Common Current

When you’re trying to create something new, you’re going to feel a strong current. A current that will try to keep you going the same direction as everything else.

The current is common, and common is undeniably strong. So strong, most don’t even consider swimming against it.

The scariest part of the current is the hallway of haters. Haters that despise courage, that cringe at the uncommon or bold.

The second scariest part is what people will think when you hit an impasse and get sucked back into the common direction.

Creating a new thing requires resilience and strength. It turns out the muscles you need to get your creation into the world are built from “the last thing.”

“The last thing” that didn’t work.

You’ve got this!

Enthused

Confidence means you’ve had a little experience...just enough to know that the odds are in our favor. Confidence is about you and your inner structure.

Some have more than others.

Sometimes we lose it.

Enthusiasm is about others. Enthusiasm is contagious and can inspire. Enthusiasm comes from confidence and is contagious.

People need your confidence and enthusiasm is one of the best shipping methods.

When you’re running low on confidence spend time with the enthused ones. If you have plenty...don’t hoard your confidence with a stone face. Radiate through enthusiasm because when it’s real...it provides much-needed oxygen for the less confident.

The Bright Side

Looking at the bright side of everything causes misery. Having a truckload of silver linings to put on every dark cloud seems like a helpful move. But what about the storm she's in? Her reality is a blistering wind with sideways rain.

Telling her it all happens for a reason and the cup is half full is kinda mean. Mean because the reality is she’s wet and cold. Masking reality is not helpful.

True helpfulness is acknowledging the storm first. Acting like it’s only sunny slows progress because it isn’t true. Holding both positive and negative reality at the same time is where love lives.

Zoom Tips

New to the WFH Video Call scene?

I wrote a few tips for you :)

1. You don't have to wear pants

I love the button down and boxers combo but don't be too casual because then you just look lazy. Be "you" just without pants.

2. Show Your Face

Lighting matters. Don't sit with a big ole window behind you. A little thought about lighting will go a long way. You don't want to look like one of those blacked-out people from a witness protection interview.

3. Silencio!

Mute yourself when you're not talking. Nothing worse than hearing your dog with a squeaky toy.

4. Don't Eat

It's not a lunch meeting...you're not at a restaurant so skip the Nature Valley bar until after. No one wants to watch you manage the crumbs.

5. Don't look at you

When you're up and it's your time to talk, look at the camera so you aren't looking at you, looking at you. People will listen if you look at them.

6. Not your lap

Make sure you are framed properly. I know it's a laptop but set it on your desk. The angle is better and it will make you look sexier.

7. Alerts

If you are screen sharing turn off all your alerts. You don't want people to see how your spouse talks to you. Kill the ringer dingers on your phone too.

8. Be an actor

Act like you're paying attention. Nod your head and smile. You'll be tempted to read emails or check FB but if you do it to a "techy" meeting admin she'll know it. (I've been busted)

Long Play

Digging a well before you need water comes naturally to some and is hard for the rest of us. If we can stop grinding long enough to turn the lens for a wider view we’d see the need.

The small, consistent, daily activities have no flash. Flash is exciting, flash can be seen by “others” but the “others” have no interest in the boring daily micro-steps.

Steps that eventually create an overnight success.

2 Trust

Who do you trust? Trust comes in two main forms. Relational and functional.

Functional is “what you see is what you get” and you can count on them. They are dependable, conscientious, timely, and do what they say they're going to do. In business, it’s expected, or at least it should be. With just a few interactions you can tell if someone is functionally trustworthy.

Relational trust is different. Different because it’s gated and more secure. It’s conditional, it has passwords, encryptions, combinations, hidden doors with hidden keys. Some people are more trusting with lower security but others have electric razor wire with warning signs (Do Not Enter.)

The relational trust firewall is dynamic and directly related to past pains. Access was given and it didn’t go well. So the password was changed and the locks re-keyed.

Trust boundaries are vital BUT if they are too rigid and void of grace, the isolation within the fortress is hell on earth.

Hunker

Hunkering down might be the most efficient and generous thing to do.

The chaos is real and people need leadership. Not to minimize or dramatize but to be an anchor. Show others the upside of the hunker.

Somewhere between emotion and logic is wisdom. Calmly find the wisdom amidst the big picture and small details. Then, confidently lead others to that spot.

It’s your time to lead.

Sh*t Show

Overwhelm is inevitable and will kill creativity if it’s perpetual. Perpetual overwhelm is a result of ineffectiveness. Ineffectiveness will inhibit deep work that matters. Finding the balance of efficiency and a healthy culture is where the “art” lives.

The quickest way to overcome perpetual overwhelm is NOT hiring another person to help. If you put the overwhelm on your helper, they will leave you. The overwhelm is yours to own. The effectiveness issue is on you.

If you’re unable to manage your own overwhelm, how will you coach a helper? They will sense the endless ineffectiveness and run for the hills.

Create your own structure to deal with it, find some relief, some space, THEN hire someone.

Why? Because no one wants to work in your sh*t show.

It's Just Business

Success in business is elusive. If you own a restaurant all you have to do is make sure the food is incredible. There should be an hour’s wait. If the product is good it should sell out.

Not that simple.

Some ideas are really great, yet never take off. If the goods and services are excellent, why is growth, profit, or success just average?

Do we look for better systems? Hire a website guy? Buy more ads? Cut costs, find new tactics, read another book?

What’s the problem with the business?

Maybe there is no such thing as a business problem, just people problems manifested in a business.

Steamy Dreams

Some of my best ideas come when I’m in the shower. The fogged glass often becomes a whiteboard. What is it about that particular environment that causes creativity? Creativity that seems inaccessible the rest of the day.

As an armchair neuroscientist I see it boiling down to two reasons. Reasons that will apply outside the shower steam.

1. Relaxed: Assuming I paid the gas bill the water temperature is perfect. My breathing is even and I’m calm. I’m comfortable and safe.

2. Present: My mind is not in reaction mode. I’m in a space where a response isn’t needed.

Install this type of space for yourself. A space where you can just be away from reactionary things. Things that require a decision. Things that distract you from your real work… the deep work that helps you make the world a better place.

We all have a space like this. Go there and create daily.

Consequences

Imagine you want to ramp up the sales in Q2 so you decide to reduce the price. 

People love a good deal so revenue increases.

Mission accomplished.

You’ve increased sales and revenue is up. Was it the right play? When making a decision consider the second-order consequences. Your goal was to make more money. 

You look at your Q2 P&L and revenue is up. It’s up because you chose to reduce the price and the market responded. Your net profit is down from Q1 because of the 2nd order of consequences. 

Your margin took a hit because of the price reduction and you had to hire a couple of new people to handle the volume. 

Multi-Tasking

My morning coffee ritual is more like an assembly line but with only one person. I measure, grind, fill, froth, add and stir precisely the same way every morning. It’s a series of small tasks towards the perfect cup. A cup that’s perfect for me. 

The funny thing is I’m fooled into thinking I’m a great multitasker. Fooled because it’s physical… not mental. My mom claims to be a good multitasker. She would brag about driving her VW Bug while smoking a cigarette, holding a bottle of coke, shifting gears, all while ensuring my safety as I stood in the front seat. No one died or got burned. 

It turns out we can multitask but we can’t multi-focus. Making coffee or shifting gears doesn’t take much thought. Thoughts that require attention. Attention switching is the real problem. 

Switching from one thing to another has a cool feeling of momentum. Imagine checking emails, then you get a text, then a phone call, then someone pops by your office all while working on a spreadsheet. You get your stuff done and walk into your next meeting feeling like a savant. 

Most mornings you don’t get it all done but today you did. The truth is, this form of multitasking is inefficient. 

You want to be fast and accurate? One thing at a time, start to finish.

P.S. Still not buying it…???  Click the Star K below and take this fun test that’ll make you anxiously sweat when you realize how wrong you are :)

Click here

The Exchange

Privacy is important. Important because no one wants to be violated or open the door to being exposed. Some people are more private than others. What’s appropriate? Are those who cover the camera on their laptop paranoid? 

How does ego play in? Are they egomaniacs? Assuming “people” would think their life is interesting enough to snoop? What’s the line? 

We see movie stars getting caught in the “act” all the time. Does that mean people care about our act? 

Maybe… but likely not. 

Some people avoid social media because Zuck might steal their info. Info that is likely already stored… and available to the highest bidder. 

So do you hide or let the cat stay out of the bag? You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube but you can use your head. 

Guarding all your data would be a full-time job. Is it worth your time? Are you that interesting? Are you willing to exchange convenience for privacy? If Alexa hears you talk about needing more toothpaste and then you see it as a suggested item on Amazon, do you feel violated?

No one likes to be violated but we also don’t like to be surprised by the cat.

Scarcity Mindset

If you think you may run out you probably will. The need to preserve or stockpile is a trap. Your main resource is your mind and the ability to connect. Stockpiling assumes you’re going to be alone and the truth is you won’t. 

Hoarding suggests you’re not willing to ask for help. Help is hard to ask for with a scarcity mentality. Being self-sufficient is good and has its limits. True power comes from teamwork and collaboration. 

Striving to be the one people will call for help might be the wrong goal. Stockpiling might suggest your fear of not having what it takes when it hits the fan.

The question is… What will be the currency?

My answer: Creativity

6 Ft Under

They say that everyone has a million-dollar idea. I wonder if “they” are right? 

Some of the very best ideas end up between the ears of a dead guy 6 ft under. Why weren’t they shared? Because sharing is vulnerable. If you let your idea out into the wild, it might get laughed at or criticized. Feeling embarrassed or ashamed is something even “they” want to avoid. 

The fear of this feeling keeps ideas hidden. Hidden because it’s safer. It turns out your humanness has a hard time separating physical pain from emotional pain… It just defaults to playing it safe. 

Playing it safe keeps the ideas the world needs trapped between your ears, and eventually buried for good.

Go make your mark!

Proformas (Stupid Tax)

I’ve yet to do a deal or scale a company where the proforma was correct. They are always off, and completely inaccurate. Things cost more OR if you’re lucky, less than you expect. The ramp-up usually takes 2x what you thought. 

So if proformas are always wrong, what’s the point? The point is despite their inaccuracy they are helpful. They force the creator to think. Think about the upside and downside. 

The proforma becomes a receptacle to expenses and income streams as they occur to you. A place to contain surprises. It might not be “right” but “right” isn’t the goal. 

The goal is to mitigate irreversible consequences.  

As time rolls on your proformas get smarter because...you’re smarter. 

On 3rd

If you’re standing on American soil, count yourself blessed. The land of opportunity has the largest GDP in the world which means people like it here. 

It likely wasn't your choice to be in the U.S. Someone before you made that happen. Which means you don't get the credit. It no doubt takes some work. Work that slips our mind. 

Do you know your great great grand dad’s full name? When was he born? 

So here we stand on 3rd base feeling a bit like we just hit a triple. The work that paved the way… The lives lost defending the way… aren’t that visible at first glance. 

Recognize the work, respect the work, and do your own work so you aren’t thrown out trying to steal home. 

Accreditation

Licensing is a necessary evil in some industries. Before you get a license, make sure you like the work first. 

Getting an accreditation of some sort as an exploratory journey is a fool's errand...

Any license you get in real estate centers around memorizing the penalties for doing stupid things… Then you get tested and voila, you’re licensed… It doesn't actually teach you anything about how to be successful but instead highlights what happens to you if you don't comply. 

This makes the accreditation useless if you aren’t willing to do what it takes to be awesome. Find someone that IS awesome and work for them for a season. Then, if it’s a “hell yes I love this”, go get your license. Chances are you’ll be WAY ahead of your classmates. 

Competition

We struggle to be truly happy with ourselves if we aren’t a little “better” than the next guy.  This thinking forces us to compare. Comparing is mostly a distraction.  A distraction from doing our unique work.  

The work we do lives in two categories:

1. The work anyone can do (Tasks)

2. The work that only you can do

If you are building a business it requires both.  If you want to “win” you’d better work ON  your business(#2) and not IN  it (#1). 

Instead of trying to beat the competition, employ your unique talents to frustrate them.

Go make your mark!

Pro Tip: The real win is to have your competitors move from initial frustration to eventual inspiration…

Fine Wine

The results are conclusive. A $500 bottle of wine doesn’t taste better than a good $20 bottle.  If the cat is out of the bag why aren’t people picketing the vineyards?  How are sommeliers still employed?  Why is some wine still $500/bottle? 

If the blind folded wine expert likes the taste of the $20 bottle how does the free market support high dollar wine?  The answer?

Narrative.

Story is powerful...very  powerful.  Powerful enough to increase the value of a bottle of wine by 2500%.  

If those around you believe the narrative and you order the expensive wine (without sniffing the cork) Your status was just elevated.  

It feels good to elevate our status.  Sometimes the truth isn’t as fun because it kills the story and the status benefits.  The only thing more valuable than the $500 bottle?  The Narrative.