was my lifelong passion for tennis! I spent the next 20 years building Gladiator Tennis, a league that started with 34 players in 2007 and grew into one of the largest flex leagues in the country. Today, more than 15,000 people have participated in the league.
My adventure is not over. I am entering a “4th Soil Life”, a way of living that attempts to reclaim what many of us are losing in 21st century American culture - contact with the outdoors, physical strength, truly healthy food, deep restorative sleep, connection with our neighbors, purpose & passion in our work. Most importantly, a deep and strong center for love with friends, family, and Creator. We have all been pressured and pulled into a hurried, driven, and anxious existence, trying to do it all on our own. 4th Soil Community will be a counter cultural group of people who want to reclaim the life giving habits and routines we used to take for granted that allow for a powerful, joyful, peaceful, and connected life.
Counseling & Coaching: As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and Florida, and as an experienced entrepreneur, I bring my expertise and experience into the counseling and coaching process. God has created you with a purpose. Together we can discover how to identify and break free from habits and patterns that are holding you back so you can move forward into the fruitful life that God has created you for.
4 4th Soil is a lifestyle of reclamation — a return to the essential human practices we’ve steadily lost over the last 150 years through the Industrial Age and now the Digital Age. Modern life has pulled us away from the environments and rhythms that once kept us grounded, connected, and spiritually alive. Many men today find themselves separated from nature, distant from family, disconnected from local community, and drifting from God. We spend most of our lives indoors, sedentary, physically depleted, and increasingly dependent on medication just to cope with the pace of life.
At the same time, we’re working harder than ever simply to stay financially afloat. The pressure leaves little space to prepare meals, exercise, go outdoors, or invest in neighbors, friends, and family. Our days are packed, our hearts are crowded, and our “soil” has less and less room for roots to grow deep. 4th Soil is about reclaiming that space — restoring the conditions that allow men to thrive physically, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually. It is a deliberate shift away from the weeds of modern overload and back toward the practices that cultivate strength, clarity, connection, and fruitfulness.
4th Soil community - Coming in 2027:
Making change in your life is much easier when you join a culture that values the same things you do. We want to notify you when we are ready to launch, so sign up for our interest list here: 4th Soil Community Interest List
Together, this community will move away from a digitally distracted and depleted life, and move towards practicing natural and enriching habits and rhythms that lead to the life you want and are designed for. Receive inspiration from other group members as we pursue more purpose and strength together.
What is 4th Soil?
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Reach out now if you would like more information or to schedule a free 15 minute consultation.