A NIGHT IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM

There are events in our life and our business that we can’t control. There will be moments of guilt and self-convincing that we could have prevented those events. In those instances we show up, we manage our emotions, we move forward with agency in anything possible, and we make the next best decision. 

STAY CONNECTED

We all want to build incredible companies, doing incredible things, working with incredible people, and serving incredible customers.

The only way to do this over the long term is to stay connected.  Stay connected to your customer.  Stay connected to your service. Stay connected to the work. And always, stay connected to your expectations.

PRUNE YOUR VINEYARD

The work of pruning the vines has become not just therapeutic for me.  Preparing the vineyard has become wildly symbolic.  The purpose of cutting out most of last years “growth” is really for the purpose of promoting growth this year in the new season. Cutting out last years growth allows for great, stronger, new growth for the coming fruit season.  It promotes growth of more fruit, healthier fruit, and even sweeter fruit.  

As I hack back vines from the previous year, I can’t help but think about the correlations between my vineyard and my business.

A HAPPIER ANNIVERSARY

My belief is that no relationship is a wasted relationship. Just like no conversation is a wasted conversation. I believe any time spent with another human being is worth the time passed, spent, or invested. We all learn valuable lessons from each other. Too often we end up focusing on the incredible beginning  and then the difficult end, and forget about the countless moments in the very middle that change us day by day. For that, every relationship is a gift.

BACK STAGE IS THE STAGE

There is no front of stage and back of stage. Those chosen to be back stage to manage the sound and audio and lights may not be seen. But they are felt. They are equally important as those taking center stage for the biggest keynote. Without them, there would be no stage. Backstage is the stage.

DIAMONDS ARE NOT FOREVER

A diamond will last a lifetime. A relationship should be able to as well. But unfortunately, it won’t last with two out of four, or even three out of four. We need a four out of four here. We need to build trust, communicate consistently, work hard, and be mission driven. 

PRICE ARE GOING UP

As you make your choices, be ok with asking yourself if you are willingly, knowingly, and purposefully exchanging a unit of time, or a unit of life, for that thing. That thing could be a goal. That thing could be a relationship. That thing could be an event. Is it worth it? Does it line up with the life you pre-designed for yourself? Does it contribute to one of the core pillars of your life - career, relationships, personal development, wealth, health, or spirituality?  

YOU ARE A SCULPTOR

If we set our expectations or find ourselves in environments where expectations are set for us, make sure they lead us to the person or professional we want to become.  The opposite can also be true.  If we have low expectations of ourselves or allow ourselves to stay in an environment with low or no expectations, our performance will follow that leadership.

THE CYCLES OF GROWTH

We all go through cycles of improvement and growth. In the beginning it feels like it’s taking forever to gain traction and move forward. Then, as if a switch has been flipped, growth begins and snowballs. You experience years of ten percent growth, fifty percent growth, at times over a hundred percent growth. A new cycle eventually emerges and the growth may seem to subside or slow. 

I DON’T BELIEVE IN LUCK

I have often struggled when people refer to the role of good or bad “luck” in building businesses, meeting the perfect spouse, crossing paths with opportunity, achieving success or experiencing failure.

It has become a common conversation amongst CEO’s, venture capitalists, personal development gurus and others that the role of luck benefits us all. In fact ignoring it or not acknowledging it has been linked with ego and arrogance.

BE LIKE A DOG

A dog’s love and relationship with their owner is unconditional. It doesn’t matter what happens, they just want you to know that they love you, and they just want to be loved. Is there a more perfect relationship?

ARE YOUR STANDARDS JUST STANDARD?

The word standard as a noun is often used to connote a certain level of quality or a way to measure or evaluate something. As an adjective it is mostly used to describe something that has become normal, even average.

BREAKING NEWS: THE EARTH ISN’T FLAT

I feel very ready for 2023. Not ready because I’m certain how things will play out this year. Not ready because I have all my plans set and goals set and targets set. Not ready because the wind is at my back and the road is paved in front of me. But I feel very ready for 2023 because I trained for this. All of us trained for this.

RELATIONSHIPS ARE ORGANIC

We often hear the expression that relationships are organic. And that is true. But incorrectly, that can cause us to believe that they will grow and develop naturally - that our relationships will continue to produce good fruit just based on time. It allows us to be passive instead of proactive when it comes to them. 

LIFE IS NOT A NOVEL

I have spent countless hours in the “Young Reader” section with my daughters, and have notice that the biggest sellers, and most popular books on the shelves, include hundreds of “series”.  The author releases a book, creates a strong following for the lead characters, and begins at times, a decades long and multi-book journey of writing and releasing. Some of the most popular book series have been going for 5, 10, or even 15 years.

GOING DOWNHILL FAST

As I watched how long it took the kids to get to the top of the mountain and then how quickly they got to the bottom of the hill, I couldn’t help but think of something I had read earlier in the week. Referring to the current real estate market, Stefan Swanepoel in his recent blog post wrote, “The ride down is faster than the path upward…” I’ve always found Stefan insightful, and this statement particularly stuck with me.

DON’T BREAK YOUR PIGGY BANK!

… the piggy bank was originally intended to be a real commitment device. The piggy bank’s origin began in the Middle Ages when clay pots and containers were used to hold coins and money. Those pots were originally made from an orange colored clay material called pygg. Those pots became known as “pygg pots”.

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

This week I was cleaning out some bookshelves to make some room for some new books. I’ve had stacks of books on my home office floor for some time… I imagine myself as an old man living in a cabin with every wall being bookshelves, and stacks of books everywhere. We’ll see if my wife keeps me.

TIME IS A MEMORY

As you choose to spend uninterrupted time with your children, or choose to eat a meal with loved ones without interruption from phone or email, we confirm in our minds that this is who we are. We are the type of person that blocks out time for that meal or blocks out time for that movie with the kids or blocks out time to read that book. We are the type of person that has the time and makes the time.

LEARNING FOR DOING

So many of you who consistently read this weekly blog just love to learn. I appreciate you reaching out, commenting, and sharing your thoughts about each post. I come back to the keyboard each week to really recount what I have learned over the past 7 days and put in writing something actionable I can do based on that learning… your reach-out’s, comments, and shares allow me to continue to learn from your individual perspectives as well.