The Beard Log
The fundraiser hit the goal. The beard became real. Now this is the weekly record of what happens next—one short video, one honest update, and one increasingly questionable facial-hair decision at a time.
Beard Watch
This Is More Than a Before-and-After Photo
Beard or Bust started as livestream chaos, but the follow-through deserves its own home. Each week I will post a quick video and a written field note covering the growth, the awkward stages, what I am learning, what the community is saying, and where this whole thing is headed.
The Video
A short weekly check-in showing the progress without turning this into a three-hour beard documentary.
The Honest Update
What changed, what feels strange, what is working, and whether I am still committed to this community-created face project.
The Endgame
The final style, community input, transformation, and the give-back story that will close out the challenge.
Watch the Beard Grow—One Update at a Time
Every new Beard Log video will be added to one dedicated YouTube playlist. Keep the newest episode at the top of that playlist and this player will always open with the latest update.
Open the Full Playlist on YouTube →
I Cracked — The Clippers Came Out
I have a major Beard or Bust update this week: nothing happened.
After thirteen weeks, apparently we've reached the business-as-usual stage of beard ownership.
Last week I finally pulled out the clippers and brought everything back to a more manageable length. Since then, I've settled into a routine. About every three days, I spend roughly 15 minutes trimming everything, cleaning up the cheeks and under my chin, dealing with the mustache and then cleaning all those little hairs out of the sink.
And that's pretty much it.
No new beard discoveries. No grooming crisis. No sudden change of heart. I've simply figured out what maintaining this thing looks like
Oddly enough, the biggest change is that nothing feels particularly new anymore. I have a routine now: roughly 15 minutes of maintenance every three days. Compared with some of the discoveries earlier in Beard or Bust, that's not particularly exciting—but it's probably the most realistic look at what living with the beard has become.
I'm still pretty comfortable with the conclusion I reached last week. I can maintain a beard. I've learned how to make it look reasonably presentable. And I've gained a lot more appreciation for people who maintain one long-term. But it's still maintenance I didn't have before. For now, though, it's simply BAU.
The bigger story now is getting back to why Beard or Bust happened in the first place. We're waiting for the teacher who helped start this adventure to hold the club's first meeting of the new school year now that school schedules have settled down. And we're hoping to do something even better than originally planned: Bring both the teacher and kids from the club onto the show. That's the conversation I'm really looking forward to. More details once everything is coordinated.
The Brew Crew Will Help Write the Final Rules
This beard started because of the support of this community, so I do not want to decide how the story ends entirely on my own. The Brew Crew Community will help shape the final rules, requirements, milestones, and finish line for the Beard or Bust campaign.
Over the coming weeks, I will publish additional Community posts, polls, and discussion questions so you can share your ideas and help determine what needs to happen before this beard journey is officially complete.
Continue growing the beard while sharing weekly videos, progress photos, honest updates, and the occasional beard-related struggle.
Use Brew Crew Community posts, polls, and conversations to collect ideas for the final milestones, challenges, and campaign requirements.
Turn the strongest community ideas into a clear set of final rules, including the ending date, beard goal, final style, and any last challenge I must complete.
Complete the community-approved finish line, document the final transformation, and connect the ending back to the people and purpose that made Beard or Bust possible.
The Internet Funded the Beard. This Page Documents the Consequences.
The original Beard or Bust page tells the story of the livestream challenge, the community support, and how a joke became a commitment. This page is the next chapter.
Come Back Next Week. The Beard Apparently Has a Content Schedule.
Subscribe on YouTube for the weekly video, then check this page for the written update, progress notes, and the road to the final Beard or Bust decision.